Back at Kisimbiri

So it has been an exciting few weeks back in Mubende with all kinds of celebrations and visitors. We arrived back on the evening of the 30th and got hugs of Danny and Mwesygye (well half hugs-Ugandans don't really do hugging) it was so nice and we felt really happy to see them. We then discovered that the poor little puppy that wasn't being fed properly had died while we were away, most definitely from starvation. We also had lots of new shelves in our bathroom and shiny gold curtains in our room which was all very exciting. Over the next couple of days we got used to project again; we went to the post office in Mubende and the supermarket, where I was told I had got much fatter! I also grinded some sorghum grains for making local beer, which they do with a stone and a slab, I did it for a good couple of hours and my hand kept having spasms afterwards! The making of local beer was in preparation for Sister Immaculate's (Andrews sister) Silver Jubilee celebration in Religious life (of being a nun). Andrew informed us that the Ceremony could have around 500 people attending, to which Naomi and I were extremely shocked and wondered where on earth they were going to accommodate that many people! A day before the ceremony and 500 chairs appeared along with 5 marquees and a lot of matooke (savory bananas) peeling ladies. Around 10 of the other volunteers joined us at Kisimbiri to help with the preparations; we peeled potatoes, cleaned the 500 chairs and helped put up some huge tents. Also that day, Molly picked up Carol who was sat crying by herself only to find that the reason Carol was crying because she had pooed herself…needless to say Molly wasn't too happy by the poo stain left behind on her t-shirt!

The day of the celebration arrived and indeed 500 people did arrive, including around 60 nuns and the Bishop from Mityana. The marquees which we had doubted about fitting in front of Kisimbiri, had indeed fitted perfectly and were decorated with beautiful blue and white drapes and ribbons. There was a lovely archway on the drive decorated with lots of blue and white balloons, which all the children had had great fun blowing up the day before, with me acting as chief of tying balloons- 'me Becky me, me'; as you can imagine it was a very hectic time. Everyone was dressed up smart and Andrew's daughter, Zoe and another young girl were wearing beautiful, white, sparkly dressed and matching headbands, they looked lovely. There was a choir at the ceremony which kept me entertained and by Ugandan standards the ceremony was short and Naomi and I rather enjoyed it. At the end of the ceremony there was the cutting of the cakes (there were around 25!!), which had sparkler candles and Naomi and I had to pop the cork off some sparkling fruit juice. I felt really nervous as it was my first time popping a cork and it was right in front of 60 nuns. I struggled to do it and the nuns found it hilarious, it was so funny. All us volunteers then offered the cake around to all the guests while the nuns cut the cakes rapidly. After the ceremonials had finished there was the main meal; there were three food stations as you might call them, throughout Kisimbiri with an abundance of food to feed all 500 guests (plus children who were not counted in the 500). We got to go in the special queue with all the nuns and we got so much nice Ugandan food-we were extremely stuffed afterwards! The day ended with dancing, which all we all joined in with.

The next day I ended up attending holy mass with Andrew's family as I was unexpectedly invited by Brother Daniel. The mass was lead by Father Charles (Andrew's brother) and I actually found it rather interesting. I attempted to join in with the hymns that were sung in English and Father John translated the message that he was giving. Towards the end of the mass everybody streamed out of the house singing and headed up to the family graveyard. They also carried flowers and placed them on the graves, Andrew explained that they were finishing the mass with those that had died but still remained with them. I felt really quite emotional for a moment and felt moved by the mass and then Andrew informed me that Ugandans only die in body, however Europeans he thinks may die.

On the 7th of February we started back at school. There were lots of new students which was very exciting and we organised the lessons we would be teaching this year. So far I am teaching all of Senior 1's Mathematics lessons along with Senior 2 and Primary 7 Mathematics. I am also trying to organise a timetable for art lessons in both schools. In the evening of the 7th, we went deep into the village with Andrew to drop of one of his relatives off at her home. Thirty minutes deep into the village and we arrived at the ladies home. It was a lovely little pale blue house and had a fantastic glass soda top mat at the front door. We were invited inside and there was Annet one of our Senior 2 students, she got given some cake from Sister Immaculate's Silver Jubilee as she couldn't make it to the celebration She couldn't make it to the celebration because she was looking after her older brother who is twenty years old and severely disabled; we were told he cannot feed himself or walk or speak. Afterwards we went around the back of the house and there was the lad sat in a chair with a blanket over him, he couldn't support his own head, it was so sad. After that we took some cake to Annet's grandma's house down the track and on the way we met a very, very, small, excitable, old lady. She ran up to us and hugged Naomi-and Naomi could rest her head on top of the old ladies! That is how small she was, I was in hysterics and then she hugged me-she barely came up to my waist! Before we went home, we visited Andrew's brothers ill wife; she has had breast cancer for a long time and previously had an operation to remove one of her breasts, but now the cancer is riddled in the other breast as well. Sister Immaculate prayed for her health and for the second time that week I really felt the good that the hope coming from religion can give. Andrew has been taking this lady to and from Kampala and the hospital basically threw her out the other day as they can't do anything; the lady now knows that she is waiting to die and she is in an awful lot of pain.

On the 10th of February we were invited to Annet's home again, this time for her older sister's graduation party. Her sister, Agness is the first person in a huge area around her home ever to get a degree, so it is a huge achievement. We arrived to find a rustic tent, that had been built from banana stalks planted in the ground as pillars, with a network of branches overtop and then an array of coloured material forming a roof and sides to the tent, it was decorated really well. However when the heavens decided to open and chuck it down whilst blowing a gale, ten minutes after we had arrived, everyone had to duck for cover. We ended up sat in their small living room on the floor, very tightly packed for about an hour waiting for the weather to subside. When the weather eventually subsided we got a series of speeches for around 3 hours, from family, local politicians and a particularly long and draining speech from Agness' friend who had also graduated. Whilst this was happening the generator also kept cutting out, which didn't help the microphone or the light situation being as it was dark. There was also present giving when Agness' grandmother came up to the front dancing away-she was having a brilliant time! I also ended up having to give a speech as the villagers wanted to hear the 'mzungus' voices, I was so nervous but I ended my very brief speech with 'Thankyou' in Luganda and they loved it luckily.

On the weekend of the 11th we had to go to Kampala to get our Bilharzia tests, which of course we had; we then got given some very large disgusting tablets to take. (Bilharzia is a disease caught from swimming in the lakes in Uganda; snails bury into your skin and lay eggs and then you have flu like symptoms, left to grow and develop Bilharzia can cause serious problems like infertility.) Also whilst in Kampala I went to Owino market and bought tops for all the children at Kisimbiri-11 tops in total. I went home on the Saturday afternoon and Naomi decided to stay and extra night in Kampala (our 3rd night apart in nearly 6 months!). When I got home I gave out the tops, they were all so excited and happy, it was lovely; it was also Andrew's daughters Birthday so we got cake and sodas with supper. All the following week Naomi was feeling pretty rough and on the 15th her whole face puffed up which although was terrible, we both managed to see the hilarious side, possibly me a little more than Naomi. The next day she went to the doctors and came back feeling much better; so that was good.

That is all for now, but I still have quite a bit to fill you all in on including the Helping Uganda Schools (HUGS) trustees visit.

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