Category: Gerrys’ Updates

Grace to the rescue!

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When I got under my brand new mosquito net last night I soon realised I was not alone. A critter that looked just like a cockroach was madly flying around and hit me several times in the face! I gave it several wallops with my hands, holding the net up and aiming it out and eventually I got rid of it!

But other than that I had a really good night sleep though when I first laid down I doubted that was going to be the case as the new mattress I had asked James to buy for me was rock hard and my back was aching but surprisingly I slept soundly so it must have been ok!

I did wake up briefly to take advantage of the internet which you may have noticed on the previous email but then went to sleep again until 9. James said he was beginning to worry about ‘his sister’ as I am usually up with the sun at 7.

It’s has been a wonderful day today, mostly peaceful and relaxing though I have had quite a few visitors. Teachers and people from the community came to welcome and thank me. I must pass on that thanks to you all!

There are now only the five of us here plus the animal – James, me, Grace, Fatuma my maid and Livingstone who has no relatives that are able to take him during the holidays so he is living permanently at St James. The compound is looking amazing and Hambridge Hall ‘very grand’ as James keeps saying. I will tell you about everything over the following days as it is getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow for the wedding. We leave before 8.

But first I must tell you about an incident today. Late this afternoon I had come in to prepare everything for tomorrows early start when I heard a loud buzzing and looked up to find a swarm of bees above my head! James had gone to rest as he is not too well at the moment so I called for Grace who came running in. He immediately took action instructing me to get out quickly and to stay well away then he disappeared for a few minutes.

I was wondering what was going on when he hurtled around the corner with Livingstone in hot pursuit both carrying dried banana fronds. Grace struggled to light the leaves with a match then the flames caught and flew up way high! He entered the room with the torch almost catching the door curtain alight, and then proceeded to smoke the bees out. Now and again he would come out for air and go to another area of the building.

In the meantime Livingstone had the job of being in the room on his knees using his bare hands to stamp out the little fires that kept erupting. I watched from afar and within minutes the most of the bees were out and the clean-up operation began. The boys with brushes and then Fatuma followed with water and cloth. By this time James had appeared and was wondering what was going on. I told him that his boys had come to my rescue and all was well. I really am looked after well here!

I will hopefully be back tomorrow night with news about the wedding. Even James has never been to a Muslim wedding to it should be interesting, long but interesting!

Bye for now!

I have arrived at my second home – St James!

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When James asked me when I would be arriving at St James I had said lunchtime, 1ish. Alex and I were ready by 9.30 which is very unusual, and with the new Jinja to Kamuli road open we made it well before 11. Even the track to St James had been flattened though not tarmaced which was a great improvement to the potholed mud track of past years where I sometimes had to get out and walk and the children came and carried my luggage because vehicles couldn’t get through!

Because we arrived early the new big red gates were closed only leaving the pedestrian door open, so I went to open the big gates. As I was ducking my head (I have learnt through painful experience how small these doors are!) I heard and excited ‘Mum you’re here!’ Swinging his body down, up and sideways (hope you can visualise this!) he approached me and gave me the best hug, all the time chuckling with delight.

Sixteen year old Grace has been with St James right from when we first opened in 2008, he is now at senior school but spends his spare time here helping James. He has become so much a part of this family that he has been invited to James’ son Eric’s wedding on Saturday.

Once Alex had parked up and we had closed the gates again Grace walked with me to find James, his arms around my shoulders the whole time. If anyone is short of hugs do come to St James!

As I approached the office block where I knew James was because his pink crocs that are several sizes too small for him, were outside. I just called ‘Good morning Mr Mutyaba’. ‘Oh Gerreeeeeeeeeeeeeee’ came the reply. It was so good to see him again and to be welcomed home!

After sitting in his office for a while, Alex joining us, we got the few orphans still here to carry all my bags into the Library, my bedroom! I’m going to leave this now as the power is almost out and the sun is going down.

I will catch up with you tomorrow. x

To Jinja, in Jinja and bye bye Jinja cont.

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Its been great being with Alex for a few days. I’ve known Alex since 2007 though he remembers meeting me when I first came to Uganda in 2002 which is likely as I met a lot of children at Maria’s Care, the children’s home and attached school where I got my first experiences of Uganda. Maybe in another email I will share a little more about my Uganda family/ies.

There are other people living within the same compound as Alex and the two youngest were hiding behind a wall when I saw them. I knew they couldn’t be afraid of my colour as there are a lot of whites living and visiting Jinja. They were just a little shy but I soon made friends with them and then I couldn’t get rid of them for a second! The minute I came outside they were at my feet never asking for anything just wanting to watch every move I made! Can be a bit disconcerting sometimes!
The little house where Alex stays is unfinished but liveable in. The room I slept in was on-suite with a shower but it is not connected properly so drips water out of the wrong place, when the water exists that is. So we bathe as I do at St James, standing in a big ‘basin’ pouring water from a jerry can, which is fine by me!

There is also a small basin but with a great chunk out of it as if it had been dropped before installing. The toilet is a western one but with no seat and the ballcock needs adjusting regularly to prevent the expensive metered water seeping away!! The rest of the house is ‘comfortably’ furnished and has electric power intermittently. Many people in Uganda start building houses then run out of money but they still rent them out at a cheaper rate in this condition so as they get the little rent in they will earn money for completion, eventually!

My family and friends sponsored Alex and his brothers through their education. Alex gained four A levels and decided he would like to start a small tour company called Joyful Uganda Adventure. I am very pleased that his tours to the Ugandans National Parks including to see the mountain gorillas have been successful, as well as doing smaller driving journeys like taking customers shopping in Kampala, to the airport and me to St James.

He has a seven-seater vehicle and is saving hard for a smaller one to be more economic when just carrying one of two passengers. Alex is a very likeable guy, great fun, reliable, is very good with all ages and he is used to the demands of Mzungu – white people! Please Facebook Joyful Uganda Adventures to see the sort of tours he has been doing. You never know you might want a holiday in Uganda which could also include a visit to St James! You know you would be very welcome!

Alex is my regular driver, guide and most importantly my friend. Yesterday we spent six hours yes, six hours banking, shopping for supplies for my stay at St James and for crafts to bring home from the UK. The local people of Nakakabala and the children of St James make quite a few of the items but many come from other parts of Uganda and even Kenya. I have befriended Esther who has a little shop in Jinja and gives me good prices for crafts if I buy many of each item. As she is on the Internet thought it a good idea to send her my order before coming to Uganda.

So it should have been an easy job just picking the crafts and handing over the money but I needed to check them to make sure of the condition and the numbers. So I was in Esther’s shop for well over five hours having had little breakfast and I had forgotten to bring one of my snack bars! Dear Esther noticed me struggling and went and bought me a big mixed fruit juice – mango, passion fruit, watermelon, pineapple and orange, nicely chilled. It was delicious and I felt my body and mind recovering only minutes after drinking some.

I overestimated the quantity of crafts I ordered and they will certainly not all go in my cases so will leave half them here to collect when I return in 2016.They cost me £750 and I still need to buy more! But I will make a good profit for St James when I sell them to you all on my return to the UK!

Please note, I hate shopping, even in the UK so I am happy to have most of it over and done with early in my stay as I am often tired when I come to do the shopping in my last days.

It’s been nice staying with Alex and the heat has been more manageable as we are not far from Lake Victoria and the Nile so there is a gentle coolish breeze blowing most of the time. He is driving me to St James this morning. Can’t wait to see James and all the changes that have taken place since my last visit in September & October last year. So the next newsletters should have lots of interest to all of you who have supported this wonderful project.

Bye for now. See you in St James!

Love Gerry x

Tuesday cont. the bit that got better, meeting Thaddaeus!

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Do you remember Thaddaeus whose company put in the borehole at St James? Well, when I told him I was hoping to come to Uganda he said he would like to meet me and yesterday he did. He and his boss David (over 7 feet tall, no kidding!) took the afternoon off from their office in central Kampala and collected Lily and I, Faith had to go to work.

I had arranged to go for lunch at a little restaurant that Judith whose apartment I am staying in, had just opened. I had promised to visit her and this seemed an ideal opportunity to combine it with meeting Thaddaeus. They turned up in a very comfortable Prado Land Cruiser certainly a lot comfier than the vehicles I normally travel in, but straight away I felt comfortable with them.

I had had many email ‘discussions’ with Thaddaeus when he was working on the water project at St James and he had called me a couple of times so I felt I knew him already.They both looked very familiar to me because of the photos they had emailed me.

It took a while to find Judith’s place as it was in among many other little businesses all competing for customers. She was thrilled to see us and showed us to what was definitely the best table where she served us with chilled drinks, even though there was no electric, and then set to and cooked a delicious meal of Tilapia and vegetables.

As the food is cooked to order you always have to wait for your meal which gave us the opportunity to talk. It was all very interesting and both Thaddaeus and David told me that they are really interested in what has happened at St James and have offered to help wherever they can in the future. We have given the company a lot of work firstly with the lightening conductors at the beginning of the year and then of course the borehole, and they gave a very good professional service, but also went the extra mile spending time with James and the children, and taking photos and putting video footage on YouTube of the installation which I hope you have viewed.

I asked for the bill and while waiting looked in my bag for money. David asked what I was looking for and when I said my purse he shook his head and told me he was paying! This may not sound strange to you in the UK but here in Uganda rarely are people so generous when dealing with a Mzungu, however well off they are! Our meal had been delicious and I’m hoping that the men might spread the work and get Judith more customers from the ‘richer’ parts of Kampala.

Lily and I were dropped off at Faiths workplace. She is Receptionist at the Ches Johnson Hotel not far from her home. It was interesting seeing where she works and meeting one of her bosses but I do wish she could find a better job more suited to her talents. At least she is gaining experience though her pay is ridiculously low even for Uganda – 200,000 Ugx a month which is £50 for 26 days work of long hours – under £2 a day!

I’ve enjoyed my short stay in Kampala and head off to Jinja tomorrow. Thaddaeus and David are taking the afternoon off work to take me! Its going to be the most comfortable ride I have ever had to Jinja.

See you there! Love Gerry x

To Jinja, in Jinja and bye bye Jinja!

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As expected I had a very comfortable journey to Jinja with my ‘new’ friends Thaddaeus and David. They arrived on time to pick me up but were more than a little amazed at the amount of luggage I had.

I had warned them when they first offered but it was still a shock to them especially as they probably felt obliged to help the three of us, Faith, Lily and I, when they saw us struggling to carry them down from the apartment. They had come dressed very smartly!!

We called in at a hospital where Miriam the wife of one of my friends Godfrey works as she had got some of my belongings left from my last stay including my motorbike helmet which I will need when I get to Nakakabala.

It was lovely to see Miriam as I had not done so for two years but will be spending a few days with her and her family around Christmas time. What I hadn’t realised was that the lady she was standing with was Marjorie, the sister of Godfrey who was hoping to get a lift to Jinja! Nothing was mentioned, (well not so I could understand anyway) she just greeted me and the next thing I knew she was sat in the front of the car and Thaddaeus got in the back with me.

This is how things happen here and you just ‘go with the flow’. I suppose if I understood the language it would help! Actually having Marjorie in the car made it quite a lively journey as the four of us ‘put the world to rights’ especially talking about Uganda issues.

It seems that everyone I talk to is fully aware of the corruption in their country and not just at the top. They are all fed-up with it and believe they will have to ‘take up arms’ if they are to change Uganda! It is so sad to think that they are right, that this is the only way.

As we approached Jinja we called Alex who I am staying with to give us directions and I got a bit worried when we turned off onto a very deeply rutted track, thinking of the beautifully clean vehicle we were travelling in. Thaddaeus reassure me that it was used to far worse when they were out and about working on projects.

At one point the angle we were travelling at was scary! But we made it. Alex invited us into his home and as we entered I noticed to me horror that Alex had got my portable commode out as extra seating! I could see the others eyes settle briefly on the commode then take another seat.

They obviously knew what is was and Alex had a glint in his eyes too so I just swallowed my pride and plonked myself down on it! Immediately there was laughter from everyone and I felt quite happy to explain why I need a commode in Uganda – dodgy knees etc!

Before they left for the drive back to Kampala Thaddaeus and David expressed again how willing they are to stand by James as they are so impressed by the school and especially James himself.

Once James and I have had a bit of time together we are going to arrange a meeting between us all as they have some really practical and useful ideas to share with us.

Jinja continued later! x