Visiting Uganda Part 1

On Tuesday November 14 2006 I left home at 3 20am on a cold wet morning. HMC bless her stayed over to get up at 3am and take me to the airport in her camper van. At the last moment I gave in and got myself lumbered with coat, hat, gloves- well it was quite cold at that time of the morning but I was pretty sure I would regret it in the African warmth! (To my surprise I did wear that coat one rainy Sunday in the cool Cathedral. )

I had landed at Schipol by 8.30am or so. I was a little anxious because although my friends had promised he would be there to meet me at Entebbe, I knew it was some way from Kampala, about 22 miles and I only had a PO address and a mobile number. If there was a problem and they were not there what to do? And then one of those 'coincidences' which are Providential happened. In the Departure lounge I found myself next to a clergyman who had a book next to him resting on his briefcase about How to be a successful manager'. Eying his 'dog-collar ' and feeling a bit daring, I leaned over and said 'and a little prayer helps too?’ He laughed and agreed. It seemed he’d been to a conference in Pittsburgh, USA and was on his way home. He was a University Administrator –and did he know the Christian University at Mukone? Yes indeed that is where he worked.- and my friends? Yes of course they are near neighbours! So I could get a lift if necessary.
This was especially reassuring at the airport as I quickly found I could not register my mobile in Africa but I wished I had been able to take the lift and save the journey to the airport.
And there they were with big welcoming smiles, with friends for company on the journey. . The journey seemed lengthy, often slow and bumpy as we went through or round potholes -but more of that later.
I was very glad to reach the end of my journey and the welcome home. They were ready to eat having waited till 11pm or so. I dumped my things in my room and was shown how to deal with mosquito net, and the loo and washing (cold water) and boiled water (for teeth cleaning). My main memory then is sitting on the bed contemplating a tube of anti-mosquito cream and wondering whether one should put it on at night. When phut!- all went dark- the electricity was off and I fumbled for the torch to negotiate my way in under the net – and then get my arm out to put the torch carefully where I could find it for the inevitable walk to the loo!

Joshua is a lively 4 year old; we got on well and where good friends- problem is he natters away to me in Lagandan. (They start learning English at school; I had not realised till I got there that English is not spoken in the family. When I left they said Joshua was understanding much of what I said but not answering yet in English.) This year –2007- he starts School

Faith was born in early August. An old friend Faith (wife of retired Bishop W whom we visited for an overnight stay) accompanied ON in the hospital to help her and the baby was named for her. She is a bonny baby even though she had a upper respiratory infection when I met her. I visited the clinic with ON twice during my stay. One was the health clinic for weighing and vaccination etc; the other a medical follow-up for medicines- all private as state health service is rather limited.

MB and ON are both Anglican Priests. Their home is a bungalow on the University campus which goes with ON’s job as a University Lecturer. They had a water- tank behind their home which fills from the large one at the top of the hill- which is filled from the water lorry which trundles up the hill each day. All drinking water is boiled of course and washing in cold water is no great hardship when the weather is warm. I was there in the rainy season but when the sun warms the pipes outside the water can be quite hot I gather! Electricity is expensive and in short supply and unreliable. Uganda depends on the hydro-electric schemes on the River Nile which has a reduced water flow because of the drought across East Africa. The University itself has a generator-it is a Christian University working with an American University so probably better off than most

The helper washed the clothes by hand which she did most days She lives in a 2 room building, one half her room , the other is a storeroom.

There were 2 long low baskets outside during the day with chicks chirping happily inside and Mum hen sitting atop when not scratching for food. This is to protect them from eagles. . The garden is very productive and includes a pumpkin patch and beans, jack fruit, bananas (staple diet), paw-paw, mangoes, sweet potato. In the evening monkeys swing through the tall trees at the back on their way to a mango tree for the night!

The gardener arrived one day while I was there to plant more young banana trees, using a kind of mattock I think to clear the ground.

Jackfruit was a new item on the menu for me. It is quite large, the size of a large melon, with quite juicy yellow fruit segments about the size of large gooseberries.. Basic meals were always fruit and vegetable ; sweet potato which I find rather hard not as tasty as Irish (our) potato (which I am more used to), and almost always matoke- mashed cooked green banana. Basic survival national dish! The Cathedral Provost stopped to warn me ‘I suppose you know that in heaven there is only one food and that it is matoke ?’ I said quickly ‘Ah no I am afraid you will be disappointed; it is bound to be haggis!’ but I’m not sure he heard me!
Joshua had his 4th birthday party on Nov 25. Many little friends came and all made a very satisfactory din blowing those paper party things, wearing masks and hats. The splendid cake was made by a friend who runs a cake shop or bakes to order. Adult friends and parents were all there too.I was fascinated by the piles of flip=flops and sandals left outside on the front doorstep as people arrived!

Mabel is a niece of ON, 15 years old awaiting O Level results and living in to help in looking after baby Faith and help in the house. This is a great help enabling ON to return to teaching. She can either come home to feed Faith or have her brought to where she is!

I really enjoyed being made so welcome and except that I do not understand Langanda, I felt part of the family. Indeed everyone did seem to be family and when MB introduced me to another brother or sister I was never sure whether was a blood relative, tribal or Christian- or all three! Life is simple, without electricity much of the time, so cooking was on a charcoal stove or open fire, water was on tap but had to be heated in the kettle or pan and we ate produce grown at home. It reminded me of a very simple but happy childhood in very rural Dorset during the 1940's ; lighting was by oil-lamp, water drawn from a deep well and heated on the primus stove or in the copper and we grew our own veg. and kept hens too!

We have so much now -too much- are we any happier?