Customer Service Training at Safari Lodges...

...it's a tough job, but someone has to do it! Alan landed himself a Gordon Ramsey style role of troubleshooter for a chain of 3 safari lodges around Uganda. Keen for some diverse viewpoints he took along 4 extra critics, all of whom were keen to contribute. Amy took on her role very seriously and was always chipping in with useful tips- these normally involved wanting to make things softer, particularly pillows and toilet paper!

We normally spent the first day or so observing as 'mystery customers' before focussing on some areas for improvement through training sessions including some entertaining games of chinese whispers and something involving balloons.

It remains to be seen whether the lodges will be better places to stay as a result of our visits, but they have some new recipes to try out and some new artwork on the walls courtesy of the girls!

Feeling Blue

the girls weren't too happy with their new roomate at one of the lodges!

Respect!

Never again will we take Jasper for granted...

Jasper and the girls...

whilst Alan was putting the staff at the lodges through their paces, Alison was doing the same with Jasper on the roads through the National Parks. Sometimes with unfortunate consequences...

...not that the girls seemed that bothered!

Cake..? Me..? Never!

Bella caught in the act at a friend's 30th!

Bomb Avoidance

You may well have heard by now about the bomb blasts in Kampala on Sunday night during the World Cup Final. Fortunately for us, we were out in the West of Uganda at the time and headed back on Monday. No-one we know was affected by the blasts, but both bomb sites are at places we have visited in the past year. The hospital where Alison works, IHK, was inundated with patients so Alison was sorry that she was not around that night to help out.
Our journey back into Kampala was slowed down somewhat last night due to tightened security, but life has returned to normal for most in Kampala.
Update on our trip West to follow...

Play time...

Thanks to a donation from our friends Rob, Nancy and Charlotte, we were able to purchase some play equipment and a chest for reading books (pictured below with Alan and Godfrey, the Headmaster) for the Royal Pride Academy.

To say the children were pleased with the roundabout and slide would be something of an understatement and they are turning up early for school now (which is pretty impressive when school starts at 8am and some of them have to negotiate a swamp to get there)

Walk on the Wild Side...

We spent Heroes' Day (bank holiday) at Entebbe and visited the Botanical Gardens. Unfortunately an enormous swarm of lake flies had also had the same idea and the air was thick with the little critters. The girls were not too keen on walking through them, espcially as they lay like a thick carpet and squelched between the toes!

There were some impressive spiders too.

The original Tarzan movie was shot here so the girls were keen to practice their vine swinging. We didn't leave Bella hanging there too long...

Back to the Drawing Board 2!

....and the fight against gut worms!!!!! Below is more of Alan's art work to help encourage (primarily school kids) to take their medication to deworm. You might be pleased to hear that our girls have all been 'done' with good effect....!?

Top of the Class?!

International Hospital Kampala hosted a 'Scientific Day' at which medical staff presented on various topics, which were judged by a panel. Much to Alison's amazement (and amusement given her limited experience in research!), she was awarded first prize for research based on a presentation she gave on the STI programme and pilot, upon which she is about to embark. The objective of the programme is to control STIs better in the local community and in so doing reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with them, which include increased rates of HIV transmission and cervical cancer to name just a few sequelae.

The award mainly reflects the importance of this field of work (as opposed to her very limited research capabilities!!), which is further endorsed by your generous donations towards the running of the programme. Thanks to all your support, in the next few weeks we will be in a position to start the comprehensive STI programme and we hope that this in turn may attract some research funding. On that note, a special thanks to the Fleetville School parents for their efforts in raising some money, through a posh dinner held at Sue Maxen's house, which will also be put towards this community project. Good work guys! We really appreciate it!
Pictures courtesy of the Daily Mail.........

Back to the Drawing Board...

Alan has joined Alison in the battle against STIs in Uganda by drawing up some visual educational tools to be used in the community clinics. Having laid down his paintbrush pretty much since GCSE Art, Alan has enjoyed getting back into the saddle and is currently working on some posters for deworming. Nice.

A message from the Headmaster...

Please see pictured the letter from Royal Pride's Headteacher and staff to those who kindly donated funds for the school. It means so much to them and this term should be relatively mud free!

Half Term at Sipi Falls

Once again combining a work trip with some sightseeing, we hit the road over the girls' half term break. We visited 2 of the IMC clinics with which Alison has been working based in Lira and Pader in the North of Uganda, until quite recently inaccessible due to the war waged by Kony's Lords' Resistance Army. Particularly in Pader, the level of healthcare is very basic and there were a lot of sick people waiting in line to see the only doctor in attendance that day. Pader clinic is IMCs first venture into a private/public partnership, so there is a great deal of effort being put into making it work, but inevitably a lot of obstacles need to be overcome, not least of all differing working practices.


After leaving the clinics we headed back to Kampala via the beautiful Sipi Falls, which comprise a series of waterfalls fed by the glaciers of neighbouring Mount Elgon, once Africa's highest peak. The accomodation comprised rustic huts with hot showers supplied by wood fires and the fresh mountain air was a welcome break from the dusty heat of Kampala. We spent 2 full days there and were joined by some good friends Natalie and George. We trekked to all 3 waterfalls including a trip over the top of one of them upon the recommendation and reassurance of some local likely lads. Their idea of steep and slippy was somewhat different from ours, but we made it over the rickety ladders and precarious bridges to live to tell the tale. Another example of the disparity between English and African risk assessment!


The journey home was rather drawn out as it coincided with the start of the new Ugandan school term and most children board here. There was also a local election happening and the roads were full of supporters and armed police and tanks. Doesn't bode too well for the presidential elections early next year, but we will thankfully be gone by then!

Happy Birthday Stacey!

We recently hosted a surprise birthday party for our friend, neighbour and fellow volunteer Stacey. Amazingly, it was the first BBQ we have undertaken here and took place in the 'secret garden'- a grassy patch beyond our compound walls. We generated a lot of interest from the local kids who enjoyed the balloons and some tasty burgers and trifle.

New Pride at the Academy...

The new floor at the Royal Pride Academy has been completed whilst the children are off on holiday. It was a bigger job than expected (as always!) but fortunately we were able to finish what we wanted thanks to your generosity. The staff and children are so excited and grateful. It now means they have raised classrooms so that the water can't affect lessons. Here are some of the teachers and children stading proudly atop their new flooring. One of the teachers, Irene, calls the new flooring a 'quencher', as it has quenched the fire of those people in the community who used to say that they were wasting their time with the school and it would never come to anything.
It is a massive step in the right direction for the school. We had to put back the old wooden structure for the classrooms until we have funding for brick walls. We're also hoping to develop the 'playground' in the future too. The teachers' plan is to hire out the largest building and compound to the local community for functions at weekends, thus raising some extra school funds.
The Headteacher, Godfrey, has written a heartfelt thank you letter, which we were hoping to post, but the website doesn't like the scanned PDF file so we'll email it to those who contributed.

with big thanks from Naomi...

Thank you to all those who are helping to support Naomi and her family. If you want to follow her amazing story then do so on her blog 'My Family and I' at www.naomird.blogspot.com

May Day Madness!

One thing Kampala is not blessed with is lots of children's 'activities' so we could not resist the offer of a 'Children's Fun Fair' on May Day. This consisted of a muddy field surrounded by tents and filled with more bouncy castles than you could shake a stick at. There was even a shabby camel for the children to ride on, although we did see a few fall off at the sudden unexpected dismount!

I wish it were that easy!!

...front page headline of a national newspaper yesterday!! Then another bit of classic primary prevention advice follows below - another common belief as to how to avoid contracting HIV. It's no wonder the HIV prevalence is 6.4% and climbing in Uganda!! It is with this in mind that I am appealing for funds to continue the comprehensive STI service that we have developed for the local community. STI control is proven to lead to a 40% reduction in transmission of HIV, so in Kampala, where STI prevalence is estimated to be about 9%, a comprehensive STI service can make a huge difference. Sadly, the funds through IMF (the charitable arm of the organisation) are limited and so if anyone feels the urge, donations would be most welcome via the following website: http://www.suubitrust.org.uk/, earmarked for the STI clinic. £10 provides screening and treatment for 1 person with obvious knock-on benefits for that person's sexual contacts too... so more for your money!!! If you are able to donate, drop me a line and I can keep you posted of how your money is used (whilst not being too graphic of course!)
Thanks to those who have already donated to this cause.

Rain Stopped Play...

...but only briefly. This just shows how much Royal Pride School will benefit from the new flooring. Previously the school would have had to abandon lessons in a downpour like this.
The foundations are now down and next we have to lift up the wooden walls and tin roof to lay the fooring underneath. The school is keen to build brick walls on the foundations over time and is looking at some further fund-raising initiatives of its own.

Hardcore!

Work started on the classrooms at the Royal Pride Academy (with the funds you donated). 8 trips to the local quarry to collect some pretty large rocks, which will be the hardcore for the floor, followed by some sand, cement and more stones. Elected not to carry the large rocks as didn't want to show up the locals! Child labour doesn't seem to be an issue here, so may get the girls to work...

Easter Island!

We spent Easter chilling on an island called Bushara on Lake Bunyonyi in the lush and montainous South West of Uganda. We had to get there via dug-out canoe and we stayed in a tree house with an outdoor shower. There was not much to do besides swim in the lake, spot birds and play monopoly- it was great and we returned relaxed.

We also stayed a night in Bush Lodge on the edge of Queen Elizabeth NP, where the hippos and elephants got up close and personal (see the big fellas in the background of the picture below) Seems like a long time ago as things have been rather manic since.

It's not all work

Since discovering our wonderful babysitter, Rose, we have been able to indulge in some evening social activities together without the girls. The highlights so far have been a St Patrick's Day Ball, where Alan was resplendent in an emerald-green shirt, and a reggae/karaoke night, where Red, Red Wine was duly murdered.

Cowan Girls on Stage!

Amy and Bella recently starred in their respective class performances- Amy at Kampala's National Theatre in 'Year 3's Got Talent' where she compered, and Bella at her nursery where she bedazzled us with her African/Wind the Bobbin Up fusion dance.

Try avoiding this one...

Pot holes take on a whole new dimension here and never again will we complain about the state of roads in St Albans...



We fell victim to another of Kampala's roads recently, when Alan was dropping our babysitter, Rose, back to her home by the swamp. He didn't see a huge mud bath in the road and and went headfirst into it. Finally, after 4 hours of digging in the dark with a hoe assisted by some of Rose's neighbours, we managed to find a tow-truck and Jasper emerged to drive another day...

Big Thanks...

..to everyone who very generously donated money to the aforementioned causes with which we are working. You are very kind and it will make a big difference to those involved.
Pictured is Alison delivering some health training to the parents of one of the schools in which Alan has been involved. Also, a few of the children at Royal Pride with some new footie tops donated through an American friend and Bella with her new buddies at the school.