Breaking Ground

Hundreds of community volunteers out to dig for their reservoirs

        This week marks the beginning of our Living Water Project Phase II, and more importantly the approval of our CIDA funding!!!  Come Monday, our whole team will be returning to camp to begin work on both the Kishami & Nyarubgumba GFS projects.  Our new Mobilizer DJ has done a fantastic job recruiting hundreds of community volunteers to hand excavate more than 250m³ of solid dirt/rock to make way for our new reservoirs.  I went to visit the site yesterday and was shocked at the progress they have made, considering they only began work 5 days ago.  With this speed and dedication, we will have the site ready to build tanks by next week.



Checking out new sources for a new system

       With the CIDA money in hand, it also means that ACTS’ other Uganda community projects can proceed.  These programs include the land & goat co-op for widows, the school program for 40+ students and the sanitation education programs aimed at bettering the health & life expectancy of the communities we work in.  We praise God for the blessing of these funds, and pray for patience as we work towards fulfilling CIDA’s 90 day stipulations (ie. creating a gant chart, finishing our data surveys, etc.).  We are not through with the bureaucracy difficulties yet, but with the money in hand, we can at least get started on the much anticipated projects.

       We are all doing great this month, enjoying being back at camp with our Ugandan crew.   Our director David left at the beginning of this month and was replaced by his counterpart, Richard, who brought his wife Jenny along.   As well, my supervisor’s wife Nancy is camp, which I really appreciate with all this testosterone around J  Andrew is loving life here and taking advantage of it to the fullest.  He is still playing soccer in Kahija 4 times a week and most recently has been working with Rachel (widow co-op organizer) attending land owner meetings and visiting widows that ACTS has helped in the past.  Theo is happy to back outdoors and with his friends.  He is 18 months tomorrow and has really become quite the little person.

Daddy went swimming...

...and Theo soon followed!

       With each passing month, camp feels more and more like a real home. We still struggle with the food and since it is now dry season, the bugs have become a continual annoyance, but we try to make the best of it.  Derek and Andrew most recently decided we needed a swimming pool, so they cleaned out an old rain water harvesting tank and it is now the best way to cool off!  Even some of the Ugandans gave it a try and loved it!!!  Nancy also brought with her some new sports equipment, like volleyballs, baseballs & gloves, which we have never been so happy to play with.   The guys often go out into to town at lunch to hit around some baseballs, which draws quite the crowd.

Happy 25th birthday to Andrew...loving your new shirt!

Anyway, back to work for me, lots to prepare!!!

~M~

Reality Check

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Africa!

       We hope and pray that this blog reaches you in the best of spirits!  We are so thankful to all of you that sent us messages, emails and cards over the holiday season, it helped us feel a part of your celebrations even though we are so far away!

Andrew's buddy from work and his wife, that we met in Nairobi

       We are home safely in Mbarara, Uganada after a wonderful vacation in Nairobi, Kenya.  My blogging hiatus was not intentional, but as you all know the festivities of the season can really become all encompassing.  Our first couple days away from camp were spent at Canada House, wrapping gifts, planning meals and just enjoying the time off.  I had a blast trying to be resourceful and make Christmas decor from the limited supplies I had...tape, floss and an old magazine...and it was all worth it when Theo walked out of his room and just stood there bright eyed and mouth open.  



A 3 month old giraffe that was very friendly

Our first taste of fast food in 3 months...heavenly!



We got to play with lions at the Animal Orphanage

       The overall trip to Nairobi was fantastic, with great food, big malls and real movie theatres.  The 17 hour bus rides were not our favourite, but at $35 a person you can't really complain.  Our apartment was better than expected, with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a swimming pool, a roof top patio and located literally right across from the mall.  We never felt unsafe and were protected by an armed guard from our doorstep to the doorstep of the mall.  Some days we went and toured, other days we just hung out at home, eating, reading and sleeping.  Our favourite outings included the animal orphanage where we got play with lions, the giraffe sanctuary where we got to feed the giraffes, and the village market where we got to shop the Masaii market and ride the water slides.  Theo's nanny Winnie had the time of her life and got to experience so many new things.  Overall this trip really refreshed us and got us ready to tackle the next 3 months.
 


Cheryl taught Winnie to swim

Cheers to a great New Year!

       This trip was also a reality check for us.  In the part of Uganda where we live, you are either black or white, rich or poor, Christian or Muslim; close to no middle ground.  You see, because we are white and our clothes do not have holes in them, most assume we are rich.  In the area of Kenya we were staying, it felt a lot more like Canada with a wide variety of different classes, races and creeds.  This was comforting for it felt like home, but it was also eye opening as we saw the clash between the developing and developed countries.  Kenya attracts wealthy tourists from around the world for its safaris, its child adoptions and its fine dining, but right smack in the middle of it all is the second largest urban slum in all of Africa.  What a stark contrast between those that spend $10,000 on a two week vacation and those that barely make $14 after two weeks of hard work.  This is a reality that I can no longer ignore. It is a reality that I must come face to face with and decide how my life in Canada will change.

~M



We even got to feed the monkeys!