Storm Clouds Cling To The Elgon Mountains - Harvester Rain Tank Ready

With the changing climate AVS has put in a water harvesting system and tank to take advantage of the rainy season. First, rain goes into the down pipe (photo 1) to take dirty water from off the roof. The rest of the rain goes into the main tank (photo 2).

10, 000 litre rain water harvester at the AVS Girl's Hostel. Photo 2

First dirty water run off
Photo 1

Gutter linked to tank.

The rain water harvesting tank is in place and will assist the girls with their water supply. However, nothing is ever straightforward and the main water supply, which comes via a stand pipe, has not been operational for about five months now (broken pump in town). This will mean that the girls will still have to go the bore hole to fetch water. The very situation we were trying to prevent! We have a volunteer from ARUP coming to inspect the work they are undertaking in a nearby village and we are considering the possibility of digging a shallow well.

As I wrote this entry this afternoon the boys on the compound (aged 8 - 10 years old) decided to have a clear up. The leaves always come down and make a mess. Fires are then lit. Wind direction does not bother them in the slightest!! Gasping for air, I took a photo of it.

Smoked Out !

After yesterday's showers the morning was dull but in the 80s. The afternoon rose to 94F, which triggered a slight rainfall. It did not really affect my washing hung out to dry. Susan, the cook, does my washing as men do not wash clothes in Uganda and I did not want to buck the trend!

Warm Rain Comes To Muyembe. Monitor Lizard Strikes For The First Time!

Susan, our cook on the compound, discovered a sizable monitor lizard in her pigeon loft. It was night time and it had already eaten one whole pigeon, poor creature.

Don't mess with this woman!

On seeing him, Susan pursued the pigeon snatcher into the 'bush' with a 'panga' (machete). The elusive lizard disappeared into the relative safety of darkness away from the screaming knife-wielding cook!

Showers this afternoon, but still in the eighties. At dinner-time Marie got stung by a bee and I nearly choked on a tough leg of chicken in a slimy sauce. We also had ground-nut sauce over some rice.

Linda the dog had the best tea she'd ever had! We had something similar last night. 

The gas has run out, to top it all off. It all happens here in Muyembe!!

Linda

Ant-like creature pulls enormous beetle up a wall after paralyzing it

Footnote to Andy

Thanks for advice on grinding machine.

Driving on Dirt Tracks & Corn Grinding Problems!

A dusty dirt track greeted me in the hot sun today. I finally got to Atari, 30km north of Muyembe. Eagles soured over the fields which are in the drier part of the region.

Great For Your Chest.

Some of The Atari Children

Engine bolted to planks
Now with broken bottom bracket.

I reviewed a Women's Group who have had a disastrous harvest for both rice and maize. A corn grinding machine allows them to make some money. It has a fault, which I hope you will agree with me Andy, Ivor, Trevor, et al. The support bracket breaks away due to vibration. The engine is screwed to planks. A concrete base would reduce this I think?

The replacement part is to be found in M'bale What a long distance to go. It's like going to Birmingham..

Atari Chairperson Next To Grinder

Terry - I've found you some healthy
donkeys with wooden yolks

In the afternoon I attended an AVS Uganda meeting (AVS 'Uganda' being the people who live locally and run the charity and AVS 'UK' being people like Marie who run the charity from the UK).

We finished the meeting 5 hours later,  to have a rest!! They can 'arf' talk the hind leg off a donkey. In fairness, they did had a lot to get through on their agenda. The UK accountant was mentioned who is flying over next week. Now who could that be?

Community Centre,Up It Grows! Fashion Show Starts

I visited our biggest project currently being undertake by AVS, the Muyembe Community Centre. The foundations and walls are growing, the final building will be about half the size of Craven Arms Community Centre. We are employing 20 men to build it under our Project Manager, Juma. No wonder we are raising funds as quickly as possible!

Brick Throwing Competition
100, 200, 300, 400........

    Now where did we go wrong?

Fashion Show
Tonight, mums from around the area brought their children and young people to try on clothes donated by you. These children are targeted by the charity as those 'most in need'. Second hand clothes are banned from being imported, but we have to wrap other items in them to stop them breaking ...................................Yer Yer!

Man In Black!

Alfie I Do No  Wrong!

Just My Size.

More Alfie

Glad of your donated clothes

Foot Note

Alfie, a young child on our Compound is always being handed around to everyone. They are try to tire him out to get him to get him to sleep!

Baby Bumps And Sponsored Students.

What a Mamma Bag Contains..

The morning was busy as Marie and Agnes gave out 'Mama Bags' to 50 expectant mothers. Sunday isn't their normal distribution time but still the mum's came. The donated baby clothes come from Britain at the cost of £240 per cubic metre. The mum's were all shapes and sizes but gratefully received their bag after meeting the criteria of 3 check ups at the antenatal clinic. Many walk miles through the Bush to get there. This scheme has been highly successful and the donations make a huge difference to the challenging times of childbirth.

Line Up Girl's!!!!!

A New Born.

This One Was Asleep!

In the afternoon we attended a meeting with AVS sponsored students. It was great to see Anthony, the child I have sponsored through education and Mary, his sister, who is sponsored by Pam. What a change from the last time I saw them! They were confident and so glad to see me. Last time, soon after their mum's tragic electrocution they were still in shock from the death.

Anthony remains with his grandma's in the swampy bush lands and Mary now stays in our A.V.S. girl's hostel near her school. Both had improved reports this year and did their family proud! Jean and I will visit them at their grandma's with Siraj in February.

Anthony And Mary

Over fifty students came, some with their parents. They were all so keen to grasp their one chance to be successful in life. Many coming from the  poorest families and living conditions in the district. Three have graduated from college or university this year. This is amazing considering their upbringing in basic mud huts and coming usually from dysfunctional families.

The Lucky Group of Sponsored Students - 2013

Beatrice Nambuya, pictured here, is in her second year at Nursing College.

Nursing Student 

Quick Request - has anybody got an unwanted laptop for her as she's desperate, like many college girls, for a word processor. (such as a netbook or basic laptop). I brought one out for another student only to find that AVS are desperate for more to help  the likes of Beatrice in her studies.

Please contact Jean if you have! (If you don't ask, you don't get!).

Why are camels wandering down our road.?
Answer possibly is ........
Siraj says they  eat camel meat in parts of Uganda.....
...Ow dear!

Sorrow and Laughter Day

Today we went to visit two really needy families for whom we have helped to build small homes through A.V.S. and Greenfields Africa supporters. We took mattresses, blankets and some maize. The most important thing is that as the wet season comes they will have a roof over their heads which will keep them dry. One of the communities has provided all of the labour for building the house free of charge. This kept costs to a minimum and pulled the community together.

A Family Under One Roof

The A.V.S. home which is being built behind the picture shown will house an adult brother and sister. Both have Elephantiasis, a thickening of the skin and other complications. Each has 3 children. The sister’s son was killed while serving in the Ugandan army killed by the L.R.A. (Lord Resistance Army - the subject of a recent media campaign to raise awareness and stop their atrocities). The older daughter is the only one fit enough to work in the fields when she can find work .The brother looked like a regal man who had fallen on hard times.The children are in a serious way having malnutrition and foot infections know as 'Jiggers'.

A very sick little boy, suffering from Malnutrition.

Jiggers

On the funnier side of life we hired a car to take us  to the various places, costing 30.000 shillings (£7.50) for the day. (No Insurance). The down side is it had no brakes, no safety belts and horn was not functioning! Siraj, who drove, grounded the car in a ditch to stop it! It made us laugh despite the seriousness of our journeys to these desperate families.

To finish the day off I visited my Women’s group ‘The Tomato Ladies’. They asked where Ben was. I told them Jean was coming to the district to see them! They will make her welcome, so get your speech ready Jean!

Elgon Mountains Stretch Into Kenya

Marie Cates Founder of A.V.S
At the butchers .
Scales and knives donated by british butchers via the charity.

It's so different here in Uganda. Inspite of many hardships the people are happy and they 
greet you with a hand shake. They are generally warm and generous to their visitors.
They have a simple hard working, but rewarding life. It's a privilege to able help them. There are three tribes in this area. Locally, the 'Bagisu' tribe dominate. 'Sabine' tend to live in the uplands of Mt Elgon and to the north the 'Karamajong', who are well known for stealing cattle and raiding this area until 10 years ago! They are not well liked!!

Senior members of Sanila Women's Group.
Secretary   Treasurer   Chair person
(I was put in the big 'chair!)
On the table is soap, one of the products they make as a group.

.

Today I saw three Women's Groups, each learning from their mistakes and enjoying the strength of working together. I was touched each time they mentioned their children. The profit that the ladies in the group make goes towards items essential to their survival that we buy at home without a thought to their cost. Milk from the co, if they have one! Food to give them that one good meal of the day.

Muyembe is increasing being effected by climate change. The area lies in the shadow of the Elgon mountains which spread over into Kenya. Floods are more common and again the grain harvest is only 50% of what was expected. The hard month, April, will be very hard this year.

People nearest to the road are the relatively richer inhabitants. As you going further from the road, living conditions deteriorate. People are forced to drink from unprotected bore holes and rivers. A women was murdered in domestic violence yesterday literally half a mile away from here!!  

The largest nearby town is Mbale, about an hour away, with the capital Kampala being a decent days driving from there. I'm going tomorrow to a village 30km north of Muyembe, (in the direction of Sudan) where the climate is more arid. Uganda is located on the equator and is fascinating in the range of landscapes and climates. 

Foot note:
African Village Support is on Facebook! Have a look and 'Like' the page!!

Music from Uganda

Spent all morning in our store sorting tools and baby clothes, ready for distribution on Sunday afternoon. Tools of all shapes and sizes received from UK donations including Claw Hammers, Saws etc. All essential for tradesman in the village.

Tools distributed by AVS
Juna checks them, all donations from the UK

Some excitement in the shop nearby as there was a robber overnight, with a break and spare parts stolen! Crowds gathered! A dog sent for  police continue to investigate.

At 12.00 pm met Joseph, leader of a group of talented young musicians from the local area. A really decent guy wanting me to see his music studio at his compound. Photocopiers one day, an expert in sound equipment the next! Is there no end to this man's talent? Don't answer that please.

Joseph leader of musical youth group in
Town in his house

His recordings were brilliant with the equipment he has got but was asking for support from AVS for a sound filter shield and a new sound card - 'M- Audio'! Hence I'm costing it on amazon tonight. 

Brought an old small pool table home to the compound from the AVS store. It was like Christmas! Very well behaved youths. They all go to school on 4th February.

Late pool game under AVS rule
I win...

Step on the Gas man!
 Ivor - is this tractor German?

Foot Note

Lots of wildlife here, saw a huge moth:

Moth (Size of your hand)
What is it's name?

No monitor lizard seen yet. Younger ones have been killed by boys here because they eat the chicks. I will try again tomorrow night!

Motor Cycling through the Bush

I've been on a long and bumpy motor cycle ride into the 'bush' this morning with Siraj (AVS field worker) over bridges and rivers. As part of my review of the local groups that the charity sponsor, I visited two Women's groups operating 'self help' activities. Each support 200+ people.

Guess Who?

Bridge crossing and a lady who is very scared of walking on it!

Following my morning adventures, this afternoon was a total contrast. I have been with a technician for four 4 hours trying to solve our photocopier difficulties in the A.V.S. little office in town. He's only a day late coming!!! 

Happy Ladies at Bufukhula.
Showing off their new house built by an A.V.S donation - 
Denise!!!!

Tonight, we had goat stew with local irish potatoes and rice, followed by freshly picked pineapple. Very nice!!

Set my night vision camera outside just now. There is supposed to be a 'monitor' lizard in our garden. They apparently can take chickens. Better watch out if I have to go to the toilet later on tonight!

Temperature continues to be around 80/86 f and not much lower at night.

HOPE SNOW ISN'T TOO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Church Sunday, Work Monday

Sunday I went to church like the majority of Ugandans. Despite being in the wrong service at first it was an enjoyable experience!

Susan from our compound in regional costume

Stephen, Carol & Simon
Sitting in the Front row of the service..... 

Kate - a sponsored nursing student

Kate, a student who A.V.S. have sponsored to go through school and then nursing school. She visited to tell us of her good news and has started nursing in Mbale, the local town. 

Piglets hours old in our compound today

Monday was hot again and I now have a plan for the rest of the week. Off on a motorcycle tomorrow to review two of the women groups. Siraj, our field worker Muyembe, drives the bike and I hang on tight to the back!! No electric today until late afternoon, the supply is quite erratic!

Foot Note
Andy D - Saw the 'Southern Cross' and the 'Upside-down Plough' tonight in the night sky!

Hello from Uganda!

Well finally I've got on the internet.
 It is very hit  and miss in this area. Electric tends to be the same..
Arrived here Wednesday after a 6 hour journey on roads which makes Shropshire roads look positively fabulous.
It's mid summer here with temperatures in the mid 80's + and no rain. Sorry to hear of the snow back home but I have to suffer a 'solar power' portable shower bag in the garden here after this blog time!
The locals all remember me and I've been getting a programme together to start on Monday.
Norbury school will be glad to know that their cow will be presented to a women's group on 6th February!

Children in the 'trading centre' in  Muyembe this morning.

carrying teddy bears donated by Shropshire people via A.V.S.

The only working man in Uganda !

8.00 am  Saturday

Pumping the house water for breakfast with my helpers1

Snow Time!

Can anybody find my car?



 

Woke up this morning to snow!



Entebbe is 28C  and Wistanstow is -1C

I'm off tomorrow from Heathrow and will be in Uganda about 11.00pm.after a 10 hour flight.

Jean's organised my packing!!! Nothing has been left behind...(I hope!)