Sunday 11^th February.

We have had a relaxed weekend which is good as I think we were both rather weary after all the travelling.

We walked yesterday morning into Kasinga to find the Coffee factory which has developed hugely since our last visit. The capacity to process the raw beans for transport has increased tenfold in the last year with the introduction of large machines to sort the beans and dry them to achieve the optimal moisture content for the very best quality, and hence the best price. This process alone probably doubles to price the coffee achieved. It is a remarkable project with much further development still to come. We were accompanied by Sara a Spanish nurse who has come here for 3 months to look to see if improvements can be made in the uptake of cervical screening.

 

Johnny showing us the machine for sifting the beans

 

Large driers for redcuing moisture content of beans

In the afternoon we went to see the wife of one of the nurses who has had their first baby by caesarean section but with a very complicated post-operative course requiring 5 trips to the operating theatre and with a wound still partially open. She was very courageous inn spite of all the difficulties. We also visited John who is one of the local church leaders whose main work is with Muslims in the area and we are due to go for dinner at his home this evening.

Chapel at 8am this morning included an acted out sermon which was very well received and an auction of items to support the local youth choir who want to do a recording of some of their songs. There are now 3 sizeable television screens for the words of songs to be shown and the overhead projector has been abandoned-one of many visible changes from when we were here in 2016. Afterwards we were able to take Sarah and two Doctors from the UK who have just arrived, Peter and Susanne to show them some of the local sights!

 

Out for a walk with Peter Susanne and Sara

The entrance our lodger has probably been taking has been located. I am hopeful the new signage will be sufficient to deter him from entering!

It remains hot. The temperature in our bedroom the last couple of nights has been 29 degrees as we have tried to get off to sleep. Hopefully it will rain before too long…