27th August Blog!
We started off yesterday with a welcome extra hour of sleep, convening for breakfast at 9 inside of 8. The main event of the day was to attend the opening ceremony for the Kazuru gravity flow scheme project. This was the project which we had been able to raise funds towards back in the UK and upon which the boys (and some girls!) had been transporting materials up to over the past week. So for us this project had a closer space in our hearts making attending the opening a special day and a suitable occasion to finish our time in Kazuru.
The views from the ascent to the project source in the hills were really rather beautiful. It was a lovely moment!
Here are a few photos of the spring site and beginning of the building work.
Those who had not been involved in the transport of materials earlier in the week each picked up a remaining item (mainly small pebbles!). Izzy managed to get hers cemented in by Manson Sam as a mini cornerstone support to the tank!
Although it was a joyful and special occasion, it must be said that some in the team did struggle with the lengthy and seemingly endless in number of speeches and votes of thanks. To give you a taste, we heard from the local district councillor, a representative from the president of Uganda, the local Bishop (Dan), a local reverend (another James), a representative from the Ugandan wildlife authorities, our own leaders (Ian & James), current WATSAN coordinator (Eric) and multiple others! We have certainly had to have learnt to adjust to this culture. However, on top of practicing patience, it has been a learning point for many; Ugandans tend to have a focus on addressing one another, the people and lives present rather than getting practicalities or what we might term “progress” completed. Yes perhaps we were a few hours later on the schedule but were we not all the more close in understand and love with our company. Some may argue that less progress was made… but we are learning to question whether this is really true!
After the speeches the local community and all representative bodies gathered around the embryonic GFS. A representative from all the present governing bodies took part in the symbolic ground breaking. James did an extra large swing on behalf of the 21 of us. Many of us found a watching point amongst the community in the surrounding basin, many with children and babies in or attached to arms. As ever, Kate did a wonderful job sharing smiles and love with many of the women present.
Many of the leaders returned with us for lunch at Ngoto. After lunch we planted some baby trees for the diocese to help them meet their target of 1,000,000. We enjoyed a last volleyball game showered and chatting while Ian, the Bishop and WATSAN head (Eric) had a final ‘big cheese pow wow’.
Very sadly we then had to say goodbye to the WATSAN team (Sam, Marius, Elosious, Evas, Miriam and Ruth).
The day ended with a happy evening at Bishop Dans home. We greeted his family and Moses shared reflected on our time in Kisiizi before we ate together. It was lovely to be hosted in their home and enjoy sitting on some sofas for the first time in a while. Most importantly we had a chance to celebrate and thank Ian for his many faithful and fruitful years with WATSAN and commemorate the work God has enabled him to complete through some special gifts. This trip to Uganda is expected to be his last. Kindly the diocese also shared some special gifts with the rest of the team. It may have not been mentioned before now but the boys (25yrs and under) have all been sharing one big dorm of 8 for the last week... Something which has developed into a running joke is the rooms amusingly apt name “Chimpanzee”. The boys all received a small pouch with a little wooden monkey inside. The girls all were gifted bags made with Ugandan fabric.
One of our new friends from the diocese, Joab, shared a song of memories and thanks to the WATSAN team as we prepared to depart. He was quite the personality and it was a happy time and a joyful ending to the evening.
Thank you Lydia for writing this blog.