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.

First day on the Building Site

We were up early this morning (19th January)... 5:30am! This is much earlier than I would rise on a normal work day but with two girls sharing a bathroom and a 7am departure time, it is necessary. We got into the minibus (which would become our second sleeping spot after our beds) and drove the hour across town to the Suubi 2 village. As we drove, children everywhere would spot the Mzungu (white people) and run up to the edge of the road waving with great big grins on their faces. It was a brilliant way to start the day and I felt a bit like a celebrity.

The building site looked exactly like you might imagine. Lots of buildings all in various stages of completion with our plot ready for us. The foundation had been laid and the corner stones started and we were to do the rest of the brick work in one week. Hats, sunscreen and work boots on, we got a brick laying lesson in five minutes which consisted of mortar (musenyu) down, lay the block, straighten it against the string used to level each course, wait til the course is finished and then fill between the blocks with more mortar. Smooth and then repeat, layer after layer. I call them blocks as they are larger than house bricks, around 12lbs each and we moved hundreds over the course of the week.

The day started off with light rain which kept the temperature nice and cool. It was such a blessing to get this great start to the day. If I'd had to start in the blazing sun, I would have found the work much harder. Our site looked down into the valley over the previously built houses, into the green trees beyond to the hills. Local children from villages around the site would wander through, often with yellow jerry cans on their heads fetching water.



Our breaks were under a wooden shelter, a couple of planks for seats with a table in the middle. Here we ate our sandwiches and freshly cut pineapple & watermelon. We had to keep hydrated with plenty of bottled water and this eventually meant a trip to the toilet which turned out to be not what I expected.



(Read at the following at your own risk) From the outside the toilet was a small, two cubicle brick building that looked as modern as the rest of the buildings on site. Pulling open the rickety door, I found before a rectangular concrete hole in the ground! I've used long drops in Australia and squat toilets in India and this was just a combination of the two but definitely the least civilised of anything I've used before. Just hold your breath, close the door, avoid your shoes, do your business and get out as quick as possible!

After lunch, a guy called Fred came down to the site to say hello (different guy than our host). He is another of the original Watoto children and another success story. He has just completed a Bachelor of International Business... one more reminder of the opportunities given to the orphans from this great organisation.

Most of us slept in the minibus after a hard day putting down bricks or moving them about the site. The cry of "more musenyu" in my ears and the dirt of Uganda in my shoes... what a great start to the working week. We got back to the guesthouse to find Ope, Gretl and I had been moved to bigger more comfortable rooms which was a wonderful blessing!. The shower felt amazing and even with sunburnt legs from the afternoon sun (you should see the sock marks!) I was ready for an early night but very content.

UK team

I think it is time I introduce my team mates on this trip. Firstly there is Chas, the UK director of the Watoto Child Care Ministries. He was our calm voice in the chaos. He's been on a build team before so knew what to expect and was able to organise us (mostly!) to wherever we needed to be on time. I have a lot of respect for the man, we weren't an easy team to handle at times and there were only seven of us. I must confess I regressed quite a bit (who knew the teenager was still inside of me?) but he managed to deal with me and the others with incredible patience.



Also from the Watoto UK office was Ope, my roommate. She is four years younger than me, the youngest on the team, but was a great mate and we had lots of giggles together. She too had been to Uganda before, for the conference in September 2008 so knew what to expect regards to the country itself, but had not built before. I had been a bit worried before I left the UK, that I would not find anyone that I "clicked with" but the Lord took good care of me and provided me with a crazy friend to keep me company. Thank you Father!



Gretl came over for her 50th birthday, to give something back to God. A lover of cane sugar and groundnuts and a blessing to the team with her gentle spirit and ready smile.



Peter and Janet were the oldest on the team, well into their 60's but definitely pulling their weight on the building site. Peter constantly had a song on his lips and when things were good, they were "tickety boo". Janet was amazing, not letting physical impairments (a plastic hip) prevent her mucking in and doing her share. We lost them for a couple of days on site when they went to visit their Compassion sponsor child in Mbale, but they both impressed me with their determination to do their bit.



Martin the solicitor, was ending his sabbatical of three months with the Uganda trip. I am not sure if he regressed with Ope & myself or if he is usually the joker, but he was great to share a giggle with. He was the man who you want on a quiz night, the one with the random facts and the expressive eyebrows (they won't help on a quiz night but sure were entertaining!). He turned out to be the "stirrer" of the team but not maliciously, just to keep us on our toes and develop my quick wit to retort when necessary.



Lastly but most importantly was Fred, our host. As I mentioned earlier, he is one of the first Watoto children and a testiment to the organisation. He knew answers to most of our questions and was very patient with us. He is the great entertainer and certainly had some wonderful stories to share with us of life in Uganda. He was definitely a blessing to us and it was sad to say goodbye to him on our last day - may the Lord grant him the desires of his heart and bless him in all he does.

Kampala Pentecostal Church (KPC)

KPC began in 1984 with 75 people and is the birth place of Watoto Child Care Ministries. It is cell based (around 1,600 in all) with six district churches across Kampala. Our first Sunday in Kampala saw us at KPC Central and I was impressed with what I saw. They run four services back to back on a Sunday morning from 8am to 4pm. The congregation come in one door, worship, listen to the sermon etc. then go out the other door during the last song as the next lot come in.

The service was very well organised, from the choir helping lead the worship to the audio/visual team recording the service and projecting it on the big screen. During the taking up of the offering, a dance troup and rapper came out and entertained us (there were around 1,200 people for the offering bags to be passed around to which takes some time!) and the sermon we heard was the same as the one heard at all the other KPC services across the city. With all this "production", I didn't feel God was lost and really enjoyed worshipping together with such a large number of people. I particulary liked one thing I heard one of the leaders say and that was "God bless you... King size". I certainly feel He is blessing this church and community King size!