It's great to be a tourist

For the last 2 weeks we have been tourists. With Becky and Gordon we have travelled around some of Uganda’s beautiful tourist spots. This is the first time Maggie and I have had a chance to see other parts of Uganda. It was great to see it from a tourist point of view, stay in nice places and try and forget about all the difficult issues here.
We picked Gordon up from Entebbe and spent the first night in Kampala. Early the next morning we headed south to Lake Bunyoni. This is about 8 hours from Kampala and the last few hours were on typical Ugandan marram roads, pot holed and very rough. It was a long journey but there was beautiful country side to see, very mountainous and green unlike Masindi. We arrived at the lake and transferred all our luggage on to a boat for the 15 minute trip to Bushara Island. This is a small island run by a community development organization. There are camping facilities, pre erected tents and a couple of cottages. We were in a cottage overlooking the lake surrounded by trees. The whole island is a bird watchers paradise with hundreds of birds all around you. We managed to tick off a number of new species on Maggies now quite impressive list. From our balcony we could watch the traffic on the lake. Every morning the children paddled there dug outs to the local school on the mainland. They start to learn to paddle from the age of 2 years. There was a volunteer on the island from Germany who has been teaching the children to swim. Many local people can not swim inspite of spending much of their time in canoes. Storms can blow up quickly on the lake and drownings are not unusual. The restaurant served a mix of Ugandan and other food but the speciality was crayfish. They are common in the lake and the locals catch them in papyrus traps which are found all over the place. Evidently the crayfish are not native species but were introduced by Idi Amin from Tanzania as he had developed a taste for them.

The weather was mixed but there was a lot to see. One day we had a trip to other islands by dug out canoe. These are the traditional canoes still made from a single tree trunk by local villagers. We travelled to Sharp Island named after a British missionary doctor who had worked in the area for many years. He had set up a leper colony on an adjacent island which at one time attracted patients from all over central Africa. His house on the island has recently been turned in to a guest house by the local diocese but seems to have very few visitors. The next island still had the old leprosy hospital buildings which are now used by a secondary school. It was strange to think how many people had lived their lives on the island slowly dying from leprosy. The last patients finally left the island in the 60’s. Sharp is still held in high regard by local people for what he achieved. The journey we had made to the island had been difficult but so easy compared to those original missionaries who travelled on foot before any of the roads were built.
We left Bushara Island and then travelled to Fort Portal and the crater lakes. This was another long bumpy drive but Sulaiman our driver managed it with no problem. He is a great driver who works for Sallie at Court View and is very experienced and seems to know someone wherever you are in Uganda. He is also able to answer our questions on any thing from politics to local wild life.
Lake Nyianabulitwa is one of three small crater lakes out side Fort Portal. Our accommodation was in two bandas overlooking the lake. The setting was fantastic and it was easy to sit on the balcony and just watch the lake and the wild life. We had been told that there was one hippo left in the lake so we spent 2 days trying to spot it. The first day we took a boat across the lake and then climbed up to the next lake. There were huge hippo foot prints on the track but we did not spot it. The climb to the next lake was strenuous but worth it for the view. Later we called on Mike and Barbara two volunteers who had come out to Uganda at the same time as us. They had been on a one year placement and were returning to the UK the next day. It was good to see them and arrange to meet up in Berwick next year.
The next day we had a longer walk to the "top of the world" a local viewing point which gives you a fantastic panoramic view of lakes and mountains. We walked down to Lake Nkurumba to have lunch at their café. The walk through the forest and round to the lake allowed us to spot lots of new birds and three types of monkey. It was a long walk but the views and the wildlife were spectacular.
Another long drive along some of the worse roads we had used this trip took us back to Masindi. Apart from a puncture the journey was uneventful but we were again thankful Suliaman was our driver.
After a few days in Masindi for laundry and rest we headed off to Murchison falls for our last few days. We had stayed at Nile Safari lodge when Dan had been with us and it is a wonderful relaxing place. The bandas have superb views over the Nile and you are surrounded by wild life. There were even frogs in the bandas!. Frogs and hippos make a great noise at night and you really feel you are in Africa but are protected from the reality of life there by power and room service!
The downside of Nile Safari is getting up at 5.30 am for a game drive. We dragged ourselves up and were at the ferry to cross the Nile by 6.45 only to find that the ferry had broken down. This meant that you could not get across the river to the animals. Suliaman managed to get us seats on the river boat for a cruise down to the Falls which is the other thing every one does at Murchison. We had a good cruise seeing lots of crocodiles, hippos and birds. In the evening we hired a boat from Nile Safari and had a trip in the other direction towards Lake Albert. As this was a smaller boat and we were the only ones on it the boatman Frances could take a more leisurely pace and get close to the animals. Becky thought he got a bit too close to some of the hippos but we managed to get some great pictures. This trip is my favourite at Nile Safari.

The next day we went for the early morning game drive and this time the ferry was working. Suliaman had arranged for us to have George as our guide one of the most experienced rangers. We had a good drive and managed to see all the animals we wanted apart from the elusive leopard.
All things considered this has been a great break and a good way to finish our first year in Uganda. It reminded us what a beautiful country Uganda is and what a lot it has to offer. It has been great to share it with Becky and Gordon and see the country through tourist’s eyes. We can really recommend Uganda as a tourist destination.

Back in Masindi Becky and Gordon are planning the next part of their journey to India and we are thinking of getting back to work. The last 12 months has gone quickly. We have learnt a lot and are still not sure of what we have achieved. May be in the next 12 months we can consolidate some things we have started and

Inspiration in the sticks

Becky here. I'm finally getting into the swing of things here in Masindi, i.e. the power cuts, red feet from the dust, navigating the half built roads and pavements, being called muzungu, everything you eat tasting slightly like midget gems (aka washing up liquid) and walking through grass without being petrified of snakes. I'm also getting used to every trip into town taking hours because of all the people who stop to talk to mum and dad. Mum seems to be getting to grips with Runyoro and Swahili, but dad's useless, no one even tries to talk to him in anything but English.

One of the most memorable experiences so far has been a trip to the Boomu Women's Group about 40min outside Masindi in the middle of nowhere. Mum and I decided to stay the night but weren't sure what to expect so we took huge bags packed with something for every eventuality, e.g. string, mosquito nets, candles, a penknife and lots and lots of biscuits and snacks. But we needn't have worried because our little banda was lovely, freshly painted with clean linen, towels, nets and not a snake in sight. We even had a jerry can of hot water to get showered under the stars (and the twittering yellow weaver birds making their nests in the tree above).

Talking to Edna, the lady who set up the group, was fascinating. Her story was really inspiring. She had left her husband with 2 small children in 1990 because, she said, it was impossible to 'develop' with a man around. She's been trying to put her children through school (her daughter is now at university which seems an amazing achievement) and support other women in the village ever since. The sad thing was that Edna couldn't see any future for her daughter, despite her university education, other than marrying a drunken man and returning to village life.

Edna took us on a 'community walk' through the fields to the local village. The proceeds of the walk are donated to a nursery school that the women have set up. Villages here are really spread out and are made up of lots of small clusters of huts which usually belong to one family, so just walking around one village took us 1 1/2 hours. Edna explained what all the different crops were along the way, and talked us through how they use the various leaves and stalks for food, medicine, and dye. She also talked about the many barriers obstructing development for the villagers, especially the women. One such barrier is the ever changing weather and seasons in Uganda at the moment. This means that women now have to plant crops throughout the year in order to safeguard against spoilt harvests because they can't predict when the rains are going to fall. As a result they are spending more and more time in the fields, leaving less time for other income generating activities such as basket weaving.

Back at the camp Edna attempted to teach us how to weave a basket and believe me it is much, much harder than it looks, shockingly so when you think that baskets are selling here for £2-3. Again, it was fascinating to hear how different parts of various plants are used in different ways with virtually nothing going to waste.

To top it all we were served a typical Ugandan feast of beans, veg stew, matoke, casava, sweet potato and rice all cooked on a charcoal stove with the root veg wrapped in a banana leaf.

With all the frustrations and scams that mum and dad have faced in their jobs in Masindi it is easy to think that people here are quite happy to sit and wait for someone else to come along and bail them out, but we both left Boomu feeling that Edna was an inspiring example of someone who was not only trying to lift herself and her children out of poverty, but support and motivate those around her too. We've been talking since about possible ways to support this project and hopefully we'll be able to go back there soon.

In the meantime we're all packed and ready to go for our much more upmarket tour of the mountains and lakes. Hopefully it won't rain too much because the roads are already getting slippy and muddy, but dad assures me that Sulaiman our driver is an old hand, and we're going in a big 4 x 4. Saying goodbye to all the staff at the hotel and here at the house seems to have taken forever and no doubt when we get back they'll all be rushing up to mum saying 'maggie, you are lost' as they did when she got back from Kampala last week. I dread to think what they'll be like when they leave for good!

Greetings and farewells

This has been a week of arrivals and departures. Denise, a VSOer in Masindi, completed her two year placement last week and departed for the UK on Monday. I (Maggie) accompanied her down to Kampala to say farewell. Denise was half way through her time here when we arrived and I can remember feeling very much the newcomer and she the wise one who had lived here for a whole year and consequently she suffered our constant questions and insecurities. Now we are in the same boat as she was then and it really brings home how quickly the time passes here and how little time there is to achieve anything. On the same day as Denise leaving we welcomed Laura, a medical student from the UK, who is spending her elective period here and staying with us for a week. I packed Laura off to Masindi in a taxi and waited another day in Kampala for the much anticipated arrival of Becky .. The taxi delivering us to Masindi then returned to Entebbe airport with Jarrad, a student from Hull, who has been with us for about 10 days. As Jarrad is considering a career in medicine he wanted to come out and spend some time with Chris – hopefully being thrown into the deep end of the Ugandan health service hasn’t put him off! Our next arrival is Gordon coming to join Becky in a week’s time. In the meantime, it’s been great showing Becky the delights of Masindi district, including chimps and rhinos. Unfortunately we came across an unexpected piece of wildlife yesterday. Becky has a real phobia of snakes and I haven’t seen one the whole time I’ve been here but, right on cue, one squirmed its way across our path! Now Becky’s inspecting under every bit of furniture with a torch! Gordon’s arrival will mark the beginning of our holiday. The four of us are taking off for two weeks to explore other parts of Uganda – can’t wait.

The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is only a 40 minute drive from Masindi. It is here on this 7,000 ha piece of savanah that both black and white rhinos have been re-introduced to Uganda. There are only six at present but it is hoped that one day the sanctuary will be home to many more. When we last visited in March the first calf has just been stillborn after a 15 month gestation period. Rhinos only produce every 2 or 3 years so it's going to be a slow process. We picked up our ranger guide at the gate and with the use of walkie-talkies to communicate to the other rangers he led us through the bush to find the rhinos. Fortunately we found the group all grazing altogether and they seemed more interested in that than us. We managed to see them at very close range, but I did stay very close to the ranger with the rifle and always had one eye on the nearest tree in case I had to make a run for it! Becky didn't think I could still climb a tree but I had not doubt of my ability if a rhino was charging me!
On our return to the gate we had an interesting conversation with the ranger. He told us that he only has five children so far and his ambition is to have 20! To reach his goal he is looking for a third wife! He talked of how a man is under pressure from his clan elders to produce many children in order to earn respect. If he fails to do so he is excommunicated from the clan. Our hints at expensive health care and education fell on deaf ears. He agreed that it would take a strong person to challenge his own culture.
Whilst at the sanctuary we paid a visit to Heidi who has been managing the place for the last few years. Sadly she had a very bad accident a week ago when travelling at night. A lorry forced her off the road and left her there in the bush. She couldn't move because of her injuries and whilst lying there a man came and robbed her of all her belongings. It was two hours before she was found by a more considerate person and taken to the hospital on a boda (a motorbike) with someone else on the back to hold her on. Fortunately she is going to be okay and will recover from her injuries but is obviously very badly shaken. She had already taken the decision to leave Uganda in a couple of week's time so it's a pity she will be leaving after such a bad experience. This is just another example of why we don't travel at night!

Where have all the nurses gone

On Wednesday evening I had a phone call asking me to see a relative of Sullieman one of Sallies drivers. The story was she had had diarrhoea for a couple of days and had become worse that afternoon. Sullieman offered to bring her up to our house. The last time Sullieman had brought someone to see me the patient was dead. This time the patient was unconscious. Limited examination in the back of the Landcruiser confirmed her need for urgent admission so I sent them down to the hospital. Half an hour later Sallie called to say they could not find a nurse. I went down and there were no nurses of any description in the hospital. There were two midwives in maternity but they could not leave their ward. The watchman who was supposed to call in staff in an emergency was drunk!
Eventually after phoning the administrator a nurse was found. I managed to borrow IV fluids from maternity , get some quinine from the male ward and put a drip up on the girl, she had cerebral malaria. The next day she had improved and she was able to go home at the week end. The medical superintendent assured me that this was an isolated incident and has never happened before. I hope he is right but I suspect nursing care at night is even worse than during the day.
We still have no gloves at the hospital. If you need a procedure you have to purchase gloves before any one can do any thing. We are short of cannulae, IV fluids and most drugs. Today I heard that we have no TB drugs to start patients on. As I diagnose TB two to three times each week that is a disaster.
This week Pam and I have started our education sessions for village volunteers. We were in Bigando about 8 km from Masindi. Some how we managed to get a vehicle and driver to take us out there on Wednesday morning. We had three days working with 42 volunteers from villages in Bigando parish. Most of them spoke some English but we needed a translator to help. Luckily Miriam the nurse in charge at the health centre was brilliant. We had three days of active adult learning, challenging for them and us but they all stayed the course This was one of the best things I have done in Uganda. The volunteers were keen and committed so different from most of the staff in the hospital. The project is to train the volunteers about preventative health especially malaria. We are trying to encourage the use of mosquito nets. We are searching for nets at a price we can afford so we can sell them at reduced cost in the villages. You would not think it would be difficult to find a supplier in Uganda but it is proving difficult. One of the main distributors has run out of nets. How come in a world that spends billions on complicated HIV drugs a simple net is so hard to come by.
At the week end we went to see the Family Spirit Centre again. This is an orphanage and school I have been to several times. It is run by a group of HIV positive men and women who recognised the need to support vulnerable children. It is the first time Maggie has been and she was impressed by the efforts of the school and their philosophy. They need money to complete their pit latrine and thanks Steve and Denise we were able to give them some money so they can complete it. Money is obviously tight at the school but they are trying really hard to give these kids a chance in life. It is always up lifting to visit the centre and the best thing about it is that it is a Ugandan response to a Ugandan problem.