G'day from the Vicarage!

The current Vicar's letter in the quarterly Parish Magazine

Dearly Beloved in the Lord,

It was a great privilege to visit the Kirima School, in Kanungu in south western Uganda. As many of you know we have supported that school for many years, both through sponsorship of children, and through general support for the generator and new buildings. I went down to Kirima School from Kampala, the Ugandan capital, travelling in a four wheel drive vehicle with driver Publius; my interpreter Sam (Hamlet’s orphaned nephew) and Hamlet’s mother, who had been staying in the city and was returning to her home. The journey took about 8 hours, travelling on the main highway to Rwanda, except for the last hour and a half. Whether they were surfaced or marram the roads in that part of Uganda are in very poor condition. Publius, too, was the sort of driver that finds it a challenge if there is any vehicle ahead of him – those poor axles as we rammed through countless pot holes. I saw a bus that had gone off the side of the road, and a petrol tanker that had turned over, and a truck laden with green bananas with one wheel off.

On the way there are no Motorway Services as there are here, but there were various stops where traders would rush up to the vehicles with freshly cooked food or bottles of water. I wanted to avoid long journeys with an upset stomach so did not taste the tantalizing skewers of meat or cooked banana.

In Kanungu district I stayed in Hamlet’s house – he and the family stay mostly in the city because of his other responsibilities, but one of his nieces stays in Kanungu in the house, and many people stay at the house when they are visiting the projects that Hamlet has organised, or doing research for them. At the time I was there a German doctor had recently left to work in a clinic in the nearby Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (a local national park where there are gorillas, but also a pygmy population), but living in the house there was a French student who was an expert in AIDS and was researching health and development issues for Hamlet. Hamlet’s house is on the crest of a low hill, in the middle of a very mountainous area of great beauty.

I was able to preach at the morning service at the Great Lakes Community College, then toured the college, the secondary school, and one of the other primary schools that Hamlet has set up. The highlight however was my time at Kirima School. Though it was actually the school holidays, the oldest children were boarding at school, preparing for their final exams in October. I say the oldest, but in Uganda in one class might be children ranging from 16 years old to 11 years old, as you are not allowed to skip years, and children’s education is often interrupted. The national exams are in a sense much harder for these rural children, who have grown up without electricity in their homes, and having to spend time daily collecting water. However the teaching at the Kirima School is so good, that it is one of the three best schools in the whole district.

I visited the local (free) state school (rather that Kirima School where parents are encouraged to pay something towards their children’s education). The condition of the building was terrible, and I saw the figures on a board of the class sizes – over 100 gathered together in a number of classes. There were hardly any desks, and it was a sorry sight.

At both Kirima School and the local state school I was interested to see slogans painted on the walls, to guide and instruct the children. Some I saw were: ‘Say no to gifts for sex’; ‘Work is not bad’; ‘Early Sex is Bad’; ‘Virginity is 100% healthy for the young boy and girl’; ‘Time management improves performance’; ‘Aids has no cure’.

At the Kirima School the children sang some songs of welcome, and performed their local dance. The dance was one of the most energetic and at the same time mesmerising that I have ever seen. I wish I had captured it on video. Later in the evening I went down and taught an English conversation lesson. I wondered what the very loud noise was outside the classroom, and was surprised to learn that frogs could make such a racket. There is a swamp in the school grounds – sadly this is a breeding ground for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. I have asked Hamlet to find out how much it would cost to level this swamp and increase the playing field area. If it is within reach I would like us to make it a project for our church to pay for.

While in Uganda I also visited Cephas’s family in Mbale, and attended his church and his graduation party. It was heart warming to see how grateful Cephas and his sister Patience were to their parents for supporting them. Pastor Sam, Cephas’s father, leads a good work where many people in need are helped.

What else is happening?

The Greek night is the 4th of October, and on the next afternoon, 5th of October, we will have an Over 60s Harvest Tea. The young people are going away on a weekend October 10-12th. On November 15th we will have the Craft Fair in aid of the Kirima School. This year the Christingle service will be on the 14th of December, and the Nativity Play and Carol Service on the 21st of December.

The new people in the church flats are settling in well. It is a pleasure to welcome Joy Obimma to Gerrards Close. Joy is studying full time on the Cornhill Training Coruse, and has been working for the Nigerian Fellowship of Evangelical Students. Robert from The Gambia is also finding our weather rather cold. Matt from Albuquerque has begun to get our young people playing in a band. Matt is a full time student at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and is living in the church flat with Robert, and with Adam (who is full time on the Youth and Children’s Work course at Oak Hill). The PCC has let out 22 Curthwaite Gardens until mid June next year. We hope to be able to have some sort of Assistant Minister or Assistant Curate then. In the mean-time Lee and Fai Furney are being a great help. We have called Lee our Minister for Mission and Youth.

With thanks for your partnership in the gospel,

Christopher

From the Registers

Baptism

Samuel Alexander Giles

Isaac Luyanda Chapman

James Jack Forrester

Natalie Justina Bullen

Kieran-James Bullen

Funerals

Kenneth Henry Neil Cooke

Maisie Dora Irene Cadge

Wedding

Adam Ward and Caroline Course