Mabira - a rainforest threatened by sugar

Late last month Renate and Ian spent a night in Mabira Forest. This is rainforest half way between Kampala and Jinja - 50 km from the City. During Idi Amin's rule in the 1970s chunks of the forest were lost to the encroachment of settlements and to charcoal burning. In recent years the Uganda Government has entrusted the safe keeping of the rain forest to the National Forest Authority (NFA). The NFA arrange guided walks through this million year-old remnant of much greater expanses of rainforest.
In today's Sunday Monitor newspaper it's reported that the forest future is under threat to enable expansion of sugar growing and production - something that goes on either side of the forest. This is a good example of difficult decisions faced by a Country that needs to create more jobs and wealth for its people. Some will argue that eco tourism might provide greater and more sustainable employment in the future. But maybe that argument has yet to prevail.
It will be more than sad to see Mabira go. Once gone it won't come back.
The view from the window of our wooden 'lodge' in the forest.
Renate and our guide standing by a 'fig' tree (Ian thinks he said fig tree!)
People from nearby settlements come to this tree to carve bits of its bark to grind into a powder which is used to calm upset stomachs. Its very spicy!
This tree's roots have spread as the tree has grown and created an amazing arch - this will have taken hundreds of years to happen.
A magnificent mahogany tree - straight as straight can be - we couldn't see the top as it was lost in the leaf canopy above us.

A team building event for the new employees of the MARPs Network Secretariat

The team at the MARPs Network Secretariat now numbers 10. A big change from October last year when the team was Geoffrey and Ian. This is thanks to the grant that the MARPs Network has received from the Danish Government. Last week the new team went for an 'orientation' in Jinja on the shore of Lake Victoria.Here's Eva (Finance Manager) discussing a point with Geoffrey (Executive Director)
Natukunda (Organisation Development Trainee) giving feedback (in a blur) on her group's views on what the team's ground rules should be.
Mboizi Richard (Office Manager) giving feedback from his group on what they believe the team needs to do to ensure effective delivery.
Sagal Simon Peter (Finance Officer) giving feedback on his group's opinions on how to develop a 'standard operating procedure'.
More group work involving Eva, Natukunda and Mboizi Richard.
Emmanuel (Communications and Network Officer) with Marco (Finance Intern) and Richard (Office Assistant - Security) enjoying the shade in the garden.
Natukunda, Eva and Mercy (Office Assistant - Reception) also enjoy the late afternoon sun in the garden.
Geoffrey settling into the boat that would take the team to a nearby island to do some bird watching.
The boat setting off with its precious cargo!

Work visit to Hoima in north west Uganda - inducting a new Director and recruiting new members for the Network

Following the successful first Annual General Assembly of the MARPs Network we have visited all the newly chosen members of the Network's Board of Directors. Veronica Asaba is the Director chosen to represent the experience of people living with HIV / AIDS. Veronica is the executive director of Meeting Point Hoima, a voluntary organisation that provides comprehensive counselling, testing and treatment for people with the HIV infection. It was a pleasure for Mboizi Richard, Natukunda Shalince and I to visit her and her colleagues on behalf of the Network.

Before meeting up with Veronica we held a briefing meeting for organisations interested in becoming members of the Network. 13 signed expression of interest forms. Membership is open to community based organisations who target most at-risk populations (in terms of HIV infection) in their work.
Ian introducing the work of the Network and explaining benefits of membership.
Natukunda Shalince - is Ian's shadow! Natukunda is the organisation development trainee at the Network's Secretariat and works closely with Ian to 'learn on the job'. She'll also be enrolling soon on an appropriate part-time learning programme.
Ian and Natukunda with Veronica Asaba at Meeting Point in Hoima
Veronica wanted to explain to her team what being a Director of the MARPs Network would entail - she stressed that she would be absent on Network business from time to time. She was also careful to point out that she was a Director to represent the experience of people living with HIV and not to directly represent the interests of Meeting Point Hoima. Everyone was very happy for Veronica to sign on the dotted line and commit to being a Director of the MARPs Network!
Veronica signing the declaration, committing herself to the code of conduct required of Directors of the Network.
On the way back from Hoima to Kampala we could not resist stopping at several road-side stall selling cheap, fresh, high quality fruit and vegetables.
In a forest half-way between Hoima and Kampala a special passion fruit is to be found. Much smaller than the ordinary passion fruit, with a rock hard skin, they have the most amazing flavour - completely moorish! We bought every single one that this stall had to offer - here's Mboizi Richard supervising the packing of the fruit.
These tiny bananas are delicious - very sweet!

13 July 2011 - the day the MARPs Network held its first Annual General Assembly!

The Assembly was held at the Crested Crane Hotel in Jinja - a Uganda Government training initiative for people seeking careers in the hotel and tourism industry.
43 organisations took part in this, the very first Annual General Assembly of the MARPs Network. All the organisations at the event work with most at-risk populations - in terms of contracting HIV. Key discussions focused on future membership categories and criteria for membership as well as priorities for the new Network's early work plans.
Perhaps the most important business was the choosing of 5 members to join the Board of Directors. Organisations targeting one of the 5 most at-risk groupings (sex workers, sexual minorities, long distance truckers, fisher folk and people living with HIV / AIDS) each went into an electoral college made up of others targeting the same at risk grouping. In a good natured and serious discussion 5 new Directors were duly announced and celebrated by the rest of the participants. The new Directors will serve initially for one year.
The 43 participants plus the members of the Network Staff team together with an independent chair and rapporteur meant that over 50 people just about squeezed into the conference room.
Dr Geoffrey Mujisha - the Network's Executive Director - (on the left) appreciates a participant's contribution
This point is being enthusiastically explained!
Veronica Asaba from Hoima in Western Uganda was chosen by her peers to be a Director 'representing' the interests of people living with HIV / AIDS. Next to her is Tadeo who gracefully accepted the runner-up position.
This is the group 'representing' the interests of "Fisher Folk" discussing who they should choose to be their Director.
A very inspiring day with participants very pleased to be in Jinja to finally launch the new Network after several years of hard lobbying and fund-raising!

Wanting to get married? In Uganda you have to be properly 'introduced' first!

Edward and Annet have featured several times in this blog. They take very good care of Ian and Renate at their apartment in Ntinda, Kampala.
Edward and Annet decided a few months back that they wanted to get married. But in Uganda tradition a man must be properly 'introduced' to the Family and home village of the woman that he intends to marry. So, for the last two to three months Edward and Annet have been working hard to save every penny and planning for the 'Introduction Ceremony' which took place on Sunday 26 June at Annet's family home - 75 kilometres south west of Kampala right on the Equator.
An introduction ceremony is a bit like a pageant. The 'bride-to-be' and her Family and friends from the village await the arrival of the 'groom-to-be' along with his family and supporters. Both 'sides' appoint a spokesman - the duty of the spokesman for the 'bride-to-be' is to interrogate the spokesman for the 'groom-to-be'. The objective of this 'inquisition' is to discover whether the man is worthy or not!
Once, everyone is satisfied that the 'groom-to-be' is OK, it's time for gifts to be presented and finally for food to be enjoyed. It's an enjoyable, but serious occasion. Edward checking that he's still welcome - we've just arrived from Kampala. We had intended getting to Annet's village by 1.00 pm - it's just gone 3.00 pm. But they are not ready for us just yet!
The traditional ceremony dress for Ugandan women is called a "Gomez" - after a Portuguese who invented the style over 100 years ago. Here the cloth is being re-wrapped while we wait to be summoned to the Introduction. The wrapped cloth is secured by a large satin belt.
We receive the summons and those of us accompanying Edward makes our way up to Annet's family home through the banana plantation.
The chief challenger on behalf of Annet’s Family and friends in the village - it's his job to make sure Edward and his Spokesman sweat - to really get them to vouch for his good intentions and character.
Edward's spokesman together with the leader of the choir at his Church - there for moral support. Edward's spokesman had to rebut challenges from the village's spokesman that maybe he wasn't good enough for Annet.
Young women in Annet's village trying to 'catch the attention' of Edward and he has an opportunity to choose one.  He rejects them and they weep - or pretend to weep!
At last . . after nearly two hours of pageant, the star attraction arrives to unanimous approval!

Phew! Nearly finished!
Linking hands towards the end of the 'Introduction'

Uganda 2, Guinea-Bissau 0 - African Cup of Nations Qualifying match

On Saturday 4 June we joined a group of fellow VSO volunteers on a trip to the Mandela International Stadium in Kampala to cheer on the Uganda national football team - known as the "Cranes" - in a qualifying match for the African Cup of Nations that will be held in Gabon later this year. The opponents - Guinea-Bissau, a tiny West African country. The pictures below provide a flavour of our experience.A view of the stadium minutes before the match started - no spare seats and still many outside wanting to get in
A 'vuvuzela' player warming up just in front of us - the noise from thousands of vuvuzelas is something else!
People around us celebrate the opening goal for Uganda, just before half-time
Some of the VSO crew enjoing a breather at half-time
In this picture is Niamh, our new neighbour. Niamh's from Ireland and is a VSO volunteer working with Tradelinks - an organisation supporting the gowth of entrepreneurship in Uganda. The top of the head in the foreground belongs to Tom Brennan another Irish VSO volunteer working to support primary school improvement in a district just to the west of Kampala
On the left is Stuart Richie - a volunteer from Edinburgh supporting the development of Uganda's school inspectorate. On the right our good neighbour Bob Vos who lives in the flat below us - sadly he's returning to the Netherlands next week after a year's business development work with Mango Tree - an educational materials publishing house close to us in Ntinda
Great excitement as the "Cranes" go 2-0 up soon after half-time - time for everyone to relax and really enjoy the rest of the game
The sprinklers came on immediately after the end of the match and someone said that it's to stop people running on the pitch
A happy crowd head home into the setting sun at the end of the game - for some the journey will take two to three hours, just to travel 5 km. Bob and Ian walked home - between 3 and 4 km in just about an hour. A couple of cold beers were very welcome at the end of the walk. But a good day out in great company.

Very happy to be back in the same flat in Ntinda!

VSO kindly arranged for us to live back in the same lovely flat with the view of the valley and birdlife. Good to catch up with the neighbours and also some new ones too. Renate took this picture of, we think, a Woodland Kingfisher drying itself on a lighting pole at the edge of our compound.