Uganda Week 3 (sorry it's late!)

I realise that time has passed by and nothing has been written, so over the next week i'll try and catch up...
The end of week 2 saw 14 members of the team leave on Friday, and the rest of us had a relaxing weekend, with dinner out on Saturday at in town. Sunday was a visit to an Anglican Church with 2 baptisms, and a communion service not quite what i've previously experienced in an Anglican church. Lunch was at two friends with Benon and Audrey (Benon is in charge of Nile Vocation Institute), this was our farewell lunch for the Trowbridge Crew (Nigel, Jacq & Dave).
Then it was just the girls (me, Rosie, Alex & Grace who had joined us on friday), but on monday the others moved to St Moses Orphanage (they decided to go for the cheaper option)

Monday, was another new adventure, going to the office of Act4Africa, with the challenge of meeting new people, learning their current finance system, and following a not very good report, to train the staff, improve the systems and then write the procedures (this was slowly done over the two weeks, finalising the procedures in jo'burg). The team were great and made me feel welcome, and i soon was a part of the team. Martha was a star, and eager to learn accounts and the right way to do things. Patrick the manager was also keen for the team to learn, and to improve the way things are done.

Tuesday evening was tea with the girls at St Moses (also with Jenny, from the UK who has been working at NVI and st moses for 2 years, and Andrew, the Aussie teaching English at NVI for a few months). This was a pre birthday meal, with home made chocolate brownies...thanks girls they were great.

Wednesday - birthday - it was great having a couple of cards from home, and it was another day in the office, until we had a power cut (which is normal) and we used the generator. Back at the hotel (or home as it felt like) the power cut was still on and off. when power was restored the internet didn't work.....and didn't work properly till friday (when i got loads of birthday messages.thank you all). due to the power cut, we had a change of venue to 2 friends for dinner, which took sometime to be able for all meals to arrive at once. thanks to all who came, and Andrew needs to learn to chill - can't blame him after the day he had - and you owe me a birthday meal see you in sydney next year.

Friday is movie night at St Moses - so i changed my bed for a night to stop over rather than get a late night borda borda (there not always the safest thing to be on, but sometimes it's the only way to go. the bad roads don't help either!!). Putting up the mosquito net was a challenge, but didn't stop the bites (although i may have got them before getting to bed). Bring on Rolex and Kasavo Chips. Rolex is an omelette rolled inside a chipata, and Kasavo is a root veg a bit like a parsnip/potato/? A rolex will set up back 1000 shillings (2700 shillings = 1GBP) and they are filling.

Then it was the weekend, a great opportunity to relax, catch up on some reading, and a bit of work, but this was hampered by the electricity being turned off on sunday (supposed to be between 8am and 6pm, reality was 10am and 8pm), it would have been good to know about this in advance but unless you read the local paper you wouldn't know. Sunday morning was church, following by a chilled afternoon (no power so couldn't work), and then Benon and Audrey invited the girls (including Jenny) to dinner, Ugandan style. The food was good and plenty, homemade cake and custard mmmmm.

There are a few things to remember when in Uganda...Muzungu is the word for white person, also there are few around so you will get many stares. also the assumption is that being muzungu you have money so will always go on a borda borda (if you do, always barter the price!). I decided that as the office was only 15 mins walk from the hotel, and a further 10 mins into town, that i would get some exercises. i did every day, walking in the heat contributes to the loss of moisture, and hopefully the weight. Walking is not good for white people according to the borda borda's as it means that you don't help feed their families. This is a choice for each of us to make...i needed to lose a few lbs not shillings....

Staying at the hotel, meant that my room was cleaned every day, with fresh towels and the bedding changed frequently, at the pricely sum of about 15gbp, this i thought was a great choice, also i liked having some comforts....hot showers for 1(sorry girls, but you knew that you could come visit any time)

Next week more work and a farewell or two