Made it

I have now been in Mbarara, Uganda (home for the year) for almost 3 weeks. I was escorted from Lugala to Mbarara by Dennis, an amazing guy who, with his wife cares for over 20 boys who would not otherwise have a stable home or be going to school. He is also an amazing musician and has already given me a Lugandan singing lesson.

Dennis

Here in Mbarara I am staying with an amazing family who have been so welcoming and are one of our Australia HOPE International http://www.ahi.org.au/ partners here in Uganda. Pastor Willy, his wife, Anne, and their kids, Isaac (10), Rebecca (7), Favour (5) and Ezekiel (3) are all incredible in their own way. I think one blog I will write down Pastor Willy's story because it's pretty amazing (I really need to find another word but I like this one - it says what I feel). So I am here living in their house, eating their food, using their car (yes I have braved the crazy traffic) and going to their church. Pastor Willy is Senior Pastor at Uganda for Christ Evangelical Church which is quite large and, like all my experiences of African churches, quite loud.

Pastor Willy, Isaac, Rebecca, Favour, Ezekiel, Anne and me when I was there last July

I've been here, like I said, for a while and my plan was to talk about events that have happened in that time, however I'm thinking that maybe I'll just describe a few things and put photos of them so that you get a feel for where I am.

Mbarara is quite big. According to Wikipedia (the source of all reliable information) the population in 2008 was almost 100 000 - which, from the amount of development and building going on, I'm pretty sure has increased. So it's no Victor Harbor. And yet walking down the street with Pastor Willy or Anne, we are stopped every second step by someone they know. So it's like a big country town.

Mbarara's main street (with the least amount of traffic I have seen on it!)

Tribal culture is fascinating and confusing. Mbarara is part of the Ankole kingdom (I think - I am not an expert on this at all) and so the tribal language is mostly Runyankole. I say mostly because then there are several other languages that someone could be speaking and I wouldn't know. For instance I was being told the word for neck (here someone is not 'on your back' they are 'on your neck') and the guy telling me said it is this…………….. (I can't remember the word for neck) then he said 'or in Nyankole it is this……………'. So I was like 'what language was the first one?' and he said 'Lugandan'. So I have no idea how I am going to learn the language when I don't even know which language I am learning!

But I do know this. The Ankole are into cows. And milk. They drink tea that is made from milk (and are astounded when I ask for my black 'dry' tea with no sugar) and they drink it very sweet. (I recently made the dicovery that I can have hot chocolate so am very excited as I wont have to refuse hot milk anymore!)

And everyone thinks I do not eat enough. For those who know me in Australia - you know that I like food and eating. So when I come here and can’t eat half of what is on my plate, I feel bad. I have also been told I am too skinny so part of it I am sure is to fatten me up.

I feel like I stand out. Because I do. This town is multicultural but white westerners are in the minority. When I see another white person even I feel like pointing and yelling 'Mzungu' (white person) - which is the general reaction from school children whenever they see me. Even when I am in the car, if the window is down, I can hear 'Mzungu' as we pass by. It's a bit like being famous for no reason at all. Sometimes I even think of doing the 'Queen' wave. But the sight of another white person is so unexpected that I can understand the urge to yell and point.



'Mzungu! Mzungu! How are you Mzungu?'

 

Feel free to picture me yelling and pointing

 

When I say that Mbarara is multicultural I mean that there are many tribes represented here. Even though it is an Ankole area because of the size of the town it attracts people from all over. There also seem to be a number of Indians who tend to own businesses in town. Part of the colonial heritage of the place I guess.

Okay that's enough - I'm sure photos will be more helpful in showing you around.

Next time, I'll introduce you to some of the people I'm working with, some of the kids we are helping and some of the music team from church.

Also I feel like I need to add that although this blog is primarily to tell of my adventures over here and not to ask for money or anything like that, the reason I am here in Uganda is because I am moved to do something about the unequal distribution of wealth I see in the world. God has blessed me to be a blessing to others - so if you read my blog and are also compelled to do something about it please feel free to also be a blessing by donating to the cause of HOPE at http://www.ahi.org.au/

The needs here are overwhelming at times and life is a constant struggle for many. There are kids I meet and talk to who often go hungry. It isn't fair that it is that way. So I will do all I can to promote this cause because I know that the money that comes in will ultimately help those kids.

Bless ya,

Bron

Home and Away

So this blog is about not last week but the week before (I think). It feels like I have only just got here and like I've been here forever at the same time. It's been almost 4 weeks since I got here and the time has flown by - I guess I have packed a bit in. So...

Last week was a bit quieter for me. Bill was speaking at a Pastor's Conference at Lugala that Frank was running for all the pastors connected with their church. I have to admit I didn't make it to any of the sessions.

Also speaking at the conference were Julia and Isabelle. We met them when we arrived back from DRC. They were also staying at Lugala, there to do ministry with Frank and speak at the Pastor's Conference. They also were from Australia so there was quite a little gathering of us. Julia is a long term missionary (like 30 years in the field) and Isabelle was joining her for part of her ministry trip. Heading out on this missionary journey, it was so encouraging to meet someone who has been there and done it. Although we work in very different areas and ways, Julia was able to give me insights that I didn't have before about the joys and struggles of doing life this way.

So I spent my time enjoying the warm weather, reading a book (a fascinating book I bought called "The State of Africa" about the 50 or so years since independence) and generally relaxing, which I think I needed having been rushing around for months before that.

I met Edrin and a couple of other guys from around the place who were sitting around playing guitar and singing and I couldn't resist having a play and joining in with them. My kind of fun.





Hope, Bill, Florence (Hope and Penny's mum) and Penny

 I also met Hope and Penny. Hope was the first child sponsored through Australia HOPE International and  Bill and I went to visit her and her sister at school. They are both in Senior 4 (I think) and were so lovely and friendly. They showed us around the school and their dorms and it was amazing to see the difference long term sponsorship had made to their family.

During the week we also had a family rock up at Lugala to stay who were also from Australia, making it a home away from home! In fact the Crowes live only 5 mins away from where Bill lives. Jude and Tim and their kids Samuel (8) and Ella (6) were using Lugala as a stopping point on their way to Kasese in the west where Tim will be working voluntarily for a month (with bees). It was great to meet them and I think that as a family it will be a great adventure and who knows where it will lead.

 

As I had only visited one of the COME/HOPE schools I jumped at the opportunity to tag along with the Crowes on a visit to Masenafu, which for us at HOPE is our most finished school.

 

I also tagged along with Tim when Frank took him to the HOPE Medical Clinic. It is a beautiful building and has been landscaped and stands out. I can see that in the future when all it's building stages are finished it will be a great community asset and a focal point. Alongside the clinic is a chapel in which I got to see first hand some of the building techniques that are used here. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't meet Australian OH&S but they managed to do work that I'm sure in Australia we use machines to do.

Last but not least, I watched a movie called 'War Dance' which up until this point I had been avoiding. I am enjoying my history book because it is one step removed - it doesn't personalise the events. I knew however that this movie told the stories of children in the war affected northern part of Uganda and I didn't want to see it because too much of that stuff does my head in.

However, we watched it. And I encourage you if you are reading this to find a copy somewhere and watch it. It's an amazing movie, about amazing kids, and while I am here and hear stories like this all the time, I think everyone should see stuff like this to make themselves more aware of what is going on in the world. It is easy to forget or ignore that life isn't the same for all of us. Plus it has some brilliant scenes of African dancing and music that should be seen.

So have a great week, next instalment you'll find me in my current place of residence, Mbarara.

Be blessed,

bron







Monday = Larium day!

Oops I forgot to take my Larium. I will have to remember to take it tonight.

For those who don't know (and if you haven't been to a malaria infested country why would you?) Larium is one of the anti-malarial drugs available to help prevent malaria. There are quite a few that I know of - all of them differing in effectiveness, side-affects and cost.

Larium is relatively expensive but only has to be taken once a week, which to me is a benefit. Doxy is relatively cheap but has to be taken at the SAME time EVERY day to be effective. The side-affects of Larium though can be quite serious. To the point of triggering psychotic episodes. And lots of people have really vivid dreams. Like a friend of mine who was taking Larium and had a dream that he had to open his tent for some reason. In the morning he wakes up to find that he has opened his tent and is now covered in mozzie bites. And ended up with malaria.

However, despite the risks, I am taking Larium (and have for my last 2 trips) and apart from the awful taste I have had no problems with it.

Okay, so this blog is actually about my second week in Africa. I'm a bit behind so I'll be playing catchup for a couple of weeks but at least I know I have something to talk about.

Bill and I stayed in Lugala, Kampala, Uganda at the guest house of Frank and Michele, one of the partners that Australia HOPE International http://www.ahi.org.au/ works with here on the ground in Uganda. The guest house is lovely and a bit of an oasis - the girls that work for Michele learn how to cook western food so if you ever got sick of African food it would be a good place to go. In our time there we were inundated with Aussies all on their own African adventures (but more about that in my next instalment).

This was the week of meetings. It was very busy and (in my opinion) un-African. We spent most of our day every day for a week at cafés and hotels meeting with all our African partners and the various staff that work in coordinating the work of HOPE. Bill commented at one point that this has never happened before and I am amazed at the amount of work that has been done since HOPE started (10ish years ago) considering the limitations of communication via email with partners for whom English is a 2nd (or 5th) language.

These meetings were very productive (my involvement mostly limited to typing notes for Bill) and for me slightly overwhelming. I have not been involved in HOPE to that level before and to see the extent of the vision that Bill and Norma initiated all those years ago was a bit mind-blowing. HOPE runs in such a way that pretty much as soon as money is donated it goes out. Often those donations are ear-marked for a particular project. Most of the regular money coming in is though sponsorship. There is not often 'extra' money that can go towards the various projects we have running. And yet somehow we have 9 schools that we have contributed towards or are still building. Almost 2000 students in those schools who would most likely not have finished Primary School without the work of HOPE. There are over 60 teachers that are paid every month through HOPE. There are builders and others who have been employed and are able to support their own families. Being here and seeing first hand what HOPE does makes me even more passionate about it. I still can't believe I am here for a year to help towards that work and my prayer is that my time will be effective not only in what I am doing here in Africa but also in raising the profile of HOPE and attracting more support so that these amazing things can continue.

Our meetings were mostly held at Garden City which is a shopping mall and we spent our time there at Café Pap (amazing coffee) where we could plug into their power. Garden City is where, in the words of one of our partners, 'the mzungu (white people) hang out'. White people really do stand out here so I guess there is safety in numbers :)

We also had a couple of meetings at The Grand Imperial Hotel which is very old and has a swimming pool.

I also met Irene who is one of our sponsored children who is now in university. She is studying IT and Bill had been able to get a laptop for her (imagine studying IT without a computer!) so it was very exciting to be there when she received it.

There is probably heaps more I could write but I am trying to keep this short and readable so I'll just finish with some photos.

Blessings,

Kamugisha (my nyankole name, meaning 'many blessings') Bron

Anne, Bill and Pastor Willy plan for the future of their many projects

Bill, Pastor Kaazi and Pastor Willy look over the figures from their joint farming project

Bill enjoys a well earned break with a banana split

Pastor Kaazi getting his new laptop - email communication with our African partners is vital for running Australia HOPE International effectively

Kaazi, Bill, John and Joeseph talk about Kibogo HOPE Nursery and Primary School

Mary, Lulenti and Dennis came to meet with us at Lugala - Mary and Lulenti care for many children and pay school fees so they can get an education

Irene was so happy to get her new computer - it will help her in her IT course

congo and beyond

So I didn't quite get a second post up before I left the country. My memory of those last few weeks before I left is all a bit of a blur. And sitting here now I can't quite believe that I've been here for almost two weeks. At the moment everything still seems like I'm here with a HOPE team because Bill is still here. The purpose of his trip is to go to Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo to meet with our partner there and also meet with all our other partners who will travel to Kampala, Uganda to meet us.

The Congo leg of our trip has now been and gone and I think if I don't write about it now it will remain unwritten. Pastor Willy  Tumwine from Mbarara, Uganda, met up with Bill and I in Kampala on Tuesday 22nd Febuary, 2011. Bill (CEO of Australia HOPE International) and I had left Aus on the Sunday morning at 7:35 am to an embarrassingly loud chorus of friends singing us down the ramp at Adelaide airport. The first leg to Perth airport was relatively short, the second leg to Johannesburg, relatively long. We stayed overnight in J'burg for which I am so thankful and after a relaxing morning continued our journey to Entebbe which, although not the capital city, has the main airport. Taxi ride to Lugala where our partner's base is located and we have pretty much got to the point where Pastor Willy meets us.

So, on Wednesday morning we get ourselves back to Entebbe (an hour away) to catch our MAF flight to Bunia. When we get there, there is some confusion as the airport officials are under the impression that the flight has already left. With something of a sinking feeling we ring the MAF office to find out that our flight has indeed gone at 7:30 that morning not the 12 o'clock we rocked up for. Through a series of unfortunate events we had not been informed of the change of flight time.

Luckily MAF were able to get us on a flight early the next morning that had been chartered by a group of dog enthusiasts who were heading into DRC to, in their words, 'observe' the breed of dog in it's place of origin. I'm not sure how much research had been done by some of these people about the area they were heading into. I hope they enjoyed their time, I have a feeling it would have been very eye opening.

For those of you who don't know much about DRC (like the dog enthusiasts) I'm not going to fill this page up with information you can find out for yourself but please, have a look, do a google search, it wont take much of your time and you'll be better informed than you would be with any information I could give you.

What I will say is that Bunia is a town of over 300 000 people and nowhere is there a bituminised road. Unless you count the air strip (mostly used by MAF and the UN) which is not the smoothest of 'roads' anyway. Bunia also lacks a post office, half the town has no running water or power and it is jammed with people who fled to the town from villages during the war in recent years.

Our partner Mozart, his wife Sephora and their kids have an amazing story, escaping from DRC to seek asylum in Nairobi, Kenya in 2003 where they remained until 2008. While there Mozart studied for his Masters in Missiology, writing his thesis on the rehabilitation of war orphans. In 2008 they returned and now through the support of Australia HOPE International and generous donors here in Australia, Mozart has over 200 war orphans in Bunia HOPE Complex School and foundations have been dug for the construction of a Senior School.

I loved our time in DRC, it was lovely to meet these people I had heard so much about and I got to use a little of much high school french. Although language was somewhat of a barrier, there are certain things that don't need language to communicate. Like giving a child a balloon - even if they've never seen one before they can understand that it is for them to play with. Or a smile, or a hug, these are things to be treasured more than words.

I took lots of photos. They capture moments in time, different events, different stories. I think though that Africa can't be experienced through a photo because as much as it is visually overwhelming, it is the sounds and smells that give it life. Like when I get off the plane in Entebbe, I can feel, taste, smell and hear that I am in Africa and a photo, even a brilliant one, can't, I think, capture that.  But enjoy them anyway. I love that the small portion of knowledge I have about Africa is blown away every time I go somewhere new or meet someone I haven't met before. Bunia is not far over the border from Uganda yet there were so many fascinating new aspects of African culture for me to store in my 'Africa' folder.

I think that is enough - even I am getting bored. So until next time, be blessed

Bron