Saturday 1st November

So here we are, Dubai airport. Halfway home having left Entebbe at 3.30pm, we have about 4hrs here before our connecting flight to London Heathrow. Everyone has gone off shopping, leaving me with the bags, but it has given me some time to reflect on the past couple of weeks.

Before we came here, apart from Ian, none of us had been to Uganda and only one to Africa which left me wondering what we was in store for us in this great continent. One thing is certain- we have all seen, heard and experienced things that have amazed, shocked, and grounded us in many ways.  Through going to the church service which was unlike anything most of us had experienced before; Through working with the local builders on the site at Lubbe Farm; Through seeing the work of Watoto in their babies homes; Through meeting the children who have been rescued by Watoto from a whole range of situations; Through meeting Okello, the farm manager, who was once a child solider, was rescued by Watoto and was now managing a huge farm providing sustainability to the project; Through meeting Gladys at Living Hope and seeing the work Watoto are doing to help rebuild the lives of women in the local communities around Gulu.

We left Uganda with the ringing endorsements of both Pastor Harrington and Paul, our guide. On our way to the airport Paul once again expressed his gratitude for our work and said what great ambassadors we had been, both for the UK, and for Homewood School. He also commended the group on the relationships between staff and students and the way that Respect had been modelled by all, for all.

Over the past 18 days we have seen some of the work of Watoto and experienced some of the African continent and all of us have loved it!

Friday 31st October

We awoke to rain on our last full day in Uganda but a busy schedule to adhere to. Breakfast was at 8am for Godfrey to pick us up on the bus at 9am and we drove first to Watoto Church Central where we picked up our passports and any money we may have still had left before heading on to the Mall to change Dollars to Ugandan Shillings and have a last look in the Supermarket for any snacks we may want for the long journey back to England.

We then spent the rest of the morning in the craft markets- some super haggling went on between us and the shopkeepers and everyone came away very happy with the products we had purchased.

As a way of Watoto saying Thank You for all the work we have done whilst in Uganda they took us to one of Kampalas top restaurants, Fang Fang’s, for lunch. The group enjoyed tucking into the Chinese cuisine almost as much as they enjoyed playing with the Lazy Susan that carried it all!

We were joined at lunch by Pastor Harrington, one of the pastors at Watoto. He preached on Sunday when we were at the church and has a specific responsibility for cell groups within the church and looking at how the church can impact and be at the centre of community. He spoke to us all about how thankful he was and appreciated the fact that we had given up our holiday time to come and spend time working with them in Uganda when we could have been elsewhere, we all felt however that, though we could have been elsewhere, there is nowhere else in the world we would have preferred to have been for the past 2 weeks. The group shared some of their memories from the trip as well as some of the things that have shocked them most.

Then thoughts turned to home and with some of the group heading straight home to GCSE Maths re-sit’s on Wednesday and Friday and the rest of the group with coursework deadlines and other work coming up Harrington offered to pray for the group as we left. This was a really special time and this Uganda trip is something none of us will ever forget.

We left lunch and headed to our last visit of the trip, the Kampala office of MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship). MAF fly planes all over Uganda and indeed Africa and the World to remote airstrips taking: people from NGO’s, Charities and Mission organisations; Medical equipment; and Supplies to those who need it most. They fly to more airstrips across the world than the biggest 9 carriers (BA, Emirates etc) combined do! Adrian who is acting Operations Manager gave us a brief overview of what they do and the group were again really amazed about another charity doing such good work in Uganda. It was on to the guest house then to start packing for home.

Thursday 30th October

It felt like we were back in the UK today as our plans were disrupted by rain!

Our plan was to leave at 7am to drive to the top of the falls and then on to Kampala. However the road to the top of the falls is very steep and after the rain we had during the early hours of the morning it was decided that this would be both unsafe and probably impassable anyway!

So we left at 9am for Kampala first we alighted the car ferry that would take us across the Nile. For ‘Ferry’ read ‘metal deck with a large engine on either side’, it felt very Top Gear-esque. We drove for 2 hours through the park seeing many Baboons as we went. The roads in the park were dirt tracks, some with great crevices down the middle so Godfrey our driver had a tricky day, another hour of dirt track bought us to the town of Massindi and we stopped to refuel the bus and use the bathrooms.

The journey from Massindi to Kampala was then relatively smooth, we picked up the highway and drove the 3hrs back to Kampala on Tarmac which was a great relief after the ‘African Massage’ we had been having all morning!

At 3pm we arrived back in Kampala and made our way to Cafe Java, our favourite local haunt, for a late lunch before tipping up at the guest house to rest- it is weird how travelling makes you so tired!

Wednesday 29th October

Today the group assembled at 5.30 for a 6am start to our game drive. We picked up George on the way and headed into the park. It was still dark as we drove off but at 6.38 we stopped to watch the sun rise over the park, the colours were amazing and added something really special to todays experience.

The first animal we encountered was a Hyena crossing the road. Hyenas are usually a pack animal but this one was by itself, it may have been lost of have been separated from the group. As we made our way through the park we saw more Giraffe; Elephants; Buffalo; Oribi, who are a small antelope who live for just 5 years and mate for life; Warthogs; Fish Eagles; Horn Bill Birds; Cranes, Ugandas National Bird; Kob; Jackson Hartebeasts and a troop of Baboons.

The group really wanted to see a Lion, as many who come on Safari do, however as the drive went on it looked more and more unlikely. There are just 300 in the park and George hadn't seen one for over a week. 

We made our way down to the shores of Lake Albert to observe some Hippo’s and were able to see a Shoe Bill bird of which there are just 8 pairs in the park, and only 6 countries in the Horn of Africa have any. We were able to get out the bus at this point and get close to the shore and these magnificent and large animals.

Earlier in the drive we had spotted some Lion foot prints that appeared to be quite fresh and as we were about to leave the shore and drive back to the lodge George spotted some Kob behaving strangely, as if danger was close by. He made the call to go and have a look and we drove down the track. As we got closer there was one Kob that was staring in the same direction without moving and others who were leaping- a sign of danger near by. We made the call to follow in the bus the direction they were looking. On the edge of the bush we spotted first one, and then a second Lion. The group was so excited and we made our way across the scrubland to get a better sight- they were truly majestic creatures and we were able to sit and watch them for 2-3 minutes before they disappeared into the thicker scrub. George told us they were young Lions- one male, one female who were siblings, there had been a third one but it had been killed by a Buffalo.

With this sighting under our belt we made our way back to the Lodge for Breakfast and then some time to chill out around the pool before our afternoon excursion. We were told later today that we were the only group to have seen the Lions which made our 5.30am start truly worth it!

At 2pm we set off for our boat ride along the Nile to the Murchison Falls. They are one of the worlds most powerful flows of natural water and are just 7m wide and 45m high meaning a huge amount of water cascades over the top in a very small space.

On our way down the river we also saw a huge variety of wildlife including Buffalo; Hippos; Elephants; Giraffes; Crocodiles- one of which we saw very close up from the boat as it was sunbathing on the bank; Kingfishers; Bee Eaters- a really colourful bird that nests in cliff faces; Warthogs; Fish Eagles; and a bird whose neck looked like a snake as it moved through the water.

The Sun was very hot this afternoon and we enjoyed sitting on the boat with the breeze coming of the water.

This Safari is a once in a lifetime experience and has been the icing on the cake of our time in Uganda.

Tuesday 28th October

Today we set off at 9am for Paraa Safari Lodge in the Murchison Falls National Park. The road wasn't as bad as we thought it might be, after last nights rain, and we made good time up to the trading point of Pak Wach. Here we stopped for petrol and discovered we had a flat tyre on the back, we found a small repair house to fix it but unlike last time we all had to get off the bus. We found shade under the small awning of a shop and were soon surrounded by locals trying to sell us all manor of crafts that they had made and also some selling us cold drinks- much of the group made use of this service and noted that you wouldn't get that on the hard shoulder of the M20!

They were also in the process of erecting power masts down the central street and we watched as a man used leg irons to make his way up the telegraph pole in front of us, I’m not sure whether the round of applause he was given was completely appreciated!

The tyre was fixed and we made our way off the tarmac onto dirt roads again as we sought the start of the Safari Park. By this point it was a race against time to get to the lodge before they finished serving lunch! As we entered the safari park and made our way the 10km to the lodge we saw a huge variety of animals including Warthog, several species of Antelope, and Giraffe; this excited the group as to what we may see on the evening game drive.

We did make it in time for lunch and tucked into 3 courses of Soup and Salad; Fish, Chicken or Pasta; followed by a selection of Deserts. With our first Game Drive at 4pm some of the group headed to the pool whilst other went to their rooms to freshen up.

We were led on our drive by George who has been working at the park for 19 years. He explained what we would be doing and we set off. The park has an area of 3,934Km2 and is protected by Rangers from the Ugandan Wildlife Agency. Unfortunately the park is still plagued by poachers and just last week 3 rangers were shot dead by poachers trying to get at the animals.

On our drive this afternoon we saw: many Giraffes, even having the opportunity to get out the bus to get a better sight; Kob, the national animal of Uganda; lots of Warthogs and Guinea Fowl; 1 herd and several loan male elephants, who were kind enough to cross the road just in front of us and then pose for photos; a herd of 500 Water Buffalo that seemed to stretch across the whole landscape; Jackson Antelope, which are known as the most stupid animals in the park as they will run from a Lion, then forget why they are running, stop and get killed!

Our drive lasted for nearly 4hrs and during the last hour it was dark across the park though George said we may still see some animals. Just as we were approaching the lodge we saw a loan hippopotamus grazing, it was the most amazing sight ever! The Hippopotami can roam up to 6km from water to graze during the night, eating between 180-250kg of food before heading back to the water as the sun is rising.

As we got back to the lodge Paul explained to us that the animals in the evening sometimes come very close to the lodge and as such we were advised not to leave the safety of our surroundings, this was something the leaders enforced too!!

Dinner was a buffet and the group made good use of all the food on offer before heading off to relax in the lounge, play pool and catch up with people back home online. Tomorrow begins with a game drive at 5.45am before some time to relax and a boat trip in the afternoon.

Monday 27th October

We awoke this morning feeling very much refreshed as breakfast hadn't been until 8am and most had had an earlier night!

For breakfast we had the most amazing African Doughnuts which tasted much like scones but were made of maize flour, wheat flour, sugar, baking powder and water and then shallow fried; with scrambled eggs and everyone ate well.

After the mix up yesterday we had visits to 3 projects to cram into today. We first visited Living Hope which is in the centre of Kampala. Living Hope exists to care for the most vulnerable women in society by helping them rebuild the lives. We were shown around by the administrator, Gladys. Living Hope was born in 2008 an took 900 women on to its program. Women who had been abducted during the civil war; who were HIV positive; who had been made to fight as child soldiers; who had been tortured and raped during the conflict; were all welcomed into the Living Hope family. Its desire is to use trauma counselling both 1-1 and in group situations to enable the women to process what has happened and then leave it behind before moving on with their lives. Gladys spoke of it like their hearts were full of all the bad they had experienced and they wanted to empty their hearts of that so that they could fill it with love and all things that are good. They then teach the women to make products that can be sold such as garments, table cloths, stuffed animals and dolls, peanut butter and Shea butter for your skin. When we arrived into the main room, full of sowing machines they greeted us by making the most amazing noise, like a high pitched battle cry that gave the group goose bumps! They were making stuffed animals that are sold at 20,000 Shillings, the women who makes the animal earns S3,000, meaning that they are learning a skill which makes them money. A lot of the women who Living Hope work with didn't get a full education due to the war or simply because of the view of women in society- to combat this functional maths, english and business skills are taught to all the women. Living Hope currently works with 450 women and seeks for them to be leaders in their community bringing about change in their towns.

The women are also discipled in the Christian faith through cell groups where Sundays Bible passage is talked about in small groups. Many of the women don’t speak English and only speak Acholi, the local dialect, so provision is made for this in all teaching.

Some of the women also have young children that may have prevented them attending such a programme in the past, however Living Hope has set up a Creche for those children to be looked after in while their mothers and learning and working. We had some time to play with the children in the creche which all the group enjoyed.

Then it was on to Llamandera childrens village, Watoto’s 3rd village.

There we were greeted by many children running out to meet the bus, excited to see us. We were hosted in 3 groups of 5, by a family for lunch at which we were able to meet one of the Aunties and her 7 or 8 children ranging in age from 4yrs to 13yrs old. Lunch was a feast of Ugandan traditional foods and placed in front of us were 10 saucepans with lids on, the group held their breath as each dish was revealed 1 by 1. Everyone tried something and most of the group enjoyed a very healthy lunch.

After lunch we played football and games with some of the younger children as the older students had to go back to school before heading up to the school ourselves. Ian and Nathan were shown around the secondary school briefly by Ivan, the head teacher, where they currently have 60 students in 3 classes. Next year they will add 1 more class and the year after that 2 more until the school has 300 students in, the primary school already has a similar number. They are seeking sponsorship from individuals, groups and churches to help the equip a computer lab. The government recently put basic computer skills on the curriculum and the school currently has only a couple of laptops for the staff to use so they want to put the network infrastructure and computer terminals in to enable Watoto children to leave school computer literate.

Our 3rd stop of the day was to the Watoto babies home in Gulu. Here we were shown around by Gertrude. The babies home is organised into 3 stages- 0-6 months(babies), 7-12 months(infants), 12-24months(toddlers) each stage has nurses in it that look after 4 children each and care for their needs. The whole group were really impressed by the cleanliness and organisation of the babies home, the way it was run and set out. Every Watoto project we have been too looks like it has been thought about, they have been built architecturally well with good aesthetics as well as being practical, they also have made lots of green open space which makes the whole place ‘feel good’. By this point it was 5pm and the sun was still very hot so we made our way back to the guest house for some rest and dinner.

Just before dinner the heavens opened and we had the most fantastic rain storm for about 20 minutes- there was thunder and lightening too. Although this looked amazing it may have made the journey tomorrow even more tricky due to the impact it will have had on the roads, we have to wait and see!

Sunday 26th October

Today we left the guest house at 6.30am as the sun was rising and headed north. We arrived at Gulu at 1.30pm after a 7 hour journey with 2 toilet stops and some interesting sights along the way.

We came over 2 strategic bridges, 1 of which used to divide the North from the South in the civil war and it would not have been safe to have gone north without protection from the army. This bridge had army personnel around and Paul informed us there may well be guns in the trees too to protect this important asset. The bridge went over the River Nile and was the only road North making it such an important strategic point- beneath us were some amazing rapids and we watched as gallons of water rushed over them making patterns with the rocks. Just over this bridge we came to some baboons and the group took some photos as we waited for them to move from the middle of the road.

We had been warned the road would be bad but after the first 2.5hrs we wondered what they were on about. However it soon hit us- the road turned from a 2-way tarmac road; to a 2-way gravel road where work had started on improvements; to a 2-way earthen track with a single ribbon of pot-holed tarmac running down its centre which trucks and huge buses would come rolling down leaving us to move out of the way onto the surrounding earth.

Godfrey our driver once again did a fantastic job of getting us here safely and in 1 piece!

Today we saw being transported- a stack of approx 25 blue plastic chairs on the back of a bike. The balance of the driver was second to none!

We were supposed to be having lunch at the children’s village but after a miss communication they weren't expecting us today and so went to a hotel in the town where we had lunch in their ‘restaurant’. We then went to our guest house to rest after the long journey- several of the group slept before dinner and after dinner we had our evaluation session before chilling out together in the lounge area.

Saturday 25th October

We awoke to a 6.15am breakfast of omelettes before setting off to Jinja. The road was slow and we arrived at the source of the Nile at 10am to be shown a monument that was erected after the commonwealth leaders meeting there in 2007 at which our Queen was present. We went on a boat ride down the Nile to the source which is marked with a big blue signpost and many photos were taken. The source of The Nile is located on the northern edge of Lake Victoria where water bubbles up through the rock. We also journeyed into the Lake a small way and saw the sheer magnitude of this body of water.

After journeying down the Nile we made our way to The Amani Babies Home. This was set up 11 years ago and was in rented premises until 2 years ago when they raised sufficient funds to purchase their own land and build a purpose built babies home. They currently have 42 babies but can accommodate up to 60. They have around 30 ‘mumma’s’, 6 short term volunteers from outside of Uganda and the Director and some of her family. We were shown around by Emily, the assistant director, and saw the 4 cottages where the children live with their mumma’s and the babies room. She was also able to answer our questions about the home.

Amani seeks to reunite the babies with their parents or other family members; or have them adopted by families in Uganda or other parts of the world; or, as a last resort, transfer them to a children’s orphanage. They also do a large amount of outreach work in their community working with families and other children. Paul, our Watoto guide, was very complimentary about Amani and explained how Watoto, seek to work with and build up other ministries doing similar things to them.

Lunch saw us take a trip to the Nile Resort where some of the group swam and all of us had lunch over looking The Nile River as it makes it way through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt into the Mediterranean sea, our guide on the river said it takes 3 months for water to travel the whole distance from source to mouth.

The journey back was long and rough with the major road works on the Jinja road having an adverse effect on our travelling. We arrived back after a 3hr journey through the Kampala traffic to chicken and rice for dinner.

After a brief diary feedback session the group have now gone to pack before we travel to Gulu tomorrow morning. The bus picks us up at 6.30am so with a breakfast call for 5.45am this is me signing off!

We are in Gulu for 2 nights before heading to Murchison Falls Safari Park for 2 days and coming back to Kampala on Thursday. The north of Uganda is a lot more primitive so we may not have internet access to update this blog- keep checking back but don’t worry if we don’t update now until Thursday!

Friday 24th October

I have realised that I have not kept up with the tales of things being carried on the back of bikes. Yesterday we saw a pig being transported between the driver and the passenger on the rear, how it stayed still we do not know!

Today started at 8am with breakfast and it felt like a weekend having had an extra hour in bed! Our bus was being serviced today before the long drive north to Gulu so Godfrey turned up with a different bus at 9.45 at which point we boarded for a long morning of driving.

We started by going back to visit Bbira, one of the Watoto villages, we saw the schools; the Kindergarten; and houses in which a mother lives with 8 children aged 2-18.

We then moved onto one of Watoto’s other sustainability projects, a chicken farm, which we were shown round by Joe, the manager. Watoto bought the land 2 years ago with 1 building on it, however when examined closely the building was seen as not fit for purpose so they set about building a new barn- this was a costly process and a big project but one of their major donors, an agricultural company gave them a lot of equipment and they were up and running during 2013. They currently have 7000 birds in the barn and get around 4500 eggs per day which are taken by truck to the villages for the children. This is an intensive way of farming and some of the group didn't like the way the chickens were so crammed in with no access to outdoor space.

Watoto has plans for 3 more barns on the land they have meaning they will have nearly 30,000 birds on site and it would start to produce an income for the charity.

After this visit we got back on the bus to go to Suubi. Subbi got so big there is now a Suubi 2 with its own primary school. However, between Suubi and Suubi 2 there is a section of land that Watoto were not able to purchase, this land remains in small pockets in the hands of locals. Watoto has sought to improve their lives by helping with water and light but there is still a clear divide between the children living in the 2 villages and those who live on the land between.

We saw again the goat farm and the work that goes on there providing for the Watoto children.

At the top of the hill in Suubi there is the church which is an amazing circular structure with glass walls and a tin roof and alongside it, girls and boys dormitories. Watoto provide education to students who are not part of their programme but who pay for the quality education that they provide.

We left Suubi to many happy faces and waving hands- the children here go to school from 8am-5pm Monday to Saturday and so have the opportunity to receive a large amount of high quality education. Driving back to Kampala most of the group fell asleep before arriving at Garden City, a big mall, for lunch. Most of the group chose to eat in a steak house where the food was amazing and yet still so cheap! We spent a small amount of time in a supermarket picking up some supplies for our journey to Gulu on Sunday and also some of our favourite food items to bring back to the UK.

Another craft market next to Watoto central was our venue for a bit of Friday afternoon perusing whilst Ian met with one of the local pastors about another exciting project idea.

We’re now back to the guest house for some rest as tomorrow we leave at 7am to go to Jinja, the Source of the Nile. The road has work being done on it so we have been warned it could be a slow and painful journey.

Thursday 23rd October

We woke to heavy rain this morning which should have been a warning that the traffic would be bad- Godfrey had been thinking the same and we took some back roads before hitting the highway out of Kampala.

The group were tired this morning so we had a rather subdued bus journey until Paul got on with his usual energy and panache!

The jobs at the site today were carrying on with much of what we had started during the week: building the supports for the columns out of tree branches; filling them with concrete; and taking the shuttering off the ones that had had a day to set. By the end of the day every pillar in the house had been started and many were finished ready for the brick laying to begin next.

Over the last couple of days the Homewood group has been really well spoken of. David, the site foreman, told us that we had been a very respectful group in the way we had acted and spoken to the workmen; this was different to other groups they had worked with who could be boastful or arrogant. We were complimented on the good relationships between staff and students and the fact that we hadn't had to discipline our students or repeatedly ask them to complete tasks. The students have been a credit to themselves and Homewood in their work ethic- always completing tasks as soon as asked and with no complaining.

There was a sadness amongst the group that this would be the last day on the site and the last day to work with these wonderful people. For some of the builders, it had seemed at the beginning we were just getting in the way but by the end of our time they were all encouraging us to get involved. The language barrier became less as the time went on as we sought to understand their words and actions and as we understood the tasks we were to undertake.

At one point Johnson was called away and Nathan was left to operate the Cement Mixer, with Julie adamant it was just like making a cake, some Concrete was poured that was the product of Mzungu hands!

At the end of the day yesterday we had performed the Cha Cha Slide for the builders, they found it hilarious and some even joined in.

Today we went for the YMCA and many of them joined in with the actions, the footage is quite amazing with the freestyle dancing in the middle, and can simply be titled ‘Where the UK meets Uganda’!

Before we left the site we had a tour round the farm with the manager. He showed us the crops they grow, the damn they have built to provide irrigation for the farm in the dry season and talked about the way the farm is all about providing for the babies and children in Watoto’s care. Watoto have 1 farm in the south and 3 farms in the north near Gulu which are in the early stages of development and are not producing food yet. They are also about to buy another farm of approx 1000 hectares which will increase their food production exponentially.

We asked him about his story and whether he was a farmer before. He explained to us that as a child he was abducted by the Lords Resistance Army and made to fight as a child soldier for 2 years before being rescued by Watoto, they looked after him and he had been to university to study a diploma in crop rotation and management and was now managing this farm for Watoto. As he told us his story everyone on the bus was emotional- Watoto do such an amazing work in Uganda. If you, reading this blog, don’t sponsor a child already with any organisation let me encourage you to do so- it is a way that you can change a life in another part of the world for a small amount of money a month. This boy turned man may not have had a future if he hadn't been rescued by Watoto and he is now managing a large farm providing sustainability to the project which he benefited from.

We left the farm with the ringing endorsement of Watoto in our ears and started the long journey back to Kampala for the last time. On route we suffered a flat tyre and had to pull into a garage; we stayed on the bus as the tyre was taken off, a new inner tube put in and the problem resolved.

We made good time back to Kampala despite our late departure and tyre problem.

Dinner was rice and meatballs which everyone enjoyed! We spent the evening looking at some of the 800 photos we have already taken of our trip and reflecting back on how far we have come. We have an extra hour in bed tomorrow morning due to being around Kampala and not having to leave so early so the group was in good spirits. The internet was also not working for much of the evening which meant conversation was a must!

Wednesday 22nd October

Breakfast was pancakes this morning followed by our 2hr drive to Lubbe Farm.

On route today we had some great fun singing and dancing in the bus and when Paul, our guide, boarded he joined in with a rendition of S Club 7’s ‘Reach for the stars’.

Today at the worksite we were mixing more cement for the columns as well as making more shuttering. There was an issue that the boarding that should have been delivered hadn't been and so work was some what slowed but this gave us a chance to sit and chat with some of the workmen and find out about their lives and families.

More columns were built out of shuttering during the morning and at lunchtime scaffolding arrived so that in the afternoon we could fill the columns with cement. Johnson, the cement mixer operator, spoke very good English and Joe was able to have an extended conversation with him about his life and work.

Lunch was the regular Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches followed by fruit.

Uganda has some amazing fruit, Pineapples being one of them. We have been told they were brought here by an English explorer, presumably after travels to the Caribbean and it was discovered that they grow very well in Ugandan soil. Since then Uganda has been known for the sweetness of its pineapples and, though the group is missing some English foods, we will be missing Pineapples when we are back in the UK.

The concrete columns are made straight and true by using a rock hanging via a piece of string from an overhang at the top of the column. The distance from column to string is measure at top, middle and bottom and then the structure is propped up using long branches to keep it straight as the concrete is poured in and set

By the end of the afternoon we had filled several more columns with cement and the group left happy but tired! The sun was very hot again today and we had to take regular breaks from the heat in the shade of a tree and drink lots of water.

We arrived back at the guest house after a 2hr 30min drive through some of the Kampala traffic but having stopped for some cold cokes from a stall at the side of the road.

When we arrived back at the guest house the group had the opportunity to look again at some of the crafts for sale and dinner was at 6pm.

During the evening we had our usual debrief session and played a couple of games of consequences. The group is learning a huge amount about construction- I am now thinking of ways we can use this new found knowledge in Homewood and beyond!!

Tuesday 21st October

The traffic was much better in Kampala today as the sun was shining and so the roads were not so busy. This meant we were at the farm by 9.45am having left at 8.30am. Today we had a few different tasks to be doing, these were

1- Make the shuttering to go round the columns into which concrete would be poured, the shutters were made of 4, what looked like, scaffolding boards

2- Place spacers onto the metal framework so that when the shuttering is put in place, and the concrete poured, the metal doesn't show through; as with weathering and rusting of the metal this can effect the structural integrity

3- Move more bricks!!

4- Start to make the concrete that would form the columns

Again today it was very hot, probably more so than yesterday, and loads of sun cream was applied often. The building site is on a hill over looking a green and luscious valley which means that though the view is lovely if there is no breeze the sun beats down and can burn us very easily. October is not one of Uganda’s hottest months and when we asked some of the locals how they found the heat they said it was fantastic; they were all wearing trousers, shirts and overalls and found that this was quite comfortable.

One of the builders was telling us about his working schedule; they arrive at the building site at 7am and work until 5pm every day except Sunday- this day is reserved for church and family time. Most of the workers live in the village about 30mins walk from the farm and they have quite a community atmosphere.

Over lunch our conversation turned to food, as it very often does! The group were recounting their favourite dinners, accompaniments and snacks and many were wishing for home cooking as we ate our jam sandwiches!

We left the site at 3pm today to try and get home before the traffic and succeeded, arriving at 4.30pm.

Some rest and relaxation followed before dinner at 6pm. TBC

Monday 20th October

The compere/comedian at the show last night had told a joke about different parts of the body competing to be the best, and how when we all the parts together the body works. He took this on to say that each of has different gifts and when we work together we can accomplish many things, little did we know how important this would be today.

An early breakfast call followed by a 2hr drive through the Kampala traffic (its like nothing any of us had ever seen!!) took us to Lubbe Farm.

Watoto has been in existence for many years now with their churches, villages and baby homes. As they got bigger they realised there was a need to sustain the project through tough times and so they set about making this happen! Lubbe Farm is a 207 acre farm that is owned by Watoto where they employ local farmers to produce various crops for them. Including Pineapple, Maize, Beans, Potato and Paw Paw. These crops are used to feed those in Watoto’s care as well as to sell when there is a surplus and to make in to chicken feed for the farm we will visit on Friday.

We were working with the construction team who have been there for about 2 years building various structures needed for the farm, but today we were working on a new office/accommodation block. The first job was securing the metal columns in place around which concrete will be poured to form the structure of the block. These columns were about 4m high and the group worked in 2 teams to have all of them up by lunchtime, securing them in place with metal wires.

Over lunch our driver, Godfrey, revealed his musical passion and played us one of the songs he had written. It was a song including his testimony of healing through Jesus as well as that of other people he has met.

After lunch we set about moving all the bricks that had been made to the building site so that over the next couple of days we can start to lay the first few courses of bricks. The team worked superbly together, at first passing the bricks along the line to Joe who was stacking them at the end and then, later in the afternoon, using wheelbarrows to transport larger quantities. It was hot and thirsty work and several team members ended up having water ‘put’ on their heads!!

A 2hr 30mins journey back ensued before we found our way back to the guest house for showers and dinner, however when we returned we found the power had been disrupted, not an uncommon occurrence in Uganda.

There was a brief moment when we thought the power had come back as next door had their lights on but we were told that they have solar power and store the electricity for just such a time as this. The evening was spent doing group feedback and playing various card games by torch light.

Sunday 19th October

We had an unusually early start for most of the group, it being a Sunday, with breakfast at 7am as we had to leave at 8am for Church which was across Kampala.

Watoto Church is a multi campus church with 10 celebration points including 5 in Kampala, in Gulu and South Sudan as well as others. They are clear that, though they meet in many different places, they are one church with one vision.

Watoto Central, where we went, has services at 7am, 9am, 11am, 2pm every Sunday and each one may have up to 2500 people celebrating at it. The church is in an old cinema building and there are also 2 overflow venues for when everyone cannot fit in the main auditorium.

The Service is a celebration with a big screen showing projections before the service and words of the songs and scripture during the service. The band was amazing, as well as the choir and the 5 people who led us in worship from the front of the stage. The PA system was loud and the lights helped create a fantastic atmosphere, although it did get very hot in there!

We felt very welcomed by all those at the church.

As we were leaving the church the next congregation was coming in for the 11am service.

On our way to church we experienced an African rain storm which showed why the deep gullies at the side of the streets are necessary as there was suddenly a huge amount of water everywhere, fortunately enough once we came out of the church the rain had more or less stopped and we made our way by bus to the Mall to change some more money, its amazing how quickly it goes, get some lunch and also some bits from the supermarket.

After lunch in the same cafe as on Thursday, we made our way to one of Kampala’s craft markets. There were 40 stalls based in shopping containers selling a range of products from clothing to bracelets, Drums to ornaments. Most of the group picked up a few bargains and had a go at haggling too!

We were back at the guest house by 2.45pm to rest before heading out to the cultural centre for the evening.

At about 2pm we set off for the Ndere Cultural Centre. The Ndere dance troupe was formed 30 years ago, they perform tribal dances from across Uganda to those who are visiting Kampala with the aim to pass on these traditions to the next generation. The money we paid to get in is used to pay school fees for those who are performing and we were introduced to a number of people who had been with Ndere for a long period of time and had now graduated from University. At the end of the 4 hour performance we were invited to the stage to dance and the group had great fun with the music. Many videos and photos were taken, the existence of which I am sure will soon be disputed once they have been viewed without the adrenaline of the night before!

We got back to the Guest House at 10.45, and with a 7am breakfast waiting for us the group collapsed into bed.

Saturday 18th October

Another hearty breakfast, today of Omelette, was followed by a 1hr45min drive to the Equator. The equator passes through Uganda for some distance however, as our driver Paul told us, this is the nearest point to Kampala and the next point that is commercialised is some 5hrs drive away.

We visited some of the craft shops at the Equator and several of the group made further purchases for family and friends at home. We had a demonstration from a local man of the water going down the plug hole differently depending on the side you are standing of the equator and had a good group photo for the album!

Whilst there, the equator was also visited by a man we were told is the Head of Police in Iran. He has been in the country for a couple of days advising the Ugandan Police Force on how to combat terrorism. This led to a lengthy discussion about Ugandan Politics with Paul on the way back to Kampala.

The group has started to see several recurring things on our travels, one of these being animals at the side of the road. It is not uncommon to see live chickens caged at the side of the road as well as Cows tied to posts and Goats wandering freely. This led to a comment today by Jess about taking a goat home, and when questioned why? Emily replied ‘The Goats here look like they have more general knowledge’!

When back in Kampala we went to the Speke Resort for some lunch and to swim in the pool, the sun went in for some of the time but it was a lovely warm afternoon and the group had great fun in the pool and on the chairs surrounding it.

Arriving at the Resort was quite an experience with armed guards and everyone having to get off the bus to go through a metal detector. But there was also a clear divide between the Uganda we had been driving through, with children running bare foot along the side of the dusty road and countless shops offering a huge variety of objects for sale; to a place where it was 20,000 Shillings to enter (about £5) which is 10x more than the average daily wage in Uganda, and where most people were white and speaking English.

Today being transported by bike we saw a car bonnet and a wooden frame that must have been 5ftx7ft being held by the passenger on the back!

Friday 17th October

(posted Sat 18th)

Friday started with Pancakes with syrup and sugar for breakfast which the group appreciated. Our driver, Godfrey, was late this morning after confusion over where to meet Paul. Although we were soon on our way to the first village of the day Bbira.

At first the children were very shy but then they began to play with us. Joe was doing ‘cartwheels’ and the children then replicated. Later we walked into a classroom and they were singing a song with the lyrics ‘We are saved, happy and loved’

The group noted that en route there was lots of poverty and yet the children we saw at the village realised what an opportunity they had been given by being given an education and a hope for the future.

Lunch was a disaster- Ian forgot to tell the Young People they had to make their sandwiches at breakfast! He then said it was an ‘African Experience’, before relenting and buying some bits for sandwiches to be made.

We then went to Suubi Village (Suubi means Hope in Lugandan). At this village there was a vocational education centre where Young People can learn how to use mechanics, carpentry and metal work. This village is where the last group to come out from Homewood in October 2012, built foundations for a church which is now complete and used by the locals

After this we met a group of children who had just finished school and we spent some time playing with them

The Group also went to the goat farm at Suubi. The goats are given cows milk and the goat milk is fed to the babies. The farm produces approximately 100 litres a day and any left over milk is made into yoghurt for some of the older children.

We then went back to the village and met a British man who is teaching in the village. He retired with his wife to Uganda and now teaches practical maths to children in Suubi village.

We arrived back to the guest house to rest before another good dinner with fresh local Avocado, Pineapple and Butternut Squash. After dinner a selection of craft items and clothes made locally were made available for us to purchase and several of the group brought some souvenirs.

In the ongoing competition to find the most unusual thing being transported on the back of a bike todays entry was a metal gate!

Thursday 16th October

(posted Sat 18th)

Thursday started with a hearty breakfast including hard boiled eggs

We then went off to meeting at the church first thing and after watching a video about some of the situations the children Watoto work with are rescued from, heard the church choir practicing.

This was an emotional time for some of the group seeing a side of life they hadn't before.

We then went to the mall and had some lunch as well as sorting out some mobile phones for the group to use as our British SIM cards weren't working.

In the afternoon we went to Bullrushes Baby home and saw many babies at different stages of life. We weren't allowed any physical interaction with the children but could watch them play and smile.

The home also has a special care unit with incubators for those who need that extra level of support

We came back to the guest house after this and had a dinner of chicken casserole, rice and rosti potatoes.

Over the course of the day the group noticed that, not only were there a huge number of motorbikes around, but they also carried some unusual loads. This has started a game amongst the Young People to see who can see the most unusual load on the back of a bike. Today being transported by bike we saw…

• 3 Barrels
• 40” TV
• White board
• A hedge trimmer

Wednesday 15th October

(posted Sat 18th)

The group touched down at Entebbe airport at 1.30pm on Wednesday afternoon and after passing through the health screening, through immigration and after collecting their bags were met by Godfrey, our driver and Paul, the host

We arrived at the guest house at 3.30pm. The 24hrs of travelling had taken its toll on the group and having had dinner and some rest an early bed was had by all.

1 Day to go

With just 1 day to go until we fly to Uganda today we went to London to pick up our passports and Visas.

As we trudged through the busy London streets with grey clouds overhead and rain falling into ever expanding puddles it was a joy to see the Ugandan flag flying above the Embassy in Trafalgar square and be given our right to enter Uganda.

We fly from Heathrow at about 10pm tomorrow evening, arriving in Entebbe at lunchtime on Wednesday having stopped over in Dubai in the early morning.

Our Itinerary is now available on this blog by clicking on the Tab underneath the title.

The adventure we started on in June 2013 is about to reach its climax and we look forward to sharing with you our thoughts and pictures over the coming few weeks.

NW

2 Days To Go

Malaria

1-2 days before travelling to Uganda we start taking Malaria tablets, these are then taken all the days we are in Uganda and for a period on our return.
We will also be protecting ourselves from Malaria by ensuring we sleep under Mosquito Nets that are properly tucked in.

Some people however are not so lucky.

The African region accounts for 85% of Malaria cases worldwide, and 90% of Malaria deaths. 85% of Malaria deaths occur in children under 5 years old and every 30 seconds a child dies from Malaria.

Comic Relief has played a big part in supporting the purchase of Malaria nets for populations in more remote areas and ensuring that they are used correctly.

When we are in Uganda we may see first hand the effects of Malaria as well as other diseases which effect Africa. Our hope is that Comic Relief and other charities keep working to see the continued reduction of Malaria cases and fatalities.
NW

Group Photo

Above is the group photo we took a few days ago and posted on here, but in a much higher quality.
NW

4 days to go

Education

Today in St Mildred's Church Tenterden the Tenterden Rural Alliance of schools held it's annual celebration of education event.
The TRA is a groups of schools around Tenterden working closely together to achieve the best possible outcomes for our students, recognising that we are 'Stronger Together'

In Uganda, as with many other African nations, education is a privilege not to be taken lightly. Children and young people are desperate for an education and, in remote parts of the country, may walk several miles to school every day as well as working to help provide an income for their family. When we are in Uganda next week we will have the opportunity to visit schools where children are getting the education they desperately want and deserve and will be taking educational resources out with us to help those who are fortunate to be getting that education.

We used today to celebrate our working together in the TRA. But for some children in Uganda the mere fact they are getting an education is a celebration in itself.
NW

5 Days To Go

9th October is Ugandan Independence Day

Uganda gained its independence from Britain in 1962 and the 9th October is celebrated as independence day every year.

After independence the first elections were held and an executive PM- Milton Obote, was appointed with the King- Edward Muteesa II, holding the ceremonial position of president.

A power struggle followed in 1966 between the government and the King, and parliament changed the constitution, removing the role of ceremonial president. In 1967 the new constitution proclaimed Uganda a republic and Obote was declared the executive president

In 1971 Obote was deposed and Idi Amin seized control. Amin ruled Uganda for the next 8 years and committed mass killings to stay in charge. An estimated 300,000 Ugandans lost their lives during this time.

Amin’s reign was ended after a war with Tanzania in 1979 in which the Tanzanian forces invaded Uganda. Obote returned to power and was deposed again in 1985 by General Okello. He lasted just 6 months until he was deposed!

The bush war by the National Resistance Army both ended Okello’s reign and brought in the leadership of Yoweri Museveni who was the leader of the NRA

Yoweri Museveni has been in power since 1986 and continues to this day as President. He has led Uganda in several conflicts including most recently against The Lord’s Resistance Army who have now been driven out of Uganda.

Under Museveni’s leadership Uganda has been a relatively safe and stable place to live and Uganda has taken leadership on the African Continent.

So they have plenty to celebrate today!

NW

6 Days To Go

With just 6 days until we leave the country from Heathrow at about 10pm at night to travel to Uganda, via Dubai, it may be timely to explain some of the additional things we will be taking with us in our luggage.

The projects we are going to visit are always keen for gifts and equipment to help them in their work. The Young People have been encouraged to collect together items to take with them. Items such as baby clothes, Child clothes- especially Football shirts, as well as educational resources such as pens, pencils and exercise books.

The things that we may throw away can make a real difference to children in Uganda.

NW

8 Days to go

The Team

 

Today we had our team photo and released this press release:

On October 14th a team of 11 students and 4 staff from Homewood School are travelling to Uganda for the experience of a lifetime. For two and a half weeks they will visit cultural sites, work with the charity Watoto on building projects and support them in their work with children, widows and orphans. The 11 students will be accompanied by staff members Ian Brooks -  Senior Youth Worker, Nathan Wilson- Christian School’s Worker, Debra Faulkner – Head of Administration/PA to Principal and Julie Philpott – Early Interventions Officer.

Travelling from Heathrow to Entebbe they arrive on 15th October to spend the first couple of days in Kampala. They will then spend just over a week involved in a building project on a local farm and working with orphans in one of the charity’s homes. The final few days will be spent in Gulu to see how the Civil war changed life in Uganda.

Students have raised money by various fundraising events such as  ‘The Big Fundraising Quiz’ held in the Sports Hall in February this year, selling refreshments at Homewood Events held throughout the year, individuals doing car washing, holding coffee mornings and part time jobs. Students have also benefitted hugely from several fundraising dinners held at London Beach kindly supported by their charity scheme.

This will be the third visit Homewood has made to Uganda and Watoto choir continues to visit us every other year.

Christian School’s Worker, Nathan Wilson says, ‘Homewood encourages all our students to support those in need locally, nationally and internationally. This trip will enable these students to do just that while experiencing a new culture and way of life.’

Please share this amazing experience with us by following us on our blog, www.homewooduganda2014.blogspot.co.uk.
END for more info contact n.wilson@homewood.kent.sch.uk

9 days to go

So it's just 9 days until we travel to Uganda with the charity Watoto.
The 11 students and 4 staff going have spent the last 16 months fundraising for our trip and preparing for what is ahead of us.
All that's left now is to pack and board the plane!
More soon.....
NW