It is a lot harder than I thought to get online over here - the power is off every second day but there are no guarantees that it will definitely be on for the days in between! You should have seen me tonight when the power was on and we had internet access!

FOUR OF IBRAHIM KIZAMBO'S SIBLINGS IN THE HOME THEY SHARE WITH THEIR GRANDMOTHER WHO CARES FOR THEM (SHE IS LOOKING AFTER 8 KIDS IN TOTAL)

FAIRLY TYPICAL VIEW IN AND AROUND THE SLUMS OF MBALE

PRIMARY ONE AT JOSHUA SCHOOL WITH PICTURES THEY DREW DURING THE CLASS WE TOOK TODAY


WALKING HOME THIS AFTERNOON WITH A STORM AND MOUNT WANALE IN THE BACKGROUND

THIS COW TOOK A LIKING TO SUZE AND DIDN'T WANT TO LET HER PAST ON OUR WAY HOME!!

It seems like so long since I was here last - we have done so much and met so many awesome kids, families and BCC workers that I am at a loss as to where to begin telling you about it... Monday we had the grand tour of the BCC site and spent some time hanging out with the kids at Joshua School before a relatively early finish to the day. We were both exhausted and suffering a little from the travel and time changes. Suze went back 7 hours and I came forward 7 so she was wanting to stay up late and talk to me and I was waking up early and talking to her - meaning neither of us was getting much sleep!
After a really early night to make up for it we heading in on Tuesday with our list in hand of all the kids we wanted to personally find and meet for people who sent physical and monetary gifts for specific sponsored children. Dan the orphan co-ordinator sat down with us and we worked out a daily program for the whole time we are going to be here - it has worked out that we will be out in the field with him every day except Thursdays which we'll spend at the Joshua School in BCC compound. We'd arrived unsure of what specifically we should do for BCC and fell into field work - and it is suiting us immensely.
Getting to see what it is really like here for people is just making the time so special for us and giving us a true picture of life in Uganda. The last couple of days have seen us out in the hills, in the slums and visiting schools in and around Mbale - tomorrow we will be going seriously up into the hills ("no long skirts girls, expect to fall over when climbing") to visit a couple of primary schools. You'll be pleased to know we have found George Mum and are seeing him up there tomorrow.
When we visit the kids at school we are greeted by hundreds and thousands of kids swarming the van and wanting to get close to us, Muzungu (white people) here are regarded as an oddity and quite often when you walk down the village roads you have tribes of kids chasing you calling "muzungu! muzungu!" they love it when Suze and I greet them in Lugisu and they climb all over each other to shake our hands. I think it is very possible that one day soon I am going to die, smothered, under a pile of Ugandan children.
Handshaking is a big thing here - everyone does it when they greet you no matter their age or sex and to shake the hand of a muzungu even better!! Suze and I spend all day doing it and Dan is often turning around in frustration at how long we take everywhere we go because we have to greet everyone we pass!
It is getting late here and we have a strenuous day tomorrow so I really should be finishing this up - I hope that over the weekend I will have time to write some more and tell you in detail about some of the kids we have met. We are having the most amazing time and just loving spending time with the Ugandan people - they have welcomed us so warmly and treat us as honored guests everywhere we go because of the good name the BCC sponsors have.
To all the people who sponsor through BCC you have no idea what your support means to these kids, what we have seen is amazing, we can't wait to get back and show you all the photos/video of them receiving your gifts.
Love to you all - Suze & Lib