The Kasese District really is a beautiful region but it is so difficult to describe or photograph adequately the saw-tooth nature of the multiple parallel mountain ranges and valleys. Most of the higher ranges are usually obscured by either low cloud (meaning it’s raining heavily), heat haze (meaning it’s about to rain heavily) or mist (meaning it’s just finished raining heavily). In between the rainstorms it’s mighty hot and humid.
We’ve spent the last couple of weeks on a few more day-trips to meet AWU women’s Co-op groups: still raving and singing about how their lives have changed since the Fuel Briquette project got going...
...and we visited a local bridge that has been treacherously damaged by the floods (another problem caused by mountain deforestation and soil erosion).
The bridge is the only river crossing for 4 villages and around 1,500 people. They must walk 7km downstream to use this bridge. The upstream bridge has been washed away completely. Then, young or old, healthy or infirm, they walk another 6km to get to the local market, clinic or hospital in Kagando.
A round trip of about 26km. Most people do the trip on foot. Even if one or two of them can afford to hire a Boda-Boda (taxi-bike) it has its challenges...
We also spent quite a while at Amaha We Uganda’s Good Samaritan Centre.
Here, 5 days a week for a 3 month period, around 25 youngsters begin to learn a trade. Under the guidance of 4 specialist teachers some are just picking up the basics of hairdressing…
…others are in groups learning knitting, tailoring or shoe-making (cobblers – no really, its true!).
Most of our time however has been spent knocking the new AWU library into shape before the team can occupy their new offices and the Community Centre can be opened to the public.
Yes, that’s right… Scott doing manual labour! Who’d have thunk it?
Three days of hard graft later and the yard is prepared for a small building project we have planned…
…the library building is ready for its final coat of render…
…and the outside wall is getting a coat of paint ready for the signwriter…
