Kampala

Saturday
Our third last day in Uganda.
Today some of us travelled to Peter’s house to watch Collingwood win the AFL Grand finial. It was fun, although most of us went for St Kilda and were disappointed at the loss.
The rest of the team stayed at the guest house and caught up with our first bus driver in Mbale, and his family. Then the group headed to the “Craft Market in Kampala”, half way through their time they caught up with the guys from the footy.  I didn’t buy anything there but bought some stuff at the other market the day before (Yesterday). 
After we had finished shopping we headed to the Suibie Watoto village, (it took a forever) but when we got there we were welcomed by families of Watoto children who we were paired with to have a traditional dinner. Apollo (One of our guides throughout the trip) said that there was over 100 houses at the village. And we soon found the out driving through the village. We (Me, Dad and Marty) were with Home 105 (2 of the kids in the family were away with the choir). Me and Dad made friends with a 11 year old named James who wants me to send him a letter when I get back Home.
After touring the village and saying our goodbyes we headed back on the 2 hour journey home.
On our way home we met a character who rode (his bike) up against our bus (and dodging cars) for 5 mins or so talking to us wilst we were going 60 – 70 Kms and hour. The funny thing was that some of the team had  come across this guy in the same way 2 years before and he knew them. He was soo funny and good at what he was doing (he said he was a international professional, it was great.
Now are about to have our debrief of the trip and share good moments of the trip.
Tomorrow the rest of the group will be catching their flight back to Australia.
Which will leave Me, Dad and Marty again. (Yay ?)

Back to Kampala

Back to Kampala
The team finished off the teacher’s house at the Gulu Village yesterday – while Zach and I were at World Vision. Then they had the dedication – and apparently it went very well. We took a look at the living hope centre in Gulu, which is micro-enterprise centre – with women (and men) coming from all around and being involved in a host of different activities that help to support themselves and their children. They make dolls, crafts, bags, as well as having a carpentry area... jewellery, many other things also. It is a great way for people who have no other way to support their families to gain skills and an access to markets for their products. Very well conceived and very effective – I was very impressed by this vision and the professional way it was undertaken.
We then wandered Gulu for awhile and headed to the Acholi guest house for a ‘celebration dinner’ a thanks from Watoto to our team for the work we had done. It was great – they gave us all a card – and made a point of celebrating the work accomplished.
In the morning we headed back to Kampala where Gavin, Mart and I talked to two of the American guys who head different parts of Watoto Childcare – about the Agriculture part of what Watoto is about to undertake. The three of us may do something with that – they have plans for a milking goat facility – as well as a larger cropping operation on 6000 acres they have partly acquired north of Murchison Falls National Park. It was great to talk to people with such enthusiasm – but many of the challenges they face are the same as we have in Ethiopia (poor land title – and infrastructure.).
Then to the market – bought a few African shirts – and to Watoto where we are staying the next few nights.....
Saturday Watoto Subi (sp?)
A trip to the market – bought a bit of stuff.... then to Watoto at Subi. This has to be almost the highlight of the trip. It is so beautiful to see a village which has been completed – housing over 100 people, healthy, secure, well supported, well educated, we had lunch with a family and met the mother’s children (Rachel, Patience, Peace, James, Seth and ?Ivan). They were a normal family.... quiet, all individuals, all with stories, just beautiful. The house was simple – but neat and functional. It was such a fulfilment of the work we have been doing the past few weeks – to see what great good can become of what were ‘hopeless’ situations (the Subi kids are mostly AIDS orphans.) Yesterday we met a young lady, Suzanna who was a nutritionist/food scientist with Watoto – she was such a well-adjusted, delilghtful person – and if she is a picture of what Watoto is doing – then it is doing a very good thing.
The rest of the team is leaving in the morning – we are not going until Monday. I am looking forward to being home!

World Vision Gulu

I am sitting in the boardroom of the World Vision Children of War Centre in Gulu. It is amazing...(I say that a lot). So confronting. So much - such an incredible amount of loss and wasted life. So many people broken. I came with only Zac and we met Paul and Grace, had devotions with the World Vision team, then looked at the way they undertake trauma counselling - using drawing, the oppotunity to talk, it is enough to make you just quietly step aside and cry. We met with about 12 of the former child soldiers. They were generally about 16-25 years old - and had been in the camps for an average of 10-12 years - with most abducted at 9-11 years old. Most of their life. Most carried bullets and shrapnel. What surprised me (but in hindsight is probably to be expected) is that they were so quiet and submissive.... They have been subjected to abuse torture, and being forced to submit submit submit..... They were all beautiful people (one was a Ugandan version of Brad Pitt - same facial expressions - but different color skin). Megan and Levi McGrath are celebrities here.... this is the area where Levi played soccer, this is where Megan's desk was.
Probably the most impacting few hours of the trip thus far....

This is only this morning - but it is on the back of a very busy week building and playing soccer at Watoto at the Village we are building. I have not blogged for awhile... The weeks has been great - hot - hard work - great to get to know the rest of the team and some of the locals. Lots of singing, sweating and laughing. The bulding we came to build is almost finished (our part anyway) which is satisfyling. We are a great group (lots of good tradespeople and all getting on very very well).

Building in Gulu

Have got terribly sunburnt (that is all I can think about!) as we have been building in Gulu. We have put up the brickwork of a house at the Watoto Village a house for teachers. The village is amazing - such a shining example of hope in a desperate part of the world. I will blog more about that - but am at an internet cafe in Gulu - and dont have enough time - Google Jospeh Kony - and it is so recent and so raw....

Elephants...!

Murchison Falls National Park