Mud bricks

Today one of the kilns on my street was lit.  Here is the picture of that kiln partially built.

There is approximately 3 meters (based upon my eyeball measurement) from the front to the back of the kiln.  I wanted to know how they get the fire under the middle.  Today I was invited to watch.  They light one end and keep pushing the fire until it comes through.  Unlit sticks are put in first so the fire will have something to burn as it is being pushed.  Here it is after it has been covered in mud and the fire has been started.

Tomorrow they will close both ends with bricks and let it “cook” all day.

Chicks

Some of my hens have started laying eggs.

This hen hatched 18 eggs shortly before I received it a couple of months ago.  Eight survived and are running around the yard.  It has been a week since I was able to count the eggs (while she was off the nest eating).  She had 10 at that time.

The hatchlings cannot make the climb to the hen house, nor back to the nest.  Moses offered to build a Kokwo where hens with chicks too small to make the climb could stay.

The foundation is mud and local bricks (which are made of mud and cooked)

The floor is two wire meshes, one with 3 cm holes with is semi rigid, the other with small holes (a couple of millimeters) is flexible.  The sticks underneath act like floor joist.

The hen house is also called a kokwo.  The nesting bed is tied underneath.  The kokwo for hens with small chicks just needs a roof.

Urban development

One of the objectives touted by the mayor (as a reason to re-elect him) was he has a plan to develop Koboko with a goal of being a candidate for city status in 2023.  He also mentioned that he has already presented the plan to the council and received approval.  He has also submitted it to the national authorities and received funding for several items.  If someone else is elected, they will inherit this plan.

The mayor was re-elected on Monday.  It takes a long time to arrange anything with the national power (electrical) company, so this was obviously an example of the mayor’s campaign – he is already working his plan.  The power company started digging (by hand) holes for electrical power poles in West division this week.  No poles yet, just a line of holes.  I now have one in my yard.  A friend has two in his yard (much larger yard).  He recently upgraded his solar power system and has no regrets.  He says we might have power when his youngest (an infant) turns 18.  I know things take time (no hurry in Africa) but the mayor does appear to be getting things to happen, albeit slowly.

Election party

Yesterday was the election for mayor.  In Koboko the incumbent won.  This is beneficial to me.  He was interested in having me here when I visited in 2017 and continues to be interested.  Whenever we attend the same function, he seeks time to visit with me and ask about the prison ministry.

Following the announcement of the election results the supporters of the winning candidate party.  Mayor Sanyang’s supporters were no exception.  There was loud music well into the night.  Before curfew (currently 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) birthday parties and wakes (called final funeral celebration) went all night.  (Any celebration that involves music, and they all do, is called a disco.  It is not a reference to the type of music but to the type of event.)  Now with corona virus they cannot travel after 9 p.m. but the do not want to, they stay at the site of the celebration. 

One of the election celebrations was at the school across the street from me.  I did not attend. I fell asleep while it was still going.  It started up again around 5:30 a.m. and ended around 7:00 a.m.  I do not know when they took a break, but I was told (at dinner last night) to expect it would be after midnight.

Lima

Today we (members of Truth is Light) traveled to Lima for church.  They are part of Bishop Moses’ diocese and Bishop Moses is part of Truth is Light. 

This church was planted (7 May 2017) because there are families on the east side of Lima want to go to church but the other churches are too far away.  They are hungry for discipleship, but the current offerings are also too far away.  It is customary to involve the local chairmen (LC1 and LC2) when beginning something new in an area.  They were both there for the service today.  (The LC1 mentioned that he is Muslim, but there is one God so there is no problem.  Both the LC1 and the LC2 were supportive.)

We will begin offering discipleship in Lima on 9 February.  I am already committed to another program on Tuesday afternoons; however, several other members of Truth is Light are available so they will handle the teaching in Lima.

Gathering for church

Charles, Orrin, Amanda, and baby Taraji as we wait for others to arrive

Group picture after church, the business meeting (can we begin teaching discipleship in Lima), and lunch. The ladies were cleaning up lunch and the kids went off to climb trees.

Election

Part 3 of the general election will be Monday, 25 January.  The candidates for mayor of the municipality of Koboko are actively campaigning, including at the school across the street from my house.  There are two elections ads running on the radio.  One is announcing the election day I already knew about, Monday 25 January for mayor and municipality council seats.  The other is announcing an election that I did not know about, Wednesday 27 January.

On Wednesday, the 27^th they will select representatives (members of parliament, MP) for the youth, disabled, and the elderly.  I do not know if the special interest groups have lobbyist, but they do have their own MPs.  I think only the youth vote for the youth MP, etc.; however, the ad was not clear about that.

Haze

There has been a haze between me and the local mountains for several days.  Today I learned it is better described as smog.  During the dry season there is a lot of dust.  Farmers are working their fields to get the last season’s crop harvested and to prepare the field for the next wet season.  Also, most of the roads are dirt.

However, I had not accounted for the smoke.  Cooking fires, farmers burning the weeds and stalks after harvesting the field, and people making bricks (lots of local bricks and construction during the dry season).  I never expected lingering smoke in rural Africa.

Vaccine

I heard on the radio that Kenya received its first batch of CoVid-19 vaccine on Wednesday.  The report went on to say it is the first country in Africa to receive CoVid-19 vaccine.

Uganda continues to test the corona virus vaccines it developed.  There were four but one was eliminated from the test (failed a test criterion?  I do not know why.)  It is a significant test and is being watched by entities in Europe and the World Health Organization (WHO).  It is being conducted at four sites in different regions of Africa.  It is not the first major drug / vaccine test in Africa; however, it is the first time it has been organized and conducted by an African country.  Uganda is running this test.  They have revised their plans to ensure they will meet WHO standards.

The above radio report went on to talk about South Africa’s ambitious vaccination plan and that they only have drug company commitments for 10% of the vaccine they will need in 2021.  South Africa happens to be one of the test sites in the Uganda led vaccine(s) test.

Package

I received a package today.  In the USA that might not be a big deal.  Here, it can be.

I was told a few weeks ago the package was coming, so I told the postmaster that I was expecting a package.  He promised to call me when it arrived.  He called today.  (The post office has been closed a few days, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and several days around the Ugandan Presidential election which was the 14^th; however, many government offices were closed through the 16^th.)

The label says it was mailed from the United States on the 28^th of November.  The transit time was 7 ½ weeks.  I have been told packages can take anywhere from 3 weeks (the normal time for a letter) to 3 months.

Another customer came in while I was posting my letters.  He also received a package but URA (Uganda Revenue Authority) was requiring a fee to be paid before he could have his package.  Fortunately, the customs value on my label was below the limit so I did not have any URA fees.  (Sorry, I do not know what the limit is, but my guess is probably 100 USD.)

Internet

I have been hesitant to say Uganda has internet service again.  It has been back for 36 hours now; however, there are exceptions.

Social media: Facebook etcetera remain “down”.  This means many of the online materials for those that are home schooled (like the Ray family children) are unavailable.  It also means Skype and Zoom meetings are unavailable.

Elections: Uganda’s general election comes in many phases.  Only a few offices are voted for in each phase.  On the 14^th the national offices (President, members of parliament) were elected.  Today, the 20^th of January is election day for mayors and members of municipal councils (or if it is a city then Lord Mayor and members of city council).  Koboko is a municipality.  Arua is a city but that is 55 km and two districts away.  There will also be elections on the 25^th of January and the 3^rd of February.  The internet was shut down for election last time so I am expecting to loose it again, hence my hesitancy to say it is back.