Final Blog - I'm Home

The final day started off with Jackson meeting me at the room to get my bags and take them back to the house. The guest house meal coordinator met me in the lot saying she had laid out my food and all was ready for me. She was quite happy that she remembered it was my last day and she was prepared. As I entered the restaurant I noticed a group of four eating at a table and no other food anywhere else. As they continued to chow down they remarked there really wasn’t enough for them and tried to get the service staff to rustle up some more food. I went out to find the coordinator and we had a chuckle as we both realized this group had been eating my food. A hot replacement meal was served and off I started for the day. 

First to Kasana to get some money – didn’t work as the bank said the Mastercard network was down (I have realized this means the bank machine is out of money). Next, off to the Internet to do a little blogging and catch up on the news. I then arranged to meet Sue at the supermarket to purchase some chairs for the library. As I was walking down the main highway the town doctor drove by on his motorcycle and I waved. He promptly stopped and turned around to pick me up and drive me to the house. Many waves and laughs from the residents at the Muzunga being driven by the doctor and smiles from ourselves as we arrived at the house. Sue and I walked to get the chairs which I promptly carried home on my head. I was not as efficient at the head carry as the local women and the fact that Sue was walking and I was doing the carrying caused more comments and smiles. We puttered around all day getting the sewing machines up and running on the tables we had originally bought for the computers. I cut the legs down and then we cut the small pieces of wood in half and Dam made blocks for the kids in her school to use for counting. Nothing is wasted. More books were sorted and prepared for the trip to Jinga and we, of course, had to have some fenne to snack on and a little matoke, potatoes and nut sauce for a final meal. Jackson arrived at 4:30 with his son to drive us to Entebbe, hugs and waves to the girls and Ibram and we were off.  Becca had asked to go to the airport with us so we stopped in Kampala to pick her up and we drove through a different section of the City to continue our journey. We arrived at the airport at 8pm and after more goodbyes and Becca presenting me with 2 kilos of peanuts and some Uganda coffee, I was on my own, probably for the first time in 7 weeks. When I was allowed to enter the gate to get the boarding pass I was greeted by the agent saying there was a problem with my flight. Apparently there was a strike at the Frankfurt airport and they weren’t sure how I was going to get past Brussels. I met another Ottawa bound traveller and with tried to explain that this was not our problem but the airline’s. Confusion reigned and we were unable to get any confirmation of flights past Brussels and we couldn’t even get our baggage checked through. Sue had packed an extra suitcase of crafts for me to bring so I was lugging 2 carry on and 2 checked. The head agent was also of no help other than saying she would send an email to Brussels to try and ensure we got on a flight! Off we headed only to find out at the gate that she had not put the baggage claim stubs on my ticket. More confusion and a second set of claims were generated and off we went, Brussels bound at midnight. Arriving in Brussels we could not find an airline desk on the arrival side of the airport so we claimed our luggage and out through immigration. Of course the question at Brussels’s immigration “how long will you be visiting?”   We didn’t know 10 minutes or 2 days. The officer shrugged and said Frankfurt was a mess and let us through. We found a desk at the departure gate and they advised that we were still booked on the Frankfurt flight and everything was okay. We left Brussels 2 hours early and had a meal in Frankfurt waiting for our plane that left 1 hour late. Our Air Canada flight had fewer than 100 people on it and we were spaced out all over the plane with lots of leg room and everyone getting a window seat if they wanted. Too bad it was cloudy all the way. To complete the trip, as we exited the plane, the doors to Canada in the hallway would not open. Maintenance arrived 10 minutes later and opened them and we stepped into Canada, greeted by Sam and Spencer carrying balloons Mom, Dad, Chris, 2 grandkids (Will and Jack) and a great hug from my wife Sue.

As we travel over the Atlantic Ocean I wonder what I have experienced over the past seven weeks. It seems fitting to do this as the great expanse of water separates two very distinct cultures. The people of Uganda are very proud and struggle to make a living in true small business fashion. They work out of small metal containers or brick shops of less than 100 sq. feet yet they always greet you with a smile and take time to make you feel very welcome. Their homes for 6, sometimes smaller than our bedrooms, are neat and clean with a pride of ownership that has them cleaning the dusty floors before they go to bed with a wet rag so they can wake up in the morning with a new start on the day. When you are invited for a visit you are provided food and drink even though you know in some cases this means they will do without for the next meal. Those who own a vehicle meticulously wash it daily to remove the red dust and dirt that covers everything.

Unfortunately as in all cultures there is a certain group who take advantage of their position of power but there is a new generation coming that no longer accepts this as proper. Whether it is the manager of the shipping company, the new members of Parliament, or a forward thinking Mayor, change is in the wind. The local talk shows enjoy the freedom of the press and are encouraging the present administration to step down proudly while they still can. The hosts and callers are telling them that like Egypt, Syria and the many other nations in Africa change is coming and it is up to them how they are dealt with.

I have been blessed to see the members of Sue’s extended family who give so much of themselves to help better their people. Becca’s family in Jinja, who are coordinating the distribution of micro grants, and are now, the hosts of a library for their community. Her brother John, who was our contractor, gave all of his time and expertise at no charge over the 3 weeks of construction.  Sue’s immediate friends in Luweero who have helped her create and maintain an innovated and much needed program for young women whose lives will be forever changed by the compassion of a family using their family home to provide a place of refuge for the victims of horrible tragedy. This is a program, much needed, but not yet delivered anywhere else we could find. These same family members ensured that we experienced the best of Uganda and they humbled us by calling us friends in an area of the world we only knew from books. Strangers who invited us to their wedding and friends who told of their stories letting us know the real drive of the people who call Uganda home.

I look back upon our assumptions at the beginning of this project and try to comprehend our expectations verse the reality. We realized early on that our preconceived notions should have been left on the plane when we arrived to be sent home immediately. How can we expect a donation of wood from one company that can only make wood boards for 2-3 hours a day when the power finally is turned on and this may be during a Sunday evening? This not only uses valuable time that they need to make a living it also cuts into their families’ earnings not those of a big company.  

We came up with what we perceived to be simple solutions to very evident problems. However, this is a culture that has been doing things a certain way for hundreds of years and they have worked quite well. Do we think creating a fire is a good way of handling garbage and dry grass problems? No! But, in an area that is dry and dusty ½ of the year they do need a process that removes the dead grass and prepares the soil for new growth once the rains return. Do they have the ability to recycle or reuse items that are presently discarded? Yes, but it took us in North America decades to deal with the issues and in some cases we still are so we are not the ones to judge. They do reuse everything they can from wood to metal. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has banned all plastic bags and will fine anyone who brings them into the country. Change is happening and it is the forward thinking mayors of the country who can lead the next generation. How can we convince them that kerosene lamps and fires are not a good way to light their night when they have no reliable source of electricity? Solar is a perfect answer to their situation but it is expensive and not in reach of the majority of the residents.

How many of us could take a $40 grant and turn it into a life changing event? Most of us would spend more than that amount on one meal and think nothing of it the next day. How would we as parents make the decision to send only one child to school if that was all we could afford? Which child would be the beneficiary of this life altering gift and how would we struggle to get this one child into high school and onto university with a payback period of more than two decades. This investment would affect the food on the table for the rest of the family for the same period. 

Can we make a difference? Yes, I believe we can. When we first spoke of this project with Rotary we were told that the best way to work in Uganda was through a dedicated family. We have something that most partners can only dream of, a large extended family who truly sacrifices for the good of their country. This family has the credibility to work in a community and get things done because they have demonstrated a genuine interest in bettering their communities.

Where do we go? More micro-credit loans would help struggling families improve their lives immediately. More education grants putting the youth through school would ensure a better future. A centre of excellence for technology, trades and business would give the country a bigger edge for future employment and competition. Composting and recycling or power generation from garbage would improve the health of both the people and the land and more centres dedicated to protecting and assisting the youth struggling with unimaginable horrors could give them the opportunity to once again dream.

I look forward to the opportunity in the future to work with all of you to make these dreams real!

Brad

All My Bags are Packed

Here's a first just about had the bog done and the power went out and I lost everything.

After we delivered the books and supplies to 5 schools we returned to meet the mayor and heads out to see the land he proposed. It was a wonderful 4 acres just past the edge of town but he had already spoken to the District Council and they  support the idea of a vocational school also. We noticed that there was a bore hole near by already used for water so water should not be a problem. Sue will have to meet with the officials next week to deal with a draft agreement we prepared. Once the land is ours to use she will plant fruit trees around the edge of the property to mark it and ward off squatters.  All of this was only possible due to the demonstrated commitment of Sue's entire family, Rotary and the rest of you. We are not a fly by night operation for sure. The Mayor also gave us the letter for our mayor requesting the assistance of Ottawa to deal with the garbage problem here. After all was done the mayor presented me with a plaque and stated that we have "changed the face of Luweero".

And we have:

When I arrived we would sit outside and watch 2 kids run by pushing an old tire for play. Last night we sat outside and watched 30 kids playing soccer, basketball and generally laughing and having fun till dark. We have had visitors in greater numbers everyday to the library even though it is not open for business yet! To further to good and hard work of all of you who donated time, money and energy we have also laid the "foundation" of another library at the "source of the Nile" and we are on track for our vocational school with an immediate "buy in" from a town that has never experienced the power of Rotary and scores of committed individuals who had never even heard of Luweero, Uganda one year ago.

I look froward to my final report and and blog, finally being able to provide all of you with the pictures that show this incredible  journey made possible by Rotarians, strangers, friends of us all and especially my wife and family who have supported this adventure.

Brad

Valentines Day

Tuesday morning started with me hitching a ride to the far end of Kasana to deal with our desk maker. Got all his issues straightened out and then off to see my friend Patrick at the supermarket. I picked up a surprise Valentine's Day cake for the evening meal. Next the bank then off to the Internet to do some work on letters Sue needed for the mayor. I returned to Maama Watali and then decided I had to go to the wood supplier to get the wood delivered a little faster. Some confusion as to what was ordered yesterday but we got it straightened out and back to sorting with Pross. With the extra wood we had 2 extra shelves built which help reduce the volume of boxes. Pross was wondering what the blue item was that I brought in one of the boxes. It was a punching bag which I blew up ( it is 4 feet high) once up the kids started coming around and we tried to hit each other and blocking ourselves. Of course every time it hit the ground it picked up more dirt which was promptly deposited on the face and school clothes of the kids and I. I can't imagine what the parents said when they got home but we all had a good laugh.

Sue received a call from the people in Jinja and to say they are ecstatic about their library is an understatement. They are already designing their building!

Once the supper main course was over I called all the kids out from where they eat (they eat in a different area) so it was like pulling teeth to get them out to our table. I gave a little thank you speech then opened the cake. It was a big hit with the inside joke being " Happy Birthday". We all had a good time with pictures to boot.

Wednesday was school delivery day starting with Dam's school. She had all the kids outside with parents included. A little speech about the library interpreted by Jackson an then the dramatics of opening the box of soccer balls and tossing them into the crowd of kids. We followed with the soccer jerseys and the moment was a hit (More pictures)  We repeated this event at 3 other junior schools and a high school who's students showed great interest in the location of the library.  

We have to meet with the Mayor at 4 today so off we go.

Boxes and Boxes

Monday Sue had to go to Kampala again so Pross, Maureen and I unpacked and loaded shelves with books and more books. We have had to order more shelving but we still won't get all the books on shelves if we want people to be able to move around. After a "team meeting" we have decided to sort out some of the triplicate copies (How many copies of Daniel Steels and Tom Clancy does one library require?) and we will try and partner with the folks in Jinja and get them their library now. This will give us two substantial libraries in different parts of the country, a real accomplishment for our "little" Club's first major international project.

My goal yesterday was to personally inspect every box that we unloaded and unfortunately I did not find the missing items. I have sent an email to the shipping company requesting compensation for the missing computers and tools.

We had a wonderful meeting with the mayor last evening. Sue and Jackson were held up in Kampala due to traffic (nothing new) so we had a dinner meeting of fish, potatoes and matoke. He was very interested in the garbage and composting ideas and we suggested that the composting centre could actually be a "micro-credit" job opportunity for someone. We have offered the expertise of Ottawa in providing the theoretical and practical challenges that need to be surpassed in changing not only the present process but the cultural shift. I really hope our councilor, Shad Qadri, supports us on this idea or I will have to a lot of research to do instead of just using the combined knowledge of the city employees.

Sue was on a role so she decided to see if the mayor was in the mood to discuss a vocational school "centre of excellence". He most certainly was and we are off on Wednesday to look at some city land that could be used for a nominal lease amount. We have been encouraged but his desire to push Luweero to the Uganda forefront in recycling, composting, and technical education.

Maybe we will get a "twining of cities" between Ottawa and Luweero and we will all make a substantial contribution to this area of Africa.

Unpacking

The trick to getting water is to be up at 04:30 before everyone else is and get the water that has been pumped overnight. A very slow pump apparently as once 7 comes around the tank is empty. I did get my 3 litres of water pumped and purified and I will have to clean up in a basin again.

We found out that they had power for just over an hour this morning so the wood made it through a planer once and most were cut close to size. We had to get the carpenter in the next shop to hand plane all the edges of the 60 - 5' boards - that cost another 20,000 shillings. Once they were all delivered by bicycle we cut them all to the proper length much to the delight and wonder of many as the battery power saw kept on trucking without power anywhere else and the batteries were charging as fast as required. Putting them together was a challenge as I had one real hammer and a kids one that I was going to let them play with but once again improvise and it was much better than using a brick!  We will get about 8 - 8' high shelves out of this wood which will make a great dent in the piles. The girls have taken interest in arranging the novels by author - so far Danielle Steele wins the most donated book prize.

We have a section on Project Management, Accounting, Geography and Ecology, Canada, French, Arts and Crafts,Religion, kids books and novels. Some of the sections keep getting bigger so we have to move books a few times to keep it organized. Note to anyone contemplating another such event - sort in Canada with people who know the subject matter!

We had a visit from a teacher in another town that heard what was going on and he wants to get his school involved. Another minister came by and he was interested in the religion section and being able to direct his congregation here. The story in Uganda is if you want to hide money put it a book as no one knows what it is for. He agreed that our resource was the start for the people to gain knowledge and begin  the change. A Kampala radio announcer came up and he praised the resource and wanted us to autograph a soccer ball for him to take back to the station. (Not sure how far that contact will go but he did say he wished he had been at customs with us once he heard the computers were missing!)

We have looked at our inventory of books and decided that we have enough to give each school a set of encyclopedias and a dictionary. We don't think we will be able to get the school sets together before I leave so we will present these items when Sue is booking appointments for them to come and see and work out the logistics including our head librarian Ms. Pross. Sue is returning in July so she should be able to get an idea of how it is going and fine tune the process before we expand the service.

We had a visit from the town Councillor, sort of a ward Councillor by job description, so over morning break we spoke about the subject of garbage and environment, Sue and I had talked about some solutions as that is her next endeavor for Uganda which is well on the way. I suggested that since their garbage collectors drive around and pick up stuff with shovels they should give everyone a garbage can which the guys could dump quicker and easier - okay it isn't original back home! We were discussing how everything is blowing around and how a the collection could be turned into energy - I will have to speak to Plastco. The discussion continued to the poor soil and since it dries out so quickly it stays dusty. Plan B, how about a community wide compost pile which could be mixed with the sand to make soil, plant some grass along the road and dust problem solved. We have a meeting with the mayor at 5pm Monday (he wanted 7am but we declined).

Well tomorrow is market day so it will be interesting to see how the basketball net is incorporated into the sales out front of the house. The kids were here all day playing basketball and enjoying the building of shelves, helping by holding up the shelves as we nailed the supports. Even the delivery guy was smiling after his third bike trip in the middle of the day. I think you could say our plan is a hit.

Speaking of garbage we now have one of the kids cutting the bottoms off the water bottles and we will use then for seedlings to sell - our tomato plants are over 2" high now.

Things that I forget to mention:
- when we came back from the Internet on Thursday one of the girls said that a friend of Sue's dropped over some cassava and chicken. I walked into the back and found the chicken tied up to the water container. I am not quite a local yet as I did get a bit of a start. It was a good dinner on Friday night.
- Maximum number of kids on a boda boda (100cc motorcycle) 5 - age 20
- Maximum number on a bicycle - 4 - Mom Dad and 2 kids headed to church Sunday morning

Saturday Feb 11

I was up early so headed to Kasana to get money and nails for today. Too early, as the stores were closed. Back for breakfast then off to the house. Sue met me at the woodworkers but they had not had power since before we placed our order so no shelving material. We negotiated for some 2x4's and  had them delivered by bike. This wood enabled us to create shelves in the storage room so we could get stuff out of the way. Sue's "sister" Becca arrived to help sort and we were off fixing the shelves and getting everything we had on shelves straightened up. Paper backs are 3 deep in some sections and we have a whole section of National Geographics 3 feet wide and 8 feet high of shelving stuffed. Reference and religious sections, reader's digest and novels. We only need the wood to get it finished but there has not been power all day.

Kids dropped by while we were working and asked for a basketball to play and more men stopped to see when we would be opened. It just gets better and we wont let the loss of the computers destroy the mood as the interest in reading is fantastic and we also found some little kids dresses and shoes to give out. Soccer jerseys have been divided for the different schools and we will start that process before I leave.

The clock purchased by Sam (my son) now hangs prominently on the wall inside the library and it is the only clock I have seen in Luweero.
   

Let there be light

Okay a little Sappy but! We started Friday out with shelf building and then 5 of Moses' classmates arrived by taxi-bus from Kampala to get the power up. A quick overview and ideas and off we went, they wanted to work as a team on each segment of the task so started off with getting the panels on the roof. Roofs here are corrugated tin that is so light they roll it up and take it to the site on their bicycles. Support is 4 foot on centre top to bottom and trusses spaced between 6 and 8 feet apart. Now put 6 - 22 year olds and one 50+ up there and you can imagine the sounds. Not to mention the ladder is 2 tree trunks about 3 " in diameter with whatever for rungs. So I pointed gave the plan then got down to assist in cutting the wood etc for the braces. About an hour later panels were installed, wires run through the roof, caulked and sealed. Sue and I left as they were finishing up to order wood for more shelves. Upon return they were all over the attic and walls following wire runs and testing switches. I asked that they install the controls first so we could get the inverter installed and charge the batteries. So the "team" got to it, all of us in a storage room that is 5 feet wide and 12 feet long. A little cramped as everyone wanted to see! All connected I found a problem with the panels not charging the system so Moses got to it as I was on the phone with the company. Moses was quicker than the rep as he found the panel had been wired wrong from the factory, not bad for a guy that has never seen one before. Fixed and the panels were charging at 5.4 amps. The lights were a bit of a problem as we had one major problem - we cannot locate the tool box with all the pliers and electrical connectors so our solution was once again the multi-tool (thanks Chris). Six worker bees and one pair of pliers, one hammer, and a pairing knife. It was very humorous as we are saying it is in the box instead of the container.  Unfortunately the tools and computers are missing so far and we are not holding out much hope of finding them. I guess they were found at customs and not only did we have to pay extra because they were on the packing slip but they were taken to be sold. - I really hope I can retract this comment once every box is unpacked there are only a few left and definitely no tool box.

After the electrical was all done we had a little 3 on 3 basketball game to the delight of all the kids and parents watching. Pictures handshakes and everyone leaving with a book for themselves and one for their families it was another great day but it wasn't over. I wandered out to the adult section and there were 3 - 4 men at any time reading books before they even made it on the shelves. One child came by and said he was supposed to ask when he could sign up to learn here, and Henry our contact with the district health council, was all set to send his staff down to sort and he wants to get going on the lecture/presentation series as it is just what he needs. We ate dinner under our new outdoor courtyard light and after I headed home the girls stayed up watching the lights (not the stars) imagining the power of the sun. Apparently they saw 1 am which was quite a novelty, they even went and got water as a reason to stay up. However, they were a little tired for school and church Saturday morning.

I was really looking forward to my shower but once I got to the guest house apparently 20+ women drained the tank before me so I had to use a Jerry can and bucket.

I forgot to mention yesterday as we were unloading the container a 8 - 9 year old boy stopped to help and he was quite the trooper for almost an hour. When he said he had to go Sue offered to buy him a drink or food, he said he would rather have a book! Can it get any better than that? I asked Sue who he was - she didn't know and no one else did apparently he lives outside town and was passing through.

 

It is real

I was at at 5:30 - not too excited- but I decided it was a little early. I went over to the restaurant and they were preparing a buffet breakfast as 20 + women have arrived for a workshop on family planning training. So much for quiet breakfast anymore. However, breakfast was a treat starting with fresh bananas and tea.Then the buffet of matoke (cooked bananas) beef stew and an egg omelet (this was special for me). Over to the house with the photo op of Sue and I cutting the seal. The door opened and of course stuff fell out but off we went. 4 teenage girls, 1 teenage boy, 2 - 20 year old men, Sue and I. Just over 1.5 hours later the boxes were sorted between kids, adult and reference,  and the container was empty. We bought a case of pop to celebrate. Sue wouldn't let anyone have a break until it was done!

Then we started the organization. Moses and I built the first 3 shelving units with "his tools" including cordless drill, saw and hand tools. After that Mama Kyanji decided she wanted to get involved so she took my place and I started building a basketball net. It couldn't have gone better if planned, the neighbourhood kids were over helping build and filling the base with sand . Once the net was up even the adults were interested and everyone laughed as I lifted kids up to "dunk" their first one.

We started to fill the bookshelves as they were being built but even though we had sorted the boxes we still couldn't find the "right ones". We began filling the bottoms with the heavy encyclopedias, but could only find partial sets of all  four series we brought. Maama Kyanja has taken a remarkable interest in the library she is in total control of where things should go and even though we wanted to call it a day after 8 hard hours she said that the kids had to keep working as she wanted a certain section done. It sounds so familiar!

Sue and I left to go to the internet and left them to put together "their library" you cannot buy commitment like we saw today and to make your heart even warmer, every once in a while one of them would stop to glance at a book or even the pictures in some of the larger reference ones. This is what we have all waited for, a true library that lets kids explore what they could only have imagined. We found electronic books for Moses, sewing and quilting for Mama Kyanja, cooking for Maureen and Ellen was presented with her long prayed for chemistry book when she came home from school.

All of you out there created this and I have the fortune of being the emissary, on the ground to witness something so special. To complete the day the younger kids were outside riding tricycles, using a bulldozer and kicking soccer balls as we worked inside. I watched kids laugh and run after balls as parents watched from a distance with their own delight.

I thank all of you for making Sue and my dreams come to light.

It continues

Wednesday morning I slept in believing that the container was on its way. Sitting at the breakfast table I received a call from Sue. Jackson was on his way to pick me up as she figured I should come in. When she arrived the agent advised there was more to pay. I think I was visibly angry this time and by the time we were 1/3 of the way Sue called to say there were storage, handling, and other charges we had to pay. I now had over an hour to stew. Sue was also required to get a stamp for Maama Watali so the documents could be stamped as her passport and ID were not enough. We picked up the stamp from Sue and I advised I was going to deal with it, she was waiting on other documents to bring. When we arrived, Jackson and I were met by the agent who I promptly told I did not want to deal with and told him to get me the guy in charge! If you don't know know me the wrath of Brad is interesting to watch. The receptionist started to try and deal with it and the agent was trying to play me. I asked if the receptionist was the person in charge - No she is the person you pay the money to. He didn't get it! I told the receptionist I wanted to the guy in charge! she took Jackson and I to a large table in the middle of the open concept office and asked us to sit (ya right!) She brought over another man who started and I excused myself and said " are you the guy in charge?" Nope. Then I want him as this will not stop with you. Off we went to a corner and met Emmanuel- General Manger and top guy. I laid out the chain of events and highlighted the lies over the past 6 weeks. He was obviously  well schooled in customer relations as he took each one and dealt with them recognizing that there were several problems to be addressed, the worst one being his agent!

By the time we were done Emmanuel had covered the cost of the second truck we hired to transport the extra items, reduced storage costs to zero, adjusted shipping costs and guaranteed to refund any items that were covered in the original contract that were improperly accounted for. We also obtained a guarantee for any broken or damaged items upon opening the container. He also acknowledged the administrative faults which he would address and report back to me. Topping it all off with a cold glass of fresh passion fruit juice for both Jackson and I.  As a side bar Sue called Jackson 2-3 times to see if I was being good! Unfortunately the agent still managed to get it messed up in the shipping yard that required me to visit Emmanuel a few more times.

We stopped to eat on our way home after watching the truck leave the yard and even after a 1 hour break we managed to catch the truck 1/2 way to Luweero, the hills are so steep that you hold your breath hoping the truck will make it over the crest. We followed until it crested the 2 largest hills then past it and headed to Luweero. It will be a busy day unloading for all, even Moses was pulled out of school to help.

The container saga has almost ended and I have to Feb 16 to do what I had planned to do in a month!

You can't beleive

We attended the shipping yard right at 10 for our morning appointment. They were supposed to be ready for us but somehow 4 containers were parked in front of ours. We waited for a hour for the other containers to be removed then we were asked to open it. It has been so long since I saw it I forgot the container was silver. Once I opened it - pictures courtesy of Sue- the workers came at it with a pair of bolt cutters. I asked what they were doing as they started cutting through the rope. I was advise they were verifying the contents - it was pretty obvious since you could see the boxes of books. Next they said they were looking for the computers. Off they went tossing boxes out and I yelled after a few were broken and they were about to throw the fragile (well marked) solar controls. They had worked there way well past 1/2 way and we tried to tell them they had past the computers but they were on a fishing trip. Boxes being opened and stuff looked at even though we told them if a box said books on it it was! Over 1/3 of the boxes and all the shelving solar and soccer balls were outside when the customs officer came by took a few details and told them to repack it. This was after she decided that she liked one of the soccer jackets, 2 balls and some books for her kids. I was happy thinking it was done so I gave the workers a ball each from the bag of used ones. As they were repacking I was trying to explain that they had to put it back a certain way or it wouldn't fit. Like trying to get the item back in a box from the manufacturer after it is opened. Sue headed out to another meeting and Jackson and I watched as they attempted to repack. At the same time we had to keep an eye on the stuff outside as other workers were coming by to help themselves to the open boxes of books. I even saw a guy trying to read a French-English dictionary ( lot of good here). I received a phone call from Sue asking how much money I had on me (not enough) so we had to make arrangements to pay the "nice" customs lady  300,000 shillings to get the container cleared (no receipt) And to think she asked me about coming to Ottawa for a visit and if I would tour her around. That won't be happening! Everyone was very interested in the tricycles and tractor and they needed special attention as I tried to explain they were for the kids of Luweero. The packers were unable to get all the items back in and coincidentally the 2 tricycles, tractor and other items were left out in a warehouse that was not secure. We could not get the agent to inventory the items so we were skeptical of their safety. After we paid the clearing agent said the documents had to go to another building and a messenger was taking them by motorcycle. As soon as he was done with that the container would be released 2:30pm. Jackson and I sat around waiting being reassured that the truck would be loaded to day. However, at 4:30 we saw the agent heading out for home. He decided to leave early with his words being we would be first out in the morning. Total frustrated we left at 5:15 but Sue decided to stay in town for the evening on a hunch. A 3 hour drive home due to traffic congestion topped off the day.

Well it was at least opened on the African continent and repacked !

The disappointment continues

After lunch at our favorite buffet in Kampala, its the only one we know of, Sue and I headed to the shopping district to kill some more time. The traffic(people , cars, taxis and boda bodas) was crazy with everyone fighting for an inch to move. Sue got the attention of one driver as we crossed the road and he stopped to let us through. A male teenager got between us and I noticed his hand going into Sue's purse. A quick grab of both of his arms and holding him dead in his tracks caught him off guard and he turned to show a look of terror. Sue also turned with his squeal and I promptly reminded him it was wrong and he took off like a shot. Discussing later with Jackson I guess there is a substantial amount of violence inflicted on them when caught as the locals are very displeased with this activity. Jackson recounted many stories of how these usually end up so I was rather soft.

We started calling the shipper at 3 since we were supposed to have it done today and we knew the yard closed at 5. Needless to say, the excuses started - the network went down right after we paid and we were in the queue but probably wouldn't get it today. I was rather mad and a phone call would have been a nice touch instead of letting wander the city for a day. We decided enough was enough and the senior personal of customs were contacted. We have been assured that if we attended at the custom yard tomorrow at 10 the container will be released to us as soon as it is opened. Robert has arranged for the truck to meet us there at the same time.  It always sounds like a good plan but I will wait till tomorrow before I celebrate.

We stopped at the cabinetmakers on the way home he wasn't there but he did answer the phone, at first he said he thought we were picking them up. Sue reminded him we paid for delivery so he then said he forgot where to deliver  - Who knows its Uganda 

Sunday

Our desks (tables) were not delivered on Sat as promised so I thought that I would try and figure out what happened as Sue had spent the night in Kampala. I wandered over to the next town to see if the cabinet maker was in the office but it was closed for Sunday - a rarity here. Oh well another job for Monday!

It 's getting hotter everyday I walked the 2km to the house and sat down and had a nap waiting for Jackson to get back from church and Sue to come back for lunch. The heat is making eatting a little harder fruit for lunch is a good choice and then we eat supper after dark by solar lamps!

A friend of Jackson's wanted to show us a school he had for sale so this was our afternoon adventure. To say this pllace was off the beaten track would be an understatement. Once we arrived 45 min later we were met by a steep climb up a hill wander through the cowpatties and thorns then to the buildings. The first clue that this wasn't going to work was the fact  the buildings were the last on the tour. The buildings were more suited for a hostle and were a collection of small rooms surrounding an office. I guess once people think you are in the market they will call anything a school to get us to buy as that is the presumption once you are shown - you will buy.

One of our objectives is a vocational school without physical barriers so the disabled can attend as well. We are very specific in our requirements for an area to farm for food, a soccer pitch for exercise, room for teacher quarters and room for expansion, which makes it easy to discount some properties.

After a light supper I headed back to the guest house and since we had planned to leave early Sue sent the staff a message saying to forget breakfast. Up at 6, I met the girl in charge in the parking lot and said my goodby's for the day. She was confused as they had got up early and prepared my breakfast for me. A quick call to Sue and I sat down to eggs, sausage and tea - my morning ritual. I noticed a goat had followed me to the restaurant and waited outside, as I left he came with me and walk over 1/2 way to town at my side just as a dog would do. I wasn't sure if I should take him back or let him wander but I left on the edge of the built up area happily munching someone's grass. Maybe he is waiting for me to come home to walk back.

Our trip to town was slower than normal (I guess the potholes are getting bigger). Once we arrived we had to find a bank and of course the one we picked (Barclays) wouldn't accept my card. Sue called her Kampala contacts and we found the regular bank I deal with in Kansa (Stanbic) and we were good to go. Wandering over to the shipper with a pocket full of cash  we kept our heads up.  We paid the shipper 935,000 shillings and then we were told they would call us to meet at the container. Apparently the money has to go somewhere else to meet up with the paper work!

So we are now killing time in a cool Internet cafe. I think we will go to "pork joint", Jackson's favourite, for lunch to celebrate once I touch the elusive big brown box.

Sat Feb 4

This is Chris' last day so we are wandering to the house then she will leave with Sue in the afternoon by taxi to Kampala where Sue's sister will drive them to the airport in Entebbe. Jackson left this morning with Chris' bags in his car and they will meet in Kampala. At the guest house Chris dolled out gifts and trinkets to the kids and left a pile of clothes behind. We all will leave our clothes behind and take back items for Sue to sell in Canada to cut down the transport costs for her. She sure wouldn't want to put it in a container!

The painter has started on the window. It is a good day when you can get 5 coats of oil based paint on - a little dry here. The renovators of the guest house are also redoing all of the beds. They varnish and leave them outside overnight to dry while they are parging and painting the inside of the rooms.

As we walked into town today we saw a dust storm. A mini tornado dancing down the street picking up sand, dust, plastic and paper. It was quite fascinating to watch and of course I forgot to bring my camera.  It continued and reached about 30 feet high until it tried to cross the road and "ran out of steam"! Crossing the road is dangerous even for tornadoes here.

Sue and Chris left about 2:30 and an hour later they called to say that the taxi had a tire blow out and they were on the side of the road. Steve was called and he went off to rescue them all he works with a taxi driver ( they have a driver and coordinator (money collector) in each van)

I tried to call Canada all day but the network was down - this is a new one for me but nothing is truly unexpected anymore. Our furniture maker did not show up with the desks so I am off to try and see what happened. Sue stayed in town with her sister so I will attempt it on my own. 

The next hurdle

Sue came back from Kampala without the container. The newest twist is that they have decided that books are taxable so they are going to determine how much we owe and send us the bill then we have to attend the yard Monday morning to open the container for them to see. Sounds a little backwards, and they asked for me! My guess here is the bill for the government - oh! white guy here is my hand to be covered.

John, the contractor, came buy with his team on Friday and inserted the new window in the wall. Unfortunately it is two feet too low as they found the main support lintel in the middle of the wall instead of above the old ventilation holes so it couldn't be removed. The kids will be able to crawl over and look out and there is a security grill over it that will hold them in. The window will be painted and fill with glass on Sunday.

Our garden is doing remarkable. The tomato and chard seeds have already sprouted since the girls are watering them every morning and they hot sun all day. We will have to thin them out by next week as Kyanja was a little liberal on spreading the seeds in the trench.

Today I saw a 5 - 6 year old boy herding a pig along the road. With the 8 and 5 year old's herding the cattle (8) along the the side of the highway it sure makes you wonder how fast they must grow up. One evening we saw a 13 year old girl using an old bike tire as a hula-hoop and Sue remarked that is what girls should be allowed to do!

Today is Chris' last day as she is returning home. With Madeleine, Shalan and Chris returning to husbands and families and Sue moving to Maama Watali, I will be the last in the guest house as it is being renovated and all customers have left. It will be interesting to see what my breakfasts are as Sue usually has to intervene every day for something.

I have run out of jobs at the house, best I could come up with is buying a push broom to clean up after the demolition of the wall. Even the broom was sub-standard but the girls like it and would like a mop with a long handle so they don't have to use a rag on their knees to clean the entire floor. I am going to try and make one for a project today out of the broom handle and some t-shirts. A project - yeah - since I am running out of books.

Not for Kids

You may have noticed as I write that I have not included the feelings and impressions of others of the group. Madeleine and Shalan wrote me after they returned home and read the blog and felt there were items I left out. Our shared experiences have made us laugh and cry but a few need to be told. I have added my comments and explanations in italics

The one thing you missed is that the "AK47 touting ranger" was in fact "a very strong woman with a big gun", remember? oh, and you missed

_ the bruising from the game drive - four people trying to look at animals from a sunroof as we bounced through the Savanna

- the brothel -  the room next to theirs at the student hostel apparently had a second function

- the union breaks -  we found a nice bar with a thatched roof and a very short music track featuring numerous Celine Dion songs and many other light songs we all were ashamed we knew the words to. By the way the ice cream bicycle has the Titanic movie theme as its calling on a one minute cycle!

- the snake - Sue called me one night to come to hers and Chris' room while Chris was playing cards. She saw something move under the bed I moved the bed and saw a very skinny and 20" long snake wiggling away. It was apparently very poisonous so I grab the biggest shoe and made a very lucky shot. Carrying it outside with Sue watching that Chris hadn't seen it. Of course the inside joke for several days was "should we play snakes and ladders tonight"  They had a hold in their drain where it probably came up 

- your dangerous walking skills (walking into boda bodas) It was very dark one night and as I turned to face the road he came flying by I was grabbed by Shalan who probably saved my nose and other assorted parts.

- Edith and Patrick -  two very fine shop keepers who were a great source of information of where stuff was in Kasana. They always smile and take time to load my phone or talk about themselves. She came as a refugee from Rwanda with her family many years ago

- card games -  Madeleine tried to teach us Rumoli 500  - with her own rules we suspect. But it did give us many hours of fun in the evenings

- lots and lots of laughter

- dirt and burning tires - The never ending smell all day and night

- not being able to wash out the dirt -  everything has a red hue to it from the sand

- the walks

- tears and roller coaster of emotions as stories were told

- frustration moments -   so much to do and where to start - although I do admit they have some great ideas for us to work on when we get back

- grief moments

- moments of wonder

- extraordinary transformations -  you cannot be here without having it change you. I hope that I can retain most of it

- bonding of new friends under extraordinary conditions

- the value of a hug just in time -  everyone of us had moments where we were touched by something either from home or here and we counted on our friends to carry us a bit

- the getting to know the girls and listening to what they had to teach us - Adults learning from teenagers - what a concept

- the food - different and cooked with great joy

- the non-existent personal space

- making and drinking swimming pools - filtered chlorinated water 6 litres everyday- until our trip where we packed enough for several days

- playing with Ebra and his welcoming morning greetings - A two year old that screams with excitement every morning we arrive

- the meaning of gentle - two year olds can be a little rough

- children's faces - only the pictures will explain this 

- wonderment of the girls in our funny skin and hair

- babies dying on the floor at the back of the baby class

- quiet moments - we all needed them to reflect on the day

It is a long list but they are snippets of what we have and are experiencing

It's been touched

Yes it is hard to believe but Rotarian Robert from the Makindye Club was able to actually touch the container in Kampala. Sue has headed in (Friday morning) with a wad of cash hoping to get it on the way here today so our Rotarian Crew can get to work on it Saturday. Our contractor has the window and is set to install it - funding from the Makindye Club. Moses' school class is on board to come up and install the solar system and deal with the renovation of the electrical system. All we need is a 20 foot container to be parked on a sand lot out front!

I went back to the bank yesterday afternoon (5pm) and the lineup was only 5 people long so I got in and waited my turn. Since you have been reading this blog you realize that there cannot be a simple conclusion to this - The machine ran out of money at the person in front of me. Chris and I returned Friday morning and waited with 30 other people but we were successful.

The weather continues to be sunny and mid 30's all day and a cool high teens in the evening. Steve a friend of Maama Watali  who has helped us out over the past month came down with malaria yesterday. That makes 3 people we have known since our arrival who have contracted this disease. They cannot fight it on their own they must get to a doctor and get medication. Apparently if the medication works properly they begin to get better after 2 days. Unfortunately Uganda appears to be a dumping group for inferior products including medications. The local doctor has said that if he has North American medication it can be beat with 2 doses but the cheaper stuff takes significantly more time and if it doesn't do even a bit its off to hospital.

Theirs is a life of challenges that just keep coming but they are a happy lot overall

Fish eyes

Sue had to go to Kampala today to be available to deal with container issues, I sat next to the phone ready to send documents. I had to prepare a packing slip with a letterhead on it and send it to her. Chris decided to go Kampala and do fabric shopping with Sarah (Sue's sister). Saturday is Chris' last day so she is in the finish off all the tasks mode.

I decided to go to the house and clean up the storage area. This is a 6 x 10 cupboard that is used to store everything from coal to food to old paint. I started taking out the big stuff finding a bike, 4 hoes, 6 gallons of paint, knives and machetes, corn and a floor of small coal pieces along with lots of wood and other stuff. Filling up the wheelbarrow we have (in comparison mine at the cottage has another 10 years in it!) I started. First I had to get the big stuff out then sorted through the coal to make sure any big pieces were saved. Locating 8 plastic coke bottle containers I was able to use them for the shelving support (the old college days) and the end result looks pretty good.

Annette brought me lunch and after walking through the market smelling the small minnows that had been dried I finally tasted them - WHOLE- yup they just warm them up and place them on top of the rice you eat them while they are looking at you.... A different experience and they didn't taste too bad if you kept your eyes closed since they didn't

I headed back to the guest house to hose off the coal dust and dirt and off to the bank. For 3 weeks I have been wondering why there is a tent and benches out front of the bank now I know the first of the month there are 30 + people lined up for the ATM.

It is 5 pm so I will try again hopefully they all got bored and left

If you could only believe

Tuesday was Madeleine and Shalan's last day so a quick breakfast and a walk with a few pictures along the way. We did a little Internet work then it was decided that Sue and I would go with them to Kampala where we would go to the Rotary meeting while Jackson drove them to Entebee. We arrived at the meeting a few minutes late but were warmly welcomed and once again totally unaware it was a fundraising meeting for them to provide a window and ventilation at Maama Watali. We sat there and listen to bantering and joking as the hat was passed. 385,000 Uganda Shillings later and we had enough for everything. I said a few words of thanks - more pictures and Robert tried to explain what the issue was with the container. He had committed to spend all Wednesday morning at the shipper's yard and get it straightened out We also met a Rotarian who was senior in the Customs Dept and she offered her help. What a high to leave the meeting waiting for Jackson we sat down to a great Chinese meal of lamb, fish, rice and spareribs. We were picked up about 9 and headed home. No wonder the travel books say not to travel at night, we had large buses passing us on blind corners forcing cars to scream to a stop and head for the shoulders. We had noticed on our way yo town that a 18 wheel truck had broken down and the mechanics were swapping out the motor on the side of the highway- why take it to the garage? The truck was still on the side of the road adding one more obstacle for the drivers. And yes the power was out in all the towns on the way so we had coal lamp lit market workers to watch out for!

Finally home the bed was a wonderful comfort..

Wednesday we heard from Robert - to try and solve the problem he convinced the shipper to go to the yard and look for the container to open it. They wandered and could not locate it. Several phone calls later revealed that although it had been signed in the container had not yet arrived the truck had broken down on the side of the road near Jinja several days ago and they were trying to fix it. The truth is fleeting here.
Robert also advised that he now required a packing slip and we are starting over trying to bypass the bond yard!  I won't be home for a few weeks now I guess.

On a positive note the internet in Luweero was down so we headed to Kasana and found a high speed place with a really big fan to keep us cool