Nigel on The Nile

Wed 25th

This morning we met Fran at a fairly central Kampala restaurant that she frequents. The intention was to get on line to update people on events (facebook mainly), drink coffee and then have a snack lunch. But their wi-fi was down so the internet side went down the plughole! Great coffee and a splendid lunch was enjoyed though.

In the afternoon we travelled to a more rural area to visit a school where Tim and the others had a meeting to plan for his students arrival to help out in various ways in the summer. I sat in my handy chair and read under the shade of a tree in the courtyard while they talked. It was the hottest afternoon so far, nearly 30. We’ve had heavy rain each night, but the skies have gradually cleared by early afternoon. So it’s not been excessively hot.

While we were there we went to see a mud hut just down the track from the school. This is where a man lives who is more often drunk (on paraffin?) than not. He did have all five of his children with him at one time, but four of them have been rescued out of the abusive situation by the head of the nearby school. However Douglas remains with his father to “protect” the property. What there is to protect is debatable - a dirty, dark, squalid room with a mat for a bed and a line with clothes on for a wardrobe. Douglas, a young teenager, who looks pitifully shabby and was feeding the pig in a stall while we were there. The father stood by while Tim and the others talked about how to get improved living quarters developed by his students this summer - but he didn’t appear to understand or take interest in what was being planned.

In the evening I was given a very warm welcome at Fran’s lovely Small Group from church where they gave us all a tasty meal, after which there was some bible teaching. What a lovely bunch; they seemed very excited to meet me, can’t think why!!

Thursday 26th

We went to see Fran’s sewing workshop this morning; the highlight of my stay! It is only a small room in the backyard of a house rented by her friend Sarah. The house is down a muddy (when wet) lane, close to the centre of Ntinda. I met two student ladies and the seamstress who is helping Fran. The seamstress was delighted with the quality of the fabric I had managed to acquire in the UK, especially as they were running low.

Friday 27th

Today has been the driest and hottest so far. Fran drove me 2 1/2 hours to Jinja, on Lake Victoria near the source of the Nile. It’s not that far from Kampala, but traffic is so slow in Uganda. This afternoon we had a very eventful boat trip to the source of the Nile, which is fed from Lake Victoria. We saw much interesting wildlife, particularly birds. There was a hilarious first half hour when shortly after we left Jinja the engine broke down - we managed one way or another to get to a staging post where a new engine was fitted. Joel, the owner, is a lovely Christian man who told us how God had saved him from alcoholism while he was in prison for a violent offence. Now he preaches the gospel whenever he can.

“The Source Of The Smile” is the fabulous guest house we are staying in for the night. We have bedrooms outside opening onto a kind of thatched veranda with a small swimming pool a few feet away. Fran has swum, but I have yet to have a dip.

Nigel's adventure

This week my dad has come to visit me. Here are some reflections from his Uganda time so far:

Sunday 22nd March

There was a long delay half way through our flight from Manchester. We were meant to land at Doha to change planes for Entebbe but there were aircraft stacking up as a violent thunder storm had earlier caused the abandonment of four unsuccessful landings. However we diverted to Bahrain where we sat on the tarmac, so to speak, for a couple of hours. Eventually we took off for an hour’s flight back to Doha where we took a long-delayed flight to Entebbe. We arrived at 1800, instead of the planned 13.35.

Fran drove us to Kampala through the heavy Sunday evening traffic which was apparently mainly leaving the beaches at Lake Victoria. It was frequently stop-start. 

I have never experienced driving like they do here; cars, mini-buses and boda-boda (taxi) motorbikes constantly barging in on both sides. The only rule appeared to be “keep left”. Many vehicles were driven without lights in the dark, no idea why. People, including young children, seem to walk for miles at the side of the road. “Shanty” shops were in evidence at the roadside for most of the journey.

Fran’s driving amazed me, she negotiated what appeared to be a major road junction where there were no marked priorities or traffic lights. It really was every man (and woman) for themselves. We had to drop off Zoe, who travelled from the UK with us, in a different part of Kampala. The whole journey took us 3 hours to cover about 33 miles.

John and Sophie gave us a welcome meal on arrival at his house in Ntinda and after a much needed shower I turned in about 22.30.

Monday 23rd

After a good night’s sleep both Tim and I awoke at 9.00. There had been a tremendous thunder storm during the night which put the power out; it is the start of the rainy season. After breakfast Tim drove us over to the house which Fran rents with Christine, a young American lady. 

Some main roads here are reasonably surfaced, but others not so good. However, side roads are another matter; just tracks which get very muddy after rain. 4X4 vehicles are essential here. Fran’s house is a slow 10 minutes up a track off the main road. It is not isolated as there are other dwellings round about.

After my much needed 2 hour post-lunch nap at Fran’s she took me to see Arios, a 37 year old widow who lives in a single room “house” with her 5 children, one of whom appears to be autistic and cannot speak. Arios cooks outside on a basic stone fire in the alley way, oblutions take place in a communal area outside the back. There is a double bed, but some of the family have to sleep on the floor. One of the children was doing some washing in a bowl outside the front door. Despite the dreadful conditions Arios was so well dressed in clean clothes, amazing! The phrase “We don’t know we are born” springs to mind. One of the more humbling experiences I have had here.

Tuesday 24th

This morning we went to see the Wendy Mary Medical Clinic, named after Wendy because of the financial support she gave to get it established. They are working on extra buildings to expand the range of services offered, but presently there is only a dentist’s clinic operating there.

The next humbling experience I encountered was to visit an 80 year old woman who lives in a small house built behind the clinic by John’s team. This lady had been relocated from a shanty town where she lived with her grandchildren, two of whom Tim’s charity is helping to fund in education; Julius is at St David’s College. What really moved me was the  way in which this 80 year old bowed almost prostrate as we arrived. This appeared to be in recognition of the help she and her family had been given. There were some comfortable chairs which we used; the only nod to modernity. She sat on the stone floor, weaving on her lap.

A fantastic evening meal in a Kampala restaurant rounded off the day nicely. However the drive to and from was fraught with heavy traffic again. Rush hour traffic leaving the city on the way in, but I’ve no idea why so much at 21.00! I’ve realised one reason traffic is so bad is because there are so few main routes through the city, and no rat runs. We saw one unfortunate lady being knocked down crossing the road in front of a motorcyclist, fortunately neither hurt. Slightly alarming!

More to come soon...