Last week we went on holiday for 5 days - it was gorgeous! On Sunday afternoon after street kid work and church we got on our bus and drove to Jinja, about 2 hours away. We got to our hotel at about 5. The hotel wasn't the most attractive thing - a seedy bar at the bottom and big construction work going on in the centre of the building, but it was only for 3 nights. Jinja itself is a nice town in some areas. We went for supper at a really touristy restaurant on the first night - I had pizza for the first time in 3 months, and got to watch the Liverpool victory against Aston Villa. It was quite expensive tho - blew half our week's food budget on that one-course meal.
The next day we went white-water-rafting on the Nile!! It was so much fun, I absolutely loved. There were some calmer bits where we paddled along in boats of six, swam or generally sunbathed, then the rapids themselves, grades 3, 4 and 5. We capsized on one which was a bit scary - I came up on the opposite side of the boat to the others and got carried off a bit but other than that they were all incredible. The waves are so big when you are in them! We stopped and had lunch on an island half way - pasta salad and cheese and ham snadwiches, the most Western food I've had so far. It was a great day but some people got very very sunburnt because we weren't in the shade at all. Nat got sunstroke and was acting completely drunk throughout supper - really dizzy and disorientated and giggly, then collapsing with exhaustion. The next day we went back to the same spot where a few people bungee-jumped. It was Ash's birthday so we took him to a coffee bar which was really nice, and had lunch there, then spent the rest of the day wandering round the city and had a long walk before a slightly disasterous supper. (Only one thing on the menu, no other customers, not much light and an IMMENSE amuont of insects and bats that actually fell into our food!)
The next morning we left for an island called the Hairy Lemon, about an hour away from Jinja, also on the Nile. It was the most beautiful island I've ever seen and was all eco-friendly - no electricty or running water or anything. There were only fuor other guests, it was a small place, so it was so peaceful too. We just pottered around for a day and half - reading, swimming a bit (I got a bit washed about by the super-strong currents, some good grazes on my hips and legs), playing volleyball in the water and lots of card playing too. We stargazed for an hour or two both nights, it was just idyllic. Ooh I even saw a snake! In our room at that! Our room had a roof and then had part walls/part mosquito nets round the edge which didn't quite meet the ceiling so I guess that's how it got in. It was a harmless one but they've seen lots of poisonous ones there too - even a Black Mamba a few months ago!
OK my time's up for this session,
Lots of love, xxxxxx
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Saturday, 21 March 2009
Visiting the slums
Not this Monday but the one before I went to visit the street boys where they live in Kisenge slums. (Not sure if thats how you spell it.) This is in central Kampala yet is completely different to the city around it. I don't know how big it is overall or really how it's seperated but I just know that inside it there are no streets or vehicles or electricity. I went with 3 Ugandans from church, who go a few times a week, and Jim and Heidi from the team. The charity that our church has links with is called African Voice, and they have rented four rooms in the slums for the kids. We saw one of them which is where Jessica (the American) does some basic healthcare treatment for those that need it. She's not trained or anything but seeing as they can't afford a doctor's or hospital there's no alternative. She dresses wounds and burns and hands out bandages but can't do much more. Some of the boys sleep in this room during the day. To give you an idea of size this room is 7 feet x 7 feet. It has one window and door. Despite this it's cheerful tho - painted half purple and half white with lots of the boys handprints all painted and labled on the wall. Then we saw the room where the boys can sleep safely overnight. They need this protection because it is at night that the police come round and pick up any boys they find and take them off to 'juvenile rehabilitation centres' which the boys all call 'prison' because they are mistreated there and they all end up escaping and finding there way back to Kampala, even tho it may mean walking for days in the cases of some of the guys I've met. The room this charity rents is in a compound with another of their rooms which is for 14 teenage mums and their children and these are both behind a bolted door. If you stand in the centre of the 'sleeping room' you can touch all four walls. The boys pack in at night but there is no room to lie down so they just stand there together in this tiny space - up to 20 of them packed in. The ceiling has quite a few holes - its just an old sheet of corrugated iron, so when in rains it gets very damp and smelly. The last room that is for the street boys is their church. It is 4.5 feet wide and about 14 feet long with one door at the end and no windows. There are benches along the length of the room and we managed to fit about 25 of us in there - sitting, crouching and standing, with another few outside. We taught some of them literacy and numeracy for two hours or so which was so rewarding, I enjoyed it so much more than teaching at school! I worked with 16-year-old Joseph (my personal favourite) the only girl there, a little 15-year-old called Prossy and a Congolese refugee who only couldn't speak English or Luganda so we managed to get by in French! Then we had a mini church service'. We did some singing with big actions that the kids loved, and had a 10 minute talk. It was a bit hard to concentrate because almost without exception all the children were high so they would keep falling around and giggling or talking, and also the room was so incredibly hot, and very dark and smelly.
This all sounds a bit negative but actually it was my greatest day here by far. The boys are so affectionate and friendly and happy, they are so easy to talk to and banter with. They each have such incredible and sad storise yet they still manage to be upbeat. They're so welcoming that I feel as if I've genuinely made some friends among them, they just completely put you at your ease.
To answer Kate's question about street girls - there are basically no girls just living on the streets like the boys do - I only know one girl and over 50 boys. I'm not quite sure why - I asked someone but didn't get a very clear response. I think they tend to get picked up by people and either are forced into prostituition or are used as very very cheap housegirls. There aer more charities out there specifically for girls so hopefully some of them find their way to shelters. I'm really not sure tho. I think girls are less likely to run away from home too which is what some of these guys have done. Hmmm... I'd like to find out more about that actually!
Love to all, I will write again when I get back from the holiday we're going on tomorrow - white water-rafting for a day, then a bit of general relaxing for a few days after that.
xxxxxx
This all sounds a bit negative but actually it was my greatest day here by far. The boys are so affectionate and friendly and happy, they are so easy to talk to and banter with. They each have such incredible and sad storise yet they still manage to be upbeat. They're so welcoming that I feel as if I've genuinely made some friends among them, they just completely put you at your ease.
To answer Kate's question about street girls - there are basically no girls just living on the streets like the boys do - I only know one girl and over 50 boys. I'm not quite sure why - I asked someone but didn't get a very clear response. I think they tend to get picked up by people and either are forced into prostituition or are used as very very cheap housegirls. There aer more charities out there specifically for girls so hopefully some of them find their way to shelters. I'm really not sure tho. I think girls are less likely to run away from home too which is what some of these guys have done. Hmmm... I'd like to find out more about that actually!
Love to all, I will write again when I get back from the holiday we're going on tomorrow - white water-rafting for a day, then a bit of general relaxing for a few days after that.
xxxxxx
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Past week
This past week has been one of the best since coming out here. This was partly due to the work with the street children I got to do this week. On Saturday morning we went to our church at 11am and met about 50 boys there - I was with the older group. We played cards with them and chatted, and I got to learn some Luganda from some of them (always good!) Then there was a Bible talk then we hung out with them some more and had bread and tea. They are such lovely guys and when we got into small groups after the talk to answer any questions, there was some really positive feedback. At about 1, Katie and I left to do a bit of shopping in Kampala and decided to get some African dresses made. So we went to a material shop and a lady there took us to her storeroom which was down this tiny alley where at the end there were about 100 people on sewing machines. We chose some material then went to a tailor and designed dresses for ourselves and had our measurements taken. Can't wait to see what they look like next Saturday!
That Saturday night was also pretty interesting. There's been this American guy, also on his gap year, working at one of our schools just for one week so we invited him over for supper on Friday. He's been in Uganda for 4 or 5 months and has another couple left, staying with people from the church that his church back in America has links with. The best thing about him has got to be his name - Largent Rape. Actually, even better, his sister's name - Randy Rape. No joke. Apparently it doesn't have the same meaning in America... Largent's really confident and unselfconscious told us about the dancing that he does - hip-hop, ballet, tap, jazz, everything! He takes these weekly dance classes at a church in Kampala and invited us to one on Saturday evening. The church was in the process of having a roof built and so was covered in general building materials, the only available space for us was the big stage at the front. There was also no power that day so it was lit by one big light on a stand that would fade in and out and made it a bit hard to see Largent who was leading us all. It was incredibly hot and doing press-ups and star jumps etc for a warm-up was not a good idea. The African teenagers there were amazing at dancing, completely put us to shame so we bowed out and just watched them towards the end. Another surreal experience of the trip, but another good one too.
On Monday I got the chance to go into the slums where the street children are from and see the work that happens there. My time's run out for this session but I will describe it soon because it was the most amazing thing I've seen all year.
Love to all, xxx
That Saturday night was also pretty interesting. There's been this American guy, also on his gap year, working at one of our schools just for one week so we invited him over for supper on Friday. He's been in Uganda for 4 or 5 months and has another couple left, staying with people from the church that his church back in America has links with. The best thing about him has got to be his name - Largent Rape. Actually, even better, his sister's name - Randy Rape. No joke. Apparently it doesn't have the same meaning in America... Largent's really confident and unselfconscious told us about the dancing that he does - hip-hop, ballet, tap, jazz, everything! He takes these weekly dance classes at a church in Kampala and invited us to one on Saturday evening. The church was in the process of having a roof built and so was covered in general building materials, the only available space for us was the big stage at the front. There was also no power that day so it was lit by one big light on a stand that would fade in and out and made it a bit hard to see Largent who was leading us all. It was incredibly hot and doing press-ups and star jumps etc for a warm-up was not a good idea. The African teenagers there were amazing at dancing, completely put us to shame so we bowed out and just watched them towards the end. Another surreal experience of the trip, but another good one too.
On Monday I got the chance to go into the slums where the street children are from and see the work that happens there. My time's run out for this session but I will describe it soon because it was the most amazing thing I've seen all year.
Love to all, xxx
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Past week or two
Sorry not to have written in a while, I wrote a very long post the other day but the computer froze when I tried to put it up so I lost everything.
I've been up quite a lot over the past couple of weeks, starting with last Sunday. Last Sunday after church we went back to Jessica's house (the American woman involved in the street kids work), which she shares with 18 6-13-year-old boys who used to be on the streets but have since come off drugs and now live with her. Jessica stays there about 6 nights a week, sharing a one-and-a-halfer bed because the funds are so tight with this woman who is paid to live there all the time and cook for and look after the boys. There are some men who are involved as well, and when they stay over they sleep on mats of the floor. The boys are 6 to a bunkbed (they're 3 levels high and the children lie top-to-tail.) There is no electricity or running water but despite this the house is really cheerful. All the walls are painted purple, the floor is swept clean and there are 2 baby rabbits and a puppy wandering around. The thing that makes it most cheerful however are the boys themselves. There is a big emphasis that they are brothers now and it's noticeable that they really do look out for each other. They were so fun to hang out with - they managed to do loads of gymnastics with the one thing in their yard - an old tyre - and created crazy games with no resources at all.
The policy in bringing the boys home is that they try to aim for the youngest ones, or the ones that are really really ill, and the boys have to prove that they are ready to live in a real home and respect Jessica by showing a real effort to come off the drugs they are all so dependant on. Jessica, Andrew and Derek (the adults who work there) are such an inspiration, they give so much time and so much love to these boys, and without them some of the boys definitely would not be alive today because although the food and healthcare these guys provide is pretty basic, it has still made a life-or-death difference for many people in the slum.
This Sunday I got to work with some the street kids (who are still on the streets, not living with Jessica) for the first time. I got to church at 8am with a couple of others and we played a game with the boys for half an hour or so, and generally chatted. I felt a tiny bit awkward being the only girl in a room of 26 men and boys ages 13 up because some of them were quite eye-contacty and tactile. Then someone gave a 15 mintue Bible talk and people asked questions which was so encouraging that they'd been listening. Also some of them fell asleep and some were high which wasn't so great. After helping out at that for an hour or so I went to go help with Sunday school which was good but the children were really badly behaved!
On Sunday afternoon the 7 girls in our team and Mikey went to go see this dance troupe in an area of Kampala called Ndere. It was traditional Ugandan dances from various tribes and regions, and traditional instruments too. It took place in this amphitheatre type setting with an audience of about 200. Because it had been Mikey's birthday that week they got him to come up on stage with his friends or family, so us 7 girls came traipsing after him, then the presenter guy made us dance in front of everyone. It was great! Then he kept calling more and more people up on stage and eventually the whole audience was on the stage, dancing together and even holding hands in a circle at one point and singing Amazing Grace. I think it was my most surreal experience out here so far!
OK, my time's up but I will write more soon, there's so much to tell!
Love to all, xxx
I've been up quite a lot over the past couple of weeks, starting with last Sunday. Last Sunday after church we went back to Jessica's house (the American woman involved in the street kids work), which she shares with 18 6-13-year-old boys who used to be on the streets but have since come off drugs and now live with her. Jessica stays there about 6 nights a week, sharing a one-and-a-halfer bed because the funds are so tight with this woman who is paid to live there all the time and cook for and look after the boys. There are some men who are involved as well, and when they stay over they sleep on mats of the floor. The boys are 6 to a bunkbed (they're 3 levels high and the children lie top-to-tail.) There is no electricity or running water but despite this the house is really cheerful. All the walls are painted purple, the floor is swept clean and there are 2 baby rabbits and a puppy wandering around. The thing that makes it most cheerful however are the boys themselves. There is a big emphasis that they are brothers now and it's noticeable that they really do look out for each other. They were so fun to hang out with - they managed to do loads of gymnastics with the one thing in their yard - an old tyre - and created crazy games with no resources at all.
The policy in bringing the boys home is that they try to aim for the youngest ones, or the ones that are really really ill, and the boys have to prove that they are ready to live in a real home and respect Jessica by showing a real effort to come off the drugs they are all so dependant on. Jessica, Andrew and Derek (the adults who work there) are such an inspiration, they give so much time and so much love to these boys, and without them some of the boys definitely would not be alive today because although the food and healthcare these guys provide is pretty basic, it has still made a life-or-death difference for many people in the slum.
This Sunday I got to work with some the street kids (who are still on the streets, not living with Jessica) for the first time. I got to church at 8am with a couple of others and we played a game with the boys for half an hour or so, and generally chatted. I felt a tiny bit awkward being the only girl in a room of 26 men and boys ages 13 up because some of them were quite eye-contacty and tactile. Then someone gave a 15 mintue Bible talk and people asked questions which was so encouraging that they'd been listening. Also some of them fell asleep and some were high which wasn't so great. After helping out at that for an hour or so I went to go help with Sunday school which was good but the children were really badly behaved!
On Sunday afternoon the 7 girls in our team and Mikey went to go see this dance troupe in an area of Kampala called Ndere. It was traditional Ugandan dances from various tribes and regions, and traditional instruments too. It took place in this amphitheatre type setting with an audience of about 200. Because it had been Mikey's birthday that week they got him to come up on stage with his friends or family, so us 7 girls came traipsing after him, then the presenter guy made us dance in front of everyone. It was great! Then he kept calling more and more people up on stage and eventually the whole audience was on the stage, dancing together and even holding hands in a circle at one point and singing Amazing Grace. I think it was my most surreal experience out here so far!
OK, my time's up but I will write more soon, there's so much to tell!
Love to all, xxx
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