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| Walking through the village |
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| Justine's home in the village |
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Harriet's home. Her mother weaving palm leaves to make a mat Villagers 
Day
14
Went
to visit the medical centre and discovered that Kisaakye Rita, had
Malaria, she was on a drip. I met Ibrahim again who examined a boy
who was in a wheel chair. He measured his legs and one leg was 2 cm
smaller than the other. He needed a built up shoe and some crutches.
We also met a little girl named Harriet, who had cerebral Malaria.
She had been treated in hospital and her Grandmother brought her every day to the Medical centre for physiotherapy and speech therapy. After a year she can now walk and talk.
At
school break time I had a meeting with all the teachers, head teacher
and deputy head teacher in the library to give them examples of how
to use the resources such as bead strings, diennes equipment, dice,
peg boards, etc.. I also explained how I had organised the teaching
resources for Maths and English and the reading scheme.
 
Mary - Headteacher
Taught
English in the afternoon. After school changed in to my gomesi,
which Prossy had made me in readiness for the Ladies Meeting.
82
Ladies came to the Ladies Meeting from the village. They sang in
Lugandan and danced. They got me up to speak! They were all thrilled
that I was wearing a gomesi
and gave me a clap! We made them scones and banana cake. Afterwards
each lady received a card, a pot of face cream and a pack of 6 boxes
of matches.
   
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| Shops and market stalls in Masaka
When
we got back I took the material to Prossy’s house in the village. I
then helped sort the clothes into age groups which we had brought
from England. The head teacher, Mary brought me replies to the
children’s letters I’d brought from Church Drive and the key for
the library to sort out the books and resources from the container
that had arrived from England. For tea I was brought a present of
grasshoppers. They were very crunchy!
Day
10 (Sat)
Firstly
I planned lessons for school on Monday. Then spent most of the day
sorting out the library! In the evening I organised games for the
children in Evelyn’s home.
Day
11
Not
feeling well today – cold symptoms. Still got up for church at
7
a.m. followed by Sunday School. A quick cup of tea then back to the
village church service. After lunch I had a little nap before the
2 p.m. teenager’s service. In the afternoon Joseph and Allen came with some friends to talk about the work they do with the villagers and expressed their concern about the ‘witch doctors.’ I had an early night!
Day
12
Felt
much better. Taught in school. The head teacher came to watch me
teach a Maths lesson for a bit. After school I continued to sort the
library. I tried to match teaching materials to the different age
groups in English and Maths. I also sorted out a complete reading
scheme into different levels, which was no mean feat as they were all
mixed up! Managed to finish sorting the library and even labelled the
shelves.
 
Before!!
After
Sharon
the matron of Evelyn’s Home brought me some Matooke and ghee nuts
for tea. Matooke looks like bananas but when cooked tastes like
potato.
|
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| 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.
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I
was speaking with Jovia, a teacher in P3 (children aged between 8 and
10 years) she told me she felt very fortunate to work at Tower
Primary as they did have electricity most of the time plus Kamutuuza
has a taxi service to the next town of Masaka making it easier for
them to travel to their homes. The Ugandan government usually
provide a site for a school and teachers but do not pay for any
resources. The land that Tower Primary School is built on belongs to
the Church of Uganda. The charity ‘Just Care’ has provided the
funds (via donations) for most of the buildings on site. They have
also funded and sent resources via containers. The KNAPS scheme
(Kamutuuza
Not
Able
to Pay
for Schooling)
provides sponsorship to enable poor children to have an education.
Church Drive Primary School supports 3 children through this scheme.
Unpacked
all the clothes we brought for the children. Allen (a lady) who is
the secretary for the school took some clothes for the poor and needy
children in her village. Joshua (our taxi and friend) took us to
Nabagobo. On the journey I saw mud huts with straw roofs. Lake
Nabagobo is a holiday resort. It cost us 1000 shillings to get in
(25p). I saw fishing boats on the lake and the locals selling fish.
It was a hot day with blue sky, palm trees and grass domed shelters.
Joshua insisted on pushing me on the swing! The highlight of the day
was seeing monkeys in their natural habitat.
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| Canon Fred with Alan McGraa |
In
the evening I sat with the teachers of Tower Primary School who were
weaving banana leaves and palm leaves to make hand bags and purses.
They told me they sell them and any money they receive goes in a
teacher’s fund. If any teachers need a loan they take it from the
fund and return the money they borrowed with 5% interest. I was
invited later on to Evelyn’s home to say ‘goodnight’ to the
children. Up early for school tomorrow!!