How are you? I am fine!

How are you? I am fine! The traditional greeting – but you must say it in a sing-song voice with the emphasis on the last word each time.

Got here OK – pretty shattered as didn’t seem to sleep on the plane and spent the rest of Monday unpacking and settling in to Banda Inns! It is a very friendly place! The owners live on the premises and have a 2-year old, Hector, who is around all the time and a couple of dogs. There is a UK woman who lives in Sapin who has adopted two little boys, both 2 years old, Mark and Luke. Luke was one of the babies I looked after in Sanyu when I cam 18 months ago – small world! There are other volunteers who are here for different lengths of time so it’s an interesting place to be.

What a difference six months has made! Mamma Betty has moved on as she couldn’t afford her rent. So it’s lunch at the nursery with the children and other workers. We have rice and posho (like wallpaper paste made from maize flour!) on alternate days with spicy beans, but they were clean out of beans on Tuesday so we had well-boiled shredded cabbage with rice!

The Nursery (note to avoid confusion – this Nursery will start with N; the nursery class at the school will be nursery!) has grown from 10 children to 45! Beatrice the teacher I worked with last time has also moved on. Aidah, who started work at the nursery while I was here last time, is now in charge assisted by a new teacher, Mary. They are both great! The children have lessons in English but if they don’t understand, Aidah and Mary explain it to them in Luganda. The children’s English has really improved tho’ since I was last here – it’s really good to see them again, hey have all made lots of progress!

After lunch on Tuesday I went into the slum with Violet, who lives there, to meet some of the local families. She is a local representative on the council whose interest is environmental issues. Among other things, she is trying to get them to put all their rubbish in specific places so it can be burnt. We visited families who live in one small room, where there isn’t enough room for them all to lie down and where the streams of rubbish flow by their doorsteps. One grandmother who is looking after her grandchildren as their parents are dead sells charcoal to make a living – you can imagine the colour of her hands and feet as she stands among it using her hands to measure it in a plastic bowl.

The reading books I brought with me are going to be used at the slum school, there are already some reading books at the Nursery. There are 210 children enrolled: 50 in the nursery; 55 in Primary 1 (P1); 60 in P2 and 45 in P3 – big classes! James, the teacher of P3 and I have worked out a provisional timetable. I’m to have 4 children at a time for about half an hour every afternoon from 2.00pm until 4.30pm. On three afternoons, I’ll have children from P2 and those from P3 on the other afternoons. This means I should see every child once a week! If other people help we’ll see them more often. Melissa another volunteer form USA and Martha a local social worker are also keen to help – adds variety to their day I guess!!

On Wednesdays and Friday I will be at the school all day so will have lunch there, which holds out the hope of meat as Martha checked I wasn’t a vegetarian! I’ll have to pay for it tho’. Win some, lose some!

In addition I’ll work with the nursery children and those in P1 on a couple of mornings a week. The other three mornings I will be at the Nursery and let’s not forget ‘reading club’ on Saturday mornings! People work hard in Uganda! School opens at 8.00am and teachers (not me!) are expected to be there at 7.15am and they work through until 4.30pm.

I’ve discovered an oasis round a couple of corners from where I’m staying. It’s got a couple of outdoor pools and a gym. As I’m doing PE every morning with the children I might give the gym a miss. Did intend to go for a swim on Saturday afternoon, but guess what? It’s cloudy!

Rained all Saturday night and it’s a bit damp this morning so I’m finishing this off and hopefully it will be fine later. Keep smiling – I am!!