Masooli-Kitettika: Roads to Travel

Welaba (Goodbye)

2008-02-05T21:28:00.000+03:00

As we prepare to board the plane on Wednesday morning, it is impossible to summarize all that we have learned. But our most important goal in visiting the Learning Centre—transformation—was achieved.

Each of us will come home just a little different than when we left. We have new Ugandan names and a new appreciation for how traffic lights prevent total gridlock. We know about tribalism, optimism and human strength. We have fresh appreciation for clean drinking water and for flopping into bed without having to stop and tuck in the mosquito netting.

The project itself has been changed by our visit. We have begun to set up a new governing structure, and added some new members. We have made a connection with Irene Mutumba who is already talking about teaching entrepreneurial courses to help the centre learn about generating income. We are well on our way to having our shipment of boxes released (Trafalgar sent these supplies over 2 years ago).

Perhaps more significantly, all of the people engaged in this visit have been invigorated and encouraged. The local committee is feeling loved and supported. The students are feeling that their ideas matter. And we who are returning to Canada are feeling confident in the sustainable future of Dr. Joyce’s dream for the youth of Masooli.

Our work is not yet finished. We have so many stories to tell when we get back to Trafalgar. Our mission committee will hear a more formal report, as will the presbytery and Presbyterian World Service and Development. We are now able to update our website with new pictures and information, too.

This transformation could not have been achieved without strong and Spirited community. We are grateful for the many, many people whose efforts helped us to get here, and for those who welcomed and cared for us. We are grateful that the Holy One surrounds those of us who care returning to Canada, and those who remain in Uganda. There is still a great deal of work to do.

Are we there yet?
Yes! And we have roads to travel…

Our Last Supper

2008-02-05T21:26:00.001+03:00

The Learning Centre committee hosted a dinner for us the night before we left. We offered our sekoko (turkey) which Anne, despite her reservations about eating a pet, had named “Paul”. They also brought a chicken, and both met their end behind the centre where they had built a fire pit. Instead of cooking over the usual charcoal stoves, they used wood, presumably to give the food a nicer flavour. It burned all day as they cooked almost a dozen different dishes.

The buffet was ready and the guests had assembled by around 8pm. We ate at the tables and chairs usually used for studying, although we had put out two small tablecloths, and Anne and Karin picked some flowers for a vase out of the bottom of a water bottle. It looked quite festive. All the members of the committee were there, including William who had not been able to be at most of the meetings due to work commitments, and Sam who had come from Jinja for the occasion. The staff were there, as was Joyce’s sister Catherine.

After supper the committee all stood in a line and Mrs. Milli Sesenge (chairperson) made a beautiful speech. “I know that all things have a beginning and an end”, she said, “but I refuse to say goodbye.” They gave each of us a parting gift of woven mats, beginning with Tanya. Despite her not being on this trip, she was talked about often and I was regularly asked to thank her when I got home. We were so glad that they honoured her work that way.

By the end, we were a little misty eyed. I said a (very) few words of thanks, noting that my only regret was that Joyce was not there with us. And then we sang the Masooli-Kitettika song. It was the nicest sounding rendition yet. The best part was the men singing, “Are we there yet?” and the women answering, “Yes, and we have roads to travel”. It was a beautiful echo of the conversation that began the song, when Andrew asked the question and Joyce responded.

It was a wonderful ending to our trip. There were many hugs and smiles. Everyone wants to know when we’ll be back again.

“Love one another”, Jesus said at his last supper. And at this one, we did.

Groovin’ on a Sunday Afternoon

2008-02-05T16:30:00.002+03:00

After attending the local church on Sunday, we walked to Mr. Lubega’s home. He has invited Karin to stay with his family for another two weeks and is helping arrange a few places where she can teach. Steve, who has appointed himself Karin’s surrogate father, was glad to make an assessment of where she would be staying (he approved).

It is a lovely family home, with the couches that we have been craving (it’s funny what you miss when you are away from home). He has many children (eight of his own plus eight more that he has adopted) so it’s a busy house. They were still doing the dishes from the lavish wedding (they were the caterers) so Anne, Karin and I joined in. Steve, however, went with Mr. Lubega to “do the man-thing” as Karin put it. They surveyed all of his livestock and crops, which were quite impressive, and talked Ugandan politics.

At lunchtime, we sat under a tree to eat. It was very, very warm (we estimated over 40 degrees) and we were all a little sluggish. Not too sluggish to sing, though. The older ladies who were washing dishes asked Karin if we would sing the Masooli Kittetika song for them one more time before we left. Steve and Mr. Lubega were joined by a couple of sons, and Vennie joined Karin, Anne and I for the higher parts. One of the boys grabbed a water jug to add percussion, too. It wasn’t all exactly in tune but it was great fun. Groovin, even.

Eine kleine nachtmusik (A little night music)

2008-02-05T16:27:00.000+03:00

The sounds at night are very different here. We are away from the city, and you would think that would mean a great deal of silence. Not so. There are the crickets, as you would expect. But lying in bed we can hear a whole symphony of other noises. All night long.

Not too far down the road (a mile away) there is a dance club called Africa Go Go. It is a very large building, painted bright pink and not surprisingly, they play music quite loudly at night. Louder than that is the radio station that wakes us up in the morning. It is a Lugandan talk show, and why it is broadcast publicly remains a mystery to us. Of course, there are also the conversations that wake us up before dawn. The security guards often feel the need to chat before their 6am departure and the next door neighbours begin their day barking orders to children and livestock.

Those are the human noises. Staying here, we have learned that roosters don’t just crow in the morning. Pigs occasionally get mixed up in the ropes that restrain them and make hysterical squealing noises that Karin says sounds like they are being tormented. Cows nearby moo randomly. Goats bleat sporadically. A cat who lives on this road often wanders by and yowls near the windows.

And how can we forget the dogs? There is a howling chorus of dogs quite often. These are not domesticated Oakville dogs, but feral animals. Their barking is endless, but with emotion. Clearly some of them are looking for love.

The birds here are quite something, too. They sound so different from home. My favourite is the one whose call sounds like a fork banging against a metal pipe. Karin likes the loud squawking ones who sound like monkeys. Anne has noticed what we affectionately call "the backup bird" because it sounds remarkably like a truck beeping when in reverse.

Thankfully, our turkey only poops, which is quiet and doesn’t keep us up at night. Although there is Steve’s daily refrain at bedtime: “Boy, do I smell”.

That’s some kind of night music.

A different side of Uganda

2008-02-05T16:23:00.001+03:00

We went to a wedding on Saturday (the same family as the kaseki we went to last week). It was quite a lavish affair!

Once again, we found ourselves without appropriate clothes for a formal evening (and thinking that this wasn’t what we expected when we came to Uganda!). The women came to the rescue and provided us with lovely basutis, however, and we found that being in their traditional wear was a big hit with the guests. We were approached by many people who commended us looking “very smart”.

We were taken aback by the lavishness of the decorations. It was an enormous room in a trade centre in Kampala, with fresh flowers on every table (roses and mums and lush greenery), matching table linens, and even white covers for the chairs. Late in the evening they even had a bubble machine and giant sparklers on the dance floor. And we were told there were over 700 guests!

The decorations were not the only surprise. The entertainment lasted all evening, with not just a band, but the legendary Ndere Dance Troupe, who often perform for foreign dignitaries when they visit Uganda. There were several different kinds of African dance, but the one that was most spectacular had women dancing with not just one clay pot, but a stack of six clay pots on their heads. The drummers had giant animal skin drums and were obviously having a great time.

Late in the evening there was an announcement and everyone became very animated. It signaled the arrival of a famous Ugandan pop singer named Juliana Kanyomozi, the Vocalist of the Year here in 2007. She sang five songs, while everyone got up and danced around her. Not only was she a great singer, she had a great sense of humour: she came and danced with Steve on our corner of the dance floor (ha ha).

We were mystified when the bridal couple disappeared midway through the evening, but they soon reappeared in new outfits (the bride had changed from her very Western white wedding gown into a long evening dress). This was apparently for cutting the cake. They disappeared one more time, but that time they emerged with not only the bride and groom in new outfits, but the entire wedding party, including the flower girl in lovely new clothes. This time it was for receiving the gifts, which guests brought forward in a big line.

It was a lovely evening, and we were glad to have been invited. While it seemed light years away from much of our other experiences here, it offered new insight into the culture and traditions of Uganda. Every country has their own rich and poor.

Nobody’s ever given us one of these before

2008-02-01T15:49:00.003+03:00

Sophie came by the centre today (Friday). She is leaving to go back to her job at a school about 50 miles away. While school is in session she lives in a boarding facility with other teachers, but she has been at home over the holidays. Also with Sophie was her father, who said he wanted to express his gratitude. We were so glad to meet him, and he understood English so we were able to converse easily.

To thank the Trafalgar community for the way that we helped Sophie (she was the paid librarian for several years, which meant she was able to finish school despite the death of her mother) they brought a gift: a secoco. Sophie brought it in under her arm and set it down on the floor in our living quarters. What is a secoco, you ask? A turkey! And yes, it was still alive.

Sophie showed me how to pick it up and hold it so that I could have my picture take with it. Then Barbara came and took it outside (I only stepped in turkey poop once). She found a rope and tied it up for us before asking, Would we be taking it home to Canada? Sadly, we will have to eat it here, I told her. Which is why Karin and Anne say that I can’t name him.

Oh well, it will taste good. What a great present. We only wish the rest of you were here to help us taste the gratitude.

Schemeit be lost

2008-02-01T15:49:00.001+03:00

On the afternoon we left Canada, my friend Will called. He said, “Here’s my advice: if you have the chance to do something while you’re in Uganda, and you are wavering about whether or not to do it, go for it. You’ll never get another chance”. Well, we took Will’s advice today!

On our way home from Kampala with Vennie, Anne, Karin and I took a short trip on the boda-boda (motorcycles for hire)! Since it was only on the back roads (not on city streets) it was quite tame. I suspect the drivers went really slowly on purpose (we are Buzungus, after all). We rode side saddle, hanging on with our left hand, and putting our right foot on the footrest.

It all went marvellously smoothly…until Karin’s driver, who was at the front of all four boda-bodas, took a wrong turn! Mr. Sekebembe, who just happened to be nearby, flagged us down and told alerted us. Vennie and her driver went racing after them. A chase ensued, and Karin says that she had begun to think, “Is this the right way?”. Finally, Vennie finally caught up with Karin and turned them around again.

Mr. Sekebembe smiled and waved as they drove past one more time. And we were all still laughing when we reached the centre safe and sound. Thanks, Will.

Common Values

2008-02-01T15:48:00.001+03:00

On Thursday Steve went with Mr. Lubega to the Annual General Meeting of the Regional Chiefs. He wore a tie for the occasion but decided to leave his new spear at home (a good plan). As he left he wondered what Mr. Lubega would have in mind for him this time.

Mr. L led Steve up directly to the front row, facing the speaker and the head chief. He was given seat there while M. L sat with the senior chiefs. Once there was a break in the agenda, the speaker called upon Mr. L who stood up and walked to the front of the room. First he introduced Steve (and the rest of us, although we were absent), and offered an animated and very emotional speech. He spoke in both languages so that Steve could follow along.

Steve was very excited about what M. L had to say. He spoke of working with foreign partners and the importance of accountability and transparency. Often he was interrupted with vigorous clapping. Of course, he also made sure to tell them that each of our team had been given Bugandan names, which the many chiefs also loved (Steve estimated there were about 150 of them).

Unbeknownst to Steve, a speech was required! He was given three minutes to address the chiefs. Thankfully, Steve is good on his feet, and was able to clearly articulate both our gratitude for the welcome we have received and what we have learned through this partnership. He praised the centre’s committee and Mr. Lubega. He also said that people from other countries can offer assistance, but only local people can offer effective leadership. The chiefs were quite pleased when Steve suggested that other groups could follow the example of the Learning Centre to meet the needs of their own communities.

As the session ended, Steve was honoured to be asked to lead all the chiefs as they processed out. It also meant Steve got to the buffet lunch first! Nice work.

Success Stories

2008-02-01T15:47:00.000+03:00

In one of our meetings the first week, we met the university students. The level of education is extremely high, but because of the political situation the chance of employment is very low. Most students we talked to are looking to do post graduate work in another country. The problem is they have no real idea about how to get there.

When they met Steve and heard about his business and consulting background, they immediately wanted to know if he was available for further discussion. Steve not only agreed to meet with them but was excited by their total commitment to learning. He was also impressed with their desire to give back to their families.

Two of the six students came for meetings. One was a medical student with one more year of school left. He is hoping to enter the field of cardiology, which is an area of specialty not available in Uganda. Steve gave him advice on how to approach getting information on scholarships in other countries. The other is a chemical engineering student, who is also in the third year of a four year program. Steve helped him to begin thinking about multi-national companies and recruiting processes.

Both students took notes, and asked excellent questions. Steve agreed to continue to encourage their work and says he even expects emails from them to be waiting in his email box when he gets home. Both of them credit the learning centre with helping them get this far.

Success. Hallelujah!

And on his farm he has some cows

2008-02-01T15:44:00.004+03:00

Wednesday morning Anne, Steve and I got up before sunrise (about 6:00) and got ready very quickly. Mr Lubega drove us to the taxi park in Kampala, and helped us find the right one to take us to Jinja. The traffic was incredibly congested (“a jam” they say here) and even at that early hour it was wall to wall people. The taxis here are actually long minivans, rated to sit 14 people. There are no American vehicles here—just Asian and European ones. The taxis are all Toyota Hiaces, and have these cute little fold up seats inside to make an isle where people can go to the back seats.

We were not crowded at all, but the journey was quite long. We passed the huge football (soccer) stadium that Steve figures seats 70 000+ people. We also crossed the River Nile (too fast to enjoy it, really). We also saw beautiful green countryside. We didn’t get to Jinja until just after 10:00, where Sam was waiting at the taxi stop. The first thing we did was visit the school where Joyce’s husband (Patrick) worked until his death. Although we didn’t stay long enough to meet the headmaster, we were able to take a few pictures. It was not far from the place the health clinic used to be, where Joyce worked before they came to Canada.

We stopped at the market to buy pineapple and mango and then we got on another taxi (bus) to Sam’s family home. This was more crowded than the first: 21 people all squished in. Thankfully the windows were open.

Sam gave us a wonderful tour. First we saw the house, which is quite lovely: several bedrooms, kitchen and living room, and even two bathrooms. It has a very large garden outside (puts mine to shame) with banana, mango, jackfruit and avocado trees. We met the cows which graze on 12 acres of pasture, as well as the cattle stalls and milking parlour.

We were so glad to finally see the home where Joyce and her young family had started out. Having heard all about it when we were in Canada, it was also great to see Sam’s working farm. In that area of Jinja, it is so calm and picturesque. Steve said it reminded him of a summer cottage at home…

…which was quite a contrast to the hot, dusty trip home. First a bus into Jinja and then another into Kampala. By then the day was extremely hot and the taxis overcrowded (I was hoping to sit beside some chickens, Tanya, but no luck). By the time we got into Kampala it was rush hour and the traffic was unbelievable chaos. Thankfully, Amazing Anne saw Mr. Lubega on the sidewalk (if you had seen how crowded the sidewalk was, you could better appreciate what a feat that was) and he led us to where he had parked the car.

All the dust that had soiled our clothes, filled our noses and covered our feet made me think of the biblical practice of foot washing. That beautiful act of hospitality makes much more sense to us now.

A letter from Lawinter

2008-01-31T13:09:00.001+03:00

Here is a letter from one of the students that Karin worked with on Tuesday morning. Many of them wrote letters and drew pictures for students in Canada. This is our favourite.

Dear Friends,

My name is Lawinter Foreste. I live in Uganda, Masooli. Uganda is a beautiful country. I am 12 years old. I am going in senior one at World Ahead SSS, Matugga.

I want to tell you about the life in Uganda. In Uganda we have two seasons, namely the rainy season and the dry season. In the rainy season, that is when people plant their crops and in the dry season that is when people harvest their crops for eating selling and getting money. We have four types of weather: sunny, rainy, windy cloudy. During the suny weather we experience sunshine throughout. During the rainy weather we experience rain. During the windy we experience wind and cloudy we experience types of clouds like Nimbus that bring rain, cirrus, stratus and cumulus.

Mrs. Karren has said that in Canada you have provinces but here in Uganda we have districts, tribes, clans, etc. we have tribes like Acholi, Langi, Baganda. Clans like Lugave, Momba and Mbogo. I Lawinter my clan is Lugave. And districts like Kampala, Moroto and Mbala. Kampala is the capital city of Canada. I want to come to your country but I have no access to money. Here in Uganda we have big lakes and rivers. We also have the second largest lake in the world called Lake Victoria and it also acts as the largest lake in Uganda. The longest river in Africa is called the Nile River. There are high mountains and rift valley lakes. The highest mountain in Uganda is mountain Rwenzori and in Africa is Kilimanjaro. Some of the rift valley lakes include Lake Albert, and some swampy lakes are Lake Kyoga. We do have any waterfall in Uganda like Murchison Falls and I would love to see Niagara Falls and the CN Tower.

There are big forests like Mabina and Budongo forests. I love visiting these forests because there are plenty of animals to see likr monkeys, cheetahs, deer, birds like doves, peagions, etc. I love birds. All about school. In my former school Buganda Road Primary School, we had 20 teachers and my class teacher was Johnson and other teachers were Florence for Science, David for Social Studies, and Samuel for English. Our headmistress was Mrs. Turyasingura Bitress. Uganda is a blessed country, After four years, Uganda experiences the eclipse of the sun and eclipse of the moon. Uganda has a good climate and plenty of animals like cows, donkeys, cheetahs and hyenas but we don’t have tigers, rhinos. Fishermen go fishing around lakes and they catch a lot of fish like Nile Perch and Talapia. Me as Lewinter, I belong to the wildlife club. I love to visit interesting places like the beach, forest, game parks. I love all the Canadians you sent to us. My hobbiues are playing netball, singing and dancing. I wish you come and visit our country. I have loved teacher Kerren, Pastor Christine, Mrs. Annet, and Mr. Steve.

Lastly, I send you greetings and may God bless you. I love you all.

Yours sincerely,

Forest Lawinter.

Tidbits brought to you by the letter C

2008-01-31T13:08:00.002+03:00

We met Catherine, Joyce’s sister, on the first day. She has been here every day or so, dropping in to chat or to bring us treats. She sells fruit in village, and so brings us fruit: bananas, avocado, and passion fruit. She also makes pancakes (small, like Scottish ones) and sells them each day. We were so honoured when she brought some to us. They were so good, Steve stole Karin’s pancake while she wasn’t looking. Yum.

Of course, it is difficult to receive such lavish gifts from a woman who barely ekes out an existence—she is still paying school fees for her youngest son Patrick, and helping with her grandson’s school fees as well. She has a warm and generous spirit that we admire.

Cockroaches, on the other hand, are not nearly as delightful. Steve tried to convince us that they were beetles—three-inches long and about an inch wide—but we figured it out. One night after crawling into bed, I was quite interested to discover one of these critters in my bed. I managed to encourage him to leave and went back to writing in my journal. A short time later (these suckers can move, Steve says) Karin gave a little yelp: the bug had made its way inside her net. There ensued a great deal of swatting, squirming and laughing around Karen’s bed, while the three women did their best to encourage him out (to be honest, Anne and I mostly offered verbal encouragement). Steve, meanwhile, was strangely silent…until we heard the faint sound of snickering. “Oh for goodness sake” he said with a sigh, and came into our room, swatted the cockroach on the floor, and stomped on it. Unfortunately, That was not our last encounter….so far it’s Steve-4, Cockroaches-0.

What we have seen a lot of are students. Karin has enjoyed teaching them some new things, including the song, “Land of the Silverbirch”. They wanted to sing the “Masooli-Kittetika” song, but then complained that it would never work because they didn’t have Steve! A small group of older girls decided that they could do it after all, singing “dum, dum, dum….”, although some others corrected their pronunciation.

Karin also taught them to play a name game, where each one had to say their name along with an adjective beginning with the same letter. There was Jolly Joanne, Pretty Purity, and Dynamic Doreen, among others. But the best part came in the evening when Karin was helping with the dishes and they started giving names to the adults. They came up with Beautiful Barbara, Careful Kristine (they think my name begins with a C), Strong Steve, Kinetic Karen, and Amazing Anne.

There is a word that they use a lot here: cute. They use it differently than we do. It means fabulous, as in “You look cute”. Sometimes it even comes with two thumbs up. Steve says all of us women are ‘cute’ (insert eyeroll here).

The Spirit and the General

2008-01-31T13:08:00.001+03:00

We met with the committee on Monday morning. Mrs Milli Sessanga, Mr. Cosmas Lubega, Mr. Mohammed Sekebembe, Mrs. Anne Kiwanuka, and Mrs. Efulansi Mutumba were there, along with our team. Steve (a.k.a. The General) had a full agenda prepared for us.

Before we got down to business, we thanked the committee members for all of the time and effort they have poured into the centre. We presented each of them with a prayer shawl, explaining that they area a symbol that the Trafalgar community continues to uphold them in prayer. We shared with them the story of the women of our congregation who have knitted this, and the fact that warm knitted shawls, although unusual in a tropical climate, are perfect in our often cold country. The Spirit was palpable when each of them wrapped the shawl around themselves. They promised that that the committee would wear them at every meeting.

We called the staff in so that we could thank them, and we praised their work in front of the whole committee. We presented them with Trafalgar T-shirts and cookbooks, which they loved. We told them that just like the T-shirt says, they have friends at TPC. We also presented Betty (our cook) with a cookbook and Trafalgar pin, and took the opportunity to thank her for the wonderful food.

Steve led the meeting and we achieved a great deal. Based on the comments from the students, and their parents, we prioritized their recommendations and suggestions. We reviewed and made minor adjustments to the purpose and objectives of the centre; approved a new financial reporting method; and put in place a Board Structure. They agreed to add Irene Mutumba to that Board, understanding that she will bring her leadership and network to the table.

Four hours later (phew!), we closed the meeting. The committee suggested that Mr. Sekebembe (who is a Muslim) lead in prayer, but he insisted that we do it together. So we held hands, and he said a prayer in Lugandan; I followed with a prayer in English.

Amen.

This problem has four answers

2008-01-31T13:07:00.000+03:00

This week we were visited by Joyce’s niece, Teddie (also called Constance). She is a soft spoken, articulate woman and seemed intent on sharing her story with us. We are wondering if she needed us to hear about the rest of the country, beyond the Kampala region we are experiencing.

Teddie has a diploma in fine arts from a school in Lira, in northern Uganda. When we asked why she would go so far away when most students here go to the Makarere University, she explained that she went because she received a scholarship. After graduating in 2003 she stayed there to teach until 2005. She was distraught, however, as she watched her students become child soldiers in the long-standing conflict nearby. She shared stories with us that are far too painful to write about here.

Teddie has 2 children: Marvin is 7 years old. When he was born, his father denied his paternity, leaving Teddie to raise him on her own. More recently she married and had John Carlos who is just 14 months old, and they live in Soroti , which is about 5 hours travel from here. Soroti is in the Eastern part of Uganda, near Kenya. The climate is drier there (they have had no rain for two months now), and many of the people are “pastoralists”. That means they continually move together with their animals, in search of water and pastures, and do not have permanent homes. Cattle rustlers are a problem and most live very temporary lives.

All around Teddie’s home are IDP (internally displaced persons) camps, which are filled with thousands of Ugandan women and children. Many have fled the conflict in the northern and eastern parts of the country, although the men have stayed behind. She says that life is very hard there; poverty is rampant and many cope with poor living conditions. Both Sundays we have been in Uganda, we noted that the worship leaders prayed about the country’s conflict and for the children caught in them.

Although she has a background in fine arts, Teddie dreams of being an HIV/AIDS counsellor. She is already trained and shared with us some of the wisdom she has gained in both her life and her education. Whatever the problem is, she said, “money will not solve it”. Instead, she named the four things that are essential to help solve any problem, whether personal or global:

Empathy
Caring
Acceptance
Confidence

These are what people really need to receive, she said. Things will get better when a person (or a people) are welcomed just as they are and then helped to believe in their own abilities.

We received her comments as genuine gifts from God because we have been discussing exactly this issue. Clearly, from everything we have heard and experienced in the past two weeks, money is not what people here need. Perhaps more accurately, money alone is not what people need. For example, a woman might say she wants money to buy a cow, so that she can make money selling milk. If she does not have the skills to properly care for a cow, keep a ledger, and market her product well, however, her business will take time and effort but not yield results.

Through many in depth conversations, and by observing our surroundings, we have learned that the current generation of parents places highest priority on educating their children. Business skills, however, have been regarded with suspicion because traditionally, Muslims and people from India have dominated the small business sector. A shift is occurring now with the youth who are discovering that entrepreneurial skills are essential to their success because their chance of getting jobs in the current system is nil.

It made us recall the comments of Irene Mutumba. In her opinion, people in Africa have become quite accustomed to the financial aid that comes from the western world. It has left many believing that they are not able to improve their lives without being given money from others. What we need is not to buy a cow, but to share genuine friendship with a poor woman, understand her situation, and then work together with her to help achieve her goals.

We recognize that this is a complicated process. We also can see why just sending money would be so much easier.

Happy birthday to me, part II

2008-01-31T13:06:00.000+03:00

I thought that after breakfast, my celebration was complete. Not so. When we were in Kampala, I chose a small packet of cookies, mangoes and some “éclair” candies that the ladies here said were their favourite kind of sweet. Later that evening we had a delicious supper of beans with matoki and posha. But instead of having the treats I had bought I was presented with a cake, baked by Betty, that even had roses and “Happy Birthday Kristine” written on it! Everyone sang Happy Birthday and I was very surprised and so happy. What a blessing! We cut the cake up immediately; it was a dense spice cake with sweet white icing, trimmed with white satin ribbon on the sides. I thanked Betty profusely.

Not long after we passed the cake out (the girls were happy to help me eat it), Barbara the security guard brought out a present. She had made me a banana fibre doll, but it was so special because it has hair just like mine, a black robe, and a clergy collar. I love it. I brought out the candies and gave them to Barbara to share with everyone, which were a hit. There were no serious injuries as Anne dove for the cake and candies with superhuman strength and speed (what a sweet tooth!).

What a wonderful Uganda birthday.

(A note about comments)

2008-01-28T18:47:00.000+03:00

I've just changed the settings to allow anyone to comment on a blog post, whether you have a Google Account or not.

When commenting, just select "Nickname" and type your name. Leave the "URL" field blank.

-David

Happy birthday to me

2008-01-28T16:43:00.000+03:00

What wonderful friends and family I have! The breakfast table was set with balloons for my birthday today (thank you, Pat) and flowers that Steve had picked, plus another bouquet from the staff. I was very excited and then I saw a card from Sydney, which made me all weepy. It was a lovely little card with a picture of the two of us holding hands, along with a small box tied with ribbon. Inside were two itty bitty notes saying I love you and I hope you’re having a good time. I love my Sydney.

While we had tea I opened the cards from session (I can’t believe that all of you signed the cards before I left, and even sent a gift. Thank you, thank you!), and from Pat and the kids. The chocolate they sent arrived perfectly intact, which is amazing. But it was the CD that put me over the edge. Unbeknownst to me, Pat and the kids had made a movie of the kids singing happy birthday in three languages, and with harmony, too. Then there were birthday messages from each of the kids. They were all so cute and it made me cry, missing them all so much. I can’t wait to get home and have cake with them.

As I post this, it is the afternoon, and my birthday is not yet over. I still plan to eat mangoes for dinner; that was my request of our cook. I have shared my balloons with some kids here and showed them how we play “keep it up” at home. It may not be home, but it’s good. I’ll never have another birthday in Uganda, so I’m doing my best to enjoy every minute.

Paparazzi and the Archbishop

2008-01-28T16:42:00.000+03:00

This was an unusual Sunday, to say the least! We were up early and dressed once more in our basutis so that we could go into Ggaayaza, a small town nearby where the Roman Catholic Church was celebrating its 100th anniversary. Vennie (the tutor), and Mr. Lubega drove us there. We thought it was very strange to stop at a market in order to buy a gift for the bishop, but we trusted our host who assured us this was the proper thing to do. He is a wise man.

As we arrived we were shown outside the church to the VIP tent, one of many tents all in a circle with a large grassy area in the centre. Again, people everywhere stared and pointed at the white people in traditional Ugandan clothes, but by now we were used to it. We enjoyed the service—we were glad that at least a few things were in Latin, like the Kyrie and Agnus Dei, although our hosts did their best to translate for us.

There was a choir in matching outfits, along with some drums and a keyboard (there was a sound system and speakers) who sang a great deal of music, in traditional, classical and contemporary styles. There were banners everywhere and fresh flowers in tall white stands—everything looked very festive. After the Archbishop had finished preaching (and he seemed to have a great sense of humour—there was a lot of laughing!) three brides, all dressed in white, came forward to be married! They had flower girls and bridesmaids along with fathers and brothers, with all the women dressed beautifully in very western styles. Communion followed, with several stations around the tents, which made me begin to wonder just exactly how many people were attending the service.

Then the offering began. There was the usual collection of money, but then many people began to come forward with gifts for the archbishop (we are told they were household items, local crafts and food). We thought this very odd and rather greedy…but then we discovered that those gifts will be distributed among the various priests, nuns and brothers. That made more sense (how many fruits can an archbishop eat by himself?).

After the benediction, there were boxes put out to receive tithes (which they understand to be separate from the offering). All of a sudden we were told by Mr. Lubega to get up and follow him. We hadn’t noticed because the MC was speaking in Lugandan, but we were being introduced and asked to come forward to present our gift to the bishop! He was glad to receive the Canadian visitors and commented on our dress. At that time I got a look at the crowd: there were about 5000 people--oh my!

Our fun didn’t end there. A few minutes later the archbishop sent for us because he wanted his photo taken with us, and we went to the centre of the grassy area again to shake his hand. There was a huge crowd of photographers there, and it felt like a million flashes went off. Anne and Karin were both red-cheeked with embarrassment. It was far too big a fuss to make over us, but they were so pleased that we would honour their country with our dress. Hopefully we will be able to secure a copy of that photo because of course we didn’t have a camera with us—we were going to church, for heaven’s sake!

A meal was served to the religious leaders and we were invited to join them. It was a buffet on the grass, with delicious traditional food. While we ate there was another choir, this time very traditional, with all kinds of drums, and dancers. They were amazing and did dances and songs from several tribes, so we saw dancing we’d never seen before. The women dressed in leopard skin print scarves and did all of their movements with clay pots balanced on their heads. Wow! What was so funny to me was how many things were going on at the same time. At one point there was singing and dancing on the grass, plus wedding photos (the dancers had to move around the bride), plus a catering company setting up tables for lunch! (Actually, the caterers had a hard time figuring out where to put the buffet tables, and kept moving them to new places. Karin leaned over and said that they needed Wendy!)

When we finally thought to check the time, it was well after 5:00 (we arrived at 10:30 am!) but we had been having such a good time we didn’t even notice. Time flies when you’re having fun, I guess!

The dry season is still on…sort of

2008-01-28T16:41:00.000+03:00

The newspaper headline this week was “The dry season is still on” but we have had rain at least once every day since we arrived, and some overcast skies as well. The temperatures have been warm, however, and despite the red mud that covers everything (including shoes and feet and skirt hems) it is not much of a bother. In fact, although the rain falling on the amabati roof makes a great deal of noise, it does serve to drown out the sound of Steve’s snoring at night!

Even with the rain, we have had great success with our many meetings. We have talked with each user group and heard their ideas about what is great, and what could make the centre better. We also went into Kampala to meet an incredible woman named Irene Mutumba. She is a globally recognized leader and social entrepreneur who founded a large, non-profit organization here that helps children and youth to “find out what they can do best, develop it, and give it back to the world”. She is clever, energetic and highly accomplished.

It was after careful research that Steve arranged this meeting with Irene even before we arrived. He knew that if she was interested in our Learning Centre she could be an invaluable tool for coaching and supporting the committee as they look to become self-sustaining. Thankfully, she is excited about the project! Steve shared with her the story of Dr. Joyce, and she said she was only sorry she would never get to meet her. But she agreed to become a member of a governing board (that we are in the process of setting up) and to be a resource person as the Learning Centre. Since her education program is already in the Masooli Secondary School, she said it would work out very well.

The lack of sunshine here has made everyone talk about how “cold” it is. We even see people wearing fleece jackets and parkas! We are assuring them that this is not cold at all; Canadian winter, now that’s cold! As we describe the Canadian snow and ice to yet another person, we remember everyone at home. Perhaps the winter season is still on…

I forgot my high heels

2008-01-28T16:39:00.000+03:00

When a marriage takes place here, there is an event before the wedding day called a “kaseki” (pronounced “cas-key”). It is a party for the groom, with a ceremony of hymns and prayer led by the priest, followed by dinner and dancing. The bride doesn’t attend, but many friends and relatives are present to offer speeches and congratulations.

We were invited to attend a kaseki on Saturday but were a little nervous about what we would wear. We have brought skirts, which is appropriate clothing here, but our clothes are causal and women dress very, very nicely in Uganda. Our hosts, however, arranged for us to borrow traditional Ugandan clothing: the women wore basutis (baa-soo-tea) and Steve wore a kanzu (can-zoo). What a delight!

Of course, we needed help to get dressed properly. Several of the women here helped us first put on a kikoyi (chick-oy-ee), which is a colourful wrap skirt that functions as a petticoat. Then the dress goes overtop, but has only shoulders and a neckline; the rest is fabric carefully wrapped, folded and secured with a large fabric belt. Anne wore blue, Karin wore green, and I wore purple. We were also given the loan of beaded necklaces. We looked fabulous—except that we had only plain brown leather sandals, and all the other women would be wearing high heeled shoes. Drat. We should have known to pack those!

As we were preparing to go, the women decided that we couldn’t wear traditional clothing without traditional names. So we were each given Ugandan names by Joyce’s sister Catherine, and Joyce’s niece Teddie:

Karin: Namoli (Constance) of the monkey clan
Steve: Mukibi (Marvin) of the clan
Anne: Namayanja (Elizabath) of the heart clan
Kristine: Nambi (Eve) of the fish clan

As soon as we arrived at the kaseki we knew that basungas (white people) wearing basutis was a very big deal. People stared at us, and smiled, and giggled, and obviously talked about us as we sat down under one of the three tents in the family’s grassy yard. After the service led by the parish priest, there were speeches and then we were asked to go first to the buffet dinner. Initially Steve refused, but they insisted that these guest buzungas must lead the way. All eyes were on us as we sat down with our plates of rice, meat stew and matoki (a starchy staple the consistency of stiff porridge). We were so glad that, although forks had been provided, we had already been eating the Ugandan way, with our hands. We were equipped to look completely comfortable!

After supper the MC had a difficult time encouraging the guests to dance, despite the music playing on loud speakers. He hard a hard time, that is, until he noticed the silly buzungas who were swaying to the music. Through the microphone he called the four of us to the centre of the gathering to dance with the groom and the best man. How could we refuse? The only problem was that they were laughing at the silly white people, and we were laughing so hard at ourselves, that it was almost impossible to dance.

The night was not all fun and games, however. We were delighted when we were introduced, because the MC took care to draw attention to the Learning Centre. He explained where it was and what it was all about for anyone who didn’t already know. It was such good publicity that one of the parents sought Steve our afterward to ask questions, and ended the conversation telling Steve that his older children would visit, because they really needed a quiet place to study.

What a privilege to be welcomed by the groom (Ronnie) and his family at such an important celebration. Ronnie seemed genuinely glad that we were there, and we had some time to talk with him at length. He is a pilot who works for Mission Aviation Fellowship (Anne was excite about that for you, Claire!) and his wife is an accountant for Ernst & Young. He even invited us to come to the wedding next week!

Humps and Graves

2008-01-28T16:32:00.000+03:00

There are several different ways to get around in Uganda. Most people walk, but there are also taxis (which are actually minivans) which follow set routes within certain areas. Then there are the boda-bodas, which are motorcycles (they call them piki-pikis here). Our mode of transport, however, has been Mr. Lubega from the local committee, who drives us around in his car. He has been very accommodating and taken us to various places according to our schedule. This has been ideal for our team, being both dafe and convenient.

Mr. Lubega drives a 1994 Mercedes Benz 230 E—not the ideal for bumpy Ugandan roads! There are major potholes here, so deep they actually call them “graves”! And on long stretches of road they also have speed bumps to slow down drivers, called “humps”. Those, together with the fact that his car is always loaded down with at least 5 people, has meant some major wear and tear on his poor car. Today we went over a spot of road so bumpy the car actually bottomed out and I wasn’t sure we’d make it.

We have learned about other Ugandan ‘humps’. This is a tribe culture, each with many clans. This family system affects all aspects of life, and can be a wonderful support network as people look after their “brothers and sisters”. However, it can also prove to be a major obstacle. Masooli is in an area that is part of the Buganda tribe, but this is not the tribe currently in power in Uganda. This, the students have told us, can make it very difficult for new graduates in any field to get jobs. For families who sacrifice everything in order to pay a child’s school fees (including selling their land), this can be devastating, both emotionally and financially.

On a completely different note, I talked recently with Vennie, one of the centre’s staff people, and she asked me about graves in Canada. She was very surprised to learn that we can’t simply bury our relatives on our family farms. Here they only have “cemeteries” for those who have no family to receive and look after their bodies after they have died. “Burial grounds” are maintained for families, with people returning to their own village in order to be buried. I also explained that you have to pay for burial services and for a plot to be buried in. She thought that was hilarious and said, “Imagine telling someone that they can’t die because they are too poor to afford it!”

The longer we are here the more opportunities we have to explore the differences and similarities between Uganda and Canada…including humps and graves.

Who said we would lose weight in Africa?

2008-01-25T14:44:00.002+03:00

The food here is incredible. Once they discovered that we were anxious to try all the local foods, they have introduced us to many new delicacies.

Karin and I like local passion fruit, which is the size of a kiwi and has a hard shell. First you have to crack it open with your teeth, and then you can suck out the juice and seeds. Jack Fruit grows locally and is a cross between a pineapple and a banana. It is about the size of a cantaloupe and has many large pits. It is fibrous and not too juicy with a mild, sweet flavour.

Brock will be shocked to discover that Anne has gone bananas for bananas! There are tiny sweet ones and larger ones like we have at home (although they are much sweeter than in Canada). At supper we were given another kind that they called, “a sister of the banana”, which had been steamed and served with our main course.

We have tried fish stew, made with smoked tilapia and peanuts (which they call ground nuts) and many dinners include steamed pumpkin. We also have had rice, plaintain, cassava and several kinds of sweet potatoes. Tomatoes and green peppers are used often, and they have been very good at leaving the onions out of everything for me!

Tea is served several times a day. It is always black tea, but it is brewed very weak and then grated herbs are added. Our favourite seems to be ginger (which they pronounce ‘jinja’) and we always seem to drink more than one cup each. Even though they don’t have dessert with their meals, I have not gone into withdrawal: I just add a little sugar to my tea and it does very nicely.

We are telling them all about Canadian food. Today we described hamburgers, and what we eat for Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners. We have also described the kinds of vegetables and fruits we grow. When I told them how much one mango costs in Canada, they laughed and pointed to a tree a few metres away that was loaded down with them.

The first day or two, they served us on our own in our room at the centre, while the cook and the staff and a few children ate by the cooking hut. But they have now allowed us to eat with them and we are much happier. We have also convinced them that we can eat the way that they do, with hands instead of forks. They are teaching us the techniques we need to eat without making a mess (Steve is so good he only uses one hand). I am thinking that I should teach my children to eat like this when I get home. It would mean fewer dishes!

On Thursday as we finished supper, I took a turn helping to dry the dishes while the others (our team plus the staff, cook and a few children) talked around us. We heard a child nearby humming the Masooli-Kittetika song, and before we knew it we had everyone singing together. They laughed as they made up new words, “Toronto, Ontario” instead! Vennie asked if we would sing them our national anthem, which we did. They thought it was funny that we said we would need to stand up to sing it. Karin was too tired to stand up, but when Vennie’s sister Lydia and the children stood up, she didn’t have a choice! Then they sang us their anthem (which I can’t really remember but we liked it). They also sang a national song telling of the men and women marching together for a better country. Before we knew it, they led us into a fabulous rendition of When the Saints Go Marching In. I got carried away and started banging out rhythms on a pot, much to their amusement!

We went to the market today and bought a treat: beef. It was noticeably expensive. But only a small amount fed a lot of us when served with many vegetables and rice. We also bought pineapples and avocados for tomorrow, papaya, dried peas and beans, yams and green peppers and later went to a grocer to buy vegetable oil, bread and tea. No (sigh), I don’t think we’re going to lose weight on this trip!

Better all the time

2008-01-25T14:43:00.001+03:00

On Thursday morning we met with the secondary school students. There were 35 who came and crowded onto the benches. There was an opening prayer led by Jennifer, and while it was hard to hear, it was wonderful. Vennie welcomed everyone, and then we made our presentation. I offered only a few opening remarks, and Anne again shared the bear story, including more details this time because everyone understood English (there was no need to wait for a translator to repeat everything). They all smiled and even chuckled at the sight of the bear and listened intently to Anne before Karin took a moment to tell them about herself and share the Canada book with them.

Steve then began the main part of our program. He told them about his own business background (Anne and Karin and I learned new things about Steve!) and launched into his two main questions: What do you like about the centre? What would you change about the centre to make it better? He went around the room and invited each student to respond individually.

That was when the fun really began. First we heard words of gratitude for the people of Trafalgar, Canada and all that we have done for them. They praised God for the good work and commented that one of the best things about the centre is that it “keeps showing signs of development over the years, getting better all the time”. They also noted that it was great to have a place where they can share ideas among themselves, and where they can study without little brothers and sisters around (I bet that sounds familiar to some of our students at home!)

By now Steve had the youth thoroughly engaged, and Karin was very proud of him when he even shushed a few in the corner who were whispering (maybe he’s found a new calling!). Around the room were many excellent suggestions for improvement, like additional furniture and more Ugandan textbooks. They also praised the work of the librarian and tutor and indicated that this was an important part of the Learning Centre for them. Steve finished by giving a short lesson on building trust and delivering on promises: both essential elements to any partnership.

It was the student’s turn to present, and William and Ronald came forward to sing a song, “Who is Jesus?”. Ronald sang an amazing, rhythmic bass line while William sang overtop. We wished we had a video camera to bring the song home. Jennifer sang a very short song after that, and Karin jumped up and told them they were all going to help us sing the song we brought. After telling them about our Andrew D, she gathered a few boys at the front with Steve to sing the bass line (later Karin said that she was so glad she didn’t have to worry about teaching the basses: Steve had it all under control! Andrew would have been so proud). They all learned the chorus and Karin sang the verses. By the time we got to the final chorus, they had even added clapping and table percussion! We all thought of Andrew.

When the song was finished, a student named Andrew asked us to stand for a closing prayer, which he began with the Lord’s prayer. We all said it together and it was beautiful. Vennie distributed the toothbrushes that Steve’s dentist had sent along with us and we thought it was so funny when William, who thanked us on behalf of all the students, said that he would keep his toothbrush on his shelf as a memento of Canada!

We are impressed with the young people of this community. They are bright and articulate, and were courageous enough to speak honestly with us about their ideas today. One young man even said that when he arrived at the centre that morning he was feeling crummy, but after our meeting he was going away feeling happy.

It may be one of the best things about the centre, but it is also true of our trip: it keeps showing signs of development, and is getting better all the time.

Webale (“thank you” in Lugandan)

2008-01-24T14:01:00.002+03:00

The first official meeting was Wednesday. The infants (primary school children) came with their parents and presented a programs for us. Despite the rain overnight and the overcast morning, the benches were all moved outside and placed in rows. It was supposed to start at 9am but, as they said, in African time that means 10:30 or 11:00.

Once everyone was assembled, a Learning Centre committee member welcomed everyone, and I was asked to lead a prayer. Then a small group of girls stood at the front and began to sing:

Our dear visitors,
You are highly welcome
We are very glad to be with you
From the long journeys you all have come
To be with us here today.

The chorus was beautiful but it was impossible for us to stay dry eyed when one by one a girl sang a solo welcome verse to each of us by name. The girl who sang to me was named Monica. What an honour that Vennie the tutor had written a special song, and that the girls had learned it so well. Of course, because this is African culture, there was dancing to go along with it.

But the dancing didn’t stop there! A whole succession of groups of young girls and boys followed, with carefully prepared songs. Many of them had background music played on a small radio (the electricity was on today!) and some were modern, some traditional. Many of them had religious themes, including the one that remembered the moment of Pentecost and sang of people waiting again to receive the Holy Spirit.

When they were finished with their performances, one of the parents (name Leonard) gave a carefully prepared speech about the needs of the community. He spoke of the need for clean water and health care, as well as access to local public education. All of this was interpreted from Lugandan to English by Vennie.

Then I brought greetings from Trafalgar and introduced the team before Anne told them the story of the Joy Bears. She told them about how Dave Murdoch had found these little bears and arranged for them to be donated, and how Lianna designed the special tags. She also told them about several people who have sold many bears, and about selling them at Oakville Place (she passed around pictures of Jane and Dorothy and Tyler with the bears, in front of Sears). They were clearly impressed, and clapped several times while Anne spoke.

Next, I shared with them a story: my son Tucker is in kindergarten and when their class made gingerbread men, one of them ran away! He ran to the CN tower where he met seagulls, to a lake where he met a moose, and to the arctic where he met a polar bear. But then when I arrived in Uganda, I looked in my suitcase and there he was! (Tucker’s teacher had sent him along with me, a decorated paper cut out). I took a picture of the children with the gingerbread man so I can tell Tucker’s class that he ran all the way to Uganda.

Karin Schemeit then shared the story of Andrew Donaldson’s Masooli-Kitettika song. After describing beautifully how Andrew had been friends with Joyce and inspired him with the words, “Are we there yet? Yes. And we have roads to travel”, she began to teach them how to sing it. It was hard for them to keep up—I think they felt unsure of the new tune and English-speaking teacher—but even the parents joined in. the best part was the men! Mr. Sekabembe, Cosmas, and a parent named Leonard came to the front to sing the bass part with Steve, which they did with gusto!

We wished that Andrew was there to see and hear it all. He especially would have loved the fact that after the assembly was over, we heard children still humming the tune!

When everything was concluded, we gave the tennis balls to Vennie. She asked all the youngest children to come forward and she carefully gave one to each of them. They were obviously pleased with their gifts and began to play with them right away. We invited the parents forward after that and as we thanked them for their support of their children’s education, gave each one a Trafalgar Church lapel pin. There was a spirit of celebration and many people stayed to talk and mill around long after we were finished.

Today there were many gifts given and received. We all say “webale” a lot.

Community Learning

2008-01-24T14:00:00.002+03:00

The Learning Centre is open each day from 8am to 6pm. There are always students here studying, and they have such excellent concentration that they keep their noses buried in their books even when we are meeting and talking nearby! We have met students studying physics, mathematics, and science. Although they are in the midst of school holidays they are preparing for their grade exams later in the year. The steady stream of students tell us that the centre is being very well used.

We have met with some of the committee members and had initial conversations about financial reporting, board membership and operation (they requested further training) and ideas about future fundraising. It was such an intense meeting that at the end when we asked them how they were doing, they said, “Exhausted!” (They named Steve “The General”!).

Before our departure, Steve had carefully prepared a very full agenda with Cosmas over the phone and through email. We were sure that it was far too ambitious. And yet, we have found that the local committee is so dedicated that we are getting a great deal of work done. We are excited by their passion and their hopes for the development and sustainability of this centre.

We have been totally impressed with the staff of the Centre. Barbara is the security guard and she is a hard working woman. She lives in the security hut inside the walls of the centre and keeps the grounds immaculate. She has also done a tremendous amount of work for us, helping with the cooking and cleaning.

Vennie is the tutor and she is clearly a bright and passionate woman. Her English has improved in a matter of days and she is always hard at work. Most significantly, she has a teaching spirit: whether with the children or with us, she is always helping others to learn new things. She is a fabulous source of information for us as we try to learn about Ugandan language and culture. We are now able to say thank you, good night, you’re welcome and a variety of smaller words for water and food. She is a real blessing to the children and to the work of the centre.

Silly Buzungus

2008-01-24T14:00:00.001+03:00

In Uganda, people with white skin are called “Buzungus”. And they seem to think that there are some things about us that are very silly.

For starters, while we smell like the inside of an old boot and look…well…less than snappy, they are immaculate! On Wednesday we needed to do laundry, and several women said that they would show us how. But they were unimpressed with our hand washing techniques and so gave us lessons on how to get clothes properly clean by scrubbing with our hands. Silly buzungus.

Karin helped Vennie (the tutor) mark the students’ assignments, and then everyone wanted the buzunga to do it (muzungu is just one white person; buzungu is many white people). Karen wrote smiley faces on their pages of good work, much to their delight. They laugh at all of us as we try to pronounce their words—the small children especially think we’re hilarious.

Before we left Canada, we were told by several excellent advisors that women should wear skirts in Uganda. Talking to the young women here, however, we have discovered that they think it’s funny. Since capri-style pants are in fashion in “buzungu-land” they think we should wear those, not skirts like the Ugandan women. (In fact, if Vennie (who wants to be stylish) wears capri’s, people call her a “buzungu wanna-be”!)

There is so much laughter every day. Some of it is ours. Some of it is because we are silly buzungus!

Ugandan Hospitality

2008-01-24T13:57:00.000+03:00

We can’t believe the time and effort the Learning Centre’s committee put into making the Centre ready for us to stay here.

The room at the centre that usually holds the shelves of books was cleared out for us, and the shelves were adjusted to make partitions for two bedrooms. Plywood doors were added and we were each given a bed frame and mattress with a bedspread and pillow. Of course there were mosquito nets, but two of them were different than the Guest House, with thin wooden frames that hold a square tent of netting over the bed. They added two small tables with tablecloths to the room, too.

A small room was built outside near the latrine with an overhead shower pipe for us to bathe. The water is not heated, of course, but is warmed by the sun so that it is refreshing, but not bracing. What a delight to shower under the light of the moon!

The food is served in huge portions and with such variety that we always seem to be full! They are quite surprised that we would prefer Ugandan (not Western) food, but everything they have cooked for us has been delicious (we note that not one of the team has suffered intestinal upset). And each time we begin a meal, there is warm water poured over our hands and we are offered a towel. Very biblical.

Having been served a few meals now, we are now trying to convince them to let us help. I have now helped to cut up vegetables and stirred the pot; Anne and Karen have both washed and dried the dishes. They seem surprised that we would know how to do such mundane things. Their understanding about North American people comes from Hollywood movies and is perhaps not altogether accurate.

Our cook is Cosmas’ wife Betty. She is very friendly and we hear she has a reputation for being an excellent baker. When I told her that I make pies at home, she promised she would teach me how she bakes cakes. Maybe I will come home with some new recipes!

Remembering Joyce (the founder of the Learning Centre)

2008-01-24T13:56:00.001+03:00

We arrived at the centre in the pouring rain. A small child brought us an umbrella and we were taken into the centre one at a time while our luggage was carried in by children. Immediately we were greeted with hugs and smiles by Mr. Sekabembe, a member of the Learning Centre’s local committee. Thankfully, the rain stopped before long and we were taken right away next door to the Nsubuga family home.

It is a simple brick house surrounded by lush vegetation (we noticed some cherry tomatoes growing nearby). Out of the house came Katherine, Joyce’s sister. It was shocking how much like Joyce she is! They share the same smile and the same stature (very short!). She slipped on her shoes and took us a few meters into the backyard, past some pigs and piglets, to a clearing where there is a collection of graves. There we were shown the place where Joyce was laid to rest after her body was returned to Uganda. It is simple concrete, with the top not yet decorated.

It was impossible not to weep at the experience of it all. Every day we discuss how much we missed Joyce. She would have been so proud to show us her country and the centre. As someone here remarked, it is a sad mystery as to why she died so soon.

I was asked to say a prayer at the graveside, which I somehow managed through my tears. It was an impossibly beautiful moment there with the hot sun on our backs and the memory of Joyce all around us.

Anne’s Amazing Race

2008-01-24T13:53:00.000+03:00

Steve and Anne were up bright and early to go to the consulate. We needed to deposit our passports (while in the country we will carry copies) and extra money.

Anne—an avid fan of the reality show “The Amazing Race”—has often thought that it was silly when people couldn’t find a cab. Now, however, she has a new appreciation for what a challenge that can be in another country! Here a taxi is called a “special hire” and after several failed attempts to find one—people kept telling them to go to the next block—they finally found one who would take them. Anne was a little flustered by then, and you can imagine her surprise when Steve not only started to haggle with the driver but walked away when he wasn’t happy with the price!

All was not lost. The driver agreed to their rate and they were able all they needed to do at the consulate before returning the hotel. After that we were picked up by Cosmas who took us to the Buganda parliament. A sergeant at arms gave us a tour and a wonderful history lesson of the Buganda tribe, which has 56 clans, a Prime Minister, and a King.

The timing was just right for Cosmas to take us to the palace where people were gathering to catch a glimpse of the King. We joined a line of men and women who were clapping and singing as they waited for the King’s car, which was loaded downs with 56 spears (one for each clan), to come down the road. The women were kneeling out of respect for the King and a few enterprising souls were trying to sell badges and postcards.

The hot sun meant that we didn’t stay long after the king had driven by. It was exciting to see all the women in beautiful basooti, the traditional dress of Ugandan women. They seemed equally pleased with the white-skinned visitors.

Amazing, indeed.

Steve the friend-maker

2008-01-21T11:06:00.000+03:00

Since Sunday was a day of rest (and acclimatization) we simply stayed around the guest house. Steve met a man named Paul and spent several hours with him and with his wife. They were from Stratford, Ontario, and have been doing work here and in India for some years, and Steve was pleased with all he was able to learn from them.

They assured him (and later, when we met him, he mentioned it again!) that staying at the Guest House here is quite luxurious compared to the rest of Africa. He was very generous and gave us their leftover hand sanitizer as well as a china mug, two spoons and a very small electric kettle. They will be nice items to have, he said.

The other really nice thing about the day was all the laughter. We seemed to have no end of things to joke about among us and there were several times I was holding my sides and roaring with laughter. At bedtime we lost the room key, which somehow ended in fits of laughter, because we all ended up getting out of our cozy mosquito-netted beds to try and find it.

Thanks be to God for friends and laughter.

Schemeit be in Uganda

2008-01-21T11:05:00.000+03:00

Karin is a school teacher in Toronto and a friend of several members of Trafalgar. She has known the Donaldson family for years and even taught Hilary at school. She also sings in Andrew Donaldson’s choir, Hilariter. She is in the middle of a one-year, world-tour sabbatical during the 2007-08 school year.

She has already been on a tour with Consort Caritatis (directed by Howard Dyck of the CBC) through Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. She did a singing pilgrimage with people from the Vancouver School of Theology through France and England, studying hymns and hymn writers. She spent a week on the Isle of Iona in Scotland, where she lived in the abbey and participated in the life of the community. Karin also visited family and friends in Scotland and Germany, which is where she spent the Christmas season before meeting up with Anne, Steve and Kristine.

Knowing about the Uganda Learning Centre, Karin asked about visiting while she was in Africa. Steve thought it would be a great idea to have a teacher work for free for awhile (ha ha, Steve). As God would have it, our plans all coincided perfectly! Karin fits well into our team’s philosophy (even the toilet paper) and we are enjoying her company. Once she meets the people at the learning Centre and we have worked there for a while, she will make further plans and may even stay on for a longer time.

Keeping Sabbath

2008-01-21T11:01:00.002+03:00

We had to set alarm to get ready for church. Even with the trickle of water from the taps this morning, Karin and Anne were able to wash their hair. Breakfast was nice, with hot tea coffee. We found that some fruit is really yummy, some not so much. Steve had eggs, the rest of us had yellow bread with jam.

Church was fascinating. We went to the cathedral next door, which one woman told us is the biggest in the country, for the English service.

The service started with gathering songs, and people coming in (which they did throughout the service). The style was southern American, with a drum kit and electric guitar and a song leader (who even had a James Brown moment!). The choir, which was adults and children, were all dressed in robes—red and white—high collars and surpluses. They had choreographed movements and dancing, mostly swaying and waving their arms, southern style. Strange juxtaposition.

There were traditional missionary hymns later in the service, although the entire service used 2 screens and a live video feed. They had a few glitches (Steve says that thanks to Pat we never have those technical problems!).

Karen like the sermon illustration of the frog being put in the microwave. I got the preacher’s point (that some decisions seem like a good idea in the beginning but don’t always work out in the end) but thought it was a bit…..eeeeeew.

Steve discovered that he has a double in Uganda! The chief warden got up at the announcement time and told them that the managers wanted to communicate the church’s financial situation better, and that there were a number of building projects that needed the congregation’s financial support. We were interested that one of these projects is a swimming pool that they use to generate income. Maybe TPC needs to try that idea (ha ha)!
Today is hot, and we are laying low today, keeping Sabbath

Uninvited Guests

2008-01-21T11:01:00.001+03:00

The wedding reception we had seen being set up got underway in the evening. Since the porch outside our room looked out over it, we had front row seats to see everything.

There was a head table in a tent. To the right and left, facing each other, there were two more tents with head tables and chairs behind. Steve thinks that each of the two tables were the bride’s and groom’s families. The head table was the link between the two families.

The flowers were very western--lovely roses and mums--with lots of tulle. There were lots of white lights strung around, which Anne loved. The music was Christian (we sang along to “Lord, I lift your name on high”). We never figured out the bride. We think she was the one in white, but there was also a woman in a gorgeous red dress and tiara that looked much fancier. We thought maybe she was the brides maid?

The coolest part was the dancing the gifts forward! Just like in some African churches, they formed a line up to the head table and danced with their wrapped boxes up to be received by the attendants. I guess no one gave them a microwave!

The guests were an interesting mix of African and North American styles. Thankfully the music didn’t last long, since we went to bed before 10:00!

Seek ye first, Ugandan style

2008-01-21T10:48:00.000+03:00

Although Cosmas had to leave us, Sam stayed for lunch at the Guest House. We had fried plaintain, rice, chicken, rice and beans in sauce. We all agreed the pineapple was the best. Mmmmm!

We went for a very hot, sunny walk down the road with Sam. Just as we decided not to go too far (we were too tired) we heard drums nearby. The cathedral, which is right next to the Guest House, has a number of buildings--one of them is a tall, round building with a stage and sloped floor inside. That’s where the sounds were coming from, so of course we had to go and investigate…

Sam asked if we were allowed in (we were) and we sat on some empty chairs at the back (white resin lawn chairs). WOW! Turns out it was a competition for youth in all the surrounding parishes—there was drama and dance, although we had missed the poetry. They were all built on the theme of “See ye first the kingdom of God”.

The drama was amazing. It was all in Lugandan, but we understood what was going on so easily. The youth were amazing actors--I was so impressed with their openness and self-confidence. The first play was about a girl in high school who made partying and a boyfriend her priority, instead of God. But then she got pregnant and everyone was very upset. The poor girl was so upset she cried real tears! (Karen said it made her want to rush the stage and tell her everything was OK, but decided against it)

The dancing was even more amazing. It was traditional African dancing with colourful costumes. With each performance there were drummers, a choir and dancers. Awesome, says Karen. The biggest group had 25 singers plus 6 drummers and 12 dancers. The singers all wore matching dresses—the same style that Dr. Joyce used to wear to church sometimes. The dancers all wore similar red skirts with black fur on top at the back (like an old fashioned bustle). The men and women all wore white t-shirts (was this modesty?) underneath short tops. Some also had bells around their ankles.

It’s almost impossible to describe the intensity of the music and dancing. The dancing was so fast and frenetic. Karen was a little disappointed that the drums all but drowned out the singing! Steve said that he could never dance like that—and the rest of us don’t really want to see him try…

The heat and smells of the room didn’t bother us at all. Anne was busy making friends with a woman from one of the churches (who sings in her church’s adult choir). She thanked us for coming and made sure we stayed to the end to see her church’s dance group. The other women she was with kept looking over at us, so Steve gave them the thumbs up. They seemed to like that we were enjoying their youth.

We were exhausted by the time the last group had performed (actually, Anne drifted off during the drama performance. Steve says he had to catch her to keep her from falling over). But what a wonderful afternoon, and all by accident!

On the ground and in the sun

2008-01-19T20:42:00.001+03:00

Getting off the plane was a shock--hot and sunny, but all went smoothly and Sam was waiting for us, along with Mr. Cosmas Lubega. They had a great little sign that said, "Steve TPC". Sam was all smiles and said that he was glad we were finally here (we all agree that we've never seen him smile that much!).

We went in two cars: Cosmas' car and a taxi. It was a wonderful drive with so many new sights and smells. We hardly knew which was to look first. The flowers are beautiful! There are huge trees with beautiful purple blooms--i have to find out what they are! We passed all kinds of houses and businesses. It rained while we were in the car but stopped before long. The rules of the road were...interesting, Steve noted, with no need for markings on the road (you can drive on either side of the road, after all).

We arrived at the Namiremba Guest House and checked in. We're in room number one!

The room is lovely with four beds and an adjoining bathroom. There are mosquito nets over the beds which we will tuck in around our mattress when we go to bed. Since there has been rain the last four days, there are more mosquitos (but only Steve has actually seen one) but the rain was needed.

There are preparations underway in the courtyard for a wedding today. It will be interesting to see it this afternoon. If we have time after lunch and a nap, that is!

Encounters of the Karin kind

2008-01-19T20:34:00.000+03:00

Yay! We succesfully met up with Karin Schemeit in Heathrow just beofre our flight to Entebbe. We had just been to the airport's multi-faith prayer room/chapel where we had some quiet prayer and prayed together for our trip, everyone at home, and for Karin...when we found her in a cafe where we found her in a cafe happily sipping water and writing in her journal. Hugs and happiness all around!

We boarded our flight quickly but ended up waiting once we were on. Heathrow was very busy so we had to wait for our turn on the runway. They gaveus supper as soon as we were in the air (not as nice as the last flight, although Steve said his was fabulous), which was a relief because we were hungry and tired. Again we donned the earplugs and sleep masks, although i don't know that we needed them, given how quickly we fell asleep. Anne slept so soundly that Steve moved her chair twice and she didn't even know it!

Anne enjoyed sitting beside a little Ugandan boy named Richard on the flight. He was seven years old and coming back after 6 months in the US with his parents. he was very quiet, and all Anne really learned about him was that he loved to watch the Simpsons!

We woke just as the sun appeared and took a few moments to freshen up. i changed into a skirt and sandals, which felt good. The clouds out the window were beautiful, although because we were seated on the wing it was hard to sea. Over the Sudan we could see the ground appear, and then the Nile. We're almost there (but we have raods to travel...!)

Out and about in London

2008-01-18T22:35:00.001+03:00

We got off the plane around 8:15am a little bleary eyed...

But then we got to customs. A delightful gentleman who received all three of us at the same time (as a 'family'!) and asked if we were going to do volunteer work. When we explained where we were headed, he offered words of encouragement and commended us for working to make the world a better place. What a funny place to find support!

Harrod's was our first stop (yes, Sandy, we took Steve shopping!). Sadly, i had a whopping headache but we still enjoyed the 'luxury' washrooms with their rose handcream and lovely decor.

A hot cup of tea at a bakery was just what we needed--along with the best sweet bun i have ever eaten in my life--then it was off to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Isn't it great that the museums in the \uk have free admission? Wish the ROM was like that!

Being a church trip and all, we spent lots of time admiring atined glass and silver church ware, although we did wander through the fashion exhibit as well (yes, Sandy, Steve went there, too!)

A quick bite in the cafeteria gave Anne a chance to admire the white fairy globe lights before taking the tube to Westminster Abby. Sadly, it was closed but at 10 pounds per person we weren't sure we would have gone in, anyway. We had a stewardship discussion outside instead...

After walking to Westminster Cathedral and catching the last bit of the children's choir rehearsal, we walked around the front of Buckingham palance and then returned to the airport via the underground. Steve has spent alot of time admiring the London transit system!

Now we have time to look around the airport prayer centre/chapel while we wait to meet up with Karin, who is meeting us here after flying in from Frankfurt...

We're off!

2008-01-18T22:27:00.000+03:00

Thanks to Rhodes, we were off and running right on schedule, thanks to his most excellent navigatin system (affectionately named 'Cedric') we found our way from my place to Steve's and finally to Anne's. Goodbyes were brief and I think I was the only misty-eyed.

The flight out of Toronto was delayed, but that was no trouble. We were happy to while away the time in conversation.

We finally took off about 8:20 (and for those of you who notice such details, we were in a Boeing 777). The seats were pretty small, but the food was good (really! Anne and I had fruit plates and Steve ordered kosher). Our conversation ended there, though. We donned sleep masks and earplugs and made ourselves comfrotable for some sleep. Anne and I dozed until we woke up to a clean-shaven Steve, all bright eyed and bushy tailed!

First leg of the journey complete!

(Sorry, we don't have the technology to post pictures yet....we're working on that!)

On a wing and a prayer

2008-01-17T21:54:00.000+03:00

"Loving God,

it is with great excitement

and some trepidation

that we send off our friends

to do your work in Uganda....

Be present with them

in the joys and doubts they encounter.

Give them confidence

as they work in your name,

give them wisdom

as they represent our church,

and sustain them in all the work they do..."

-prayers led by the clerk of session Pat Gushue on Sunday January13

The elders, along with Monica Provan (who represented our TPC Uganda Committee) surrounded Anne, Steve and I with prayer for us at the end of Sunday's service. What a blessing to be sent off with such care and encouragement.

But the support didn't stop there! All three of us have been inundated with well wishes from friends and family. The phone has been ringing off the hook, visitors have been stopping by and emails have been arriving hourly.

Which is a good thing, because as our departure time draws near, we are very excited and nervous. Twenty-one days is a long time to be away from home and Masooli is so very far away. So we rest in God's call that is taking us to meet our new friends and in the prayers that surround us even while we are miles apart.

We will do our best to share our journey with you while we are away. As often as we can get to the internet (which may only be every few days, or less) we will add photos and stories about all that we encounter.

We're off to the airport with the words from Sunday's commissioning service:

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city build on a hill cannot be hidden…in the same way let your light shining before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your God in heaven”. (Matt 5:14,16)

10...9...8...7...6...5...

2008-01-13T05:09:00.000+03:00

We're counting down and gearing up!

Steve, Anne and I met at Steve's place on Friday to get a handle on packing. Thankfully, Anne's husband Michael kept us on task and Steve's wife Sandy baked pina colada muffins (mmmm!). Even my husband Pat and my little Tucker stopped by to offer enouragement. What fun!

We now have our joint items all looked after: the tennis balls and pencils that Trafalgar collected on White Gift Sunday during Advent; the magazines that Samuel's brother Simeon had gathered; the Trafalgar anniversary pins; a few blue Trafalgar T-shirts; and even a few TPC cookbooks. We still need to add the prayer shawls, but we will dedicate those first on Sunday morning.

Of course the most important thing we packed was the white gold (see Steve's photo. Doesn't he look happy? He picked the luxury kind). We made sure to include enough for some extra visits to the loo and for Karin, who will join us en route to Uganda.

Anne has all our documents, copies, and copies of copies ready to go, Steve packed enough suncreen and mosquito repellant to cover an entire platoon, and we discussed wardrobe choices at length. We each came away with short to-do lists (OK, mine is still pretty long).

Now all we need is a ride to the airport!