As the lockdown eases...

So here we are, its mid-July and the pandemic continues to cause chaos around the world. It is a strange time and all of us have been affected.

We are now well into our long school holidays. We are glad to be in our home in Uganda and to be together as a family and with our MAF team, although of course we are sad that we had to cancel visiting the UK this year.

Easing Restrictions:

Here in Kampala, some restrictions have eased and people are moving around again, although it is with more caution. Many restaurants, shops and hotels have reopened, which is lovely. There are, of course, restrictions. Hand-washing is a must outside the venues and also once inside. Many places, as in the rest of the world, have staff who hold an infra-red thermometers up to our foreheads to take our temperature, at a safe distance, before we can be allowed to enter the site.

We are supposed to wear masks in public and many of us do but out on the street, fewer and fewer masks can be seen! We make sure the kids keep their masks on when they are out and about:

Esther's mask is falling down here, but don't worry- we have since bought her a new one which does not slip!

Curfew:

We still have curfew. No movement is permitted between 7pm and 06:30 am. I have to be honest and tell you that I love the quiet evenings this brings. No bars, no raucous music, no loud-speakers blaring out announcements and no traffic noise. Just the call of the owls and bats and the ever-present chorus of crickets- the sounds of a rural African night, right here in the city. It's beautiful.

However, it can sometimes be stressful trying to ensure everyone is home before the last rays of sunlight dip below the horizon at 7pm.

A few weeks ago, our day-guard Samuel was walking home (not on a work day!) and got caught out. At 7:10pm he was still on the street with two friends. They were spotted by the police and arrested. He spent a most unpleasant night in a prison cell and had a hefty fine to pay. This is a definite deterrent to breaking curfew for all of us!

Samuel back at work after his ordeal:

Rules for travel:

On the road, we are allowed four people maximum in a vehicle. This is a step forward from last month when we were only allowed three people in a car. That rule was trickier for me in these long school holidays, since I could take two children out in the car with me and had to figure out where the third child could stay while the rest of us went out!

Now I can take all three of my children out with me when I go to the shops or to grab a milkshake at the cafe or to visit friends.

For two months, we were not allowed to drive at all, which was wonderful in terms of far less pollution and beautiful clear skies, but not always practical! However, we got good exercise and walked where we could.  I even walked 5 miles one day to sit outside and have a birthday cuppa with a friend to celebrate her special day!

For shopping, we had some excellent boda riders who collected our shopping for us and were a great help.

One of these riders was Mr. J, for whom the restrictions have been very hard. As a boda driver, he collects his income mainly from moving passengers from A to B. Their fare was his income. Since March, boda drivers are not allowed to carry passengers. Even if they carry goods for people, it doesn't raise enough money to feed their families. Since his wife is a teacher, their income has all but disappeared. Schools remain closed and in a country where your income comes directly from school fees, there is no money coming in for Mr. J's wife. Parents don't want to pay fees when schools are closed. It is tough for so many families.

Mr. J. loaded up with a box of goods for me:

Restrictions = hardship for many

It is sad to see the increase in people begging on the streets of Kampala since lockdown. The implications of closed businesses and markets and the lack of tourists coming into the country has hit the poorest and made life even harder.

It is difficult to know how to best help, especially when little children like this come begging for money.

MAF Uganda in lockdown times

Flights have been grounded since the end of March, so it has been an extremely quiet season for MAF Uganda. At the end of May, our pilots were able to fly essential household goods to western Uganda to help assist in the effort to support the community of Kassese. This region was hit by severe flooding - many people lost their homes and their local hospital and school were washed away.

It was good that MAF could get airborne to help bring goods and aid to the people of Kasesse.

At Entebbe, loading up the supplies that need to be transported (Andrew is already in the cockpit if you look closely!)

 (photo credit, Sam Baguma)

At Kasesse for unloading the essential supplies:

(photo credit, Dave waterman)

Last week, Andrew was able to fly important medical goods to a hospital in Bakavu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Naturally he loved being back in the cockpit and doing his job again.

Education:

Schools remain closed and children are all back in houses and homes. The majority of Ugandans I speak to do not have access to online facilities to do school online and often teachers don't either.

To compensate, the national newspapers have ingeniously taken up the mantle of helping their people. Each week, they print work for school students in their newspapers. Each week the work for a different age group is printed, so that parents have some way of continuing education with their children at home. It is a sporadic way for children to access their school work, but it is something and it allows a certain measure of progress, even if it slower than school.

Last week, I went to drop off some teaching resources at the Centre of Refuge and Hope. It was poignant to see the still-empty classrooms.

This is where I taught one of my English classes, every Tuesday for two years. Normally, I would be looking out over a class of up to forty adult students, but now the plastic chairs are stacked and the room sits in eerie silence:

Since August last year, the Beginner level adult class moved downstairs to this larger classroom because student numbers increased and we had over 50 students enrolled in each Beginner class. I took this photo during one of my March classes this year while the students were working on a shared activity:

 

When I walked through this room on Thursday, it was also empty and felt unnaturally quiet. My footsteps echoed in a place normally filled with the sound of English language learning. 

I took a quick tour around the back of the centre to have a last glimpse at the classroom where I taught the children's English classes. I found it locked and bolted:

Normally a hub of youthful energy, noise and lively conversation, it felt strange that it was so abandoned.

Last month, I gave notice at the Centre of Refuge and Hope, as I start to prepare for my exciting new teaching job at Heritage International School. I will miss my refugee students, especially the children, and the staff I worked with- it has been a fantastic, eye-opening experience working at this inspirational centre.

We continue to hope and pray that education centres like this and also schools may be able to open again soon- and that the virus comes to an end as a vaccine or preventative medicines are developed.

I am due to start my full-time teaching job at the beginning of August, as a teacher for the 6 to 7 year olds at Grade One.

Like the rest of the world, we wait and watch to see what will happen.... :-)

A Gift Before Lockdown

Just before lockdown happened in Uganda, the children had a week's holiday and Andrew had a few day's leave.

We decided to go away for a few nights. It was great timing, giving us a change of scenery to look back on and treasure during lockdown.

Our first stop was Fort Portal, at the cottage of friends. Fort Portal is BEAUTIFUL.

Next stop was Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for its tree-climbing lions.

The first afternoon we visited we admired the wide plains and views of buffalo, antelope and warthogs. We also found this majestic elephant grazing right by the roadside:

The next morning, we rose before dawn and set off in the hopes of seeing larger game and hopefully some predators.

 I also had a hope of seeing something really special- the animal I have dreamt of seeing for many years. I have lived on the African continent for 15 years, but had never seen a leopard in the wild. Friends of mine had spotted the elusive cat in Queen Elizabeth Park and I was hoping -and even praying!- that we might get to see one as well.

It was a very exciting morning!

First of all, we followed an official game ranger vehicle just a short way. We pulled to a halt when he veered off the path towards a large cactus tree. We waited to see what he had found. As we observed, we saw the distinctive sandy-brown of lions!

Excitedly, we waited until we could see more clearly. Several other safari vehicles came alongside, asked what we were looking at and waited with us.

Anticipation grew- and finally our patience was rewarded! We could see two large lionesses in the tree and managed to get some fun photographs!

 

More wonderful animal spotting ensued, including this hippo who had made a temporary wallowing hole in a large puddle after recent rains!

He jumped right out of his hole as we approached, but seemed to decide we did not pose a threat and clambered back in again. However, I could swear he was keeping a suspicious eye on us:

Elephant family:

 The photographers:

 Just before midday, we decided to head back to see what the lions-in-the-tree were up to (sun-bathing!). Next, we drove across the main road to visit other side of the national park, renowned for its striking scenery and crater lakes.

As we bumped along the stony driveway of the park, I gazed out of the car window. Suddenly, I spotted movement in the swishing of the long grasses of the plain.

"Stop!" I yelled to Andrew, "I see something!"

Andrew reversed a little way and we watched carefully. There it was again! A stealthy slinking through the grass, then the animal stopped, looked over straight towards our car. It was definitely a large cat! As I snapped some photographs, it became apparent that the cat had a long, white tipped tail- and I was sure those were spots! Yes! IT WAS A LEOPARD!!!
I was so thrilled to finally see this amazing cat, famous for its avoidance of people and shy nature. I might have had a tear in my eye...

What a precious gift to see a leopard prowling in its natural habitat!

We tried to see where it might have gone once he disappeared behind the bushes... but all we found was this fresh paw-print in the muddy swamp:

After finally seeing my leopard and also seeing those happy tree-climbing lions in their cactus-tree, we were very thankful- we felt that we could not top the experience!

Even so, there was a real treat in store when we eventually drove over to the more scenic side of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The views of crater lakes and mountains were simply phenomenal.

View from our accommodation:

It was an incredible trip; we feel very grateful for the opportunity we had to see this corner of the Pearl of Africa.

Uganda is truly an amazingly beautiful country. 

EASTER GREETINGS

We send you all our warm Easter greetings from Kampala.

I have just watched the Queen's first ever Easter Message to the nation. Her message of hope is inspiring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMMSo4PB5Qk

I'll leave the Queen to be the voice for this blog post, but here are a few photos of our isolated Easter in Kampala.

We woke up to find some of our garden roses had bloomed in time for Easter!

Our MAF neighbours had a wonderful idea for Easter day! They put up a wooden cross on the hill at the end of our road and anyone passing or any of us who received a message about it could walk up and post a flower into one of the many drilled holes in the cross. A beautiful symbol of Easter LIFE and HOPE.

We did a short home-church Bible reading, followed by a short Easter egg hunt for some mini-eggs I received in a package from friends in Norway.

The children each wrote up a verse they liked from the readings we did. I'll leave you with their verses, colourfully portraying the Easter message and the HOPE it gives us in these difficult days of isolation and covid-19 around the globe.

Hope in Troubled Times

  For the past two and a half years, I have had the immense honour of teaching English to some of the refugee community here in Kampala. Once or two days a week, I have been able to spend a few hours using my TEFL training.

   This has been through the inspiring "Centre of Refuge and Hope". With a huge mural displaying the following verse from Psalm 46, the centre seeks to provide a place where refugees can find exactly those two attributes: a refuge from pressing challenges and hope to move forward as they learn new skills. These skills can in turn assist them in finding work, helping them provide for their families and be self-sufficient.

The welcome on the wall near the Reception desk of the Education Centre speaks loud and clear:

               "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble."

  The atmosphere at the centre is joyful. If I have been away on holiday, the first thing I notice and love about my return is seeing the broad smiles, the friendly welcome of students and staff alike. Their warmth reflects the sunshine and climate of the countries they come from. These are a community of resilient people, getting up on their feet, taking steps forward out of hardship to learn English and better their employment opportunities.

  I have had the joy of teaching children and adults alike. Their stories inspire me. Their hard work motivates me. Their diversity and cultures fascinate me.

  I have taught smaller classes of children. My reward is their smile of achievement when they succeed in conquering the next stage of English; when they learn how to write that first sentence in English or discover the confidence to try out a new concept. I love seeing their finished work:

  I have also been teaching classes of adults, working alongside the regular teacher to cover his classes once a week. Some classes boast over 50 students. These lessons have pushed me to develop new skills as a teacher, where I have learnt to be more creative in engaging larger groups of adult learners. I have learnt much from the full-time teachers and am humbled by their kindness and passion to serve others. These past two and a half years have been challenging at times, fun and rewarding!

Most of all, it has been inspiring to see the progress and determination of students. Students who have overcome unimaginable obstacles, yet now sit ready to learn, perched on their plastic chairs in front of me and their whiteboard.

At the whiteboard:

Today, the centre lies silent. No laughter in the classrooms. No buzz of learning. Like most education centres across the globe, the doors remain shut: teachers and students alike are encouraged to stay in their homes.

With the coronavirus crisis and the ensuing restrictions, many students have suddenly lost their jobs or even the ability to go to find work - and therefore to earn an income for their families. There is no safety net, no scheme to assist. If you have no income, you have no money- and no food.

These are tough times. When I hear stories of how the students are struggling- of how the mothers cannot feed their children, I am heartbroken. It is hard to know how to respond, with the restrictions on movement and food distribution.

We are all in these difficult times together. It is hard for everyone. However, not many of us reading this will go seriously hungry as we wait in our homes for the virus to be overcome.

How does it feel to be in crowded accommodation, where houses are shacks, a jumbled tangle where it is hard to say where one home ends and the next one begins? What does "self-isolating" mean in this context?

What is it like, when you share a latrine with several other families and there is no way you can afford soap to wipe down doors or handles, to protect your children from the virus?
Where you have maybe only one or two rooms, so if someone is sick, you cannot separate them from everyone else?
When going to the doctor means being asked to pay money that you don't have?
When you can't afford food, so how would you buy soap?
When washing your hands means using water that has to be fetched in jerry-cans from a shared tap at the other end of your dusty street?

These are the added challenges of this time. It is hard to think of people I have worked with and know facing these additional troubles in these already-difficult times.

None of us know what the future holds. None of us can predict how this crisis can be brought to an end, nor what our world will look like when it does.

What I do know is that I have met, through "Refuge and Hope", people who have survived great difficulties, but inspire me with their resilience. That gives me hope as we face uncertainty now.

I have met people who have gone on to find strength, encouragement and hope through this incredible centre. A centre which exists to bring healing and point its students, as well as its staff, to look to the ultimate source of our comfort. A centre that I want to see continue and thrive.

Will you join me in praying for the students and their families through these days of trouble?
That they can find refuge, strength and practical help as they look to God?
That the Centre of Refuge and Hope will be able to continue its fantastic work in the future?

And if you feel inspired to read more, or to donate to an organisation that cares and helps the most vulnerable, here is the relevant website address:

https://www.refugeandhope.org/