Today we left early because of our midday meeting at Malangata. After collecting Benedicta and two pigs for Juliet and Lydia, we set out. Once again Kevin travelled with us. It seems she can't get enough. Today she told us that she has only been to two places in her whole life. Gulu, the main city in the north of the country, and Kampala City itself. She has loved visiting new places with us. After carefully navigating the inevitable traffic jam we got to the highway as the sun was getting hot -about 9:00am we travelled about 1 mile and then Sim noticed that we were minus 1 pig. We laughed before the realisation dawned that we really were 1 pig down. As we approached a roundabout the panic had set in and whilst we were all talking at once in an African panic sort of way, a driver of another car shouted that she had seen a pig running across the carriageway. We raced back to find our escapee. After 1 hour of trying to locate our miscreant, (knocking on, doors searching the undergrowth, speaking with passers by) we had to concede defeat and decided that Juliet and Lydia only needed 1 pig after all. As with careful and sensible management it could become 10 in a short while anyway.
We set off again with our remaining pig firmly tied to the pickup and Sim and Kevin keeping alert and beady eyes on our remaining want away.
We eventually found the girls house in the middle of a plantation. They were very pleased to see us and jumped for joy into Sims and my arms. Worth every minute of discomfort and every penny spent in getting us here. Lydia had never been to school until we met her. My eldest daughter still tells of the moment that she first took her to school back in 2008. She describes how she bounced al the way to school. Both Juliet 13 and Lydia 11 have become excellent students. There school reports were amazing. I am so proud. Both are at least 3 years behind in there schooling but even so they are still doing very well. After a deep but important conversation with Juliet about treatment by her parents and in particular her step father we left satisfied at their happiness and safety. We travelled over a marram road to Malangata and arrived almost 1 hour late but well within acceptable bounds for an African meeting. I first went to settle the dispute with the elderly neighbour over the coffee plants (see Day 6) she sat and sulked like a child and at first refused the compensation that I had carefully calculated yesterday. In the end I forced the issue and insisted on the compensation whilst telling her that it was best for neighbourly relations and also knowing that it would a err any later problems with her. The meeting was a wonderful success. I spoke well for 1/2 an hour describing what we wanted to do and how and then opened the floor for questions. At first nothing. Then gradually a trickle became a stream and eventually grew into a big river in full flow. It was a very exciting time and with all the enthusiasm around I have a list of 14 people that would like some training on farming techniques. Various training courses that I will need to find teachers for. I will look for volunteers that can give a few weeks or longer for these under privileged people.
I started our first course immediately as one man wanted to know more about building techniques. I introduced him immediately to my builder James and Cranmer starts tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock.
Such satisfaction.
We have a couple of artists working on the sign for the new building as soon as we go to sign writing ill tell the story about the name and the thinking behind it.
And I nearly forgot attached are a few photos of the water tanks and the building work necessary for their installation.
So excited.
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