Distributing scarves ot the Widows Co-operative Koutulai Uganda

Scarves for the Widows Co-operative Koutulai, Uganda

ICE/EFOD site visit to Uganda January/February 2011

Nothing prepared me for the welcome we received when we visited Koutulai. We were swamped by grinning women ululating their greetings to us on the opening day for the mill centre. Aside from the provision of key infrastructure that improved the quality of these people’s lives, the profound change in attitude to the group of widows and orphans was immense. In this type of community I was told that widows and orphans are seen very much as a burden on any village since they require support and have little means to make a contribution. Not so the Widows Co-operative at Koutulai! The charities SaltPeter Trust and the Engineers for Overseas Development (EFOD) †, recognised a need and decided to invest by providing a grinding mill which the women use to cater to their own needs. It also enables them to grind a little extra which they can sell on for a small profit. This is appreciated by the local villagers. In addition a borehole has been sunk and the whole village enjoys the benefit of this local free water supply, essential to healthy living. When visiting I was also shown the new latrine block that uses Ecosan lavatories which separates the solids for the waste, using solar cells to dry the material creating a safe compost.  This can then be used for the crops such as cassava and maize which is subsequently ground in the mill. How’s that for sustainable living!!

I was given the opportunity to say a few words during the prayers and speeches and told the group of how you were interested in their work and had given me gifts to pass on to them on your behalf. Many of their gifts have been practical and of course very necessary but they so appreciated the scarves you so kindly donated (as you will see in the photographs). Amongst much singing and dancing (when we joined in it turned into a real party with a swing!!) they accepted the gifts and asked me to say a very big thank you to you in return.

Sally Sudworth (Chair ICE Wales Cymru)

February 2011

† EFOD started as an ICE charity organisation and due to its success is now a charity in its own right with several practicing groups of engineers around the UK. It allows young engineers to become involved in the design and construction of international aid projects. Please contact Sally if you want to find out more or visit this email address.

pig on a motorbike

Travelling back through Kampala on our way to teh Entebbe airport we witnessed a most astonishing event which broke all records of what could be seen on a motorbike. We saw a man trussing a full sized live pig to the back of his motorbike and then proceeded to weave his way through the heavy traffic!!

Barnaby Bear goes to : CASSO orphanage;Widows Co-operative at Koutulai; Murchisson Falls Safari

Wednesday 2^nd Feb: CASSO Orphanage

I really enjoyed visiting the orphanage and meeting Susan who is the manager. At present there are 37 boys and girls but they have the capacity for 80. They have limited budget at the moment but when they received more money they will give more boys and girls a home. All the buildings are brightly coloured and there is a really friendly atmosphere there. I made lots of new friends and they really wanted me to stay and thought that I had come to live with them permanently.

They sleep two people to a room but when more children come to stay that will increase to four children to a room. The bedrooms feel nice and cool and spacious because of the high ceilings and the beds are nice and big and comfortable.

The latrines are really clever and are called ECOsan toilets. They have solar panels that heat up and dry the solid waste and this makes it safe and clean like a compost. They spread this on their vegetable garden and they grow eggplant (aubergines), onions, tomatoes and greens.

I gave some toys to Susan as gifts for the boys and girls.

Thursday 3^rd February: Widows Co-operative at Koutulai

We made a trip south to Koutulai to visit the widows and orphans at this village which is on the road to Mbale. They have a new sustainable development which is a great example of how we need to live in the future by using less energy and materials. They use the mill to grind cassava and other crops and are able to produce a little extra to sell. They also have latrines with the Ecosan system which means that they have a good supply of fertiliser to grow their crops.

At the ceremony there was singing and dancing, prayers and speeches. The musicians played locally made instruments made of timber, goatskin and strings which looked a bit like harps. They served up a delicious lunch of beans, chicken, rice, matoki and goat stew.

We took gifts of beautiful scarves to give to the widows and they were really happy to receive them; they really appreciated us dancing and celebrating with them.

Saturday 5^th Feb: Murchisson Falls Safari Park

We have seen hippo, buffalo, giraffes, elephants, snakes and antelope. The tracks are very bumpy and long but the scenery is stunning. Paraa Lodge is an amazing game lodge where the food is wonderful and we can see the river Nile form our bedroom balcony. I sat gazing at the night sky last night and could hear the cicadas and frogs calling. I could see thousands more stars than back at home in Aberdare and even saw a shooting star. Can’t wait for the boat trip this afternoon and the trek to see the rhinos tomorrow.

I have sent you a postcard so hope you get that before I get back. It is a long journey home again. I am looking forward to seeing all my friends back at home but am reluctant to leave Uganda because it is such a friendly welcoming country and the weather is sunny and hot.

News from Leon

Gutted from Cardiff.

What a nightmare we are having trying to fit the guttering . Working off the top of a 14 seater mini bus.
attempting to fit 6metres of teak wood 15 feet above ground and drill holes with a blunt drill through steel to fix.. its really difficult to complete tasks without  the right equipment and shharing tools with 6 other people.
We are working with local labour who are really good workers but need supervision at all times.
It can be really difficult woring here with tempretures reaching 35 degrees and being bitten by insects.
.

A real sustainable community in Uganda

Today we visited the women's co-operative, they started off with 30 widows.  EFOD gave each widow a cow and provided funding for the construction of a grinding mill.  The second phase was the construction of a borehole and Latrines.  The Latrines are constructed so that the liquid runs out and leaves the solids in a container, which can be accesses through panels at the back of the Latrine (Ecosan).  The solids are left for 6-8 months which they can then use for fertilizer for the gardens.

Each of the original 30 widows were given grain as well as a cow, and when the next 30 arrived, they have to give their first born calf and seeds to the next 30 widows....so far 6 calves have been born.  They now have 60 widows with plans for another 30 next year.

The widows are milling maize and cassava into flour, the mill runs daily to generate cash for repair and support the widows.  The mill is currently generating 25,000Ugandan Shillings per week (approx £7).

In total its cost less than £20k and now the community is totally sustainable, its an example to us all.  The ideas all come from the Ugandan people and Ian Flower and EFOD make the ideas happen.  I hope this will help you realise how much a small amount of sponsorship can help a community and the beauty is they learn and get on with it.

Our visit was amazing, Sally, Gillian and I were up dancing with the widows and they loved it! They are really friendly and loved having us there......

CASSO Orphanage

                                              The boys say hello

                                         Barnaby makes new friends at the orphanage - they didn't want me to leave.

                                        Here they are playing ludo

                                          ....and here are the girls who were really sweet.

                                         Here is the kitchen where they serve up the food.

                                         Dave, Sally, Susan - the Manager, and Liane

                                             Sarah, nursing assistant and Helen in the background

                                         Dave hard at work

                                        Sally and Liane - fitted at last!

                                         Making the swing

Liane's Update

Hi everyone, Sally has updated you on our progress and visit to the orphanage, so I thought I would send some random things we have learnt......how many people do you get on a motorbike in Uganda - answer -  no less than 5!!!!!!! 2 adults, 1 carrying a baby, and 2 infants - and the driver is usually the only one wearing a helmet - scary!!! Also lots of cyclists with no lights.....I have nicknamed our transport manager "The Stig" as he manoeuvres all the random traffic on the road.  We had rain today - which is rare for Uganda in January, and about an hour later, it was as if nothing had happened.....and the last random......we have been eating goat for the first time.....off looking at other EFOD projects tomorrow, bye for now, Liane 

CASA Orphanage Soroti

Projects completed on time and under budget! Liane and I have completed the workbench in the radiology room at the Medical Centre. We have also installed the cabinet on the outside of the church which now covers the electric meters making them safe.

One Tuesday 1^st February Liane Shepherd, David Reynolds, Ian Flower and I visited the CASA orphanage which is situated just south of Soroti. We were met by Susan the Manager, who has a degree in Business Studies. She is a compassionate individual who is also very resourceful. The orphanage has the capacity for 80 children but at present they have funding for half that number. Susan ensures that the children are very well looked after and has a housemother and housefather in her team. In age range they go from 6 years to 18.

There are seven buildings in the compound. There were dormitories, a large hall, lavatories and shower blocks. The sanitation system uses Ecosan which separates the liquid from the solid waste. The latter is dried using solar panels and anaerobic digestion takes place which results in an excellent compost material. This is used to fertilise the vegetable garden and they grow eggplant, tomatoes, onions and other local greens. They have no electricity as the budget does not stretch to providing this but they are hopeful that this will be provided in the future. The buildings are painted in bright bold colours and have stained wooden shutters, and exposed timber beams internally which are very attractive. The building shape is also designed to keep the building nice and cool. The children sleep two to a room and all have comfortable wide bunks with mosquito nets.