Day 4 Uganda: St Dennis School and Shopping

Charlotte got to eat Motoki for breakfast this morning – a starchy dish made by boiling and mashing green plantains.  But what we ate wasn’t mashed but rather the steamed whole plantain with veggies. Along with a veggie omelet it was a yummy meal to start our day.

I like to bring some African crafts back with us when we visit our  sewing guilds. We returned to Kapala to a place we spent a little bit of time at several days ago. It’s fun having some new eyes look at this stuff. I seem to gravitate towards the tried and true things that I’ve been bringing back every year. Charlotte and Phoebe steered me in some new directions and I think our supporters will enjoy seeing new products.

Phoebe browsing in one of our favorite shops in Kampala.

We went to Kisubi near Entebbe to meet Annitah Kiggundu and her fellow tailors. I knew about Annitah through Jerome Scriptunas of Youth Time Banking . Jerome is a friend of my oldest sister and helps youth with opportunities to improve their communities in the US and Africa. He works with a man named Bruno who is married to Annitah.

 Annitah is a skilled tailor who showed us her design and embroidery skills as well as sweaters and dresses she and the other tailors had made. She’d like us to teach her how to make MoonCatcher kits. We are discussing how to make that happen and once things calm down a little we’ll be able to explore the options for that.

We were stunned by the enormous mangoes growing in Annitah’s yard. None of us had ever seen such large fruit and were disappointed that it wasn’t ready to eat. Charlotte was enamored of Annitah’s little son, Gideon who easily charmed his way right into her heart. When we were leaving he marched right over to the car wanting to come with us but much to his dismay his Mama picked him up and explained “not today”!

 Then we went to see our dear friend, Father Francis at his seminary school. He is a true man of god. He spends his life serving all those around him. His passion is to help people, especially the students of St Dennis Primary School and St Dennis Vocational School. I try to visit here every year and continue to be amazed at how these projects have grown. He longs to finish building a structure that will house a nursing facility with an infirmary and a space for the entire school to come together for assemblies, worship and other activities. I’d love to help him realize this dream.

We headed over to St Dennis school to see the sewing group that we had set up last year with the help of Helen Penne and the Scotia Rotary. Both girls and boys were busy learning how to make MoonCatcher kits. Some were quite proficient and others were just getting the hang of a treadle machine. Mary, a ten year old, made me think of myself when I was her age. I couldn’t stay away from making things. Mary was pretty good too. She’ll become very skilled at this.

Still no piglets!