for February 13^th

Yesterday I rode with Ian and Sheila to Gulu, which is about 100 Km from Lira. They were going to see Beatrice, the woman who had been their housekeeper when they were here for the 2 years. They had given her money to start a business, and they were going to see what was happening. The day was exhausting: mostly dirt, pot-hole infested road the whole way, so a lot of dust. The air-conditioning on their 1998 (or was it ’78?) Land Cruiser was not functional, and each time we passed or followed another vehicle we had to roll up the windows against the clouds of dust that one could barely see through.

In Gulu, we saw the well-built metal market stand that Beatrice had had made, and some of the used clothing she sells. The clothing was in a different market, in a relative’s stall, because it was only a small amount, not enough to fill her stall. She buys the used clothing in bulk, shipped from commercial clothing collectors in the US and Europe. You may have seen their collection bins, which craftily state on the side “Will be used by the poor in Africa.” They don’t tell you that they will be sold to the poor in Africa. Anyway, B had sold quite a bit of clothing but had used what she made for other needs, like paying a niece’s school fees, so she didn’t have money to buy more merchandise. Sheila and Ian, while they were here, had sponsored a small business course for a week, for about 30 people and B had attended, but the needs of her family overwhelmed what she had learned in the course. So, after some discussion, they gave her some more money to buy merchandise, and a quick refresher on how to use what you make. We’ll see.

The car – The Toyota Land Cruiser previously mentioned, was bought used from a friend when S & I were here previously. At that point it had already been used in Japan for several years, and then shipped here for sale, and the friend had used it to 2 or 3 years. Many of the cars here are shipped from Japan in the same manner. Just before they left 10 months ago, they replaced the engine and donated the car to UCI where it is well-used, but a little more battered than when they left it. They have been able to use the car during their month here this time.

Notes from thoughts on the trip to Gulu – 

- Houses – Most of the houses in the villages have thatched roofs and the walls are made of plaster-covered bricks. The houses are either round or square, but the roofs are generally round. Other houses appear like houses in the west, with plaster over brick walls and metal roofs.

- Swollen bellies – You don’t see many children’s bellies swollen by malnutrition, as you see in many pictures of malnutrition, but you do see some.

- Eucalyptus – I was surprised to see eucalyptus along the road. (From the web) Eucalyptus was introduced to Uganda around 1912 to supply fuel wood for railways and administrative centers as well as to drain swamps in an attempt to reduce malaria. Now it is grown for a variety of uses including: fuel for tobacco curing; domestic and industrial energy (e.g. tea and sugar drying, baking, charcoal for steel and cement manufacturer); the provision of posts and poles fencing and electricity transmission;

building mud-and-pole houses; aesthetic use in towns; and for shelter belts in agriculture.

- Pine trees – I was also surprised to see pine tree plantations. (From the web) The 1st seed exports of P. caribaea were from British Honduras to Placerville in California and to South Africa.  East and central African countries began trials of plantation from 1957. Pine is basically for commercial use.

- Cattle – Most of the cattle here have humps on their upper backs, as in brahma cattle. Most also have long horns. (From the web)  The Ankole-Watusi, also known as Ankole longhorn, is a breed of cattle originally native to Africa. Its large, distinctive horns, that can reach up to 8 feet (2.4 m) from tip to tip, are used for defense and cooling by blood vesseled honeycombs.  Ankole-Watusis weigh from 900 to 1,600 pounds (410 to 730 kg).