A Matatu Called Smart Job

What began with a matatu called Beyonce ten weeks ago came to an end with a matatu called Smart Job, as we left Mbarara on Saturday morning and landed, slightly baffled and utterly knackered, at Gatwick Airport this morning. Amongst the many home comforts I'm taking full advantage of is an Internet connection, and an opportunity to share a few photos of our completed investments.

The library has taken up the bulk of our investment, spending 1/3 on textbooks alone. Each department has received a number of curriculum textbooks, and the library also has sections for Mathematics, Science and English fiction. Eight new tables and benches have been provided, and two new PCs have joined the two bought by last year's volunteers previously kept in a cupboard. The library also has a Maths Corner, and a Health Corner with material supplied by local health charities we have been in touch with.

 

 

The refurbishment of the nurse's office was a decision taken fairly late in the project, but in dealing with the bats living above the ceiling, we decided that it was too dingy, dirty and generally disastrous to be left as it was. With a little money and one heck of a lot of elbow grease, we've had the bats expelled, the offending gaps filled, a broken ceiling panel replaced, bought a medicine cabinet, painted and laid a new linoleum floor ourselves. The school's water filter has also been connected to a custom jerry can, providing clean water to patients.

Although the materials are locked away for the start of term, 1 million shillings went towards a fabric bulk buying scheme for the school. Tailoring students are required to provide their own material for practical classwork; buying only a few metres at retail price for each project simply isn't affordable for most, if not all, of the pupils. We have bought a few basic fabrics in large rolls at a discount, which students will be able to buy at this reduced cost price and the money reinvested in replacing the used material. The saving works out at about 2000 shillings per metre, which is a reduction of up to 50%. The tailoring department are also due to receive five new sewing machine frames next week, and I'm looking forward to hearing how the department gets on with them once they arrive.

The handwashing stations were completed two weeks ago, but in between torrential downpours and in defiance of the recommended eight hours of sleep, I have painted the rules for use and some hand hygiene-related facts on the tanks.

Before I head off to revel in the novel joys of hot showers, cups of Tetley tea and decent cheese, I have to say one enormous thank you to friends, family, sponsors and readers for all your support - I'm delighted with the results and very grateful to you all. Until the next adventure!


A fresh-faced Team Mbarara at baggage reclaim this morning

A final farewell from the shoes and I!

For The Rain, It Raineth Every Day

Typing this, I can barely hear myself think  - we’re now into September and Uganda’s rainy season, and the noise on the school’s tin roof is deafening.  It’s also hampering my outdoor painting tasks somewhat, so I have a few minutes to jot down an update. I’ve been meaning to post this for a few days now, but the final few working days of the project have been manic.

Last weekend, Alice and I made the trip to Kampala to spend the bulk of our investment on textbooks for the school. The kinds of textbooks the school needs are not only more expensive, but harder to find in bookshops outside Kampala and, as it turns out, anywhere – over 1/3 of the books we’d been told to look for were now out of print. Bit of a hassle, but with the help of a friend with excellent local knowledge even better haggling skills, we came home with two very heavy boxes of books and far too much craft market shopping.

Relatively light traffic for Kampala...

Alice posting the school's application and our letter of recommendation for government computers

Bought, referenced, logged and ready for the start of term on Monday!

Attempted matatu selfie with Champion Bargainer Ronald

Our Central Pot hand washing tanks are now complete! I mentioned these briefly in July, but these hand washing stations were funded by a grant from the central charity that allows for more expensive water and sanitation investments. However Dalek-esque they look, they will guarantee student access to water for hand hygiene throughout the year, irrespective of the dry season.

Library refurbishment continues at a rate of knots. We’ve moved bookcases, swept a floor dirty enough to host a small ecosystem, made notice boards, made posters, painted Maths & Health Corners, and had new tables delivered.  We’re expecting the remainder of the new furniture this week, and once the notice boards are up, we’ll be filling them with posters, leaflets and advice on either maths support or health advice sourced from local NGOs.

Our homemade notice boards

Lots more to do this week, particularly with sprucing up the nurse’s newly bat-free office, but I’m really looking forward to the next post, when we’ll be completely finished!

PS -there are one or two new photos from Lake Bunyonyi, pinched from Alice, including one of my rather ungraceful attempts at a rope swing.