Jehiel School
We already knew it might be difficult to reach the school. They had much too much rain the whole season, and certainly the last days. Even last night. Our driver checked with our contact, which roads are known to be down.
The main road was just fine, shortly after we turned onto the dust road, everything changed: deep holes, water puddles, partly filled with dirt, wood and leaves, often almost too small for one vehicle to cross.
Halfway we got information we had to take a another D-tour. At one point, some young men stood along the road. A tree down at the road. With all the bad news we are used to in the Western media, you might thing of some bad situation. Nothing less is true! These young men earn some money from travellers to keep the road in a usable state. They fix the worst places, just with materials they can find around, doing some hard work for a few shillings. Even do not dare to guess, when the government might come along to repair those roads which keep communities connected (with the world). They just have a hands-on mentality.
After a second D-tour (the last part of the first one was gone with the rain the night before) we arrived safely at the school. What a warm welcome! All kids stood along the road and the driveway sing, to great us and to welcome us! Just heart touching! (And also, a bit reared because we are not ‘high visitors’ – just some people, try to support a bit).
Singing and dancing took about an hour. You have to go with the traditions 🙂 How much work had the kids and the teachers put into it, to make such a wonderful program!
Sitting under the tree, in the shade, watching kids singing and dancing gave a glance of how people in this region enjoy live. It’s really deep down in their DNA! And on the other hand, driving all the way up here, we had seen enough how hard live is and how much mostly every move is about just surviving this day an reaching the next one. Work-Live-Balance?!? Bullshit!!
The tour of the grounds: The nursery rooms were partly washed away with the rain. A tree was fallen by one of the last storms, missed most of the building, luckily. The floor, the ground – there is no real floor in those rooms – were wet and cold and quite some kids were coughing, already. Glad we just had given the funds to start with new rooms for the nursery classes! Makes so much sense, when you see the situation with your own eyes! The fundament was already finished, and the workers started to build some walls! Amazing, how fast they make work of it as soon as they have the means in hand!
The director invited us for lunch at his place, just some paths away. And of course, for me, my first visit to Uganda, seeing a home from the inside was exiting! Learning a bit more about their traditions, lifestyle, wishes and limitations: I sponged, assimilated every bit of information! (And kept a thousand questions in store for the next visit.)
We had a great lunch, a nice chat and also met some more people. Just great to be here and to be part of it! What a warmth, lovely people, having a vision and wishes for their community, investing what they can and even try more!
A lot of information to process!