How are we doing?

Team Update: Thursday 18th October

Well all is going very well and I have a few moments to uopdate you on what has been going on so far:
 
Monday morning saw us at school for 7.30 for the first of two welcome assemblies. We were intitially greeted by James, the deputy head teacher, and the whole school. Our pupils then had a tour of the school before meeting for the head teacher's assembly at 10.00 where we presented our gifts to whoops of delight from the gathered students. The largest cheer was for the football kit and netball bibs which were soon to be put to use. Our 14 were then paired up with 'buddies' who have been with them for the whole week. The welcome, in general though was overwhelming and I think our chaps found it a little over powering at times!!! We had a splendid welcome lunch too, where they were able to try 'poshu' and 'matoke' and most of them were very surprised. The day finished at 5pm when they all walked down to the water holes each armed with a gerrty can which their buddies expertly filled and they then attempted to carry them back up the hill. They all did very well (with a little help from their friends!) but they said the experience truly nade them appreciate the hardship involved in collecting water and were glad they had done it! We had a delightful surprise after dinner when an ex-student of Mityana who Dodie has known for many years, came to visit. He has just left university and is due to sing and dance for the Queen when she visits for the CHoGM at the end of November. He had all our team singing and clapping to his performance. Bed was 10.00pm not surprisingly, as they were all totally shattered and being told they'd have to be up early to be back in school at 7.30 again.
 
Tuesday saw the 'team' following the timetables of their buddies, and having moments to talk to them privately and to discuss the differences between growing up in Uganda and growing up in the UK. We also had a discussion on what each side wanted to achieve from the partnership which was quite eye-opening! At the end of the day, the pupils of Mityana donned their new football kit and created two mixed teams of Mityana and Testbourne. I hadn't realised when the socks were ordered that they wouldn't actually be used as of course all the pupils play in bare feet - they have asked for football boots to be brought out next year so they can wear the whole kit for inter-school and district matches. Again the team were early to bed. We decided not to go into school early on Wednesday as they were starting to look exhausted by the long hours - so the visit started at 10am at the Junior School next door to the secondary school.
 
We were greeted with whoops of delight as the children tore over the fields around the school to greet us. We were then treated to the most amazing display of Ugandan dancing and singing by the school choir accompanied by some skilled drummers. The team then repainted some diagrams on the walls outside the classrooms as there sare no other visual displays. Lunch was in the school dining room followed by a talk on how to make batiks from James. We went back to the hotel and again had a splendid dinner and opportunity to create the outlines for their batiks and write up their journals which they've been encouraged to do on a daily basis.
 
We've tried to sit and talk to them every night about their thoughts and feelings and to nasme one thing they've liked, surprised them, not liked and shocked them! Mrs Stevens has been scribe for this event so many of their comments have been recorded.
 
I have to stop now as we have to go back to the hotel to change for dinner at the town planner's house - he's kindly hosting all 20 of us! We've just had a deluge of rain the like of which I've never seen before and testimony to how effective the water tanks will be when they've been installed. The girls have dug out the foundations of the tank off the girls' dormitory and likewise the boys.