Apologies for the long wait for an update to the blog; since
the last time I wrote so much has happened. Where to begin school life is going
on well, we have just returned fresh after a nice half term holiday.
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The girls and their uniforms
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Last term we were excited to see the arrival of the school
uniforms for the new students that have joined us. Here in Uganda everything is
made from scratch and so each student has to be measured and the material is
then sent to the tailors to create the uniforms. This takes a little longer
than just buying from the shops but it does mean the uniforms are tailored made
for each student.
It is funny actually, anything you want to buy is tailored
made to your specific needs and so I have been challenged to think about and
design the kind of bookshelves we would like to create for the library of books
that are on the way. Of course being English I am not used to thinking about
the design and dimensions of what we would like, we just happen to walk into
the shop if it looks right, will fit in the space and is the right price we buy it, this new Ugandan way of designing and buying is a whole new world!
The books are on the way, there was a delay in the shipment
but are now travelling to us. We have been told they should be with us by the
beginning of April, so we are all eagerly waiting for them to arrive!
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Students enjoying the new science equipment
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Thanks to Neighbours and Nations in Coventry we have been
able to buy some new science equipment for the school, this will enable the
students to actually conduct their own experiments, something they have not
been able to properly do until now. The students are so grateful and are
excited to be able to use the Bunsen burner!
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Teacher Training
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At the end of last term I was asked to do some teacher
training with the primary school. This training was focussed on developing
questioning techniques to encourage students’ deeper thinking. It has been
really good to work alongside the primary school and proved a really beneficial
time for the teachers. All of the staff were set ‘homework’ to try out some of
the questioning techniques in their classroom at the beginning of the term,
looking forward to the feedback on this.
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Fort Portal
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Over the last couple of weeks I have also enjoyed being able
to see a little more of the country. Uganda is such a big country and so it is
nice to be able to see more! I had the privilege of going to Eve Wanjala’s
(director of Wellspring) home in Fort Portal, Western Uganda. Fort Portal is
about a 6/7 hours drive west of Bweyogerere.
Surrounded by the Rwenzori Mountains and tea plantations all around, as
you can imagine it is a very beautiful town. Because it is mainly in the
countryside many people here are self sufficient in growing their own crops on
their family’s land. It was amazing to have dinner with Eve’s family; the
family grew everything we were eating! Funny as we were leaving the town we
bought live chickens on the side of the road ready to be eaten when we returned
to Kampala. It really does bring a new
meaning to shopping and eating fresh!
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Shopping for chicken ...
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Eve & Pam in Fort Portal
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Dancing on the beach
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Some of the ladies and I had a lovely day out at the Beach
in Entebbe. Entebbe is the town before you get to Kampala, around an hours
drive away. It is the town you fly into when entering Uganda. The beach was
lovely, it was a surprise to swim in Lake Victoria and it was not salty like
the sea. I had stupidly forgotten that it was a fresh water Lake! At the beach
there were Camels, this was only the second time I’d seen a camel in Uganda and
so it was a surprise to us all! The Beach started off quiet but by the evening
it filled up with people ready to dance, so off course we danced the night away
with the beautiful scenery all around us…Uganda really is a beautiful country!
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Riding a camel!
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