Days 7-8

Day 7

Justine came to pick me up at 8.30 am. I went in to Baby class first (Nursery/Foundation2). They were learning their colours. There are about 60 children in a small classroom. Next I went to Top Class (Year 1). They were learning about place value. The children recite what the teacher tells them. After lunch I went to P1 (Year 2). I observed a Literacy lesson, which in Uganda is social studies. They were learning about peace and security in the home. Some of the children’s answers to the question ‘how to keep security in the home’ were having a gun, a big stick, and dogs. These answers were correct! (Some people don’t have proper doors only a net curtain for a door). They take a long time to give books out in the class. In this class there were 70 children. The children recite, answer questions and copy in their books what is on the board. Sometimes children sit there for the whole lesson without a book or a pencil and the teacher doesn’t notice. As the children are taught lessons by different teachers they sing while they wait for the next teacher to take the lesson. They love singing!! They all sharpen their pencils with razor blades. After lunch I observed a Reading class which is equivalent to our phonics lessons. Again the children chant the sound and copy the words off the board. They are all well behaved and sometimes are unattended in class whilst the teacher ‘nips’ out for something.



 

 

 

Children in Baby and Top class finish school at 12.30 p.m. Children in P1 and P2 finish at 3.30 p.m. Children in P3-7 stay till 5.30 p.m. They stay so late so they can complete their homework because Tower Primary School has electricity sometimes!! Many children who live in the village do not have electricity. However today there was no electricity from 8a.m. until 6 p.m. because the government sell the electricity to other countries.

 

 

 

Jackson a former footballer for Uganda and friend of the McGraas

 

As I was observing in classes Jackson arrived to say ‘hello’. Jackson escorted us from Entebee airport. He was passing through to Kampala. He brought the McGraas and myself a present – a beautiful Ugandan dress. He asked me if I would like to visit his school and suggested Joshua could pick me up and take me to Kampala. He would then take me to visit his school. I would then stay in a motel overnight on my own. Then he would pick me up and take me to the airport. I politely declined as coming to Uganda for me was a BIG adventure in itself without staying in a strange place on my own!!

 

 

As I was home first, I prepared the tea – goat casserole. It just tasted like beef. In the evenings we have streams of visitors as the McGraas have been coming to Kamutuuza and built up a good relationship with the community for 12 years. It’s very humbling as they are so grateful that you have travelled so far to see them. They bring presents such as avocados, bananas and eggs. There are plenty of banana plantations. Most people grow their own food and have free range chickens.

 

 

 

 

Day 8

 

Taught Mathematics in Top class. After break, which is when the children have their porridge, I taught mathematics in P1. They have many resources from England that have arrived from a container but they don’t always use them. The teacher observing me appreciated the practical ideas that kept the children engaged and showing the teachers how they could use the resources they already have. I checked all children had their books and pencils before we recorded any work. The children sometimes take their books home to work in and don’t bring them back! If resources would allow it would be better to have a separate homework book.


 

 

 

After lunch Joshua came to pick us up with Ibrahim who is a physiotherapist in the Well Spring Medical Centre on site. He took us to visit a family in the outback of Kansamba near Bugonzi. When the mother first visited the medical centre her two boys plus 6 month old twins were very malnourished. With funding from England, Medcare paid for a home to be built for them. They were given medical attention and clothes. However when we visited although they didn’t look malnourished they were dirty and there was no sign of the clothes they had be given! Someone had requested that the twins be accepted in to Evelyn’s home but they were too young. (18 months old)

 

 

 

 

From there we visited Noeline who is a disabled person. She has taken in 30 unwanted disabled children and looks after them. She lives in Bukullula. The young men who are deaf make wooden furniture to sell. The other children help make beads out of paper to make bags and necklaces. It was very humbling to see how grateful Noeline was that we bought so many bags and necklaces to sell back in England.

 

 

 

When we got back to the site there was still no electricity! I marked 70 maths books outside until it was dusk. Soon after Tea we had visitors.