I have given many of the donated clothes out since being here. Not always been able to take photos but hope you can spot some of your own gifts. Everyone is very grateful as you can imagine.

The younger girls say thank you for their new clothes

New clothes for the older girls

Thank you for our new clothes

Now which football team should I supportERA

Footy outfits for the boys

New clothes for some Mums too!!

Thank you Brussels Airlines for the extra luggage allowance

Asante sana!! Thank you Lamplighters rotary for the wonderful dictionaries!!

I gave Ruth’s daughter clothes too

Little cutie!!

Don’t they all look gorgeous! The smiles are what make the photos!

A special thanks to Stockport Lamplighters Rotary Club who gave me the wonderful dictionaries. I still have some at home to bring next time.

And of course Brussels Airlines as without their extra luggage allowance I couldn’t bring a lot of it out to Uganda.

So a big THANK YOU all round!

Once again many of you have donated money to provide desks for the school and I have been busy painting your names on them. James walked into the village to round up some children for the photos which I will be sending you soon. Continue reading →

After previous ‘days out’ with James I am always dubious of accepting his word that it is not many hours drive to his chosen destination! Ugandans have the tendency when you ask how long is a piece of string, journey, length of time for something, to greatly underestimate so ‘just a short journey’ could take half a day or more! Today, I am glad to say my doubts were proved wrong and we were using English measurements. OK, not quite, Alex my friend and driver for the day arrived 45 minutes late but that’s not bad! We set off loaded with my essentials – water, camping loo, suncream, sunhat, fully charged mobile phone, first aid kit and mosquito repellent just in case we get stranded! You may laugh but I’ve been there, done that – been stranded when the vehicle I was travelling in broke down or there was not enough time for the return journey before dark so had to bed down unexpectedly. Fortunately on that occasion with two lovely girls!.There is no AA or RAC or other emergency service we take for granted in the UK available out in the sticks of Uganda or even come to that, in the towns unless you have lots of money and pay upfront! So I now go prepared for every eventuality! Continue reading →

There are various trading centres James uses for any shopping needs and he suggested we caught bodas, motorbike taxies to Namaira, a trading centre about 2km away. But I desperately needed some exercises so made a deal to walk there and ride back. I must admit that walking along that Jinja to Kamuli road is hair-raising and often I stepped down into the ditch to give more space between me and traffic hurtling past swerving in and out. There are so many really manic drivers in Uganda, especially working for the public transport, and the sugar cane trucks piled high with cane and men free-riding on the top!!

The new school sign made of concrete

Continue reading →

The wonderful news I promised I would give you in a previous update is that solar power has now been installed into Hambridge Hall, the block of four classrooms that opens up into a hall. And I am sat just outside on the veranda of the hall writing this newsletter using the power from the solar! This solar will give light for evening studies for the older pupils, a must in Uganda, and also enable us to hire out the hall in the evenings. In addition to the lighting we have had an inverter fitted which means we can play music, use computers, recharge mobile phones and endless other things. It will definitely make the hall more attractive to people looking for venues for various meetings or celebrations.

Also if I use up too much of the power from the library solar panel, I can nip down here to the classrooms as I have done this morning, to communicate to you!!

Once again I can only emphasise my appreciation to all of you who have contributed in one way or another over this past year. YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

The almost complete hall now with solar power!

Sitting outside Hambridge Hall writing to you using solar power