Today has been an interesting day of learning, although of course we are constantly learning new things here in Uganda
In line with routine, we had breakfast at 7.15 – a lovely combination of fruit, cereals, bread and spreads were laid out for us. At 8.15 we left for the Acholi Quarters, preparing for a brand new day of teaching.
With the older group in the morning, we focussed the lessons on multiplication and division, and sentences with different word types. However, the younger group struggle more so we focussed on engaging with the children in a refresher of addition and subtraction, and smaller words.
Our planned activities today included ‘Simon Says’, ‘Chinese Whispers’ and lots of music – the children thoroughly enjoy any kind of musical activities. We finished off the younger lesson with ‘sleeping lions’ in a bid to calm down the children that had become rather hyper.
After the session, we met the ladies of the Acholi Quarters to make beads from paper – this is harder than it may sound. Whilst some of us got the hang of it quite quickly (not Joel), the women were making at least five beads for every one that we could make ourselves.
Due to the extremely low pay from working in the quarry (25p per day), the women make jewellery from these beads which they can then sell. In one hour, the ladies can make enough beads to produce £1-worth of jewellery, when they manage to sell it.
This next paragraph is dedicated to Sharon, as it is about the weather! In fact there is so much to tell about the weather today!! Whilst making beads, the sweltering weather rapidly took a turn for the worse, and the corrugated roof above us was battered by torrential rainfall. After a short while, it cleared and is currently just neutral, but of course still very warm.
We are now settling down for the night and adapting our lesson plans in light of how the lessons went today.
We would like to thank everybody who is taking time out of their day to read and comment on the blog. A special thank you is in order for John and Sophie, our Ugandan hosts, and an extra thank you to Sophie who as well as overseeing the cooking of all our delicious meals, is also revising for university exams which are this week. Both John and Sophie, and the ladies who help in the house are taking good care of us, and we are extremely grateful for their hospitality.
How is everything at home? We hope everything is going well.
PS Patience has been doing homework, so hasn’t had a chance to destroy Joel today!
Wow looks like you’re having a great time. You’re all working very hard. Could be back home in Darwen with that rain!!!! Rocking the plaits Lauren H. Keep the posts and photos coming it’s great to se you all having such a good time.
Good to see you’ve been making the beads, I know you were looking forward to doing that Alice. 🙂 Oh no! The rain doesn’t sound good. It started raining here too while I was in town.
Also good to see that you’ve still been doing lots of teaching. It looks like the children really like you. 🙂
Hi everyone, great to read your daily update & all your messages on this blog. Glad there have been no more accidents Fidelis, Miss Barnes! Sending our love & thanks to John, Sophie & Patience for their kind hospitality & looking after you. It sounds like you’re adapting well to the needs & abilities of the children which is brilliant. The weather sounds like here today! Home from home eh? Missing you Lauren but WE HAVE TOWELS to make up for it! How are you coping with just one lol? Love you & looking forward to hearing your blog xx
Love you Toni-Leigh ..you look and sound like you’re having a ball ! .. brilliant to see the smiles on the children’s faces ? .. you seem to be making a real difference in their lives ..so proud of you ! ..keep up the good work .. miss you xxx
Sorry to hear about the bad weather. It is dull and cloudy here with thunderstorms due Thursday. Typical Lancastrian summer where it rains warmer in summer.
Glad to hear everything is going well and I am enjoying reading this blog. Also enjoying seeing these pictures
Great blog….looks like it’s going well….hope your all having a fab time and a great experience.
Look forward to hearing all your stories toni leigh.
Love mum xxx
Hi everyone, I’m happy to hear there were no accidents today! That sounds like a packed day for the children and sounds like they’re really enjoying themselves. Making the beads sounds fun. It’s good to hear about your day to day routine but noone has mentioned that kind of things you’ve been eating as your evening meal yet.
I hope Sophie’s exams go well!
Alice, your hamster is fine and happy but missing you. Domino has been naughty again and keeps trying to jump over the back of the sofa. He’s been very tired too and flopped most the day. Esther got the results back from one of the maths tests she did last week and she did really well.
Miss Jordan, Esther complained about history being boring today for the first time ever! She wasn’t very impressed with learning about the Wall Street crash! I don’t think your year 8 history class is the same without you!
Looking forward to hearing all about tomorrow!
Begining to miss Fidelis now. House is far too quiet without his beautiful singing/ playing guitar from morning til night.
I’m not missing doors being banged at all hours (18 and he still hasn’t learnt how to put wood in hole quietly?). Or the bathroom fan being left on all day. Or the phone call at 5pm asking if I’m passing DACA can he have a lift up the hill. Playing hunt the remotes every day (because he never puts them away) or the piles of washing! Suppose this is a dry run before he ventures off to University.
Glad the weather’s not as good as here. It’s Roasting here! I’m full of freckles! Lol, not really, I had fog lights on driving home across Rivington today. It didn’t stop pervy point being full as I drove past ( little in family joke that Fidelis and I share).
Glad Fidelis managed to make paper beads without accruing an injury! Lol, there’s time yet!
Sharon and Claire
P.S Honey Pie O’Neill (she has her own Facebook page!) Is missing you and is sat on the rocking horse watching every person who walks past and getting excited every time she thinks it’s you! -shes old and her eyesight is poor!
Hi all. Glad to see your all still smiling and getting on brilliant with everything thrown at you. Today’s pictures are fab even the rainy ones. Jade coral is so excited for her 10th birthday tomorrow shes even told the lollipop man!!! Were all really missing you. I’ve been a good mummy and took oscar on a long walk for you. I’ve been blowing coral balloons up and so far hes popped 2 of them. Coral would love a happy birthday message from you tomorrow if at all possible.. love and miss you millions. And keep it up all of you your all amazing xxxxx
Looks like you’re having an amazing time. Massive well done to all of you. Should be so proud!!!!!! Stay safe and look forward to reading updates xxxx
Wow look at them pictures and that rain hope your all doing ok. So proud to see you helping these young children. Well done to all of you. Courtney we are sooooo proud of you and miss you lots reggie keeps asking for you and looking in your room in the morning danielle missed you lastnight watching love island ha ha but looks like your having the best time and helping other which is fab love you lot mum danielle and reggie xxxxxxx
Sounds like the team has settled in well to John and Sophie’s and to teaching your groups! Everyone at DACA is proud of the work you’re doing out there and is keeping up to date with the blog and the photos you’re sharing! Love to John, Sophie, Patience and all the amazing smiley faces of the Acholi people.
Keep up the good work!
Someone please keep an eye on Miss Barnes, we need her back without any broken limbs!
Good evening Courtney darling, hope you’re having an amazing time and enjoying yourself. Just wanted to let you know there not been any news on the Warehouse project so sad times for us all. On a more pressing matter what are your thoughts on the pedestrianisation of Norwich city centre? These sorts questions keep us up at night. On a happier note theses only around about 691,300 seconds until you get back and get you see us. Missing you immensely, lots of love Charlie and Kalim xxxx
Glad your all having the best time! Missing you lots Toni and granny Linda sends her love and hopes your having the best time! Danny said he thought you had gone missing to because your not here using all the tea bags and taking up the living room with all your bags!? See you soon x
Hope everyone is having a class time! Still enjoying the peace though but we’ll see when we get to next week ? missing you meg , love ya x
very proud of you all,keep up with the good work,you all are doing something very special,love you all,P.S…is that kelsey smiling on the pics,haha,love you all,x
Hey Courtney, sounds like you’re all adapting well to the challenges of teaching and doing a great job. Hope the weather improves, it looked like a pretty heavy storm. The weather has been baking hot down here but looks like there could be some heavy rain in the next few days. Keep up the good work, we look forward to your updates and pictures each night. Take care, miss you loads, lots of love, Dad xxx
Hi,
Thank you for the posts. It is brilliant to hear about your experience and it is very inspiring. Very proud of you and your work. Well done.
Laurent Charruau
Well done Toni so very proud of you! Thankyou for the post love reading and looking at the photos. You guys look like your having a amazing time. Your all doing such a good job well done guys x
Hi guys love reading your daily posts sounds like your all experiencing so much and at times very emotional were all so proud of you. Joel pedder the dog is enjoying having ur double bed to himself also think you need more football training .x