East- and South Africa - Slaughtering chicken and safari !

The last week we have experienced for sure what is called “African-time” – in many different ways.

Our week turned out to be a small holiday, since the kindergarten was closed for the whole week. The toilets had to be rebuilt and where supposed to be finished on Tuesday, but since the working-strategy is a bit different from what we are used to in Norway; effectivity and “everybody working”, the Africans serenity seems to effect the work. In Uganda when 1, maximum 2 of the men works the rest of the 8 workers are sitting and relaxing, so they needed also the rest of the week to get the work finished. No work means a lot of new adventures outside Kampala city, and this time Vegge and Jørgensen experienced the West- and Southern part of Uganda.

Our journey started with a weekend with Rotary Club; a Ugandan organization. Kanungu was the name of the place we were visiting – a small village south in Uganda between valleys deep in the green jungle. Departure from Kampala city the 11. November was supposed to be at 14.00. We left 22.00. The trip where supposed to take 6 hours, maximum 7. We arrived Kanungu 08.00 Saturday morning (10 hours!)… With almost no sleep after a trip with a noise that reminded me of a mixture from 200 children at Miles 2 Smiles and the Norwegian “Russe-celebration” we had not got much of sleep. Sleeping is for wimps ! After a typical Ugandan breakfast with mashed bananas with beans, we went further into the jungle where we were going to hand out some mosquito-nets, blankets and mango- and avocado-plants. 

Spending this weekend with Rotary Club in Kanungu turned out to be some interesting days, with a lot of waiting every time we were supposed to enter the bus, not much of sleep - but a great weekend after all !  Since we were located not far from our friends in Kabale; Synne and Hanne, we decided to go for a surprise-visit. After 4 hours driving on a motorbike on small roads of red dust/gravel we experiences stunning nature with mountains and valleys of jungle: Flat and sore buts, but green therapy for the eyes.

We spent 3 days in Kabale. Compared to Kampala, Kabale was a very small town surrounded with mountains and forest with fresh air and cold temperature (like a Norwegian summer). We got introduced to they’re daily life. It was very interesting to see another project supported by Strømme Foundation. The girls’ works with the project called Drucilla – a school for teenage-girls with no completed education, and also following-up about 70 different Microfinance-groups in the Kabale district. With a new start at school the girls get a “second chance” learning alternative ways for how to make money. After two years the girls will learn basics skills like sewing, agriculture and handcraft. It was very cool to be introduced to another program supported by Strømme Foundation – to see another well-working program making a difference in a community. The days flew away and in great company we had a lot of fun, eating a lot of delicious food and also slaughtering a chicken, all by ourselves ! (Movie will soon be posted) 

After just some days chilling in Kampala we were ready for a new trip on Friday. All of the “Act-Now-girls” where going to Queen Elizabeth National Park in the western part of Uganda, and I also got to experience the most patience-demanding journey in my life ! Super excited for a new trip we were ready to leave Kampala 12.00 Friday 18. November. Well, we left 14.00. That was ok since we had many hours until we were supposed to meet the Kabale-girls in Mbarara, about 2,5 hours from Kampala.  Problems with the battery two times, before changing it the third time we didn’t manage to arrive Mbarara before 20.30 (6,5 hours later!). I have to admit; I was a BIT fed up, but then it would be even better to arrive the village after this long journey I thought, and it was only a 1 hour journey ! But, before we started on the last lap of this tour they just had to take a short visit to the mechanic. “It will be so short. Very, very short” as they said, so we could just wait at the gas-station. It took 4,5 hour before we decided to rent a room for the night, and the car was still at the mechanic when we went to bed ! The car was fortunately ready the next morning, and 05.00 when we sat in the car ready for Safari.

 

Foto: Benedicte E. Bjerknes. "A lion !"

The safari turned out to be a bigger success than expected ! Picturing a big land cruiser our small Toyota Avensis wasn’t the safari-care we had imagined, but with open widows we were seeing all the actress form “The Lion King”, elephants, antelopes and hippos - closely ! We were 2 meters (no exaggerating) from a lion, with open windows in a small Toyota Avensis ! Memories for life.

Safari-car Nr. 1 !

After the safari we went to the village to our dear Ugandan friend Scovia, experiencing a bigger hospitality I could ever dream about in Norway; eating food and chatting around the fireplace in the middle of the African jungle with a lighting sky and small Ugandan girls’ singing- and dancing for us as entertaining.

The trip back to Kampala turned out to be the most legendary after all. A 5-hours journey turned out to take 16 hours caused by 5 flat wheels ! Unbelievable. But, we arrived Kampala safely 03.00 Monday morning. After a great week; slaughtering chicken, meeting the actress in “The Lion King” and testing my patience spending many hours sitting on the Ugandan high-way waiting I’m extremely ready and excited to finally go back to Miles 2 Smiles !