Joshua

Uganda is of course not all hanging out under mango trees, quaffing gallons of delicious porridge while enjoying the beautiful countryside, and this country has had more than it's fair share of misery. 

This was Joshua, although he didn't have a name when he was found in a field by Dutch educationalist Hilda van der Draai.

His mother had died of AIDS, his father had then disappeared and his grandfather had given up on looking after him. His hands and feet were so diseased that he could not move easily or play. Hilda took him to Jenny, here seen in her tiny shop (and the only shop) in the village where I live. 

Jenny took Joshua in and saved him from a fate which probably does not merit thinking of. But Jenny was also dealing with grief of her own as one of her sons had just been killed in an accident in South Sudan. The reasons for the accident were very unclear and it was extremely difficult and expensive for his body to be brought back to Uganda.

Back in Holland Hilda asked her grandmother if she would sponsor Joshua through school and she said 'yes'. So 2 weeks ago we drove Joshua to Kidsgear, the primary school of Hoy's College for his first day of school. And here he is, having just donned his first school uniform...

Joshua is quite a character and he does not get pushed around at his new school,  for above all else he is a survivor.

Breakfast time but... can you tell the difference between Reft and Light ?

Breakfast is an important business here and takes place at 10.30, don't forget the students have been up since 4 am and already have been subjected to 3 hours of mainly maths lessons. Science teacher Martin Kadduuuu has a voracious appetite...

Mr Bright enjoys a mug of maize porridge and a rolled japati.

Mr Gell really doesn't like being photographed when trying to come to terms with a new food

Students eat pretty much all their food from their plastic buckets... Lawrence and Paul getting stuck into porridge heaven...







Now it's a curious thing but Ugandans cannot differentiate between the letter 'L' and the letter 'R' when speaking. This can lead to obvious mzungu (white man) mirth. Fresh eggs are often pronounced as 'Flesh eggs'. Steaks are often 'flying' rather than frying. Lorries are Rollies. Asking someone to pray before a meal can often come across as an invitation to play.

 Mr Bright is no exception, here extolling the values of the morning staple, college porridge...



Please wish newsreaders across Uganda the best of luck with the 'upcoming elections'.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow ?

Goat-lover and farming guru, Mary Muhindi from Kenya has recently been appointed to oversee agricultural studies at the College...

Goats, rabbits, chickens and even bees are on the way

But with the availability of water outside of the rainy season a real problem just how does her garden grow ? Especially when Mary is feeling a little bit contrary.

Relief at last...

Mr Bright, his work ethic and 2hr maths lessons.

Meet the Headmaster of Hoy's College, Mr Bright. 

Bright by name and definitely bright by nature, but also unreservedly bright by dress sense and sartorial elegance.

Mr Bright is a genial man but he oversees a regime which UK students would struggle to adhere to... 

Maths lessons are always first thing in the morning and often last for two hours. I have been in several where all the students continued working for 20 minutes into their breakfast time, completely voluntarily.

Work it ! Students sweep up mown grass in the compound for mulching.

Saturday morning clothes washing...seems to be mainly girls...! Come on lads...

 Maria, Jamillah and Sofia chop matoke ( unsweet banana ) for lunch. The girls really are doing all the work around here... 

Welcome...et Bienvenue...Willkom...

Welcome to Hoy's College, the secondary school in Uganda where I am teaching for the next two months.

It has formed a link with my school in Cornwall, Richard Lander School, and in July students from RL will be coming out to visit. It is a short walk from a small town called Bukomansimbi which in turn is 3 to 4 hours away from the capital Kampala by car.

The view from the boys' sleeping quarters, on the left the chicken hut, on the the right main school building and beyond the the lush Uganda countryside...

Mama Regina is a Founder and the current Director of Hoys College...



Mama Regina is also a pastor of the local Born Again Christian Church, when she addresses the whole school, the whole school listens....

This school along with it's primary school Kidsgear is the recent creation of a Ugandan/Dutch couple and their family here in Uganda.  Like most Ugandan schools it is fee-paying but as it is a boarding school it is more expensive than most.

Restful revision under one of the many mango trees.

All sorts of children come here from different backrounds. Some are orphans, some have sponsors in Europe, almost all are from the immediate locality.

Achilleo Kiyemba is a warden at the school...

Class sizes  (20-35) are small by Ugandan standards (some government school class can max out at 100!) and the emphasis is on producing high quality education and expanding slowly but steadily.

Where would we all be without MIST!