Saturday morning 2nd March 11 am. Peter and I have just arrived in Kasozi, a village further inland and the home of the Kasenke family, Mike, Bosco, Paul and Emma I have often mentioned, who have all received or are still receiving our sponsorship as did their two old brothers. It was so good to see them all as four years is a long time. They had all organised time off work to be with ‘MumG’ as they know it will be my last trip to Uganda, I feel very loved and honoured. Mike has a job in a hospital, doing cleaning and various other chores, Bosco, as a trained experienced nurse is establishing his own clinic also doing basic dentistry, and Paul is working part time as he looks for a permanent position in clinical medicine and community health. Emma is in Senior 2 and will be studying for his O levels soon. I hope to visit him at school on Monday. I’m really proud of them all. None of them have had it easy but all have made the most of what has been offered. As many of you are new to my Uganda 🇺🇬 story I’ll tell you more about this family at a future date, it’s quite complicated!

It’s so nice being back in Kasozi and I was almost bowled over by Mum Monica as we arrived. I spotted Paul’s smile too, even though he was busy bent over the charcoal stove cooking lunch, and he now has a little goaty beard! A hot meal for lunch even though it’s hotter here than Nawanyago! I’m melting! There’s been the odd rumble of thunder but no sign of rain yet, the area hasn’t had the rain we’ve experienced at Innocents. So hot, hot, hot!
Mum Monica is very sociable, friends are arriving all the time and as is tradition in Uganda, she gives them a little to eat. Bosco arrived on a boda boda with Christopher and alongside another boda with an enormous sack of matoki and other food items. We’re not going to starve! Juliet one of the ‘sisters’ has a little boy called Jeremiah and along with Christopher, they love the toy cars I bought out. Thanks to those who donated them. I smiled at the hat Juliet was wearing, a pair of red and white football shorts! 🤣

Emma, a very disabled man, came to visit as soon as he heard I was there. I was pleased to see he has now been issued with a disability trike. In the past he dragged himself along with his arms, permanently covered in dust. But, always had, has, a big smile. Actually the banter that was going on between the boys and him was joyful to witness. Only wish I could have understood it! Twenty years and still cannot speak a word of the local languages!

We’ll be doing our first net delivery later this afternoon. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it! I’m dripping with sweat already and I’m sat in the coolest place around!

8.30pm – I forget this home only has solar lights in the ‘courtyard’! Before we went out to deliver first nets, I hadn’t thought to prepare myself for bathing or my bedroom in general, and it was pitch black! Now where did I put my torch!!

The sun was already setting by the time we were halfway through the deliveries. I walked the length of the delivery area as I hadn’t had enough exercise recently. Peter followed on with the vehicle and nets.
We delivered over 80 of the 200 allocated for this village. Never ever enough but Paul has been round with the LC Chairman to see which families were most in need. I also gave out children’s clothes and shoes some I bought from charity shops in Poynton but many donated by Adele whose family have been donating items since Kobe was very young and he and his mum bought a set of underpants when it was noticed many children have none. I’ve tried to take photos of the children with their new clothes, usually pulled over their own! Thanks for all your contributions.

I really needed to bathe when we got home so Paul set me up behind the house with a bowl to stand in, a bucket of rainwater taken from the giant butt, a plastic cup to pour and a chair “to help you mum, please don’t fall”. I provided my own soap! So under the African sky I bathed in rainwater and became refreshed!!😘
Mum and all the boys look after me so well but Paul was especially keen to make sure I was ok. He gave me his bed, put clean though rather torn and holy sheets on, fastened my net so no mosquito would dare try to enter, closed my window and warned me not to open it as there were many mosquitos 🦟 🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟

As we waited out the front for supper Mum brought me a cover for my legs and indicated the mosquitoes are biting! Christopher crawled out, well I assumed it was Christopher as he was completely covered. He knows the routine!
I was almost asleep by the time supper was served at 9.30 though it had been cooking since we set out on the delivery round. The Nile I drank with it sent me into a blissful nights sleep! 😴