Its been a challenge blogging from East Africa where I spent over 2 weeks. The Cyber Cafes offer outdated computers with keyboards and mouse are old, sticky and grungy and the internet slow to respond.
I have a memory stick where I was able to keep up with offline blogging at afriend’s house in Uganda. So I am now ready to post the saved blogs from Capetown in South Africa.
Hope you enjoy these!
HIV and AIDS is the most serious issue facing Africa today. You cannot escape its impact at every level and almost always comes up in conversations. In Kenya, there is one woman who is laying down the vision and model for attacking this disease. We had the pleasure and honour of meeting, Jane Wathome the founder of Beacon of Hope.
Wesley our guide for the day takes us to several malls and we shopped till we dropped! Back at the hotel, Kathleen kills 2 cockroaches in the hotel room.
Back to Kenya! Check into the Meridian… quite a let down from where we have stayed so far. Its only for 3 nights and we will manage.
What does it feel like going back in time to your favourite school?
Bharat drove me to my old School, East Kololo Primary School.
I remembered most of the classes I actually spent time in. My last class was Primary seven before I left for England. The buildings are in extremely poor condition needing much repair and work. It used to be one of the best schools..that is no more!
It is my last night in Kampala, and my brother has invited us for dinner at his house. Its been intense but I feel really good about my trip to Uganda. A much needed closure.
I spent a few hours in the Chandarana’s office watching the daily hustle and bustle that Harsha and Bharat cope with. Harsha shows me a cartoon drawn by their 17 yr old daughter, Ami, titled “Day to Day Lifeâ€. It is hilarious and true in many ways. Ami has been going to school in England since the age of 12 and she sees her parents during the holidays and spends many days in the office with her parents when she is in Kampala.
I found these Instructions for Life by the Dalai Lama posted in both the Chandaranas offices.
I enjoy an easy day at the markets by the National Theatre and a visit to the Garden City Mall. The Malls are quite modern with fast foods ranging from African, Indian, Chinese foods, including a Wimpy for burgers and fries and Pizza stop.
We depart for Kampala after breakfast first thing in the morning. Kigezi is known for its rich vegetation and we make several stops along the way to pick up vegetables for friends and family in Kampala. Kathleen and I sit in the car with rolled up windows while my brother, with natural ease, negotiates and manages the sellers at each stop. They practically surround the car and one needs to know how to say no without offending.
Kabale has to be one of my most favourite places in the world. The hills and countryside are exactly as I remember.
Waking up at 6:30 a.m. in the morning and looking through the window brought back many childhood memories. As a child I loved watching the early morning mist rise as the sun gently arrived around 9 a.m. Its still the same! You can still see the mist on the hills and higher grounds. The grounds and gardens are fresh and rich with dew. Its like this year round! Simply heaven!
We met with some Women Entrepreneurs who shared their skills and samples with us. These women are members of UWEAL, the Uganda Women Entrepreneur Association Ltd. The logo is interesting with the phrase “Women the Nerve†quite nervy indeed. There is an interesting history behind this bold association that has managed to organize and support itself with minimal external funding. The main source of funding is member subscriptions and rental income from the building they own. Uganda’s aid program primarily target healthcare, Medical needs and Poverty. There is minimum support for entrepreneurs, who are mainly women, to fuel economic growth creation.
