Update on St James and an introduction to the Schools Management Committee.
Sorry I have not been in touch since arriving home. I’ve been busy catching up with family and also recovering as I had not been too well in Uganda. I am pleased to say I am much improved now.

One of the reasons I went out to Uganda during the Uganda school holidays was to spend time with James and his family discussing the business side of St James. His family of three daughters and three sons, who I have known almost as long as I have James, are prepared to take over some of the administrative work involved in the running of the school which James was finding too much to handle with being the head teacher, teacher and carer of the children. Continue reading →

Dear Friends of St James, this is an Urgent Appeal for St James.

As you know a few months ago during a massive storm a big mango tree fell down and smashed through the school latrine block. Fortunately no one was inside at the time but the building is in ruins. As the pit had been used by hundreds during school time it needed filling and re-siting anyway and that is what we intended to do, re-using the bricks and roof sheets in the new one.

A big tree fell on the school latrines. Fortunately no one was hurt

James had already chosen two possible sites for the rebuild but unfortunately we are now unable to use either for pit latrines. Continue reading →

Farewell St James and my lovely friends help me through the start of my long journey home

My farewell supper and Nile Beer with Innocent at Mirembe Bar. The food was made at St James and we took it to the bar!

My last supper with James, Innocent, Gem and my two helpers Ruth and Grace who were wearing the clothes you donated

It is such a long drag to Entebbe airport from St James mainly because of the massive traffic jams in and around Kampala that can never be avoided so I always dread my journeys to and from the airport but on Saturday I had six wonderful young friends who chose to keep me company. Alex and his fiance Hannah picked me up from St James at 8 am and we were joined by two of his brothers Bosco and Paul, their step-broher Godfrey and of course Gem was with us. So that I lessended the risk of missing my flight I suggested we get as close to the airport as possible and spend a few hours relaxing by the pool of the Lake Victoria Hotel actually in Entebbe. I had had another sleepless night and felt quite poorly so being able to chill out, quite literally, and have some fun was just what I needed. It was so wonderful to dive into the water after sitting for over six hours in the hot vehicle! It was lovely to spend the extra time with some of my lovely Uganda family too as they look after their English ‘MumG’ very well! Continue reading →

Hi all, a short post to let you know Gerry is back home safely today after an exhausting journey from St James – it started at 8am local (5 am GMT) on Saturday, via Jinja, Kampala, Lake Victoria hotel, Entebbe airport, Kigali airport, Brussels airport and finally good old Ringway, eventually getting to Poynton at 11.15am  today (Sunday). Tea and toast have been consumed – now it’s snoozing in front of catchup TV. Give her a day or two or three and she’ll be back on this blog with the latest news. Best regards Norman.

Tuesday was a day of memories mostly good but a little sad too. Alex picked Gem and I up to go and visit his family in Kasozi but I asked him if we could go to Kamuli on the way to do some shopping and t go and look at Maria’s Care where I had first lived and worked in Uganda from 2002 to 2007. It had been a home for orphaned and destitute children. Also I have been keeping in touch with Godfrey one of the ‘old boys’ who became a teacher at the school, in fact teacher to Alex and two of his brothers. Godfrey is also a church leader at the Kamuli Baptist Church where I met him the first time I visited the church at Christmas 2009 where Maria Maw is still very much a part of the church community as many of her children and their offspring still attend. Godfrey, along with Alex, John Baptist and many other ‘children of Maria’ still think of Maria’s Care as their home but it is a very different place now.

Maria’s Care with Godfrey and Alex

Continue reading →