THE PEARL OF AFRICA

Have you ever wondered why Uganda is called the "Pearl of Africa"?  Well I have, and after being in discussion with some friends here, and doing some reading, I have discovered some very interesting things about Uganda and confirmed some of our own thoughts.

Wars:  Uganda has suffered many wars and hardship over the years with millions killed.   However, despite all the hardship, killings and turmoil Uganda has never entered into chaos.

President Idi Amin was in power from 1971-79 but as a result of his brutality it is estimated that over 800,000 people died.

The Bush War took place between 1981 and 1986, by the National Resistance Army against the government of Milton Obote in the region of Masuliita sub-county.  No one knows how many were killed, but it is estimated that at least half a million people died.  

Joseph Kony was battling his own Acholi people for over 20 years in Northern Uganda trying to overthrow President Museveni.  During this time he kidnapped thousands of children, and brutalized many others.  His fight went as far south as Jinja.  He is no longer in Uganda but he is wanted for war crimes and is still at large.

Joseph Kony with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) concentrated his rampage in the North.

Equator:  Uganda is situated on the equator, and of all the countries on the equator, Uganda has a very unique & steady climate.  It is very green everywhere (we have visited all directions) with a marked difference at the borders.  It is the only country along the equator that does not flood in a disastrous manner even though there are two rainy seasons.  

Fertile Soil:  The soil has always been extremely fertile without the use of fertilizers, consequently you can grow anything here in abundance.  Although there is poverty the people can grow their own food and subsistence farming is prevalent.

In 1907 Churchill, as a young member of Parliament, was in Mombasa and wanted to see this "protectorate" called Uganda.  He was a young member of Parliament who had just been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies.  He had an arduous journey from Mombasa to Uganda and loved what he discovered.

Churchill is an important person in Uganda's past, these were his words spoken over 100 years ago:
"The Kingdom of Uganda is a fairy-tale.  You climb up...and at the end there is a wonderful new world.  The scenery is different, the vegetation is different, the climate is different, and most of all, the people are different from anything elsewhere to be seen in the whole range of Africa.  I say 'concentrate on Uganda'.  For magnificence, for variety of form and colour, for profusion of brilliant life - bird, insect, reptile, beast - for vast scale -- Uganda is truly the pearl of Africa."  (The Daily Monitor)

CHILD SPONSORSHIP

The children are always very excited for visitors to come to the school, and many have never seen a musungu (white person).  There are now 273 students attending the school with a portion being sponsored.

JNFC has 41 sponsored children and we spent two 6 hour days visiting the children in their homes.  This always gives us a chance to see their living conditions which are varied.  The main source of income is farming so most people here are subsistence farmers who will sell their excess.  At the same time there are some people who build houses, some are carpenters, some are seamstresses and more.

One of the families

We have done this several times on previous trips and it has always been a highlight.  The more times we visit the homes the more people we remember and the more they remember us.  Even though there is a language gap we feel we know many of them better than before.

Other sponsored children

Last Thursday, April 23 was the final at the school and the students of the Jolly children's education centre were given their report cards prior to having a holiday between terms.  Then we had all the children that are sponsored by JNFC come together for a group photo with Tom who coordinates the sponsorship program at the Jolly Children Education Centre.

Thursday is also the day where all the caregivers/parents of the sponsored children, who are members of the community, come to the school to work in the gardens.  The gardens are used to grow food crops both for preparing meals at the school

for the students, and also to sell excess as an income generating project.

Some grandmothers of JNFC sponsored children
working in the gardens at the school.
Other caregivers/parents are in the background.

Tools of gardening:  lady in white is holding a slasher for cutting grass.
Lady in purple is holding a panga (a type of machete) for cutting thicker branches.
In front is a hoe - the type used in many third world countries,
and much heavier duty than a Canadian Hoe.

It has been estimated that 90% of farmers in Uganda rely exclusively on hand tools and human labour to work their lands.  The percentage is higher for woman farmers.  (taken from Ifad NGO)

On the last day when the caregivers worked in the garden, they all came together for a group photo.

Group photo of parents and caregivers.

There are many children who are still unable to attend school because of a lack of sufficient funds for school fees.  When a child is sponsored they will receive a school uniform, scholastic materials plus some immediate needs will be met.

VISITING THE JOLLY CHILDREN'S EDUCATION CENTRE

 It is now Friday and last Monday we drove to Musliita which is the sub-county were the school is located.  The drive was an adventure to say the least, driving in the heavy rain on roads with huge pot holes in thick slippery red mud (much like driving in thick snowy roads you need good tires and 4WD)  Trucks, cars and motor cycles met the ditches everywhere.

As we approached the school we received a warm welcome and settled into the guest house.  This guest house on the school property is wonderful.  On our first two trips we used to stay in a house in the local village which was a 45 minute walk to the school through a swamp.   It was a cement building but it had many elements of camping:  outdoor latrine (hole in floor), and outdoor bathhouse.  We cooked on a propane tank with a grill on top and no refrigeration.

Guest house has bedrooms with a bathroom not quite completed, comfortable beds and solar power.
We cook on the propane tank so it is still a bit like camping and we love it.
It is very peaceful here in the country including the frogs at night, and the scenery is quite beautiful.  

This lovely porch is our dining area, and place of rest.

Mama Sophie is ready to meet all your needs and has many responsibilities.  She took us for a tour of the grounds to show us the new projects underway.

Overlooking ginger plants (jinga), beans, sweet potatoes, and maise in distance.
There are also mango trees, avocado trees everywhere, banana plants, eucalyptus and pine trees.

Sophie showing us a new and exciting project - producing coffee seedlings to sell.

Coffee beans are Uganda's largest export crop.  A lot of beans go to Kenya so some of that coffee you think is grown in Kenya actually comes from Uganda.  It is very good coffee and we'll make sure we bring some home.  There is a demand for more coffee plants as more farmers want to grow it.

Ronnie is holding a ginger plant seedling.  This is a very good crop to generate income
so the school will grow a lot of these plants.  

This ginger plant has been growing for about 3 months, and the plant does not mature until about 6 months.  So they depend on the weather for rain when planting the seedlings.  We are in the rainy season right now, but this area suffered a very bad drought from August 2014 to March 2015 so many farmers' crops did not do well last season. 

We received donated soccer uniforms from the Sannich Peninsula Soccer club - thank you!  As you can see the uniforms were received by the teachers in this picture and they were thrilled.  This was the last day of school before a holiday, so we didn't get to see the students playing on the soccer field.

Happy teachers!

In these pictures, we are looking at the new books purchased for the library with money received from Rotary Club of Saanich - thank you Rotary.

This is Mereb, the school librarian.

Teachers looking at the new books.

Before we left Victoria we were able to acquire a suitcase full of general medical supplies from the Compassionate Resource Warehouse.  They are a non-profit group that collects items no longer needed from hospitals, businesses, schools, and individuals.  So you can find almost anything.  Their mission is to send sea container loads to countries that are in need, and the wonderful volunteers who work there will help you.  So thank you Compassionate Resource Warehouse for allowing us to bring these supplies to the medical clinic on the school grounds.

Nurse Innocent received the supplies, along with Tom who coordinates all the activities, including child sponsorship, at the school.

Storage room for some medical supplies

Geoff with Nurse Innocent and Tom who is the Action For Children school coordinator

Next blog will highlight the sponsored children and their families.

UGANDA: THE PEARL OF AFRICA

We've been back here in Uganda since last Thursday and have been welcomed by our friends at Action For Children.  Jolly is in Northern Uganda and George, her husband, has been a wonderful host.  Beatrice is an awesome cook and there are always other family members or friends around.  It is a vibrant lifestyle.

Geoff and George at their home

 

Meet Mercy and Angel our new friends

As we have been settling in, it's always interesting to read the Daily Monitor newspaper.  Yesterday's copy had a recipe for banana wine & beer which is something I haven't seen before.  

If you are interested in reading up on Ugandan news go to this link:  http://www.monitor.co.ug

I have discovered that Uganda is the world's second leading producer of bananas after India.  And anywhere you look you will see large bunches of Matoke bananas weighing 60 lbs:  in all the roadside markets, on bikes, trucks, bicycles and in every home.  

I was told once that there are 24 kinds of bananas in Uganda but we have only seen and eaten Matoke (staple diet with consistency of potato), small yellow (very sweet) and the large yellow.  Tonto is used to make beer and gin, and we have seen Gonja which is used for roasting and often found at road side stalls.

The banana plant has been used many ways and we've seen them all: fibre for roofing, umbrellas, baskets, mats, bags to carry all kinds of things.  The children make soccer balls from dried leaves and even the rounds are used as wheels on a go-cart.

Matoke Bananas are a Ugandan staple

Monday we will be travelling to Masuliita to the Jolly Children's Education Centre where we'll spend the next 4 days with the sponsored children & their families, and the teachers at the school.  Since there is no electricity in this rural area I won't be blogging until next weekend.

By the way...it's mango season!