Hugs and Mugs, Hearts and Charts, Mouse and Spouse

I’m woken by the hacking cough of the woman next door and lie still, hoping I’ll go back to sleep. A few minutes later the buzzing starts. It’s our 6.30am alarm.  Its dark outside but already noisy. We hear birds, chickens, cars, other people's bathroom activities, and early morning cleaning, through the ventilation grille. There's the scraping clunk of the corridor door followed by the click of light switches, then slapping flipflops.  Pulling back the mosquito net I go to the bathroom. After a cold shower I get dressed - a long wraparound skirt and a smart top. We’re in the office today so I put on regular flat sandals, not my usual scruffy walking ones.

Breakfast, which starts at 7am, is served at 7.15. Tom gets his special chapatis at 7.30. Our driver, Charles, is already waiting, so I go to the room and pick up my bag. I’ve got the first aid kit, my camera, a wrap, a frisbee, painkillers, hat and sun cream, notebook and pens, phone, purse, a bottle of water, and 2 slabs of Parkin. Charles is by the car, and eventually Tom arrives. We set off for the Global Care Centre a 10-minute drive away. It’s a bumpy ride. The road is rough, uneven and dusty, full of potholes and even a pile of bricks. Boda-bodas and bicycles career along the road avoiding hazardous bumps, each other, people walking and cars.

We arrive at the Centre in time for staff devotion. While the team are singing, Tom gesticulating – he wants me to record the gorgeous harmony.  He’s forgotten I used Fred’s phone yesterday as I'm hopeless with the audio recorder! Tom brings a 'thought for the day'. The session ends with much hand shaking and greeting.  Everyone else has jobs to do, so I take photos round the Centre - annoying everyone by interrupting their work or asking them to sit in a particular way. First, I go to the girls at the (outside) kitchen. They're cleaning the area with a hand broom, then collect branches to make a fire and boil a kettle. I realise this is for our morning tea.  I'm spoilt here – I rarely make a drink and no meals. They start washing the dust off yesterday's pots. The Ark is being cleaned too... floors swept and washed and everything prepared for the children. Hmm, maybe I should stop moaning about housework at home – I don’t have to contend with living in a hot dusty climate, fetching water from a standpipe, and I have an array of domestic appliances. Imagine what it's like in the rainy season! 

Its time to start work. Some of us are having a lesson from Tom on logframes. He tells me a logframe is a way to record the intended effects of a project and how you’re going to report them. I’ve been to this lesson before – I still struggle. In a classroom, we’ve decided to start with an exercise. Fred is blindfolded and told to give Brenda instructions to make him a cup of tea.  At the end he’s given the result– a cup with a few tea leaves. He didn't tell her to put in water or sugar. We hope this explains the importance of clear, detailed project planning!  The team want to look at a proposal to build a shelter at a school.  Younger children currently have lessons sitting on a log under a tree. An hour later, we’ve nearly done, but we’re desperate for a tea break.  It seems pretty obvious to me that its better for school to be a shelter with walls and a roof rather than a tree, but to bid for funding, the team have to consider how the lives of the children will change, and how they will measure the results. Its hard work. The Parkin is a success alongside Mandases (doughnuts) with our tea. Fred has hot, wet, sugared tea! We finally have a draft logframe and decide to stop and rest our brains.

On the way back to our office we pass a girl who's come to see David. I shriek with delight. She's sponsored by one of our friends. She didn’t know we're here and it’s a real treat to hug and chat and give her a gift and letter from her sponsors.  She's delighted, and reads the letter carefully, then says I must take back a hug.  We have the warmest hug I’ve had from her in 10 years. Its coming with me. She tells Brenda excitedly about the gift of soap and clothes. Golly I’m lucky to be able to do this.

Tom and I go to the Ark and spend time playing and chatting, watching the staff give Physio and number and alphabet lessons to the children – see drtomgoesglobal for more.  We’re given the children’s files – records of the targets they’ve been set and their progress. I can’t imagine having to only have written records – and prepare reports from them. Fred asks me for help with report writing as Mrs Boring loves a report as much as a spreadsheet. 

Lunch is posho and beans then its back for another logframe. This time the team want to buy garden hoes for a school. Tom sits back and tells Fred it's his turn to lead the discussion. It’s a team effort. Its still hard work, its hot, we’re tired and thirsty, my skirt is sticking to my legs with sweat. We don’t quite get a draft – but make a good start. I wonder how the team are going to find time for this as well as all their other work. All day children and guardians arrived at the centre asking to speak to someone. A sick relative was taken to hospital.  

We agree a programme for the next 2 days then Charles brings us back to the hotel.. And aircon and a shower.

Our friends will have gone home on a motorbike or boda-boda or walked.  Most days Fred and David leave nearly 2 hours after us.  Once again I'm in awe of the dedication of the team. They work hard physically and mentally in airless heat. They have difficult decisions to make every day. Some of the team visit families, schools and children, others work in the Ark or at the Centre, and the kitchen team beaver away in the background.  I’m beginning to understand how they achieve so much – they’re always looking for new initiatives to change vulnerable children's lives for the better-and they want to make an impact for whole communities, always looking at  self-sustainability. We have another logframe tomorrow.  I must be positive and supportive and not own up to being logframed out.

Dare You Look Behind the Curtain?

Today we have carried out another video interview, spoken to a local representative for disabled persons, recorded a poem, visited our lovely friends at the Atiira Disability Support Group (ADSG), eaten lunch made by ladies at the ADSG, and walked to visit a house being built for a local family. I’ve totally failed to master the Global Care audio recorder – so Fred recorded the poem on his phone and its already been WhatsApped to the UK office.  I think I’m getting better at videoing but can’t find an App to view them on this dodgy laptop. I’ve worked out where the hot water button is for the shower. So its been a pretty good day. However, I’ve decided today to let other people speak and I’m going to write some quotes from people we talked to today.

Sponsorship

‘I am now studying to be a doctor. Without Sponsorship none of this would have been possible. When I joined the programme I could go to school, got scholastic materials, food and medical care – all that was sponsorship. In 2008 I had a chance to meet the kind lady who sponsored me. When they told me, I was like, ‘Wow. I can meet this person who has sacrificed to send me through all this education.' I was so grateful, so grateful. I was writing all these letters to her – and she told me she read them. I worked hard because someone gave me an opportunity to be in school.  I gained so much. I wish many more could go through education.’

On working as a Regional Representative for the National Council for Persons with Disability (PWD).

‘It is hard for people with disabilities. The numbers of PWD are increasing because older people understand they can register as disabled and when people have accidents they register too. There is not enough money for all these people. If a woman has a child with disability (CWD) her husband will divorce her. Parents feel their children are outcasts. We are trying to explain to schools that when they buy desks, they need to have some that are suitable for CWD. We need ramps at schools. We need trained special needs teachers.’

On education in rural villages

‘When a child from the village arrives at school, he or she has already done chores, maybe fetched water, looked after animals and younger children, then walked 3-6 miles to school. He arrives hot, tired, and hungry. Usually he is late. When he has finished he walks home again to more chores, still without a meal unless the school provides lunch, and when he’s finished chores it’s too dark to do homework. Children in rural settings spend less of the day at school, they are too fatigued and hungry to learn well and if they are not a biological child in the family, they may be kept at home to do housework.’

I’m not going to tell you much about our visit to ADSG – read Tom’s blog at DrTomGoesGlobal, but I have a few quotes:

-         'Don’t wait for someone to see you have a problem, wake up and solve your own problems. Claim your basic rights to food and clothing. Let us own our disability.'

'Global Care gives you money and must account for it. You have never disappointed us. The group flourishes because you don’t think of your own needs and support those in greatest need.'

And a few lines from the poem:

Behind the curtain I tell you,
there is something precious

Something unseen to the naked eyes of society. Do you believe me?

…. Behind the curtain I lived in ignorance,
close to my heart

To me it seemed like a dream
when reality dawned into my ears 

That disability is not inability

                                                             And my future glitters, like the bright morning star.

                                                                                   … What is it that able people can do that we cannot?  

It was great to be greeted with ululation and clapping and joy, to be welcomed with handshakes and hugs. But that’s twice already this week I’ve been reminded that disability is not inability.

I only pray that I look behind the curtain and see the truth - that I don't forget about people with disability hidden from view or rejected and disowned.

PS Favourite quote today: Everyone looks at him and thinks he's just a nice old man. But he used to be a rebel. He's really a Ninja.

Why did the chicken...?

Today has been long, hot and dusty. I’ve had a very nice tepid shower and rested on our comfy clean bed while Tom boiled our travel kettle for a cuppa. I put on a clean sundress and the aircon is nicely cooling the room. Aaaah, the luxuries of a Muzungu in Uganda.

This morning started with staff prayers at the GC Centre.  Then, an unexpected event, sponsored children arriving to be interviewed (programmed for Friday).  We hadn’t tested our equipment, planned interviews or decided on location. After a hurried chat we nominated Tom ‘Cameraman’ and me ‘Interviewer’. I hadn’t shown Tom the brief – a potential problem - I hope there’s a fantastic editor in the office. Sorry UK Boss.

We met 4 young people who had been sponsored. 

·         ‘Mary’s’ Mum was a widow with 5 children. When Mary’s father died, his family threw them out and refused the Mum’s inheritance (a piece of land).  The family of 6 lived in one room. There wasn’t enough money for the children to go to school. Mary was sponsored in 2001 and was successful in her studies. This year she graduated from nursing school.  

·         ‘Michael’ lived with his mother, 6 siblings, a second wife and 4 step-siblings. They had no other support. Michael was sponsored through primary school and then for vocational training in motor mechanics. Now Michael owns his own workshop and is responsible for providing for the whole family. He employs some of his brothers and provides training.

·          ‘Susan’ lives with her 7 siblings and their parents, who both have poor health and struggle to support the big family. They are subsistence farmers, working their land to provide food for the family and sell any excess. They have very little food. Susan was sponsored and is waiting for her final senior exam results. Then she’ll decide what to do.

Our conversations left us encouraged and excited. Once again we’ve seen how sponsorship changes lives, not just the sponsored children, but their whole families. I’m committed to the Global Care sponsorship programme because children are treated as individuals, but in the context of whole communities. The programme works towards self-sustainability for families and communities.

For some, life is even less straightforward.  ‘Steven’ told us a shocking story of abandonment, abuse and discrimination.  He and his siblings were more-or-less ‘rescued’ by Global Care. Steven was sponsored and recently completed vocational training as a barber. Now he shaves hair in a salon in Soroti.  His job allows him to survive but his future is uncertain. His inheritance of land has been taken from him. We were all became quite emotional as we saw the pain and suffering in this young man’s eyes. He still has a long hard struggle ahead.  He feels alone, and afraid for the future. He said he’s very grateful to Global Care… Imagine where he would be without this awesome local team.

Reeling from this story, we travelled to a rural village deep in the bush - 1½ hrs of bumpy tracks and paths out of Soroti. Our vehicle carried 6 people, bottles of water, boxes of food, flipchart paper and pens – and a live chicken. We were visiting the newly formed Abeko Disability Support Group to carry out a workshop to help the team supporting the group.  



We met in the Baptist Church, an isolated mud structure with a thatched roof.  By the time we left there were 50 men, women and children (the latter mostly sitting on the floor). The aim of the session was to identify key problems for the group so that when we go back on Saturday, we can help the committee prioritise the problems and start thinking about potential solutions.

This isn’t the first time we’ve sat in a stiflingly hot room with struggling parents and children. It always leaves me sad and frustrated. After giving everyone the opportunity to share, we summarised the problems. If you live in a remote rural community with a child with a physical/sensory/intellectual disability, you can’t meet their care needs, they can’t move around (no aids, rough ground – impossible in the rain), you and they experience discrimination, exclusion and abuse, school is an impossibility – too far, no adaptations, no expectations for disabled children. 
That’s about a tenth of the issues.

None of these people will have an electric shower, or a comfy bed. Many will go hungry tonight and have to walk some distance to the pump to fetch water. In their hot airless accommodation, most sleep on the floor, the disabled children may lie on a thin dirty sheet, their incontinence making them prone to infections. Today has been difficult for us – but I can’t imagine the hardship of these people. So as you run your next shower and eat your tea, remember Steven, and the adults and children with disability living in Abeko.

The chicken didn’t come back with us. At least we know those 50 people had a meal today (don’t worry – they’d already been given 3 more chickens!).

If you want to know more about sponsorship, visit: https://www.globalcare.org/ways-to-give/sponsor-a-child/ 

Lifeguards Love Me

This afternoon I’m counting my blessings! Today is the last day of what can only be described as a ‘holiday’ and we’re refreshed and rested ready to start work at 8am tomorrow. No more late breakfasts and lazy days...

Today we went to church (started at 8.30, we arrived at 9, finished at 11.15), relaxed at the hotel, then my fantastic friend Fred (who reads this, and tomorrow I’m calling ‘Boss’) took me out for a treat.

So here goes:

1. I’m privileged to be able to come to beautiful Uganda.
The people are warm and welcoming and it really is beautiful. Today lizards played in the sun and flowers and bushes wafted in the breeze. Soroti has plains and swamps, Rukungiri mountains and jungles. Game Parks are fascinating - not going to forget seeing rhinos, crocs, elephants and giraffes. Next week we visit waterfalls. 

2. I’m blessed to be allowed to be part of the Global Care team.
Volunteering on the comms team, means learning about the work and children in all the countries where GCare works. In Uganda I’ve met local staff and their families and made fantastic friends. Staff here have incredible enthusiasm and vision for vulnerable children. And I get to visit projects and meet sponsored children. 

3. Coming here changed my attitude to disability.
Anyone who visits the Ark disability centre has their eyes and mind opened.  I'm beginning to understand what it means to say that we're all the same, except some people have disability.  To realise its about ability and potential not a disability. 

4. I  have two home churches.
This morning we attended Deliverance Church – we're as much part of the church family here as at Hope House in Barnsley. We are greeted with kindness and love by our friends. I respect the leadership. Today we had laughter, powerful testimony, challenging words and the best exhibition of leadership dancing I’ve ever seen. The overwhelming joy of a man released early from prison and now starting a prisoner rehabilitation centre was expressed in an exuberant song of praise to God. As he began to dance, enthusiastically bopping and jumping (proper jumping, hitting backside with ankles jumping) he was joined by Pastor Robert and several other men. They shook and shimmied in their full suits in the uncomfortable heat. Love this church!

5. I am constantly challenged about hypocrisy and complacency.
Last night, our friends, who happen to be deaf, suggested its easier to be deaf in a foreign country because generally everyone communicates in the same language.  I haven’t even been bothered to learn sign language – we communicate by writing.  I assumed their driver wasn't deaf... wrong. Each time we come we recognise obvious poverty - and realise we've blotted out and forgotten hidden deprivation. People in the middle of town cluster round a water pump - we've forgotten the reality of not having access to running water/ clean water/ sanitation.

6. I've learnt to appreciate little pleasures

We’ve had a room upgrade. Woohoo! Bigger room, air conditioning (??) and somewhere to sit. For a huge £2 extra a night.  Tom is currently resting in the cool as he recovers from next door’s party which went on till about 1.30am last night. Not having a party tonight is fabulous. We have regular meals.

7. I have great friends and family

Thanks for all the support from home - loving the comments and messages.

And finally:

Lifeguards love me

Fred took me swimming today - we drove to a pool outside town (he thought the one in town would be too small for me). He knows I swim regularly and have never swum in Soroti. For many people here swimming is a luxury. Entry to the pool cost more than Charles and my lunches in a café. So - I was a novelty in my goggles trying to swim lengths of front crawl. The lifeguards decided to create a 'lap area' for anyone who wanted to swim lengths with the white woman - and one of them went off to get an energy drink so he could join me (Swimyourswim chaps laughing like drains at this #slowestswimmerinthepool). By the time they'd found something to attach to two ends of a rope I was ready to come out  - but it would have been rude.

I am blessed and privileged. Tomorrow we travel to Abeko to meet people wanting to start a disability support group and start interviews with sponsored children. Tomorrow the real work starts.

Love in a Hot Climate

Today has been a long, hot, amazing, fascinating, encouraging and challenging day! Welcome to Uganda. Our day started like any wedding Saturday, breakfast, nice hot shower (YES!!), change into smart clothes, wrap the present, and off we go. Our walk was a bit different. We waved at a small boy sitting at the roadside, took photos of a Marabou stork, were approached by motorbike taxis (boda boda), and arrived at the church just after 11am – the advertised start of the wedding.

The church was decorated with red, blue and white flowers and a bridal arch by the entrance. People arrived on boda bodas, walking, in big 4x4s, and on bicycles. They looked around and left again. A small group of us stayed and after a brief flurry of me being official guest photographer, we joined the others on an uncomfortable dusty stone wall in the shade. Tom pointed out that we stood up to shake hands with a bishop, but didn’t stand up to shake hands with a smelly homeless man.  Negative point to us.  

I wondered ‘How on earth do people know what time it starts?’

The wedding finally started with the groom’s procession at 12.30 (groom, best man, 4 groomsmen, 2 pageboys) followed some time after by the bride’s procession (2 little bridesmaids spreading petals for the bride).

After 15 minutes, 4 more bridesmaids arrived. The service was pretty much as you’d expect at an Anglican wedding although every ’no objection’ and ‘I do’ was greeted with ululations, clapping and the organ playing. This included the removing of the bride’s veil when the groom was chastised for his lack of enthusiasm and made to repeat ‘yes, she is the one I want to marry!’

Oh yes, and there was a girl carrying a live chicken (never found out why), and at several points a crowd gathered at the front taking photos on their cameras (e.g. when they exchanged vows). Hmm, maybe not the same. It was fabulous if hot and tiring.

The ceremony was followed by a reception which started late so we were entertained by guests. The bridal party arrived (yes – we were waiting while they had photos taken), and there were short speeches. We were informed outside church that we were making a speech on behalf of Global Care! Fortunately David was there too so we did a triple act. We had a huge meal (no cutlery), and the cake cutting (cake had fireworks) was followed by a ceremony where the bride and groom washed each other’s hands and knelt to feed the other – a brilliant symbolism of equality and love. 

When we’re back I’ll write a full blog on the decorations, what people wore and other snippets. Now I want to tell you about people. As a boy, the groom, his three brothers and their sister lost their father and mother in quick succession.  The children were cared for by their grandmother, and became part of the second group of children sponsored by Global Care – in 1991.  Those small boys have become a medical officer, a civil engineer, in the Air Force and the youngest works for Compassion charity in Soroti. That is encouraging enough – but imagine our surprise when David told us he was in the same group of sponsored children. Then he introduced us to another of their group – a teacher. This class of 1991 is a fantastic testimony to the work of Global Care. At the time they were sponsored they were traumatised by civil war and the loss of parents. Look at them now! We also met a man who, believe it or not, stayed at my Mum's in Durham in the 1990s, when he travelled to the UK to meet Ron Newby the founder of Global Care.

As we left, David said how pleased he is that his friends are all happy and its great to go to a wedding and see one of them married. He is full of thanks to Global Care.

We also met the latest boy to be sponsored. A little chap who danced with me while we were waiting for the bridal party. I wonder where he will be as an adult.

And finally, our old friend Simon came over to see us this evening. If you can cope with another awesome story of a previously sponsored boy, read Simons’ story at: https://www.globalcare.org/2018/01/simons-story/ . 

Yup - I remain totally committed to Global Care sponsorship

A walk in the Park?

Today is a Public Holiday – ‘Liberation Day’- 32 years since Museveni came to power (imagine 32yrs of Trump eeek….).  Having a quiet day to plan for the week ahead and acclimatise to being back in Uganda is very welcome.  I used to happily charge straight into ‘work’ but age (no we’re not going to mention THE birthday in this blog), and leaving winter at home, mean it’s marvellous to have a lie-in and a slow meandering day. 

We had a very late breakfast (8.45) then Fred and David, the 2 Managers at the Global Care Soroti Centre, came over to the hotel to agree a programme. We had lots of catching up to do, family news and greetings, photos, and introducing Fred to a Latte (rejected by David).

You would be amazed at the work they achieve here. 189 sponsored children are supported with school and welfare, disabled children are cared for at the Ark or supported at home or school when they are discharged, young people attend the skills centre and some are resident as their homes are too far to travel every day, they have partnerships with local schools – helping with self-sufficiency, feeding (agricultural initiatives), and of course scholastic supplies and school buildings, and they provide guidance and support to a local Disability Support Group (DSG).

Quite a bit of our time with the team will be supporting their work to help a rural community set up another DSG.  We’ve planned a visit to run a workshop (Tom is preparing for the workshop while I write this) with families who have registered with the new group, another day will be in the office working on proposals and the much mentioned ‘logframe’. Hopefully this will be informed by a better understanding of the community needs after the workshop. At the end of the week we’ll go back again to meet with the group Officers. Phew. It’s a 2-hour journey to the village. They are mostly subsistence farmers. Government schools are too far away so children go to a community run school.

We’re having a day with staff at the Ark and visiting children who’ve been discharged home from the Ark, to see how the families are managing. We’re having a day in Atiira with the existing DSG. We’re visiting our son Pete’s sponsored boy who is on a vocational training scheme and several sponsored and ex-sponsored children are coming to meet us at the centre. Part of my role here is to gather stories, videos, audio recordings and interviews with children and young people.

Fred said he thought at first it might be difficult to fill in every day – not any more!

After the meeting we walked into town to buy lunch from the market (blog fans will be pleased to know I had Rolex but it’s gone up to 30p). Tom had an avocado (20p) and a pack of passion fruits was 40p. Maybe they were Mzungu prices. We had a picnic in the park to the amusement of a couple of children. 

Tom bought a cap for the extortionate price of 80p – that will teach him to leave his at home….

We stopped on the way back to chat to some student nurses and a brass band who had played in the Liberation Day Parade earlier today. We took an unexpected detour (all the paths look the same to me – no different from home then) and now I’m having my first African spiced tea in the hotel garden.

The team here work incredibly hard, and have made a huge difference to lives in whole communities.  I’m excited about this week, but challenged to think the staff believe we can help and see things from a different angle. My respect for David and Fred grows each time I meet them. My belief in Global Care is strengthened after just one day.

Tomorrow we’re at a wedding – if I’m still standing at the end, I’ll blog! Fred has a treat for me on Sunday afternoon – I’ll tell you if it happens. Hint – Tom is less enthusiastic.  Now I need to help Tom develop a quick Participatory Development Workshop plan (what??).

Bumps in the Road

Just a quick update today…. Nothing profound.  And no photos - technical hitch....

After 18 hours of taxi-plane-bus-plane-taxi yesterday, and 8 hours driving today, we’re finally in our hotel in Soroti. My resolve to be relaxed hasn’t been tested too much yet, drivers arrived on time, nice bed last night and I confess I slept most of today (why didn’t I know about new improved neck pillows before? zzzzzzzz). Kampala driving hasn’t changed – one huge traffic jam for 2 hours with heavy-laden motorbikes weaving dangerously between several lanes of cars, all practically touching. Two cold showers so far – one a dribble, one pointing at the wall, and a hotel booking that was eventually found but we’d been downgraded as all the rooms were occupied (?!). Definitely not worth stressing about.  The hotel is new, and clean, and Tom’s snoozing on the bed so it must be OK…. The road was a bit grim in places – we were back to driving on the wrong side of the road and in ditches to avoid potholes and general gaps in the road surface, and there were some cracking speed bumps. Tom sat in the front!

The most striking thing about the journey was the absence of children.  Usually when you’re driving in Uganda there are children everywhere. Children walking to school, running to get out of the rain on their way to or from school, children playing in playgrounds at break times. But its the long school holiday here and today it was pouring most of the time. It was weirdly quiet without shouting children.  I have a question for you: What did you do in the holidays when you were at primary School?   

Today we saw children filling jerry cans at a water pump, 3 tiny children pushing a bicycle laden with jerry cans along the side of the main road as huge lorries thundered past. We saw small girls carrying babies, young children out shopping, hoeing in the fields, watching animals, hawking in the street – bananas, peanuts, tea, even one small boy covered in suitcases at a busy intersection. Many young children work in the holidays here. We saw children sitting playing together under shelters out of the rain, or watching the cars pass on the road, and when the rain stopped we saw a football game, a boy rolling an old bicycle tyre, and children using empty school playgrounds to play chase.  

Once we were north of Mbale we were in familiar territory, flat plains and swamps with clusters of grass-thatched mud huts spread across the scrubland.  We know when we’re approaching Soroti. We smiled as we drove down the red dust track into Pamba district.  We called in at the Global Care centre. Its always a treat to see our friends here and to feel so welcome. The children at the Ark disability centre were getting ready to be taken home so we popped our heads into the van to be greeted with smiles and shrieks. As we drove away from the Centre, children waved and shouted ‘Mzungu, Mzungu’. Ah that’s better! I feel more at home now.

When I said I wasn’t going to whinge, I’d forgotten about the noise…. Hens, planes (flying school in Soroti?), dogs, church singing, cars, phones, computer bleeps and a constant backdrop of voices and slapping flipflops. But I’m not complaining – just adjusting…..

Tomorrow is a public holiday so we’re taking it easy and meeting to plan for next week over coffee at 9.30 Uganda time.

The Great Pretender

Two tightly packed canvas bags sit behind me, unidentifiable shapes bulging at the sides. One is full of baby quilts, handmade by a community craft group for abandoned and orphaned babies. The other has exercise mats for children with disabilities and a selection of random heavy items ranging from parkin (gift) to tins of sardines (emergency rations), and a backpack (gift for friend’s sponsored boy) to mosquito repellent (essential).  Yes – we’re off to Uganda again. This time for 10 days in Soroti in the North.  We have a draft itinerary but Mrs Usually Obsessively Organised knows it is a fluid document – and we could end up doing anything.  I’ve learnt to expect pre-prepared plans to be hijacked by people who know much better how to use our time – and by changing situations on the ground.

I also know that as soon as I walk out of the airport terminal in Entebbe and smell the smoky charcoal-filled air, I’ll start to relax. I don’t expect the hotel taxi to be there, I don’t expect a comfy bed or pillows, I have no idea how long the journey will take to Soroti on Thursday – but to my own never ceasing amazement, it won’t matter. I’ve learnt over time that I need a different attitude in Uganda.  There’s no place for a stressy Mzungu (white person) or grumpy Auntie (my name to most people).  It leads to so much pleasure when practicalities go to plan.  There’s a special delight in finding  a taxi waiting, food arriving on time, sit-down flush loos and working showers in a guest-house room. I appreciate all kinds of things.... a mosquito net without holes, a journey without a flat tyre, a meeting that starts within an hour of its expected time, evenings when there is running water and/or electricity and/or WifI. What a shame I can’t bring this relaxed, accepting version of myself home again! 

On the other hand, no previous experience or jolly approach properly prepares for the reality. There’s always someone, or something, that breaks the complacent attitude.  Just when I think the unhelpful emotional response to shocking scenes of poverty or stories of discrimination and fear is conquered, I meet a child, or a family, or a community, whose history and present circumstances are beyond belief.  Every time I go, there’s an indulgence that we’ve seen the worst deprivation before – unsafe, inhospitable dwellings, no basic necessities like clean water and sanitation, unaffordable healthcare, the only food consisting of weeds or insects, children with disability with no-one to care for them…. But the sad truth is we haven’t.  

 Each layer of poverty and vulnerability peeled away and viewed with increasing understanding only reveals a deeper incomprehensible level of suffering and need.

So, I can’t wait to see my friends, visit some of my favourite places in the world, talk to the most inspiring people I know, catch up with children and young people I’ve known for nearly 10 years, witness the incredible work of Global Care Soroti, and visit new places and make new friends.

But …. I know that once again I will be challenged. Challenged about my attitudes, understanding, lifestyle, beliefs, giving and time.

As they say round here, ‘Bring it on!’ – but please, this year, no more babies in coffins…….

“Too real is this feeling of make believe

Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal”

The Great Pretender lyrics © Peermusic Publishing