My damp walking boots are now out of my bag following our return from Uganda. They had been soaked by a tropical rain storm, a frequent occurrence at Sipi falls in eastern Uganda. I thought my memories would be reliant on my sight and hearing however Uganda has left me an unusual present. My boots are caked in a deep cadmium soil, complicated in smell and texture: clay like, a fragrance the mixture of coffee, charcoal and an arid dry dust.
Nothing is simple in Uganda. I have spoken before of living simply as if we should try to emulate the poverty of African villages like Irundu. Life in Irundu is far from simple, it is difficult. There is a constant threat of sickness, lack of education prevents self help and the structure for economic development has just started. Without wishing to under estimate the complexities of Western life, in many ways our lives are simpler.
What I have learnt from this fantastic opportunity is that living simply can be as miserable as complex living. I saw people in Uganda looking very serious without a smile. It was only though seeing Christian faith that the term “living simply” was brought alive. Faith in God in Irundu is demonstrated everywhere and in every astonishing parishioner. Faith and hope are born from the parishioners' ability to strive to live simply together. I believe that our faith at Worth is strong too. What the soil of Africa has helped me understand is that by joining the Parish of Irundu in faith and action, the potential for greater faith becomes more evident. Through our combined faith the realisation of a simpler life for both Parishes looks definitely achievable.
I recommend the experience, thank you Irundu and Worth.
Saturday, 27 October 2007
Friday, 26 October 2007
Closing note
This is pretty much the end of the blog. I may do a bit of fine-tuning over the next week or two, in particular adding some photos and maybe some links. It has been fun to do, I hope any readers have enjoyed it and thank you for watching!
Zoe's impressions
Having never visited Africa before I was unsure of what to expect both in cultural terms and how the Parish of St. Matia Mulumba lived its faith. I could not have been made to feel more welcome. Fr. Stephen, Fr. Paul, George, the seminarian, the Sisters, the three schools, and the parishioners all opened their arms to us from the moment we arrived. I have never visited anywhere so far from home (geographically and materially) where I have felt so accepted so quickly, and by so many people. I was struck by Fr. Stephen's dedication to the parish, through worship, education and providing Irundu with a strong centre to practise their faith. It was clear that Fr. Stephen's faith impacted on all those around him. Despite Irundu being placed in a rural setting, there were three schools in the immediate vicinity which we visited. The children and parents, although living basically, were full of happiness and a sense of contentment, which I am sure is credited to their strong faith in God. A key moment of the visit to Irundu for me was our invitation to join a small christian community (similar to our own house groups at Worth). Although much of the gathering was spoken in Lusoga (the local language), we all contributed, and offered our petitions to God. For me, that gathering in a small hut with the members of the group, and the children peeking over the wall to listen, sharing our faith through reading and prayer, confirmed our friendship with the parish of Irundu. This visit, to meet our friends, has given me inspiration to fulfil my faith in new ways and has strengthened my belief.
Worth Parish can learn so much from Fr. Stephen and St. Matia Mulumba.
Worth Parish can learn so much from Fr. Stephen and St. Matia Mulumba.
Theo's impressions
I was very nervous about coming to Irundu and if I'm honest I wasn't looking forward to it. This of course was due to Mummy dying 2 weeks prior to our departure. But Daddy and Fr James encouraged me that Mummy would have wanted me to still go, and if anything it would certainly take my mind off things.
As soon as we arrived in Irundu, a very rural community well off the beaten track, I was made to feel loved and supported. Fr Stephen ( I wish I could have taken him home with me!) was so kind, immediately telling me how sorry he was and how he had been saying prayers and would continue to do so. Sr Julian was also very kind offering her prayers.
Having already spent 4 months in Kenya with a project for HIV orphans in an orphanage in Nairobi and 1 month in a rural project where I was the only 'Mzungo' (white person) I thought I knew what to expect. However I was wrong. Fr Stephen was so much more than I had expected from my previous experiences of African clergy. He was and is a truly inspiring and faithful person 100% committed to his flock. He has so many ideas on how to better the lives of those in his parish and is utterly selfless in his approach.
We experienced so many joyful aspects of the parishioners' lives. What struck me (as in Kenya) was how happy everyone was even though they had almost nothing. Such strong, unquestioning faith.
I now stay on with Zoe for a week to see a bit more of Uganda. Having been very protected in Irundu I now find myself back in reality and am daunted. Zoe has been my rock in this difficult time away from home, making me laugh, giving me hugs and lending a listening ear. Thankyou Zoe you are a wonderful friend.
On my return to the UK I look forward to taking on the challenge of supporting Irundu for the long term, feeling guided by Mummy in the way that she gave everything to others. Her famous coffee mornings will live on!
As soon as we arrived in Irundu, a very rural community well off the beaten track, I was made to feel loved and supported. Fr Stephen ( I wish I could have taken him home with me!) was so kind, immediately telling me how sorry he was and how he had been saying prayers and would continue to do so. Sr Julian was also very kind offering her prayers.
Having already spent 4 months in Kenya with a project for HIV orphans in an orphanage in Nairobi and 1 month in a rural project where I was the only 'Mzungo' (white person) I thought I knew what to expect. However I was wrong. Fr Stephen was so much more than I had expected from my previous experiences of African clergy. He was and is a truly inspiring and faithful person 100% committed to his flock. He has so many ideas on how to better the lives of those in his parish and is utterly selfless in his approach.
We experienced so many joyful aspects of the parishioners' lives. What struck me (as in Kenya) was how happy everyone was even though they had almost nothing. Such strong, unquestioning faith.
I now stay on with Zoe for a week to see a bit more of Uganda. Having been very protected in Irundu I now find myself back in reality and am daunted. Zoe has been my rock in this difficult time away from home, making me laugh, giving me hugs and lending a listening ear. Thankyou Zoe you are a wonderful friend.
On my return to the UK I look forward to taking on the challenge of supporting Irundu for the long term, feeling guided by Mummy in the way that she gave everything to others. Her famous coffee mornings will live on!
Fr James's impressions
It was a full and event-filled week. There was a lot of travelling to get to Irundu but, as was proved on our return journey, you can be door-to-door in 24 hours with a night on the plane for just over £500. I would say our mission was accomplished. We learnt a great deal about the community, met some inspiring people, and saw the beginnings of what we might be able to offer the people there. What is certain is that they are rich - rich in the spiritual gifts which make even such poverty-ridden lives into an opportunity of giving praise and thanks to God and growing in the trust in His goodness. It looks as though we are beginning on our part to see possible ways of helping, namely in the fields of education, health provision (there is no doctor there) and a small- loan scheme called micro credit. The most impressive feature for me of the whole trip was to meet the parish priest, Fr. Stephen Mudoola. He is about forty years old and has been parish priest for four years and previously he was curate to the founder of the parish, an Austrian Mill Hill Father. He is gentle, humble, but energetic and purposeful, and obviously much loved by his poor people. Before going, a concern of mine was how I would personally get on with my opposite number. I now have no worries and I look forward to extending hospitality to him in the future.
So our project is on course and the findings and recommendations will be fed back to the Worth Irundu Friendship Committee to move things on.
So our project is on course and the findings and recommendations will be fed back to the Worth Irundu Friendship Committee to move things on.
Friday 26th October
Hard to believe we are back and what we have experienced. My first visit to a developing country (as for a few of our group) has made me conscious of economic inequalities in a very real sense, not as a mere fact (which we already know). There is also a massive cultural difference between the people of Irundu and us, yet that seems easily bridged by an exchange of smiles, handshakes (in that special African style - visiting team members will demonstrate for anyone who wants to discover it!) and a spoken greeting and the bridge is cemented even more strongly by a shared religious faith. The people in Irundu have a tremendous ardour for their faith and a genuine interest in other people's welfare which is truly impressive.
There are great possibilities for the friendship between the two parishes and we are coming home with enormous enthusiasm for the future.
There are great possibilities for the friendship between the two parishes and we are coming home with enormous enthusiasm for the future.
Thursday 25th October: Leaving Uganda today
Breakfast at 0630 and on the road to Jinja at 0730. Shortly after leaving Sipi we encountered a man beating his wife on the road. We intervened mildly and he seemed to leave her alone. This episode put Fr Fred's Family Ministry and the Church's opposition to bride price/ dowries into better context for me. The position of women in Ugandan society is one I am only dimly understanding but I can see a number of issues.
Saw a couple of overturned lorries on the journey - one we actually saw overturning as its driver attempted to dodge a traffic jam by driving wih two wheels off one edge of the road but he misjudged the camber and slowly toppled.
Arrived at Bishop Willigers's house at 1045 and spent an hour talking to him. The Bishop is a seventy-seven year old Dutchman who has run the diocese for forty years. He speaks without ceremony and with great common sense. He was very informative and open with us and was very supportive indeed of our initiative in Irundu. He did most of the talking (in response to our questions) and I have got the whole meeting on video to share with people at home.
Then back in the van, through the heat, dust, fumes and roadworks to Kampala where we left Theo and Zoe (they are spending the next week on safari) and on to Entebbe where we arrived an hour and a half before the flight. After being asked by police to declare any firearms (!) and bidding farewell to Peter, our great driver, we checked in slowly - the computer system had crashed and the baggage conveyor was broken. The ground staff were not actively unfriendly but they were very indifferent to passengers. Then an uneventful journey home.
Saw a couple of overturned lorries on the journey - one we actually saw overturning as its driver attempted to dodge a traffic jam by driving wih two wheels off one edge of the road but he misjudged the camber and slowly toppled.
Arrived at Bishop Willigers's house at 1045 and spent an hour talking to him. The Bishop is a seventy-seven year old Dutchman who has run the diocese for forty years. He speaks without ceremony and with great common sense. He was very informative and open with us and was very supportive indeed of our initiative in Irundu. He did most of the talking (in response to our questions) and I have got the whole meeting on video to share with people at home.
Then back in the van, through the heat, dust, fumes and roadworks to Kampala where we left Theo and Zoe (they are spending the next week on safari) and on to Entebbe where we arrived an hour and a half before the flight. After being asked by police to declare any firearms (!) and bidding farewell to Peter, our great driver, we checked in slowly - the computer system had crashed and the baggage conveyor was broken. The ground staff were not actively unfriendly but they were very indifferent to passengers. Then an uneventful journey home.
Wednesday 24th October
The heavy mist in the valley lifted early, revealing the beatutiful vista once more. My pleasure at having a mirror to shave in was tempered by the lack of hot water in the tap, but still the lodge's simplicity was at a level of quality which Irundu is unable to afford.
After breakfast we took a guided walk around several of the local waterfalls. A little after the halfway point, when we were quite high up, the heavens opened. This is the rainy season and rain simply pours from the sky in absolute torrents. We were completely soaked, but the views, waterfalls, caves and plants (including wild daturas with their large trumpets in bloom) made it well worthwhile. After showering and changing, we were joined for lunch at the Lodge by Fr Larry Ssendegeya from St Teresa of Avila parish at Kabwangasi near Mbale. His parish is in Tororo diocese, the Eastern neighbour of the diocese of Jinja to which Irundu belongs. He has been helped in church-building projects by other English parishes from the A&B diocese. He is supportive of 'inculturation' (the integration of traditional values with Christianity and the insertion of Christianity into traditional cultures). He gave us a copy of his diploma thesis on 'Pastoral involvement of the laity in Budaka Deanery', which contains interesting and relevant information about social and religious trends in the area.
Fr Larry drove me to his parish on the old road (we had yesterday come up the new one). It was a quagmire pitted with large holes and his four wheel drive skidded constantly as we pitched and yawed our way downhill.. There was a large market running in the village of Kamus and twice we had to wait while lorries laden with fruit, crops and people were dug out from the mud.
Fr Larry's parish, church, two schools and presbytery are all physically superior to those in Irundu. He has a wealthier and less remote group of parishioners, although their livelihood is still mainly agricultural, and access to mains electricity. Still , he is cooking on a barbecue while he saves for kitchen appliances and he is unable to pay adequate salaries in his secondary school. He has ambitions for a school library and IT centre. Irundu would be envious of the facilities he already has, but even so things are simple and his parishioners have a hard life.
After breakfast we took a guided walk around several of the local waterfalls. A little after the halfway point, when we were quite high up, the heavens opened. This is the rainy season and rain simply pours from the sky in absolute torrents. We were completely soaked, but the views, waterfalls, caves and plants (including wild daturas with their large trumpets in bloom) made it well worthwhile. After showering and changing, we were joined for lunch at the Lodge by Fr Larry Ssendegeya from St Teresa of Avila parish at Kabwangasi near Mbale. His parish is in Tororo diocese, the Eastern neighbour of the diocese of Jinja to which Irundu belongs. He has been helped in church-building projects by other English parishes from the A&B diocese. He is supportive of 'inculturation' (the integration of traditional values with Christianity and the insertion of Christianity into traditional cultures). He gave us a copy of his diploma thesis on 'Pastoral involvement of the laity in Budaka Deanery', which contains interesting and relevant information about social and religious trends in the area.
Fr Larry drove me to his parish on the old road (we had yesterday come up the new one). It was a quagmire pitted with large holes and his four wheel drive skidded constantly as we pitched and yawed our way downhill.. There was a large market running in the village of Kamus and twice we had to wait while lorries laden with fruit, crops and people were dug out from the mud.
Fr Larry's parish, church, two schools and presbytery are all physically superior to those in Irundu. He has a wealthier and less remote group of parishioners, although their livelihood is still mainly agricultural, and access to mains electricity. Still , he is cooking on a barbecue while he saves for kitchen appliances and he is unable to pay adequate salaries in his secondary school. He has ambitions for a school library and IT centre. Irundu would be envious of the facilities he already has, but even so things are simple and his parishioners have a hard life.
Tuesday 23rd October (continued)
Two and a half hours to Sipi, first South to Iganga then East to Mbale and from there North to Sipi - a long way round but no direct roads (for a start, there is a large swamp in the way). The last 20km is a winding climb up the lower mountain slopes towards Mount Elgon. Arrived at Lacam Lodge in Sipi (part-owned by Robin and Priscilla Williamson's son Tim) late afternoon. The lodge consists of several 'bandas' (self contained huts), with shower, basin and loo (removable bucket and sawdust method!) but no electricity and overlooks the top of one of Sipi's famous waterfalls with an incredible view over the very flat Great Rift Valley far below and views of the Sudanese border a few hundred miles distant. Although we could not distinguish any features of the village, we were also looking over Irundu in the middle distance and could clearly see the distinctive arms at the bottom of Lake Kyoga. We enjoyed hot showers and ate a European-style dinner.
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Tuesday 23rd October
There was very heavy rain last night. It makes a huge noise on the corrugated metal roofs which are common to most buildings, including the Church and my room. The monkeys were also very noisy last night, chattering away in the trees outside my bedroom.
I went to 7.30 a.m. Mass this morning. It was said by Father James with assistance from Fr Stephen, his curate, Father Paul and George, the seminarian. There were about twenty small school children there (aged I guess from four to seven) and ten or so secondary school children. They were all in their school uniforms and without their parents. There were about another twenty to thirty adults in the congregation. At one point I thought a cockerel was going to join us by the side door, but he thought better of it. The music was provided by the Sisters.
After breakfast Adrian and I worked on the computer equipment we had bought with us and are leaving here. Adrian had started to install the laptop PC and printer the previous day. I was installing a printer for the existing PC (it previously had none) and had rather a frustrating time looking for printer drivers on the internet until the relevant CD disk turned up in the office! It was then all plain sailing. While I was doing it, George (the seminarian) brought me a very touching letter for us all. I am sure you will get to see it and the various other letters of thanks we have received when we return but I will just quote a little bit. "Bring my appreciation and greetings to everyone back home. Thank them indeed for the big sacrifice made in the interest of helping other people. May God bring to fulfilment the words of St. Paul 2 Corinthians 9:6 in the lives of all of you and your families. Amen." Looking up the relevant piece in the Bible it reads "He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." He also gave me his straw hat (he gave me two to choose from!), so I gave him my cloth sun hat in return.
We had a final review meeting with Father Stephen and Father Paul to discuss whether we had done what they expected and wanted during our visit (we had been continually checking this as we went along), what they wanted from us now and what ideas we ourselves had for next steps. I am not going to share the discussion on the blog as we still need to formulate our ideas as a group and can do so both when we have left Irundu but are still in Uganda and when we are home.
We had lunch and said sad farewells to everyone before setting off to Sipi, east of Irundu and close to Mount Elgon on the Kenyan border. We are staying there for two nights.
I forgot to mention that Father Stephen's aunt runs a restaurant in London serving African food. Father Stephen has not seen his aunt since 1993 although he is in touch with her. It would be nice to look her up (when he can find her address for us!).
You might have been wondering what happened to Father James's chickens! We were served them both for breakfast today. I think Father James was relieved not to have to take them in his luggage!
I went to 7.30 a.m. Mass this morning. It was said by Father James with assistance from Fr Stephen, his curate, Father Paul and George, the seminarian. There were about twenty small school children there (aged I guess from four to seven) and ten or so secondary school children. They were all in their school uniforms and without their parents. There were about another twenty to thirty adults in the congregation. At one point I thought a cockerel was going to join us by the side door, but he thought better of it. The music was provided by the Sisters.
After breakfast Adrian and I worked on the computer equipment we had bought with us and are leaving here. Adrian had started to install the laptop PC and printer the previous day. I was installing a printer for the existing PC (it previously had none) and had rather a frustrating time looking for printer drivers on the internet until the relevant CD disk turned up in the office! It was then all plain sailing. While I was doing it, George (the seminarian) brought me a very touching letter for us all. I am sure you will get to see it and the various other letters of thanks we have received when we return but I will just quote a little bit. "Bring my appreciation and greetings to everyone back home. Thank them indeed for the big sacrifice made in the interest of helping other people. May God bring to fulfilment the words of St. Paul 2 Corinthians 9:6 in the lives of all of you and your families. Amen." Looking up the relevant piece in the Bible it reads "He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." He also gave me his straw hat (he gave me two to choose from!), so I gave him my cloth sun hat in return.
We had a final review meeting with Father Stephen and Father Paul to discuss whether we had done what they expected and wanted during our visit (we had been continually checking this as we went along), what they wanted from us now and what ideas we ourselves had for next steps. I am not going to share the discussion on the blog as we still need to formulate our ideas as a group and can do so both when we have left Irundu but are still in Uganda and when we are home.
We had lunch and said sad farewells to everyone before setting off to Sipi, east of Irundu and close to Mount Elgon on the Kenyan border. We are staying there for two nights.
I forgot to mention that Father Stephen's aunt runs a restaurant in London serving African food. Father Stephen has not seen his aunt since 1993 although he is in touch with her. It would be nice to look her up (when he can find her address for us!).
You might have been wondering what happened to Father James's chickens! We were served them both for breakfast today. I think Father James was relieved not to have to take them in his luggage!
Monday, 22 October 2007
Monday 22nd October
We had a lovely supper with the Sisters of Grace and Compassion last night. The convent was only established in Irundu three years ago. Sister Julian was at the much larger house in Kenya before coming to establish the one in Irundu. There are four sisters, two or three postulants and two or three aspirants. The Sisters run the village nursery school and help with various community duties. The postulants and aspirants sang and danced beautifully for us at the end of the evening.
This morning was mostly spent making school visits. The nursery school has 75 boys and girls. It seems fairly well set up, although teaching resources are limited. The children seemed to be getting on well with their alphabet, reading, writing and maths. They are taught in English, with explanations in their mother tongue. There is a good little shop at the school site, which sells a variety of religious items, household goods such washing powder and a few vestments.
The primary school has about a thousand pupils and has been growing fast. Two of the nine classrooms have been built by the local pharmacist who is Austrian and plainly a great help. They could really do with a lot more resources of many kinds. As everywhere, we were greeted very warmly by staff and children alike. Joseph, the Headmaster, is very passionate about his school and pupils. He is frustrated by his lack of facilities and would really like to develop the school further. Theo, Zoe and Peter helped the children to make a lovely collage which we will bring back and display at Worth. Football seems to be a popular theme for the pictures! The same was true in the vocational/secondary school and I was equally impressed by Robert, who is the Headmaster there and teaches mathematics. There are many things to think about in terms of the educational needs of the village.
We also went to see two small Christian communities. These are close-ish to the nature of the Worth house groups, but rather more significant in the nature of the people's involvement and in the impact on people's lives. They consist of groups of families and are the building blocks of the parish. Four to six communities form a Sub Centre where people worship under the leadership of a catechist and have Masses from time to time. Several Sub Centres form a parish Centre. There are six parish Centres in the parish. We met one community of some 40 people and learned that they pray together as well as helping each other with agriculture and brick-making. They have also started farming fish and have specific agricultural projects for their young people. Although individual families have their own land, the community runs these projects in common so that they have capacity to support those in difficulty. The chairman of this community fled from the fighting in Soroti in the 1980's and had to start from scratch again in Irundu. The community presented Father James with a gift of a cockerel.
The second small Christian community we saw was holding one of their weekly meetings. The individuals were impressive for the seriousness of their faith commitment and for the clear articulation of their faith. They started the meeting with lectio divina. We contributed in English while they spoke Lusogo and Lugandan. One of the participants was Richard, a Centre catechist. What an impressively committed man he was! He does his parish work completely voluntarily and it took him two years of full-time study to train for it. He works three days a week for the parish. On one day he visits the Sub Centres. On Saturdays he gives catechesis and on Sundays he leads worship in one of the Sub Centres on a rotation basis. Sometimes he will take Holy Communion but as his Centre is ten miles away from where he lives and he only has a bicycle this is difficult. A motorbike would be very useful to him. They were grateful for our visit and gave Father James more poultry, this time a hen!
George
This morning was mostly spent making school visits. The nursery school has 75 boys and girls. It seems fairly well set up, although teaching resources are limited. The children seemed to be getting on well with their alphabet, reading, writing and maths. They are taught in English, with explanations in their mother tongue. There is a good little shop at the school site, which sells a variety of religious items, household goods such washing powder and a few vestments.
The primary school has about a thousand pupils and has been growing fast. Two of the nine classrooms have been built by the local pharmacist who is Austrian and plainly a great help. They could really do with a lot more resources of many kinds. As everywhere, we were greeted very warmly by staff and children alike. Joseph, the Headmaster, is very passionate about his school and pupils. He is frustrated by his lack of facilities and would really like to develop the school further. Theo, Zoe and Peter helped the children to make a lovely collage which we will bring back and display at Worth. Football seems to be a popular theme for the pictures! The same was true in the vocational/secondary school and I was equally impressed by Robert, who is the Headmaster there and teaches mathematics. There are many things to think about in terms of the educational needs of the village.
We also went to see two small Christian communities. These are close-ish to the nature of the Worth house groups, but rather more significant in the nature of the people's involvement and in the impact on people's lives. They consist of groups of families and are the building blocks of the parish. Four to six communities form a Sub Centre where people worship under the leadership of a catechist and have Masses from time to time. Several Sub Centres form a parish Centre. There are six parish Centres in the parish. We met one community of some 40 people and learned that they pray together as well as helping each other with agriculture and brick-making. They have also started farming fish and have specific agricultural projects for their young people. Although individual families have their own land, the community runs these projects in common so that they have capacity to support those in difficulty. The chairman of this community fled from the fighting in Soroti in the 1980's and had to start from scratch again in Irundu. The community presented Father James with a gift of a cockerel.
The second small Christian community we saw was holding one of their weekly meetings. The individuals were impressive for the seriousness of their faith commitment and for the clear articulation of their faith. They started the meeting with lectio divina. We contributed in English while they spoke Lusogo and Lugandan. One of the participants was Richard, a Centre catechist. What an impressively committed man he was! He does his parish work completely voluntarily and it took him two years of full-time study to train for it. He works three days a week for the parish. On one day he visits the Sub Centres. On Saturdays he gives catechesis and on Sundays he leads worship in one of the Sub Centres on a rotation basis. Sometimes he will take Holy Communion but as his Centre is ten miles away from where he lives and he only has a bicycle this is difficult. A motorbike would be very useful to him. They were grateful for our visit and gave Father James more poultry, this time a hen!
George
Sunday, 21 October 2007
Sunday 21st October
Cold shower this morning! It's been a few years since I had the benefit of one of those. Father Stephen gave us a nice, simple breakfast.
Mass is at 10 a.m. There is tremendous energy in the music and dancing and great enthusiasm from the congregation (probably 1,000 strong) including quite a bit of whooping at key moments! There was lots and lots of music, with typical African rhythms, harmonies and drumming. The Mass was concelebrated by 5 or 6 priests, including Father James, and lasted three and a half hours, including a long homily. Much of the Mass was in the local language, so we were unable to understand it, but we could follow the sequence of events and knew which prayers were said when. We were seated up close to the altar and were warmly welcomed. I recorded a lot of the proceedings on my camcorder, which I will edit when I get home. At the end of Mass there was an exchange of gifts. Apart from mention of the solar panel and the children's sports kit that we have brought with us, Father James gave our children's collage, the photo album from Worth, a Bible and a signed copy of Abbot Christopher's book containing a personal greeting to Father Stephen.
After Mass and lunch we were treated to more dancing and singing from various groups in the parish, from various schools, the women's group and a charismatic group. There were also reports from Father Stephen and the PPC and an address by Father James. Again, much enthusiasm, clapping and laughter. Afterwards we had a meeting with the PPC and discussed many interesting ideas for developing the relationship further. It was good to see the PPC members expressing their opinions and reassuring to see that generally their priorities agreed with ours and those of the previous Worth visitors.
Off to dinner with the Sisters of Grace and Compassion tonight.
We have all shaken countless hands. Today everyone is very pleased to have us visiting and some are incredibly grateful. It is very humbling that we have so much and they so little. I will not forget the expression used by the little boy in the fishing village we visited yesterday - he said "You must be a very expensive man" (i.e. rich).
George
Mass is at 10 a.m. There is tremendous energy in the music and dancing and great enthusiasm from the congregation (probably 1,000 strong) including quite a bit of whooping at key moments! There was lots and lots of music, with typical African rhythms, harmonies and drumming. The Mass was concelebrated by 5 or 6 priests, including Father James, and lasted three and a half hours, including a long homily. Much of the Mass was in the local language, so we were unable to understand it, but we could follow the sequence of events and knew which prayers were said when. We were seated up close to the altar and were warmly welcomed. I recorded a lot of the proceedings on my camcorder, which I will edit when I get home. At the end of Mass there was an exchange of gifts. Apart from mention of the solar panel and the children's sports kit that we have brought with us, Father James gave our children's collage, the photo album from Worth, a Bible and a signed copy of Abbot Christopher's book containing a personal greeting to Father Stephen.
After Mass and lunch we were treated to more dancing and singing from various groups in the parish, from various schools, the women's group and a charismatic group. There were also reports from Father Stephen and the PPC and an address by Father James. Again, much enthusiasm, clapping and laughter. Afterwards we had a meeting with the PPC and discussed many interesting ideas for developing the relationship further. It was good to see the PPC members expressing their opinions and reassuring to see that generally their priorities agreed with ours and those of the previous Worth visitors.
Off to dinner with the Sisters of Grace and Compassion tonight.
We have all shaken countless hands. Today everyone is very pleased to have us visiting and some are incredibly grateful. It is very humbling that we have so much and they so little. I will not forget the expression used by the little boy in the fishing village we visited yesterday - he said "You must be a very expensive man" (i.e. rich).
George
Saturday 20th October - First Day in Irundu
The day started with a 9 a.m. leisurely breakfast. We then went to buy 60 litre bottles of water from the supermarket in Jinja for our stay in Irundu. Many shops and petrol stations in this town are run by Asians who have presumably returned after the exodus forced upon them by Idi Amin.
The journey up to Irundu took 2 1/2 hours although it was a much shorter distance than from Entebbe to Jinja. The road as far as Kamuli was metaled but had lots of potholes. After Kamuli the road was red dirt and, surprisingly, much more comfortable to travel on. Once we passed Kamuli the dwellings became much simpler. A typical house size would be once or twice the size of a garage in the UK. Most have wooden shutters (sometimes pretty makeshift) over the openings in the walls for windows and a dried grass roof.
We arrived in Irundu just after midday and met Father Stephen, George (the seminarian), Charles (Chairman of the PPC), Joseph (Headmaster of the primary school), the Sisters of Grace and Compassion and others. Our group split up and George took Adrian and George F to visit the Vocational School. There they met the Head, some teachers and students. Some of the students are boarders and their accommodation is very simple. There is a small carpentry workshop (hand tools only) and a sewing workshop. The school also teaches agriculture. We learned that 72 out of the 76 students are not actually in the vocational system but in the more academic secondary one. However, there is little chance of their going to university and the job prospects for the vocational students are rather better.
After a nice lunch we chatted with the priests and nuns and met Father Fred who is here from the Diocese to run the annual Family Day Retreat and meeting. This event has a focus on married couples. (I should note in passing that polygamy seems fairly common in this part of Uganda and that only the first wife can receive the sacraments in such a situation - the man and any subsequent wives cannot). Father Stephen took us to meet people at their homes in the afternoon. One family who lived in some humble huts very kindly got out their chairs for us to sit on and everyone was very welcoming and friendly. Few people spoke English, presumably because few had been to school. We also visited a fishing village at Lake Kyoga where the children thought we were very novel and followed us around. They loved looking at themselves on the screen of George's video camera so George was fairly well mobbed! Not much clean water is drunk there, since people prefer the taste of the lake water. We saw some very simple mud dwellings.
When we arrived back in Irundu we attended the service of reconciliation. There was great gusto in the singing. The people here are great.
There is electricity in Father Stephen's house but not in ours. We do though have the luxury of running water and a toilet and shower, far better than most of the villagers have. We have been told lots about the local scene. Mass tomorrow is going to be a big event.
The journey up to Irundu took 2 1/2 hours although it was a much shorter distance than from Entebbe to Jinja. The road as far as Kamuli was metaled but had lots of potholes. After Kamuli the road was red dirt and, surprisingly, much more comfortable to travel on. Once we passed Kamuli the dwellings became much simpler. A typical house size would be once or twice the size of a garage in the UK. Most have wooden shutters (sometimes pretty makeshift) over the openings in the walls for windows and a dried grass roof.
We arrived in Irundu just after midday and met Father Stephen, George (the seminarian), Charles (Chairman of the PPC), Joseph (Headmaster of the primary school), the Sisters of Grace and Compassion and others. Our group split up and George took Adrian and George F to visit the Vocational School. There they met the Head, some teachers and students. Some of the students are boarders and their accommodation is very simple. There is a small carpentry workshop (hand tools only) and a sewing workshop. The school also teaches agriculture. We learned that 72 out of the 76 students are not actually in the vocational system but in the more academic secondary one. However, there is little chance of their going to university and the job prospects for the vocational students are rather better.
After a nice lunch we chatted with the priests and nuns and met Father Fred who is here from the Diocese to run the annual Family Day Retreat and meeting. This event has a focus on married couples. (I should note in passing that polygamy seems fairly common in this part of Uganda and that only the first wife can receive the sacraments in such a situation - the man and any subsequent wives cannot). Father Stephen took us to meet people at their homes in the afternoon. One family who lived in some humble huts very kindly got out their chairs for us to sit on and everyone was very welcoming and friendly. Few people spoke English, presumably because few had been to school. We also visited a fishing village at Lake Kyoga where the children thought we were very novel and followed us around. They loved looking at themselves on the screen of George's video camera so George was fairly well mobbed! Not much clean water is drunk there, since people prefer the taste of the lake water. We saw some very simple mud dwellings.
When we arrived back in Irundu we attended the service of reconciliation. There was great gusto in the singing. The people here are great.
There is electricity in Father Stephen's house but not in ours. We do though have the luxury of running water and a toilet and shower, far better than most of the villagers have. We have been told lots about the local scene. Mass tomorrow is going to be a big event.
Friday 19th October
It took us 24 hours to reach Jinja (where we stayed for our first night in Uganda) from Gatwick. We flew to Entebbe Airport via Dubai and a set down at Addis Ababa. The drive from Entebbe to Jinja (about 2 1/2 hours) was fairly eventful. The traffic in Kampala was unbelievable with virtual gridlock. There are very few traffic lights and the driving is mad. We saw one pair of cars moving slowly, both over-taking, and ending up nose to nose. There is a strong smell of diesel and petrol in the city. When we went into the bureau de change to convert our USD into Ugandan shilling, we had to go through a metal detector and outside there was a guard with a submachine gun. Armed troops were in evidence throughout Kampala. There were many posters there for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Governments meeting, which is being held in Kampala starting on the 23rd November.
As we got into the countryside, we noticed smoke everywhere from bonfires. We think it is people burning domestic rubbish (no rubbish collection in these areas). We also saw a lot of roadside stalls selling bananas - Fr James bought some tiny, stubby ones (about three inches long, very tasty. We passed many schools, most of them quite small. We also passed two fine new buildings - one a high school and one a university.
We saw many young people in school uniforms walking along the roadside in the country areas and we think they must have long walks to and from school.
There are many potholes and roadworks on the route and enormous speed bumps. As you circumvent the road works you drive over the dirt and raise clouds of red dust. The road to Jinja is fairly straight and has stretches that are flat interspersed with long hills. The goods lorries and tankers struggle up the hills and everyone is either stuck behind them or overtakes madly.
As we approached Jinja there was an enormous thunderstorm and torrential rain - very dramatic.
We arrived tired, hot and in need of showers. We had a meal in the hotel and George was presented with a birthday cake by the staff. The hotel staff were very friendly and kind.
As we got into the countryside, we noticed smoke everywhere from bonfires. We think it is people burning domestic rubbish (no rubbish collection in these areas). We also saw a lot of roadside stalls selling bananas - Fr James bought some tiny, stubby ones (about three inches long, very tasty. We passed many schools, most of them quite small. We also passed two fine new buildings - one a high school and one a university.
We saw many young people in school uniforms walking along the roadside in the country areas and we think they must have long walks to and from school.
There are many potholes and roadworks on the route and enormous speed bumps. As you circumvent the road works you drive over the dirt and raise clouds of red dust. The road to Jinja is fairly straight and has stretches that are flat interspersed with long hills. The goods lorries and tankers struggle up the hills and everyone is either stuck behind them or overtakes madly.
As we approached Jinja there was an enormous thunderstorm and torrential rain - very dramatic.
We arrived tired, hot and in need of showers. We had a meal in the hotel and George was presented with a birthday cake by the staff. The hotel staff were very friendly and kind.
Thursday, 18 October 2007
We leave today! Thursday 18th October
Four of us are flying out from Gatwick at 2115 this evening. We will meet Theo and Zoe in Dubai at breakfast time tomorrow, as they are flying earlier. We have a brief wait at Dubai while we change planes and are scheduled to land at Entebbe at 1445 local time tomorrow. Uganda is only two hours ahead of the UK.
When we have picked up our transport at Entebbe we will head East to Jinja, where we are staying the night before heading to Irundu the next morning.
We are starting our anti-malarial tablets now, which are a modern drug (Malarone) and fortunately have no side-effects.
I have got a slight technical hitch in updating this blog, since my BlackBerry will not be able to send or receive emails in Uganda (I would need to take out a contract with a local provider, which is not really practical). However, I should be able to work round it through a combination of using other internet PCs (power supplies permitting!) and by sending text messages to Christina, who can edit the blog in the UK. Fingers crossed!
When we have picked up our transport at Entebbe we will head East to Jinja, where we are staying the night before heading to Irundu the next morning.
We are starting our anti-malarial tablets now, which are a modern drug (Malarone) and fortunately have no side-effects.
I have got a slight technical hitch in updating this blog, since my BlackBerry will not be able to send or receive emails in Uganda (I would need to take out a contract with a local provider, which is not really practical). However, I should be able to work round it through a combination of using other internet PCs (power supplies permitting!) and by sending text messages to Christina, who can edit the blog in the UK. Fingers crossed!
Monday, 8 October 2007
Update 8 October
We now have an excellent collection of photographs to take with us so that the Irundu parishioners can see our faces and also see a little bit of what Worth is like.
We have so far had photographs from the Curtises, the Rutherfords, the MacDonalds, the Stewarts, the Sanders family, the Bridgemans, the Fitzgeralds, the Doyles, the Yeates family, the Williamsons, the Kibbles, the Sharpes, the Hicklins, the McMenemy family and the Fitzsimons family. We have also got a photo of some very relaxed-looking monks (!) and some pictures of the Abbey church, including from Sunday mass.
We are also taking a lovely collage which parish children have made with guidance from Rosemarie Grisman, and a lot of sports kit donated by Worth School's suppliers.
After giving some thought to a suitable gift to mark our visit, we have offered the parish priest, Fr Stephen Mudoola, a solar panel (this is the technology currently used for producing electricity in the parish - only 3% of the Ugandan population have access to mains electricity and even then it is expensive and unreliable). He is installing this locally but we hope to see it (and 'give' it properly, for instance by blessing it) when we are there.
We have so far had photographs from the Curtises, the Rutherfords, the MacDonalds, the Stewarts, the Sanders family, the Bridgemans, the Fitzgeralds, the Doyles, the Yeates family, the Williamsons, the Kibbles, the Sharpes, the Hicklins, the McMenemy family and the Fitzsimons family. We have also got a photo of some very relaxed-looking monks (!) and some pictures of the Abbey church, including from Sunday mass.
We are also taking a lovely collage which parish children have made with guidance from Rosemarie Grisman, and a lot of sports kit donated by Worth School's suppliers.
After giving some thought to a suitable gift to mark our visit, we have offered the parish priest, Fr Stephen Mudoola, a solar panel (this is the technology currently used for producing electricity in the parish - only 3% of the Ugandan population have access to mains electricity and even then it is expensive and unreliable). He is installing this locally but we hope to see it (and 'give' it properly, for instance by blessing it) when we are there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
