To Tororo and beyond!

We got back Thursday night from Tororo – about 4 hours North East of Kampala. We’d spent a few days having a look at some villages there - to research and assess needs, as we look at possibilities for starting a rural project with Operation Uganda. We took Ps Michael from Jordan House along with us as it’s the area he was born and grew up in and he could also speak the local dialect which was a bonus! Poor guy being squashed in the van with the Gordons for a long trip – about 7 hrs driving on the way home too, as we went via Mbale to visit someone (about an hour in the opposite direction!). We’re still good friends but I think he knows us a whole lot better now!

We LOVED the countryside, the bumpy dirt roads lined with rice paddys, maize and millet. The landscape dotted with mud huts or small brick homes. There’s not a stretch of road where you don’t see someone walking, pumping water from a well or carrying a load on their head.

note the muddy water source

We met up with a couple of different organisations to have a look at their orphan care programs, and pick their brains about the needs of the area. We also met up with a local pastor from one of the villages who oversees many churches covering a large rural area. He and Ps Michael took us to visit several villages around that area. The dusty road doesn’t see many cars - either bicycles or foot is the mode of transport here. Occasionally we’d come across a small trading post where you’ll find several mudbrick buildings housing small shops containing a few wares from the city, and providing somewhere for people to buy and sell or trade their crops. At a larger one there will be power, and you can charge your cellphone there for 500 shillings (about 25cents).

girls walking past trading post on way to school

trading post

We pulled up just past a school that had hundreds of children milling around. Teachers were striking this day, but the children didn’t find out until they’d walked miles to school barefoot to find no-one there. When they saw the van, they started running after us – like I said vehicles aren’t very common here! We stopped to say hello and go for a little walk around the area with them. The people that live here don’t see many white folk. In fact, for most of the villages we visited we were the first white people (muzungus) that the children and some of the adults had ever seen. So for them to be able to stroke our hair (yes, even the hair on Petes arms!), hold our hands and poke us to see we were real live people I think they soon forgot about missing school for the day!



We eventually had to continue our journey, and as we drove off they were running behind us for as long as they could keep up.

LOVED the smiles on these kids faces!

around a couple hundred kids as far as the eye could see running after the van

At one point of our journey the road narrowed to a thin walking track, so Ps Michael and one of the villagers walked through the long grass and scrub in front of the van checking for hazards as we drove slowly behind – trees scraping along the sides of the van until we couldn’t drive any further. We finished the trek on foot, and arrived at a clearing where we found the small village Ps Michaels uncle lives in. Small wooden seats were gathered for us around a shady tree as we completed introductions and engaged in conversation. Children started to gather – in awe at their first sight of white people. We were told that word will spread about their visit from angels. Even after explaining that we’re not angels, apparently that is still the story that will be told explaining our visit for a long time to come!

millet drying in the sun

ground nuts drying (just like peanuts)

some of the kids who thought they were 'visited by angels'

While the differences between the inner city slums where we work and the rural villages are vast, there are still many similarities. In fact, there’s some things that don’t change no matter where you are. I laughed (on the inside) while watching Ps Michael trying to get his family organised for a photo – I think there’s kids right around the world that have an aversion to photos (even when they don’t know what a camera is), and there’ll always be the one that gets grumpy over where they have to stand!

Ps Michael on far right with some of his family including his dad - 3rd from left

We came away with lots to reflect on and pray about. We’ll explore a few other areas also, where the need is great, and the aid is little – and we know that our God who loves the people of Uganda even more than us is ever faithful, and always working behind the scenes. As we continue to trust Him, we can also count on Him to direct our paths and connect us with the right community in just the right place in his perfect timing. It doesn’t mean we don’t need to do anything, but it does mean we don’t have to do it all on our own!