Tales From Bajja

"Rise and Shine" - Consider sponsorship

2007-07-20T23:54:00.000+01:00

The photo is of the sun rising over Europe on our journey home. We hope the symbol of hope that is sunrise will be a reality for Bajja Community School ....the school motto is "Rise and Shine.

We now intend to focus on developing the sponsorship programme - this is the best way now for the schools stability and the childrens' future security. Many children were taken on by team members either before of during our trip - and special relationships were built up.

The cost is just £14 a month or 18 Euro. The child's fees are paid, a uniform, books etc and lunch provided. The child is also monitored by Fields of Life. The sponsor gets a letter at intervals. This also ensures the financial security of the school.

Please consider this programme - leave a comment with an email address if you would like further information.

We are now home and now thank God for the wonderful, life enriching time in Uganda. We deeply appreciate the support and prayers of all our families and friends. We thank God for keeping us safe and well. Most of all we thank him for the wonderful people of Bajja. May they indeed have our help to "Rise and Shine"

The Mini Company

2007-07-20T23:42:00.000+01:00

We are excited by the setting up of a Mini Company in Bajja amongst the women who did the craft work. They will meet once a week and in conjunction with Alice, one of the teachers, will supply crafts for sale in Ireland. the Christmas market is the target and team members and associates (volunteers please) will voluntarily man stalls in locations in Sligo and the west. All proceeds will be ploughed back into the community.

Seed funding has been donated to provide start up materials. Rachael in the Kampala fields of Life Office will liaise with Alice and with Averil and Yvonne in Sligo. Crafts were also bought in Uganda for sale in Ireland (again generosity enabled this to be done) - these were samples which could be used to test the market at home.

The photo shows discussions at Shalom Guest House with Rachel on the way through kampala to the airport. Contact was also made with a similar micro finance company in Bangor.

Connor the Goat...photo gallery

2007-07-20T23:16:00.000+01:00

Conor, the goat, is escorted by Keith to meet members of the Team. Our most unique gift from the community - and in person from Moses the Moslem who gave the land both for the school and for the football pitch!

Best friends! Emma's slogan became "long live Conor" - she was not impressed with the thought that we had to eat him!

Escape!!! Reprieve!! It wasn't Conor that we ate at the feast - but he had to come with us on the last day. With much scrambling and grunting he was pinned on the bus by Adam - the closet goat herder in the team.

Conor got excited at this point!

Final destination - the hospital....left tied to a pole. ...

What can you do with a male goat?

We hope the patients in the hospital appreciated him!

The Final Party

2007-07-20T22:35:00.000+01:00

The school and community pulled out all the stops for us - the school choir entertained us with many songs and dances - they are so short of uniforms that as different pupils were due to sing / dance they swopped clothes and uniforms. The drums we had got the school well justified their purchase as the lads treated us to a real African drumming experience.

Rhoda and one of the teachers spoke and did "MC". The parents put on a play which dramatised the challenges change had brought to a community that could bew suspicious of change.

Kennedy came from the Fields of Life office (see the photo).
The school director and a representative of the mayor as well as Rhoda spoke

The Sligo team were invited to speak - ably done by Charles. Ruth introduced the various team members as they presented the gifts of the team - in paricular sports equipment, gas lamps, the drums and an Irish flag.

Averil and Richard read the letter from Sligo County Council before presenting the Sligo Flag. Adam later raised the Sligo Flag.

Yvonne and Emma presented the banner made by Yvonne which reflected the theme that God has the whole world in his hands - including Ireland and Uganda - we each will pray for one another.
The Grammar Banner was presented by Zoe. Liz and Sister Teresa presented a Children's Bible signed by each team member before leading us all in prayers of blessing.

The local women worked hard from the previous evening preparing the food on the only kitchen available for the present - an open fire.

The food was fantastic - some of us understood we ate Connor the goat (more in another post!) There was also chicken, matoke, rice, bean sauce and more - some resorted to fingers in place of forks. Joy couldn't stop smiling - and Norman couldn't stop eating - Michael just enjoyed it all!

The generosity of the community was overwhelming - the whole event (which began at noon and ended at about 4 p.m) was truly memorable. We are so appreciate of the effort they put into making the day so special.

The day ended with a small gift to each child in the school and then goodbyes were said. There were few dry eyes.

One of the most speical things said was by Albert ( a teacher) "Thank you for bringing smiles to the peoples faces" - what a privilege.

The Big Match

2007-07-20T22:23:00.000+01:00

What a day last Thursday was! It began with the match of all matches on the new football pitch. The result was 2:4 (it seems right that the locals won the first match - or that is how our "lads" comforted themselves). Julia was the pride of the pack when she scored the first Sligo goal - good on you girl!

From Kampala...on the way home

2007-07-13T12:20:00.000+01:00

We are in the Fields of Life Guest House - (Shalom) for a quick stop before heading to Entebbe. All are well, thank God, and looking forward to a bit of rest at the zoo near Entebbee or at the swimming pool before heading for the flight at 10 p.m.

Yesterday's celebration was amazing - but tears were shed as we left the school. Keep logging on next week when more photos will be added.

Meantime all at home we are really looking forward to seeing you very soon!

Final times!

2007-07-11T16:23:00.000+01:00

The foot ball pitch is ready for the match tomorrow . the flag poles are erected, the school is painted. The work with the children and women is coming to an end - now the new school song "Rise and Shine" (which is the school motto) has been taught. All is ready for the big party tomorrow.

Rhoda and the community have a programme for us from noon till late afternoon. kenney from head office will come and the parents, the mayor and other local dignitaries will be present at a community celebration of song, dance, speeches - and even the Sligo team will perform. The Sligo flag will be raised and the banners, new set of drums, sport equipment and other bits and pieces will be presented. We reckon it will be a day unlike anything in our experience!

Friday we leave Masaka in the morning and via stops at a Drum shop and the Equator (for Michaels coffee) we will go to Entebbe to fly at 10 p.m. We hope to chiil out 20 minuites from the airport at a Zoo or a pool - depending on individual choice. The the overnight marathon via Amsterdam

We will be broken hearted to leave the community - but looking forward to seeing our families once more. Thank God all of us are still well and safe.

We hope the rain has stopped - and that the conference in Sligo is going well

Hospice Mobile Unit Update and more

2007-07-11T16:05:00.000+01:00

Michael and Sr. Teresa had the pleasure of spending a dey with Sr. Carla Simmonds who is Consultant for Hospice Mobile Home Care in masaka district and surrounds. Sr. carla supervises 21 mobile care teams who go daily to various centres. Sr carla also receives referrals from these mobile centres and the hospitals, whom she visits (in her medical capacity) in their own homes.

tjhe Hospice Mobile Home Care Team takes care of patients sufferring from terminal cancers and terminal HIV / AIDS.

During our experience we visited 4 patients covering a radius of 80-1-- kms in their own homes and had the privilege of meeting their families. thgs took us from 8 a.m. -7 p.m. on a very hot day. This was a very "touching" experience to see the wonderful work being carried out in the very basic humble conditions of the patients own homes. What was striking to both of us was the unlimited time given to each patient despite the long distances travelled by the teams and atrocious road conditions. The team consisted of a staff nurse (Rose) who was local to the area and Richard the driver. It is very difficult to put into words the full extent of the huge impact of this work on the patients and their families. The day was a real privilege forSr. Teresa and Michael to experience.

Later that evening Sr. Carla and a colleague Sr. Maura joined us at our acommodation to meet the whole team. Liz and Ruth following discussiona (and a quick visit to the hopsital earlier in the day) decided to give Sr, Carla The Catakysts money in support of the "Grannies in Masaka" pilot project (an offshoot of "Grannies in Africa). The money will go towards the many medical extingencies not covered by the pilot project.

2007-07-09T16:41:00.000+01:00

Photo Gallery

Team Work - getting the patterns ready for those pots!

Getting started Volleyball

Patrick - the best bus driver in Uganda

Card Making

African Sunset

Snake charmer! -OK it was dead!

Why is he laughing? what will happen when his mother sees this?

Arriving with a basket full of delicious small sweet bananas! HM

Where's that massive tree stump? - lots of help from locals today -including the parents committee. But o boy it was hot!

Just add salt!

What's his handicap??

2007-07-09T16:31:00.000+01:00

Remember those pots???
These pictures tell the story of how well the session wnt with the women - we are all relaxing with one another - and the presents are overwhelming. the women drift in and are dressed in the best dresses. Keith our F. of L. guide is invaluable as a interpreter and Rhoda the headmistress as an adviser.

Tomorrow one of the women is going to show us how to make baskets Ugandan style.

Our Spiritual Dimension

2007-07-09T16:12:00.000+01:00

Fields of Life teams usually take the opportunity to share times of prayer and encouragement and ours is no exception - both as a team and in work with the children.

As an inter-church group we have a pastoral input fro Theresa - a Mercy Sister - and from Canon Liz a Church of ireland Rector. We start with prayer for our safety and our work on the bus and finish afte the team meet to discuss and de-brief with scripture, reflection and prayer.

Liz and Ruth take classes each morning with action choruses, Bible verses and quizzes. Please pray that God's Spirit will use these times to sow seeds of faith in these wonderful children. Liz also linked the pots craft work with a short input today with the women.

We know that New Wine begins in Sligo today and we especially ask for the Prayer Team to remember our team and its mission. We will pray that God's blessing will be on all the families in Yeats Village and all attending.

2007-07-09T15:59:00.000+01:00

Weekend Update

Well the Golden girls were glad to welcome the gang back from kampala and to hear all the news. The weekend was greatly enjoyed. Those who went to Jinja had a ball on the quods - Emma gave David a good run for his money. They also had a slap up lunch and visited the source of the Nile. A mistimed photo opportunity let to some financial discussion with the authorities - but top guide Keith and driver, Patrick, got the fine reduced!

The others got a Taxi bus and headed north to the hospital where Ken Finch and his wife are based where they were treated like royalty. They were really impressed with the work being done by the hospital and by manner in hich so much is achieved with so little.

After church and lunch a visit to the Fields of Life Offices and the return to Masakea - with a stop at the drum shop to get a set for the school in Bajja - but no coffee at the Equator for Michael!

Meantime the Golden girls had "done" the markets, checked the cafes and zapped out as befitted their senior position!

There was a little tiredness this morning until we got going but all are well and safe - thanks for your prayers.

2007-07-07T14:26:00.000+01:00

Preparation for the womens' group in Monday - the plan is to paint pots and decorate them. Rare craic was had on Friday when the women went potty ion the market bartering to see who could get the best price for 10 pots - most got them for 1,500 schillings each - 75cent!!

"Perfect Harmony" - The team now have their very own group. The girls have been a hit with the womens' group and the children. The rest of the team are also rather impressed!!

2007-07-07T14:02:00.000+01:00

First Assembly in the newly painted part of the school

Keith and Charles in the Hardware store

Daddy buying melons for the gang!

IKEA - watch out

Bringing the shopping stall home!

Before the storm

Meat -Masaka style

"We don't need TV - this is MUCH more fun!"

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!!

Well fed Rhode Island Reds

Spot the fake!!

A first photo from Liz!!! And the camera never lies!

Les 3 Amigos!!!

2007-07-07T13:53:00.001+01:00

Cooking ---- this is done traditionally now but soon as the pictures show the school will have their new kitchens..... funded by the Sligo Fields of Life. In the foreground a Fields of Life worker is erecting flagpoles - from which the Sligo Flag will fly from next Thursday - this is the day when we will have our special ceremony with the local dignitaries and make our presentations - including the plaque.

2007-07-07T13:46:00.000+01:00

Water at last!! The Borehole - clean water is now availale in Bajja!

So what else?

2007-07-06T16:50:00.000+01:00

What a week it has been. The painting of one block is finished and the second is well on it's way. Left the group are in the last classroom of he first block to which the final touches have been given.

Each element of the work is reported on a post but here just an update to confirm all are well and safe, Godf has answered prayers to keep us safe and to keep our stamina. He has helped us build relaionships within the group and with the wonderful people of Bajja. Please keep praying. Please also now pray for the sponsorship proramme. Very many new children have been sponsored by the team and we have all met our children. It is a privilege to be in a position to be able to help these children and through the sponsorship to also help Fields of Life as they can be sure of an income. We have been greatly touched by the warmth of all the children - it will be hard to say good bye.

We have been greatly touched by the gifts give so sacrificially to us by the community....avocadoes. pawpaw, eggs and as you can read on another post - a goat!

The lads took on the locals in a football match - and despite all managed not to disgrace us!

We look forward to the first match on the new pitch later next week!!!

Health work update

2007-07-06T16:37:00.000+01:00

Michael and Theresa have worked within the women's group - they answered questions and plan a talk on hygiene which will link with giving tooth brushes and toothpaste. they have also dressed many scrapes and kept us all aware of how to stay healthy. We all loved it today when Theresa donned the white dress! In the picture she is with Rhoda the headmistress and her child.

Michael meantime has show the importance of exercise and is a great hit with the youngsters as he learns to dance Ugandan style!

We hope to be joined for dinner early next week by two consultants from link.

Working with the children

2007-07-06T16:16:00.002+01:00

Every child in the school has now enjoyed a craft session and a Christing teaching session. In both groups here is lots of singing as songs are also taught. The recent crafts have been butterflies and shamrock men and face plates - a multi talented team there.

There has been fun learning sbout Jesus with the flannel craft and teaching new songs "My God is a great big God..: was the most recent and had great actions - Alice in the school is a very committed Christian and has helped with the translation - working with an intrepreter is an interesting experience! Below doing "1,2,3 for Jesus"

Julia managed to exhaust the children with the dodgeball, parachure games and another game which seemed to involve her in racing every kid around a circle - she is not just organised - she is super fit!!!

2007-07-06T16:16:00.001+01:00

Craft work with the women

2007-07-06T16:02:00.000+01:00

The craft work with the women has had two greazt days - firstly making woollen dolls and then making cards. The ladies drift in and are dressed in their finery - it is humbling to see how appreciative they are of the sessions. The team working with them are working with large numbers -50 + one day and 60+ another.

Those of us who are not crafty were called to help - a nursery was set up on the steps! meantime Moses arrived with a gift - a goat called Conor which Emma fell in love with and which has to be eaten by the team next week - lucky wer have a butcher with us!

Meantime - the photo opportunity was not one to be missed...Maura's caption is:

SPOT THE NANNY!!

Progess on the football pitch

2007-07-06T15:48:00.001+01:00

The lads have done serious work - the paunches are trimming up nicely! They leave early @ 7.30 (while the women snooze and emerge later- except for Joy who is putting them to shame)

These photos give a flavour of how they have cleared an area which was totally covered in schrub with deep roots - the weather determined how much could be don - the sun and the rain drove them to pick up paint brushes. They employed some locals to help. currently they are trying to get machinery to grade the area.

The men were impressed by Mrs. Moses who chopped the head of a snake off with her shovel and with the kids who caught a rat by the ail as it was about to disappear! Indeed both of Moses wives impressed Charles - he is sending a warning to Breda to behave herself!!!

The photo below was uploaded by accident - but a frequent sight!

safely through week 1 - time-out allowed

2007-07-06T15:22:00.000+01:00

It's the weekend! Time to relax. The team are off to Kampala for a well earned rest after a week of trojan work. The plan is a spot of crash in Kampala...a bit of site seeing - either to Jinjaor to visit Andrew Forsters brother-in Law in a mission hospital north of Kampala -more of that after the weekend.

The golden girls have decided to zap in Masaka - pictured here at what we thought was Lake Victoria en route back to the accommodation yesterday. the trip from the school to the lake was such as that we will never consider Co. Sligo has any pot holes. We saw into deepest rural Uganda - but Richard and Norman got really excited to see "real cows" (Friesans) while the rest of us were more impressed with this herd which caused a trafic jam!

On the way to the Lake Charles loved the Bar (with a woman sleeping outside on the step) in the middle of nowhere, Ruth loved the donkeys by the lake and Emma went bananas over the monkeys!

Gosh...surely this isn't only day 2 in Bajja?!!

2007-07-03T14:08:00.001+01:00

What a team...the men were on the road by 7.30 in order to get some heavy work done before the heat of the sun. There was such fun as the children joined them in the work and Moses wife and a friend came to help along with other Ugandans. Charles thought the Irish women should note that fact!

This is tough work - so when the garden at home needs to be dug there will be no problem with fitness!

One of the parents touched us by bringing a big box of bananas as a present for us.

Later the guys began to put in the posts for the Volley ball net - aided by Julia who has her sports programme for the children well organised. Unfortunately we were beaten by really heavy rains and had to do a runner from Bajja before she could get into action.

Meantime the 4 rooms had another coat of paint and the lower part of the walls got the first coat of gloss - Kennedy from he kampala office called on his way passed and seemed amazed at the progress to date.

The children's craft team got into action with 3 sessions - there was a great athmosphere and songs and exchange of information about Uganda and Ireland interspersed the work. The children enjoyed the fun of making shamrock men! .....sorry no photo of this activity!

The teaching with the children worked back to back with the craft sessions. The song "Stop and think..." was a focus for reflection and fun! We even ran out of time with the last group and they asked could they come back and finish tomorrow! !!

The craft with the women starts tomorrow....pray they will come and we will enjoy working with them and they with us.

We are making good connections with the teachers....still observing the cooking under the tree but in the knowledge that soon there will bwe a proper facility.....speaking about facilities - the team are adapting very well to the new style of camp facilities!!! Seamus got the kids going in fine style wih "ole ole ole...." (the Jackie's army version!)

Links with Kitovu Hospital

2007-07-03T14:00:00.000+01:00

Sister Theresa and Michael have been researching and following a trail of connections which have been so fortunate as to be classed as God incidents. The outcome is that today they visited Kitovu Hospital and Mobile Home Care Programme both situated in masake. Very impressive and worthwhile work is being done in both . Both the hospital and home work with the very poor and needy people. This we hope will also be where the help from The Catalysts will be used.

Your prayers are asked for those who work in both areas and for the opportunity to work together in the future to help the sick and people in need.
Strong links are being made and will be developed with Sligo General Hospital and the people of Sligo

Day 1 in Bajja

2007-07-02T17:39:00.000+01:00

So much happened ... an incredible amount of committment and hard work was shown by each and every member of the team. Two coats of paint on 4 classrooms.... this included filling and sanding, brushing an rolling. Charles and Lawrence from Fields of Life are organizing us most effectively!

The men worked hard starting on clearing the area for a football pitch...as the photo showed this is no easy task. we spent time with Rhoda making plans for the craft work with the women to start on Wednesday and the work with the children to begin tomorrow.

We met Moses (who gave the land) - it was great that he understood Adam's Swahili. He seems so willing and interested to continue support for the school.

Very specially the children preformed for us for an hour in song and dance in the afternoon to welcome us. The athmosphere is great - the children are adorable and the teachers are supportive and commtted. We are getting great support from Keith our Fields of Life representative and Patrick our driver - neither could be more helpful. The Fields of Life workers on site are really helpful.

We ask for your prayers for our health, our stamina, safety on the roads and especially for the work. May we build relationsips with the Bajja Community and may we sow mustard seeds that will grow and bless them. May our teaching be guided.

Please also pray for the links between those children already sponsored and the sponsors who will meet them and also for those whose hearts are being touched and are also looking for children to sponsor.

Arrival in Bajja!

2007-07-02T17:21:00.000+01:00

What an amazing 36 hours! after a really special Service in KPC Pentecostal Church on Sunday we headed West across the equator - where we stopped briely for the essential photo and to prove science correct with basins and water runnng out in different directions.

About 6.30 P.M. just as twilight was falling ( and the mosquitos were coming out) we called into the school at Bajja - What a special moment...a very emotional one.

We were given a warm welcome by Rhoda who is the headmistress and lives in the new staff accommodation.

and looked aroud - bing struck by how privileged we were as a community to have been able to work with the Bajja Communty building the school. The school was beyond our expectations - the water pump was working ...the kitchens are now well on in their building and the nadditional staff block is also being built. We arranged to meet the next morning ane "tired but happy" headed to our accommodation - which met everyones approval.

Day 1 in Kampala

2007-06-30T17:10:00.000+01:00

The flight went well....food was great...only problem was the guitar has been delayed and Yvonne's TV wouldn't work (she is still complaining!). Charles kept out of trouble as the photo shows - he was enjopying Al Gore's book - but he got into trouble when he insisted on sharing it with us!

We had a hairy drive from Entebbe into town (it took and Irish half hour due to lots of road works. Queen Elizabeth is arriving in November for a Commonwealth congress so the whole city is even more congested than usual! We have a super driver (Patrick) and an equally great Guide ( Keith) from Fields of Life with us all the time.

The day began with orientation with Denise's sister Louise (with some timely reminders) and then we met Kennedy who head up F of L. Next stop was the shopping centre at Garden City for cash, grub and the bare necessities.

Left is a flavour of the craic...Liz and Theresa getting into the spirit of things with the Ugandans in the Craft Village! Families and friends will be glad to know that plenty of purchases were made!

We were fascinated by the mad traffic, the overloaded bikes (from sinks to bananas to turkeys!).

The weather is humid - we even brought the rain from Sligo last night - it woke up those who had managed to sleep through the revelling down town, the cockrel, the pots and pans and the dogs.

All well as far as Amsterdam

2007-06-29T08:29:00.000+01:00

Well, so far everything has gone smoothly...the bus arrived in Dublin in record time. The check in went well - most of us were carrying baggage that was overweight but even a 30 kg set of bags was allowed through...thank you Aer Lingus!
The team are a little sleepy, perhaps, but in good humour! The transfer here in Amsterdam is very simple - and the flight to Entebbe appears to be on schedule!

Commissioning Service

2007-06-25T23:14:00.000+01:00

The full team gathered in Calry Church today (25th June) for a Commissioning Service with Bishop Ken Clarke and Bishop Christy Jones. The new Sligo Mayor, Johnathan McGolderick and TD Dr. Jimmy Devins attended. There was great support from across the Sligo Community and the team are very appreciative of the good wishes and prayers which are being offered for them.

The next stage .... malaria tablets on Wednesday.... then final packing and off on the bus to Dublin Airport at midnight on Thursday for departure at 6.10 a.m!!!

A bit of background!

2007-06-02T22:44:00.000+01:00

On 29th June, 2007, 24 people from Sligo will travel to Bajja Community Primary School, near Masaka, in Uganda. The Sligo Community raised nearly 100,000 Euro over the last year to build a school, kitchen and staff accommodation in Bajja. The school is a Fields of Life project - this is a Christian organisation which is committed to sustainable development and has to date built over 50 schools.

The Sligo group is an inter-church group with an age range from teenager to nearly retired! The team will spend 2 weeks in Uganda working with the community in Bajja: painting the school, working with the women, spending time in the classrooms and enjoying sports with the children. The men plan to construct a football pitch and play area.

Final plans are now being made....injections have been got, malaria tablets are being bought, and discussion centres on what to bring and how to fit in everything that is needed - and whether KLM will allow us to be overweight!

As the weeks proceed this blog will be added to...and while we are away we hope to have opportunities to post updates. We ask family and friends to pray for our preparations, for our safe travel, for our health, for our work in Uganda and of course for the community we will share with in Bajja.

What a change from the old school!

2007-06-02T22:19:00.000+01:00

This is what just six months ago was a classroom in Bajja! The new school has 8 classrooms and accommodation for 4 staff. Due to the contiued generousity of the Sligo community a further staff block and kitchens are being added - it is expected that when we go out the Fields of Life builders will be on site with us.

Photos of the new school- completed and at foundation stage

2007-06-02T22:14:00.000+01:00