Jan 20 - Correction

Sue had arranged for us to interview a group of people in a different area of Uganda who were using the micro credit grants to improve their lives and that of the village. We started with Jackson driving us to Kampala and then we took an intercity bus towards Jinja. The bus is a 14 passenger van that you get at the taxi park downtown. The park is totally congested with 100 vans all looking the same and only have a wood sign under their windshield wiper to show where they are going. Bus schedules are "when the bus is full it leaves" and while you wait vendors are trying to sell everything from drinks and food to razors and shaving cream. Once we were full, off we went - we actually had to wait till the "taxi" behind decided to leave and we could try to get out around the vendors and everyone else. Our 14 passenger van had 14 adults 2 kids and 1 live chicken, but the trip was actually uneventful. We drove through the tea and sugarcane producing areas and through lush greenery of forests and fields. As always we just sit and when Sue says were out of here we get out trying to unload around the remaining 9 people 2 kids and a live chicken.

We were met on the side of the road by Sue's sister Becca, and off we went in a fairly new Toyota with padded seats not the metal rod that I had been sitting on for the last 1 1/2 hours. As we turned the last corner we heard drummers and singing and realized that this was a reception in our honour. A local women's group, all dressed up, were under tents to greet us. The drummers continued as we were met the leaders and were shown to our seats a the front. We were given an overview of the group who act as paralegals and push for equal rights for women and coordinate the providing of micro credit loans from US Aid. After a welcome speech by the chair we all introduced ourselves and were entertained by traditional dancers  and drummers. Madeline and Shalen headed off to interview the elders of the group and we sat there neither group knowing what we were supposed to do between the sets of music. I asked if they would like me to say something - I think they all needed something to do so as Sue translated I spoke about my experiences as a police officer and how the Community Based Policing initiative was the same as one of their goals to get the community involved. We then spoke about the Library and Rotary ending with questions. Remember we area 120 miles from Luweero so the first statement was - " A library is a great start but we need technical schools to train our youth." the next - " when do you intend to bring a library to us so we can have the same benefits?" I explained we area a Club of 13 and told them about the other things we support.

Once Madeline and Shalen were finished we had some more entertainment then off to lunch. It is amazing the things they cook steamed in banana leaves.

More entertainment including a person on stilts made of cows legs in a Halloween mask who was a great hit with the kids - imagine being chased by a 10 foot monster when you are 2 feet tall.

We were so impressed by this group and the way we were treated, we pooled our money and came up with enough for 2 grants to augment the 9 they had already. These grants are good for 1 year before they have to be paid back with an interest rate of 2%. The elder of the group called up the next 2 who were in line and who would have had to wait one year to improve their farms and lives they are now one year ahead of their life plans. Now imagine standing there to have a 40 year old woman drop to her knees in tears thanking you for this "hand up". I will probably have a different feeling the next time the family drives through "McDonalds" .

I could think of no nicer way of ending such an event but the host family advised us that we were only 18 km from the "Source of the Nile" and we should go there. Off we went in Becca's car, this is the industrial area of Uganda and we saw many large factories and plants. We also noticed a group dressed in grass skirts who were a different tribe ( The Nile is the home of a different tribe from the Kampala area) Apparently they were heading to a circumcision ritual 14 year old as a sign of his entering manhood. There will be lots of dancing and song by all - except the honored one old I would imagine.

The Nile was impressive with a major power dam right at the head of it a few pictures later and off we headed to Kampala. This was the worst drive of our stay, imagine being in the smoke from your campfire for 21/2 hours with no way to escape then add trucks, buses, pedestrians, bikes many pot holes (should be called pot canyons) and the ever present Boda Bodas. Kampala was at a standstill and even when we finally met Jackson for the final leg the roads were clogged. He tried a short cut but the road was so bad we had to crawl as the "speed bumps" were scrapping the underside of his car. Finally home we decided that we earned a beer and just sat at the guest house having a beer and eating snacks.

On Sunday morning we are headed to the Murchison Falls area in the north to go on a safari and tour the Nile on a river boat. Our guide picks us up at the guest house and he will be us the whole time. We hope to stay in tree houses and other unique areas. I doubt there will be Internet so I will be back on the computer on Wednesday or Thursday next week.