A belated post from Gerry.

When I need a break from the quietness of St James I give my good friend Innocent a call and he comes on his motorbike and takes me back to his bar, Merembe, Peace Bar, though it is far from peaceful as he has music playing constantly, people popping in and out and the local buses have a stop right outside. But I relax and enjoy the coming and going, chatting to the locals though limited by our understanding of each others language, and watching the children who live either side enjoying being children! Today young ones were playing with a mat rolling up inside it, laughing and fighting like children the world over. Two older boys were swirling around and around one of the metal poles that holds up the roof of their tiny room seeing who could keep their feet off the ground the longest. When they saw me videoing they performed even more excitedly! I will put it on Youtube when I return to UK! Continue reading →

Ruth’s cooking is improving, thank goodness! When I first came to St James all cooking was done on an open fire, a pot balanced on three stones with wood in the middle. But of course when it rained as it has done recently the fire went out and everyone went hungry! Now we have a small kitchen partly paid for by the parents, with a wood saving oven which is also supposed to be smokeless but its not quite that good but a great improvement. I can now stand in there without coughing my heart out and the health risk to those doing the cooking regularly has been reduced enormously! Continue reading →

Dear Friends

I am sorry, I wrote this news a while ago but had forgotten I hadn’t emailed it to my husband to put on the website. Sometimes after I have completed a story there is no signal to send. I shall have to check if there are others waiting to be sent!

A happy but sad day

Although I don’t have the pleasure of working with the children at St James this visit I see many of them in the village and some pop in here to say hi. I often find then sat quietly outside my door when I come out. They don’t knock, just wait patiently. I also try to visit friends I have made over the years and today it was the turn of relatives of my dear friend Innocent. We caught a ‘suicide’ bus to Kamuli town. One of the front seats with the driver was free but I learnt from a friend that although that is the most comfortable place to sit it is also the most dangerous in an accident. There is a particular seat I now insist on if it is free, to the annoyance of the conductor who likes to be in charge and to the amusement of the other passengers who are all squashed in like sardines but like someone who stands up to these often rude men! I don’t like the seat immediately behind the front seat as there is a thick metal bar going across in front of me which may stop the whole bus caving in on impact but would also be very painful to be thrown on it by the impact. The back seats are so claustrophobic though apparently the safest as there is an ’emergency door’ behind (the boot!) but I prefer the one immediately behind the hunched over conductor who hangs out the window shouting constantly for customers. I just think he would make for a softer landing if I was ever thrown forwards and of course the convenience of the door! Hopefully I will never have the opportunity to find out if I am right or wrong in my opinion! Continue reading →

…..in the guise of Miss Geminy Maw, Amazing Gem!! The sun was setting before a car horn outside the big metal gates announced the arrival of our special visitor last evening but others knew she was here well before that. As we opened the gates we saw the car surrounded by smiling cheering children who must have followed Gem and Alex up the lane. I have often said that Gem’s smile is contagious and this certainly proved it as the community of children nearby St James had caught the Gem fever! Continue reading →

I am once again sat under the Owen mango tree surrounded by chickens. Beside me is the local carpenter making a frame for a mosquito net for my friend Geminy Maw who arrives tomorrow. James has been asking him to come for six days and today I told James to tell the carpenter that the Mzungu Madam Gerry would not pay him unless he came at once. It worked! He has now been here two hours carefully planing strips of wood to size. He is also going to do a couple of other jobs for us and all this is costing 12,000 UGX (£2.50) They work for so little here. Also on the compound are two children helping James with the digging in exchange for a few shillings and some food. Continue reading →