Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Welcome to the launch of our...
Change4change would like to welcome you all to our new realtime project information site. Here you will find all the information from our work to provide practical aid that enables people to make a change to their lives.
Our last project
Detailed below is the information relating to our recent project in Uganda.
Uganda
27.11.06
Landed at Entebbe at 9:15am (GMT + 3) and took over an hour to clear immigration. I was met by a driver called George who drove me through the back streets of Kampala to Bweyogerere and Mike and Beryl’s home.
Mike and Beryl are British expatriates who have worked in Uganda for many years and are just about to retire to South Africa having established the organisation we work with there called Wellspring. Mike is currently recovering from malaria and not at all well.
After a little while Herbert, who is to be the Director of Wellspring on Mike’s retirement, picked me up to go to the Wellspring Centre. In the meantime I had unpacked my case and then had to re-pack for an overnight trip to the West of Uganda near to the border with Rwanda and the Congo. We had lunch at Wellspring and then Herbert, Ronnie (one of the Wellspring staff) and I set off at 3:00pm. 5 hours and over 200 miles later we arrived at Fort Portal where our accommodation for the night was a camp on Crater Lakes.
When we arrived they had had a power cut and we sat by a campfire and had food. Our rooms were basic but very quaint by candlelight and I slept for the first time under a mosquito net.
Landed at Entebbe at 9:15am (GMT + 3) and took over an hour to clear immigration. I was met by a driver called George who drove me through the back streets of Kampala to Bweyogerere and Mike and Beryl’s home.
Mike and Beryl are British expatriates who have worked in Uganda for many years and are just about to retire to South Africa having established the organisation we work with there called Wellspring. Mike is currently recovering from malaria and not at all well.
After a little while Herbert, who is to be the Director of Wellspring on Mike’s retirement, picked me up to go to the Wellspring Centre. In the meantime I had unpacked my case and then had to re-pack for an overnight trip to the West of Uganda near to the border with Rwanda and the Congo. We had lunch at Wellspring and then Herbert, Ronnie (one of the Wellspring staff) and I set off at 3:00pm. 5 hours and over 200 miles later we arrived at Fort Portal where our accommodation for the night was a camp on Crater Lakes.
When we arrived they had had a power cut and we sat by a campfire and had food. Our rooms were basic but very quaint by candlelight and I slept for the first time under a mosquito net.
Uganda cont.
28.11.06
Up at 7:00am as we need to have breakfast and be on the road by 8:00am. Had a cold shower as there was another power cut and there was not sufficient light to shave by (Ruth, my wife, would not be impressed!). As I opened my door there was a pair of bright blue wellingtons outside (looks encouraging). Went to breakfast and had to keep shooing monkeys back into the trees and eating our fruit before they did. It turns out that we had a puncture last night and did not realise until this morning and when we replaced the tyre with the spare it was a “bicycle wheel”.
Once on the road and driving through tea plantations and a National Park we had to stop at a garage in Kamwenge for a repair to the tyre. Got to the projects and I was the first person from the charity to visit these projects. In fact, I was the first white person to do so.
For those of you who do not understand the title of this diary, a Muzungu is a “white man” and when travelling around Uganda, basically anywhere outside Kampala, the children will stop as you walk or drive by and cry “Muzungu”. The amazing thing about being in Western Uganda and particularly Kamwenge was that, as we drove past or stopped and walked, even the adults would stop and point and call “Muzungu”!
An absolutely amazing day with really good projects which are all doing well. To get to a lot of them we went down tracks not really wide enough for a car and had to stop a number of times to kick down termite mounds and sometimes even having to leave the track to avoid huge stones and holes.
Went to Pastor Valentine’s for lunch at approximately 2:00pm and then at 3:30pm we left to drive back to Bweyogerere (250 miles!). Finally, after driving through tropical rain storms and lightening etc. we arrived back at Kampala at 9:30pm and went for a pizza.
When we went back to the car it would not start (good job we were in Kampala and not in the National Park!) and we had to call for a recovery truck. What then took place was quite an experience – 30 minutes at high speed, 3 feet behind a tow truck on Ugandan roads (not for the faint hearted!). Arrived back at Mike and Beryl’s at 11:30pm.
Then just as I was writing this diary, yes you have guessed, there was another power cut.
Up at 7:00am as we need to have breakfast and be on the road by 8:00am. Had a cold shower as there was another power cut and there was not sufficient light to shave by (Ruth, my wife, would not be impressed!). As I opened my door there was a pair of bright blue wellingtons outside (looks encouraging). Went to breakfast and had to keep shooing monkeys back into the trees and eating our fruit before they did. It turns out that we had a puncture last night and did not realise until this morning and when we replaced the tyre with the spare it was a “bicycle wheel”.
Once on the road and driving through tea plantations and a National Park we had to stop at a garage in Kamwenge for a repair to the tyre. Got to the projects and I was the first person from the charity to visit these projects. In fact, I was the first white person to do so.
For those of you who do not understand the title of this diary, a Muzungu is a “white man” and when travelling around Uganda, basically anywhere outside Kampala, the children will stop as you walk or drive by and cry “Muzungu”. The amazing thing about being in Western Uganda and particularly Kamwenge was that, as we drove past or stopped and walked, even the adults would stop and point and call “Muzungu”!
An absolutely amazing day with really good projects which are all doing well. To get to a lot of them we went down tracks not really wide enough for a car and had to stop a number of times to kick down termite mounds and sometimes even having to leave the track to avoid huge stones and holes.
Went to Pastor Valentine’s for lunch at approximately 2:00pm and then at 3:30pm we left to drive back to Bweyogerere (250 miles!). Finally, after driving through tropical rain storms and lightening etc. we arrived back at Kampala at 9:30pm and went for a pizza.
When we went back to the car it would not start (good job we were in Kampala and not in the National Park!) and we had to call for a recovery truck. What then took place was quite an experience – 30 minutes at high speed, 3 feet behind a tow truck on Ugandan roads (not for the faint hearted!). Arrived back at Mike and Beryl’s at 11:30pm.
Then just as I was writing this diary, yes you have guessed, there was another power cut.
Uganda cont.
29.11.06
Off to Kamuli today, a mere 200-mile round trip but at least we have a 4-wheel drive this time. Breakfast with Mike, Beryl and Herbert then off to Wellspring to pick up Amos (another of the Wellspring staff) and on to Kamuli. Saw a number of projects, but what was really exciting was seeing Ruth who had borrowed £16 to set up a business drying coffee beans in 2004 and how this has moved on in 2 years. It was very wet in the agricultural projects and my smart blue wellies came in very handy. We had dinner, of rice and cabbage with jackfruit to follow, with a number of the people who have projects at Ruth’s new home.
Left at 5:00pm to head back to Kampala and got back at 6:45pm, just still light and the first time we have got to our evening destination with some day light left. Had supper with Mike and Beryl and they shared how God had blessed them with the property in Uganda and South Africa. To bed at 11:30pm as we have to be up at 7:00am for our adventures tomorrow.
So far, over 800 miles in 60 hours!
Off to Kamuli today, a mere 200-mile round trip but at least we have a 4-wheel drive this time. Breakfast with Mike, Beryl and Herbert then off to Wellspring to pick up Amos (another of the Wellspring staff) and on to Kamuli. Saw a number of projects, but what was really exciting was seeing Ruth who had borrowed £16 to set up a business drying coffee beans in 2004 and how this has moved on in 2 years. It was very wet in the agricultural projects and my smart blue wellies came in very handy. We had dinner, of rice and cabbage with jackfruit to follow, with a number of the people who have projects at Ruth’s new home.
Left at 5:00pm to head back to Kampala and got back at 6:45pm, just still light and the first time we have got to our evening destination with some day light left. Had supper with Mike and Beryl and they shared how God had blessed them with the property in Uganda and South Africa. To bed at 11:30pm as we have to be up at 7:00am for our adventures tomorrow.
So far, over 800 miles in 60 hours!
Uganda cont.
30.11.06
Had breakfast and then was taken to Wellspring by Holly (the school headmistress). William (Wellspring staff) showed me around and I saw how many more school rooms had been built, the old garage converted into a school room, a wall knocked down where the bus used to park to make a drive through area for parents dropping children off. The dental surgery is now open and the dentist is beginning to get more patients, as people become aware of the existence of the service. Next to it is a Lecture Hall with a 29-inch television, DVD player and a video for teaching on healthcare and leadership seminars etc. The main hall has been extended by the removal of the corridor and today the tiles for the floor have been delivered.
We went to see Samuel who owns a bakery and originally used to knead dough by hand and for some reason the Government took an interest in his business and trained him to use new ovens etc and then gave him 4 ovens and a kneading machine. He now produces 500 packs of bread rolls per day and each pack contains 600 rolls. He needs further finance to stock up to use all 4 ovens as he is currently only using one. He provides bread to stores, schools and distributes by a van and boda-boda’s with boxes on the back.
On leaving here we needed to go and get the truck taxed which is done in a huge car park next to the National Stadium. When we got there, there was one computer that was powered by a generator and this had broken down and so no work could be done that day!
We then went to Gerenge Landing to see more projects, but on the way we stopped to get a hat, sun screen and mosquito repellent for me before we go to the Islands. Looks like it could be interesting!
After a trip to Entebbe to pay for the accommodation on Chimp Island we went to catch the boat. The boat was not quite what I had in mind! It was fairly small and moored off shore and the only way to get on to it was to be carried on someone’s shoulders. After 2½ hours on Lake Victoria we arrived at Kome Island which is quite large and we walked through the village and light bush to arrive at the school building on the top of the hill. The people were separated into 2 groups, those who already had loans and those who had applied for loans. The second group was much larger than the first. By this time it was dark and there were no lights. Talking to a group of Africans in the dark was a strange experience as you could only see them when they smiled! Once again, I was the first person from the charity to visit Kome Island to see the projects.
After this, it was back to the boat to travel in pitch darkness across to Ngamba Island (commonly known as Chimp Island). I was dropped off at a tented resort there and Herbert etc. went back to spend the night with their relatives on Kome Island. I was the only guest at the resort and the manager had dinner with me so that I did not eat on my own. The island is a conservation area for chimps and nobody lives there except for guests and staff at the resort and the chimp keeper’s etc. The tent is incredible and not really like a tent at all. I am going to have an early night, it is 9:30pm, but need to be up again at 7:00am in the morning. By the way, there is a gecko lizard loose in this tent!
Had breakfast and then was taken to Wellspring by Holly (the school headmistress). William (Wellspring staff) showed me around and I saw how many more school rooms had been built, the old garage converted into a school room, a wall knocked down where the bus used to park to make a drive through area for parents dropping children off. The dental surgery is now open and the dentist is beginning to get more patients, as people become aware of the existence of the service. Next to it is a Lecture Hall with a 29-inch television, DVD player and a video for teaching on healthcare and leadership seminars etc. The main hall has been extended by the removal of the corridor and today the tiles for the floor have been delivered.
We went to see Samuel who owns a bakery and originally used to knead dough by hand and for some reason the Government took an interest in his business and trained him to use new ovens etc and then gave him 4 ovens and a kneading machine. He now produces 500 packs of bread rolls per day and each pack contains 600 rolls. He needs further finance to stock up to use all 4 ovens as he is currently only using one. He provides bread to stores, schools and distributes by a van and boda-boda’s with boxes on the back.
On leaving here we needed to go and get the truck taxed which is done in a huge car park next to the National Stadium. When we got there, there was one computer that was powered by a generator and this had broken down and so no work could be done that day!
We then went to Gerenge Landing to see more projects, but on the way we stopped to get a hat, sun screen and mosquito repellent for me before we go to the Islands. Looks like it could be interesting!
After a trip to Entebbe to pay for the accommodation on Chimp Island we went to catch the boat. The boat was not quite what I had in mind! It was fairly small and moored off shore and the only way to get on to it was to be carried on someone’s shoulders. After 2½ hours on Lake Victoria we arrived at Kome Island which is quite large and we walked through the village and light bush to arrive at the school building on the top of the hill. The people were separated into 2 groups, those who already had loans and those who had applied for loans. The second group was much larger than the first. By this time it was dark and there were no lights. Talking to a group of Africans in the dark was a strange experience as you could only see them when they smiled! Once again, I was the first person from the charity to visit Kome Island to see the projects.
After this, it was back to the boat to travel in pitch darkness across to Ngamba Island (commonly known as Chimp Island). I was dropped off at a tented resort there and Herbert etc. went back to spend the night with their relatives on Kome Island. I was the only guest at the resort and the manager had dinner with me so that I did not eat on my own. The island is a conservation area for chimps and nobody lives there except for guests and staff at the resort and the chimp keeper’s etc. The tent is incredible and not really like a tent at all. I am going to have an early night, it is 9:30pm, but need to be up again at 7:00am in the morning. By the way, there is a gecko lizard loose in this tent!
Uganda cont.
01.12.06
What a night! There was a storm, heavy rain, thunder and lightening and the chimps were not happy and started fighting (sounded like they were killing each other!). But, after a while I went to sleep, it is hard to believe how dark it is with no lights anywhere around. The other thing that strikes you, and is quite surprising, is the high level of noise made by frogs, crickets and insects of all descriptions. Fortunately no high pitched whine of mosquitoes though!
Herbert was due to pick me up at 8:30am, but by 10:45am he had still not arrived and as 11:00am is feeding time for the chimps I went to the viewing station to see this. There are 40 chimps, of which 3 are alpha males and have to be kept separately as a baby orphan male is being brought into the “family” and as he is not their offspring the 3 adult males would kill and eat him.
Herbert arrived at this time and after watching the feeding we left to go to Kimi Island which is opposite Chimp Island. There are 4 projects here of which 2 are repaid and 2 are still doing so and in addition there are 6 more people applying for loans. We met Emmanuel who set up as a fisherman and now owns his own boat. Because Kimi Island is a trading post and is only one-mile square there is no produce grown on the island and therefore 2 of the projects are buying produce from neighbouring islands to sell on Kimi. The 4th project is the provision of medicines.
After a lunch of tilapia (a local fish) and cassava chips we set off back to the main land at 2:00pm. On arriving back on dry land at 4:00pm we drove through Kampala which is an experience all of its own. We got to Mike and Beryl’s at 5:30pm and Herbert is picking me up at 7:00pm to go out for a meal.
On the way back Herbert told me about the lady who ran a restaurant basically made from cardboard which we had visited in 2004, who has been successful and moved on to a better situation in a better area. Also the “doughnut lady” who has now been able to start purchasing one of the new houses.
We went out to a Korean Restaurant and had a good time with Herbert and Eve.
What a night! There was a storm, heavy rain, thunder and lightening and the chimps were not happy and started fighting (sounded like they were killing each other!). But, after a while I went to sleep, it is hard to believe how dark it is with no lights anywhere around. The other thing that strikes you, and is quite surprising, is the high level of noise made by frogs, crickets and insects of all descriptions. Fortunately no high pitched whine of mosquitoes though!
Herbert was due to pick me up at 8:30am, but by 10:45am he had still not arrived and as 11:00am is feeding time for the chimps I went to the viewing station to see this. There are 40 chimps, of which 3 are alpha males and have to be kept separately as a baby orphan male is being brought into the “family” and as he is not their offspring the 3 adult males would kill and eat him.
Herbert arrived at this time and after watching the feeding we left to go to Kimi Island which is opposite Chimp Island. There are 4 projects here of which 2 are repaid and 2 are still doing so and in addition there are 6 more people applying for loans. We met Emmanuel who set up as a fisherman and now owns his own boat. Because Kimi Island is a trading post and is only one-mile square there is no produce grown on the island and therefore 2 of the projects are buying produce from neighbouring islands to sell on Kimi. The 4th project is the provision of medicines.
After a lunch of tilapia (a local fish) and cassava chips we set off back to the main land at 2:00pm. On arriving back on dry land at 4:00pm we drove through Kampala which is an experience all of its own. We got to Mike and Beryl’s at 5:30pm and Herbert is picking me up at 7:00pm to go out for a meal.
On the way back Herbert told me about the lady who ran a restaurant basically made from cardboard which we had visited in 2004, who has been successful and moved on to a better situation in a better area. Also the “doughnut lady” who has now been able to start purchasing one of the new houses.
We went out to a Korean Restaurant and had a good time with Herbert and Eve.
Uganda cont.
02.12.06
Went with Herbert, Mike and Ronnie to see the building projects today. Lots to think about here, as there are a number of ways that they need help and specifically with capital to buy land as a lot is now being bought up and prices are rising.
They had purchased a brick-making machine that uses marram clay and cement (6:1) and then the mixture is compressed and the bricks come out wet and keyed with male and female ends. If the bricks are then put in the wall wet with a little cement between, the whole thing dries very solid without the need to fire the bricks.
There is a lot of interest in these bricks and a number of people have asked to borrow the machine. I talked to them about us financing another machine which could be taken around as required and would make 500 bricks per day which people could then buy and there would be a further business.
After we came back from the projects Mike, Beryl and I had a peaceful afternoon watching football, live from the Premiership and all 3 of us nodded off! At 6:30pm Herbert and Eve picked us up and the 5 of us went out for a meal at the local Italian Restaurant.
Went with Herbert, Mike and Ronnie to see the building projects today. Lots to think about here, as there are a number of ways that they need help and specifically with capital to buy land as a lot is now being bought up and prices are rising.
They had purchased a brick-making machine that uses marram clay and cement (6:1) and then the mixture is compressed and the bricks come out wet and keyed with male and female ends. If the bricks are then put in the wall wet with a little cement between, the whole thing dries very solid without the need to fire the bricks.
There is a lot of interest in these bricks and a number of people have asked to borrow the machine. I talked to them about us financing another machine which could be taken around as required and would make 500 bricks per day which people could then buy and there would be a further business.
After we came back from the projects Mike, Beryl and I had a peaceful afternoon watching football, live from the Premiership and all 3 of us nodded off! At 6:30pm Herbert and Eve picked us up and the 5 of us went out for a meal at the local Italian Restaurant.
Uganda cont.
03.12.06
We went to Wellspring Church in the morning and back to Mike and Beryl’s for lunch. There was a school open day in the afternoon, but I stayed at the house and relaxed.
At 5:30pm, Herbert, Eve, Marvin, Morgan, Madeline (Herbert and Eve’s children), Ronnie and Amos picked me up and we went to an open-air theatre to see some African dancing. I got called out to the front and had to do some African dancing with Ronnie! The climax of the show was when the female dancers balanced pots on their heads with the lead dancer balancing a total of 9. Bad news as this was open air I got bitten by the mosquito’s (first time this trip).
We went to Wellspring Church in the morning and back to Mike and Beryl’s for lunch. There was a school open day in the afternoon, but I stayed at the house and relaxed.
At 5:30pm, Herbert, Eve, Marvin, Morgan, Madeline (Herbert and Eve’s children), Ronnie and Amos picked me up and we went to an open-air theatre to see some African dancing. I got called out to the front and had to do some African dancing with Ronnie! The climax of the show was when the female dancers balanced pots on their heads with the lead dancer balancing a total of 9. Bad news as this was open air I got bitten by the mosquito’s (first time this trip).
Uganda cont.
04.12.06
Up at 5:30am for George to pick me up at 6:30am for the trip to the airport. An uneventful trip by Ugandan standards and got checked in and into the lounge by 8:30am.
After the flight was delayed by an hour I finally arrived back in the UK by 4:45pm and miraculously my bag was one of the first off and so I was out meeting Julian at 5:30pm. A good trip home up the motorway and I arrived home at 8:00pm (11.00pm Uganda time) shattered but fulfilled.
Up at 5:30am for George to pick me up at 6:30am for the trip to the airport. An uneventful trip by Ugandan standards and got checked in and into the lounge by 8:30am.
After the flight was delayed by an hour I finally arrived back in the UK by 4:45pm and miraculously my bag was one of the first off and so I was out meeting Julian at 5:30pm. A good trip home up the motorway and I arrived home at 8:00pm (11.00pm Uganda time) shattered but fulfilled.
Projects
Kamwenge
Brick making, profits to shop/hotel
Brick making, profits to purchase pregnant cow, mother now died and calf + one more
Hair Salon and hair pieces and boda boda
Goats for meat, cross breed local goats with stronger “imports”
Drying coffee beans
School for 300 children
Local Pastor with goats, banana, cows and chickens, wife does groceries
House extension by lady who runs shop
Clothes and shop
Village store
4 acres of maize
House extension by man who planted tomatoes for £16 and sold for £80 in 3 months and then planted maize crop and hopes to get 30 x 40 kilos bags which would each sell for £13 = £390.
Melons, bananas and cocoa
Kamuli
Ruth – coffee beans (2004) now new house and grows maize
Husband Godfrey just taken loan to grow tomato and egg plants
Robert is making bricks and applying for more finance to expand
Christopher dries beans and soya and has a sweet potato garden
Justine sells vegetables and has bought a pig
Gerenge Landing
Smart hotel
Ladies hairdresser purchase stock and electrical supply
Another ladies hairdresser
General store
Lady from 2004 now has a proper house and has become a wholesaler of charcoal
General store
Wife of Muslim man who sold cassava now does pancakes and sweet potatoes
Lady who owns 2 canoes to rent out on the lake
Food supplies to buy and sell
Joiner who used loan to buy wood
Chemist who sells tablets etc
Group leader has cows and she calls them to her by name
Lady who owns smart hotel also runs school as a business
Nakapinyi
Site 1 is 3 acres and building 18 houses 2 or 3 bedrooms, some of which are semis. The houses will cost approx. £2,500 each and land cost £200 per house, which the purchasers have to buy when they decide to have a house built. An admin fee of about £500 is charged and the whole lot is repaid over 10 years at approximately £25 per month. Normally, 1 or 2 rooms costs about £30 per month to rent. The project will include a playing field and a community centre.
Site 2 is 6 acres, which is currently farmed with cassava, maize and coffee for Wellspring School and sale. The plan is to build 50+ houses on this site in due course.
Site 3 (Lugazi) is the plan to buy 15 acres of which approximately 5 acres will be sold in 2 years when ready to build to provide finance for construction. On the remaining 10 acres they would build 80 houses. The land will be farmed in the meantime and funding is required of £30,000 for the site. Land on the opposite side of the main road is currently for sale at £6,500 per acre.
Brick making, profits to shop/hotel
Brick making, profits to purchase pregnant cow, mother now died and calf + one more
Hair Salon and hair pieces and boda boda
Goats for meat, cross breed local goats with stronger “imports”
Drying coffee beans
School for 300 children
Local Pastor with goats, banana, cows and chickens, wife does groceries
House extension by lady who runs shop
Clothes and shop
Village store
4 acres of maize
House extension by man who planted tomatoes for £16 and sold for £80 in 3 months and then planted maize crop and hopes to get 30 x 40 kilos bags which would each sell for £13 = £390.
Melons, bananas and cocoa
Kamuli
Ruth – coffee beans (2004) now new house and grows maize
Husband Godfrey just taken loan to grow tomato and egg plants
Robert is making bricks and applying for more finance to expand
Christopher dries beans and soya and has a sweet potato garden
Justine sells vegetables and has bought a pig
Gerenge Landing
Smart hotel
Ladies hairdresser purchase stock and electrical supply
Another ladies hairdresser
General store
Lady from 2004 now has a proper house and has become a wholesaler of charcoal
General store
Wife of Muslim man who sold cassava now does pancakes and sweet potatoes
Lady who owns 2 canoes to rent out on the lake
Food supplies to buy and sell
Joiner who used loan to buy wood
Chemist who sells tablets etc
Group leader has cows and she calls them to her by name
Lady who owns smart hotel also runs school as a business
Nakapinyi
Site 1 is 3 acres and building 18 houses 2 or 3 bedrooms, some of which are semis. The houses will cost approx. £2,500 each and land cost £200 per house, which the purchasers have to buy when they decide to have a house built. An admin fee of about £500 is charged and the whole lot is repaid over 10 years at approximately £25 per month. Normally, 1 or 2 rooms costs about £30 per month to rent. The project will include a playing field and a community centre.
Site 2 is 6 acres, which is currently farmed with cassava, maize and coffee for Wellspring School and sale. The plan is to build 50+ houses on this site in due course.
Site 3 (Lugazi) is the plan to buy 15 acres of which approximately 5 acres will be sold in 2 years when ready to build to provide finance for construction. On the remaining 10 acres they would build 80 houses. The land will be farmed in the meantime and funding is required of £30,000 for the site. Land on the opposite side of the main road is currently for sale at £6,500 per acre.
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