The Last Post

Where has three months gone? Unbelievable. I spent, most of the week on safari in the spectacular Masaai Mara and Lake Nakuru national parks. Vast and expansive country...Stunning to behold the grandeur and complexity of God's creation. While there, I took more than a thousand pictures, made new friends and collected some wonderful lifelong memories of a dream realized. I will have one more day of touring around and seeing the local sights, before heading to the airport later in the day, to begin the long journey home.

The last couple of days have been spent mostly in hotels, reflecting on God's faithfulness. My first hotel was situated in the bowels of downtown Nairobi - not what I had planned and quite an experience being in the less desirable part of town. Just when I was feeling a tad vulnerable and alone...what should come wafting through the air than the sound of country gospel tunes. Dolly Parton I think. Not my first choice but comforting words. He leadeth me... And this morning, as I am packing and preparing to head home on a Sunday morning, pondering how nice it would be to attend church, what should come wafting up from the filthy, rubbish-strewn back-alley outside my window, but the sound of a church service...how cool is that? He meets our every need.

He remains faithful even when we do not. A week of being out in the world again - out from the umbrella of an organization that is so Christian in focus and practice - has made me realize how easy it is to get sucked back into the world again...into making our own plans, relying on our own strength, following our own desires. As I come to the end of my time here in Africa, I am left with a strong sense of just how important it is to press in, constantly. To make choices, daily, moment by moment, that bring us as close to God as we can possibly get. It is only in the shadow of his wing that we are assured of salvation, protection, abounding joy and peace. My one prayer going home is that He provides me all the grace and wisdom I need to choose Him and serve Him daily. May it ever be so...

Friends and family, I look forward to seeing you soon. Please don't expect to meet the me you think you know. I am changed. Treat me so.

xxx H xxx

Jambo Kenya

Oh my gosh what a day! After a very early start this morning (3.30am) here's what I've managed to do on just 3 hrs sleep:

The flight was over very quickly. I enjoyed looking out the window at Lake Victoria and marveled at the amazing topography of Kenya, with its rifts and steppes. It's plain to see there has been some major geographical upheaval to this land in times past. First impressions of Nairobi?... far more modern than I expected and surprisingly tame, when compared with Uganda. Apart from a brief glimpse of Kibera slums, the city is actually quite pretty, not unlike Wellington in some ways. Having been ferried from the airport to the tour office, I ended up doing a mission to the bank and then signed myself up for an afternoon of impromptu sightseeing.

I have now patted an orphan baby elephant, feed and cuddled Ed the giraffe, watched a spectacular show of traditional music and dance from different tribes in Kenya, experienced the difference in hut design and village layout of all the tribes of Kenya, survived rush hour traffic and made it to my hotel and am now looking forward to dining at Carnivore restaurant on warthog, gazelle, water buffalo, crocodile or ostrich...haven't quite decided which I'll go for yet...

I'm looking forward to a good solid stretch of sleep before being picked up to start my tour tomorrow morning. I'm really liking Kenya so far and am pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the people and the civility of urban life...

Until We Meet Again Uganda

I'm sitting in Entebbe airport watching football on the big screen. Can't say I'm feeling particularly eloquent or sentimental. That could have something to do with the hour...pre 6am and I've been up since half 3, after a mere 3 hours sleep.

It's been an extremely busy week. I managed to squeeze in a few last shifts at the Bulrushes Babies Home and was amazed at how much my wee friends had grown in 2 short months. We were treated to a lovely traditional lunch in Bbira village during the week, hosted by some of the mothers there. It was a lovely opportunity to connect with the children. A young boy called Derek was rather taken with my hair and adorned me with some braids and a lovely hairstyle to enjoy lunch with. We then had a great game of footy - kids against Mzungu oldies. I'd like to say we held our own...

My last 2 days were spent running around with my head sawn off, getting ready to leap countries and adding an extra 16kg to my baggage allowance! Thankfully I'm just under my 30kg allowance, having left home with only 11kgs. Christmas is coming and I have a new red suitcase in tow. Ho!

So from here, I'll board my plane, arrive at Nairobi about 9am and hop straight on the safari bus. I anticipate a long, bumpy road to camp, which if I recall rightly is somewhere in the middle of the Masaai Mara. I pray the mosquitoes will be kind and that I have a double anointing of sleepy goodness. I have a feeling I'll be well past my used by date by the time the sun sets. After 5 days of touring around Kenya, marveling at God's creation, I'll then spend a couple of days lying low in Nairobi before embarking on my delightful 36 hour journey home. I'm likely to be offline until I hit Dubai airport, so until then be good everyone and I look forward to seeing you all soon :)

Goodbye Gulu

Today is my last day in Gulu and I am saying goodbye with mixed feelings. I've seen what I needed to see here, for now, and learnt what I needed to learn. It's time to go, but the leaving is bittersweet. I will really miss this place and the people -the beating heart of Africa. I will also miss the quality of the teaching and the intimacy of worship I have enjoyed here. I worked my last shifts at the Babies Home during the week and had the privilege of welcoming some new babies into the nursery - wee Daniel, who's mother died giving birth to him, arrived at just 2 days old; fragile Prossy, who is battling malnutrition and a host of other medical problems, who is a year old and just lost her mother to TB...her limbs are like matchsticks and she is not far off the weight or size of newborn Daniel; and a set of beautiful triplet girls, with mother in tow, who are staying in the unit temporarily to try and support the mother's breastfeeding.

My morning will be spent packing all of my gear, once again, and my afternoon will be spent doing one last circuit of town and one last visit to the Home for a round of goodbyes and cuddles. We will be setting out for Kampala at a respectable 8 am tomorrow morning and will reach the main city 5-7 hours later, all going well. From there I'll have 5 days in Kampala, before flying out to Kenya for a week on the 2nd. On the 2nd I have a very early 3.30 am start, to ensure I am on my 7.50 am flight. Arriving in Nairobi, I will be picked up from the airport by a tour company and start my 5 day safari with a gruelling 10 hour drive to camp! I imagine that my eyes will be hanging out of my head by the time I reach my tent in the middle of the Masaai Mara. With roads being as they are, hopefully my stomach won't be hanging out as well. After touring the Mara, Amoboseli and Tsavo (east and west) national parks I'll be heading back to Nairobi for 2 very quiet days at a backpackers, before heading back to the airport for my 36 hour journey home (departing 9th, arriving in Welly on the evening of the 11th). Phew! Then I will look forward to 4 short days to recover from all that before heading back to work!

I will probably manage one more post before leaving Uganda, but am unlikely to have phone or Internet in Kenya unless I find a cafe on my travels... until I hit an international airport with wifi...I'm guessing Dubai.

Out and About - Part ll

After a record five day stretch without any power, the latter part of the week has been spent getting to know Gulu better. Friday was my day off, so I arranged for one of the Boda drivers to take us on a tour of local NGOS. Tony has been working to create relationships with many of the local NGOS because he is keen to show as many people as he can about all of the positive work being done here. Rather than taking us to see the standard tourist destinations, Tony took Hannah (my favorite Irish volunteer) and I off the tourist map and into Kirombe for an authentic taste of village life. We wound our way along some 'interesting' 'roads'...(think mud slip-and-slide meets roller coaster, meets goat track), piled 3-up on a Boda. The word "Mummy!" may have been uttered a few times by the pillions on the back, but it was also interspersed with lots of laughter and "oohs" and "ahhs" as we passed some really pretty scenery and stopped to hang out with the locals.

Our first NGO visit was at Invisible Children.(www.invisiblechildren.com). I'm sure the website can explain their operation better than I can, but basically this NGO was established by a bunch of people who went to south Sudan to make a documentary, but ended up noticing a huge body of children commuting into town and sleeping in bus parks each night, to avoid being abducted by the LRA. Now they have a comprehensive and very effective operation going, which outreaches into areas where the LRA are located and provides ways for child soldiers to defect and return to their families. They make use of radio to broadcast messages from families to soldiers on the ground. Radio is also used as an alert system from village to village, to warn that the LRA is nearby. Invisible Children also conducts air drops of thousands of flyers in LRA areas. The flyers are picked up by soldiers wishing to defect...they show them where and how and also contain information that helps to counter the indoctrination and psychological torment dished out by the LRA.

Once soldiers have defected there is a comprehensive rehabilitation programme in place to help them re-enter their communities successfully. Women abducted as soldier's wives, and their children, are also helped by this programme. Invisible Children offers scholarships, schools supporting schools, teacher exchange and training, village savings and loan schemes, water, sanitation and hygiene projects, literacy support and vocational projects, like 'Mend', to assist with the rehabilitation process. Amazing, targeted & relevant and effective work being done by these folk. After Invisible Children, we visited Remnant, Crochet Kids, 31 Bits and Mend, all of which were set up in quiet little compounds in the back blocks of Kirombe village.

Remnant is an organization that has imported screen printing equipment and designs a line of fashion items which are sold overseas. They specifically look after Congalese women who were dumped by LRA soldiers in Uganda during the conflicts. These women are more vulnerable because they have no family here, are women in a male dominated, poverty stricken, postwar society and...they don't speak the local language! In addition to providing them with work, Remnant also has a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to take care of the womens' physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing (along with their children). A few accidental purchases were made here - to support the cause, of course.

Crochet Kids is a similar operation, kick-started by a group of Christian college guys who used to crochet beanies for their friends. It is now a 150 women strong team of crocheting ladies - many of whom have babies sitting nearby - and a team who manage the production line in a small building within the compound. They continue to expand on a line of different fashion items like hats, beanies, headbands, purses etc that are marketed overseas. Each item bears the name of the woman who made it and their stories can be found online. A happy bunch of ladies who are desperately in need of an in-house childcare facility! 31 Bits is, again, similar and based on Psalm 31. They make beautiful paper beads from locally sourced, recycled paper and turn them into beautiful jewelery and embroidery items for the overseas market. Mend do similar with high end, designer purses which bear the name and story of their makers. All fantastic organisation's which are providing women with freedom in every aspect of their lives.

We finished off our tour by taking Tony out for lunch. We figured we owed him that, given that we took way longer than any of his previous clients, on account of the fact that we yakked with anyone and everyone we encountered! Lunch with Tony took a somewhat sombre turn, however, when we started asking him questions about his personal life. As it turns out, Tony was raised in a polygamist family. His father had numerous wives and he was one of 27 children. It was amazing and disturbing to learn about the reality of these families...the conflict and struggles that go on - wives and their extended families fighting each other for position, scheming to get their children ahead; children losing hope and committing suicide by insecticide, because Daddy chose to buy a younger son a bicycle, rather than an older son shoes so he was allowed to attend school. And then the struggle of these children on all levels to make their way as adults. Tony is still beset by struggles on every side. It is amazing to me that he still chooses to be honest, honorable and good, when it would be so much easier to take a different path. Throughout the tour, Tony's good standing within the whole community was plainly evident. A humble guy who makes every effort to develop relationships with others and find ways to promote their causes, rather than his own. Very humbling and tragic because I am certain his story is one among thousands here.

So that was Friday...my day off. Yesterday, after working a morning shift, we took another tour to Fort Patiko, situated some 45 minutes drive out of central Gulu. Another great drive through small trading posts and settlements, along rough roads, to arrive at the remnants of an old Arab slave-trading post and Samuel Baker's fort. What an amazing place, consisting of some mighty slabs of flat rock, piles of giant rocks which had caves underneath, and brick fortifications. The basic story of this place, (from what I could gather from Salvatore - the colorful tour guide at the fort), is that Arabs abducted thousands of Africans, brought them to this holding and sorting facility, killed off the old and weak ones and made the rest march back and forth with supplies, between Africa and Egypt and beyond! They also sold them off as slaves in various places. We were shown the various trenches, courtyards, jails, sleeping quarters and execution spots. The axe marks are still visible in the rock, to show where prisoners were beheaded. Samuel Baker was instrumental in putting a stop to it all, from what I can ascertain.

Aside from this macabre history, I couldn't help imagining the other history of the place which remained untold...This giant outcrop of rock, with its caves and flat sections, rising out of the prairies, could easily have been frequented by much earlier civilisations. The views and scenery were astounding - another taste of pure Africa - and it was my very first encounter with the 'sausage tree' a rather comical looking specimen, which had sausage like appendages hanging on strings from every branch...who knew? We retreated from our rock hopping and I had just enough time to hang out with some local children and make it back to the land rover before the violently dark, purple sky let forth it's issue. Perfect timing for us...not so much for the bus load of university students we left in our wake.

My time here is rapidly drawing to a close. I am conscious that I will be leaving Gulu in just over a week, Uganda in just over another week and Africa a mere week after that! Still wrapping my head around all of that, but in the meantime, it's back to work.

On the Receiving End

A week in sunny Gulu has passed quickly. I am adjusting to the heat surprisingly well and have settled into the place quickly, with no qualms about navigating my way around the rustic township. The babies home in Gulu is well organized in many respects and while there will always be room for improvement, I feel there is less work for me to do here. Rather, it appears there is work to be done here in me. :/

Throughout my trip, God has been speaking to me about intimacy and intimate relationship. There is truly no place like the mission field for reminding you of your woundedness and self-limiting beliefs. I am being shown the full extent to which, through fear and mistrust, I keep everyone and everything at arms length - which, in turn, is preventing me from reaching my fullest potential and realising God's purpose for my life.

For example, I've never been much good at prayer and now I'm beginning to understand why...prayer IS intimate relationship. Open, trusting, surrendered communion and worship, with God. I've never felt at ease socially and feel particularly useless at building relationships. Well hello...!? I've also come to understand responsibility, even, as a form of intimacy. I have resisted putting myself alongside anything, standing for a worthy cause, making decisions that will make a mark on the world, or committing myself to anyone least my unworthiness be revealed. I've been keeping God at a distance for a long time too. I have realized that when I pray and fellowship with God, it's the Father, by his Spirit that I commune with. I don't have a sense that I'm talking with Jesus, as such, even though I know and believe that He and the Father and the Spirit are One. A personal relationship with Jesus requires intimacy, openness, vulnerability and trust. It means allowing him to see all my flaws and failings. What a terrifying thought! But He is calling me into this place.

Here in Gulu the ramparts are under constant assault. The teaching is both edifying and convicting, the people are so open and friendly, the environment is ripe with opportunities to network, sow, water and harvest. Hiding in my comfort zone just isn't cutting it. I am being called out, to meet new people, visit new places, give testimony, attend services, cell groups and devotions and form connections with various ministries. Perhaps the most devastating assault to the defences is the worship here. My heart has been laid bare by the angelic and haunting sound (sight, smell and feel) of hundreds of joyful voices lifted up in harmony, in multiple languages. Of bodies pressing and thronging to get into a church and give thanks and praise. It is both humbling and uplifting. I'll say it again, these folks command the presence of God. They worship with abandon and their prayers are attended by the Holiest of Holies. There really is no place to hide from God! He is determined to pour His love into me. Resistance is futile. Having said that, He is doing so with the tenderest touch - like one would give a bird with a broken wing.

In addition, and in no way a coincidence, the theme of the teachings this week has been around guarding your heart and understanding the spiritual power of your words. I am being called to speak only truth and love over myself and others. I've been reading some good books on transforming prayer and mastering love to help me in this regard; also on identifying what it is that we worship and where it is that we run to. Are there things I prioritize over God? Things I won't let go of? Places I run to for comfort that won't give me what I truly need?

At this point I should add that I'm not particularly enjoying being on the receiving end - not at all comfortable with not being the one who is giving the most. I'm realizing that giving is, potentially, another way of being in control, having power and keeping everyone at arms length. God seems to have other plans for me here. He is laying me low in terms of both energy and motivation to prove a point: that I am not worthy based on what I can give. I am worthy because He has made me worthy...still coming to terms with that wee gem...and left with another question:

Who am I when I'm not trying to be worthy? What work does God have for me once I'm done giving for my own edification?

Gulu - The Real Deal

Okay...so the long trip to Gulu turned out to be just that, after a rather disorganized start, which is how things seem to happen in Africa. The plan can change suddenly and you just have to grin and get on with it. We were supposed to get picked up early, head into town to pick up more volunteers and then head north - leaving about 8.30 and arriving about 1.30pm. Instead, the town volunteers got picked up at 6am, then they came to get us about 8.30 and we went back into town again! So we didn't end up leaving town until about 10...which meant we didn't arrive in Gulu till just after 5pm. First impressions of Gulu: hot, rustic and very friendly. I feel like I'm in the real Africa now. And did I mention hot?

The following day was also spent in the van, touring around some of the major spots in Gulu. Our first mission was to make the drive out to Laminadera Children's Village, which is where Watoto babies go when they become old enough to be housed in families. This journey was the highlight of my trip so far, especially the part where we got lost in the back blocks of Africa. All of the roads out here are red clay. Some people pay good money to enjoy theme park rides. We got the best of them for free! The country is just stunning. As we passed small trading posts, people doing their washing and bathing in the streams, clusters of grass huts, animals of all descriptions and the most beautiful, wild flora and fauna, I found myself musing that I'd be quite happy to be left out there for the rest of my days.

We strayed far enough that when we stopped to ask for directions, the people eyed us with a wariness that suggested they hadn't seen white folk in a mighty long time. There was a fair amount of comedy involved in trying to ascertain where we were and how to get where we needed to be, given that our constituents spoke a mix of English and Lugandan, while the locals speak various hybrids of Acholi. We eventually worked out that we needed to go back a few trading posts and make a turn that we hadn't seen, which we did, finally arriving at the village. I should note at this point that I can see why they are collecting money for projects. The road into the village would have suited a large tractor better. Our driver did an admirable job to get us within walking distance.

As soon as the children saw us, they came flooding out of the classrooms and play areas, fighting to hold our hands. The girls crawled on their knees to try and keep up, which I found very disconcerting. The culture here is for women and children to bow down in the presence of men or those of supposedly higher status, until they are given permission to stand (don't get any ideas guys...). We looked around the school and then went to look at the children's homes...similar in set up to Suubi and Bbira, but still being developed. The place had such a peaceful country feel to it and also bordered the local community - an unusual juxtaposition of the traditional mud and grass hut clusters and red bricked homes. Again, I would have been happy to stay in this place long term.

Eventually we wound our way back into town, stopping in for a quick tour and meet & greet at the church. Then, after a quick bite, we went for a tour of Living Hope. This organization was set up to help women who were raped and traumatized by LRA soldiers during the war here. These women literally had nowhere to go, so Living Hope was established to give them a place to heal and rebuild. Currently, their operation includes a sewing room and peanut butter factory. They are also developing a shea butter factory. The women make items like aprons and bags, as well as peanut butter, which is sold through touring Watoto Children's Choirs and elsewhere. There is also a daycare Centre set up to provide for working women with children. The women are given extensive and ongoing counseling and discipleship. A very moving and humbling experience to meet the women there and see them at work.

Finally, we stopped in for what we though would be a quick tour of the Babies Home. This turned into a 2 hour orientation which was a little daunting given that we had been on the go for 2 days. And did I mention the heat? :p The home design is well thought out and there seems to be a higher level of organisation here. The home can cater for 70 odd children, but is currently housing about 40 odd, given a recent resettlement of children to the village. The pace here seems a little more laid back and the people are far more friendly than in the city. Despite all this I am still feeling a bit daunted by the prospect of having to start all over again, learning routines, meeting new people, finding ways to enrich the curriculum...all in only 3 weeks or so. I'm not sure how it manage to make much of a contribution, but I'll try.

What I have realized very quickly is that I have been brought here at a very auspicious time. I have just had the privilege of witnessing an event that has only happened 6 other times since before the birth of Christ (this being the 7th) - a full solar eclipse. Some other countries in the world may have been able to view partial eclipses depending on their location, but the place toted as the best viewing spot for the full show?: Gulu, Uganda. We watched this amazing spectacle from a hotel rooftop, in the middle of town. Oddly enough, later that evening we were hit by a proliferation of locusts, grasshoppers and other insects. They're still crawling around inside and outside of the house this morning, much to the delight of the local birds and cats.

It is also a matter of timing in respect to the people I am meeting here. Before I left home, my flatmate introduced me to a movie called Machine Gun Preacher. It's a movie about a self-confessed, biker hillbilly (Sam) who went to Southern Sudan and ended up fighting Muslim extremists to protect men, women and children who were being slaughtered, tortured and drafted into the LRA against their will. He now has an international ministry and is still hard at work in Sudan (and elsewhere). As 'luck' would have it, one of the bases for his ministry is here in Gulu. In fact, we had the pleasure of enjoying a meal here in our apartment with one of his right-hand men and one of the mothers who is looking after a house load of orphaned children here. It was a full house with 7 volunteers, Chris, Mamma Irene and 8 of her children, ranging in age from 3 and 20yrs.

It's so ironic to me, to be meeting these people. I have been saying to my colleagues that, whilst I have loved the Watoto experience, I still feel I am not operating at my highest potential. Though it would scare me near senseless, I have always said that I'd be in my element if someone dumped me in the middle of a refugee camp in southern Sudan. I have always had an interest in engaging with people from Arab cultures, have worked with refugees back home, learnt to speak some of the language etc. I've never understood the purpose of all that, but here in Gulu I feel I am closer than ever to being in the place God intended for me....who knows what will come of it. Maybe nothing, but it also seems far from coincidental.

However, please dont worry folks, I'm not planning on running off into the wilds of Africa just yet...The lion still has to find a heart! :) I'm the biggest coward I know and am still waging a constant war against the enemy, who sits on my shoulder day and night reminding me of all my flaws and failings. The battle rages on...but I press on in this place with a lot of hope and an ever constant desire to do what is right and good here.

The Joy of Giving

Another week has flown past, kicked off by an amazing Church service, which really set the tone for the week. It was Miracle Offering week for all of the Watoto churches. People were encouraged to give over and above their usual offerings, for the upkeep and development of all the churches across Uganda. Each church has its own needs and projects - a toilet block, an entrance road, a children's church facility and so on. The challenge was to give extravagantly, trusting that God provides seed to the sower and rewards our giving with abundance. The church service was a riot of sound, colour, music and dance - all done with so much joy and celebration that I was moved to tears and thoroughly humbled. What a privilege to witness such joyful, grateful and lavish giving-back, to the source of all provision.

As my time at Suubi draws to a close, I have been taking every opportunity to continue my work here and spend time with the children and nannies. The sense of family has been wonderful as these relationships have continued to flourish beyond my expectation. It's going to be heart wrenching to say goodbye to all 'my' babies.In the spirit of giving, I went round each unit yesterday with my newly established ministry in chocolate! I gifted a sing-along songbook, with cd, to each babies unit - to support their efforts to engage positively with the children; I also shared my appreciation and encouragement to all of the nannies through words and chocolate. The nannies were delighted to receive a small treat for all their hard work. They were also really grateful to have their commitment and devotion recognized and acknowledged in some way.

I was surprised, moved and really humbled to be gifted a book of thanksgiving, which each nanny (and some others) from the current shift had written in, sharing their feedback and appreciation towards me. It's something I will treasure for all of my days - more so because I am the only volunteer to have received something like this, that I know of. It's a relief to know I have had some positive impact in the lives of the nannies and the children. I will be spending my last few days with the next shift of nannies and with the children, in a similar vein...as long as i can restrain myself from sampling the chocolate. Actually, the chocolate is pretty safe, but thanks to my fellow roomies, I seem to have developed a rather nasty Pringles addiction!

This week I felt moved to invest in some more teaching aids, for the remedial reading unit at the primary school here. Many children are still struggling with the basics, given their limited grasp of the English language, which is the medium of instruction here. I bought a set of 50 books, which teach phonics and literacy at 4 different reading levels. This unit is not resourced or supported all that well, so Jean (the sole teacher there) was really excited to receive them. I have also been led, in careful consideration, to contribute a sum of money to a recent Watoto graduate who feels called to establish a ministry in evangelistic media here. The money will go towards the equipment and supplies required to get his business up and running. He is one of the first generation of children, that started out in the babies homes as abandoned orphans, to leave Watoto villages and establish themselves as contributing members of society. Many of these young adults are stepping into professions as doctors, lawyers, teachers, managers, engineers and the like. Amazing, given their humble beginnings and a real testament to what Watoto achieves here. I believe he will do very well as he is a hard working, zealous and disciplined young man.

I will make my way back to Kampala, for our monthly volunteer's meeting, on Wednesday. From there it will be an overnight stay and an early start for the long trip to Gulu, on Thursday. I will then be working hard to establish new relationships with a whole new set of nannies and children, many of whom have experienced a lot of trauma through war.  I will also have to acquaint myself with new routines and find my way around the village...by boda boda (motorbike taxi) this time! I also remain hopeful that my good run of health will continue in Gulu as it is far more remote and the services far more basic there. It's going to be a busy week!

Challenges and Breakthroughs

It's been a week of challenges and breakthroughs. I've been working hard to try and achieve my brief - to organize activities for the children in the unit I have been working in, while here in Suubi. The girls in the other units have had some really good results. I think this is partly because there was more scope for improvement in their rooms. The children are older and were acting up more. The nannies seem to have realized that splitting the children into smaller groups and giving them something constructive to do, makes their lives a little more bearable. They have, therefore, been more receptive to the ideas of the volunteers. Not so in my unit. The babies unit is a different kettle of fish, admittedly, because of the relative mobility and development of the children. The nannies tend to spend the majority of their day camped in the centre of the room amid a writhing sea of babies. I guess they enjoy the social aspect of this grouping and it is possibly easier not to have to move around with 5 babies in tow. It has, therefore, been more difficult to convince these nannies that their babies would benefit from different learning experiences in varying locations.

Another challenge I have faced is working collaboratively with the unit head in the room. I have had to try and 'encourage' her to support my initiatives, without threatening her tight hold on the leadership of that room. I have struggled with a lot of her priorities and decisions for the children and nannies. I've had to quietly challenge incidences of blatant favoritism and hypocrisy, without stirring up wrath. This has proved at times to be very frustrating and discouraging. In terms of self-confidence, I have always been easily toppled, so it has been hard sometimes to find the will to face a new day in the unit, in the wake of the previous day's defeats. I have constantly had to remind myself that the battle is not mine to win, I'm just required to keep showing up and being of service.

Having said that, I feel some minor victories have been won this week. My approach in the unit has been to try and be as humble, helpful and supportive as possible. Some of the nannies have been ill during the week, so I have tried to help them more with their babies and provide the odd painkiller, or word of encouragement. With the unit head I have basically bowed and scraped and attended to the lowly tasks, spending long hours at the kitchen sink doing dishes, folding washing, cleaning floors, changing soiled nappies etc. During this time I have tried to act on opportunities for introducing activities, by asking her "would you like me to get some... or... for the children to play with? Would you like that inside, or on the grass outside? Can I polish your shoes for you at the same time?" And so on...

After a particularly difficult afternoon of resistance from the unit head and the nannies, I was invited the following morning to join one of their impromptu team meeting/pep talks. I was amazed to hear the unit head using all of the words I had been saying to her over the previous weeks, grilling the nannies about splitting into smaller groups in different areas, spending one on one time with their babies, engaging in different activities to help their development, talking with their babies etc. She then had an interactive session where she asked all of the nannies what their best and worst experiences were with Watoto, what they appreciated about their colleagues and work and what they would like to change. I was also invited to share my responses to these questions.

During this time of sharing, I was complimented on my commitment to the unit, my hard work, my loving approach to the babies and also for the way I introduced activities and helped out without telling everyone what to do. ??? Well blow me down with a feather! I'd never have guessed it. Did I mention my discovery that the word Suubi means 'hope'?... I was able to then turn around to every woman in that room and compliment and thank them individually for their unique strengths and abilities - providing very specific, positive feedback to each of the nannies. I also told the unit head that I thought she was a strong leader and that I could see God was at the forefront of everything she did. I really choked on those words and struggled to get them out, given my experiences and feelings towards her..but I managed to convey these thoughts sincerely and with a positive focus. I could see that all of them were very surprised by my words, surprised that I had noticed their efforts and talents individually.

From that moment on, my relationships with everyone in the unit have taken on a new life. I feel that the unit head and I have silently acknowledged each other's authority and implicitly agreed on a way of working more together. I am still acquiescent, but she is a whole lot more welcoming of my input and now asks me to provide the activities etc. As long as she is the one making the decisions, she is happy to make them, taking my ideas into account. Phew! Thank God for that! It's just a shame that it's taken so long to reach this point. I only have 2 more weeks here in Suubi. That very day of breakthrough, I received word that my posting for the final month of my stay will be in Gulu - a large town situated in the north of Uganda, about 7 hours drive from here.

It is now malaria season proper and Gulu is apparently hotter and more primitive; a rural, village setting with mud huts, thatched rooves and frequent and enduring power outages. Having said that, all of the volunteers I have spoken with are agreed that Gulu has been their favorite Watoto home. I'm pleased to be able to work in Gulu and see more of Uganda, before I head briefly to Kenya and then fly home. Time is flying past. By the time I leave Suubi, I'll be at the half way point in my journey. Progress has been made, however slow in coming, but there is so much more work to be done...enough for a lifetime, I think.

For Whom the Pig Squeals...

This morning I chose to take Jonah up the hill to church. The supervisor was both surprised and pleased with my choice. She told me that no she one had ever shown an interest in taking Jonah before. In his 1+ year of life had never left the Babies Homes or been to church and she was sure he would love it. Jonah is a cool wee guy. During the week when I set up a number of different music activities, Jonah was so enthusiastic about them that he refused to let go of his instruments. The nannies were forced to put him to bed with them and wait until he was asleep to retrieve them.

During the music sessions, Jonah showed a real interest in percussion and would nod his head and groove along to the beat. When he noticed me watching him play, he would raise his eyebrow, his mouth would turn up at one end in a wise old smile, then he would jerk his head up and give me the 'what's up homie' nod. We shared a lot of these moments during the week, so I wanted him to see all the instruments and see people singing and dancing in praise and worship, at the church - because here in Uganda, they really know how to groove! I am quite certain that Jonah will be on a worship team one day.

He was a little apprehensive about leaving everything he knew, to head up the hill with someone he barely knows, but Jonah went along with it. I made sure I arrived just as the youth service had finished, to minimise the chaos for Jonah and give him a chance to settle in and see all the instruments before church started. I also wanted to enter at a time with less people so that Jonah wouldn't feel conspicuous and have people gawking at him. Jonah was born with no legs. I carried him in a sling as we would any baby, to try and take the focus off that fact.

When the music started, I held Jonah facing forward, so that he could see everyone and so he was as free to move as he could be. Jonah watched everyone very carefully and then decided to join in with the praise and worship. It was a really magical moment to see the little guy nodding his head and moving his body in time to the music. He also held one hand up towards the heavens and pumped it, as we claimed the promises of God through song. Such a special moment for me to share with him. He soon wore himself out though and it was time to make our way back home, so he could rest and be in familiar surroundings again.

My working day was done not long after that, so I had my first hearty meal in a few days (my appetite has been non-existent for the last 3 days which, as you all know, is not like me at all!). We were sitting back relaxing and watching a movie in the apartment when I heard a hideous screaming sound. I ran out onto the balcony in time to see a poor sow being dragged by a rope, tied to her foot, and being hit on all sides by 3 men. :( She was overheating, tired and stressed to the point that she was gasping for breath, head drooping, drool coming out of her mouth and sides heaving. I couldn't bear to see her treated that way so this crazy Mzungu went running down to intervene.

The men let the rope go and sat back laughing to watch me. I had a cut up apple in my hand, which has always been enough to lure any pig I've ever known, but she was in such a distressed state she wasn't interested in eating. Instead she slumped against a wall in the hot sun, tried to dig into mud and hide, still gasping for breath. The men tipped water on her and I stood in such a way as to provide her with shade. They let her have a few minutes before coming back to whip her ears until she felt so tormented she got up. We all herded her over the road and up the bank, where she is now tied in the shade of a tree, enjoying a nice apple.

The nannies, security guards, men and children were all laughing at me. I can only imagine what they were thinking, but rather than beating a hasty retreat, I decided to wallow in my shame and talk with a couple of the nannies - explaining that I used to have a couple of pet pigs and a cow which always succumbed to the lure of an apple. They became a lot more friendly when they heard this and even more when they asked what happened to the animals and heard my reply. They laughed really hard when I casually replied: "oh...we ate them..."

This led to a large comparative discussion about farming practices in our respective countries...to our respective cultures...to our respective lives and families...to matters of the world and the spirit. One of the security guards was not Christian, according to the two nannies I spoke with, who were. He sat on the sideline listening to our conversation, with interest. Even more interest when I showed him photos of my beautiful daughter! Our discussion about different religions and beliefs covered a lot of ground and also gave us the opportunity to share our own beliefs and experiences.

I only ran down to save a pig, but I pray that I was also able to sow a seed or two that will produce a good crop in a future season. At the very least, it has allowed me to share time with two nannies that I will be working with in coming weeks, whom I had previously not had a chance to build a relationship with. All in all, a blessed day.

A Fruitful Week.

We had an enjoyable trip into town today. Another early start, but at least with a private taxi, we were picked up at 7am as planned. Traffic wasn't too bad and we were in town in time for breakfast at Cafe Java, where I decided to experience the joys of a chocolate croissant. This was accompanied by an iced chocolate/mocha...so basically, sugar, caffeine and more sugar - my first since leaving home. It had a similar effect in my system as one would expect of an amphetamine. I was bursting with energy, not hungry all day and very convivial!

After breakfast we took care of the usual chores, changing money, getting call time and internet data, window shopping etc... My $7.50 Warehouse jandals decided to clap out at the entrance to Garden City mall, so I had to walk round looking like a vagrant for a while, until I found some equally cheap sandals - which are surprisingly comfortable, but not very attractive. We then made our way to the craft market, which is located close to the Watoto Central church, a short taxi ride away. Some neat stuff there. We were welcomed vigorously into every stall and I kept remembering people I know along the way, to purchase for. I scored some nice pressies for Donnell and Shahanan (2 of my favorite flatmates back home) and accidentally found a nice wrap skirt and t-shirt for myself. Thank goodness I'm not very popular. I think I could easily spend a small fortune otherwise. I plan to return just before I leave Uganda, to fill up any empty corners of my pack with goodies. It will nearly be Christmas by the time I return so that's a good enough excuse in my book.

After the craft market, it was back to the two malls for lunch, at which point we met up with the volunteers coordinator, Fred, who had a new Dutch volunteer in tow. We helped her to 'do the chores' and then all went for our weekly supply run at the supermarket.. With extra people we took longer than intended. We had hoped to vacate the city at about 2pm, but managed a respectable 4pm departure just managing to dodge rush hour and arriving  back home in Suubi by 5pm. During the afternoon we received texts asking where we would like to be posted for the following month. Evidence of my progress here is that I was happily able to respond with "surprise me". I figure that way I'll end up where I'm meant to be, instead of relying on my own biased inclinations.

We enjoyed some nice pockets of conversation today - a chance to learn more about each other and bond more. I also found out from Annemieke that Ivan - the poor young man we transfered to hospital in the village van last week and whom  I had asked the church back home to pray for - has greatly improved over the week. Apparently he is still in a lot of pain, but has his appetite back and is on the way to recovery. Praise God! Anne and I did a quick trip up to the top of Suubi hill, to deliver some goods requested by Jean and Morris, the British teachers... such a delicious hour of the evening, cool and shady, with grand 360 views to drink in...and just before the less delightful hour of mosquito o'clock.

As it happens, we seem to have some agile mosquitos in our midst. They appear to have mastered the art of getting inside my net at night and feasting on my rich Mzungu blood. They also seem to savour the taste of repellent. So... I have stepped up my arsenal for this evening, against the war on mosquito terror. Praise God for Mortein! I'm now kicking back looking forward to 24 hours of down time, before my final shift for the week -which is a short morning shift that encompasses a trip to church, with a child of my choice. I have learnt from last week to choose one that is big enough to walk up the hill unaided, or one that is small enough to carry without having a heart attack!

All in all its been a good week. I've been working morning shifts in the younger children's unit and have formed good relationships with all of the children and a good number of the nannies. It has been a real challenge to 'encourage' some of the latter to take a more proactive approach to curriculum, but all of the activities I introduced during the week we're a hit with nannies and children alike. I think they were surprised at how simple and effortless it was to create stimulating learning experiences for the children. I deliberately chose very accessible activity options which will be easy to replicate and are, therefore, more sustainable in the longer term.

I also won a minor battle, by convincing unit heads and management that resources need to be situated in each unit, instead of being kept under lock and key upstairs. The answer lies in educating nannies and children how to use and take care of resources (and in the development of systems of accountability to promote the same). These ideas still require some reinforcement over the coming weeks, however. Change takes time, especially where cultural values and practices have been ingrained and unquestioned for a long period of time. There are good days and bad, but I think the answer also lies in always having hope, being prepared to believe the best of people and acknowledging the many ways, rather than asserting the standard Euro centric, top-down model which we in the West like to call progress.

A Nice Relaxing Day Off...

Leapt out of bed bright and early this morning at 6am. One of the girls (Jvon)had arranged for us to catch the village van in to Kampala which we were told would leave at "7 sharp". My food supply had almost run out, so I needed to stock up for the coming week, being my last day off until next Friday. We made sure we were out the front of the Baby's Home, ready to go before 7am... At 7.10 Jvon gave the driver a call and was told that he wouldn't be coming until 9am, because there had been an emergency call out during the night.

So we trudged back inside and loitered until 10 minutes to 9, at which point we made our way back out the front to wait again. At 9.30, Jvo gave the driver another call and was informed that he was on his way. He arrived after a while, the van filled with people and we had one more pick up to make before setting off for Kampala. We stopped outside the medical clinic and waited for a poor young man to have his drip removed and stagger to the van with the assistance of two others. Once he was loaded in, we set off, about 10.45am, with him moaning in agony at every little bump, of which there were many, all the way into town, through thick traffic, where we dropped him off at the hospital.

Once all the other passengers were dropped off, we were dropped at Oasis mall. By that stage it was lunch time so we went to Ban Cafe, had lunch and made use of the free wifi. Jvon went off to meet up with friends so Annemieke and I decided to head to the main Baby's Home so she could have a look around. I should mention at this point that it was a stinking hot day and we had hours to kill as Jvon had decided that we should avoid a taxi fare of about 30 bucks NZ, split 3 ways, and just head back with the village van, which was leaving the Central Watoto church at...you guessed it... "7pm sharp"!

So we looked around the Home and sat under a nice shady tree to kill a few hours, then headed back to the mall around 4, to stock up on call time, Internet credit and food. We then got a taxi back to the church, arriving about half past 5...me with my carry bag and 5 bags of groceries. We hung round for the service, which finished about half 6, gathered up our goods and waited out the front for the van...which arrived about 8. At this point it was dark and there was a large group of people waiting to get in...19 people to be exact. So there were 4 rows of 4 people stacked in the back (and 3 in the front sitting pretty, one of whom was Jvon) me sitting on one half of my buttocks, on the edge of a seat squeezed between Anemeike with all her groceries, a sleeping boy who claimed more and more of the seat as the journey progressed and a boy with a freshly plaster-casted broken leg, with my 6 bags piled on top of me.

Traffic was very heavy so our driver decided a shortcut or two was in order...over a packed mud, roller coaster of a road, at snail speed (so as not to get stuck in a pot hole) through the slums! We rode alongside some sort of drainage ditch, past massive bonfires, which had some very colorful characters camped around them - including half dressed children. The heat was really intense as we went past, with very little room either side to get through. I was also aware of how easily the van door could have been breached and quietly locked the door. Saturday night slums negotiated, it was back onto the packed highway to play dodgems in the dark for an hour or so, with cars, bikes and trucks going in all directions. By this stage I couldn't feel anything below the neck, with my precarious setting arrangement and dwindling circulation from my shopping bag landslide...

I decided a trip to my happy place was in order, so did my best to send my mind elsewhere for the remainder of the drive home. We rolled into the village at Suubi, with me having to get in and out with all my bags to let villagers off, finally pulling up outside the Baby's Home and managing to walk through the door at the stroke of 10pm...what a wonderfully relaxing day off. I now feel entirely ready for another hectic week :) Earlier this week, I learnt a valuable lesson: never walk up from the market carrying a pineapple and a bunch of bananas in one bag (unless you're a fan of pineapple flavored mashed bananas). Today I have learnt another valuable lesson: never go along with someone else's plan! Next week I will be making the journey by private taxi and willingly coughing up what I consider to be a meager fare in exchange for a half a day of free time.

I am grateful to be home in one piece, after a very long day. Happy that I am not one of the unfortunate souls suffering in an overcrowded hospital somewhere, or battling for the basics in a dodgy slum. And now for the sweet sanctuary of a mosquito free, comfortable bed...

Gearing Up for Change

Ahhh... it's tipping down outside, it's 7.30am and I'm still comfortably tucked up in bed. Friday is one of my days off. I'm betting that by 9.30am I'll be bored out of my tree and wanting to spend time with the children. Alternatively, there is still quite a bit of work to be done, in order to be ready for a roll out on Monday. So I might spend some time doing that, or I could leave all the curriculum stuff for my short shift on Sunday afternoon.

Our presentationto staff yesterday went better than I expected. At first, we thought it all might go to hell in a hand basket because, in true African fashion, although the meeting was due to start at 2pm, for some reason the lunch was late, so by meeting time, no one had eaten! Consequently, we presented to a room full of hungry ladies and gentlemen. Thankfully, despite that fact, their attention and participation were still high. I drew the short straw and ended up being the main speaker, while the other three volunteers led all the activities (the fun stuff) and demonstrated various examples.

We asked the staff to split into groups and identify the strengths and challenges in their respective units. This has provided us with a good set of information to start with. It has created some consensus from the staff about what their main issues are. It also means that they have identified them, rather than having us storm in and tell them what they are doing wrong. Now that they have ownership of the problems, we can come alongside a them and support each unit to find solutions.

We provided staff with feedback about all the great things we had seen over the week - noting that when staff stick to their small family groups - ie one mum to 5 babies - and actively engaged them in structured, age appropriate activities, in different locations, with ample resources for all 5 babies, things run really smoothly. Conversely, we noted that when children are joined together as one big group, in one location, with minimal resources and nothing to do, the resulting carnage is demoralising for all concerned.

It was interesting to see the staff's reactions to us, following the meeting. Where we had often been met with smiles, conversations and playfulness by some nannies, now all nannies seemed a little cooler and more reserved with us. It's the first time the tables have been turned so that volunteers are in a position where they can mentor nannies and 'encourage' them to be more proactive with their programme. Usually the nannies have charge of the volunteers and can instruct them on how things are done here. So we are a little less popular around here, where it was already a challenge to win the trust and respect of the nannies.

However (and mercifully), because I have been working mostly in the one unit since I arrived - with the smaller babies - the relationships I have been establishing haven't suffered too much. I kept a low profile in the unit for the remainder of the day - taking care of the dishes and grunt work - supporting nannies to be with their children with greater ease. I also chatted with nannies about the joys and trials of daily life, just to reassure them that I am no threat to them and am no more elevated in rank than the least of them. I also had a quiet chat to the unit heads about what I have been asked to do over the coming weeks. They seem very receptive and also made some requests about areas they'd like to see change, or receive some support with. Great. That's just what we want...collaboration.

Today, I will chat with the chiefs and see if I can spend the next week in the babies unit, consolidating on the working relationships I have established so far. In my opinion the babies unit is the one with the least number of issues to resolve. If I can spend a week there, then I would feel comfortable to rotate with my fellow volunteers and move on to the other units. Then it will be a case of establishing relationships in each of the other units and tackling the issues together. This may take longer than the 4 weeks I have here. Although I would really like to see Gulu village, it may be wiser to request to stay here and make sure that they are in a really good place by the time I leave for home.

Tour of Bbira Children's Village

A very cruisy start to the day as no one in the house needed to be up early. However, I still woke at 6am to the sound of toddlers and the discomfort of a full bladder! Went down to the big toddlers room about 9am and was pleased to find a reasonably calm room. I think this was because the pack had been split in half...10 inside and 9 out on the balcony. A much better arrangement. I was also pleased to see puzzles out - a shape puzzle and an animal puzzle. Only problem was that the two puzzles and their respective pieces were being shared among 10 children! Each toddler clutched 1, 2, or 3 pieces tightly, hoarding them like precious treasure, too afraid to try them in the puzzle board for fear of having the pieces snatched away. Never mind though because the puzzle boards were also being clung to for dear life.

Not long after that, the cleaner came in wanting to mop the floor, so 10 became 19 again, on one small balcony. 19 hands fighting for puzzle pieces and also vying for the attention of myself and the only nanny of about 4 or 5 that was out with the children. The others were having a conversation inside. At that point I had about 6 children all screaming and upset because they were trying to sit on me and have my undivided attention. I realized I was causing more of a problem than I was fixing, so I left for a while, leaving them screaming in my wake, clamoring at the gate to try and get me to come back. :(

My shift didn't start till 11.30 so I took the opportunity to pray and prepare myself for the next round. As it turned out, I was rostered on to work with the younger babies for the day. I had a good day down there, helping feed, change, give bottles and cuddles etc. When the babies went to sleep I was asked to go through all of the babies clothes and throw away all the old and torn ones. I tackled the floor to ceiling double wardrobe which had lots of shelves. It was a big job, but I got it done, much to the delight of the nannies. During that time, I had the opportunity to listen to a couple of the nannies talk about their lives, hopes and dreams. They were very friendly and welcoming and asked me questions about my life too. It was a lovely conversation as we all got to share, encourage and speak into each other's lives.

Fred arrived with the girls, to embark on a village tour, about 3pm. We all hopped on the tour bus and made our way to Bbira children's village. Apparently it is the oldest of all the villages. It's houses are set up in circles of 8 and each house can hold 8 children and a mother. We were welcomed inside one mother's house, to find a very rudimentary set up, which was still kept well. Bbira has a primary and high school. We also got to see some interesting sights along the way. The shortcut road to Bbira from Suubi winds through its way through a swamp...one that stretches all the way down to Kampala. We watched men laying cable in rain soaked, red mud, along the roadside. They looked rather wretched and I couldn't help feeling sorry for them...such a hard existence.

Upon my return, I went back down to work out the last 50mins of my shift with the younger bubs...who were all freshly bathed and contented. All that was needed was a bottle, a nappy change and some singing before popping them all into bed. I wish I'd had a camera handy as I was set up with 3 babies heads resting on each side of my legs to feed - 6 in total- much like an old sow in a crate. Now I am relaxing back with a fully belly of curried potatoes and veges. Hannah was sick in the night and vomited once. She also has a nasty cough. I'm hoping desperately that I don't inherit any bugs. So far, by the grace of God, I have enjoyed good health and vitality. Long may this reign continue!

Suubi - Day 2

Woke up to the sound of boisterous toddlers about 6am. The oldest children are situated in the unit right below us. I went down about 7.30 and was immediately swarmed by toddlers who were out of their minds with boredom and also very hungry for some love and affection. Bath time finished and breakfast followed close behind. After that the children were ushered into the centre area to play. The nannies did very well during this session, offering music and dance. Hannah and Julie cracked out the bubbles, which were met with great excitement. The nannies are very patient and attend to the children's physical cares well. The difficulties seem to be routine care times and then group play where there are not enough resources. This tends to bring out less appropriate behaviours in the children - hitting and biting and tantrums.

After snack time the older toddlers went to the swimming pool and the younger toddlers went back to their unit for stories on the lawn. At that point we chambered up the hill again, to go and help Morris assemble his rope course...Once I had found my jandals, that is. Mental note to keep them well out of them path of oncoming toddlers. We set up a slack line in the pine trees for the older children to practice balancing on. They stuck at it quite well and were getting the gist of it by the time the high bridge walk was up and running. I was first to kit up in the harness, scale the tree and start walking the wire, however, we discovered that the ropes needed adjusting some and the sound of thunder could be heard ominously above. After all the hard work, it was decided to decamp for lunch, abandon the ropes and wait until the thunder had passed. Apparently, not long ago, one of the house mothers was killed by lightening which came straight through the wall of her house. Thankfully none of the children sitting around her were harmed, although traumatized none the less, no doubt.

We descended the hill for lunch and a quick breather before heading down to the markets on the main road. I was noticeably pink by this stage...sun touched, despite copious amounts of sunscreen. Baked beans straight out of the can for lunch, with crackers, another layer of sunscreen and repellent, then off we went. The road to the market winds down through the local community. We were met enthusiastically by many children along the way, all shouting Mzungu! Running to hold our hands, have a cuddle and practice their English...Hello, Good afternoon, How are you, I am fine. A thousand repetitions of that and we were down at the main road, having also passed cows, goats, cats, chickens and ducks with babies, squirrels, dilapidated mud and brick houses and the odd tame rabbit. More cries of Mzungu! as we hit the main road and started scoping out fruit and vegetables from the market. 500 Ugandan shillings for 4 tomatoes and the same for a nice avocado....which are the size of footballs over here.

After dodging trucks, taxis and bodas, it was time to head up the hill again. Thunder was our constant companion in both directions, but we managed to dodge the rain. A very physical day, all told and a tad too much sun. I'll be fit and half the size in no time! But for now, its back to the tranquility of the balcony (apart from the screaming toddler sounds below). Thankfully they are not my problem for now. We have also greeted another volunteer from Holland (Anemeike) who will be assisting in the medical clinic for the next few months.

For those of you who donated money, so far I have made the following donations on your behalf...significant contributions to: curriculum materials for all 3 babies homes, rice and millet for the orphaned children whose orphanage was shut down in Kampala and curriculum materials for a small remedial class run by Jean, who is from the UK. She helps children with their reading and English and does a lot of good with very little help or resourcing.

Suubi - Day 1

We made the trip out to Suubi baby's home this morning, arriving just before noon. Our apartment is very spacious and comfortable, with panoramic views of the lush Ugandan countryside available from our balcony. It is very tranquil here. Banana palms, pawpaw trees, goats and cattle grazing, well kept gardens and children's homes dotted around the village - well over a hundred of them, each housing up to 8 children and a mother.

Once settled and unpacked, Hannah, Julie Ann and I went for a stroll around the village with Jean - a teacher - up to the top of the hill and then back down the other side, greeting children of all ages as we went. Did I mention it's filthy hot here, except for a delicious breeze blowing through? Thank God for that, else I'd fry. As it is, I must contend with a delightful shade of vermillion by the time I get to the top of the hill.

Ruth, our supervisor, was very welcoming and seems very keen to get us started, beefing up the curriculum. That shouldn't be too hard, because currently there isn't one. They won't know their 2yr olds in a few weeks or so. They have been running riot out of sheer boredom, but that will soon change, mark my words. As I now understand it, we have been placed here to not only put a programme in place, but also to teach the nannies how to deliver it once we are gone.

We have a few more volunteers arriving over the next week. One from the Netherlands, one from the USA and another Kiwi...making 4 of us Kiwi in  total. Go Team New Zealand! I think I'm actually going to enjoy it here, away from the bustle and intimidating personas of the city. We are not officially rostered on until Monday, so we will spend some of tomorrow down in the home, off the clock, getting to know the children and familiarizing ourself with the nannies and routines. The rest of our weekend will be spent exploring, finding the markets for supplies, attending the service on Sunday and getting to know everyone. How civilized...

Out and About in Kampala

This morning we went shopping with the two Vickis (Babies and Home Supervisors), Annie (the boss) and Patrick to source items we need for our curriculum roll out. Chiembe market in is downtown Kampala is a great place to source cheap products. However, its not a great place to be if you are white-skinned. We ditched all personal possessions for the trip except for a discretely hidden camera, phone and some money in my cargo pockets. We had tall Vicki in front leading and the way and short Vicki and Patrick behind, keeping a close eye on us. We wound our way into the underbelly of downtown Kampala, through narrow, crowded alleyways, into warehouses and markets which were multilayered. The whole place was an assault on the nose. Exhaust fumes, Red, Ugandan clay dust, urine and other smells I don't even want to guess at. I have a new understanding of the herding instinct - the desire to stay in the middle of the pack, keep up with the leader and not stop for a minute, least you be singled out and plucked off.

Everywhere we went, we could hear the cries go up Mzungu! Mzungu!...that's us...White foreigners. We were the star attraction and all the more conspicuous because of our number - about 13 in total with guides as well. It wasn't long before we decided to split into 2 groups. I went on the fabric expedition, sourcing different fabrics to make various items for the homes. This turned out to be a good choice. After a crazy walk to the fabric markets, the fabric shops themselves weren't quite so busy. We had time and space to try and source our fabrics, bargain for prices, make rapid calculations about how much of each to buy. We did quite well and I felt useful, able to draw on my knowledge from my own early childhood Centre, to contribute to the decision making process. We then chopped our way back through the madness to the safety of our cars, which were parked by the church. Phew what an experience!

Once back at the babies home, we walked to Soho and had lunch . Nice but pricey and I had to kiss my first two selections goodbye as they didn't have them available. Settled for a chicken tandoori wrap and a passion fruit juice for a relatively hefty 28,000 - just over NZD $10. After lunch we waddled back to the home. Some of the girls then went to purchase millet and rice to take to a group of children being held because their orphanage had shut down. A bit of a shambles by all accounts.

Another group of us jumped in the car to go and visit the local Mulago hospital. OH. MY. GOD. I've never seen anything like it. We had to negotiate security first and got a 'guided' tour by the Public Relations department, through the maternity ward. We handed out knitted jerseys to two rooms which were jam packed full of freshly birthed mothers...In total about 60 women, hanging around in corridors, sitting on blankets on concrete, semi-outdoors, having just given birth, babies at their sides...many of them multiples. We thought that was bad enough, but the next two rooms were even more packed, maybe 60 women in each room, a few lucky enough to have beds, but most of them lying under and beside, in the corridors, on the dirty floor with their babies...amidst pools of water, wet dust, blood and other unidentifiable substances which I'd rather not speculate about.

We were then shown into the Special Care Unit, where the preemies are. OH. MY. GOD. Incubators as far as the eye could see, arranged like a Maze with a narrow track running through. We were asked to take our jandals off because "the babies don't like dust". However it seems they are okay with every other substance known to man. We had to pick our way carefully, barefoot, amongst the used syringes and various substances as we viewed the babies and surveyed the overall operation of the unit. I counted four nurses and easily 30+ preemies. Some stacked into incubators together - incubators which were often not even working. Some, desperately fragile and tiny, freshly born, on a two layered metal trolley, some just lying wrapped on plastic deck chairs. Thankfully,  I was able to take photos of the carnage, which I will post when I am able.

Here I was able to deliver the crocheted bonnets, mittens and boottees knitted by Linda's daughter. They will be put to such good use here. Wow, just an amazing sight. I'm told by a lady in the room who, is not even a nurse, but is handling babies, that they often die en masse in their incubators and are left undiscovered for hours on end, because the nurses are so busy. Apparently, the rate of births per day is 60 to 100, many of these are twins, triplets and quads. Overwhelming.

Then it was back to the babies home to paint empty formula tins, to make into drums; down to Oasis for a very expensive Suubi shop 155k! (about NZD $75); then home again, dragging said shopping up the hill. I'm done in, but I still have to sort tea and pack. Thankfully, I don't get picked up until 10am. So I have some time up my sleeve. Phew.

On the Move

As I mentioned in my previous blog, there are lots of exciting things happening at the babies homes as far as curriculum development goes. Over the past week I've bonded with flatmates, got comfortable with making my way around Kampala and started getting to know the nannies, babies and routines of the main babies home. So today's news hit me like a ton of bricks.

At the monthly meeting of volunteers, we were all given our placements for the coming month. Being so new, I had fully expected to stay my first month at the main home settling in. In fact, when I signed up for this trip, I didn't know that it's standard practice to move volunteers around the 3 main children's homes. I had my heart firmly set on working my full term at the babies home, working with the under 1 year olds. Apparently,  God has other plans!

On Friday, I will be relocated to the babies home which I visited in Suubi, leaving behind everything and everyone I have just come to know.  On the upside, I will be well away from any of the associated dangers of the city, close to the children's village, in a lovely but semi remote rural setting. I'll also be rooming with 2 kiwis who have come in for a month and whom have been volunteers here in Uganda before. Their knowledge will no doubt be invaluable. I suspect our respective backgrounds and skills have contributed to the decision regarding our placement, in light of the project we have been assigned to work on re curriculum development.

So, the next day or so will be consumed by packing, washing, shopping and generally preparing on every,  level for the move, in addition to the curriculum planning and prep we are doing during the day at the home. Lots to contend with. God give me the courage and grace and strength...

Trip to Suubi Children's Village.

On Sunday we jumped in a dilapidated private taxi and made our way north to Suubi Children's Village, a 45 minute drive from central Kampala. It was fascinating to drive past villages situated by the roadside, getting on with the business of daily living.  At Suubi, the village is built on a big hill.  At the top of the hill we some could see for miles around and got a real sense of the size and lushness of Uganda. We also found some impressive buildings, which we discovered are classrooms, administration and church buildings. We started the morning with a very lively church service, Uganda style. Wow. The girls and I had a riot. Unlike our churches back home, the people of Uganda praise and worship with abandon, using their whole bodies. Yes folks, these guys know how to dance. A joyful experience. After the service we went to view progress on various construction projects, then made our way down to the children's homes.

Suubi is currently home to 1300 plus orphans between the ages of 2 and 18. Each house has a mother who is allocated 8 children to care for. The scale of the village is impressive. There are numerous projects nearby, such as a fabrication plant and masses of greenhouses.  The buildings look new but they are modest in size for 8 children. When we drove down the hill, swarms of children started pouring out of the brickwork. They ran up to us, eager to be picked up and interacted with. It was a little daunting to have heaps of bodies grabbing at you, your bags, clothes, accessories. I was very popular for my sunglasses and the clip on my bag. All of the children vied with each other for turns putting on the glasses and doing up the clip. These children have very little by way of personal possessions. The smallest of trinkets were grasped tightly and proudly shown off to us -  a hair tie, a small sticker, a coloured piece of string. So much need and yet, they are now blessed in comparison to what they had prior to being cared for by Watoto.

Next we did a tour of the Suubi babies home, which is mostly inhabited by children who are over the age of two and have been transferred out of the main home in Kampala. From herethey are assigned to mothers in the main village, when space and time allow. Again, an impressive building and set up, but void of any stimulation for growing minds. Having said that, their basic physical needs are well provided for. Because I have decided to stay in Uganda for the bulk of my trip, it is possible I will work at the Suubi home and village for a month, on rotation, depending on the allocation of all current volunteers and the needs of each home for volunteer support.

So far this week, I've only spent a day working with the babies. The rest of my time has been filled with orientation, welcome breakfast at swanky Cafe Java and, most exciting of all, meetings to get a volunteer project underway which is very close to my heart.  I am marvelling at the timing of my visit here. For the first time ever, Watoto management have got volunteers together and made them responsible for developing and implementing a learning and development curriculum. The key difficulty in doing this is trying to get the very overworked nannies on board, so that the quality of the programme is sustainable in the longer term. So it looks like we'll be working on the planning phase of the project for the rest of the week, then spending the next few months implementing it. This will allow us to have better quality time with the bubs and therefore be more effective during our time here. I'm really excited about this prospect. Again, in my element. Perfect timing, perfect place.

As a side note, following the terrorist attack in Kenya, we have also received news that terrorist threats have been posted on Twitter for Kampala. Security has been massively scaled up on response. I am completely unconcerned at this point. I am being extremely careful, but have a strong sense that we are okay for the moment. I'll be more concerned when the threat dies down and the security is scaled back some.  Having said that, I still feel I'm in good hands. I've got work to do.

Settling in

All in all I had a good trip over and enjoyed the Emirates experience, as much as one can when in transit for 35hrs cattle class. For those days I existed in a time warp somewhere in between not quite asleep and a long way from awake. Flying over the expanse of sea from Yemen and catching my first glimpse of the mother land was a real triumph, mixed with both joy and excitement. I finally made it to Africa! It was also a real thrill to fly over the origin point of the Nile. With passport stamped I was, met by the very friendly Fred and driven to a guest house for the night. Said guest house turned out to be much more luxurious than I had anticipated which was a real bonus.  Somewhere safe to unfurl and collapse. The next day I was driven into the centre of Kampala to change money and get basic supplies. I have a new appreciation of just how pale-skinned I am and felt uncomfortably conspicuous. I was then taken to my more permanent accommodation -another very comfortable apartment in Kololo, about 30 minutes walk from the main orphanage. Here I am camped out with 7 other girls from across the globe.

The next couple of days were spent settling in and trying to re-adjust my body clock. In those first 4 days I existed on just 15hrs sleep in total. Zombie. Thankfully I got my first 7hr stretch, just before I was due to start my first day of work at the babies home. Today was my second day on the job. The home has about 6 rooms, divided into different age ranges, under 2yrs of age. Each room houses about 10 babies. If I'd had a spare set of hands I would loved to have taken a photo yesterday which would have summed up the experience perfectly. Picture, if you can, me sitting on a 2 x 3m blanket surrounded by a sea of hungry 3 to 9 month old babies...about 20 in total... all screaming for bottles. The day revolves around cycles of bottles, bathing, feeding, changing and sleeping. There are delightful pockets of calm where you can scoop up a tiny little treasure and spend some quality time having a cuddle. The need is so great, despite the orphanage being well set up. Very little to stimulate a developing brain. There are a few boxes of dilapidated toys, but they are not always available. On my first day, I sat with 5 toddlers hanging off me and watched as  they crawled along the cold floor trying to find something to do. One found a rubbish bin lid, which I turned into a drum; another an empty plastic straw wrapper that made a crinkling sound; and another was content to play with my shoe laces. Here, you are the entertainment. A loving smile and sustained eye contact are your greatest assets.  The hope and joy of being noticed and affirmed are evident on each babies face when they see you smiling at them. In these precious and not-frequent-enough moments the love of God shines brightly. Blessed moments. This is what I am here for.

I am also working hard to build relationships with the men and women who work here. They have hard lives, working 12 hour shifts each day before going home to the demands of family life in a poor country. They pour out their all and are really the key to the whole operation. In just a short time I have seen the potential for further mission here. So much can be done, both at organizational level and at the coal face. Consequently, I am looking into the possibility of staying here in Uganda for the majority of my time away. Perhaps until the last week or so before I go. Then I might treat myself to a safari tour before coming home to regroup. Tomorrow and Monday I will be traveling to one of the children's villages in Suubi.  I have seen so much already but am struggling to take photos because it's so hands on, in the moment. It's also proving difficult to upload photos to this Blog, but I'll do my best. More soon.  Suffice it to say, I am absolutely in my element. Being here is all I dreamed of and more. Day by day the place is becoming more familiar and normal. Even the machine gun-toting security guards posted outside the local shopping mall don't seem as daunting and I have yet to clap eyes on a single mosquito!

Exodus

Hello all and sorry for the delay in posting. I wrote a veritable sermon while sitting in Auckland airport and had great intentions of posting my thoughts from the very beginning of my journey. Unfortunately, technology has let me down and I have spent the better part of the week just trying to establish a phone and internet connection. Very frustrating. And the massive post I wrote while waiting for the plane, vanished into the ether. Not meant to be, obviously. Instead, you can enjoy the 'readers digest' version, which is that this journey is the culmination of 20 years of striving and straining and wishing for me. For most of that time I labored under my own strength and didn't get far at all. However over the last 18 months all of the obstacles have been removed. This only happened when I surrendered the dream of my heart and gave it to God. He has made a way where I, in my greatest strength, could not. I am well aware that a great many of you whom I call family and friends are averse to the notion of a Christian God, however, I have met Him and seen Him at work in my life. Therefore I'm choosing to honor the name of Jesus in this Blog. I just got on a plane because of Him. I hope you will all join me on this amazing journey. Love to all, Heidi