Planes Trains and Automobiles

Ok that isn’t an informative or even representative title but there you go. It’s actually kind of sad because I have just realised how factual my blog has become. So the title of an episode of Sue Thomas makes up for all the structure. You probably like this style much more but I miss writing, I should actually do some more of that. Anyway...

Thursday came with a welcomed lie in. Well it would have been welcome if I hadn’t woken up early anyway. We had a nice and lazy morning the only ‘work’ was going over the plan we had already drawn out for the children’s club. Feeling prepared and excited at the prospect of seeing all the children again, we set of, starting the long journey down the hill. We were greeted much the same way as previously and by the time we got inside the church we each had at least one child attached to us. This time it was a little different because we had visitors form an international school joining us. It was strange, to say the least, to see the contrast in children in one room. One with tatty clothing, not able to afford school fees and shaved heads, compared to children dressed very smartly, lining up in a straight line without any fidgeting and long braided hair. We took the small class on a tour round the slums as well as singing many songs and playing games with all of the children. They left after this but left us behind loads of biscuits. This meant, after the teaching (Solomon asking for wisdom and then showing it with the two women fighting over the baby), the children had a feast. It was a good feeling, seeing little hands stuffed with various biscuits and a banana. We made our way (very) slowly home, stopping to eat a Rolex on the way because we were very hungry. For those who don’t know, the Rolex I’m talking about isn’t the expensive one you put on your wrist, it’s a chapatti with egg and tomatoes. It is also very, very good.

Friday, as well as being my mum’s birthday, (Happy Birthday!) was a day of firsts for two members of the team. Sarah and Anna went to visit a mother of a sponsored child who was ill, unfortunately there was no recorded of her at the hospital and no one seemed to know where she had been taken. On the way back, however, the need arose to get somewhere quickly and efficiently, thus meaning they had to ride a Boda. They had a brilliant time by the sounds of it. We met up with them at a local children’s club that we were running, Blessed Word of Life Church. There were a lot fewer children here but equally cute and much more attentive. We played loads of games and sung many songs before settling to do a very similar lesson to the day before.

Saturday involved tackling shopping. I thought I was used to heavy bags, carrying them home from Tesco, but these where ridiculous. Luckily we had Brian with us and so we only had to carry the bags a little way, not up Smile hill. Carrying on with the boring structure that this blog has become, Church was on Sunday, as it normally is (I’m tiered.) Really the only interesting thing that happened was a very well timed power cut and a nice game of cards.

Today was tiring. Even though we could get up late, I woke up early again. We left at ten and walked, for a long time, to the first widow’s house. It was really nice talking with her about her business (making bricks) and family. Another long walk to the next house but we got to rest as we were welcomed into her home. It is so humbling to see how they are living and how much they have to work for a living. The next stop was lunch, then the bank after that a tourist African market. It’s safe to say we got back very late and we are very tiered so I will leave this now.  

Please pray for tiredness and homesickness. Thank you for your support and reading my ramberlings.

Not Much.

Sunday came with mixed feeling, the knowledge of John and Angela’s departure the next day weighed heavily on us. Church was our first stop in the day and although we are still getting used to KBC, it’s was only our second week there. Afterwards we made the trip to a ‘nearby’ craft market. In the two weeks we had been here, we had never seen so many Mzungu’s! It was fairly touristy but it was loverly to go exploring each shop and haggling over European prices. John and Angela brought several things to take home but as they seem to have traveled all over the world they made sure they didn’t buy repeats. Some of us made the trip there and back the slightly more adventurous way of sitting (when we weren’t falling over) in the back of the four by four. We had a good laugh, beatboxing, teasing etc but as we made our way into the house the mood grew sober. We had a tearful meal as John and Angela spoke of their time with us and we tried to express how much they had helped us.

They were off the next morning, waving to us as we drove away in the taxi, not stopping until we were out of sight. They will be home by now and would have been for a while (depending when we get internet so I can post this) and hopefully not too tiered from their long journey. When they were making it, we were back on the farm under a scorching sun (much more sun burn this time) planting seeds once more. It was exhausting but we finished panting the entire field so it was with a sense of achievement we feel asleep in the back of the taxi on the way back. Unfortunately, when we got back we found ourselves locked out. That meant another hour or so without a shower and no guarantee when we get in that there would be any power or water. Fortunately there was both (at least for a while) when we got in, and so we all got clean, eventually (with five girls sharing one shower it takes a while.)

Tuesday came quickly and was welcomed with open arms as, because of a Muslim festival, we had a free day. Although, once again, I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep, the day was beautifully relaxed. We sorted everything out, planned the next few says, updated everything and just chilled.

It prepared us well for Wednesday in which we where back to Chosen school and this time, without John and Angela (dun dun dundundun.) It went alright, I think, for all of us. My plan went to pot because we where late (blame the traffic) but two teachers were off ill meaning we all taught a lot more than we thought we were going to. It was a lot better than before but the best part was that we were left to our own devices on the way back. It was really nice just to be able to wonder down the road in Uganda on our own, able to buy a chapatti or a drink casually. After getting back, we planned some more and watched the second half of Forest Gump. So that is about where I am up to, we have literally just got internet (good timing) so I will post this now.

Love you all and I pray you are all well.

Goodnight.

The Independent Snake in the Haunted House and other stories.

After the tough day at Gosham the day before, we were all a little apprehensive of going again. Despite this, and another early start, we were in reasonably high spirits as we made our way down the extremely bumpy roads leading to the school. It was strange, that day, for in some ways what made it hard was the opposite of what made Monday the same. We were given the task of observing, which we now know, depending on the circumstance of cores, is tedious and boring. After the early start all we seemed to do was wait around and watch teachers read from books and students copy from the board. In fact the main highlight was when the teacher left, Sarah and I took the reins. Unfortunately the problem with that was the language barrier, but there was one moment where I was getting rather frustrated and to make a point just laid down on the dusty ground. All the kids laughed and I think it got the message through so I guess it was a good decision, my skirt may not have agreed.

Wednesday was Independence Day (from us I may add) which meant we had a day just to relax. Unfortunately my body didn’t agree, waking me up at 7:30. Angela and Jon made their way off to the Farm whilst we were still doddering around, but we eventually got ourselves together and did some washing, made some sandwiches and headed up the hill. Last year’s Gappers told us of an abandoned building halfway up the hill. Contradictory to their term of ‘the wreck’ I have dubbed it ‘the Palace.’ According to local legend witches from the top of the hill came down to the house and told the owner of the grand estate that is was cursed and haunted. So the owner ran away, never to be heard of again leaving the house desolate and feared. Anyway we were in it for a good hour and it was good fun, imagining doing up the place and returning it to its former glory. After we got back we watched 13 going on 30 (much to Johns disgust) and started to get worried when we realised the others still hadn’t returned. Luckily they turned up a few hours later, we tales of broken down vehicles, Jack fruit and a place in the middle of nowhere. We all settled down for a while until suddenly from the kitchen there was shouts of “Snake! Snake! Snake!” We all ran out with our torches and was met with Jacob (Our Security Guard) wielding a spear before he lifted it above his head and smashed it into the ground. After only one miss he hit the target (I seemed to be the only one who was upset about that fact.)

Thursday presented us with the first opportunity to see Chosen school. Unfortunately this meant another early start. We where optimistic as we went through the painted school gates only a tad late, we knew what we were doing there and how the day was going to plan out. I sat and observed the teacher of P4 for the first two lessons and apart from getting pretty bored and very hungry it went well. The kid where very attentive, if a bit cheeky, but after marking the books I could tell that there was a large difference in ability. In the afternoon we had to try and draw blood from a stone, i.e. get the teachers to think up and interactive lesson (and plan it) for the following day. So the next day we followed the lesson plan (well... some did) and, apart from some scary displays of discipline, it didn’t go terribly. The highlight was running around with the children and teaching them clapping games.

So now we are here on Saturday. We have been in the country for eleven days. That’s weird. Anyway, today we had Another early start (we can’t get a brake) so we could arrive at the farm on time. The farm is a 4 acre patch of land that was given to Smile Uganda as a gift. We spent the next six or so hours digging, sowing, hoeing and getting covered in red dust and mud. Personally I really enjoyed it. It gave a sense of achievement and all those who didn’t get sunburned should sleep well tonight.

Jon the Photographer.

Mzungu

6 Days in and we are slowly getting used to the new surroundings. Writing my last post I was obviously tired but now we all seemed to have caught up on sleep. For some of us, however tummies are still not settling. After having a relaxed day on Wednesday we got stuck in on Tuesday. Starting the day off with shopping, mainly for sim cards but for lots of bits and bobs, and to just explore the city! I actually got married during this trip. Not really though, a street vender tried to sell me a purse and when I politely declined he asked for a picture with ‘the little one’ so I had a picture taken with him. Then he said he wanted to give me something, and I was slightly apprehensions but he held up my wrist and started putting on a bracelet:

To say I couldn’t stop laughing would be an understatement. According to my friends, however, I was ‘married.’

Trying not to get run over by Boda Bodas (taxi motorbikes) we made our way to a restaurant where we had an African style buffet. Some of the food was lovely but there was some that... well wasn’t. Next we made our way to some slums nearby to visit the sponsored mothers there. We walked down a walkway filled with rubbish but at the other end we stopped and only had a brief moment before being swarmed with small children, all excitedly shouting out “Mzungu! Mzungu!” For those of you who don’t know, Mzungu means ‘white person’ or ‘rich person’ (Because we where the former we where automatically considered to be the latter.) It originates from the word ‘dizzy’ or ‘aimless wanderer’ and ‘lost’ as this summed up the first explorers to Africa.

We were back at the slums the next day, prepared after a morning session, to lead the children’s club there. The story was ‘Mary meets the Angel’ and it didn’t go terribly so it was a little boost for our self esteem, but (almost unfortunately) the children were far too cute for us to dish out proper discipline.

Saturday and Sunday was nice and relaxed, luckily, but the uncertainty of what we are doing next and the length of time stretching out in front of us made itself known. The idea that every Saturday two of had to carry all the shopping up Smile hill probably didn’t help moral. After Finding Nemo, Despicable me, a trip up the near but hill and a lot of prayer we were in a much better from of mind.

Unfortunately that hasn’t lasted long. Today was our first look at Gosham school, located and hour or so away from the city. Although we knew that nothing was set in stone and that we had little knowledge of what was actually happening, we were not expecting to be left in a classroom for 3 hours and expected to teach the children something. Thinking on the spot was an understatement. So tomorrow we will be doing the same, getting up at 6, driving over bumpy roads, and teaching for longer than the day before  (hopefully with teacher there though.)

This evening is consisting of hysterically laughing over each other’s experiences (from having a child say ‘My favourite animal is God’ to one hitting another over the head with a bit of tree,) and food. So we are going through the motions to cope, and I’m sure it’s going to get better soon. God has certainly been good to us today, giving us strength and motivation to carry on.

Please Pray for:

·         Tummies

·         Tiredness

·         Ideas for tomorrow, creative inspiration

·         Motivated children (the saying that Africans want to learn isn’t as true as it seems)

·         Confidence

·         And motivation for us to get through tomorrow.

Thank you guys so much for your support.

I am here :D

We arrived! And we arrived safely! :D

The first day has defiantly been strange. After an 8 hour flight (9:15-5:15), in which we got very little sleep, and being picked up at the airport by Alex and a few of the team, we made our way across to Kampala. It was (for some of us) our first view of Uganda. My description won’t give this beautiful country justice but I’ll take a stab at it.

First off although we got a clear picture of the red dirt tracks covering the ground from our bird’s eye view from the sky before we landed, experiencing them first hand was a different matter entirely. Let’s jut say the rules of the road are majorly different from that of England. Saying this there was no smell of exhaust in the air rather the wind blowing through the windows had more of a wood burning perfume. That is, of cores, when it wasn’t tinged with the sudden wafts of cooked meat from the stalls lining the road. These in themselves were a curious sight. Some made out of scrap metal and material, the others wood, they seemed to be selling anything from clothes to air time mobile money. Many had the interesting advantage of a building (however made) that seemed to have been set up by major companies such as Orange and Coca-Cola. Most of these, contradictly, seemed to be bordered up, the sellers, with wears contradictory to the buildings, setting up shop in front of them. Although there were very few buildings with more than one level everything seemed to be on top each other and there were times when we whizzed past signs for hospitals, schools and police stations but were unable to pick them out.

After feeling relatively awake during the hour or so journey to Kampala (possibly due to the excitement of being there or, for some, the left over buzz from seeing a JLS member at the airport) when we got to our ‘home’ for the next 9 months, we were exhausted. Two of us saw our malaria tablet again after swallowing it as consequence of lack of sleep, traveling and not enough food. We are fine now though, had a nap and some decent food inside us (+a slight power cut) and are settling in to our new home. Thank you guys for all your support. I will try and update regularly but we may be busy for a while getting settled.

If you want to please pray for:

·         Tummies

·         Tiredness and

·         Temperature (just until we get used to heat)