As we arrived back at Good Luck we ‘gathered’ children along the way having to warn them off when they got too near the car! We were running a little late after our rather lively night before! The teachers were already there keen to get their nets. Everyone is so grateful for their gifts. Then a couple of hot🥵 tiring and very sweaty hours followed delivering to families with children at the school, plus several others we just couldn’t leave out! The routine at each household for a visit is they rush and get a seat of some kind, a plastic chair or at many wonky or very low slanting back wooden seats with three legs! It’s lovely to see the concern of my team, hands waiting to grab me as I lower myself down. Thank goodness for my new knee, this trip is certainly a good test for it! Always lots of handshakes, and this time a couple of tiny babies to cuddle! It was interesting seeing the different homesteads. One had the village borehole in its front yard that I took full advantage of giving myself a refreshing face splash! I would have filled my hat had I not left it in the car!
Another had a little brick making business. What I have always wondered is that taking all the mud out of the ground for each load of bricks, it must take a long time to fill in again!

I’m very lucky to have a good team of friends helping me. Innocent assesses each family’s needs, how many and do they share beds. John, who I first met at Maria’s Care children’s home, goes back to the car to collect the nets needed. Driver Peter if he can park near the home takes the photos and videos. It’s his fault it takes me hours to decide which to share, they’re all too good!
Innocent is also responsible for instructing the families on the care of their new net. Not to wash it very often (Ugandans love to wash!) and to do so gently without soap. Not to dry it in the sun. To treat it carefully so it doesn’t get torn or develop holes to let the mosquitoes in! Lastly he warns them of the fire risk and not to put candles near the beds. It was Bosco who told me he had treated several babies and toddlers with terrible burns as they slept and heard of others who have died in this way! Awful!😢

The boys saw me flagging and kept asking if I was ok. Just one more I answered but eventually they persuaded me to accept I had run out of energy and actually cheered when I said no more!

Home for lunch same cooked ingredients matoki, fried
‘Irish’, cabbage and fresh avocado! I’m putting on weight this time, too many carbs twice a day! I have bananas and pineapple for breakfast though, and I’m also offered delicious pineapple on the same plate as my lunch and dinner but I choose to have it afterwards! BTW Innocent always makes sure I have fresh pineapples and bananas everyday and if we run out he gets shouted at by his mum 🤣!
Again apologies for delayed ‘reporting’ and messing with sending photos. Hope you’re not too fed up with me! Still haven’t got it right now! I’m going to have to keep much of the media (sounding professional there 🤣) to myself until I get home then bombard you with it then!
Be back soon!

Fri cont. Ugandans know how to party!

When we got home from school, the preparations for the party were well on the way. Guests had already arrived as they always help out. The ladies sat peeling matoki and ‘Irish’, cutting onions, green peppers 🫑 and tomatoes. Two year old Gerry was helping with the ‘Irish’! Yes, they start them young in Uganda!!

I left them to it, I needed lunch and a rest! I actually woke up 2 hours later, to the sound of the children on the ‘shade’ playing with the ‘dinky’ cars I brought out! Quite happily except when a Norman took one of Gerry’s! They never get away with it! 🤣
And I met my most recent namesake! Gorgeous baby Geraldine, her mum was helping with the vegetables and feeding Geraldine at the same time.

Later Judith and one of her other sons Emma were cutting up the pork, and the chickens freshly slaughtered from Innocents poultry project.
Vegetables were being gently simmered to make a tasty soup, gravy to us, and Innocent’s wife Betty was on her knees in the smoky kitchen making g-nut sauce and cooking cabbage
Then she was mashing the steamed matoki in a plastic bag as if it were giant dough! She must have some good muscles on her!
Alex was in charge of one of the main fire though I thought it rather out of control when I saw it! The fried pork was delicious though!

Ibrahim and lovely Olivier, plus others arrived as darkness fell. There had been a party atmosphere since early morning but now it really took off. The music was turned up, the cold beer and sodas flowed! Yes, I do love an Ugandan party!
Nico the young deaf man who we had trained in basic carpentry turned up and I was enclosed in a big hug! He gets the occasional job alongside another carpenters but not many will take him on. He used to be my water boy, collecting from the borehole several times a day for a ‘small coin’. Alex came round with the water, bowl and soap and then the meal was served in a particular order. Special guests first, me, then the men then the children then the remaining ladies. The meal was more or less the same as we have every day, matoki, rice, Irish, white sweet potato, cabbage, avocado and g-nut sauce and chicken but with the addition of very well done crispy pork! The ladies spent the majority of the party sat on the ‘shade’ ready for many people having seconds. They do like their food when it’s available!
Innocent and I said a little about the reason for the party, Olivier said a prayer of thanks and then we tucked in!
Abi, my almost driver, and her friend had made a 70+30=100 birthday cake, the candles were lit, the song was sung, then sung, then sung and the cake shared. Dancing of course followed with 5year old Norman showing his particular skills! He and the other children never flagged for a minute!
It was a beautiful clear moonlit night spent with lovely people, a lot of fun and laughter and the Nile tasted so good I ended up having three! 🤣🤣

Next morning – I woke to the sound of children playing, brooms brushing, pots being washed and constant happy chatter. I laid there for quite a while before making an appearance, probably writing to you!🤗
When the children have no jobs to do they amuse themselves with whatever is available to them. They were drawing in the mud this morning. Gerry was cuddling a new baby, a burnt log this time!
We had to say goodbye to Emma and Daisy who are being cared for by an aunt while Judith is looking after me. We would see them again soon as a mosquito net delivery is planned for their village. Party just over but going to deliver mosquito nets to the community round the school today so no rest just because it’s a Saturday!

Alex did his usual daily walk to the swamp to cut reeds for the cows. Could hardly recognise him on his return!

Friday was a day of two extremes, panic and sadness to joy and celebration!
It was Innocents 33rd birthday but we weren’t going to celebrate his 33rd. Let me explain. Just before I returned home to UK in January 2020 he suggested that when I come to Uganda in 2021 we would celebrate 100 years, his 30th and my 70th! But of course Covid scuppered our plans. So plans were made for a belated 100th party this visit!
It doesn’t take long to arrange a party here and over breakfast Judith helped Innocent decide on food and of course beers and sodas, and calls were made to relatives and friends. Innocent went and sought out the produce including the borrowing of giant pans!

I had my breakfast then prepared for my first visit to Good Luck Junior School which I was so looking forward to as it had changed so much since 2020 when there was one very dilapidated and dangerous classroom and most lessons were taken under trees!

Then there was a panicked knock at my door. It was Judith telling me that Innocent had had a seizure whilst bathing. To those of you who are new to my story , he has Epilepsy.
Betty his wife, Judith and his friend and neighbour Richard and I think even Peter, ran to his aid after hearing the grunting noise he makes as he collapses. He was stuck fast in the narrow space of the small rough-brick cubicle, but they protected him from further harm and patiently waited for the attack to pass.
It really shook me and I felt and was, completely useless but the others knew how to help him both physically and emotionally. He’s so lucky to have such support around him. There are many in Uganda with epilepsy who suffer, hidden away by their families as there is still a stigma about it and many still think it’s to do with evil spirits, not daring to have an independent life as normal as possible as Innocent does. Though no one will employ him even though he has a degree. He and his family are wonderful. Of course there was no choice but to postpone my trip to school and cancel the party, or so we thought! After a rest Innocent proclaimed both would go ahead even though all of us were against the idea. He was so determined he was fine, and in fact claimed that too much rest during the day made him sick! He felt more disappointed that he’d had a seizure after being clear since August last year. So, though clearly suffering physically, his face and his back mainly, we set off to GLJS only a little later than planned.
All was quiet when we arrived as the children were in lessons. My intention was just to meet all the children and teachers and make plans for the following week. We also started giving out nets donated by Marton Primary in Macclesfield. Each class has raised funds for nets plus 14 individual children who had been doing their own fundraising for GLJS. I wanted to send them photos of the corresponding classes in Uganda. 🇺🇬 Marton school has supported my projects many times over the years, the most recent donating towards building the library and books.
Ibrihim took us around each class in turn with a few older pupils remembering me from 2020 and, I’m happy to say, only one child burst into tears in the ‘Baby Class’ (youngest pre-school)!

Alice & Theo grandchildren of one of my supporters had briefly exchanged letters and drawings with Safina & Sadat, two pupils at the school. As usual she made a donation and left the choice of use to me. When Ibrihim came to visit us the night before he informed me that only Safina had come to school this term as the parents could not find money for fees and other ‘requirements’. So my mind was made up that this term the balance of fees owed plus all their ‘requirements’ would be covered by this donation, and of course mosquito 🦟 nets. I’m sure the donor will be happy with that decision. We stopped to buy them on the way. For each child a ream of paper, two toilet rolls, pens, and manila papers for the teacher to make charts with, plus 15kg maize and 4kg of beans.
Leaving having promised to come back next week everyone was able to have their lunch which had been delayed because of our visit.
Enjoy the photos and video. Ask any questions about either if you wish.
🤗

First day at Good Luck Junior School and saying thanks to Marton Primary in Macclesfield

Dear Friends, I’ve just returned from a very tiring but successful and happy four weeks in Uganda 🇺🇬 . I’m sorry I was unable to keep in touch on the website after the first few days of my visit. The network in the villages where I stay was often very weak so only my followers on WhatsApp were able to receive my posts. Now I’m home, after a very long journey yesterday, I’m going to add the posts a few a day, so hope you enjoy them, better later than never! Thanks for your all your support.

Gerry

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