Wednesday Feb. 2nd

This morning we woke to a beautiful sunny day…the rain has stopped and everything smells fresh and green.   That is the one thing about Uganda…it is very lush and productive.  The land is fertile and produces good crops as well as adequate feed for the cattle, goats, and other livestock.

Today was our final day with the Kagamba SACCO.   The road conditions had improved substantially with only a few soft spots remaining.  That is the beauty of clay…it dries and hardens quite quickly!!

Our meeting with the SACCO went well and our report was well received by everyone.  The board graciously considered our recommendations and asked some excellent questions to clarify how they could accomplish some of the recommendations.  It was rewarding to know that our hard work was appreciated.  

One of the board members, Sarah, was so appreciative of our willingness to come to their village and provide assistance to her SACCO that she brought a gift to present to Eric and myself.  It was a large box and was neatly wrapped in bright shiny wrapping paper!!  We were both overwhelmed by her generosity.  Remember, we are working deep in the African jungle in a remote village without power or modern conveniences and with people who are extremely poor and she has not only given us a gift, but she has wrapped it in modern wrapping paper.  Inside the box she had packed it full of the tiny sweet bananas that are so tasty her in Africa.  They tasted so fresh and tasty.  It really took me back to know how much she appreciated our work.  It reminded me of the story of the women in the Bible who gave her last to coins to the church and how her contribution was much more than any of the other donations made by the wealthy men of that day.  I am sure that this memory will stay with me for a very long time!!

We, along with the other teams, have decided to make our way back to Kampala today with the hope of being able to visit a place called Jinga tomorrow…which is the source of the Nile river.  Jinga is located on Lake Victoria and is a must see attraction in Uganda.    

Friday will be our last day in Africa and a very busy day as well.  We have a meeting scheduled in the Morning with the Canadian Consulate here in Kampala and then we will spend the afternoon in de-brief meetings with the UCA.  From there we will head for the airport and catch the red-eye to London for the CCA de-brief.  And then HOME!!!  As much as we have enjoyed our time in Uganda and the wonderful people we have met, now that our official work is nearly completed, we are looking forward to being with our families again.

Thanks for continuing to follow my blog and for those of you who have emailed or left comments, I have appreciated hearing from all of you.  Have a great day!

Stewart