Sabbatical Days 10 and 11

Sabbatical Day 10 (3 August)

No problems with flight from Dublin to Dubai.

Plane was a 777. Interesting feature: you can call up a forward camera on the screen so that you see what the pilot sees. Was particularly good on landing (at night) when all the lights guiding the plane onto the runway were visible.

Dubai 3 hours ahead of UK time. Flight to Entebbe is at 08:50 local time, 05:50 UK (and my body!) time.

Discovered that the floor of Dubai International Airport is surprisingly comfortable. Got about 3 hours sleep. Flight to Entebbe in an A340 (or was that A430?) right on time, but landed in rain and a not so tropical temperature of 19 degrees. Retrieved bag no problem and changed some money – 380,000 Ugandan shillings worth – don’t get too excited. It came to £100! I was able to queue at passport control with ‘Ugandans’ rather than other nationalities as I had already got my Visa. Turned out to be a smart move

The pastor who has organised the conference, Nsubuga Davidson (he along with other Ugandans was with us in Greenisland four years ago with Smile International) had arranged to meet me off the plane. In fact he turned up with his wife Precious and their four children and a friend who drove. Precious is amazingly beautiful, as are the children and she and the girls were dressed in what appeared to be ‘Sunday best’- lovely bright African dresses. I don’t know whether that was in my honour or normal attire.

Then the drive from the airport through Kampala to Nansana. WOW and double WOW! For a start the method of driving reminded me of Barry’s dodgems with horns but without the collisions. Motorbikes everywhere and 95% not wearing a helmet.

 Some people did have helmets but put them on the top of the steering column, not their head. Roundabouts are a free for all – just push in when you get a space. The journey took an hour and a half. I think we came upon one set of traffic lights in that time – and they seemed to be ignored. Maybe they put up a set planning to put up some more and then when they realised no one took any notice decided not to. People at the side of the road are selling everything from fruit and vegetables to furniture and wrought iron work (made at the side of the same road.)

 I thought Carrickfergus had more denominations than you could shake a stick at, but Kampala puts Carrick in the shade. Must have been a hundred, plus a few mosques. Note the sign for 'Fire Deliverance Church in the photo. People give their businesses spiritual titles. Thus there was a ‘Believer’s Renovations’. Appropriately enough one of the things they repair is soles. The one I liked best was the ‘Jesus Cares Restaurant’. Also liked the not so spiritual ‘Slopping Restaurant’. Couldn’t work out whether it was so named because it was sloping (it was) or because they served slops! Anyway it was the size of our garden shed. Oh, and down both sides of the main road flow open sewers.

People weren’t idle. They were trying to make some sort of living out of what they were selling. In fact I only saw one person begging. 

I was delivered to the Ivory Hotel, where apparently Clive Doubleday of Smile International stays when he is here. Very basic, but seems clean enough. The toilet – some will remember the style of French toilets 50 years ago. Yep - you crouch rather than sit! And you wash your hands in a large plastic basin which sits on the floor. I think you may be meant to shower in that as well. There’s a large container of some liquid beside the toilet and basin. Haven’t worked out what it is yet. Hoping its disinfectant. My room is on the 1st floor, last on the right.

There’s actually a TV. Haven’t tried it yet but there’s only one socket, curiously enough the same style as UK ones. There’s a small balcony. One of the windows has a missing handle so can’t be locked, but at least there’s a mosquito net.

After some soft drinks (I had Fanta which tasted much more sugary than at home) Davidson took me for a long walk round Nansana via his church. I’ve seen enough Christian Aid and Tearfund and other material to know about conditions for many in Africa, but seeing and experiencing it is something else. Houses haphazardly thrown up and looking as if they’re ready to fall down. A mixture of small and decaying and big and new side by side (not segregated into posh and nasty areas like we do). Dirt tracks between them, sometimes again with drainage running through. 

Children everywhere and me being the white man novelty. Davidson’s story and vision is amazing. I’ll write about that another time, but he introduced me to some of his members. WARNING: feminists look away now. Some of the children curtseyed to us and the women got down on their two knees in front of us. Somehow I don’t think I would get away with trying to introduce that in Greenisland!

Davidson has moved the site of his church at least once (possibly twice, I’m not clear). A few years ago the opportunity came to obtain a much larger site and he took it. At the moment the church is being built as funds allow. There is a temporary tin roof over PART of it (the rest is open). The outer walls (don’t think there will be any inner ones) are almost finished but no windows or door yet. The ambition is to complete the walls of the church, put a prope roof on it and then build a school behind it. The whole site was previously forest. Davidson’s philosophy is that the church should benefit the community, hence the school.

I met his Treasurer, an elderly (looking – it’s all relative) lady who seems to keep the money in her apron rather than the bank and the head of the Women’s Department.

Some older children were rehearsing a song in the church for tomorrow’s service (9-14s). The younger children and a group of adults will also be leading songs. Most Saturday evenings are given over to such practices.

Davidson took me past his house. I was shocked. While solid enough it looked just a little longer than our garage but about the same width: all to house mother, father and 4 children aged from 6 down to 6 months.

For all the poverty, there was a cheerfulness about many people and I must have heard ‘Welcome to Uganda’ 20 times. Not all speak English – the local language to this part of the country is Luganda.

On return I had a meal in the hotel. Couldn’t work out what a Spanish Rolex is so had grilled fish with chips. Both were fine – nice sauce with the fish. Some sliced lime was served with it but I remembered the warning in the Travel Health Guide about not eating fruit unless heated or from a tin. Asked for Iced Tea thinking it would come in a tin or a bottle. In fact what came was a teapot of hot water, a bowl of ice, a teacup and a jar of instant coffee. Couldn’t work out what to do with all of that so asked the waitress. She didn’t know. Thought about brewing the tea and then pouring it into the ice and then into the cup but then remembered the further advice in the Travel Health Guide not to take ice cubes unless you know the water has been boiled and filtered, so just brewed the tea instead (and left the coffee out of the recipe). Chances are somthing will go wrong with my digestive system but at least I’m trying!

One final thing. I managed to arrive on the Kabaka’s 20^th coronation anniversary. The Kabaka is the King of Buganda. What, I hear you say, I thought Uganda is a Republic. It is, and there is a President. Buganda is a kingdom the covers part, but not all of Uganda – seems to be the area round Kampala. Davidson tells me he has a ceremonial role only (although he also manages to have a Prime Minister). Anyway, to judge from the festivities he seems to be quite popular in these parts. Mind you, I could be confused as there was a wedding party in the hotel also.

Jim

Sabbatical Day 11 (4 August)

Well, turned out that the large container was not disinfectant, just water, I think for clearing the parts of the ‘toilet’ that the water from the cistern doesn’t reach. My aim so far has been good (!) and digestive system seems to be working normally.

Got quite a good night’s sleep. The wedding party didn’t go on too long – seems they go to bed earlier and get up earlier here in Uganda. The rooms were quiet and there were no barking dogs. Come to think of it I haven’t seen any dogs at all. Didn’t experience any mosquitoes and indeed only heard one buzzing insect all night. Set alarm for 7.30 and woke at 7.28. Not bad.

Breakfast gave a choice of some things that the Travel Health Guide says are ‘dodgy’. Freshly squeezed fruit juice, cereal (corn flakes) with milk and bananas (not sure about bananas, maybe they’re OK. I’ll have to check the book again. Opted for a hard boiled egg with sautéed potatoes and onions and a cup of hot milk. Washed down with a cup of tea.

TV is analogue, about 6 stations. All but one broadcasting various Christian programmes. The one that wasn’t was a cartoon station but even it had a scrolling banner with a phone no to ring in prayer requests.

Off to church at Pastor Davidson’s. Will let you know about that in next post.

Jim