| Mission Opportunities with SICM | |
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Jane Wilby |
 Jane at the SICM Missions Centre prior to leaving for Uganda |
| I
have been asked various questions about life here in Soroti, and so
I decided to answer some of them in this report. I am currently reading
"I dreamed of Africa" by Kuki Gallman, an Italian lady now living
in Kenya, but for those of you who have read it or seen the film my
lifestyle in Soroti bears little resemblance. (I am very glad that
there are no elephants eating my plants or drinking from a swimming
pool !). But a book called "The man with the key has gone" by Ian
Clarke apparently is more typical, he is a British doctor working
in southern Uganda. Your most frequently asked questions….. 1. Is there any wildlife in Soroti? - yes, we have dogs, cats, goats, chickens, cows but nothing more. There are mosquito's - unfortunately malaria is the biggest cause of death in this area, particularly of children because families cannot afford the nets or sprays. Medication is a minimum of 20p, most village people cannot afford this. 2. What about domestic arrangements? - A) Cooking - I do very little cooking myself (which is a major life style change for me). My two "house maids" do all the cooking. They use two charcoal stoves, for them the stoves are Zanussi, the appliance of science, as both Florence and Angela would normally gather firewood and cook over an open fire. B) Food - Uganda is renowned for being a fertile country and there is an abundance of vegetables and fruit. Cassava, sorghum, millet are more local products. Angela cooks me chips, chapatis and omelettes on a regular basis, and I am learning how to cook cakes and pizzas in an aluminium pan over the stove. C) Washing and ironing - all washing is done by hand in cold water with Omo. Again, I have the luxury of cold running water - most people here have to fetch their water from the local bore hole and carry it home in jerry cans on their head ! D) Dress - the town of Soroti is a little "westernised", but there is a dress code for the villages, and for women that is skirts or dresses that are calf length or longer and no bare arms or low cut tops. Trousers for women are taboo ! E) Transport - the most common type of transport is the boda-boda, or bicycle which is the local taxi. Unfortunately, the women have to sit side-saddle, which I find terrifying, but a sympathetic driver will let me sit astride the back of the bike. Otherwise, there are mini buses which go to the next town, but they will only set off when the bus is full - we've waited for two hours until the driver finally agreed to set off back to Soroti. The state buses to Kampala are an experience, once tried and never forgotten ! It takes about 6 hours to Kampala and usually half the population of Uganda and their chickens seem to be travelling on the bus at the same time. My programme so far….. Soroti diocese is divided into four districts and it has been decided that I work two months in each district. During February I've be working in the district of Serere, which is one of the districts severely victimised by the civil war in the 80’s and by the raids of the Karamojong Warriors, who steal cattle. I have been carrying out women’s seminars, health training workshops, youth seminars, evangelism training and for me the highlight was two days of being an occupational therapist with disabled children. There has been a lot of positive feedback from the projects so far – villages are always so grateful to receive visitors and they are so eager to learn from God’s word. It always amazes and humbles me, and even more so when I am given gifts. One village planted a mango tree and called it Jane ! The highlights for me so far have been two events – The first was a two day workshop for about 50 village women and I decided to do training on how the body works. Basically, it was a simple biology and anatomy lesson with basic healthcare included. Most of them had never been to school and were unable to read, write or count, but they thoroughly enjoyed their time and want me to go back again. One husband said his wife had been transformed !! The second was the New Years Eve midnight service at Soroti cathedral. I was asked if I would be one of the speakers – I thought it was going to be a very formal service, but it was an enormous praise party, with everyone singing and dancing Ugandan style !!! The service was organised by a small group of Christians who are real prayer warriors, and it is a privilege to be able to work and socialise with them. Prayer Points - * Transport - I have no reliable means of transport and travelling to the village is a tedious and expensive journey. One answer to prayer – the Post Office here has a computer with internet facilities, so you are able to e-mail me now : jewilby2000@yahoo.co.uk However did David Livingstone cope without a mobile phone and e-mail.’ Field Address : Box 117, Soroti. Uganda. |
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