.....Get Set......

It’s been another week of packing and saying goodbye to friends:

The Diocese held a reception for us at the Faith House guest house, and the Bishop presented us with presents to thank us for our work.

The Vocational Training Centre provided a lunch for us and all the students. This included a song and local dances.

When one of the students was asked why he was happy, he said it was because he meal was a change from posho (which looks like very stodgy mashed potato) and beans – their normal daily menu. (Malcolm was relieved he didn't say' because the Crawfords are going!!!!)

And the Senior staff of Potter's Village took us out for our last meal at Traveller’s Rest.



Now, all we have to do is pack up (and start our diet!!!!)

Finally, to complete the series on the local ‘delicacy’, the drink Bushera. Once the seeds of sorghum are dried and left to ferment for a few days in water you end up with the drink. It may look like drinking chocolate, but is tastes like slightly rancid fruit juice. Definitely an acquired taste and a bit of a shock to a mzungu!!!!

This week’s proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from the Gambia: “A thin chicken cooked and shared tastes better than a fat one eaten alone”

On You Marks........

We are getting ready to return to the UK next Friday. It has been a week of farewells.

Our friends kindly arranged a farewell ‘do’ for us at the Coffee Pot restaurant, a place we frequently go to for a meal for a treat!!!! It was a bring your own (but we didn’t take anything) and we ate well on lasagne, chicken stew and strawberry crumble.

It as also the last week we see Jenny as she has now gone to Kampala to spend half term with her daughter, Hannah. As a surprise we presented Potter’s Village with a cross stitch of an African mother and baby, as this seemed very appropriate for a Babies' Crisis Centre.

We were surprised to be given a present of a locally made basket and place mats.

Now, all we have to do is pack our bags!!!!

This week’s Zulu proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from Zambia: “A person is a person through other people” “

Meanwhile, Back in Kisoro.........

Malcolm spent some days away from Kisoro.

 

Firstly, he went to Kampala to meet the Medical Superintendent of Kiwoko Hospital. Kampala is a large, noisy African City abut 400 miles from Kisoro.

Part of the city, the ‘New Taxi park’ is being redeveloped

 

On his way back he stopped off at Kisiizi Hospital to finish off some work before we return to the UK.

 

Meanwhile, back in Kisoro……

 

Irene was not left alone. A death defying lizard almost ‘dropped in’ on her by walking across the bedroom ceiling.

 

The Archbishop of Uganda came to Kisoro to say farewell before his retirement in December and Irene went to 2 meals with him.

 

 

Also to meet him were a group from the Boys and Girls Brigade who, as is typical here, rode on the back of a pick-up – We just hope they didn’t go over too many bumpy roads (except all the roads here are bumpy!)

 

(The President of Uganda, Museveni, also came to Kisoro- but this time Irene was not invited to any meals).

This week’s proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from Nigeria: “A house built with saliva will be washed away by the morning “

 

Children - and other Short-ages

Most people who live in this part of Uganda do not enjoy electricity or water to their houses – and we almost felt like we joined them this week.

On Sunday we experienced another of our regular power cuts – but this time instead of a few hours it lasted for over 2 days. 

We understood that the problem was caused by a fire at the distribution plant in Rwanda, (which supplies electricity to Kisoro), which destroyed the meter.

So we had to get used to life without light, hot water and our fridge for a couple of days.

One problem with no power is that it also affects the water supply as the pumps needed to distribute the water don’t work. Fortunately our storage tank had just enough to see us through. Most people here don’t have piped water, If they are lucky they take a jerry can to kiosks run by the Water Company where they can fill up for about 6p a can. One enterprising lad took advantage of a storm to fill up his can from a gutter of a local shop.

Another child with limited ‘power’ at present is Isaac, the 1 year old baby who was admitted a month ago to Potter’s Village Home for Vulnerable Children. He is getting stronger and now weighs just over 6 kg. Jeremiah, who is about the same size, is just 1 month old.

Children continue to ask Malcolm for photos. Here is one group dressed up for church on Sunday who were very keen to have their photo taken, as long as they could have a print afterwards.

This week’s proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from Nigeria: “Rain may beat a leopard's skin, but it won't wash out the spots”

Gone, but she's not forgotten!

You ay have noticed last wee that the blog was posted several days late. Malcolm had written it on time, but forgot to ‘Publish’. The problem was that Irene wasn’t around to keep an eye on him. She had gone with Jenny and Jojo to Kampala for a week and had to point out when she returned that the blog hadn’t been published.

The road to Kampala crosses the equator as we travel from south to north. There is no great ceremony at the crossing, but there is a marker so you can tell when you become ‘northerners’ again.



The road to Kampala has some other interesting sights. There doesn’t seem to be any law on weight limits, so lorries can be loaded up, and then you pile people on top and charge them a fare. 'Room for one more on top!'



It was also Irene’s birthday. As 'usual' she was abroad on her birthday again. However, she wasn’t forgotten and received presents from several friends and family.





That evening we went to celebrate at Traveller’s Rest Hotel. ‘Conveniently’ there was another regular power cut which meant we dined by candle light – very romantic.



On the Kampala road, Irene did see a sign which she particularly enjoyed. The sign writer clearly forgot his dictionary.



This week’s proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from Ghana:

"When your grandmother tells you something, don’t run to your mother to ask if it's the truth”

Oh Malcolm, give me some relief!!!!

What a week!!!


All Canon Baker wanted was for Malcolm to take some photos at the UN Refugee camp for people fleeing the civil war in the Congo.The Diocese were giving clothes, soap and other relief items. Nothing complicated you would have thought. Except Malcolm forgot to check that the camera battery was charged. When they got to the camp, the battery was flat. All he had to take photos was his cheap mobile phone. What do you think?



This was typical of the week, I’m afraid.

Helen (Malcolm’s sister) and Chris had thought the worst journey they’d had here was when they went to Bwindi Impenetrable forest to trek Gorillas. And then Malcolm drove to Mgahinga National Park! He had the unnerving skill of finding all the deepest pot-holes and lumpy bits. It was an enormous relief to get there. Fortunately, for Malcolm, one of the guards escorting us into the park had a rifle and was able to keep the peace. But we still had to face the return journey.






Helen and Chris were able to ease their aching limbs when they got back to Travellers Rest Hotel and could relax over a glass of wine – if only they had enough strength to pick the glass up.



Rosie was able to escape all this. She returned to England for a well earned 5 week break and to celebrate her father’s 80th birthday.



This week’s proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from Sierra Leone:

“The cheapest way to improve your looks is to wear a smile”

Refreshing waters?

It has been a fun week with Helen and Chris visiting from South Africa. It has meant we have been getting out and about with them rather than working – apart for the day they trekked gorillas.

Chris made quite an impact at Potter’s Village but seemed to worry some of the children.

Malcolm took them for a walk up a nearby hill with views over Lake Mutanda.

Having survived that we went on an outing to Bushara Island on Lake Bunyoni.

On the way we enjoyed some of the breath-taking views, though unfortunately it was a bit cloudy.

Irene, Helen and Chris took the opportunity to get some refreshing swimming in the few lakes which are Bilharzia free (a rather nasty fresh water parasite.)

This week’s proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from South Sudan:

“Do not complain about the lack of wind, just learn to sail”

"Semahani"

The senior staff at Potter’s Village have told Malcolm that his African name is ‘Semahani’. (Pronounced ‘Say ma ha knee’). He’s very proud of it. He’s not sure what it means but it sounds strong. Leadership? Charisma? Handsome? Semahani!!!


The senior staff of Potter's Village got together to say thank you to Andrew and Laura for the work they did during their holiday (honeymoon!) from the UK. In addition to trekking golden monkeys and climbing the extinct volcano, Muhabura, they painted the new medial centre.

We also took them out last Sunday for drive through the mountains surrounding Kisoro and to Lake Bunyoni where we enjoyed lunch before returning down an almost impassable dirt road.

It was also a week to say thank you to Ezra who officially finished as administrator at Potter’s Village on Friday. He has worked there for many years but decided it is time to move on. To mark his last day the new administrator, Jackie, baked a banana cake (made to Malcolm’s recipe) which Rosie presented.

There was also a new arrival at the children’s crisis centre. Isaac’s mother had just died and his father is a ‘drunkard’ (an alcoholic?). He is 11 months old but only weighs 5.1 kg. His 2 siblings had previously died and his own life was clearly at risk.

This week’s proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from Ghana:

“A person's character is like pregnancy - it cannot be hidden”



Editor’s note. Malcolm may not realise it, but ‘Semahani’ means ‘trouble’. Most appropriate?

Marching to a Diferent Beat

It’s been a weeks or so of visitors.

 Malcolm visited again Kisiizi Hospital to help the Treasurer draft the 2011 / 12 accounts. The journey passed over the mountains between Kisiizi and Kabale which gave the opportunity to stop and enjoy the views.




The first visitors to Kisoro were David and Sarah from York and 5 children with them. They brought a variety of gifts including about a dozen musical instruments for the local Boys and Girls Brigade which had been donated by people from their area. There are several Brigade companies here, and the previous week the band had played as part of the centenary celebrations.



The second couple to visit were Andrew and Laura from High Wycombe. What better way to have a week’s holiday than to do some painting at Potter’s Village?



To continue the story of Bushera, it is made from Sorghum which is a seed. On his way back from Kisiizi Malcolm did find a head of Sorghum – but he has no plans to turn it into Bushera!!!!





This week’s proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from Nigeria:

“When the rhythm of the drums changes, the dancers must also change their steps” ,

Scoring a Century

It has been 100 years since the first Christians came to Kisoro. In 1912 an English missionary arrived to find out whether it was possible to send an African evangelist, and within a year one came. Unfortunately, he stayed in Kisoro, near the enemy of the King of Rwanda (whose kingdom included this area) rather than at nearby Mabungo where the king’s regent lived. When war broke out between the two groups the evangelist went to chronicle the fighting, but got killed by a spear.



Last week the Diocese held a special convention to celebrate the centenary, and the two speakers were the Archbishop of Uganda and the Archbishop of York. John Sentamu was born and lived in Uganda until forced to flee when Idi Amin was president.



The 3 days of open air meetings attracted large crowds with more than 10,000 attending the service on Sunday. Fortunately, a good amplification system enabled the large crowd to hear, if not see what was going on – unlike in Jesus’ time as depicted in ‘The Life of Brian’.



On Saturday the meeting was held at Mabungo near the site where the first church in the Diocese was built. It was difficult to concentrate on the speakers with the magnificent views to distract you.



The prime minister of Uganda attended the meeting on Sunday and helped the Archbishop of York to cut the first turf on the site of a new hostel the Diocese will build to commemorate the centenary



Malcolm spent most of the time taking photos and video of the event, and continued to attract children keen to have their picture taken.  


And ….. the earth mover, which has been stranded here since January,  has gone. With impeccable time during the first meeting two mechanics turned up, started the engine and the machine moved off.



What will we talk about next week?!!!!!



This week’s proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from Ghana:

“Those who cannot hear the music say the ones dancing must be mad”