Paintings and parties!

Since I last wrote a post, the new term has started at Hands for Hope.  So the children are in the room next my office every morning, learning english, singing, chanting and (occasionally it seems!) writing quietly in their exercise books! Here’s a picture of them enjoying a dancing lesson:
 

 

 

 

Our afternoon programme has also started. This is for young people who haven’t been to school and they are mainly taught basic numeracy and literacy:

 

The afternoon programme.

I’ve been spending my time learning the ropes, meeting people and doing a handover with Tammy. I've enjoyed having several introductory meetings with people including those who run other community organisations, head teachers and the police commander for the area. One thing I've noticed is that most people seem to look at me perplexed when I say my name is Jenny. It seems that Jennifer is quite a common name here, but nobody has heard of the name Jenny!

I've also visited a number of schools and vocational colleges that we support children to attend, including taking some back to boarding schools for the start of term (some children board due to particular needs they have or because their situations at home are so difficult). This has also involved some "interesting" journeys across town in matatu's (essentially shared taxis/ overcrowded mini-buses!). I'm not sure I'll ever get used to the chaos of the traffic here....

This week has been Tammy's last week at Hands for Hope and I take over fully on Monday. The staff, children and families are very sad to see her leave. As well as a really fantastic leaving do with the staff , the nursery children enjoyed making Tammy a hand print card. See some pictures of both below:
 

Gilbert enjoying the painting!

The staff party at the guest house:

Preparing chicken and chips for everyone... (due to the frequent power cuts a lot of the cooking here is done stoves outside)

A few people have asked what we eat at lunch at work. Every day we have rice, beans, cabbage and matoke (plantain), occasionally g-nut sauce (a pink sauce made of peanuts, which I wasn't a fan of start with, but now I'm kind of addicted to) and meat on a Friday! Tammy, Hildah (the staff member I share an office with) and I often have a mid-morning treat of a samosa from the shop next door. They cost 300 shillings each (17p) and are brilliantly tasty and greasy! I also quite like a "rolex" from time to time - a local street food that's a bit like a pancake with various fillings - great for a hangover....

Out of work, I've started going to yoga classes every week, have tried out the local swimming pool and even been out running a couple of times - though the heat combined with constantly needing to dodge bodas, man-holes and goats makes running here slightly less relaxing than running around Greenwich Park! I tried out the cinema last weekend and saw 12 Years a Slave (great but bleak, if you've not seen it) and have also been to a quiz night at Bubbles (Kampala's main Irish bar...). The winning team has to write the following week's quiz so I was quite glad we totally lost (the round on infectious diseases was particularly fun...).

We also went out for sushi, drinks and brunch last weekend for Tammy's birthday:


 

At Yujo, the sushi restaurant

 

All day Sunday brunch
 

Tonight I'm looking forward to dinner and drinks with Sam, (who some of you will know), who used to work at Newham and is over in Uganda with his (new) work and on Monday I move out of the guest house and into the flat, where I will be for the rest of my time here.