More News

Some of you have asked about what the weather is like. It is coming towards the end of the rainy season. The dry season starts in May but I am told that like us the seasons are very variable these days. We have had some overcast days with a few showers but no tropical downpours as yet. Thunder storms were forecast for the day we flew in from Entebbe. As we flew we could see the storm clouds building up around us but no storms were in our path or materialised after we had arrived. The temperature is in the mid 20’s on overcast days but on a day like today (Wed.10th) when the sky is clear the temperature reaches 35o C in the shade. Fortunately there is a moderate breeze to help you cool. The 30 minute walk to and from the office works up quite a sweat!! Fortunately the office in which I work (that of the “Directeur General”) is nice and cool with a good breeze coming in through the open windows most of the time. Most of the houses are built so that the sun does not shine directly onto the windows. If there is no balcony there are overhanging shades built onto the wall to keep the sun off the windows.


The sounds are very different too. During daylight hours (6am to 6pm) there is the sound of children playing, cocks crowing, “crows” squawking and the occasional small motor bike unless you are on one of the “main” roads that is where there is an endless stream of these small bikes putt-putting along at about 15-20 mph. There isn’t the background dim of traffic that we are subjected to at home as there is no tarmac on the roads only compressed earth, heavily y rutted which reduces the speed to about 20 mph if you are lucky! At night there is practically no sound at all. With no outside lighting, either street or on the houses no one goes about at night unless absolutely essential and then only by car. If there were street lights (there are a few headless lamp posts around) most of the time there is no electricity to power them!!

There are two predominant smells. Wood burning, either bonfires or for cooking and the smell from the latrines which is not as offensive as one would expect! If you are on the main road occasionally an ancient lorry will pass belching smoke as it attempts to accelerate so there are diesel fumes but nothing like the all pervading traffic fumes of the UK.

Now for some more specific items of news for those with a technical bent. The work is going well and I have managed to design the basic Data Base and import the personnel records for three years worth of students. The main problem is “data integrity”. The data has been held on spread sheets and is inconsistent from one sheet to the other. For instance both date and place of birth were held together in one field and had to be separated! By Monday I hope to be able to automatically produce ID Cards for the September intake of students. At present the cards are produced, 5 to an A4 sheet, with each student’s details having to be typed in separately!

Although I have been offered the use of the car to go to the college, the roads are so bad I have elected to walk, which I quite enjoy. Yesterday evening as I was walking home I was called back by two armed police with whom I found it very difficult to communicate as they have no English and I have no French. They wanted to know where I was going. They had no knowledge of the house we are staying at or the Drs. Wood or the college! Fortunately they knew of the CME Clinic. But for some unknown reason they would not let me pass so I had to go back and take a detour back to the house. Sounds scary but I felt quite comfortable at the time praise the Lord.

Now over to Janice for her contribution!!

Hello again! There is always so much to tell, I hardly know how to prioritise! And I can’t type as fast as I can talk!! It’s still “mind blowing” here in Bunia!

Wed.10th at 7.15am...!!!...I went with Dr. Philip to their Hospital. It was a cross country walk of about 20 minutes. As many staff as possible start the day with a devotional time of prayer; hymns and Bible reading. I then went on ward rounds [70 beds]. Wow! What sights! What they achieve with such love and medical care with such limited space and resources is incredible! UK folk who complain about mixed wards and overcrowding ought to come out here and see what that REALLY means! And no one is complaining! Most patients, many with very serious illnesses or injuries have visitors/family squeezed beside or on the beds; and some bring bed rolls and sleep on the floor under the bed!!

Philip is the only surgeon, and his surgery skills cover absolutely every type of operation! Whatever is needed! Gynaecology, orthopaedic, everything abdominal, burns and skin grafts etc.etc!

There is 1 surgeon, 3 Doctors, 2 Anaesthetists, about 25 nurses, 1 Physiotherapist for 70 beds. Dr. Nancy sees about 50 outpatients every day at her clinic in the town.

First asking if I was OK with blood....!!...I was invited to observe in the operating room!! The details would not be for the squeamish! The young male patient was a gruesome kerosene burns case [back and front body and both arms!].He was sedated while they peeled away the black burnt flesh! Suddenly I was called upon as “theatre assistant” using forceps to pass numerous sterile swabs to the Doctor and nurses! It will sound weird if I say I enjoyed this experience.....but I did!

Walking home through the little farmlands and wooden shack homes, I was often ambushed by little children rushing for a hug, and then asking if they could feel my hair! Which they did; and I then felt every little head of black curly hair or shiny shaved ones!! There was much giggling and shaking hands, which is the usual greeting from little tots to adults! These children and families are very poor, often just growing vegetables to feed themselves, or maybe selling a few sweet potatoes etc on the roadside. But they are all so cheerful, with such a lot of laughter.

My typing time is up now! I am in darkness! But John may be able to get an Internet connection and link in with the solar power before going to bed at about 9pm.

Greetings to all at waterloo Road Church on Sunday, and greetings to all who read the Blog!!

Oh, just time to add to John’s comments about the motor bikes: if you want a taxi you hail a motor bike and ride pillion! And the most we’ve seen on one bike, so far, is a Dad,2 children and a Mum with a baby on her back!! The number of folk packed on top of an old lorry piled high with ‘goods’ is amazing! The hospital gets lots of broken limbs patients this way!

Janice.