Our last day at Entebbe

Tuesday 7^th February

Our last full day in Uganda and time to relax here in Entebbe and reflect on all that has happened. It’s certainly been a time of challenges, a time to meet new people and renew friendships with others. I hope we have been able to contribute in some small way to what is happening in Kagando but in many ways it’s the relationships with people that are most important and being prepared to share with people the struggles and difficulties that there are in delivering health care with very limited resources.

Will we come back? We will definitely be back on an Esuubi trip in late July but we won’t be spending time at Kagando then. There are certainly lots of questions and possibilities we need to mull over in the weeks ahead.

Do you like hoof?

Monday February 6^th

Today we ventured into Kampala for the first time which was an interesting experience.

                           Traffic congestion in particular Taxis is a major problem in Kampala

Akim from Mityana met us and showed us around. We were taken to see some of the notable sites in the city centre but also to the main market which is a labyrinth of tiny alleyways where almost everything you can think of is available to purchase. Outside one of the butchers shops was a row of cow hoofs hanging up. “Do you like hoof?” Akim asked as evidently it makes a tasty soup!

                                                 They have big pigeons in Kampala!

This evening we met up with Dr Peter Hill who flew in overnight. He has taken on the role of medical coordinator for the work in Gulu to develop the chain of health centres to serve some of the poorest and remote communities in the district. He is aiming to be in Uganda for the next 10 weeks or so.

Back to Entebbe

Sunday February 5^th.

Today started off by us getting up for the 7am sevice(!) before setting off to Entebbe.

                                                   St Philip's Cathedral at Gulu 


During the journey Jeff, the person driving us was recounting the times when he drove up north of Gulu when the LRA were active. On one occasion the vehicle he was taking people in had a flat tyre and the spare put into the vehicle was not the right type which resulted in the vehicle being delayed and not being able to join the convoy heading south down towards Gulu. The convoy was in fact attacked with many people killed so he was very grateful to have been spared in this way. On another occasion the convoy he was in had to wait while a battle raged on the road ahead and he recalled seeing many of the captured LRA soldiers most of whom were children. That was indeed a very difficult period of Uganda’s turbulent post-colonial history. Gulu, while peaceful now, is still struggling to recover 5 years on from the end of the war with many people still living in very basic accommodation. 

                                        A typical scene on the road coming form Gulu.

The situation is similar all the way down to the bridge near Karuma falls nearly 100km south of Gulu which marks the southernmost penetration of the LRA during the war.

Tomorrow we intend to meet up with Akim from Mityana to look around some of central Kampala. Hopefully we will be able to fly back on Tuesday night as planned weather permitting at Heathrow!

Burning issues

Saturday February 4^th

We had an eventful journey from Murchison to Gulu. One of the current national pastimes is burning off the dry grass which leads to a number of out of control fires. We came across one of these en route and while we waited for the flames to clear from the road a lorry from behind decided to drive through them! Result was a burnt tyre with a split in the side! We were very grateful that the wind changed direction as the flames were only about 20 yards from the vehicle at one point.

                                         The fire which got very close to our vehicle

Once here we warmly greeted by the Bishops wife Christine and the staff at the small health centre. They were able to show us the very orderly centre and discuss the work they are doing there.

                                               The church health cntre in Gulu

The area around Gulu is very different with most houses being of mud and thatch construction. As we drove into Gulu we passed Lacor hospital which during the war with the LRA up to 2006 was the place where up to 2000 children sought refuge each night to avoid being abducted. The difficulties of those years have certainly left their mark although all is very peaceful here these days.

                                             The busy entrance to Lacor hospital

A short stay at Murchison Falls

Friday February 3^rd

Yesterday proved to be a very dusty and long journey through Hoima to Murchison Falls taking 11 hours arriving just before night fall. It is a very beautiful place and we feel very privileged to be able to have spent today watching the animals and birds as we journeyed through the park. We woke at 3.30am to the sound of 2 hippos grazing within 10 feet of the banda where we are staying. The highlights during today were probably seeing a spotted hyena, the lovely small Oribi (a very small type of antelope) and the boat trip on the Nile particularly seeing some elephants and some beautiful African Skimmers.

Tomorrow will be another early start as we journey to Gulu through the park.

Farewell to Kagando

Wednesday February 1^st

Ann and I have come to the conclusion that Lukonzo which is the local language is a cross between Elfish and Red Indian!! We have managed to master some of the local greetings and niceties and I’ve managed to pick up some useful phrases and actually managed to make myself understood and get a patient to lie down to be examined! However communication is not always straightforward and a patient appeared from the Congo today who only spoke French and Swahili. I think the staff in Out Patients were amazed at my smattering of schoolboy French insisting that he should be talking in Swahili to me!! I knew French O level would come in useful one day.

                                      Farewell to Kagando-at least for the time being...

Today is our last day at Kagando after a very enjoyable and eventful 3 week stay. Tomorrow sees an early 6.45 start and I think we will both be sorry to be leaving. I took a phone call from Simonpeter to say he would be unable to drive us tomorrow and that he would be sending one of his other experienced drivers. Apparently 2 vehicles he is importing via Mombasa have been held there because of problems with the paperwork and he was going to have to fly today to Mombasa to try to sort things out with Kenyan Customs. Sounds like a familiar story to when we imported our Ford Fiesta into Kenya back in 1983!

Filing and food

Tuesday January 31^st

Ann attempted to complete the filing she had been doing this morning but no one turned up in the filing department to unlock the door so she made banana cake instead which was very good with a passion fruit icing. We thought we would show you photos of the mandazis and fruit that we often eat for lunch.

                                  Mandazi-"If the paper goes see-through its good to eat" 

The filing department was open after lunch so Ann spent a VERY hot 2 hours inserting notes into arch lever files, in which were piles of notes tied with string. The string was also tied to the metal rings and in some the rings were disconnected from the files! Evidence was there of people who had not bothered to take files completely off of shelves, but had rolled up and put notes inside the metal arch of the files!!

                                                              Deep in the abyss!

In the late afternoon we walked along the valley to the next trading centre, where we had a much needed soda (mountain dew) and saw some of the things for sale learning the names of these fish through a sea of flies!

Power struggles

Monday January 30^th

Last night we nearly had a nasty incident which might have finished this blog once and for all! Around 8.30 there was suddenly a crackling sound from the main electrical socket with a lot of sparks flying. Fortunately only our multi plug socket suffered irreparable damage and fortunately it didn’t occur while we were asleep. So much for Kagando electrics!

This morning in chapel a couple who were married on Saturday were presented to everyone and a wedding cake was brought out. We were informed that the happy couple would slash the cake for everyone to share!

Over tea in Out Patients I was given a brief history lesson both about the difficulties of the post Amin period and the takeover by Museveni but more particularly in 1994 when ADF rebels surrounded the hospital and the area was largely evacuated. All the doctors left and only a few staff members stayed on to treat the patients remaining in the hospital. It was evidently a very difficult 6 months before the rebels were defeated and driven away. It certainly helps me appreciate the relative peace and calm that the place currently enjoys.