Dear Friends of St James,

I arrived in Uganda very late on Saturday night and it has taken me a while to get connected with mobile internet as being a Sunday the banks were closed so no UGX no Internet! But I am all sorted now so will keep in contact as long as there is electric power and mobile signal, and my energy keeps going!

Monday 8 December, 7.15 am

I’m writing this sitting under my mosquito net looking out over the rooftops of Kampala as the sun gradually burns off the early morning mist/smog! This morning I woke very early initially to the sound of the mosque calling Muslims to morning prayer then later to the rushing, beeping, screeching of traffic, radios turned up far too loud and the voices of families living around as they prepare for the day.

Yesterday morning was very different as I woke at Banana Village to the sound of gentle brushing outside my ‘posh’ mud house as the groundsmen cleared the debris of fallen leaves so there would be no hiding place for snakes, and the ‘chattering’ of monkeys swinging in the trees nearby.

I know which one I prefer, but I also enjoy being in the city as Faith (not her real name) one of our Ugandan ‘daughters’ lives here. My family ‘adopted’ Faith in 2007 and has since seen her gain a degree and a job. Faith was very young when she and her sister fled Rwanda after the devastation of the genocide.

They lost both parents and many other relatives and had an extremely difficult time surviving even when they reached Uganda. Their stories are too awful to write about here and thankfully they are both in a much better place now.

Last night Faith and I were, along with her 12 year old niece Lily (not her real name) who is living with her at present, were invited to meet up with some uni friends ‘down at the beach’ for a fish supper. I was rather tired after my long journey to Uganda and lack of sleep two nights in a row, but I don’t like to turn down an opportunity of another experience and Faith knows I love to join in with the local people as I am not one for ‘touristy’ places.

We travelled from Kampala to the shores of Lake Victoria on the local Taxi bus, not my favourite form of transport, but thankfully the city now has strict rules about overloading these buses and as we were in slow moving traffic there was no way it could speed anyway! Once off the taxi we walked down to the lakeside and were greeted by a mixture of stares and smiles as the local people usually don’t see white faces thereabouts. I was told later that some thought I was the Queen of England!

I was warmly welcomed by one of Faith’s best friends James Nono who informed me that he prefers to be called Nono. It’s a good thing he had a sense of humour as I kept calling him Gogo! He and the other young people were really good company telling me about the area we were in which is mainly a fishing village and one of the reasons they come as the Tilapia is the best you can find anywhere, delicious and so cheap compared to the city, and they sold ice cold Nile beer too!!

We watched the sun set over the lake and the full moon rise – I wish I had taken a photo as it seemed enormous, the biggest I have ever witnessed, like a giant red inflatable ball floating just above the water, its reflection making a wide road of light right up to the place we were sitting. We spent a happy few hours chatting about so many subjects including religion and politics.

I think they like the fact that my mind was completely open so they felt free to talk. The more young educated Ugandans I meet the more confident I am that Uganda has a good future. It will probably not be in my lifetime as we all know it takes many years for the new to take the place of the old, especially in politics!!

Nono had a vehicle that he was being paid by the owner to drive to Nairobi the next day as they were flying there for a holiday! Like Faith, Nono has gained a good degree but is prepared to work at anything while he looks for a job in his field. Not so different to our graduates in the UK really, only here there are no benefits, if you don’t earn money you don’t eat!

We all piled into ‘his’ vehicle, I had seven year old Authur sat on my knee in the front with the other six in the back. Thankfully Nono was a good driver and we got back home much quicker than we had come but it was still getting on to midnight!

After my ‘adventures’ of last night I slept like a log, with the cool breeze blowing across the rooftops through the window straight across my face – wonderful! I have a bed to sleep in while Faith and Lili happily share a matress on the floor where they are both still sound asleep.

Today I hope to get set up with mobile internet so that I can send this.

Love to you all x

There is a real ‘foggy-smog'(!) over Kampala this morning. I’m wondering if it is always like this as I have never actually stayed in Kampala itself before and certainly not in a ‘high-rise’ apartment! This building where I am staying is beside a petrol station, above a car yard and surrounded by a mixture of homes many very poor but it seems a happy place where children play and life goes on regardless of situation. Not far away are the modern buildings of the city centre. I have a video which I will attempt to put on Youtube of the view.

To get to the apartment you have to climb loads of steps that are of varying size. I’m not kidding they range from hardly any step at all to ones that are well over a foot in depth and even with my long legs have a struggle to climb! When I arrived on Sunday morning with four heavy cases I wondered how on earth we were going to get them up to the top floor.

I suggested we ask some of the car mechanics to help us but couldn’t believe what happened next – Lilli swung one case up on her head and started up the stairs followed by Faith. When Charles saw what had happened he chuckled to himself and followed suit! I do wish I had had my camera ready as it was amazing to see when you appreciate the weight of each case was over 23 kilo!

I followed with my 12 kilo rucksack and my smaller one containing my laptop and it was a struggle. All the time I could hear Faith calling from above “No Mum leave it we will come back.” I was determined to keep going though and made it, sweating buckets! Charles returned for the last and heaviest case. He well deserved the tip I gave him!!

I’ve really had a good nights sleep which will please my family and friends very much. I had had a busy day, mostly enjoyable and felt very relaxed even at the frustrating parts!

(Faith has just realised I am awake, disappeared into the kitchen and came out with a freshly made cup of Ugandan tea, no milk but very refreshing, and I am still enjoying it. She’s gone back to sleep again, Lili has not stirred!)

Yesterday morning Faith and I set off on foot to walk to the nearest MoneyGram bank to cash my MG as I had no Ugandan Shillings left after paying Banana Village and for my transport. We went into the bank, picked up a form, I filled it in then joined the MoneyGram queue , easypeasy I was thinking to myself. Huh, spoke too soon!

When I got to the Teller she looked at my form and said she could cash it but only had 2000 Ugx notes. I was just about to say it was OK when Faith fortunately interacted and said ‘No Mum, that is so many!’ I then realised what she meant. £500 at over 4000 Ugx would mean I would be carrying a bundle of 1,000 notes, yes one thousand!!!

So I declined the offer and we set off for another bank. Walking in Kampala is not easy as there are few footpaths and the traffic is crazy, you have to have eyes in the back of your head and a few extra! There are deep gullies all along the side of the road and with the cars and piki piki motorbikes coming past several abreast you have to watch you don’t get forced into the concrete depths!!

But we made it to the next bank where I had to fill up another form as it was a different bank though still MoneyGram! I joined the queue behind people waiting for the Teller that had a big sign above the counter which said MoneyGram. It was hot, my back ached from standing still, but I knew I had to persevere as it always takes ages to get money out of a bank in Uganda and if I didn’t get it today I would have to do it tomorrow! So I practised being patient and eventually got to the window.

I could not believe it when the teller said I was at the wrong counter and would have to move across to the other queue, the queue without the MoneyGram sign! It’s a good thing I don’t use bad language as I would really have expressed my frustration. I just politely pointed out how they could improve their ‘customer service’ then moved along and joined the other queue!

Eventually I got my money and we went to search out MTN for my mobile and Internet. In previous years one of my friends always got these for me for when I arrived but the Ugandan government has brought out new regulations and you have to purchase in person.

I had to go to another business to have a copy made of my passport, which I wasn’t happy with but had no choice. Then back to MTN, two different ones for mobile and then Internet, and with a great deal of help from my dear friend Faith, I got sorted and that is why you are receiving my newsletters.

More to come, my day did get better!

Love Gerry x

Dear Friends

As I mentioned at the end of my last newsletter our next challenge is to build and equip a clinic at St James as there are no medical facilities nearby.

As you see by the attached photos the clinic building has been started, literally brick by brick when villagers donate a few bricks, sand or cement from their own building work or with materials left over from the building work at St James. I have also attached James’ estimate for the next stage of the building and hope that we can raise the funds for the materials needed.

Please read the attached newsletter and if possible help me to bring more JOY to those at St James and in the village of Nakakabala Uganda by making a donation. Together we really are improving the lives of many people!

Also, if you or your family or friends are connected to a medical facility maybe they would interested in our challenge and would even like to adopt/twin with Joy Clinic?

Love from Gerry and all at St James x

Dear Friends

(apologies to those of you who have already received this information and responded so kindly!)

As I mentioned at the end of my last newsletter our next challenge is to build and equip a clinic at St James as there are no medical facilities nearby.

As you see by the below photos the clinic building has been started, literally brick by brick when villagers donate a few bricks, sand or cement from their own building work or with materials left over from the building work at St James. I have also attached James’ estimate for the next stage of the building and hope that we can raise the funds for the materials needed.

Pease read the attached newsletter and if possible help me to bring more JOY to those at St James and in the village of Nakakabala Uganda by making a donation. Together we really are improving the lives of many people!

Also, if you or your family or friends are connected to a medical facility maybe they would interested in our challenge and would even like to adopt/twin with Joy Clinic?

Love from Gerry and all at St James

Dear Friends of St James

Thank you for all your interest and support during the past year and in fact since I first got involved with helping to build a school in Nakakabala, Uganda. The progress we have made has been beyond my wildest dreams and I cannot emphasise strongly enough the difference you have made to the lives of many children, their families and the wider community. I am so very grateful to you all.

I hope those of you who bought kilos and kilos of our Discovery apples in September and the children who picked them, enjoyed them! You donated well over £100 to St James for the apples!

Several of you ordered the St James ‘Happy’ Christmas cards too and I am still busy making them. Profits from card sales are well over £150 already! I enjoy making up the cards as the happy faces of the children at St James always makes me smile!

There is more good news from St James. Two weeks ago the oldest children sat for their National Primary Leaving Certificate in the completed Hambridge Hall and James is expecting good results again. What is different this year is that the children did not have to travel miles to another school for their exams as St James is now registered as an Exam Centre therefore saving money for their transport and exam fees. Also two other schools came to St James to sit their exams and paid St James for the privilege. Next year James is hoping many more schools will use the facilities we have provided which means more much needed funds for St James!

James is constructing a new piggery. The poor pigs have been a bit neglected so this is good news as the animals projects are so important. The chickens in Georges Den are doing well and the goats and cows too. James has other ideas for raising money for the school so I am looking forward to hearing about them when I see him. All aiming towards self-sufficiency for St James.

It has been a real pleasure recently being able to share all the fantastic news from St James. I am really looking forward to my trip to Uganda to see for myself all the amazing progress that’s been made since my last visit a year ago, especially to see everyone enjoying the fresh clean water ‘on tap’ so to speak!

No longer will I feel guilty having my ‘shower’ each evening because the children have had to carry my water from a distant borehole. The only downside is the water when I bathe is going to be freezing as it will not have been stood around all day in jerrycans!!

I’m also can’t wait to see the completed classroom block ‘Hambridge Hall’. I still smile at the thought of a hall being named after my family, though they certainly deserve the honour with all that they put up with from me!! The hall when divided by sliding doors, provides four classes of children with a safe and comfortable place to have their lessons sitting on the 200 new desks you bought.

I will be emailing photos of all the changes that have taken place and of course keeping you up-to-date with all that I get up to during my five weeks stay. Yes, I only intended going for three weeks to attend James’ eldest sons wedding and stay for Christmas, but the air fare was going to be £1200! If I wait to come back until 10^th January it goes down to £656 so I’ve just got to stay! The prices fluctuate so much because it is Uganda’s main tourist period when many come to spend time on the banks of the Nile and Lake Victoria; to visit the various National Parks and view the Mountain Gorillas.

I am very grateful to my wonderful husband for letting me go and spend Christmas in Uganda. I won’t be cooking his turkey dinner this year but I can guarantee he will have a better meal than I will! We plan to go out for a pre-Christmas meal the weekend before I leave to make up for it!

Thanks again for all the interest and support it makes my ‘job’ so much more fulfilling. In the next newsletter please read about our next challenge which is to build and equip a clinic at St James! We would be so grateful if you could help with this.

Love Gerry x