'Tis the season to be - sporty

We are delighted that our younger son, Stephen, came to visit us this Christmas. It is his first time to East Africa so it took him a short time to acclimatise. Still, he came prepared, leaving the plane that brought him to Iringa looking like Indiana Jones. 

We had been invited by one of the staff at Neema Crafts, Paulina, for a meal at her house – so we took Stephen. Paulina lives in a small 2 bed room house with her grandmother and her daughter. 

The house had been built by Neema Crafts, with the help of a charity and a 10% contribution from Paulina and so it now belongs to her. To provide a separate bedroom for her grandmother she has divided the lounge into two by constructing a partition wall – so it is now a 3 room house.

Not one to boast about his sporting prowess Stephen joined in with the various games played over the Christmas period.

On Christmas Eve we visited a local dairy farm and held a candle light carol service. No need for thick over coats and scarves here, even at midnight. 

Though there were one or two spectres that turned up.

We had a Christmas tree - though not the traditional sort we might have in Britain. Still, it looked festive especially with the jolly Christmas robin.

On Christmas day and Boxing day we were invited to two farms with a group of friends to share lunch. Clearly someone thought lunch should have been shared more widely.

 

 It may be hot, but it is the rainy season, so games were interrupted by a short but very sharp downpour.

Even though it is Christmas most people continue to work. As we enjoyed a stroll around the farm on Boxing day we met some children picking spinach leaves in a field.

Stephen enjoyed his visit to Iringa. At the end of his stay we are all going on a safari – but more of that another time.

Getting Ready for Christmas

After a busy year the workshop, staff at Neema Crafts get a well earned two week break over Christmas. As its time for a bit of a clear-out there was an auction to sell off surplus and other items. One item was a ‘Beach Bum’ bag which was keenly fought over by the bidders.

The last day of week was dedicated to a staff party and meal. Two staff, Connie and Augustino, were leaving so they were presented with presents and a cake. A custom in Tanzania is that as a sign of respect important people are fed cake. This happens at a wedding when the bride feeds the groom, and on this occasion when Connie feed the Bishop, carefully supervised by Augustino.

Connie is a key member of the deaf football team so the team-mates presented him with a new football shirt. (Does anyone else think that Connie looks a bit like the other football star of the 60’s, Pele?)

It is a busy time for churches. The Christian Fellowship had 2 services – a early evening Carol Service, and one which featured a team of puppets.

Talking of ‘puppets’, the ‘puppies’ of one of the guard dogs are doing well. So much so that their mum was willing to leave them for a few minutes so they could have their photo taken.

'Tis the Season for Festivities

Last Sunday Malcolm was invited, as Guest of Honour, to a fund raising event at Kiruli church. (The building is incomplete and the next stage is to raise money for windows). Malcolm was flattered even though he discovered he was at least 3^rd choice behind Rory and Denise Wilson.

In addition to fund raising there was also:

-          - a Baptism service for several children and adults

-          - a Harvest thanksgiving service

-       

   - and  an auction of harvest produce.

Feeling peckish, Malcolm was invited round to Rory and Denise’s for a pancake lunch. We are not saying Malcolm liked the food, but he wouldn’t even stop eating to pose for a photo!

 

 Their son, Gideon, is taught at home by Lisa. This week the theme at school was trains so the decorations included a steam train in the colours of  Gordon, Thomas and Percy.

To learn about light and dark Gideon had a cave built at the foot of some book shelves.

The work of the hospital continues to develop. The Medical Records Office has moved and there was an opening ceremony.

Finally there was a visitor to Malcolm’s office. Unseasonally early, but' tis the time to produce the hospital’s Christmas card. This year to raise funds to replace our broken auto-clave which sterilises medical tools.

This week’s African Proverb from the BBC’s website is from Uganda: “It is better to eat a mushroom in freedom than to eat meat in slavery”

A Doctor in the house?

It has been a busy Christmas week.

 

On Christmas Eve a group of us went around the wards to sing carols and give out small presents. Most patients had been discharged, but maternity was particularly busy because most other clinics and hospitals in the region were referring patients to Kiwoko due to the shortage of staff over the holiday period.

It was unusual celebrating Christmas day in a hot climate. The local children, dressed in their best and new clothes enjoyed playing on what was left of a tall tree that had recently been felled.

 

Christmas lunch was shared in the open air, being a mixture of western and local food. 

 

The party games were interrupted by a sudden but brief downpour. Irene joined in a game involving balloon modelling – Dr Peter, the Hospital’s main surgeon, was not quite sure what to make of it.

 On Boxing Day it was Malcolm’s turn to play doctor.

 Dr Corrie wanted a video made of her work in Kiwoko and it was time to record some caesarean sections. 

 A healthy, screaming boy was safely delivered, and Malcolm is recovering well too. 

(Malcolm must have made an impression with theatre staff. The following day they rang him to come to do an operation. They had used the wrong number for Dr. Peter.)

This week’s African Proverb from the BBC web-site is from Uganda ““Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped”

More Festive Activities

It is bright and sunny here with temperatures rising to the 30 degrees centigrade.

 

But we can still prepare for a ‘normal' Christmas.

  

The Christmas tree (branch) has been decorated and the angel put on top.

 

We enjoyed a Christmas lunch with all the trimmings.

 

 

 

 

 

And now its time to open some presents.

 

We wish all of you a very happy Christmas

 

‘

This week’s African proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from Nigeria: “The chicken does not forget the person who plucked its tail feathers during the rainy season

Party, Party Time

‘Tis the season to ……celebrate Christmas

 In Uganda Christmas creeps up quietly. Without TV we are not bombarded with adverts and there is little else to remind us that Christmas is approaching. Yesterday there were some builders at the hospital with a machine repeatedly playing the electronic version of ‘Jingle Bells’ and a mechanical Santa was spotted in a Kampala Shopping Mall.

But it is time to celebrate.

 The first was the Children’s Christmas Party last weekend. This had all the normal ingredients including a nativity play (with sheep), dancing and lots of food.

 

 

Unusually (for us) it was held in the open air in the hot sunshine.

 

 

Yesterday it was time for the party for Staff and Students.

 

The main entertainment was provided by groups of staff and students. Our contribution was a dance set to the 2010 Football World Cup theme song (Waka Waka). This provided great entertainment to the African audience as most of the dancers were the white staff, with some local senior managers to enhance the rhythmic ‘style’.

 

Santa did make an appearance, in a sketch put on by the Children’s Ministry Team – but he wasn’t taken too seriously.

 

 

This week another bug dropped in. It is difficult to know which is the front, and which the back.

 

 

This week’s African proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from Sierra Leone“What a sober man has in his brain a drunkard has on his tongue”