Day 1
Met up at Liverpool airport at 3.00am – all of us were bleary-eyed but very excited. The two respective Chief Executives - Nick and John came to see us off, which was much appreciated by all. Had to look after Ste as he’s never flown before – what a way to break your duck! Two great flights with minimal delays. Reached Entebbe tired but when the hot African air hit us for the first time it gave us all a lift.
Met Kairan/John/Lyndsey at the airport and travelled on to Kampala. The van looked like something out of the Beverly Hillbillies with all the gear on the roof. The journey was a real eye-opener for the whole route. The road side was lit up with shops, stalls and impromptu BBQs. Got to the Mill Hill Mission, which was an area of calm in Kampala. After a quick bite to eat we had a debrief for the coming month. The excitement was tangible. We all drifted away at half-past midnight with a real air of anticipation. Roll on tomorrow and a look at what kit we have. A good end to the day as Liverpool won 4-1.
Day 2
The early morning light filtered through the curtains, accompanied by a dawn chorus of animal noises – the early morning mass. Unfortunately, this was all but drowned out by the buzz-saw qualities of the snores coming from the bed next to me – reaching such high decibel levels that furniture was vibrating across the room and window frames rattled. Not a good sign of things to come!
We loaded the van and said goodbye to Mill Hill. As we had arrived at the mission during the previous night we weren’t quite expecting the sheer vibrancy of Kampala. The city is simply huge, with anything and everything for sale in the roadside shops. As we entered the suburbs, we were all taken aback by the sheer vibrancy of the place. Thank goodness John was driving. As we entered the outskirts of the city, the roads began to deteriorate, but not the road-side activity, which seems to continue at 100mph, 24/7.
Cramped in the van in hot temperatures, you might think the mood would be grumpy. Not any of it. The group ran out of superlatives as the road was edged with lush dense greenery. On the way, we passed many towns where we where greeted with smiles and waves. Driving through the baboon reserve was a treat as the animals posed for us like seasoned pros. We reached the guest-house tired after a seven-hour journey but spirits were lifted when we saw where we where staying. It was fantastic accommodation. A relaxed evening included a tour of the school and checking the kit we brought. Everybody is chomping at the bit to get going – roll on Monday.
Day 3
After two days of virtually continuous travel, we had a late breakfast before going through the tools and gifts. Then we set off for our first view of the school. Before we left, Vincent Kenny gave us a briefing on health and safety issues. After his talk we were all too scared to move due to all the dangers highlighted.
Seriously though, the emphasis is on thinking before you act i.e. drinking water and using mosquito cream so you understand that your actions could have consequences on you, your colleagues and surroundings. We laid our kit on the lawn and everyone was amazed that we had managed to bring over a mini B&Q.
We then set off to the Mountains Of The Moon University, climbing a hill nearby to take in the panoramic views, which were amazing. We then made our way to the main project - the school. We had a briefing and all came alive as we saw the size of the project. We got permission to go into one of the dorms where children were present. They greeted us, as usual, with smiles and waves. This brought home what we are here to achieve – the conditions the children are living in. It was an emotional moment for the group. All the slides and briefings etc couldn’t capture this moment and injected the group with a new sense of determination. Our month here will be successful as nothing less is acceptable.
Day 4
Our last day before we start at the school. We had an early briefing then a visit to the timber yard and hardware store. The timber yard was an eye-opener – it’s not like B&Q! After a quick lunch, we set off to see Father Sebastian. The route was basically small strips of road held together by potholes. But the scenery was stunning and we got our first look at the Rift Valley, which was truly magnificent. We were made to feel really welcome and felt like old friends. Father Sebastian gave us a tour of the brickworks and church. The scale of things there, driven by one determined man, was quite extraordinary. We bought some bricks from him and dropped them off at the school – with all the kids coming out to help us unload. We had a real sense of ‘one brick at a time’. We had a quick prep for the work tomorrow. The feeling was: bring it on.
Day 5
An early start and all of us raring to go. Picked up some kit from the not-so-quick hardware store. We got to the school and assessed what to do first. The trainees joined us and it was all a bit hectic at first, assigning roles etc. Although it was initially a bit chaotic, we managed to get lots done: broke out the floor, built ladders, stripped, prepped and painted the windows and fixed the water tower. We decided where changes were needed the next day so we had a team meeting to plan. All in all a successful first day. A highlight was all the schoolchildren coming out to watch, us giving us all the now-familiar Ugandan warm welcome – huge smiles all round.
Day 6
Again, the team was up and at ’em. We went to the “quick” hardware store – nothing gets done quickly. We got to school and the first job was to allocate all teams’ members with trainees. After the allocation the teams attacked their work. Again, the second working day was another success. The work got done – more pointing, floors laid, rafters scrubbed and stained, sand sifted, with the added extra bonus that we had time to spend with the trainees, showing them skills and vice versa, plus a good amount of bonding. The amount of questions going back and forth between the groups was phenomenal. A tired but satisfied team finished work and Keiran took us up to the Sunrise Hotel for a post-work debrief. The hotel overlooked the whole of Fort Portal and the vista was astonishing. He then dropped the bombshell of the plans for the weekend. To say the team was taken aback would be an understatement. I won’t spoil it now: you’ll have to keep reading the blogs. The verdict after six days: we all know what we can achieve with this great group.
Day 7
This morning we needed to go to the local market. We got there for 7.30am and already it was heaving. On sale were fruit, vegetables, clothes and shoes, all being unloaded as we walked around. The atmosphere was incredible, as was the noise.
We wandered around, feeling a bit conspicuous. After 30 minutes we went to the school. Again, another very proactive day. The team is so focused. Hopefully, we can keep up this momentum for the full month. A highlight of the day was lunch – we were served goat. Those that ate it thoroughly enjoyed it.
The afternoon brought several downpours but it only meant we worked inside with the added bonus the interior work moved on apace. A treat tonight was pizza in town, so we geared up for a good night together. We all feel incredibly comfortable in each other’s company, the surroundings and working with the trainees. The feeling of determination is still very strong: our goal is to leave having made a significant difference.
Day 8
On our way to work and we are becoming blasé with our glorious surroundings. We are all into a good routine as we get to school, so the ‘waiting’ time before we get going is reducing.
Today was the hottest so far so the pace of the work was not as fast and furious but still the commitment couldn’t be questioned. Even in the couple of days we have been here the transformation of the school block is amazing – the only thing holding us back is supplies and materials being available. Doors, glass, fittings etc are promised but don’t seem to keep to schedule. It’s great to see the team improvising on the hoof, so to speak; we make what’s required. When I say the team I mean the UK and trainees, as this is what it has become.
After a gruelling day, everyone is happy for an early night with a quick planning meeting for tomorrow. There is big excitement as the new day brings with it the big football match – Trainees vs. UK. They may have the advantage in being used to the conditions but our steel toe-caps may prove decisive.
Day 9
We got to the school to find we had no water. A lot of our work requires water – mortar, cement, filler. To improvise, we went to the river to fill several jerry cans. So a potential disaster was averted and we lost very little time. We also received a (late) delivery of bricks so we can crack on with the steps into the school.
Lunch-time was the match with the trainees – and a right motley crew we looked. We lined up with 10 of us against, at one point, 18 trainees . Age, fitness and heat took its toll and we lost 4–1, which pleased the trainees no end. They took great pleasure in calling us losers all afternoon.
Glass arrived in the afternoon and several panes were then fitted, enabling us to continue with our remarkable progress. At the end of the day we had a tool box talk, emphasising the need for general tidiness on site, washing tools etc. It’s down to us to set a good example.
Tonight we went to a mountain lodge for tea – an absolutely fantastic view. We stood on the balcony, overlooking volcanic lakes and watched the most remarkable sunset. Tomorrow, after work, is a stay-over in a lodge with wild monkeys roaming the grounds. Plus Sunday is our day off, so we are promised a mountain trek!
Day 10
We got to work on Saturday with last night’s memories still fresh in our minds – the lodges are a fantastic location, all timber-built with thatched roofs. The owner was an Englishman who had spent seven years building it. Work on Saturday was back-breaking for us all, levelling out an area so the children could have a play area. We had a BBQ and were promptly joined by two sets of monkeys. I’m no David Attenborough, but I spotted a black and white one and a small grey one that went about their business as if we weren’t there.
We had an evening meal in a mountain lodge. A picturesque setting – built in the old English colonial style. We joined the owner, Aubrey, a true English eccentric. Again, we ran out of superlatives as we watched the sun set and the moon rise over the mountains. We got back to camp and lit a fire and sat around chatting and listening to the noises of the forest – truly magical.
Day 11
A glorious morning woken up by the whoops and chattering of the monkeys. We had a marvellous trek in the mountains with more spectacular views and scenery. We got back to our lodge and had a pre-work meeting outlining all tasks and responsibilities for the week, what worked and what didn’t from last week. We are all set up for another successful week.