In less than a week today on 4th August my lovely niece Mailies leaves Capetown, South Africa after a year studying at the university and she’s coming home to continue her studies at Leeds university, via Uganda!

After avidly following the stories of my life in Uganda over the years, Mailies wants to experience a little of it too, meet the lovely people who make up my Ugandan family, stay in their homes and gain an understanding of the daily struggle they and many in their local communities face.

Mailies will spend most of her two weeks living in the rural areas I call my second home and I would love for her to be able to deliver a few mosquito nets, to those who still do not have one. Since I started this project in September 2017, (only last year!), with your wonderful help, my young Ugandan friends and I have delivered 800 nets! I would love Mailies to have the opportunity to participate in my project even for a short time and deliver a few more of this life saving gift.

If you wish to, and are able, please could you spare just £5 to sponsor a net? You will receive a personalised photo of your net with those who receive your special gift, which will help them avoid the miseries of Malaria and could possibly save their lives!

Please message me on here or email me on gerrysuganda@gmail.com

THANK YOU!

PS Sorry I am rather slow at catching up with all the news from my recent stay in Uganda. I will get round to it, I promise! My excuse is that since Mailies announced she was able to visit Uganda I have been working constantly to organise my friends and family there to give the best experience they can in the time allowed. Mailies is going to spend most of her time in rural Uganda just like I do and I am sure the experience will live in her memory for life!

Well that was a much calmer, constructive and productive day, though maybe not quite so many laughs as yesterday and certainly no paddling in flood water to cool me down! Today we delivered over fifty nets compared to less than twenty yesterday. We had an extra pair of hands too, John Baptist Zaake who I have known since 2002 when he was twelve and living in the children’s home where I spent my first stay in Uganda. It’s lovely being able to keep up with some of these young people watching them grow into fine adults and parents. John is now has a wife and son. It’s like coming home every year when we meet up. John’s job today was to explain to the receivers of the nets how to look after them, washing them only occasionally and very gently, hanging them in the shade to dry, not the sun as that has an effect on the chemicals the nets are treated with. We want the nets you have generously donated to last as long as possible!     One thing that was rather tiring for the boys was that the ‘new’ car had its problems too! Alex had told me that it had a small problem starting – that was very understating! Firstly we realised that the spare wheel had been stolen from the car which I had parked right outside my window overnight – bit spooked by that as it feels as if someone has been watching me, and I’m sure they have! People are so poor here that unfortunately some will take advantage of any chance to make money! I had to be push started by the boys as we realised the battery was dead and when we went to the local petrol station it stalled again! The whole day was spent trying not to let the car stop which was very difficult with the tracks we were following. In second it had no hope so I was keeping it in first a lot of the time which of course is not good for any vehicle! The boys advised me that from now on I should park the car in the petrol station overnight as the armed guard would look after it for 2000 Ugandan Shillings (40p!). I was a bit dubious about this but I have learnt to trust my young friends, after all they live here! I asked Innocent to tell the Askari that I would give him a bonus at the end of the week and he was very happy with that and the car was looked after very well – his bonus was 10,000 (£2) and he was over the moon with that!

Guess what? I’m there again! The bar where the best internet is. Ok I do have a beer in front of me and my team is enjoying a Nile too! Click on the first photo to see slideshow x

While we were out yesterdaym200 more nets were delivered to Innocent’s home. I decided to take the risk and buy them as to get good value I have to buy them in bulk. Many have not been sponsored yet so if you can help me out then please get in touch!

Kevin only has her grandmum to care for her as both her parents died

Lamula still has her school uniform on.

Dear Fazie acted as Askari, guarding the car whenever we were delivering nets. He had become a qualified mechanic before his accident. He has been an amazing asset to our team over the last two days!

All these children come from the same family with the same father but different mothers. Polyagny is still practices amongst the Muslim population in Uganda though it is getting less popular thank goodness!

Mattoke! I have this steamed and mashed every day!as

I’ve got used to this traditional welcome by all children and ladies. This little boy is in the Nursery at Brain Trust

This man was so pleased to have his photo taken with a Mzungu! We compared hair colour and age – he is three years older than me and at 70 that’s a very good age to reach in Uganda!

A bicycle workshop and carpenter all trying to work under the shade of a big mango tree

These men were playing cards for bottle tops!

Cathy and Helen’s mum insisted she give us maize as a thank you so…

in went Cathy to pick some for us!

Alice and Isaac attend Brain Trust. Only wish we had enough mosquito nets for all these children.

Great place for drying clothes – off the ground

This little children will hopefully be protected from Malaria now we have given her and her mum a mosquito net

The boys asked me to pull over and I thought it was because we had nets to deliver but not this time, they had spotted a fruit they don’t get to see very often – a custard apple! Known also as sweetsop! Makes a great drink when mixed with passion fruit!

This mum gave us delicious maize to enjoy on our journey

Judith, Innocent’s mum preparing yet another meal!

Exhausted team – John Baptist, Fazie and Charles. But soon to be served a delicious lunch, and I will treat them to a Nile Beer or two later!

3 pm – We’re out of the flood and delivering nets again! But the internet was much better when we were in the water!!!

An hour later this is what I reported – I thought we were ‘out of the water’ as we got on and delivered some nets but now the battery is flat!!! Thank goodness one of the young friends I have helping me is a trained mechanic! He was permanently disabled when knocked down by a car and completely lost the use of one arm and partially a leg but guess what, he has just fixed the car with no tools and is driving! You’ll be pleased to hear I have organised another vehicle for tomorrow if I survive!

And then, guess what? We had to return the same way, through the flood! But this time my one armed hero Fazie is driving. Thank goodness its an automatic!

I thought the truck in front had got stuck but was told they were just giving it a wash!

Innocent rearranged some of the big boulders before we attempt the return crossing but we still got stuck and this time I wasn’t drivng!

Fazie was my one armed hero! We couldn’t have managed without him!

and lastly – Just helped push the car back though the flood! Yes it got stuck again! Thanks to the walking sandles I’ve had since climbing Kilimanjaro in 2001, I stayed upright! Im enjoying my nice cool feet now! Thank you to my friends Innocent, Charles the head teacher and Fazie my disabled but extremely able friend who is now driving me home! What a day!

Last posts from a very chaotic day – I can see the main road home but we’ve just run out of fuel so Innocent has gone off with a can to find some! Apparently the petrol station is not far away thank goodness!

We are back!! The dead bear has been replaced where it belongs and I can’t wait to have a ‘polite’ word with Livingstone when he comes to collect his pile of junk! I know we have been laughing all day and I wouldn’t have missed the fun and companionship BUT that man actually put our lives at risk, in oarticular mine as, if it hadn’t had the forethought to take four 1.5 litre bottles of water with us along with bananas and other snacks and other items, I for one could have been made quite poorly! The good news is that we are home safe and sound and dear Judith Innocent’s mum has made lunch of four pots! We will be having another meal of similar portions tonight! It is 17.23 now!

Lunch at 5.30!

My plate – rice, matoke, roast ‘Irish’, dodo (poor man’s spinach), g-nut source and pork done the Ugandan way – overcooked and delicious!)

Just before we went to return the car I had to get a phto of it and my trusty team Innocent, Fazie and Charles! Doing what they are good at, pushing!!

Good bye car with the hidden agenda!

And the dead bear!

Ok, latest episode!! We filled up with fuel but still didn’t get very far because, when I needed to reverse, guess what? Reverse doesn’t work! So out the three men get and push! That’s ok, I’m just driving!!!
We did manage to deliver a few nets on behalf of Marton Primary in Congleton. These people are so happy to see a Mzungu and especially thankful for the life saving gift. Ar the same time we were giving pens and pencils out to each child. These had been donated by the ladies of Marple Methodist Church and also our lovely niece Vicky Smith.

Please click on first photo to see titles. And then the latest news on this wonderful car….The internet is great where we are…..please scroll down to the video!

Thank you Marton School in Congleton for providing so many children with mosquito nets

Katie was one of the biggest fundraisers

A typical home of children who go to Brain Trust school

Mr Charles the head teacher came with us on the delivery as he knew where all the homes were

Thank you Harrison and Vivi too!

The parents of these children run a little shop but they still cannot afford mosquito nets

Often we would be given gifts. The people may no have a lot but what they have they share. Here we were given lots of ground nuts and green oranges!

These ladies were at a village meeting but they welcomed us

Took me a while to get up again!

Beans, maize and g-nuts drying in the sun

The local borehole

Cheeky children.

Thank you Ellie!

This student from Brain Trust was washing his unitform in preparation for school the next day

Cassava prepared and ready to mix with beans

Lots of firewood for the cooking fire

Typical homestead

Matoki – savoury banana that I had cooked and mashed every day with g-nut sauce

Several Brain Trust children live in this terrace

Hussein is in the top class In the Nursery

Now the latest news on this wonderful car….The internet is great where we are……….

Oh how I just love Uganda!

I’m only driving! The three men were the navigators!

Eventually I had to get out of the car! The flood water was lovely and cool!

OK Innocent! I’m laughing too! Thank goodness I remembered emergency rations!!

Even the cows were wondering what we were doing in their drinking water!

Dead ‘bear’ removed from dashboard, one hundred mosquito nets on board, licence and passport in my bag, several litres of water, first aid kit, emergency rations (bananas!), torch and mosquito repellent, and more water! All in case we get stranded somewhere! Oh yes and my bog in a bag!! All set , friend Fazie in the passenger seat to remind me how to drive an automatic and I start the car. It doesn’t!!! The boys laugh at my inability! Then decide it’s not me, we have no fuel!! So off Innocent goes on a boda with a can to fetch fuel! I love Uganda!! Third time lucky maybe? I will let you know!!