27^th October 2014

The weekend proved eventful. We were woken early on Saturday morning by the person who make the samosas for Kolping House where we are staying Ann was keen to learn how these were done and an early morning lesson proved very instructive making a good supply of 30 meat and 30 vegetable samosas to meet the days demands! We were even able to eat some of the produce for breakfast.

Susan and Ann with many Samosas

 

Busy at work!

During the course of the day we met with Nora, Stella and Phionah who will fulfil the different jobs needed to run the Café when it is ready. There are a lot of practical issues to thrash out at this stage not least who will dust the craft available for sale each day!  We did also fit in a brief visit to John Bosco's house he is the project assistant who was married just 2 weeks ago

John Bosco's new house

We did try to visit a local farming project in the afternoon but the owner was away for the weekend so that will be something to look forward to during the week. Moses is farming intensively a 3 acre site producing a wide range of fruit and other crops as well as some fish farming.

After going to church yesterday (we arrived an hour late but still we were in church for an hour and a half!) we went to Ekiwolumu for the Primary 7 leaving party. The academic year here runs January to December and the pupils swap from primary to secondary school a year later than at home at the end of year 7. This process involves exams similar to the old 11 plus so it is a stressful time for the pupils. The party is a pre exam jolly to help everyone relax and to encourage them. It was a series of entertainments interspersed with suitable speeches including one by yours truly! It was in fact great fun and some superb local food was provided.

"Slashing the cake"

The Entertainments

Message to the pupils from all their teachers

Today has been spent in some rather projected meetings to help develop the priorities for the structural issues at Ekimowulu, future funding issues for the school and discussing more details regarding the Café. It can sometimes be difficult to know what you have achieved at the end of the time but I used to feel that sometimes after meetings when I worked for the East Sussex Primary Care Trust! At least the solar panels have made it up onto the roof safely!

Solar panels in place

 

The teachers at Ekiwomulu

 

On a brief trip again to the Café we met Emanuel who has been producing some excellent carvings for the front service counter.

Emanuel's carvings on the front counter

As I write this the distant strains of Silent Night are ringing out. Christmas is coming even if the nights are not quite as silent as we would like!