Hi family and friends. Not sure where the last 2 weeks have gone but it is count -down to home now! Leave Fort Portal on Mon to Kampala overnight and plane Tues to Dubai. Home Thurs night in time for Enviro Southland Awards! Thought we were home Fri- so that’s a bonus!
3 of group going on a safari from Sun. We have had one day off going to the falls, caves and walking over- up and down- volcano craters but since then it has been all go!
3 days visiting families in their villages with a child with special needs and looking at goats, pigs and cow raising projects alongside veg gardens- with young people who are making progress and been in the scheme for a few years now ( Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation =RSNF-started in 2011 by Dot Muir of Invercargill). They so proud of what they are doing supported by their families- often mother, aunty or grandmother taking care in a 2-3 roomed brick hut with a mud floor- clean but basic. Cooking and washing done outside and water carted daily in plastic containers – often by the children. No grumping- just part of what they do!
We had two full days with the open air assessments with 3 Doctors from Kampala. General practitioner, Ambrose, eye specialist Nelson ( keen to come and see our Nelson!) and Steve, orthopaedic. Also had OT from a Child Development Centre, Patrick or David, helping with future therapy needs. We sat on the grass on mats under the trees or tarpaulins – one day in a public park next to a school with over 400 primary pupils and were able to use one classroom for eye specialist, and next day outside at a country medical centre with one room for eye specialist.
People lined up, sat on the grass and waited for hours with their children. So patient. The Drs were so respectful, engaged, compassionate but straight with the parents/ gran/ aunty in telling them what was needed. Saw about 500 children over the two days- some just needed referral for physio, others glasses, some just diet help, and others urgent needs eg cancer of the eye, glaucoma and cataracts so losing their sight in their one good eye, hydrocephalus and needing drains, along with others with less urgent needs eg club foot needing callipers and special shoe, hunch back needing physio and others needing help with walking because of joint and muscular dystrophy. Parents were so appreciative of being able to be seen by a doctor and to have some hope that their children will be given the appropriate treatment they need very soon.
Now the real work starts with follow ups of about 50 children, 10 urgent cases to be seen by middle of Aug but with our limited finances we probably can’t help them all. The operations once they get to hospitals are mostly free (except for some big orthopaedic operations on legs, club foot, …) but the costs which they don’t have the resources to provide for themselves and their child are getting to the hospital, food while they are at hospital along with food for their child, and accommodation costs as well as the costs of the support person eg a social worker while at hospital- who helps with all the forms, language barriers and arranging follow up…. These are the costs RSNF covers so the children can get the operations they need.
We are now working on our priority list and how many of them we can actually support now. Many difficult decisions to be made.
Since then we have spent quite a bit of time on the budget, trying to stretch it even further.
WE bought some material so the vocational sewing/ tailoring students could make some aprons for us to bring home. They made 13 and the straight line sewing and finished products all gave them a real buzz. Photos aplenty of course! Hairdressing students did Margot’s hair- soooo different from their very curly hair with the tight plaiting which they attach and form buns, top knots or add beads. Mind you they do look gorgeous.
We have been taking our food scraps- mostly fruit and veg peelings – to their centre where they have the garden dug but waiting for wet season to plant. We have been trenching and putting in the scraps to build up the compost and help retain the moisture. There seem to have been short sharp thunderstorms quite regularly at night and a few during the daytime. Luckily we have been inside.
We had one Fri night out- going to a local cultural event- the equivalent of Miss NZ show- about 30 years ago in NZ! It was hilarious and soooo late! 3am home! Granny not up to it! Traditional dances, singing, drums etc. They crowned Miss Tooro –a regional winner for promoting tourism in the area. They are hoping to increase tourism in the Fort Portal area with guided tours to national parks, the falls, volcano craters, hot pools…..
We went to a primary school yesterday which is mainstreamed-about 50 students with special needs eg deaf, blind, in wheelchairs, club foot, or slow learners, were all in regular classes but sometimes they get together in their special classroom for their individual tuition/ needs eg signing for deaf, braille for blind. The children sang us an action song very enthusiastically and we responded. They all got some pencils ( coloured and lead) which many of you had donated and the children were very appreciative – thank you. Alison had some fire brigade balloons which she blew up and a few children were lucky enough to get one!
It was their lunchtime so we went to the boarding school section for the special needs children- about 22 living there for the term- then go home for holidays. A woman had been cooking the lunch over a charcoal fire- huge cauldron of maize ‘heavy bread’, beans in red sauce. They had a huge bowl of these goodies each and then it was topped off with huge avocado from their own trees. We have since bought 10 at 10c each! Sumptuous! The children let me have a swing – even gate crashing the queue- I love swinging. In the playground I had them all joining in ’If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands…’etc. They cottoned on really quickly and I had a huge crowd all grinning, laughing and thinking I was ….??? Others did fun things with them too. Principal rang the bell otherwise we would have been there all day! Fun. So enthusiastic and delighted we visited and took an interest. It is next to a teachers’ college so is used for training as well.
Followed up with a drive in to the mountains on a windy road towards the Congo. Mountain streams, terraced gardens with a great variety of crops all hand tilled – real patchwork scenes on steep hillsides. We walked down a steep slope and marvelled at seeing their efforts to eke out a living- many were refugees apparently who had settled a long time ago and are now naturalised.
We visited relatives of the project manager to say our farewells today as the 3 other women went off on their safari and Margot and I wandered around Fort Portal seeing the people relaxing on a Sunday, took in another church service at the Cathedral in their local language. They recognised us of course even though we sneaked in late at the back – mind you- how could you miss two older very white women in a sea of black faces, in casual clothes with back packs and they were in their Sunday best! They thanked us again for the Mossburn church chalice and paten and did a show and tell and we got another round of applause! – all the way from New Zealand!
I found a ‘Science Centre’ with lots of bird books, books on Uganda and bits of skeletons of various animals eg birds, frogs, elephants, snakes. Students come for projects from local primary and secondary schools- a very meagre library compared with any in NZ but obviously well used! We had an ice cream and watched the locals - fascinating- as they obviously find us as well – especially children. We have been doing lots of ‘Hi 5s’!
We have a wee bonus now as change of plans getting to Entebbe airport could mean being able to stand astride the equator!
Time to stop- this is my last opportunity to use internet before we get to CHCH on Thurs afternoon.
Please send this missive around anyone who might be interested. Am certainly getting my education extended and so grateful I live in Aotearoa. I am holding the hope for these gorgeous welcoming people. Their hearts yearn for another way and opportunities for themselves and their young people- but their faith in a God of love is humbling to see.
Rangimarie, blessings, hope and joy.
Jenny
