Saturday Afternoon: Nile River Safari!

After a short break and lunch we were escorted on a lovely boat tour down the Nile.  A small, private boat had been hired for us and at first we were disappointed, thinking that the larger boat, the African Queen, would have been a better option.  That misconception was quickly corrected as soon as we left the dock.  Due to the smaller size of the boat we were able to pull in close to the shore.  This enabled us to see many animals up close and personal.  We saw numerous hippos resting in the water.  Our guide explained that hippos do not swim a lot and when you see them they are not swimming but rather they are standing or kneeling in the water.  They were sleeping as we coasted by but there was always at least one who would give us the eye as we went by.  The most exciting observations occurred further down stream.  This was where we found the very large crocodile, shown below, resting on shore.  Our guide explained that it had likely just eaten a belly full of Nile Perch.  He brought the boat within a metre of this very large reptile.  Later, even further downstream, we saw many more crocs and when we approached them they would rush into the water right by our boat.  Sarah could have reached over and touched one as it rushed by but for some reason she did not!!!  The icing on the cake came when we approached the rushing waters of Murchison Falls.  The power of the water was amazing, as was the whole afternoon!

Sarah Lefebvre enjoys the boat safari down the Nile River.

Along the way we saw many, many hippos resting in the water.

This is the infamous Nile crocodile.  This large croc (about 5m long) was resting on the bank digesting his meal. 

This elephant was feeding on plants in the water.  It fans its ears to keep cool.

Murchison Falls was the turn around point of our boat tour.  It was a spectacular sight!

Saturday Morning: On Safari!

We awoke to a beautiful sunrise, so common now but always breathtaking!  After a quick breakfast we set out for an early morning land safari.  We saw more than 40 different species of birds and mammals.  I took many pictures but due to the slow server speed I will only upload a few.  Our guide, Saviour, was very knowledgeable of the flora and fauna and I wished that I could have brought my grade 4's along for the ride.  What better way to learn about the savannah habitat!

These elephants were busy feeding.  Notice how dry the vegetation is.  It has been several months since Uganda has received rain.

These hartebeests were grazing nearby.  You can see my favourite tree, the acacia tree, in the background.

Mrs. Grew, the African hunter!  In reality this was the remains of a lion kill which we found while observing the giraffe in the background.

Friday, February 17: We Go on Safari!

Our day began with an unfortunate flat tire.

We were very happy to see this sign after many, many hours of driving.

One of our welcoming committee members!

 If you look closely in the shadows you can see the hippos waiting offshore.  Debra, Alison and Erin enjoy the view!

On Friday morning the team set out for Murchison Falls National Park in northern Uganda for a safari adventure.  Our adventure began sooner than we thought with a flat tire occurring just as we started out journey.  Our driver, James, quickly made the change but then we had to find a shop to do the repair.  This added about two hours to our journey.  Eventually we got on the way and made the long drive north.  We passed many villages on the way and people were out lining the roads selling fruits, vegetables and everything imaginable.  The main roads were good but when we turned off to head into the park area the asphalt changed to dirt.... or should I say dust!  The region has been without rain for several months so all the dirt roads are dusty.  It is a fine reddish brown dust that covers everything and gets on your skin and in your hair.  When I shampoo the rinse comes away looking like a cafe latte.  After a long day of driving we arrived at the park.  On the drive to our hotel we saw many baboons.  They were sitting on the road, probably in an effort to get away from the tse tse flies, of which there were many.  We had to take a ferry to get across the Nile to our hotel and when we got to the landing it was starting to get dark.  The hippos were waiting offshore for us to pass so they could come on land to eat.  Hippos spend their days sleeping in the water and come out at night to graze.  A short ferry ride brought us to the other side and the hotel was just up over the hill.  They were ready for us and we quickly changed, had dinner and went to bed.

Thursday Afternoon: We Visit the Wenzt Medical Clinic

Our final activity on Thursday was a visit to the Wentz Medical Centre in Ggaba.  Wentz Medical Center is a health services facility licensed by  the Uganda Medical and Dental practitioners Council for provision of medical services  as a Level IV hospital.  It is also the location of the Ugandan Buy-a-Net office.  
http://wentzmedicalcentre.com/


There we were met by Doctor Martin Nkundeki who gave us a full tour.  Debra took a particular interest in the dental clinic which is in desperate need of updating.  She plans to secure funds for this project upon her return to Canada.

Wentz Medical Centre

Information sign locate in the waiting area.

Debra is checking out the existing equipment. 

This is the replacement chair that is needed. 

Thursday Lunch: Service at the Mall!

After leaving Kawempe we stopped at a local mall called Garden City for lunch.  It is referred to as the Mizungu mall (or mall for white people) as it is more upscale than most of the local shopping kiosks.  It had a typical food court much like what we might see in a Canadian mall.  Just sit down at a table though and you will see that that is where the similarities end.  As soon as you sit down you are immediately surrounded by waiters from each establishment.  Each waiter is trying to get you to order from their restaurant.  You can order drinks from one menu, soup from another and a main course from a third.  Somehow they figure it all out, your food arrives and then each restaurant gives you a bill at the end.  The food was good but the experience of being surrounded takes a bit getting used to!

A Ugandan food court.  Table, chairs, a variety of restaurants.... Same as home, right?

Wrong..... here you are waited on by eager food sellers.  They get paid on commission so competition is fierce!

Thursday, February 16: Net Distribution

Beautiful sunrise over Lake Victoria.  Our days begin early and end late but they are always beautiful!

Thursday morning began early with a beautiful sunrise over Lake Victoria.  This is the view from the balcony outside my room.  After breakfast we loaded the team into the van and Baker, our driver, drove us safely to Kawempe District.  We were about an hour late due to traffic and a number of other variables and when we pulled up many villagers were already there and waiting patiently for their net.  Before the nets were distributed, Steven, Sarah and Chairman did some training.  Recipients were taught how and when to use the nets.  People lined up following the presentation and the distribution began.  Everyone was very appreciative of our efforts and of the nets.  Hopefully many lives were saved that day!

On that note, I can tell you that one life was certainly saved at the hands of our founder Debra Lefebvre.  While the rest of the team was busy distributing nets with the local village health team members, Debra became aware of a mom and child in the crowd.  As she explained later, she "heard" malaria.  The child, held in its mother's arms was labouring to breathe and had a fever.  Debra recognized the signs of malaria right away and quietly arranged for our driver to take the woman and her child to the hospital for treatment.  Later in the day we questioned her about why we had seen Baker driving away with a mother and child.  Debra told us about what she had done, and when pressed she explained, that without treatment that child probably would not have survived another day.  That is what our founder does and that is what Buy-a-Net is about.  The foundation is saving lives, one woman, one child, one family at a time.

Villagers are first trained how to use the nets.

Faye White (left) and Margot Christie (middle) distribute nets.

This little girl waited for several hours with her mom to get a net.  She did not whine, fuss or complain.   She will benefit greatly from the net that her mom received.  Pregnant mothers and children under the age of 5 are most at risk from the devastating affects of malaria.

Debra, the founder of Buy-a-Net, distributed many, many nets this day.

In closing, it was very rewarding to see the process unfold.  In my case, it began with the idea to raise funds.  Plans were made, beads were sold and jewellery made and sold.  These funds were donated to Buy-a-Net which were then used to buy nets.  Then, a hard working and dedicated team of Ugandans ensures that the nets are delivered to those in need.  When Debra is here with a team we get the opportunity to join in the process but it is important to note that the work of Buy-a-Net continues year round.

Wednesday Afternoon: Women Helping Women

The WCCC group and the BAN team meet for lunch.  

A local woman makes gravel by braking rocks with a small hammer.  She works from sun-up to sun-down for less than a dollar per day.  Many women supported by the WCCC have lost their husbands to HIV/Aids and they are themselves HIV positive.  They are the only breadwinners in their families.

After our wonderful visit to Great Challenge School, we loaded back into the van to drive about 30 minutes to another part of Kampala.  We went to a local hotel to meet, Mrs. Moureen Serwanga, the founder of the Women Caring and Counselling Centre (WCCC).  This centre evolved out of a need to support women in difficult situations in the community.  WCCC's mission is to educate, support, counsel, empower and fight against drug and alcohol abuse, social, economical, family health, emotional and poverty challenges faced by both women and youth.  They provide support for local initiatives like paper bead making.  Beads and jewellery are sold locally to provide income for the family and internationally for use in our Buy-a-Net fundraising efforts.  The monies raised by Canadian fundraising is then filtered back into the communities through net distribution.  Helping one women to find work, not only means that she can support and feed her family, but she also supports the entire community.  The centre provides support in the form of income generation, provision of school fees so that the neediest children can get an education, and malaria and HIV/Aids awareness and prevention.  Moureen was joined by her husband Moses, a strong supporter of the WCCC, and about 20 local women supported by the centre.  A lovely lunch was enjoyed by all as we shared stories about friends, family and work, with these women.