Monday

Our Family went several different directions today.

Byron, Leon, Justin and Randy opened up the Next Generation Ministries Tech Center following breakfast. They had 5 "trainees" that were learning to operate a belt sander, router, orbital sander, skill saw, drill, and table saw. A sort of assembly line was set up. In addition to the power tool stations, there was a washing station to clean the frames, plus a "paint shop" which spilled out of the compound and in front of the wall by the street. The generator was operating so that the power tools and the welder could all be operational at the same time. There were some curious passers-by plus some intentional visitors. It sounded like a full scale fabrication shop. After 3 days of labor we have one desk almost completed and project to have 20 almost completed by the end of tomorrow. We plan to haul completed parts to the school and do the final assembly on sight as it will be more efficient to haul them that way.



Kenneth is standing here and when I asked what he did today, he says "A Lot!" He worked on all of the power tools. He rescued Abe when his shirt got caught in the belt sander. Kenneth's favorite tool to use was the belt sander. Henry is also standing here and his favorite part was using the electric drill. They are tired and are wanting to get some rest.



Elton, Don, Paul and Abdu, along with James, the man who is being trained on how to drill water wells, took a trip to several locations to determine where to drill the first well. They visited the Fountain of Hope School at Bukeeka, Abdu's farm, and Naminya, the village where the Widows live. After reviewing all of the locations, they have decided to drill the well on the property of one of the widows at Naminya. Her name is Sarah, and she is the mother of Abdu, our Host. The men came back to Jinja and proceeded to shop for all of the pipe, fittings, and other supplies they will need to start drilling. They covered a lot of area this morning and moved at American pace, and the afternoon went at Ugandan pace (slowly).



The ladies had an adventure. We all rode Bodas (for those new to reading the Blog, those are motorcycles where the driver gives you a ride for a fee) to the Taxi Park. Pam negotiated with the Taxi driver to be sure we were all in the same taxi, which is actually a van that in America we would squeeze 12 people into. At one point there were 23 people in our Taxi, along with luggage, supplies, bags, etc. When we arrived at the village of Bukeeka, we again rented Bodas, but this time they were short one. Apparently 7 ladies are too many for the average crew! So Jodi and Pat rode together on the back of one. Now, you must know that when we go to the villages, we wear skirts, so the Boda rides were quite an experience! Plus, today was Karen's first time to ride the Boda and she rode it 4 times, side-saddle. Our destination was the Fountain of Hope School. They have 3 nursery classes and 7 primary classes. We were welcomed by a teacher and taken to the Headmaster's office to visit and learn. We then split into pairs and did our assessment of the classes.



In each class we told about ourselves and answered questions. Dianna was given a "test" when they found out she was a Teacher. She passed! She knew what a noun was! There are up to 80 students in a classroom approximately 12'x15' with only a chalkboard, no textbooks, no desks (only benches) and they score highest in the nation on their tests that determine whether or not they will be admitted to college. In one class, the teacher showed us her supplies. She had a ziplock bag with pencils and a razor blade to sharpen them. Her planning book was thin and the pages were falling out. In the Baby Class the children didn't have paper and pencils, they practiced their writing skills on the cement floor with chalk. Their school bags were hung on nails that were part of the construction of the walls. They had no book shelves and their writing books were stacked in the window sills and on the floor under their feet. The construction of the buildings would remind you of a primitive barn. Two of the classrooms were divided by a plastic tarp so the noise control was difficult. We were amazed that they could sing bible songs in a public school and we in America cannot...and we are the "free" nation.



We stayed through their lunch time. Those who ate free lunch received a cup of porridge. Those who could purchase lunch received a bowl of beans and rice. One little boy was eating a small pineapple in the same manner as we would eat an apple, and just discarded the peeling after he ate the fruit. Some went into the classrooms to eat, some ate under the trees, others ate under the eaves of the buildings. A few had a spoon, others ate with their hands. They have a hand dug well and children would pump it into jerrycans and kids cups. After awhile, an adult put a chain and padlock on the handle, securing it to the railing.



We returned by the same methods of transportation and Jodi and Pat got so good at sharing a Boda that they did it three times! As we walked from the school to catch a Boda we had the opportunity to view beautiful plant life and friendly people at their huts.