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on Sabrina and Geoff Slide in Kamwenge (Uganda), 09/Dec/2009 18:45, 34 days ago
Presenting the Perkins machine, a braille typewriter, to Julius, Chief Inspector of Schools and Kellon, the deputy headteacher of Kamwenge Primary School, where the unit is situated.The local flea pit - well actually a mobile phone shop now, reflecting a major Ugandan interest.Impressive hoe technique - all that time on the allotment obviously not wasted. Although there is a red cross volunteer very close behind just in case . . .Dance techniques not as good as hoe techniques.Volunteers Rob, from USA, and Wilson, a Ugandan who volunteered in Namibia.We have had an eventful couple of weeks! Those of you who access Facebook will know that Sabrina managed to get bitten by a monkey whilst out with other volunteers in Fort Portal. The bite was tiny but no chances can be taken with rabies as it is 100% fatal. Fortunately we have both had a full course of rabies vaccination, but we still had to travel to Kampala for 2 extra injections just to make absolutely sure! Sabrina has decided she does not like monkeys any more!Last week we went with VSO to Soroti, which is in the North-East of Uganda, as part of International Volunteering Week. We met up with volunteers from the Red Cross and UN and attended the events, which involved marching through Soroti town with a brass band and planting 250 tree seedlings! Soroti is quite different to Kamwenge, being mostly flat but with huge clumps of rocks jutting out of the ground. It is hotter and dryer as well. It was good fun and we enjoyed meeting up with volunteers from other organizations. Back in Kampala we attended a BBQ in the VSO garden which involved lots of food, drink, drumming and dancing and the next day we attended a party at a hotel where the volunteer of the year was announced (no, it wasn’t either of us!). All good fun.We are now back in Kamwenge with only 1 week left until we go home for Christmas. Sabrina is preparing for a school health workshop that will be held at the start of the new term and Geoff is busy organizing some equipment and activities for Kamwenge Primary School’s special needs unit. He helped to get some specialist Braille equipment for the teachers of the blind and we have just listened to his dulcet tones as he was interviewed on ‘Voice of Kamwenge’ (our local radio station) evening news. Sabrina would also like to point out that she was on the news about 3 weeks ago as the guest of honour at a school prize giving but we did not find out until afterwards L.Happy Christmas