Jasmine Decker Writes...

Wow! Day 8, Christmas Eve in Uganda, how amazing. I have to say, though, it was a strange experience to wake up on Christmas Eve to the sound of my mobile alarm, rather than my little brothers laughter and excitement as to the fact it is only one sleep until Santa! Although to wake up to the rain was a small home comfort that I was pleased to see and hear.

To our shock once again we woke at 8 for breakfast, to be on the road visiting families at 9. Of course we didn't leave until 10:45. But... It was worth it! The luxury breakfast of pancakes topped with sugar and nutella was cooked by our very own in house chef Mr Allan Johnston. Yummmmmyyy!!! After our daily drug fix, malorone ;),we were ready to go. (Oh, in the rain of course).

Back in our groups from day 3, Allan, Ross and I, we headed off, this time not to walk 500 miles through the wonderful landscape and heat of Hoima but through the cool air and town that made Kasambya. This led us to the tiny one room house on the corner. Two young girls, their grandmother, one mattress and a pile of wood; This was the contents of their house and all their possessions. The two girls, 14 and 15, are KISS kids and have been for a number of years. They have no money, no parents and not much to live off but these girls are amazing. A smile like you have never seen, a laugh that just touches your heart and a sense of kindness that makes you think, why? Why is it that these kids have so little but give so much? Why is it that we have so much but give so little?

A prayer and shake of the hand and we were gone. This time to a child, a young baby of 5 months old. He has no mother, no father, no brothers or sisters and the possibility of being mentally disabled. A woman with children of her own and no room for another has given him a home and somewhere to live. This small, gorgeous young boy has also been given the support of KISS, when his time comes his school fees will be paid and he will be given the support he needs from adults and kids who have been through a similar or the same situation. He is one of the lucky ones that has been given a chance.

Walking through the streets and alleys to our next visit there are children lying on the floor, playing in the mud, children following you, just to hold your hand, they have no idea who you are but all you have to do is smile and give them the time of day and they feel safe. They are with people who care and surely that's what they deserve. None of these children are KISS kids; what a difference we could make to their lives if they were...

Usually when you greet someone you ask how they are and in Kasambya everyone asks, they hold your hand and just want to know how you are. So walking to the next house I was prepared for the greeting. I wasn't expecting the greeting I received... “How is Joe?” Ermm... My name is Jasmine I was thinking but I smiled and said “Fine thank you. How are you?” but then the brain kicked in and I realised that, of course, she was talking about Joe Hewitson (a trustee who has visited a number of times). So the conversation went on to Hewitson and why he wasn't there and we were :) But she was more than happy to see us and we were delighted to answer her questions. The young man of the house who must have been 5 showed us his school folder, it was clear that he had been promoted to the higher class and this brought a big smile to his cheeky little face.

The final house we went to was the most cluttered. Full of material, cloth, thread and a sewing machine. The lady of the house made, altered and repaired clothing. Some of this material was truly fit for a princess but she would never have the chance to wear it herself! Just the pleasure of making it. She welcomed us into her home, introduced us to her family, the young girls both KISS kids, who we would be seeing later on in the carol concert. Without even asking we were given a cup of tea out the kindness of their hearts and a good old conversation. Talking about the different types of school we had in England and the difference between the schools here and back home. It was enlightening to see how they work. Back home we go up in classes here you only move up if you are performing well and are achieving higher than other children in the class. After a lot of explaining the final goodbye was said and we made are way back through the town to the base camp, Kate's House.

On arrival we were all questioned as to the level of our hunger and we were all feeling it. So Allan was pushed aside and Gemma took over and created some amazing deep fat fried chips! Oh yum! Just as the chips were ready we were invited to come and watch the choirs. So we took our seats under the big umbrella tree, which had a homely Grandpops feel about it and waited for the kids to start. Dressed in black and white the children walked onto the performing area and created a beautiful sound that just made you smile. All ages performed, some devoting a chorus to each of us, others stripping before running off the stage... Yeah! I have to say it was an experience. The cool breeze in the air and the kids laughing created a gorgeous atmosphere. It was inspirational!

This is when we departed ways for little rest but couldn't stay parted for too long and reunited for a wonderful meal of flavoured beef with spicy noodles cooked, once again, by Allan. The meat was a little tough but all else was good and we all cleaned the plates. After dinner was all cleared up all seven of us snuggled on the one bed in the one room I was sleeping in and Never Been Kissed went on. What a film!

Finally the film ended with a few of us asleep and others wide awake. So after a quick shake and burst of energy we all headed outside for the Christmas Eve party. Realising more soda was needed for us big kids a few of the team headed into the town, which yes was still open at 11. They returned to the wonderful sound of ABBA and our interpretation of Ugandan dancing, it wasn't pretty!

So the time came to see in Christmas Day... To the sound of me singing along to Dancing Queen Sorsha and I hugged and wished each other a very Merry Christmas. Neither of us let it show but I know I was thinking of home and the rest of the team probably were to, who wouldn't be? As time past we all said our good nights and headed our separate ways. As I lay there in bed the thought of my brothers putting out their stockings came to my mind and I couldn't help but wish I were there with them but as I rolled over I was brought back to the wonderful fact I was spending Christmas in Uganda and I couldn't help but smile and think how lucky I was!

Allan Johnston Writes....

Looks like it's my turn to write the blog. I think it's gonna be hard to beat the Patriotism of John, the time magazine literary skills of Ross or the sarcasm of Gemma. So I've decided to keep up the Ugandan tradition and punish you with some jokes. :)

Well, today started with a 6:20am rise for Ross and I to make confession with Fr. Godfrey (Legend) followed by 7 am Mass. It wasn't that hard to get up as I was still on a high from yesterdays Safari trip, still can't believe I saw giraffes, elephants, hippos, and a lion in the wild, and the crazy dreams from the Malaria tablets are starting to kick in!!! Also felt the wrath of the dreaded tetsi fly, but the swat team were all over it.

Mass was held in the Parish's beautiful cathedral and was carried out in Runyoro, the local language. The sun rose during the Mass and shone through the stained glass windows which was cool. There were about 70 parishioners there and it was astonishing to see how generous they were during the collection despite the poverty they find themselves in! They had a lot to offer! We were introduced to the congregation and got a wee round of applause.

After Mass, Ross and I joined Father with the headmaster of the local secondary school for breakfast. Father made us porridge, coffee, eggs and chicken, which was eggsellent. Apart from being offered a job, on the condition I start up the school knitting and cooking clubs, I had a very insightful conversation about the school (class sizes – 70 plus!!!!!, resources, pupils' attitudes to education). If only some people realised how privileged they were to have a free education in the conditions we have, Especially with the superb teachers at JHN!!!!!

Back down to the Millennium party palace to find all the other lazy sods still in bed, bar McShenouda who had woken up early to practice his Scottish accent. Collected some cash for a wee jaunt to town to pick up some water, juice and a present for Father. Also picked up a QUALI-T cowboy hat – I'm pulling off the Clint Eastwood look now although I've been told it's more like the Milky Bar Kid (maybe that's cos I'm strong and tough). Had a bit of banter with the locals about the Premiership, although my football songs seemed to confuse a couple of them but what's new?

Back at the base, everyone had finally started getting ready to say our sad goodbyes, packing the luggage into and ON TOP OF THE VAN! Guess who's stuff was first up!?! Cue the long journey looking over my shoulder to check they hadn't dropped off, not to worry though Martin was on the case :). We emptied our rooms and headed to our last breakfast, and my second of the day, at the Millennium. We had a talk with Father G and had a prayer and wee sing-song. Gave Father a framed photo of our awesome choir from a couple of days ago, we were AWESOME!!!!!

Off we set on our 4 hour journey to Kasambya, to try and find a piece of tarmac in Uganda, and it only took 3 hours 20 minutes! Honestly though my bum can't take any more of this :( Busted out the I-pod for some tunes to ease my pain, only to find I'd forgotten to charge it....Jasmine to the rescue though, with her collection of Steps and Westlife, what a tragedy! Should be band!! The drive was actually quite spectacular. One minute the scenery is reminding me of back home in Scotland, then I see 20 people trying to hitch a lift and mud huts the size of my bedroom with 8 people staying in it. Although every time my once white, now dusty brown, arm waves out of the window all I get is smiles, waves and chants of “MUZUNGU” (white person).

Finally caved in and booted up the mobile to check the internet, the bill is gonna be huge :(, happy to hear that Rage Against The Machine climbed their way to Christmas number 1!. Olly must be loving it! Our 3 Ugandan guests were obviously sick of my puns and we had to stop a few times. 'Twas all good and we were back on our way. As we branched off the main road and went deeper and deeper into the Ugandan rainforest it became clear that us Muzungus where a rarity! The looks we were getting were priceless!

We stopped at Mubende, the nearest big town to Kasambya, about 40 minutes away from the Kiss office to collect Kate's Christmas parcels. She got a brilliant Terry Wogan t-shirt, what Vision {editor - i'm told this is a pun about Eurovision - took a while...] her friends must have. John managed to barter with a shopkeeper for a football shirt, he was well chuffed with himself.

Arriving at Kasambya was amazing, if only for the fact that the last leg of the journey was not roller-coaster like! The children had lined the streets to welcome us with waves, songs and dancing!

It's been a long week and the tiredness had started to kick in, but this welcome gave me a little boost and helped me through the next hour. We were introduced to our hosts and went up to our new lodgings.

Upon seeing our new rooms, we realised how lucky we were, even in Hoima. Its John and I sharing this time, Marty and Ross, and Sorsha and Gemma. Jasmine is down at Kate's place, which although is quite similar in terms of amenities, has a major homely feel about it. No shower at our new place, buckets of water will suffice. Obviously the old hole in the ground as a toilet was both as much a novelty as it was frightening. There are two toilets and apparently one of them is designated girls only because they don't trust our aim! [puns censored].

As we settled down and unpacked our cases, there were mixed emotions. I think that we are still feeling a bit down about having to leave Hoima so soon after building up such amazing relationships with the wonderful people there. Hopefully we will build the same strong links with our new friends here.

One of the main positives about Kasambya so far is that our cooking is now up to us, I'm in my element. We went up to the market and bought ingredients for the next few days, cant wait to get in amongst it. The market was a weird experience, EVERY set of eyes in the place was on us. The grumpiness had started to kick in and it all became a bit too much, for me anyway, I needed my nap!

Went back to the digs and had a lie down, only to find there was a cricket sharing my bed!!! I was bowled over! Woke me up anyway. We all got washed and went down to Kate's to watch Cool Runnings, where my puns were starting to get an icy reception, while some people finished their diaries. It was good to chill out for a bit and really helped everyone de-stress and collect their thoughts.

It had been a long day and we headed back up the road looking at the amazing sky and I don't think I've ever seen the stars look like that in the UK, Bit of time to reflect on the last few days and look forward to stage 2 before a well deserved sleep, I don't think anyone had trouble sleeping anyway.

Sorsha Roberts Writes...

We all began our day by lying outside in the dark, waiting for our taxi to arrive for 5am. It didn't come, and this was understandably frustrating, as we were supposed to be heading to Murchison falls Safari park. Father Godfrey spent the morning attempting to call the taxi, who ignored the call 5 times before turning his phone off completely. Jasmine, Allan and Gemma took the opportunity to get some sleep, whilst the rest of us wrote our diaries and played Frisbee and some of the KISS kids and their parents waited patiently, obviously used to the relaxed African attitude to time keeping. An alternative taxi was found, however the driver said he couldn't come until it had been serviced! Fr Godfrey and Julius eventually decided to drive to the taxi yard themselves, and by 7.30am we were all getting into what looked like a rather luxurious taxi, with comfy seats, and even some seatbelts. This misconception of luxury was short-lived.

As we began to drive we soon noticed the road quality wasn't as smooth as previous journeys. In fact there were more pot holes than road. The intense shaking resulted in the leakage of several juice cartons we had with us, but luckily the taxi came with a built in drainage system – the convenient holes in the floor. We travelled for what felt like hours before we arrived at the first entrance to the falls, all the way being attacked by flies. We did stop once to pick up food, and discovered a very unique service being offered in the area. A large sign stood next to the road, reading 'Nazi Barber Salon and Phone Charging.' Clearly we were all desperate to try out this amazing opportunity, but time was pressing, and we were forced to tear ourselves away. As we neared Murchison falls we got our first sighting of baboons, and threw mangos to them out of the window.

An entrance gate traditionally sits fairly near to the actual attraction. The Murchison falls park has decided to stray from this rather old fashioned practice. After passing the entrance we drove for hours before we arrived at the falls themselves. With slightly bruised bums from the bumpy ride, we trekked up to the top of the waterfall. It was so worth it! The view was incredible and the water was impressively powerful as it gushed downwards, framed by a large rainbow. Gemma and I stood there, commenting on the geographical formation of the waterfall. Miss Forde would be proud!

Soon we had to drag ourselves back into the minibus for another bumpy, dusty drive lasting forever. We arrived next to the Nile to find wild boars grazing next to the toilets. Our initial plan was to take a boat trip up the Nile, but after that was thwarted, we decided we wanted to go on Safari. Whilst Kate and Fr Godfrey were being rung to ask permission, we ate lunch. The plain chapatis were saved by my stock of honey and thoroughly melted chocolate bars, and so lunch was enjoyed by all. Except Allan and Ross, who both bumped their head on the wooden shelter several times.

While we waited we also saw an elephant walking about on the opposite bank of the river, saw several lizards, and made friends with some German guys. Jasmine had some fun convincing them she was Australian, which actually worked quite well despite her fluctuating accent. Eventually we got permission to go on Safari, so our battered taxi trundled onto the ferry that would take us across. On the way over we saw a hippo bobbing up occasionally from the water, and many more bathing near the opposite bank. Crossing the Nile was pretty surreal – the landscape is just too incredible to take in.

Searching for a guide on the other side was our next challenge, and this was undertaken by Julius, who eventually found George. He was somewhat of a legend. Driving through the savannah in a rickety taxi with an armed man in the front has to be one of the most amusing things I have ever done, but as tiredness hit us it began not to seem all that fun. For about half an hour all we saw were a few deer, antelope and buffalo, as well as some bush fires created to stop poachers, and encourage plant regrowth. I did get a bit overexcited about seeing some vultures, but nobody else seemed to share my enthusiasm. It was the first sighting of a giraffe that really woke everyone up, and the excitement was incredible. Everyone was totally satisfied that we hadn't had a wasted journey, and around the next corner we discovered an entire herd of giraffes. One giraffe actually galloped across the road in front of us, and another seemed fascinated as the taxi began to beep loudly, kindly warning it that the vehicle was reversing. After this, our luck didn't run out. George actually allowed us to get out of the taxi to stand closer to a lake full of Hippos, wading birds, and one solitary crocodile poking it's nose above the water. After this we were allowed out again to stand in front of a whole herd of elephants. George's idea of time was as inaccurate as all other Ugandans, saying we were allowed out for ten minutes, but ushering us back in the van after just two. The one thing we really wanted to see was a lion, so we asked George if we would, and he replied that he hadn't seen one all morning, so we would definitely not see one that day.

He was wrong! The next corner we turned, a lioness was spotted sitting under the shade of a tree. The taxi drove right up towards it, and forgetting all fears I stuck my arm completely out of the window to take a picture. That sighting definitely made the stressful journey completely worth it for everyone, and on the rush back to catch the 5pm ferry, we all began singing songs, making up our own verses to 'Hoima for Jesus today.' George loved it, and requested another song when we got back, so we performed our renowned composition of 'Jesus Christ was Born Today.' The singing mood carried on back across the Nile (which I am proud to say I have put my hand in) and lasted pretty much all the way home, with very inventive verses of 'Because I Got High' being belted out as our crazy driver careered madly around tight corners. He eventually parked on the edge of a cliff...where we got out to see an incredible view of the final light fading over a huge expanse of flat plains below us. It was unbelievable – the expanse of land was actually difficult to comprehend.

Our last day in Hoima was completely incredible. I think the difficulties of our journey just enhanced the positive experiences of the day, allowing us to appreciate them far more than we would have otherwise. This applies to the experiences in Uganda as a whole on this trip. Yes, it can be difficult seeing the poverty and illness of some people, but the joy that KISS brings is appreciated all the more, and my experience of life in Uganda will inevitably change how I live my own life.

Martin Gardner Writes....

O my gosh what a day! Ross has taken forever with the blog and Gemma has taken 20 minutes .... He is such a perfectionist that Ross! But finally here is my attempt at day 5!

The day started off with breakfast and the usual omelette (I had one at a family's house earlier in the week and it tasted a bit dodgy – this one wasn't much different!) We waited for Father Godfrey to come to collect us so that we could go to look out over Uganda at the amazing views that it has to offer from a mountain in Homia. But not everything is plain gravy and that is particularly true in Uganda! Africa has a rather different concept of time than we do! Father Godfrey arrived about an hour late and still had to go and sort out bits for the party later. While we waited for him, we decided that we wouldn't go to the mountain as we wanted to spend more time with the kids as it was our second to last day in Homia, and the time we would have with them would be invaluable to us. Father Godfrey eventually arrived and took us to the parish where the kids were slowly arriving in dribs and drabs. We split off to play sport - the girls went to play netball and the boys to play football.

I decided to go with Father Godfrey and collect a group of kids who live about 5km from where the party was at. On our way there, I noticed we were in a car that didn't work quite so well – there was no speedometer, or temperature gauge and the petrol gauge didn't work at all. I asked him how he knew when he would run out out of petrol and he said it was a game of guessing - this filled me full of confidence that we were going to make it back to the parish! As we went through the town of Homia, Father pointed out several landmarks. The King's house was one particular landmarked that really stood out. It was a fantastic building that was literally built for a king. As I took a picture to show the others what the house looked like, a guard came out of no where and seemed to be wanting something. I had never been so scared - mainly because they were talking in a totally different language and I didn't know what was going on!

When travelling through the different villages on the way to collect the kids it was amazing just to see how people lived. The way of life is such a contrast compared to the life in England. As we went through one of the many villages I saw kids with no clothes and people with no shoes. It has started to make me appreciate what I have been given, what I have and what I can get. We pulled into the church to collect the kids – Father hooted his horn and all the kids piled in. Once all the kids were loaded into the back of the pick-up truck off we went, travelling back through all the villages that had been past already. The children were singing their hearts out in the back of the truck - it sounded like the sound of angels. It was amazing to hear their voices – they were in such high spirits. It was incredible to witness as they didn't have much but they are obviously so rich in other ways.

It was amazing to see when I got back to the party that all the KISS kids had turned up – it looked like there were thousands of them, all with their voices in high spirit. They were in a massive Xaverian square formation which I had never seen the likes of before (the Xaverians are a kind of catholic scouting movement). They even managed to squeeze a line about Scotland into one of their songs – Allan would have felt left out without it!

After all the fun and excitement of the square formation it was on to the really good part of the games. They were bizarrely done!! Games included a penalty shoot out with points being scored according to which sticks the ball passed between and a relay race in which you had to fill your mouth with water and spit it into a bottle at the other end of the track!

We sat to have a drink and a chat and I met a 5 year old girl who we met the previous day - she was loving being with me! She was so adorable and everyone loved her. She was so attached to me and wanted to do everything with me. It just gave me a little taster of missing home that little bit more as she reminded me so much of my little niece back in England.

The day was coming to a close – there was just one more item on the party agenda – the kids performed a show for us in a spectacular fashion – it was just mesmerising! They literally gave it everything and even Simon Cowell would have been happy. They performed several dances and sang loads of songs - but we felt the favour had to be returned! We decided to dress up in traditional Ugandan dancing attire – grass skirts and shakers strapped to our legs – and gave it a full on traditional Bunyoro dance! The crowd loved it! Father Godfrey then thanked us all for coming to Hoima and for all that KISS does for the community. He presented us with a plaque to take back to John Henry Newman as a special appreciation for all the school does for KISS. Then it was time to leave... We were sad to say goodbye to everyone we had got to know so well... They are no longer people we happen to sponsor – they are our true brothers and sister in Uganda.

Gemma Hennessey Writes...

After Ross getting the word 'blog' confused with 'novel' and spending 3 days writing, rewriting, spell-checking and lengthening his masterpiece, today is the first opportunity I have had to write about day 4 in Hoima. He did redeem himself (along with the Sonny + Cher duo of Allan and Sorsha) late on the night of day 3 by writing an epic of a Christmas carol - adapting 'Santa Claus is coming to town' into 'Jesus Christ was born today'. This masterpiece, which I hear is now hotly tipped for Ugandan Christmas number 1, was to be performed later in the day.

Breakfast went as per usual with a few ants taking a bath in my coffee - but if I thought that the caffeine would wake me up, I was in for a surprise. For those of you reading , who are not accustomed to the Ugandan public transport system, it is better than any cup of coffee! Costing just 15p, Alton Towers can eat their heart out – our journey to Sunday Mass was the most fun ride ever!

Mass was outside led by the ever-inspiring Father Godfrey (who works for KISS) and parishioners congregated in 3 hastily erected marquees. In true Ugandan style, mass began 1 hour and a half after it was scheduled but was spiced up by a reading from Allan (I'm unsure how much the locals followed the thick Scottish accent), and me, Ross and John doing the offertory procession. Mass was good with a Father G homily and the cathedral choir singing.

Mass was soon followed by a choir competition which not only involved Uganda's best choirs, but representing the UK... us. What a delight for the many hundreds who had gathered – all the Hoima KISS kids were there too. We beautifully sang Away in a Manger (we sounded like angels) , coming a respectable 3rd place much to the shame of those 40-person-strong choirs who placed below us. The best was yet to come however with 'Jesus Christ was born today' proving to be a crowd pleaser and placing us 3rd yet again. Our talents were of such a high quality that we had media interest from all corners of Uganda - and BTV (Hoima's premier TV channel) bagged the exclusive footage and showed us on TV later that day!

The other choirs dragged on somewhat. Luckily for us, we had 100 amazing, excitable kids to entertain us. We had an absolute ball - apparently my hair was a thing of wonder and it was stroked, plaited and pulled out by several cheeky young ladies. None of our laps were ever without at least 1 child and it was so good playing with the kids even if the only English they spoke was 'I'm fine'. Allan, Martin and Sorsha went and brought some comedy tartan hats which you'll probably see featuring in the vast majority of our pictures for the rest of the trip. After a late lunch most of us went back to Millenium, meeting the village drunk who referred to Martin as his 'wife', on the way. Meanwhile, John, Ross and Allan went to watch a football match. A game of Monopoly and an early-ish night followed.

I really am having the time of my life here, Hoima is amazing and i cant wait to experience Kasambya as well. Batters has made the trip completely stress free and i cant think of a better place to spend christmas.

Ross Kempsell Writes....

Kate Writes: I'm back in Uganda and I've got the JHN 6th formers with me - i've handed control of my blog over to them for the next 2 weeks - enjoy!

Ross Writes: It's 8.00 AM in Hoima and the Ugandan sun's already strong. Waking up under a mosquito net is still a novelty and for a brief moment its sinister shadow almost scares me. After eggs on toast we're away as promptly as possible to conduct a series of family visits: split up into small groups we begin on foot towards the households of families which KISS supports financially, or with whom it has particular connection. A few of us head towards the African sprawl of central Hoima town, the others, myself included, begin the trek uphill into the thick of the greenery which extends for miles around, truly as far as the eye can see. During our ascent we spot three nuns hitching a lift on the back of a Toyota pick-up (a vehicle ubiquitous in this part of the world), their habits gently fluttering in the warm breeze.

In the shadow of the hills we meet our guides. Giles and Chris are both KISS kids, now grown up. Everyone is introduced to one another, and our friends warn us of the long walk ahead. Giles tells us that first of all we're on our way to Laura's house, and careful to keep my footing on the dust track, I'm eager to talk to him further – we soon strike up a good rapport. Aware that this is my first chance at one-on-one conversation with a direct recipient of KISS support, I ask him about his life so far, and what his hopes are for the future. Giles goes to art school in Kampala. He discovered his talent for painting, drawing and sculpture whilst very young and has since been in love with creating things of true beauty, albeit by making the best use of the bare minimum of materials. Giles produces his work as often as his time allows and he's not short of inspiration amid the East African landscapes. And on the undulating side of a sun-baked hill, we talk about the still life tradition, Cezanne, Monet, and what it's like to visit the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square: and we're having a good laugh. For a second this is all utterly surreal. But I've already noticed that it's precisely this kind of local connection and highly personal engagement with the community which sets KISS apart, and makes it so effective in its work.

Crossing the brow of the hill, we see Laura's house. It's built from mud brick, with spaces for doors and shutters rather than windows – and it appears deserted. We wonder if there has been a miscommunication or a misunderstanding prior to our visit – nobody's home. About to move on, Anna, a girl of perhaps 16, appears reluctantly at the door and beckons us inside. Having western visitors is not easy. We're welcomed by her grandmother – Giles kindly translates from Runyoro, the local dialect. Whilst sharing embraces and high fives with the kids assembled in the entrance room, she begins to thank us so sincerely that I catch myself feeling quite awkward. She is dressed in traditional clothing. And soon we notice that her gesticulations and movements are always seemingly off-target: cataracts. A long pause in conversation allows a moment to know that inside this house, I'm realising my first experience of the reality of poverty. I look about me. There is one wooden chair, some hard wooden slats for beds, a tiny table, a hand-out mosquito net and literally nothing else. Nothing else in the entire house. The interior walls only reach half-way up the height of the outside ones; the corrugated roof is terracotta red with rust. The rooms are bare. A family of five live in this place, sharing the total floor space of perhaps quarter the size of a tennis court. Out back there is a patch of dusty earth, and then, beyond a few piles of rubbish and litter, nothing but the bush. And that is every single day of this family's life.

Approaching the midday, the sun and heat are most intense. I've drained my supply of bottled water a few hours earlier, so we stop by the wayside to purchase some mango juice, available at the impromptu trading posts which spring up at regular intervals. We visit Giles' family for a humbling lunch of Matoke (ground banana), potatoes, rice and stewed goat. The food is nothing less than delicious, being as it is so fresh and the very definition of organic. But the circumstances in which it is consumed are more than upsetting. Moving on to see Chris' family, we walk several miles. Meeting his mother, brother, and extended relatives, we receive another extensive and moving welcome. After talk of mutual friends from KISS in England, football, daily life, and God, we're outside into a small courtyard to meet the pigs and chickens. At this point I have to sit down and rest in the dust with the flies. Leaning against the mud bricks, a girl of about five, Sarah, confidently sits on my lap. I haven't realised she's been following me around since we arrived. Somewhere the sound-scape makes it obvious that Chris is chopping sugar cane with a machete: thwack, thwack, thwack. Sarah is fascinated with the hair on my arms – a seemingly new concept. She roughly pulls at the strands on the back of my hands and laughs hilariously at my melodramatic response. The sun's on our faces and I notice that her clothes are ragged. In fact, she really is dressed in rags. And the laughter stops as she whoops a fit of surprisingly deep and crackly coughs that can only be the inevitable manifestation of some underlying condition. She buries her head into my shoulder, caught somewhere between tears and joy.

In the evening, the group of us are all back together for a visit to another house. Accompanied by the tireless Fr Godfery, the curate of Hoima cathedral (and employee of KISS), it's a bumpy and exhilarating ride out to her place. The local children have assembled to welcome us, and this very rural setting is alive with their shouting, singing and waving. The house is again in a state of extreme poverty. We crowd inside. In the back room a frail woman is perched on the edge of an old mattress. Sophie. A diabetic with a wholly unreliable and insecure supply of insulin, she suffers the complications of her illness, recently having had awful lung problems. Diabetes has also sent her totally blind. Fr Godfery tells us that the first time KISS came into contact with Sophie, he took Kate to see her at 10PM one night, and together they resolved that the situation was so dire that immediate action must be taken. Having received emergency treatment in Kampala, Sophie has since been supported by KISS. Fr Godfery talks to her in Runyoro, explaining what she would be seeing if she could. I find witnessing this act of love especially intense. And as our time with Sophie draws to a close, Fr Godfery asks her if there's anything at all that we can change. She pauses to think for a moment. “Yes”, she says, “I'm sick of beans for dinner”. And her face breaks into a wide smile, and we laugh despite the pain. Just how strong do you have to be to be able to do that?

I wander back out into the front room as I can feel my pulse throbbing on the side of my head. I sit on the floor. A woman whom I hadn't noticed previously appears next to me and hands me a baby boy wrapped in swaddling clothes. Communicating by counting on fingers, his mother tells me he is 4 weeks old. Baby Brian is fast and soundly asleep, dribbling a little, but otherwise a perfect picture of peace. And then it's time to leave – the kids follow the truck for a while before fading away into the distance. Behind their smiling eyes, everywhere you turn in Hoima there is a story of suffering. Cradling baby Brian I am endlessly reminded of the utter insignificance of my own consumer-driven gripes, the difficulties and harsh realities of divine providence, and the heartbreaking iniquity of the world. And at that I'm overcome with a quiet wave of anger more than anything else. Yet at the same time, I know that it's either this suffering, this dusty room, Sophie's own private hell, with KISS - or exactly the same situation without any love at all.

John Shenouda Writes....

Kate Writes: I'm back in Uganda and I've got the JHN 6th formers with me - i've handed control of my blog over to them for the next 2 weeks - enjoy!

Thursday 17/12/09 - Airport and journey

Up at 4.30AM to shave (not my legs, clearly) and got to JHN on a very frosty morning. Others arrived for a last minute squeeze of KISS tshirts into our bags. We hugged parents and off we went- the 8 of us- in the minibus driven by St John Gannon.

We checked in at terminal 5 after switching items from one bag to another cos people were overweight! (not them, their luggage, silly :p) Pictures in Christmas hats proved fun... mine had plaits! Jasmine and Sorsha got searched rather thoroughly; thank god I didnt get searched- they wouldnt have been able to keep their hands off me! First time in new Heathrow terminal 5 and it was beautiful ! They even have Harrods there! Full (vegetarian) English Breakfast and beat Ross 1-0 on Fifa 10 (first time ever on PS3!)

Sat next to Sorsha on the plane and watched the amazing view out of the window throughout.
Mine and Sorsha's plan of monopoly on the plane went straight out the window, when we saw a wide variety of films and tv shows. Got through 2 C4 solomon papers (very badly) and marked whilst listening to... BACKSTREET BOYS! Tried watching Harry Potter but fell asleep after 10 minutes before being ambushed but Jasmine's loud laughing/screaming.

Landed in one piece. Got out of the airport to see Kate embraced by Father Godfrey - he was so happy to see her. He embraced us all one by one and was over the moon when he saw our kiss hoodies. Still couldn't believe it, after 7 short years at JHN, my childhood dream became a reality.

From Entebbe to Kampala spirits were high and we sung songs and played games. When we finally parked after 3 tries, we cheerfully noticed a very tall man with a very large shotgun in his right hand who told us to get out of the vehicle.... Ross had other plans! Then we met Ronald – a highly skilled master of Scottish accents; something I have yet to master!

While waiting at a roundabout, a young girl approached begging. Then seconds later, we were silenced by the the site of two thin young boys sleeping on the road. We had forgotten the reality of the whole situation – we were in a third world county and this was the norm. No one stopped for them; not even us.

We arrived at Red Chilli, ate our pizza and pulled the curtains on our first day. Having noticed two huge holes in the mosquito net over my bed, I had a scary night ahead of me...I sweated like MAD – long sleeves & sleeping bag = SWEAT...LOTS! People were walking in and out as they wish all night: it was a restless night but it added to the experience! Just another day in Uganda. And that was meant to be good accommodation... :-p


Friday 18/12/09 – Hoima here we come!

The showers were the first surprise of the morning - there was even hot water (although I had to kill a few bugs on my way in). Then... wait for it... BEANS ON TOAST FOR BREAKFAST!

Next we were off with Father G to exchange money - we became Ugandan millionaires! Once again, kids were laying by the road with nothing; not even dignity left yet once more, we all drive past. Pictures do not do justice to what I saw.

The competition to see who gets waved at the most heated up when I got a “RESPECT” from one of the van drives on the road. Allan had the time of his life waving at everyone as if he was the Queen.

I learnt my first words in Luganda: Weebale nnyo, means thank you very much and Muzungo, means white person (not that anyone said that to me... I am African... I fit right in :p!)

We take so much for granted. Went to do a wizz and when I was done I saw a man emptying out all the sewage... some of which probably will end up on the streets someday as we saw.

This could explain how I met my new arch-nemesis: The Dragon Fly - they're enormous!
Seems like no ones got bitten yet. The news of a snow day at JHN made us slightly jealous but all that changed when the sun came out in all its glory.

Looking out of the front windscreen in the van I noticed a huge crack across it; I wonder how we would have so ungratefully solved that back at home. “Autoglass Repair, Autogass Replace.” We then went to pick up 3 KISS kids, whose story is indescribable – here it is:

Two mothers, one died giving birth to the youngest child of this family and the second is a stepmother who lives in another house. The youngest child died in a car crash. KISS took the other three kids on board but dad often makes them stay at home to look after the cow instead of going to school. Jameo, Medi and Kisito; I couldn't wait to meet them...

I love them! The fact that they couldn't speak English was beautiful – I could only show them love by actions, not words. They have so little yet they bombarded us with passion fruits and a mango as presents. They were amazing! In return we fed them all the junk we had stocked up on in Kampala... and Kisito puked three times in the van. We cleaned him, gave him new clothes and continued on our journey.

Kisito then sat next to me (riding shotgun in the minibus) on Fr G's lap, where I realised that Father Godfrey is not called “Father” for no reason. This is where I want to be; this is what I want to do. Living Christianity as we're supposed to.

Jameo was then also sick. AJ things she was jealous of her brother's new clothes and wanted in! We gave sweets to some of the kids watching outside and they thought Christmas had come early. Onward we went on our eternal journey to Hoima.

Jesus went onto Jerusalem riding on a donkey. We entered Hoima in a Toyota minibus – and got the same reception. We got to our new home for the next few days. I'm pretty sure we walked straight into paradise. After settling down and busting out a game of ULTIMATE frisby, the shower was an experience! I soaped up and poured a bucket of cold water over my head. WHAT A FEELING! Fish and chips for dinner – best fish i've ever had! Then an evening reflection and looking at all our pictures brought an end to a beautiful day.