Uncle Mike and the Play Chain

This morning we visited ‘Timmy’ in hospital, he’s very sick. It is a desperate situation. We heard back from the hospital in Entebbe where we sent the photographs, and they’re willing to assess him for free and provide free accommodation to him and his mother. We’re hoping this will be possible, we trust and respect them having met them in March. They’re NGO funded but have a desire to help the most vulnerable and keep costs low where possible. We were despondent as we left the hospital and talked about options for counselling for Timmy and his mother – and the Global Care staff who know him.  There is nothing here in the way of end-of-life care. The church clinic looking after Timmy will treat any infections – but every night in hospital, every drug, every test, costs money. Its impossible to budget for medical care when you have a very sick child with complex disabilities under your care… and 100s of other children with minor illnesses as well as malaria and typhoid. We've just got the green light for Timmy to travel to Entebbe. If you pray, please pray for Timmy and his Mum, and for Global Care, as they work together to help Timmy.

We drove away from the hospital with heavy hearts and once again travelled the long journey to Abeko to visit the Playscheme (which meets in a school classroom). The minute we arrived our day changed.  The Playworkers at the Playscheme were leading parachute games – and disabled children from the Playscheme were playing alongside children at the school. For so long the disabled children were bullied and ostracised, now they were playing together. I realised they were using a parachute I sent out in March (another Wightman Parachute for those who understand). You’re standing in a field in the middle of nowhere (literally) and there are children shouting, laughing and singing, playing games with a huge piece of coloured material and some plastic balls – and it is joyous. 8 months ago, the disabled children were shy, introverted and didn’t move much. Today they were interacting with other children and there was so much fun about the activity. Pure unadulterated fun!

I realised something else. 11 years ago, I came to Soroti with a parachute and taught ‘Uncle Mike’ how to use it. Over the years he’s developed a brilliant kids club with 100s of children who come to his house to play with him – and the parachute. Uncle Mike visited the Playscheme and taught David, a Playworker, how to use the parachute. It’s a brilliant example of how a charity should work. If we have skills and knowledge that we can share, we pass it on, and then we leave people to work their new skills into their own environment and culture. We don’t tell them how to do it, and we don’t do it for them – they don’t need me to play parachute games, they’ve made up their own Ugandan games. Tom & I might have had a sneaky play ourselves – but Playworker David was in charge.

We spent the day gathering stories and listening to people tell us how the Playscheme has impacted their lives. I was speechless by the end!

We heard about John, whose severe burns left him disfigured and with contractures of his arm. He became withdrawn and uncommunicative. When we first met him, he was leaning against a wall and wouldn’t look at us. Today he was in the thick of the parachute games. He used to be laughed at by school mates, and left school. Now he talks. The other children see him eating eggs and porridge at the Playscheme and they think he is someone important! The school is going to sponsor him so he can attend again. Wow!

When William came to the Playscheme he couldn’t walk – he had polio when he was 18 months old and could only sit and crawl. Since he’s been at the Playscheme he’s learnt to walk. At home he can now take a small jerrycan to the borehole, pump water and bring it back and pour it into a bowl. He loves helping his mother – and she is thrilled that he’s no longer just sitting at home isolated.

Mary has learnt to move herself on her bottom. She used to sit still – now she can move around the compound and takes herself into the shade if she’s in the sun or into the house if it rains. Before, she didn’t interact with anyone and wouldn’t take food at the Playscheme. Now she wants food and if her mother goes shopping, she shuffles over to her, hoping for bread.


This group is inspiring and quite thrilling. Four playworkers and a room, some basic food, a few toys – and they’ve worked miracles. They had some training from the UK Special Needs Teachers in the summer and now the room is bright and cheerful. They received sensory toys and learnt games and parachute play for disabled children.  The parents didn’t understand the potential of the children – they’d given up. Many are loving and kind, but they had no hope for their isolated discriminated disabled children.

Now the parents and the children have hope. The DSG committee met us today and I found their positive attitude to the children challenging – they’re so positive and determined to help these children, sacrificing what little they have to find ways to create sustainability for the group and the Playscheme.  As I write this, I wonder how easily I’ll return to my life of swimming and preparing for Christmas. I’d like to think it will be flipping difficult to forget about this group and slip back into my easy, comfortable life.