Preparing for a trip of a lifetime.
I am finally getting the chance to blog about what I really created this blog for in the first place.
I wanted this to not only be somewhere where I could get my point of view across, but also somewhere I could record all my travel memories when I go on the trip of a lifetime to Uganda.
I have certainly neglected my blog recently with one thing after another, I have just been really busy, but the last few weeks have turned into a flurry of excitement for both Christmas and my upcoming trip in February.
I am leaving for Uganda on February 24th and will return mid March and when once the trip seemed like a million days away... now, suddenly it has become completely real and utterly excited (and nerve wracking!)
I will be staying with a friend, Rosie who I have know for years and who attends my family church. Rosie has dedicated her life to Uganda and its people, focusing particularly on children's ministry and education after her previous career as a head teacher. I have grown up hearing Rosie's stories and still remember vividly being held back from Sunday school and perching on my mums lap listening to her accounts of life and work in Uganda. From then on, I have felt inspired and compelled to help.
Last year, I wrote an article on Rosie's work when I was a newspaper reporter, and it was only then when I began to understand the true suffering and shocking statistics that are involved with Rosie's reason to help.
It is something I have always wanted to do, but not a decision I have taken lightly and it has taken me a lot of courage to pluck up the confidence in myself to say- yes, I will go. It will be my first time leaving Europe, my first time going to Heathrow (having only every flew out from Bristol and Exeter before), my first time travelling on my own, and my first time going on a plane on my own.
So all in all, I feel like I have really pushed my limits deciding to travel to a place like Uganda all by myself!
I will be meeting Rosie in Uganda, and from there, she will be taking me under her wing on a Ugandan journey, where nearly most of the time, I will be living their way of life. I will travel to Entebbe before travelling by car for nearly a day to reach Kampala, the country's capital. There I will live in a house in the city for part of my time, where Rosie is based from October to March every year.
Rosie works for the central church of Kampala, and just some of the work she has done includes helping to provide education and schooling, creating a child protection policy and helping to give young people a bright future.
I will support Rosie with some of her work and have the chance to explore Kampala, the main city, before travelling for around a day by car to the village of Kinyamaseke in the Mbarara district where I will be welcomed into their community. There I will visit some of the schools and ministries Rosie has worked in, visit the Bayira Children's Centre and also go to the Kagando hospital.
Whilst the majority of my trip will be spent with the Ugandan people, living their way- Rosie has provided a massive surprise this morning- not only will I be helping, but as a treat, I will be staying at the Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge Hotel- a beautiful hotel with little houses on stilts in the middle of a National Park. I will be going on safari including an early morning safari drive and a boat trip up the river to see the crocs and hippos :)
I know it won't be easy, and the things I may see will break my heart, but if just a few weeks of my time can make a difference, then I am pleased to know that I will be helping. I am scared about being homesick, I am scared about getting sick, I am scared of getting murdered by a man with a machete, I am scared of the derelict roads and hours on end of driving and most of all I am scared of what I am going to see.
With all that aside, my excitement, willingness to get stuck in and overwhelming urge to help seems to be outweighing my fears.
My family and friends have been so supportive and already I have more than a bin bag of clothes, toys etc. ready to take out with me and hand out to the people I meet. Thank you to everyone who has already donated so much to help. I have also bought two massive tubs of celebrations and miniature heroes to take with me and hand out to the children, as apparently, they LOVE our English chocolates!
I will of course blog again in a few weeks to explain some more about my feelings towards the trip and will be doing my best to also blog whilst I am there, as I will have internet access from Kampala!
I wanted this to not only be somewhere where I could get my point of view across, but also somewhere I could record all my travel memories when I go on the trip of a lifetime to Uganda.
I have certainly neglected my blog recently with one thing after another, I have just been really busy, but the last few weeks have turned into a flurry of excitement for both Christmas and my upcoming trip in February.
I am leaving for Uganda on February 24th and will return mid March and when once the trip seemed like a million days away... now, suddenly it has become completely real and utterly excited (and nerve wracking!)
I will be staying with a friend, Rosie who I have know for years and who attends my family church. Rosie has dedicated her life to Uganda and its people, focusing particularly on children's ministry and education after her previous career as a head teacher. I have grown up hearing Rosie's stories and still remember vividly being held back from Sunday school and perching on my mums lap listening to her accounts of life and work in Uganda. From then on, I have felt inspired and compelled to help.
Last year, I wrote an article on Rosie's work when I was a newspaper reporter, and it was only then when I began to understand the true suffering and shocking statistics that are involved with Rosie's reason to help.
“The standard of education for these children was shocking and in one diocese, I spoke to 34 school chaplains who each knew of one case where a teacher had sexually abused their pupils and even made them pregnant.
“Teachers just did not understand how children should be treated and how they needed to learn, and alongside this problem is the overwhelming number of child sacrifice, trafficking and abduction cases which are ever increasing.
“My involvement has taken me all over Uganda and I have worked with people who have suffered terribly through the LRA (Lord Resistant Army) forming links with children who have been abducted and adults who have experienced horrific atrocities.
“There has been no quick fix and although the school education system is free, uniforms, school equipment and books still come at a cost and most rurual schools have around one textbook per subject, per year group.”
Rosie Giles.
See full link below :)
It is something I have always wanted to do, but not a decision I have taken lightly and it has taken me a lot of courage to pluck up the confidence in myself to say- yes, I will go. It will be my first time leaving Europe, my first time going to Heathrow (having only every flew out from Bristol and Exeter before), my first time travelling on my own, and my first time going on a plane on my own.
So all in all, I feel like I have really pushed my limits deciding to travel to a place like Uganda all by myself!
I will be meeting Rosie in Uganda, and from there, she will be taking me under her wing on a Ugandan journey, where nearly most of the time, I will be living their way of life. I will travel to Entebbe before travelling by car for nearly a day to reach Kampala, the country's capital. There I will live in a house in the city for part of my time, where Rosie is based from October to March every year.
Rosie works for the central church of Kampala, and just some of the work she has done includes helping to provide education and schooling, creating a child protection policy and helping to give young people a bright future.
I will support Rosie with some of her work and have the chance to explore Kampala, the main city, before travelling for around a day by car to the village of Kinyamaseke in the Mbarara district where I will be welcomed into their community. There I will visit some of the schools and ministries Rosie has worked in, visit the Bayira Children's Centre and also go to the Kagando hospital.
Whilst the majority of my trip will be spent with the Ugandan people, living their way- Rosie has provided a massive surprise this morning- not only will I be helping, but as a treat, I will be staying at the Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge Hotel- a beautiful hotel with little houses on stilts in the middle of a National Park. I will be going on safari including an early morning safari drive and a boat trip up the river to see the crocs and hippos :)
 |
| Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge |
I will also be staying at a campsite in a different area of Uganda at Kibale Forest Camp, for a monkey and chimpansee trek through the forest!
I know it won't be easy, and the things I may see will break my heart, but if just a few weeks of my time can make a difference, then I am pleased to know that I will be helping. I am scared about being homesick, I am scared about getting sick, I am scared of getting murdered by a man with a machete, I am scared of the derelict roads and hours on end of driving and most of all I am scared of what I am going to see.
With all that aside, my excitement, willingness to get stuck in and overwhelming urge to help seems to be outweighing my fears.
My family and friends have been so supportive and already I have more than a bin bag of clothes, toys etc. ready to take out with me and hand out to the people I meet. Thank you to everyone who has already donated so much to help. I have also bought two massive tubs of celebrations and miniature heroes to take with me and hand out to the children, as apparently, they LOVE our English chocolates!
I will of course blog again in a few weeks to explain some more about my feelings towards the trip and will be doing my best to also blog whilst I am there, as I will have internet access from Kampala!
Here is my programme of events so far:
|
Date
|
Activity
|
|
Mon 24Feb
11:15pm
|
Arrive at Entebbee airport, Purchase Visa
£30
Meet Rosie at arrival after customs
Stay overnight in Entebbee Airport Guest
House
|
|
Tues 25 Feb
|
Travel to Janet’s home in Kampala
rest
|
|
Wed 26 Feb
|
Kampala city Namirembe
and craft gift shops
|
|
Thurs 27 Feb
|
Travel to Bush lodge Queen Elizabeth
National Park (7 to 8 hour drive) (lions elephants hippos wart
hogs water buffaloes and many different types of deer and bird life)
|
|
Fri 28 Feb
|
Early morning safari drive
Afternoon Boat trip on Kasinga Channel
(lions hippos water buffaloes wart hogs,
manny different types of deer antelopes and bird life)
|
|
Sat 1 Mar
|
Travel to Kinyamaseke (Janet’s home
village)
|
|
Sun 2 Mar
|
African worship at St Barnabas
|
|
Mon - Wed
3-5 Mar
|
Visit to St Banabas School
Abundant Life Ministry
Bayira Childrens Centre
Kagando Hospital
|
|
Thurs 6 Mar
|
Travel to Kibale Forest Camp
|
|
Fri 7 Mar
|
Foot safaris through forest
seeing Monkeys, Chimpanzees and bird life
|
|
Sat 9 Mar
|
Travel back to Kampala
|
|
Sun 10 Mar
|
Worship in Kampala
|
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