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.