Of schools and pigs

There have been some terrifyingly interesting days of late, and I haven’t been able to find Internet since Sunday, I think − but finally I’m hacking hard at Bushenyi Internet Centre.

I traveled to Arua last Saturday, with Øyvind, Magnus and Siri, and arrived at awesome Heritage Park Guest House in the afternoon. We met some of the members of Lions Club Arua, but they were off to their installation ceremony 60 km away, and although they invited us to join, we were too tired after the trip from Kampala. And considering they held it going till around noon the next day, I think that was a pretty healthy decision.

Next day, Sunday, we met with Lion Tom from LC Arua, and discussed our involvement in the three school projects to be carried out in Arua, what they are about etc, and the next day, on Monday, we went to Eruba Primary School where we met and discussed with the teachers and chair members of the school − of just how exactly we are going forward with building a new class room and dormitory. Later that afternoon we began what’s called AIM:Art, where pupils are making Christmas cards to be sold in Norway, and the money generated goes straight back to the school. One card will generate almost 35.000 Uganda shillings, we are aiming at selling two thousand cards from ten different schools − and to put things in perspective, 35.000 UGSH in Uganda is a hell of a lot of money. The kids and teachers were pretty enthusiastic (it was the 50+ kids at The Unit for the Deaf that made the cards at Eruba Primary) and from what I saw, it looked like some pretty cool cards will be sold to students in Norway this Christmas.

Øyvind, Magnus and Siri are still hard at work in Arua, together with LC Arua and the different schools; I however left the fair city on Tuesday. I got up at 3.30 am, went by bus to Kampala, arrived around noon and went off to Bushenyi with David Mutayisa from Lions Aid Norway around 2 pm. We arrived in Bushenyi around 8 pm, just in time to join Lions Club Bushenyi in their club meeting, were Maria, Andreas, Anette and Sofie from LC Bergen Student were also present. The reason for my going to Bushenyi is because of the documentary I’m making, and a very interesting two day seminar about our club’s Piggery Project was to be held in Bushenyi over the next two days. So today and yesterday representatives from Lions Club Bergen Student, Lions Club Bushenyi, Lions Aid Norway and of course Silent Voices, the organization consisting of parents of deaf children in the Bushenyi district (the ones that will ultimately run the piggery and receive the income generated), met to discuss the piggery project, how to go forward, who will play what role etc. It was hugely satisfying and elements of the project one never could think of back home came into light and were solved. Brilliant.

I don’t really have any more news from the students in Kamwokya, working with KCCC and the guys at Nsumba Orphanage outside Entebbe, but I guess no news is good news. Last I heard was what Tuva (part 2 of Terrys Film Crew) wrote in the previous post, that the grand prize of the sports tournament to be held at Nsumba was a goat. (Although I heard three goats, one for each discipline)… But how awesome is that? I want a goat! By the way, since I mentioned that each Cristmas Card sold through AIM:Art will generate almost 35.000 UGSH: one goat costs 60.000 UGHS. Don’t know how much the knife needed to slaughter the little fellow costs, though.