Sunday - Church, a visit with a Watoto family & some cultural entertainment

We travelled the familiar route to KPC West for church. At this time, it had just started using it's new premises for services, an open air brick hall with roof and floor but no real walls, just columns to hold up the roof. The worship was more lively than at KPC Central and I was dancing away, loving every minute of it. Unlike Central, West only have one service on a Sunday so we had a chance to stay around after the service for a while and talk to some of the members of the congregation.

Lunch was at Bbira Village & Ope, Martin, Gretl & I went to house 43 whilst Chas, Peter & Janet had lunch in the house of Chas's sponsored child. Our house mother, Frieda, made us a wonderful meal of matooke, beef & rice, potatoes, yams, peas, spinach & fried banana. There were a mixture of children in the house, boys and girls of various ages. Usually I find it quite difficult to converse with children but it was easier with help from other members of my team.




After we'd eaten, I went outside with a couple of the girls and younger boys and was showing them a dance I learnt in high school. They were very eager to learn the routine and we had a great time dancing together. Once girl, Kristine, was very keen and she seemed to take quite a shine to me. We went out the back of the house and she was showing us dances she knew and was having a great time performing alongside Frieda's biological daughter, Grace. All too soon it was time to go and Kristine walked me to the bus with her arm wrapped around my waist, sad to see me go - it was really touching.



Before we left, we went and saw Fred's house and met his mother and some of his brothers. One of them is also at University studying social work and social sciences - their mother must be so proud! Even though she didn't give birth to them, she still raised them to be the men they are.

We'd barely arrived back at the guesthouse and had a rest before we had to go out again. Although I didn't feel like going out, I am glad I went even if I was exhausted. There had been an Australian team at the guesthouse the week before us who had been to an African cultural show during their stay which they'd recommended, so we decided to put it on our agenda too. It was amazing! There were all sorts of different dances and types of music from various tribes throughout Uganda. The musicians were fantastic on their drums, wooden zylophones and harp like instruments and the women certainly knew how to "shake their booty"!



The costumes were designed with great feather bustles and the speed these women were shaking their hips for so long was astounding. The power went out twice whilst we were there but the host had such a powerful voice, he managed to entertain us even in the dark.



















During the course of the evening, the men displayed their acrobatic abilities balancing each other and in the last act, the women were balancing up to 8 clay pots on their heads whilst walking about the stage. Very talented people indeed. It was a very late night in the end - we didn't get to our beds until 11pm and considering the early start the next day, I wish we'd made it back earlier...

Saturday - Watoto Villages

Saturday saw us back in the minibus for a trip out to the villages for a tour. We stopped at Bbira first where we saw the vocational schools. There was one huge workshop where people were welding and doing woodwork. The items created in this workshop are all to be used in the houses, like door and window frames or in the schools like cupboards, desks, chairs etc. It is a lot cheaper for Watoto to build it’s own furniture and fittings where possible and the quality is much better than buying elsewhere. One day they hope to be able to sell their products but at the moment they can only cover the demand internally. We were able to see where students work in textiles or home economics as well, an amazing setup! All perched on top of a hill with beautiful views… these children are truly blessed.



The sound of singing drew us to the admin block where a group of Watoto mothers were rehearsing for worship on Sunday. They all gave us great big hugs and we certainly received a very warm welcome even though our visit was a surprise to them. Fred proved he had even more skills than we previously knew about when he played the drums whilst they sang. We joined added our voices in the chorus.

Suubi was the next village on the tour, where we were able to peer in the windows of classrooms and the library and we also got to see the medical facility which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As we were led around the village, I noticed all sorts of signs stuck in the grass. Things like “Respect your friends” etc. All wise words and good to be reminded of daily.





The whole team went with Chas to see his sponsored child Nicholas and his home. It was my first time seeing an occupied house and it was great to see how ours might look when it’s finished. All the children in Nicholas’ house are boys and mostly in their teens. They were very friendly and talked easily, most polite and respectful as well. We stood in the house with the sound of pouring rain pelting down on the tin roof and I pondered what it must be like to live there. It’s a lot simpler than anything I’ve ever lived in of course, but considering where these children have come from, they are now living in luxury.



Each child has a chore for the day which might be cleaning the internal/external floors, cleaning the bathroom or helping with the cooking. The children even help keeping the compound clean which is just amazing to me. I’ve never met so many polite, well behaved children before. I even observed one girl cleaning outside in the rain, such is their commitment to village life.



We left couldn’t stay too long in Suubi as it was nearing lunch time, so we left for Garden City and the chaos of the food mall.

Unlike other food courts where you wander about the stalls checking them out before deciding where you want to eat, here you sit down and eight or so waiters from different shops rush to your table with menus and start telling you what you should have, underlining choices with their fingers - sometimes two at a time which makes it very difficult to think!

Ope, Gretl and I decided to treat ourselves after our week at work and went to the Beauty Salon after lunch for some pampering whilst the others went back to the Guesthouse. The treatments were brilliant and my one hour facial for 30,000 shillings was definitely a bargain - one of the best facials I've ever had too!

When we had finished, Ope & I met Fred and his friend Charlotte whom we decided to stay in town with for part of the evening. We had considered seeing a movie but decided to go bowling instead - 7,500 shillings each for one game. There were no bowling shoes so we bowled barefoot which was incredibly liberating! I do appreciate the Health & Safety issue of how much hurt/damage might be caused by a dropped bowling ball on ones feet, but to feel the cool ground beneath my feet and to be comfortable was wonderful. After the game, Ope & I headed back to the guesthouse for another Tilapia dinner and a new instalment of the dubbed soap opera that Rachel & Rita (the guesthouse staff) love.

Appreciation Meal

On Friday night after our last day on the building site, the team were taken out to an appreciation meal for the building work we’d done.



We went to a place called Mamba Point, an Italian restaurant up on a hill in the city of Kampala. It was beautifully decorated and we all dressed up as best we could so it was quite a smart evening in comparison to the dirt and muck of the week. Kathryn (from the Canadian office), Craig (CompassionArt) and Jane & Alan (CEO of Watoto) joined us for dinner where we were given small gifts of woven baskets as thanks. I was a little disappointed not to be sitting near Craig as he would have been fascinating to talk to. He collated the reflections of the songwriters for the CompassionArt book from which some of the proceeds go to Watoto. Money from the CD goes to Watoto as well, which I happen to think is a brilliant album. It was still a lovely evening in spite of this and I enjoyed the opportunity to sit down in the open air for dinner, even if liberally sprayed to avoid mosquitoes!

Build - Day 5 (last day)

The day started normally except for a slight detour enroute to the supermarket for “sodas” and biscuits for our dedication party later on. After we arrived on site, we heard two songs from the builders and then we sang twice. Quite a few of the guys were on a different site today and we didn’t get to say goodbye to them which was a real shame. They weren’t needed on our site because there was so little to do so I can understand them not wanting to lose a working day, but it would have been nice to know the night before!



We worked for about three hours and I managed to slap a bit of mortar down, place a few bricks and almost fall off the scaffolding (Chas rescued me) before it was time for the dedication at midday. A man called Craig from CompassionArt had arrived on site to observe the work being done, so he was able to see our finished product and hear all that was said.



I got a bit emotional thinking about the fact that this was the last day on the site. We all laid hands on the building, dedicating it to God and asking for blessing on those who will dwell there… I cried again! It is amazing to think what we’ve accomplished in just a week. We were told that there are a total of 115 confirmed teams coming to build this year alone which is just phenomenal… the project surely is being blessed by God! A few people spoke, Moses the foreman and one of the men from KPC, all thanking us for our work and telling us how much of an impact it would have on the community. Not only for those who will live in the house, but for the builders who need our money to stay employed.



After the dedication and a few photos, we treated the builders to refreshments, with music from the minivan to add to the party atmosphere. Some local village children (not Watoto kids) came and danced with us and we celebrated for some time before the builders had to go back to work and we left for the day.



One year ago, this was all the beginnings of an idea… a “what if?” Now here I am, praise the Lord! I don’t look forward to returning home, life seems dull and cold in the UK. I know this will be just another travel story all too soon but I hope the memories of this trip stay sharp and last a lifetime.

Build - Day 4

It’s getting harder and harder to get out of bed at 5.30am, thankfully tomorrow is the last time this week.

Martin, Gretl and myself were the only ones going to the building site today. Chas and Ope went into the KPC Office and of course Janet and Peter are yet to come back from Mbale. We were greeted at the site with some tragic news from Fred, that a Suubi boy was killed on the road yesterday in a bicycle accident, most likely a hit and run. It seemed to really affect Fred and he kept busy helping out a lot on the site, mostly brick laying.

We started off the working day with a couple of songs from the locals, followed by a prayer and then finally proper introductions of all the workers. We had to correct a few names we had misheard (like Frank instead of Fra!) but it was good to finally know who everyone was. Gretl and I weren’t needed up on the scaffolding, there were enough people doing brick work. We did move a lot of bricks during the course of the morning though, so weren’t sitting around doing nothing all day!



There were times when there literally was nothing we could be doing and I felt guilty sitting about when others were working. The break was nice though and I got to sit and chat with Gretl for a while.



We had an early finish, lunchtime came and we were done. Martin, Gretl and I went back to the guesthouse with Chas (who’d been driven out to the site from the office unnecessarily because we were finishing as he arrived) and then the three of us decided to find a hotel whose pool we could use. We tried the Sheraton, the Serena and the Imperial Royale but didn’t swim after all that. The pools were either not very nice or in the case of the Serena, too expensive for just a couple of hours. We did end up stopping at the Serena though so Martin could have a haircut and Gretl, Fred, the driver and I waited by the pool and sipped non-alcoholic cocktails in the sun.



There were seven of us once more at dinner tonight and with everyone talking at once about their various activities over the last few days, I couldn’t cope for long and retired early to my room. Ope came in and we chatted for a bit. We are experiencing a lot of the same emotions over the trip so it was good to be able to share them together. Have I said before how grateful I am for her company?

Build - Day 3

The day started off cool and cloudy again and we got to the site around our usual time. We were reduced in numbers today as Peter and Janet had an early start to Mbale and won’t be back until tomorrow evening.

We’d barely moved a few bricks after a song and prayer with the workmen, when the rain came down again. We sat in the hut for ages and then had just commenced work once more when we were sent on a break. I think it’s not that they believe we need a break, but an opportunity to get some stuff done without us in the way! We used the opportunity to do a tour of the developing Suubi 2 village, looking at houses elsewhere that were in various stages of completion. Moses, our foreman, took us all over the site showing us various houses and explaining how each of them were to be completed. It was fascinating watching the bricks being made and I marvelled at the strength of the men working the machine – it is incredibly hard work!


We went straight to lunch after our tour so I barely worked all morning it seemed, but we made up for it in the afternoon. I helped lay bricks on the kitchen wall with a guy called Frank and there was only room for two because of the space. It was nice not being crowded and I appreciated the chance to get on and do some work at a reasonable speed. By the end of the afternoon, I was even allowed to move the horizontal string used as a guide to keep the bricks in line. Ok, so he had to adjust it once I’d moved it, but it was only my first time and I still felt it a bit of an honour.

When we went on the tour earlier, we stopped at the hut where lunch was being made for the workmen. The cooks were making what we learnt was their staple diet on site – maize and beans and juice drunk out of plastic bags. One of the young guys hanging around the huts was marvelling at the hair on Chas’s arms as the Ugandan’s have little body hair and there was quite a contrast between the two men. It was quite funny seeing the expression on this young guy’s face!

The journey home was horrendous as the traffic was really bad and yet again I fell asleep in the minibus. I must be working very hard (or the early mornings are wearing me out!). It rained going back to the guesthouse and I even heard thunder before we left the site. The streets were running with red water, in between the houses and filling the channels near the road. It’s astounding how much water was flowing from only a few hours of rain. I guess because the earth is almost like clay, the water isn’t absorbed but just runs down the slopes. It was quite a sight with the streets awash but people carrying on with their day despite the bad weather – no running for cover and sitting it out.

One part of each day that I really enjoy is waving and saying hello to the local children as we drive to and from the village. Their faces light up with huge smiles and they wave enthusiastically when they see us and I often feel a bit like a celebrity. There are very few “white” people around so we are something of a novelty I suppose, although with all the teams that come through this area working with Watoto, I am surprised that we are still so fascinating.

Build - Day 2

We left a little earlier today thanks to better preparation on everyone’s part – the sandwich making went much quicker. The traffic seemed worse however so I am not sure we actually got to the site any earlier. Our first disruption occurred when we got to the end of our street to turn onto the main road and we had to wait until about 40 lean, shirtless young men ran past doing security job training… I was certainly awake after that sight!

Each day on our journey to Suubi 2, we collect ice for the ice box to keep our sandwiches and water cool and today we had another visit from Moses (a lot of people are called Moses!) who first visited us yesterday. He rode up on his bicycle to talk through the minibus window and informed us he is the “champion biker”. He uses his bicycle like a taxi, riding people to where they need to go and is a most friendly chap who is now becoming a part of our daily routine.

It was overcast and cool on the site this morning. Initially I thought the day had the potential to be really hot but by 10am it was pouring with rain. We ended up having to stop work for about 45 minutes until it eased and then we continued on in the drizzle. The clouds did not clear and by lunch I had goose bumps as I’d only worn a sleeveless top. Most of us were cold but some were better prepared than I and had brought sweatshirts with them. At lunch, Fred entertained us with stories of a tribe living in Mbale where Janet & Peter are going to visit their Compassion sponsor child tomorrow. He is quite the story teller and found us a captive audience.

I was in a great mood today and I think it may have been infectious as by the end of the day, Ope & I both had the giggles. Martin & Gretl joined us from time to time and we caught Chas singing on more than one occasion. I found it easier to talk to the workmen and had a few small conversations with the ones I was working closest with. It’s nice being able to work alongside the locals and I was even complimented for being a hard worker.

I feel I am drawing closer to God through this experience as well. During my prayer time last night I was reduced to tears, which was most unexpected. It is great being in a country where God’s name is everywhere, where He is celebrated and having faith is respected.

It was Barack Obama’s inauguration today so whilst he was surrounded by pomp and ceremony, I was writing my journal on a sofa in a guesthouse in Kampala, smelling slightly of insect repellent, sitting with people who I only met 5 days ago but having an experience I wouldn’t swap with him for the world.