After a lengthy and shaky bus trip back to Kampala (7 hours) we’re enroute to Nairobi and the embassy with only two working days to get Mark’s citizenship – here’s praying. We’re getting more rains than usual here – leading to more malaria, more flooding and more potholed roads to destroy the undercarriage of cars, buses and the many bicycles which carry everything from bunches of bananas to building materials. This is a very resilient and resourceful people with a surprising sense of humor. At the open market today, a young woman in wheelchair joked with me as I bought some bananas and boiled eggs. We pray for peace with the Lords Resistance Army and for government that truly acts for the people. With some 19 Ministers and 43 State Ministers one wonders whose interests are really being served. All the Best D

After 30 years I have returned to Africa and once again been inspired and humbled by the graciousness and resilience of the people; the richness and beauty of the land. Serenaded at night by a host of crickets and by day by a host of exotic birds, we are closing in on the end of our time here, simply awaiting the judge’s ruling in the morning to allow the full adoption of Mark by daughter Tandela.

Here in Soroti, with a caring community of Christians (and Muslims more than elsewhere in Uganda) we have shared a little in their life and struggles; enough to have learned how blessed we are in the West and how much we owe Africa.

My work with the Gulu school and health center (helping with fundraising) for Child is Innocent, will keep me connected as well.

The heat of the day is just lifting and the sky taking on the orange-red hue I remember, perhaps reflecting the deep red soil. We have a host of moving memories (from joint-jarring bus rides across the north to refreshing swims in Mbale resort hotel) and especailly the people, some of whom we’ll stay in touch with.

We hear the odd Christmas carol here but nothing like at home. A few street shops have speakers which throb with reggae – including South African Lucky Dube – mostly. Still the true Christmas spirit of care and new birth is everywhere and I send along with my African mentors my wishes for this holy Season.

Gulu is the center of UN and NGO assistance with over 1million IDP’s (Internally Displaced Peoples), including orphans and physically/psychologically damaged of all ages. What the children most need, as my friend Dr fred Oola reminded me yesterday, is funding to attend a school or to obtain a technical training to uplift themselves and their country. Electricity, communications, housing, large scale agriculture – all must be developd to serve the 26 million people. One young man we met at the Gulu Organizatin for Chld Support – 18 years old and recovering from a nasty bullet wound in his foot – was in the Lord’s Resistance Army for 10 years! Girls in particular continue to be vulnerable to neglect and to violence and groups are forming to assist them in recognizing and claiming their human rights and gaining education. The Child is Innocent organization is sponsoring, through individual Albertans, about 20 students, mostly girls, and will build a school as soon as we raise the funds. I am pleased to be part of this dedicated group working in Uganda.

We visited two schools yesterday, both funded by Italian catholic charities, one for boys (roughly 1000) and the other for girls under 12. They shyly related their appreciation for the support to attend boarding school since most come from IDP camps (which we also visited this week, admiring the resilence of families after 10-20 years in single room huts!). Many of the children told of abductions or violence against their families but would not speak in detail. It’s difficult to contain the sadness and anger at the horrifying disruption of humanity here with nearly 2 million people displaced by 20 years of misguided civil strife by the misguided leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army. Still there are many NGO’s, including Canadian groups like The Child is Innocent (led by Bonnie Fournier of Edmonton and Dr Fred Oola – here in Gulu) through which students are individually sponsored, and War Child Canada whom we met today. War Child is working to educate adults and children on constructive ways to deal with violated families as well as providing legal support for justice. I met for the first time the 9 year old which Laureen and I have been sposnoring this past year from Gulu – Eunice: a moving experience for us both.

Blessings all, D

This is my first attempt at podcasting.  It is from my Town Hall meeting on balancing oil and gas development with environmental responsability in Alberta.  The Town Hall was held on March 29 2006 at the Crescent Heights Community Centre in Calgary.  The panelists were John Squarek with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, and Jim Byrne an associate professor of geology at the University of Lethbridge.

I came across this clipping from a Calgary Sun article (Tue. Dec 5, pg. 43) where new premier Ed Stelmach gives us much the same line we’re used to in this province – don’t worry about the growth pressures, the market will solve everything…

Stelmach, whose previous cabinet duties included infrastructure and intergovernmental affairs, has ruled out any regulatory changes that could slow the galloping pace of oilsands development. There’s no such thing as touching the brake,” Stelmach said. “The economy, growth: that will sort itself out. We just want to make sure that we’re globally competitive.” Continue reading →

Tandy’s first contact in Uganda, three years ago, a young Ugandan named John took us to see the orphanage he founded at that time. With some 4 million orphans in Uganda this is one of many. About twenty children from3 -15 years, boys and girls, greeted us shyly at the door, after we made our way in his small pickup truck across the soaked field from the main road. It is the most basic of buildings with bare walls, perhaps 4 small rooms for children, with bunk beds to the ceiling, a small kitchen and storage room. There were two helpers including an older woman who appeared exhausted and a 19 year old male volunteer named Moses. The children, after being introduced to us tried to engage Mark, my 3 year old grandson, and they laughed together. Most then moved out to the back porch and sat beside a charcoal fire, heating a large vat of beans – their daily fare, along with ‘posho’ (ground maize forming a large sticky mass like mashed potatos). Continue reading →

A speaker is booming in the parking lot next to this internet cafe with Ugandan reggae. It’s very energetic and not unpleasant on the streets of this quiet town of Mbale. This is World AIDS Day of course and there have been some events around, including a band marching for AIDS support groups and continued vigilance. With a prevalence of about 7% there is no place for complacency here – poverty is never far from pushing this higher. Continue reading →