January 2019 visit underway

This time around it is Alan & Sue traveling with Alicia & Nicholas - just a small party this time.  So sorry that Scott, Carly, Leslie, Maurice, Dan, Nadine or any of our other wonderful friends and sponsors were unable to join us.  Alicia is returning after 3 years away from Africa and Sue has managed to keep her visit a surprise to our Ugandan friends.  Nicholas, our son, is visiting this continent for his very first time.  It is always delightful and insightful to view impressions of this country through the eyes of a newcomer.

Our KLM flight via Amsterdam is on-time and without any hitches.  There is a new "health" form to complete at the Entebbe airport screening for Ebola or other dread diseases, but the VISA application and payment is more streamlined, and we are awaiting our baggage before it arrives on the carousel.

Davis is genuinely happy to greet us and expertly loads our 8 large suitcases plus carry-ons into his waiting van.  We are in adjoining rooms 5 & 6 in one hut at Banana Village and, though exhausted from the travel, none of us sleeps all that well after our midnight arrival.  Our slumbers are not helped by an impressive electrical storm with plenty of rainfall which rumbles through at 3:30 am.

By morning the rain has stopped.  Alan is the first to the dining hall, and he's pleasantly surprised to see Jackie, our Ugandan agent who takes such good care of the sponsored children, coming through the door just before 8 am.  She made an early getaway from her place in Kampala to avoid the traffic.  We are very happy to see Joshua, Helen, and others of the Banana Village staff whom we remember from previous visits.

Diana, the manager of Banana Village, inspects Alicia's tattoos in the kitchen

Kulikayo's charitable organization status brings new accounting oversight, and Alan is glad to see Jackie catch on quickly to the enhanced monthly expense reporting that we will require going forward.  Jackie is thrilled to see Alicia, and happy to meet Nick.  She busies herself sorting the clothing and other donated items we have brought for our sponsored children and families while the Canadians trek to the Bright Kid's dormitory.

We are thrilled to see how our little friends are growing and developing.  Alicia is particularly happy to see how Praise, the sickly infant Alicia begged Victoria to keep over 3 years ago, has grown into a healthy and happy child.  They have all grown so much:  Obama, Ida, Don, Sonyu, Rebecca, Sandra.  One tiny newcomer of about 3 years old, Chantal, latches on to Nick for the entire visit.  There is a very sad moment as we view the newly-dug grave of Robert.  He was a BKU teenager who was particularly talented in music who drowned while away visiting his family on school break earlier this year.

Nick with Chantal

Robert's grave on the right

Alicia, in particular, is amazed at how much building and development there has been along the village roads, as we head to the BKU compound.  Rose is naturally thrilled to see Alicia in particular, and we meet beautiful baby Anthony for the first time.  Angel is there and shows no shyness with the mzungu visitors.  We see several more old BKU friends such as Kato Hussein, Esther, and Catherine.  Alicia is thrilled that her long lost bosom buddy, Arnold, comes straight into her arms for a big hug without any hesitation.  Unfortunately, we just missed connecting with Victoria, as she left for Kampala minutes before our arrival at the compound.

Nurse Rose happily greets Alicia outside the clinic

Sue with Rose's youngest, Anthony

Happy reunion with Arnold

just like old times camping out in the clinic

Rose's oldest child, Angel

After that, Alan, Nick & Alicia take a mutatu (van taxi) ride to Entebbe for lunch, to exchange money and obtain local SIM cards.  We are glad to return to Banana Village for a welcome swim, then pizza dinner and bed.

Rose posts a notice about the upcoming immunization day at Bright Kids' clinic

Sleep is once more disturbed by an impressive overnight thunderstorm, then we pack up our bags - some go into storage at BV and the rest containing gifts for the kids are tightly packed into Davis' van for the trip to Kampala.  There has been an impressive amount of infrastructure development, with a new divided highway between Entebbe and Kampala with overpasses crossing and joining the old highway.  This investment is spearheaded by the Chinese, and Davis bemoans the fact they do not hire enough local Ugandan employees.  The toll booths for the new highway are not yet open, but we cross to the old highway by Freedom City and purchase a dress as a gift for the Joyce, the first Mom we will visit on this trip.

dress shopping with Jackie

Davis expertly traverses the good road to Joyce's

Our sponsored child, Brenda, meets the van along the road to guide us along the better path to her village, which is none the less rough enough to cause the vehicle to bottom out several times and necessitate several of us getting out and walking.  We are happy to hear that Joyce, Brenda, Jackson, and the remaining 6 kids in the family are all doing quite well.  Joyce is earning about 100% profit over her monthly water bill with the sale of potable water, and the other village families are sharing in the benefit of being spared the long walk to a well.  Joyce has had some health issues which seem to be controlled at this time.  She manages to pay the day school fees for her non-sponsored children with the help of a couple of her older kids who are working and sending money when they can.  Nick walks back up to the main road with a couple of new friends who don't want to let him go.

we greet Jackson & Brenda, two of the Kulikayo kids

Joyce's family outside their home

neighbourhood boy purchasing water

enjoying a visit in Joyce's home

Joyce shows off her new dress

an homage to mama Joyce

Jackson, Alicia, Brenda & Nick

Davis chats with Brenda

We check in to the Golf Course Hotel in central Kampala which is adjacent to an impressively large golf course.  The hotel is older, but surprisingly elegant, and we are very happy with the meals served in a couple of the restaurants.

Alan & Nick opt to check out the local casino next door, but find it lacking in terms of the games they wish to play, and the nearby Caesar's Palace casino which google directs them too has been closed for a year, so they give up and opt for a swim and a nap at the hotel.

Meanwhile, the girls have ventured to the Garden City Mall in search of dresses as gifts for the other Moms.  Not being satisfied with the prices and selection, they bravely opt to jump on a couple of boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) and brave the midday traffic to trek into the heart of Kampala in search of a better dress shop.  Amazing that Sue, in particular, agrees to this in crazy Kampala traffic and wearing a dress.  Miraculously, they all survive this adventure and arrive back at the hotel with suitable dresses in hand.

Alicia has kept in touch with several friends she knew from years ago, and she heads out with Nick and Jackie to visit them at the newest trendy Kampala nightclub called "DNA".  We warn them not to agree to the free club tattoo, even though it entitles one to free admission and discounts lifelong!

Unfortunately, trouble soon ensues.  The summoned uber ride is taking forever, so they cancel it and head out on foot.  Within a 5 minute walk of the hotel, our small party is overtaken by a group of men who suddenly snatch Jackie's purse and run off into the darkness of the golf course.  Fortunately, she has only lost her driver's license, her old phone (damaged) and a small amount of cash, but the group have lost their desire to walk the streets at night and return to sample the hospitality at the hotel bar.