Today Dwight and I decided to start the day with some shopping in Karatu before heading to the office. First we took a stroll through the town and came across a market…mostly food. It was really interesting…dark, narrow aisles and tons of stalls. I was thinking today that I would love to have a videographer follow us around on the trip cause I don’t want to forget anything.

(Above) Me in the market

On the edge of the market there was a little tailor shop with lots of colourful Kengas (the wraps that women wear). A young girl, Anna, greeted us at the door and she and Mama Nema started showing us a bunch of different patterns. Anna told us the price, which was a couple dollars more for each than what we’d seen at other places. However, we were enjoying their banter and decided it was worth the extra cost. So we picked up four there. I posed for a picture with the girls and then we were on our way. In the town, along the main highway, we went into a large store that had tons of Kengas and Shukas (Masai Wraps). The prices they quoted were great so we picked up more there.

(Above) Dwight buying Kengas and Shukas and coffee

On the walk back, a woman with a baby in a Kenga on her back came up to us with some baskets. We weren’t planning to buy baskets but guess what…we bought a basket Then whoosh…we were descended upon by several other women selling baskets, It was difficult to say no, so guess who bought a bunch of baskets I know you’re supposed to haggle and that usually gets you a better price but we just aren’t that great at it, generally because we feel guilty…these folks likely aren’t all that well off.

We hung out at the office for awhile; Dwight had some work to do and I was posting the previous day’s blog and checking email. We’ve been spoiled here having wireless Internet access almost every day. After a delicious lunch, Liz, one of the girls in the office showed me how to tie a Kenga on my head. When she did it, it looked lovely but then I tried it myself and it was kind of lopsided…ha ha. I’m sure I will improve with practise now that I know the technique. One thing I’ve noticed here is that mirrors are set very high up so I find it a bit difficult to use them. Which may not be a bad thing. I’ve abandoned all vanity on this trip. Between the heat of Uganda and the dust of Tanzania, there’s no point worrying about how I look. Still glad I chopped the hair off although even this short it has a mind of its own and seems to curl in weird ways.

The dust here is incredible…red and fine. I’ve noticed when we get back from the field I have this nice rosy tan appearance but it all stays on the facecloth when I wash my face!

In the afternoon we drove out with Jean to Awet School, about an hour from Karatu. It is a secondary school that is one of the top (academic) performing schools in the District. With the assistance of donors from Canada, a new dormitory is being built that will house 48 girls who currently have to travel long distances to school everyday and are often harassed on their way. Although Primary school education is government funded, Secondary school is quite expensive so it is quite an achievement for many families to send their kids. Families pull together to raise the money for it…it sounds like common practise for older siblings, who are working, to support their younger ones through school. The extended family network here is very important.

Awet is the school where those nurses from Ottawa (Sherry, Sylvie, Dina, and Carolyn) are doing their after school health education program with a group of female students. They were there when we arrived, and clearly the girls love them. Each had a couple of girls with their arms wrapped around them as they walked towards us. More students than usual were milling around because there was a football (soccer) game between their teachers and those of another school planned. Before they dispersed, we got the chance to sing a couple for songs for them and that was fun. We were on a raised platform looking out over a sea of beautiful young smiling faces. We planned to sing only one song, but when we were done, a young girl called out “One more song!” That was so sweet…how could we refuse?!

(Above) Dina, Sherry, Carolyn, and Sylvie vamping with their girls

Back at the hotel, we picked up some sodas and sat out in front of our room, reflecting on the day as the sun set. Once it was dark (approx. 7pm) we headed over to the dining room for dinner. About halfway there, all the lights went out. In the dining room they brought us a candle and that worked out just fine. After dinner, we stopped at the front desk to pick up another bag of laundry we’d taken in yesterday morning and one of the women on the hotel staff walked us back to our room with a candle. Just as we got to our room, the power came back on. Thank goodness cause, although it was nice for dinner, I don’t think it would have been so great in the room. We unpacked our laundry bag and were disappointed to find the laundry was still quite wet. Not sure how that happened unless they didn’t do the laundry til this afternoon, because both yesterday and today would have been great line drying days. We hung everything up in the bathroom by an open window so hopefully it will dry overnight…I don’t like the idea of packing damp clothes. Anyway, that was the first glitch here at the hotel so it’s not that big a deal.

Today was another great day. It started out at breakfast where we chatted with a couple of the women (nurses) from Ottawa that I mentioned in my first post from Tanzania. They had an incredible day yesterday. A nurse from the area, whom they met when they arrived here, had asked them if they’d help her with immunizations at a remote Masai village a few hours away and they agreed. They spent 5+ hours there and vaccinated over 80 people under difficult conditions which included a language barrier. It would have taken the clinic nurse til midnight doing it on her own. They were totally exhausted but clearly pumped by the experience. As they were describing their day I felt so proud of them, as a fellow Canadian. Their willingness to help really made a difference in people’s lives today.

Today, Deo, and Nderingo took us to visit some more farmers at the Sub Village of Maghesho who had participated in a CPAR agriculture/livestock program. Okay, I wasn’t going to mention bumpy roads again but I just have to. Wow, the CPAR folks here travel some rough terrain to do their work. The first two farms we visited weren’t accessible by vehicle so we went as far as we could where there were roads, then walked in the rest of the way. At one farm, that meant hiking up rather steep and rocky hill.

The climb was worth it though. The woman, Rebecca was so nice. She received a piglet from CPAR 9 months ago and now it is fully grown and pregnant. BTW, program participants in the area share a male pig provided by CPAR, in case you are wondering, as I did, how that happened when she was given only one baby piglet! So in a few months she will have another dozen or so piglets. As per the requirements of the program she will pass two of them on to other farmers in her community and keep the rest. She named the pig “Kuti Kuti”, which in Iraqi (her local language) describes the sound a pig makes (like Oink). I thought she was calling the pig Cutie…ha ha…well, it was kind of cute; all pink and seemed to have a smiley face! Incidentally Rebecca makes that climb up the rocky hill about 3 times a day, often carrying 20 litres of water.

(Above) Rebecca and Kuti Kuti

(Above) The road to Rebecca’s

When we got back to the car and started to drive away we got hung up on a rock and couldn’t move, so the guys built up a pile of rocks in front of one of the rear tires and thanks to 4 wheel drive, we got out. Not too far from there, we went to see the village vegetable plot where the farmers are growing Chinese Cabbage.

Because of the lack of rain, they have to use water they purchase from a water station. The scenery here is very deceptive. It seems beautiful and lush (i.e. green) when you look out over the landscape, but the green things we see are draught resistant plants that can’t be used for food or feed. A common theme of visits over the past few days has been impending crop failure due to lack of rain. It’s very sad because people put such effort into these crops and are so reliant on their success.

Not far from the Chinese Cabbage plot was another crop that Dwight and the others went to visit. There was no shade where we had been standing so I decided to wait for them in the truck. I am definitely not designed for prolonged sun exposure! There weren’t any people around so I decided to pass the time playing my guitar. Before long, a few people came around the car…one fellow leaned in the window to listen and we chatted a bit. 

After a while, Nderingo came to take me where the others were. A young farmer and his wife had invited us into their “kiosk” (small store with seating area) for a soda. That was so generous of them. Before we left, we sang a song for the group. It was really a wonderful visit for us.

(Above) Soda in the kiosk

(Above) Singing at Moghesho

We returned to the office and had a delicious lunch of beans, rice, and greens, then the guys, Jean, Naisosion, and us walked over to Umatu, the Women’s Resource centre I wrote about earlier in the week. The women had just completed baking a big batch of carrot and some banana muffins that were amazing. The women at this Centre have been through some pretty rough times, so when we were invited to sing for them, we chose ‘Marching’ and ‘I Wonder’…two of our “girl power” songs. It was so fun singing for them.

(Above) Sampling muffins at Umatu

A quick stop back at the office to check email and the hotel to freshen up, before going out with the gang from the office for a nice dinner. They are such a great group of people who are doing such important work.

While the days warm up nicely, the evenings and mornings are fleece-jacket-cold. As I write this in our hotel room, I have a blanket wrapped around my legs and my jacket on.

Today was very tiring but it was really interesting. We went to visit a few more rainwater harvesting projects. There are donors back in Canada who’ve contributed to these projects and Dwight wants to make sure they can see the great results of their support, so he is taking lots of pictures and videos.

The first school we visited, Haraa, was very remote and involved driving on some of the roughest road I’ve ever been on…and I have been on rough road. Haraa was very high up on a mountain and although the drive was quite gruelling, the visit was well worthwhile and the view was spectacular. The kids sang for us, but unfortunately we were short on time so we couldn’t sing for them. Haraa’s tanks were completed after the last rains so they are anxiously awaiting the next rainy season (beginning in October) to fill them.

(Above) Students welcoming us on the road to Haraa

The next school we visited was Laja Endebash. When we arrived, the children were assembled to greet us. They sang for us, did this incredible marching formation, and then the younger ones did a traditional African dance for us. FABULOUS!!!! I chatted with a few of the teachers and they were really interesting. As a result of improved conditions since the installation of the water tanks and new latrines, this school has moved from last place academic standing, in their Ward, to first place.

While Dwight was interviewing kids from the water committee I was hanging out with some little kids who were hilarious. They weren’t students there…too young I think. so I guess they were from nearby houses. They were giggling and goofing around…I managed to get them to say their names and of course when I said mine, that brought the house down. When I asked them if I could take their picture, they lined up to pose but all looked so serious. I tried to encourage them to smile and wasn’t getting anywhere, but then a teacher who was watching nearby called out something that got them giggling. They loved seeing their picture in the preview screen.

(Above) The little kids at Endebash

The last stop was a farm that benefitted from some CPAR agriculture/animal projects and seems to be prospering. The family is building a new brick house to replace a small hut they are all living in now (2 adults, 8 kids). By then I was quite pooped and stayed under a tree in the shade trying to chat with the farmer’s children. I saw the ugliest chicken in the world there…poor little guy had only a few feathers on his wings, and nowhere else.

(Above) The ugly chicken

I mentioned the rough roads earlier. Well, I’ve developed a few theories with of course no scientific proof to back them up. And keep in mind when reading them that my head was shaken about quite a bit today so…

1) After a ride on a really bumpy road I think some kind of hormone is released that makes you forget just how bumpy it was so you will actually get back in the car again. Because the next time, even if it is like half an hour later, you get back in the car and you’re like “I can’t believe it’s this bumpy.” Sort of like the hormone released after childbirth.

2) The bumpy road TO a destination is exponentially longer than the bumpy road FROM it…even when it’s exactly the same route.

Well, as I said I am very tired tonight. It’s just after 10pm but feels way later. We have an early start tomorrow. Actually everyone here does, when a nearby church bell rings at 6am for 5 mins straight. Apparently it happens every morning but somehow (and I can’t imagine because it’s so loud) we missed it on Tues. We certainly heard it this morning.

What a great day today was. We started out with breakfast at our hotel then took a walk into Karatu. We thought we’d check out some of the wraps for sale in a variety of places along the highway. At the first one we stopped at, we were quoted the ‘Mzungu’ (white man in Swahili) price of equivalent $15USD for one…about $11 more than it should be. Ha ha, can’t blame a guy for trying. At the next place, the same wrap was equivalent $4USD. We weren’t in buying mode today though so will go back another time.

Then we headed to the office to meet up with Mohammed, Nderingo, and Deo who were taking us out for the day (more bumpy roads!) to visit some rainwater harvesting projects at schools in some remote areas. One of the schools has tanks that have been operational through a full cycle of seasons (rainy and dry), one school has had tanks through one (short) rain season, and one was just constructed in May and they are waiting for the rains of Oct. to fill the tanks for the first time.

Rainwater harvesting involves building huge (30,000 L) tanks that capture the rain during the rainy season and store it for use throughout the year. The tanks do not allow any sunlight to reach the water, which helps keep the water free from bacteria. The water is used by the schools for drinking and washing. And none of it is wasted. At the handwashing stations, the used water is captured in a plastic tub and then used to water trees and other plants on the school grounds.

The availability of clean water has had a tremendous impact…attendance is up, kids don’t faint during the day, grades are higher! Before, the kids were supposed to bring water from home to school every day, and if they didn’t they were punished, however water was scarce at home too so many couldn’t, yet their parents wanted them to go to school. Therefore, to avoid punishment at either end, often they would leave in the morning and just hang out somewhere until after school hours.

In conjunction with the rainwater harvesting, new pit latrines were constructed for the girls at these schools. Before, they shared facilities with the boys and there was a big issue of privacy. And, the new latrines, combined with clean water have greatly improved sanitation. Attendance of girls at these schools has improved with the new construction. They are beautifully built and well maintained.

Our arrival at the schools created lots of excitement! The first one was during class time so the kids were leaning out the windows and doors calling to us, waving and smiling. It was so cool. When we reached the second school, the kids were on their lunch break and were all out on the grounds. We had a blast with them, taking pictures and showing them on the camera screens…we were literally mobbed by kids, leaning in to look. It was so fun! At that school, the kids sang a few songs for us, then we sang for them. I’m so glad we brought the travel guitar along on this trip.

At the first school we talked with some of the older kids about what they want to do for careers. One girl wants to be the President of Tanzania, another a Sister (nun), two want to be teachers. One boy wants to be a doctor, another the Vice President. All very impressive goals.

(Above) Dwight surrounded by kids

(Above) Me surrounded by kids

(Above) The view from where I stood

(Above) Singing for the kids

We really enjoyed all the visits…and the CPAR hosts were wonderful. I felt like I learned so much today.

We had a fun dinner tonight. We went with Jean and her son to a place in Karatu called ‘Kuku George’s’…Kuku is Swahili for chicken. It appears the chicken is deep fried in a big pot of oil then cooked on a grill so it has a smoky flavour. It’s served all cut up in chunks on a big platter and you eat it with your hands, along with a bowl of fries each. It was really tasty. The place itself was interesting. We were sitting out front where you can watch all the activity on the street. And, an interesting mix of diners; there was a table of Masai men behind us in their colourful robes.

The day was warmer today but it cooled off while we were having dinner and we needed our sweaters. Oh, I forgot to tell you some exciting news…we got our laundry back today…choices…Woohoo!

At 5am we were awakened by an Islamic morning call to prayer, broadcast over a loudspeaker in the area. It was bit early for us, so fortunately we were able to fall back asleep afterward.

Had breakfast at our hotel just before 9am…fresh fruit (watermelon, mango, and banana), omelette, toast!!, passion fruit juice, and of course milk coffee; here they use ‘Africafe’ brand of instant coffee made in Tanzania. This was a much bigger breakfast than what we’ve been used to.

It is very cool here right now…although it is Winter; apparently it is cooler than it should be at this time of year. I don’t know what the temp is, but would guess it was around the 15C range…quite a contrast from the sweltering conditions in Northern Uganda last week. I wore my fleece sweater all day and tonight our hotel room is quite chilly. We sent our clothes to be laundered but won’t get them back til tomorrow as everything is hand washed and line dried and all I have to sleep in tonight is a t-shirt. But I think it will be fine once under the covers, especially with the mosquito net down, which kind of warms things up.

After breakfast and a few quick stops…foreign exchange bureau and gas station…it was off to Karatu where the CPAR office is. On the road, about 20 mins. from Arusha, we had a tire puncture, which Mohammed took care of quite quickly.

It is very interesting driving on the highway. We saw Masai people, in bright (red and blue) robes and walking sticks herding their cattle. We saw a couple of giraffes munching on tree leaves. The scenery is breathtaking…savannah dotted with trees; lots of them, but they are spread out and there are mountain ranges in the background of some views. In that area it was a bit like parts of Alberta where it’s very flat with the Rockies in the background.

(Above) Masai

Then we drove thru the Rift Valley, incredibly beautiful and lush, which extends from Ethiopia to South Africa. Karatu is on the other side of mountain at the end of the valley. There is a lookout point at the top of the mountain where you get an amazing view of the valley and Lake Manyara. Definitely a tourist hotspot…there is a public bathroom (with flush toilets!) just across the road from the lookout point and MANY craft shops, advertising bathrooms as well…ha ha.

Speaking of bathrooms, we learned today that Tanzanians prefer the “squat” toilets to the porcelain bowls and when given a choice will choose them. The squats are actually more sanitary by design. It’s a bit of a skill to use one of those and keep your balance though. I got pretty adept at it on our last trip but this time haven’t had as many occasions to use them.

There is a new highway from Arusha to Karatu that has reduced the travel time by 4 hours! The road was funded by the Japanese government. We arrived at the CPAR office early in the afternoon. We met some Engineering students from a university in California who are developing a solar power system that can bring power to rural areas. Today they were in a village and had a successful first trial. When we saw them back at the office later in the day, they were so pumped by the experience, it was great to see. There are others here from Ottawa; a nurse and her nursing students who are spending the month in a secondary school doing health training and education. We haven’t met them yet but likely will as we are staying at the same hotel. I am so impressed that all these young people are so enthusiastic about helping people over here…there is hope for the future!

Speaking of hope for the future. Barack Obama is big stuff here!! His face is on colourful wraps for sale along the highway and t-shirts. Actually I noticed the t-shirts in Uganda as well. I took a great picture of a rack of the wraps from the car. I’m not sure if I can upload them while I’m over here…if not, I will when I get home.

(Above) Wraps (Kengas) with Obama’s picture

We had lunch with Jean, the CPAR Tanzania Country Director and Japhet, the Program Manager and then they took us to see the Umatu Resource Centre for women living with HIV. To fund their outreach programs, they have and continue to develop income generating opportunities that are filling a need in the community (e.g. breadmaking, renting the hall in the Resource Centre to groups for educational training/meetings). The Centre was funded by a group of Canadian donors that wanted to give back to the community in conjunction with their climbs of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The Umatu Resource Centre is a real success story.

I am so glad we brought the travel guitar with us. Earlier this evening I was plunking out the chords for a new song I’m writing about the draught in Uganda that I told you about in earlier posts. It is very dry and dusty around Karatu too. While it is the dry season, unfortunately they didn’t have a good enough rainy season so farmers are struggling here too.

Today was a travel day. We began with a really nice breakfast at our hotel in Kampala with Patrick, the Executive Director of CPAR Uganda. He then drove us from the hotel to the airport.

Our first flight was from Kampala to Nairobi (approx. 1 hr). Then after a 2 hour layover there we took another flight of about an hour to Kilimanjaro Airport near Arusha. That plane was a small one, a propellery type…obviously I am an aviation expert LOL.  I was a bit nervous at first but as we neared Mt. Kilimanjaro I realized that we never would have had such a magnificent view from various angles if we were on a jet. It was amazing to see it in person but was also alarming to see how little snow remains on the peaks. Dwight was here in 2004 and noticed a significant difference in just that short time.

(Above) Mt. Kilimanjaro from the airplane; Note how little snow is left on the peaks. 

I was particularly interested in seeing Mount Kilimanjaro for myself after co-writing ‘Mercury Rising’ with my friend Kim Cole. For those of you reading this who are not familiar with the song, it is about the effects of Global Warming on this country. This song and others I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts will be on our new CD, which is coming out in September. Most of the songs were inspired by our last visit to Africa so they come to mind frequenlty throughout this trip. Both Dwight and I are each working on a new song. Travelling is very inspiring.

Mohammed met us at the airport and took us to our hotel in Arusha. A drive that should take half an hour, takes twice that long because of speed bumps all along the route…not as jarring or frequent as the ones being used during road construction in Uganda though.

When we arrived at the hotel shortly after 8pm, the parking lot was full and the place was a hive of activity. There was a big wedding reception underway on the grounds, under huge white tents, and a church meeting/dinner in the dining room of the hotel. Some tables were set up in the entrance of the hotel where other hotel guests were eating so we had dinner there. Dwight and I split a small vegetarian pizza; it was getting late and neither of us felt like a heavy meal. It was delicious. I realized tonight that I am Fanta Oranged-out after drinking it daily for the past week so will have to choose another bevy tomorrow. I haven’t drunk this much soda in years. Interestingly, the menu had an impressive offering of Italian dishes, presumably to cater to tourists that frequent the area…Arusha is a popular place for safaris and of course mountain climbing.

As I write this (11pm) the wedding dance is in full swing…sounds like everyone is having fun. Just heard some Lionel Ritchie and now they are playing dance music. Sounds just like a wedding back home.

It is much cooler here than it was in Uganda so we should sleep well tonight.

We got an early start today. As I mentioned yesterday, our hotel doesn’t have food service yet so we had to go to another hotel of the same owner to eat breakfast. They had a toaster so I toasted my bread this morning!

A highlight of the trip so far has to be a visit we made this morning to see a woman named Carolyn whom we met in 2007. Back then she was a recent beneficiary of a CPAR program for animal traction. She really left an impression on us…first because she was so interesting in the presentation she did for us and also because of her generosity. As we were packing up to leave she came running to the truck with some sodas she had purchased for us…it was a hot day. That was so kind of her. So we hoped to see her again this trip. Dwight brought a picture with him and with the help of a really nice young man named Benson Gwom from the sub-county council; we were able to find where she lived. Benson rode with us and would show the picture to people along the road and ask if they recognized her.

She was as wonderful as we remembered her. She showed us around her farm, introduced us to her family, and we had a wonderful visit with her. The program allowed her to grow her farm from one acre in 2007 to seven acres today. It is a real success story. All of her kids are in school and her farm business is thriving. Being able to educate your children is an important measure of success here. 

(Above) Carolyn with her husband Benson, and one of her sons

After that, we met with two other people with similar stories, Calvin and Eunice. Both had been helped by CPAR over the past few years and are now quite successful. I was impressed by how they each used what they got from the programs to start building businesses. For example, Calvin received training and seeds to grow rice. He then used money from selling the rice he grew to invest in welding equipment and is now doing metal work…and training apprentices. Such an enterprising man. All of his children, except the two that are too young, are in school. Eunice has a similar story. She learned all about growing oranges from CPAR agriculture training and now has her own nursery. All of her children are in school AND her husband is attending university in an agriculture program. I am so impressed with the work that CPAR does. It’s not about handouts…they give people the resources to become successful.

After a great morning of visits, it was time to head back to Kampala. On the ride out of Lira we witnessed a car/motorcycle accident just ahead of us. A car nicked the motorcycle from behind and it went down. The driver of the motorcycle got up right away and ran to the side of the road but his passenger was lying on the road. Henry and Dwight got out to see if they could help and luckily when they reached him, the fellow came to and it looks like he will be okay…just some scrapes. Some other men helped him to the side of the road and we continued on. That was scary to see and I’m so glad it wasn’t more serious.

At the crossroads from Lira to Gulu (North) and Kampala (South), we stopped to pick up some fruit and the car was swarmed by people selling stuff…meat on a stick, bottled water, peanuts, fruit, cooked corn on the cob, live chickens. I told the young man I didn’t have anywhere to put a chicken and he said “In your suitcase!” Good salesman…offering solutions.

(Above) At the crossroads, any vehicle that stops is surrounded by vendors

We stopped for lunch in a “trading centre” (small cluster of small merchants etc.) along the highway. Dwight and I split an order of beans and posho. By the time we finally got to our hotel in Kampala, we were really pooped. We said goodbye to Henry and checked into our room. Then we walked down the road to a mall that Dwight had been to when he was here in 2005. It was really neat, but the prices are pretty high. I had thought about buying another pair of jeans because I could use one more pair on the trip but the ones I saw were all over $50 and I decided I didn’t need them that badly.

Actually what I need is to do some laundry!!! A week in very hot humid weather had depleted much of what I brought. But I think I will have that opportunity in a couple of days when we are in Tanzania so just have to hang on til then.

We ate dinner here at the hotel tonight and ordered Indian food, which was very good. And it’s a lovely evening so we ate it on the outdoor patio.

Tomorrow we leave Uganda. It’s been a great visit and I wish we had more time here. Here are some Random Observations about Northern Uganda…

- People are very friendly and very polite; lots of smiles
- When you arrive somewhere people say “You are welcome”
- Potatoes are referred to as “Irish” as in “I’ll have beans and Irish please”
- “Real Food” refers to Ugandan staples such as posho, matoke, beans, rice
 Added Aug. 1, 2009…
- When you visit someone’s home or community they ask you to sign their Guest Book
- There is always a pair of flip-flops at the entrance to the bathroom of hotels
- The shower is in the middle of the bathroom so pretty much everything gets wet
- No menus at the restaurants we ate at…server would just tell us what items they had left to offer
- “Short Call” is a pee break!

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned yet how much I look forward to the milk coffee we’ve been enjoying with breakfast every morning. There is a big thermos of very hot milk and you poor that into a cup where you have put a spoonful of ‘Star’ coffee. Yummmmm. We picked up a can of the coffee at a little grocery store this evening to bring back home.

We started off today with a meeting at the CPAR office. They gave a great overview of all the projects underway and expressed the need for continued support of Northern Uganda in the rebuilding process, which is something we definitely have witnessed firsthand.

Just before we said goodbye to head on to Lira, we sang ‘Gulu’ for them. For those of you reading this who haven’t heard it yet, it is a song Dwight wrote about the civil war and the hope for peace in Uganda. Thankfully that peace is here now.

The next stop was the Awero Health Centre where we dropped to see how it is doing since our last visit in 2007. The maternity ward was busy…three women were waiting to see a doctor, one woman was delivering and several others were in the recovery room with their newborns….teeny tiny little cuties. Across the yard at the outpatient department, was a large crowd of people waiting to see the doctor.

When we arrived in Lira, we learned there is a big wedding of a government official from Kampala this weekend. As a result, our hotel reservation had been given away to wedding guests who were committed to staying longer than us. Yikes! I was a little nervous. Luckily, after trying several (six) other hotels that were fully booked with wedding guests, we managed to find one that seems to have just opened and were able to get rooms there. And they have hot water in the shower…our first of the trip. We both took showers when we checked in and I didn’t have any hot water so assumed there was none, but by the time Dwight got in it had heated up.

(Above) Our room in Lira

The hotel isn’t prepared for food service yet so we drove into Lira and found a tiny little place where we had a delicious meal. I had beans, posho, and cowpeas, and of course a Fanta orange drink. My meal totalled 3200 shillings, which is roughly $1.85. We have developed quite a liking for posho so Henry told me the recipe and I plan to make it when we get home.

Things look at bit more lush around Lira…comparatively speaking but they are not having enough rain either. But again those skeeters are a nuisance tonight.

Speaking of water…it is surprising how obsessed you can become about water when you can’t just drink it from the tap whenever you want. I feel the need to acquire vast quantities of bottled water. However, I drink sparingly as bathroom facilities are not available when out in the field.

Today was the most tiring day so far. It began with a visit to the Health Centre in Mucwini near Kitgum where CPAR is providing midwives, vaccinations, and (today actually) installation of solar panels for the maternity ward.

(Above) Mat Ward Delivery Room 

(Above) Mat Ward Recovery Room

(Above) Mat Ward Stats

While walking through the facility, we thought we heard a child moaning but then we saw it was a young woman in labour. She was sitting on the floor in the back entrance. I felt sorry for her sitting there alone but I guess she was in early stages so didn’t need assistance yet.

The main reason today was so tiring was because it was extremely hot. I don’t even know what the temp was but man it was a steamer. Also, we covered a lot of distance. The projects we visited were pretty remote. Some requiring long walks in from the road.

We went to see an animal traction program (harness for oxen used in plowing). After walking 15 mins. through corn and other fields to reach it, I stood out in the field with the gang for about 10 mins. but then couldn’t take the heat and sun any longer. So, I decided to walk back to the farmer’s hut where his wife and two small children and some SHADE were.

The woman’s name was Rose and she didn’t speak English. The couple of words I’ve learned in Acholi at least allowed us to exchange names and for me to thank her for bringing me a chair to sit on. Other than that, we exchanged a lot of smiles and hung out for about half an hour. At one point I took a picture of her and the kids and showed it to her on the preview screen. She was quite happy about that and excitedly showed the kids. When I get home, I’m going to print off a copy and send it to her thru the CPAR office here. 

(Above) Rose and her children

When I learned the next stop involved another hike through fields, I opted to stay in the car, parked on the road with Henry. I’m glad I did…turns out it was 2kms. By the time the group returned to the car it was getting close to 7pm, much later than expected, and nearing sunset. Because the roads are so poor and the areas so remote it is not good to drive at night. In the event of a breakdown or tire puncture you could be stranded for some time. Luckily we made it back to Pader safe and sound with most of the journey behind us before the darkness set in. On the plus side, we witnessed a beautiful Ugandan sunset from the truck!

Back at the hotel, we enjoyed a nice dinner (chicken stew and rice) with the CPAR staff…Mike, Ema, Charles, Anthony, David, George, and Henry. They are a great bunch of guys and are making us feel so welcome here.

Pader is a very different town since we were here in 2007. If you get a moment, check the Blog Archive and read about it. During the war it was a hot spot for rebel activity and a very dangerous place to be so there were very few businesses operating in the town. Now it is booming. In fact, the hotel where we are staying is new construction. Pader doesn’t have electricity yet but will by October…the poles are up and ready for the lines. In the meantime, businesses use generators. At the hotel the generator is on from 7pm-12am. Unfortunately that means the fan will go off at that time and it is quite hot in here.

Unlike the other areas we’ve visited this week, Pader has had a bit of rain (not nearly enough but at least some). The downside, for us is that mosquitos are more plentiful here.

Postscript added the following morning:
While getting ready for bed, I noticed 3 big (including one HUGE…seriously) spiders on the wall by the window. Dwight got two of them but the huge one got away. All I can say is thank goodness we had good netting over the bed, which was of course we tucked in very tightly all around the mattress.

Day 2 in the field and the reality is setting in…”The world is tough for some little children, where did it go wrong.” It is hard to believe we live in the same world as the people we are visiting, because our lives are so completely different. It’s purely luck of the draw in that where we are born that determines whether we lack the most basic of needs or live a comfortable prosperous life.

Today, one of the projects we visited was a group of people near Gulu who are planting ground nut (peanut) crops as part of a CPAR/UNDP joint program. They like others we’ve met are being affected by the unusual lack of rain in the past while, which is rapidly becoming a serious life and death problem in the region.

In spite of that, when we arrived they greeted us with a welcome song, which is such an amazing experience. We’d brought along a little travel guitar on the trip because in 2007 when people sang for us we thought it would be nice to sing for them too. So, just before it was time to leave, we sang ‘Marching’. For those of you reading this who haven’t heard it, it’s a song about strong women and how they keep going no matter what. It seemed appropriate for this group, largely comprised of women. I’m not sure how many of them actually understood English well enough to get the lyrics but their response was so lovely and warm. They were smiling and moving to the music while we played and then they cheered at the end!

I was already feeling a bit emotional and then they sang a farewell, safe journey song (in English) for us, led by a young woman from the group. As we thanked them, she said “Please don’t forget us when you go home. We won’t forget you.” I was glad to have my sunglasses on at that moment.

(Above) The farewell song

Remember yesterday I mentioned how people seemed unfamiliar with the name Sue? Coincidentally we visited a project today where we met an older woman named Dorothy, who is the village Chairman. Her daughter’s name is Sue. So she said I could call her Mama Dorothy.

Since arriving in the north on Monday, we have had the pleasure of visiting projects with some wonderful CPAR people who we’ve met this trip (Peter from Kampala, Dennis, James and Sam from Gulu) and in our previous trip (Henry from Kampala, and Henry from Gulu). We said goodbye to everyone today, except Henry from Kampala and this evening when we arrived in Kitgum we met up our hosts for the next few days…Michael, Charles, and Anthony. They are another great bunch of people.

Bumpy road report for the day…the road from Gulu to Kitgum is probably the bumpiest yet. I hope my internal organs are well secured or they are a jumbled mess inside!! Luckily Henry is an experienced driver and knows these roads well.

It was a VERY hot day today but it cooled down a bit this evening and we had a nice dinner on the grounds of our hotel. The hotel we stayed at in Gulu was a local one, and all the other guests appeared to be Africans. The guests at this hotel, here in Kitgum, are people from all over the world working with charitable organizations. You can tell by all the vehicles with logos in the parking lot. And of course all the “munu” faces!