Week 1: Arrival in Uganda

After another couple of flights via Ethiopia, we arrived in Entebbe and travelled some 5 hours south passing the equator en route to Masaka.

At the Equator as we stopped off on the journey from Entebbe to Masaka.

We then stayed in Masaka for a couple of nights with the director of the organisation with whom we had been in contact - http://www.helpuganda.org.uk/ .

Masaka

A local market.

The local butcher.

As local people sift through the garbage, Maribou Storks fly around looking for food.

The ferry which we had to take from the mainland across lake Victoria to the Ssese Islands.

Arriving on Bugala Island the largest of the Ssese islands.

The teacher's accomodation and our home for the month.

The children outside school on the first day.

Part of the original school buildings.

The original church from which the school was founded.

I learned very quickly that Ugandan children love to have their picture taken.

Visitors at our door, probably wondering why two white people were moving in.

The kids were both excited and apprehensive upon our arrival.

Some were just excited.

Meeting the P1s

In the P2 classroom.

Our arrival in Uganda is now a hazy mix of craziness, exoticism and sheer wonder as the experiences are still embedding themselves in our mind and becoming a reality from which we still feel somewhat detached.

After finally arriving at Kibaale school, we barely had a moment to gather our thoughts before we were taken to meet one of the village elders whose daughter had recently drowned and the funeral had taken place earlier that day.  As we passed rows of people staring, I couldn't help but wonder why we were there or even if we were supposed to be. 

Finally we arrived in front of a man whose years were written in every wrinkle on his tired face and whose blood shot eyes showed both sadness and warmth.  One of the aspects of travel which I find fascinating is being out of my comfort zone but this was something else.  As the man began to speak, we waited for our contact Moses to translate and as we uttered our condolences we were deeply moved by what the man said.  I guess it was a baptism of fire been thrown into such an awkward situation and for the first time I was in the Africa that I had hoped I would experience many years ago reading the National Geographic in the geography room when I was meant to be doing my homework.