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Day 16
We've been enjoying the facilities and opportunities available at our lodge in Murchison Falls NP. We've been on a boat trip down the river Nile to the waterfall and saw lots of hippos, crocs, buffalo, elephants and waterbuck as well as many birds. Yesterday we got up early for a game drive where in addition the above we saw four lions and numerous giraffe and the Uganda national bird the Grey crowned crane!
Our next challenge is to get back to Kampala tomorrow. The plan is a little vague at the moment but should involve leaving here at 7am to meet a driver at the ferry over the Nile. He will take us to the bus stop in the local town two hours away. We hope to catch a 10am bus to Kampala…we'll let you know if we get there!
We'll have three days in Kampala staying in a hostel for girls studying in Kampala…we wonder if we could strike up a relationship with them to see if the St K's girls might be able to use their facilities when they are studying at university. We hope to catch up with Janet Muhindo and on Sunday we have been asked to take part in the Cathedral service early in the morning. Our trip is coming to an end now and we think this may be our last entry from Uganda…but we'll see!
Day 14
One week to go…. We are now in Murchison Falls National Park….we arrived from Boroboro Hill yesterday afternoon. George, treasurer of the PTA at St K's drove us down, Rev. Max came and his son Joe came for the drive…a bit of a squash in the back. But, when we got a burst tyre whilst driving through the park we were glad they were all there! On route to the lodge we are staying in we saw elephants, hippo, buffalo and warthog plus lots of different antelope…George had not seen these animals before and it was great to see him so excited! We had a tearful farewell with Max and as it had taken us 3 hours to get here they were quickly on their way on the return journey.
Well, a lot has happened since we last wrote. On Friday evening we watched a football tournament between in 2nd and 3rd years at St K's.…the 2nd years won 3-0. We weren't sure there was much of a strategy at the beginning and everyone seemed to be running after the ball…even the cockerels wondering on the pitch…but the 2nd half was much better. The girls are very enthusiastic in their support…we felt that we could substitute Swithunites for the St K's girls and the spirit would be exactly the same.
Saturday was our last proper day at the school…we feel like we had been there long enough to really understand how the school works, its context and we know the relationship between St S and St K's is now stronger. The girls were sad to see us go…they want us to bring their pen friends next time! We had a meeting with the support and maintenance staff, we addressed them briefly and they asked us about our stay. We had a look round the kitchen and were given three mangos as a parting gift. We were given a lesson in Lango language by one of the English teachers and we are now equipped to teach St Swithun's how to count up to 1000! The Headmistress saw us for a final meeting in the afternoon…we presented her with the trophies Ms Jobling made…she was thrilled with them!
On Saturday afternoon we had the most amazing storm with torrential rain. The newly laid road has been ruined by the force of the rain and the traffic driving on the mud has really churned it up…it will need to be redone. It must have been so frustrating for the people who had worked on it by hand the previous day. The power went off, then on and then off permanently at 7pm so we had our last evening at the bishops with hurricane lamps and torchlight. It didn't look like it would be back on anytime soon.
Sunday morning we got up really early and went to the 7.15am service at the cathedral on the hill. We were welcomed as has become customary, the power cut meant that the hymns were sung unaccompanied and the church was mostly empty at the start of the service due to the road but soon filled up be the end of the service. We were given a huge breakfast and a very fond farewell…we will certainly miss the people there.Off down the Nile now...catch up with you soon!
Day 11
Yesterday was fairly quiet compared to the rest of our time here, we were guests at the school Rugby tournament between the two lower years A and B teams. Rugby is the main sport here followed by netball, volleyball and football. Most people seem to support Man U, Arsenal or Chelsea. Today we thought we would update you on some of the other little things that have amused us over the last few days.
The bishop keeps cows, chicken and goats in his garden…one of the highlights of Miss Cox's day is watching the goats being taken for a walk on pieces of rope. Rev. Dykes has observed that one of the goats might be a cross goat/hyena….it has this strange mane down the back of its neck and it is a mottled grey colour. Hyena-Goat (as we have come to know him) even tried to come in our dining hut during supper one night.
They are redoing the road here on Boroboro Hill…it looks like giant moles have invaded…huge heaps of red earth have been piled in the middle of the road every ten meters and are waiting to be smoothed out. It makes the trip to school in the car interesting to say the least. Startled cyclists have even been falling off their bikes in front of us as we approach probably slightly too fast. Everyone cycles round here, mothers with babies on their backs and it isn't uncommon to see four passengers on a bike.
We made a discovery yesterday….the chicken we have been eating all week is actually goat…we thought the shape of the joints was a little strange for chicken!
PSHE is done a little differently here….little wooden signs are dotted around every school campus. They each carry a piece of advice…..KEEP THE ENVIRONMENT TIDY….PARENTS SUPPORT US…..KEEP CLEAN and even BOYS SUPPORT GIRLS DURING MENSTRUATION!
Last night we had some visitors in our room….skipping spiders! Miss Cox came to the rescue this time after hearing Rev Dykes squealing….they were hard to catch as they kept jumping out the way….we killed one, the other ran away.
We have had long discussions about how to resolve some of the problems Uganda faces but feel we are in more of a tangle than we were before…..
Day 10
We had tried to write on Monday but the internet was not working, so fingers crossed this time!
We traveled up to Lira on Friday last week, it took 6 hours on mostly tar roads but there were quite a few bumps and holes! We had an amazing welcome at the school on the Saturday morning…all the girls came out onto the street singing and dancing for us. They were keen to touch our hair, hug us and shake our hands. We had a tour of the school: the classrooms and dormitories. It is amazing to finally be here after hearing so much from other people about the school. Our first reaction was how overcrowded the dormitories are. The girls often sleep in bunk beds of three high and the dining hall has been partially converted into another dorm. The school is in the process of building another dorm which will ease some of the overcrowding but it won't be nearly enough.
We are staying with Bishop John Charles in his guest rooms. We are well looked after and have plenty of food!
Last Sunday is known to us as the day of three breakfasts! Because we ate three breakfasts! We had a chapel service at school at 8am which lasted 2 hours and Rev Dykes preached, the choir sang for us and the collection included sweets and pens and paper which was auctioned at the end. Sunday was special as the school Chaplain, Max who is looking after us, took us to his home to meet his wife, children and grandchildren and to share lunch with us.
Monday for us was a big day for us at the school. We started by addressing the teachers and discussing with them our two schools and the challenges, differences and similarities. After lunch we spoke at the whole school assembly where we were able to see all 1000 girls together. In the evening we spoke to the scholarship girls and some of your pen friends. We have been inundated by letters and we have learnt how important the letter writing is for the girls here. The night was the "night of the four cockroaches"…you can imagine the hysterics as Miss Cox refused to come out from under the mosquito net and Rev. Dykes had to deal with the creatures armed with 'DOOM' spray. In the morning we had a little graveyard of 'roaches.
On Tuesday we wanted to learn more about the context in which the girls at ST Katherine's are living. The war has only just in the last year left this area in peace and the wounds are still raw. We visited Barlonyo, a LRA massacre site just north of Lira where 341 villagers were massacred on 21st Feb 2004. There is a monument and a mass grave. An elderly survivor came out to talk to us and the numbers of dead would have been much worse if the villagers had not been away at market when the rebels attacked. In the afternoon we visited the Rachelle Rehabilitation School which was established to help reintegrate the children who were abducted and then returned from the bush. The current population of the school is 350, 240 are abducted children who have returned with the emotional scars of their ordeal.
At lunch time on this day we were privileged to meet three former St Katharine's Students who had benefited from our scholarship fundraising: Eunice, Nancy and Brenda. They have all completed A levels and hope to go onto higher education but financially this is not possible at the moment.
Yesterday was called the day of 'the four schools and two lunches'. We visited the boys secondary school to make comparisons with St K's and then we visited two primary schools and a teacher training college where we were asked to address the trainees. It was a long day, we learnt a lot but it was very hot and we were given a lot to eat!
Today is Thursday and this afternoon we are going to watch a gymnastics display and Rugby match at St Katherine's. We are hoping that tomorrow will be a bit of a rest day as we have seen so much and need time to take it all in. We have kept well and find the hospitality and welcome here quite remarkable given the poverty here and the famine which is sweeping the north of Uganda. We hope we will be able to update you again tomorrow.
Day 3
Well, we slept well under our mosquito nets and were woken up firstly by the soothing tones of the adhan and then the not so soothing tones of the hotel generator.
We were invited to the Church of Uganda offices this morning for their morning devotions...everyone seems thrilled to have people from Winchester in town!
We have been into town, to the shopping mall to get a Ugandan mobile phone for Rev. Dykes...unfortunately back at the hotel we can't get it to work! Tomorrow we are off to the school, we have met our driver Samson who will take us up to Lira. There is widespread famine in Northern Uganda at the momet so we have been planing what gifts we could take to the school to remove the burden of our visit. The idea so far is to get some fruit..bunches of bananas, pineapples and tomotoes, apparently these are good for the digestion!
Day 2
We arrived this morning, met by Samson, Janet's driver. We came by road up to Kampala, about an hour's drive. A great first impression, lots to see on the way, motorbikes with three people and babies clinging on...displays of lots of strange fruits and vegetables...huge bunches of bananas and busy market stalls, cows and chickens roaming the road. The road was in good condition but we probably won't be so lucky the rest of the time. We arrived at our guest house safely, checked in and went straight to sleep. Janet, her sister and another colleague came for lunch with us, we had pig trotters...ox tail and chicken in banana leaves accompanied by groundnut paste and mashed savoury banana! It was all very good.
We have just been to the cathedral to meet the Dean and present him wth a gift from Winchester Cathedral and had a tour of the cathedral...also been roped in to do a reading and prayer for the day before we leave for home. Glad to say the BBC website is wrong...it is lovely and warm here and sunny. No spiders or snakes yet...
Day 1
Today, we begin our journey to St Katharine's School. We leave tonight at 21.15 on an 8 hour flight to Entebbe.
Miss Cox had to make a last minute dash to the travel clinic in Southampton this morning after realising she hadn't had one of the necessary vaccinations.. she has learned her lesson though!
We hope that Janet Muhindo will meet us at the airport tomorrow morning to take us to our hotel in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. We are communicating by text and we think (or hope) she is expecting us. We will be in Kampala for two days before we head up to the school in the north.
Having just checked the weather forecast it looks like we might be in for some rain over the next few days...but judging by what is happening outside at the moment you'll be having the same.
What are we doing?
On Tuesday 7th July Rev. Dykes and Miss Cox will travel to Uganda. The purpose of our trip is to visit St Katharine's Girls School in the town of Lira, Northern Uganda.
We currently sponsor 23 girls at the school but we hope that this trip will help us to identify other ways we can strengthen our relationship with the school.
If you'd like to follow us on our journey around Uganda then please keep popping back to this page and we'll update our 'diary' as often as we can!