Projects

Photo Gallery

Who We Are

Support Us

November 2006 – Thank you McMaster University!
After spending two weeks in a cold climate, it certainly nice to come back to Uganda to warm up. Even though the weather was cold, it was wonderful to meet so many warm hearts who expressed interest in what we are doing in Tekera. There are many groups and individuals who we'd like to mention but we are especially grateful to the medial students of McMaster University who read about us in the Hamilton Spectator and did a major fund-raising. This was a huge surprise. We would also like to thank the staff from Caledon Public School in Caledon and Orchard Park School in Burlington for allowing us to share our experiences with the students so they could gain an insight to student life in a Ugandan village.

December 2006 – A year in review
After almost one year in Tekera, it's only natural to look back and reflect on all that has gone on. When we first arrived, people viewed us with apprehension and curiosity. After all, this area was so remote that there wasn't even a decent road so they were not used to any traffic, especially white people (muzungus). There was no electricity and the only water supply was a pond that was used by all, including animals. A pump was nearby but had been broken for about 3 years and there was not enough money in the community fund to repair it. There was little education available, no affordable health care and no hope for a future. We immediately saw that simply giving things would do nothing for the future so we implemented a plan to help the community help themselves.
We focused on the important issues of the community needs. We realized that it would take time to develop this plan. First, we had to gain the confidence of community members and then develop a strategy to enhance the living conditions. Water is a vital commodity so we repaired the borehole to help prevent waterborne disease. Health care was provided once per week while we built the centre. A 2 room school was built to help provide a covered area for students. Our initial work programme was found to be flawed so it was revised and has so far proven successful. By creating our own "money", it has also stimulated the local economy. Once the centre was completed, the clinic operated on a full time basis and many neighbours have expressed their gratitude for the services. Blood donor clinics were organized and immunization clinics were held each month. We assisted with a mass immunization programme. Counseling for AIDS and sexual diseases have been provided at no cost. Also, family planning has been provided to all those wanting it again at no cost. Adult education began in October and many faithful students attend regularly. There has been agricultural instruction for the past 6 months to assist in better crop production and we have been slowly introducing alternative crops. A second borehole was added. This one is close to the community centre and is very active.

So what happens in year two? We hope to add more projects and improve what is here now. These include:
Establish a farmers co-op
Develop and increase new cash crops
Build and register the primary school and hire qualified teachers
Begin development of a secondary school
Provide regular health and hygiene classes and counseling
Begin dental care on a regular basis
Develop a water retention system
Improve cash flow from farm
Develop a good nursery
We would like to thank everyone who have supported this project over the past year. Without your support, none of this would have been possible. We wish you could all experience the gratitude that the community has expressed and the difference it has made in their lives.
The adult education classes continue well although attendance has dropped during the rainy season because they are either unable to arrive here on foot or they are taking advantage of the good growing conditions to work in their gardens. The volunteers are doing a wonderful job of motivating their students and there is always a lot of laughter in the classroom as they struggle to learn the local language. The students are less likely to feel self-conscious as they hear Manon and Sanne make mistakes and see that they can laugh at themselves.

November 2006 – Update
While it was nice to return home to Canada, I quickly realized how my body had adjusted to Ugandan weather. For the first week, I felt like I was living in a deep freeze. There are several people who made the homecoming very pleasant and I thank them all for their warm hospitality. It was also heartwarming to know that many people were interested in our work here and were quick to help out.
A mass immunization clinic was held this month and the response was tremendous. All the children in the area that had not been previously immunized, were given a shot. Ritah assisted the government staff and they conducted their program under a tree to avoid disrupting our clinic.
During the rainy season, our number of patients has increased as mosquitoes have flourished and malaria is too common. The pesos are now the common currency in the clinic as those in the area are very familiar with how it works. We both thank each other as they head out the door with their treatment.
We are discovering that there are many untreated epileptics in the area who have actually been hiding their children as they feel they have been bewitched. They have seen some of their neighbors seizures controlled and are now bringing their children out to start treatment. Some children are now actually able to go to school for the first time. 
The craft club has started with four members. These ladies will make several different items using all natural materials found locally. The aim is to produce a good supply and then sell them at market places or any place that is viable. Perhaps these would be of interest in North America and Europe? Purses, mats, carry-alls and mobiles are all hand-made and very durable. There are other ladies who would like to participate but we need to establish a market before taking too many. They are very eager to create these items for $2. per day which is considered a good wage in most villages.
The PEN FRIEND club which has been in operation for a couple of months and are now starting to actually communicate with schools abroad, in Canada and the Netherlands. They're learning about Halloween, snow and our Christmas customs and sharing their customs with their peers, continents away. We hope to increase the numbers of this club, but most children this age are busy working to assist their families. We are trying to find a time when any youth who is interested can attend.

It has been two months since I provided a financial report. October and November were very good months for donations. Looking forward, others have said they want to help so we are very optimistic for the future. With a harvest coming within the next two months, I believe we will be able to build and secure the centre for the future.

September 2006 – Update
They have arrived!!! On Friday September 8, Brigitte arrived back in Uganda. However, she did not come back alone. Two volunteers from Holland, Manon de Beer & Sanne Wellen also joined us on the ride back to Masaka. After a little freshening up, everyone was anxious to go go to Tekera. Once there, staff and villagers hugged and warmly greeted Brigitte. For Manon and Sanne, the realization that this indeed a very small and remote village hit them.
At the centre, the two got to view their home for the next four months. Turns out, this was a pleasant surprise. Their expectations were low so when they saw beds with mattresses and mosquito nets, curtains on the windows and storage stands, they were delighted. Add lighting from the solar power and it suddenly everything looked good. They wasted no time rearranging the furniture and hanging up their personal articles to give it that homey feeling. Later, they met the headmaster of the school who had been looking forward to their arrival. To have two foreign teachers at the school was a dream come true. Manon and Sanne will be able to flex their creativity and no doubt the children will love it. It seems the relationship with the children will be terrific since they were seen later in the day with six children walking hand in hand, going into town. As the two found out, the children love attention and will respond in an adoring way. We discussed our current and future plans, for both the centre and what they wanted to do. They indicated they wanted to undertake a playground project to provide a play area for the local children. Not only will they touch the hearts of many people but their memory will live on with the playground. Soon they will also be teaching adults English at the centre so they will be kept very busy. For all their friends in Holland, they will provide updates on their own website about what they are doing and life in Tekera.
At last, English classes are about to start. Registration began the last week of September and 31 people signed up for the four week course. At a cost of 2 pesos, everyone will get 1.5 hours of instruction, four days per week. A pen and a notebook are also supplied. It has been a mad rush trying to get everything done.....painting and making desks.
The agricultural side has had a few problems. Everything that can be done, has been done but rain has been the problem. It has poured rain all around Tekera but for us......nothing!! The maize has sprouted but without rain soon, we fear the crop could fail. The rest of the unplanted area waits until we have that one good rainfall.
One of the requests we've had is for a photo page. So, each moth, we'll publish a page of pictures taken during the month of various activities and a few are just in fun. Hopefully, we can include some interesting information along with the photos. We had a total of $620. Canadian donated during September and it was a great help. We'd like to thank all those that helped out. We are still lacking in funds to proceed with other necessary endeavors such as a 3 room school, a water harvesting system and a kitchen. 
There was lots of excitement when Brigitte returned to Uganda. The residence in the area rushed out to greet her with warm "welcome backs". The staff was especially pleased when she presented them with gifts from Canada. Manon and Sanne, two volunteers from Holland, got their first look at their new home. For the next 5 months, they will live at the centre and observe village life. They will also be writing articles for our website, providing a first-hand account what life is like in the village and sharing their experiences. Joseph managed to complete the planting of maize in one field. He also made flower beds in front of the centre. The nursery is flourishing with an array of flowers and vegetables and will soon be transplanted into the garden.
The clinic is preparing for a very busy last week of September. They have arranged a blood bank clinic for September 26th, the first ever to be held in the area. This will also be a benefit to other organizations because of the blood screening. While no personal information can be released to us, we will get statistics about the incidence of AIDS, STD's and other health related diseases. We should expect a very large turnout according to the LC of health for the area.
On the 27th of September, the immunization clinic will be held for the third month. Awareness of the service has spread so we are hoping the numbers are as good or better than August.
On a sadder note, one of the dogs, Cujo, suddenly fell ill. She was running and appeared in good health but suddenly collapsed and the hind quarters became hunched. She could not straighten out without pain. We took her to the vet and he gave her 3 injections and thought it might be distemper. At first, we thought she would have to be put down but we decided to wait and hope the vet was wrong. She has shown a great deal of recovery. She is still a little weak in the hind quarters but hopefully in time, she will fully recover. Distemper shots have not been available for a while but we were told that they would arrive soon.
We have an update on Joyce, the hydrocephalic baby. She has been to Mbale twice. The second time, Joyce had an operation an shunts were installed to drain the excess fluids from her head. She is now doing much better and even laughs. She still needs to go to Kampala every month for regular checks on the shunts to prevent blockage but everyone is very optimistic. For the full story, see Joyce
Many positive things happened this month. The volunteers from Holland, Manon and Sanne, have settled into the Tekera community very nicely. Students and local people have welcomed them with gifts of fruit and eggs. As teachers, they have been a tremendous asset to the community school. They have brought a positive and refreshing attitude to the students. They have also demonstrated ideas for teaching more effectively and the children have responded very well. Life at the centre has been made more comfortable since we converted the office into a sitting room/kitchen/dining room. We added a gas cooker and cabinets so now they can feel more at home.
The clinic has been a hub of activity. Even though the number of patients declined (which is a good thing), the nurses did not sit idle. On the 26th, there was a blood donor clinic, the first ever in the area. The response was very good as 65 people came to donate. Unfortunately, only 37 were accepted since many were on medication, were nursing or pregnant or were ill. The blood bank was thrilled with such a response and want to come back again in January. The other positive spin is the blood will be screened for various problems and we'll receive a breakdown. We won't be given the names but those wanting their results will be able to receive them.
The next day (27th), there was an immunization clinic sponsored by the government health department. Each month, the response seems to get better. Unfortunately, a few people were turned away because they ran out of drugs. This is quite common when dealing with government health...no drugs, no service. Because of the response, we have now been put on a waiting list for a drug cooler. Ho hum.....will I live long enough?

October 2006 – Update
English classes began at the beginning of the month and 29 people showed up. The first week, we tried to establish the level everyone was at and found we needed to divide the class into two groups. The entry level (beginners) were led by Sanne and Manon with Brigitte assisting with any needed translation. The second group (advanced) were taken by Yiga and myself (Bruce). Yiga has been with the centre since we began building. He is an intelligent young man with good English skills. His ambition is to be a secondary school teacher but he has been unable to raise the huge amount of money required for university, so, he had to stop schooling after graduating secondary school. This has provided him an opportunity to teach and gain experience. He sees the value to the community and has settled into teaching with lots of enthusiasm. The goal of the centre is to provide employment and value to the community and Yiga is one of the people to help carve this reality. Each month the centre will run 4 week classes for 2 pesos per person (what a bargain!). They also receive a notebook and a pen to take notes. Considering the attendance, they must be enjoying class.
The clinic is not quite as busy these days and that is a good sign. This may very well be a result of the improved quantity and quality of the water. Many people came to find out from the visiting blood bank employees, the results of the tests which are done routinely when donating blood. Most of them received good news but one woman was given the sad news that she was HIV positive. She was counseled by Ritah who has training in this area and advised as to which organization she should contact and possibly receive ARVS. Three others were told that they were either hepatitis b or c positive and counseled about transmitting this to others and also how to improve their nutritional status and stay healthy.
The Ugandan department of health has been impressed enough with our efforts that they are assisting us with mass immunization sometime in the near future. They have promised to come with a good supply of vaccines for everyone wishing to receive it. For the adults, it will be tetanus but for the children, all the things children should be immunized for, including measles. Even though we've held these clinics before, we know many people did not come for various reasons. We hope all those who didn't attend before, will come this time.
There was considerable concern due to the lack of rain this month. The field of maize was responding poorly and another field sat empty, waiting for a good rainfall. This past week, the rains began and we were able to make a lot of progress in that area. In fact, we are actually eating cucumbers that were planted only 2 months ago. 
Cujo, our female dog that came down with distemper, is doing great. We apparently caught it in the very early stage and got her the appropriate treatment. She was strong enough and is close to making a full recovery. We noticed that other male dogs were "eyeing" her, so we gave her an injection to prevent her from getting pregnant. She is now a member of our "family planning club".


August 2006 – Update
The hot and dry season (August) was not so hot nor dry. There were a few days that went up to 30 but otherwise, it has been very comfortable. As for dry, well, four rainfalls hardly qualifies as dry. It's no wonder that Uganda has been called the pearl of Africa.
Our pineapple field has been fed a good supply of natural fertilizer and now we wait for approximately 18 months before we can harvest. The type of soil and the climate conditions makes this an ideal place for growing pineapples. The top of the pineapple (the sucker) is used to grow the next generation. Some pineapples can have multiple suckers attached. Some of the suckers that were planted before we purchased the land have begun to bear fruit. The picture below shows a pineapple in its infancy.
In the background, you can see a typical termite hill. The two here are inactive but have not been taken down yet. The hills are like cement when active but will soften in time. Generally, after a couple of months, the hills are leveled and the earth is suitable enough to be spread around. With a little fertilizer, almost anything will grow here.
A vast number of pineapples are shipped to Kampala where many are sold locally. There is a good export market but the cost of transport is very high. About ninety-five percent of the price you see in the market is attributed to transport and marketing cost. Once you taste a fresh, sweet, juicy pineapple, it's hard to go back to the typical canned variety.
After months of preparation and after spreading over 20 loads of natural fertilizer, the land was ploughed and made ready for planting. With the last week of holidays before the beginning of class in September, many children have taken the opportunity to work at the centre and gain some valuable Tekera Pesos for their families. Equally important is the instruction that Joseph, the agriculturalist, provides regarding simple things like proper methods on digging and planting or more important instruction such as types of fertilizer to use, spacing of plants or depth of soil for seeds. Here we have six children ranging from seven years old to thirteen listening and learning before planting. Many of these children will gladly work in the fields for three or four hours at a time.
Out of the 1.75 acres that was ploughed, roughly 1.25 will be dedicated to maize. It is expected that this crop will be ready for harvest beginning in December. It will be decided then whether to sell the ears of corn at market, take it to be milled into flour or or wholesaled off to a dealer. The balance of the land will be used for various crops like potatoes, beans, pumpkin and tomatoes. We are also going to experiment with a few other varieties that are not commonly grown here like Romaine lettuce and green onions. There is also a section of land which has not been ploughed where we will plant various fruit trees. The transformation of the land over the next few months should be amazing.
What does this mean for the centre? Income generated from farming can be utilized to help sustain the various programmes that are needed here. While it won't cover all the costs, it will reduce the amount needed and be a major step to becoming self sufficient.
The clinic has become a mainstay for the community. Each day, there are anywhere from 9 to 23 patients coming for various ailments. The average was 74 per week during August. Even the working staff at the centre made use of the facilities. One got malaria and another had a minor foot injury. With Brigitte in Canada, Ritah has done a terrific job maintaining the clinic.
The final touches to the classroom will be completed in the next two weeks. Painting has begun on the inside and the glass for the windows will be installed the first week of September. Because of a lack of funds, we'll purchase lumber and build desks and seating ourselves. This will mean a week delay but we have already made plans for classroom instruction.
It seems our watchdogs understand what is expected of them. Anyone coming onto the property at night is barked at and chased. This includes stray dogs. Recently, a dog got a little too close and both dogs promptly chased it away. Seems two rampaging pups are enough to discourage one adult. This past week, the two had a disagreement about who should have a used bone. Max (male) who is bigger and heavier made the mistake of thinking his sister would give it up. Not without a fight!! Cujo (aptly named), showed her Doberman side and easily handled Max. Poor thing limped away, scarred and humiliated. Short time later, they kissed and made up. I guess family ties really do bind. Just a quick update on our senior citizen. His house finally decided to call it quits and is now down. Currently, he is living in a tent made from grass.
That is all for this month but do keep those e-mails coming. Always like to hear your comments (good or bad) and any suggestions you may have.
Regretfully, no donations this month so we'll hold off with the accounting and hope to combine it with next month.

July 2006 - Update
It was time for Brigitte to return to Canada. On July 31st, I took her to Entebbe where she reluctantly boarded her plane shouting "I'll be back!!". She'll be very busy for the next month as she visits friends and family, she'll work for a while and she will do some much needed fund-raising as well as gathering up more medical supplies. Everyone misses her already.
The clinic has seen a steady increase of patients over the month. As more people become aware that the clinic is open 6 days per week, we see patients from areas further away than we originally intended. Several cases of malaria (very common here) have been treated. Measles has become a problem here also as one child has already died. We put out notices as far away as 5 km that there was an immunization available at the clinic free of charge. A person from the government medical staff came to the clinic to immunize anyone requiring it. While there was a fair turnout, we felt the numbers should have been higher so it will be held again in August.
The community work programme (CWP) has been very successful. Many people have turned out to help prepare the land. The last week of July was the beginning of holidays for students and many of them have been showing up to work. Several live with their grandmothers who are not able to do a lot of work so they collect pesos for their future medical care. Considering the number of pesos outstanding and the patients that are using them, we can see the programme works. The local population have expressed their appreciation for the service many times. Once the classroom is completed, our services will be expanded. Many have expressed a desire to learn English so will begin shortly.
We have begun the process of obtaining NGO status in Uganda. It can be a very long process, sometimes more than a year. With the backing of many prominent officials here, we are hoping to have it within a few months.
Donations were a little sparse this month but we borrowed enough to continue operations. We see the community has changed in attitude and economically so we believe we are on the right track. This is how we stand at the end of July.

December 2006 – Sanne and Manon
Hello everybody,
How are things going everywhere in the world? In Tekera Uganda, everything is very good. Since the last time we posted a story on the website, many things have happened. The playground is finished (and repaired) and we painted red, blue, green and yellow. It is a shame that the paint in Uganda is very bad, because it’s already coming of.
But it still looks great, the children are having fun, they play a lot and they smile. With the swing some children get hurt, but we think children have to learn from their mistakes.
The people from Tekera and the surrounding use the playground, and they love it!!
The primary school finished two weeks ago. We told the children that they could come in the morning from 8.30 am till 10.30 am. We didn’t expect many children, but the first few days there were more than 50 children and we worked very hard with them. It gives us a good feeling that the children want to learn English, they want to learn mathematics and that they like to come to school in their summer holiday! We spoke English with them, drew some drawings, made some exercises with numbers and sang some songs and made it fun to go to school. After a week there was a group of children who came everyday and that’s nice to work with! We will miss them in the coming weeks!
In the afternoon, the adult class still continues! From 3.30 pm till 4.30 pm we have a group with 10 adults, and from 4.30 pm till 5.00 pm we have four other ladies who are really beginners. It is nice to see that the adults like the class so much that they come every day, and they come on time. We taught them some verbs and a few conversations like going to the restaurant and going to the clinic. We think it’s most important that their vocabulary is big; they can talk and make themselves understandable in different kinds of ways. Last Thursday we made an exam for them and they all, except for one adult, passed the test. They were smiling, they were happy and also we were very happy with the results. They worked hard for it and we like it that they learn so much.
A few weeks ago Manon celebrated her birthday in Tekera. It’s a bit strange to celebrate a birthday with people who don’t even know when their own birthday is. In adult class we ate some cake and drank some tea and in the evening we celebrated it with Ritah, Joseph and Yiga, with wine, a game and much fun. It is nice to discuss different subjects, because they think differently about many things. Then we really see the difference in culture. We think it’s interesting. It was really a great day.
We just had Christmas. In the Netherlands we always have a kind of “Christmas feeling”, everywhere you look you see Christmas trees, you hear Christmas songs and everybody is buying things , it’s very commercial. Here we only see many, many chicken, because that is what they eat if they can afford it. They celebrate Christmas in a different way, but it’s nice to see that people dress up, want to be pretty and wear something nice.
We went to a restaurant with Bruce and Brigitte with Christmas evening and on Christmas day we ate chicken, matoke and rice with family Welcome. The family has four children and they all looked so beautiful. For us that’s the best “Christmas feeling” we can get.
In the coming weeks, the parents of Manon are coming to Uganda and we will visit some national parks, stay a weekend in Tekera and show them a bit how Uganda looks.

November 2006 – Sanne and Manon
After 4 weeks, is it time for another story. The rain season has started. The people here are very lucky with this, because everything is growing now. And that means; there is food coming. A lot of people are digging in their own garden at the moment and planting plants. For us it’s not always funny, because when it rains a lot, children don’t come to school. We, as teachers, can’t do anything. This is the same with the adult class. In the rain season, people have other priorities than coming to class.
But when the rain is not there and the sun shines, we can teach. With the adult class we have already started with verbs. Also, conversations are still going on. People like it and we like it even more… We really can see some progress and that’s very nice!
The exams in the Primary School have started now. That means a lot of time will be spent on this. Sometimes they had to spend 3 hours at one exam! That’s a long time for children 9 years old. When they are not busy with exams, we have some fun with the children. We sing for example “The lion sleeps tonight” and dance some Dutch dance called “The bird-dance”.
Last Tuesday we went with the whole school to Lake Nabugabo to visit some other primary schools. That was very funny. We, and some 100 children, had to go in one lorry. It was a big challenge to get there but the children where singing the whole time in the lorry, so times flies. When we arrived at the first Primary School, we were treated as queens. We had to sit in the middle on a big chair. Children were singing for us and about us. And everybody wants to have a picture with us. But everybody was very kind.
After a walk around the area of Lake Nabugabo, we visited the second school. We did the same thing over there and we finished the day with a game called netball. Our school lost the game, but the children did have fun and that’s the most important part. The way back in the lorry took some time. We’ve got 2 times a puncture and after the second puncture, the lorry couldn’t drive further, so we had to walk the last 2 km. After all, it was a very funny day with a lot of good impressions.
At the center, everything is still alright. People are visiting the clinic and a lot of people work for the work programme. 
This weekend the first attributes of the playground are coming to Tekera! We are very excited about it! Now we hope the children will love it and play with it! In the next story we will tell you about how the things are going!
We also enjoy our weekend. We went with Ritah to Lake Mburo and saw a lot of animals and great views. The hippo’s in the water, and the impala’s, buffalo’s, zebra’s, warthogs and topi’s on the land. Amazing!! This is also a beautiful part of Africa.
Everyday we take an evening walk. It’s a walk around the centre of one hour. It is nice to walk when the sun goes down, people who knows us, talk to us and children who yell our names or say muzungu. We like it, we are part of the community now, that makes it nice!

June 2006 – Update
Another busy month and now we enter the hot, dry season! Early June, we had the pleasure of welcoming Catrin & Ben from Chicago. They had a busy schedule so didn't get to spend a lot of their short 2 week stay with us in Tekera. They did, however, bring a huge amount of educational books and medical supplies. The clinic is now open 6 days each week. For a while, it seemed this would never happen. It all came together...the workmen finished the inside of the building, the furniture was constructed and shipped out to Tekera and the living quarters were made ready. The first 2 days, it was fairly quiet so it gave Brigitte and Ritah a chance to settle in. However, Wednesday the patients came in droves...43 in all. After that, knowing the clinic was open full time, they remained busy for the rest of the time. A huge number of patients had malaria, a very common problem in this area.
The Centre is still under construction. It is estimated that it will be the end of July before it is completely finished.
The Community Work Programme (CWP) is working extremely well. All those willing to work are given tasks that they are capable of. We have restricted the working age to 10 and over. We had children as young as 5 volunteering to work. Last week, five ladies thought that the new latrine should have a good walkway so they worked for 6 hours laying out the path line, bringing old broken bricks and crushing them with their hoes. They talked, laughed and had a great time working together. In the end, we have a terrific walkway.
The community was sad to see Einer leave Tekera on June 27/06. He left a lasting impression with everyone he came in contact with. Sadly, he had been ill prior to leaving so residents had little opportunity to give him the huge farewell they had planned. There were a few tearful good-byes as he drove off. His memory will remain since his face is on every Tekera Peso. He'll be missed by a lot of people here but we all wish him well as he reunites with his wife in the USA. Thank you for all you've done here, Einer.
After 3 months of negotiations, we have finally settled the land issue. There were a few disagreements between us and the landlord but a resolution was made. The government has a facility which settles disputes between parties. Their decision is final.
Chandra, our fellow Canadian, has been helping out at the community school for the past 2 months. The children were very grateful to have an English foreign teacher. It seems that children who had been missing classes began showing up. It's unfortunate she will no longer be teaching since she is scheduled to return home very soon.
Our guard puppies have been getting into all sorts of trouble. It seems Max takes guarding seriously. He’s starting small by barking at and chasing young children. Adults are too big for him now but that will change soon. He is also quite the escape artist. There isn’t a pen that can hold him in. We built a five foot high compound out of bamboo and strapping. He climbed out. I then put chicken wire on top of it. He still found a small opening and climbed out. We decided to fix him by putting him in the classroom. Let him try to climb up a cement wall. Yep, he managed to get out .This is one smart dog!!
Dreams really do come true. The parents of some friends came to Uganda from Holland in June and wanted to see why their children preferred living in Africa. After a terrific tour of Queen Elizabeth Park, they came to Tekera which is a completely different setting. We showed them around and explained the project…..what we were doing and how the programme worked. It seems they liked what they saw and have donated solar power to the Centre!!! What were lost hours, after 7 PM, are now productive hours. Evening classes, handling night emergencies, social functions…..the list goes on!!
We started our "thank you" section on the main page for all those that have helped us with this project. Even though names no longer remain on the front page, they will continue to be recognized on a continuing page. Your contribution never disappears and neither will the recognition. Because the project is still young, there are many things that need to be done. Without the funding, we could not continue to move forward. June was a great month for donations and we cannot say thank you enough
We have added a volunteer section to our website. While we try to include as much information as possible, there are always some unanswered questions. We can be reached by e-mail and one of our staff (okay, either one of us) will answer any queries you may have.

May 2006 - Update
Wow!! where did the month go. There has been a lot of activity around the jobsite as the workers begin to see the building near its completion. As we leave May, they are now painting the interior. In spite of all the rain (this month marks the end of the rainy season), the workers performed great. There were several minor problems to deal with. Windows & doors weren't made correctly, door frames were warped and adjustments were needed to level the floor but they were all dealt with and eventually it all came together. We even installed a wheelchair ramp.
The bathroom will be completed the first weekend in June and, thanks to fellow Canadian visitors, the staff will enjoy warm showers. A solar camp shower bag will be a welcome addition. Most Ugandans endure cold showers (obviously not cold enough considering the population explosion) so this is a treat. We were also presented several other items for both the clinic and the resource centre, brought from Canada by Chandra, Erin, Jen & Carle. Also a huge thanks to John Fox who was responsible for the girls coming here and also loaded his suitcase with many useful items.
The clinic has been a very busy place. Brigitte, Ritah (our midwife), and 2 or 3 volunteers have been going to Tekera every Wednesday. They were using the school while the children were off on holidays and seeing over 40 patients each time. A few were transported to Masaka for further tests and most were admitted into the hospital. The clinic should be ready for the first week in June and then regular hours will be set. People from as far as 10 kilometers have been coming. The government health office has volunteered to send us a doctor & a dentist once per week. Because there is no power, the dentist will only be able to do extractions & cleanings. Our aim is to obtain enough funds to purchase a solar power system that will enable the dentist to do some drilling and also provide lighting for our classroom so we can have evening classes.
Several people have asked about when English classes will start. It seems that several people are anxiously waiting. We hope to begin the middle of June. The classroom has not been worked on yet so it is at least a week behind the clinic.
The work programme, presently being run by Einer, has been a great success. Many people have come to work, clearing land, digging out tree stumps, taking down termite hills and planting trees. Over 300 pesos are now in circulation. The clinic receives over 50 pesos each week so its a good sign. At first, response was slow but now people are seeing the value of the system. Having a few pesos is like money in the bank. Families work together to put together enough for emergencies. A few savvy people come to work and sell them later for food. It has helped develop a local economy and it appears the future of this program is very bright.
Einer, our man living in Tekera, has been well received. Many know that he returns home at the end of June but don't want him to leave. One couple offered him some land to build a house on. They felt that if he had land, he wouldn't leave. It was a nice offer but he thinks he has a much better offer in the USA....his wife Jennifer. Einer has also been overseeing the construction of the centre, making sure that everything is done right. As we have found out, the building standards and craftsmanship is not what we are used to in North America. Instructing the workers on care & proficiency is a full time job. They are, however, willing learners and welcome the advice that they are given.
I've had the displeasure of watching the budget shrink as the building progresses. Sometimes I think of the movie "The Money Pit" whenever I'm purchasing building supplies. I've also become a quasi expert on termites as I've been knocking down a few hills and found the queen. She likes to bury herself deep but is very easy to spot in a crowd. It's an orangish-brown grub-looking fiend. The huge hill, which can rise to 7-8 feet are handled differently. We use an ant poison mixed with 10 litres of water, open a hole in the hill and pour it down. We also have two guard dogs-in-training (picture left). The two pups are about nine weeks old and are feeling right at home at the centre. The workers have taken the pups as part of their group.
Updating the web site has also fallen into my hands. Since I put the web site together (my first time ever doing this), I ended up as the resident expert. (heaven help us!!).
With a little help and a lot of advice from the other members, this website is a collective effort. We welcome any suggestions to help improve it. If there are things you'd like included, please drop us an e-mail and we'll do our best to include it.
Brigitte had fallen victim to the evil jiggers (sand fleas) that inhabited the new school. While the children were on holidays, many of there parasites took refuge in the school. It was the perfect setting. A dusty, dry floor frequented by tasty flesh. So, Brigitte & the other nurses came home went several planted neatly under the skin & laying eggs for future generations. The can be very painful, especially when they lodge themselves under a toenail. They create a terrible itch, even days after they've been removed. After yours truly came home with 5 in one foot, I decided this was not going to be good for the kids. For $300, the crew put in cement floors in one day and now they can return to the classroom without being attacked. We just classed it as an out-of-pocket donation. The school is still in need of another building and more teachers. Trying to teach 7 grades in 2 rooms is a tremendous challenge for even the best of teachers. We also would like to complete the present building by putting on windows & doors.
From a financial standpoint, we have been stretched pretty thin. Donations have been slow coming in but we still have faith that once people see the program, the support will come. Like we said, we are very transparent. Everything we receive and spend will be accounted for.

April 2006 – Update
April has been a busy month for everyone. The construction of the community centre has been slowed by all the rain. However, we anticipate that the completion will be concluded by the second week in May. Landscaping may take a few months and will be part of the work programme. A lack of power and rising material costs have created a minor problem with the budget. Also, we have included things like a ramp and a storage shed which were not included in the original plan.
The area has been given the gift of clean water. A generous donor provided the funds to repair the old borehole which hadn't worked for over 2 years plus additional funding for a second borehole near the clinic. This should be in operation later in May.
Brigitte has been coming to Tekera every Wednesday to treat the sick. Volunteers have accompanied her each time and over 50 people have come for treatment of various ailments. It seems word is out that there are actually drugs available so people are coming from as many as 7 kilometers away. If this is any indication, the clinic will be a very busy place.
The community work program (CWP) has not been as successful as we hoped. Because of the rain, many are tending their fields but ignoring their obligation to work for the centre. While the reason may be justified in some cases, many are not. So, to combat this, we have devised a new scheme. We are introducing the "Tekera Peso" as the currency for the clinic. This will be in circulation early May. (see CWP)
Einer has been elected to the town council as director of planning & development. For the past month, he has been living in Tekera and every day, people in the community have been watching him work. He went to the chairman with a plan for a marketplace, road construction and improvement, garbage pickup and town cleanliness. So far, the townsfolk have filled in so holes in the road, started building gutters for the water runoff and picked the site for the market which will be held each Friday. So many changes in such a short time for this small, sleepy village where time just stood still.
Joyce was a special case. Her life was one of pain and agony because of the constant pressure on her brain. While she still needs continuous treatment, she can recover and live a normal life. (see story)

July 2006 – Update
July 9 -16
The big news for the week? Solar power!! Tekera was lit up Thursday night as all systems were working as expected. The technicians took two days to connect everything and everything worked beautifully. We can hardly wait to begin evening classes and activities.
One of the handicaps the trading centre had was accessibility. That changed on Saturday as a plough forged through the area creating a road directly into the village. It may only be a dirt road but to us, it was beautiful. For months, we endured terrain that rivaled the roughest off-road tracts you could ever find. Until now, we could not get out of second gear. The local councilor 3 had said he would get the road fixed and, by gosh, he did. Nice to see a politician keep his word. He gets my vote any day.
The water from the newest borehole was tested by the government lab and it was good news. The water is as good as any you would buy. Judging by the lineups every day, I think they all knew that. They begin collecting water at 6 AM and don't stop until after 9 PM.
Ritah and I had a good week in the clinic as we settle in. The patients are becoming familiar to us as we see them come back better or needing more care. It's fun bonding with all the characters there. It's still malaria season though the rains have just ended. We see about 80 patients a week with all kinds of ailments; malaria and pneumonia being the most common. We are now running IV's and doing injectables so we have to refer patients to the hospital less. Ritah is launching the family planning with oral and injectable contraceptives for all mothers who want to take a break or are finished adding to their families. She's also addressing the problem of std's and planning lots of evening educational activities.. All good fun really! Always a radio on or someone singing. 

July 17 - 24, 2006
This week we completed a storage shed. Now we can store all the construction equipment and farming tools and complete the classroom. A few adjustments are needed but we anticipate that classes can start in 3 weeks.
We have been contacted by a couple of owners of land that are connected to us. They have small plots but could be very useful in the near future. History has shown that land values have increased substantially once development takes place. Now we must decide how much we are willing to go in debt for or if we must pass on the present opportunities.
We had a "Thank you for staying" and a celebrate the solar party at the centre on Friday night. Several friends came over and we enjoyed the lighted surroundings....and the company. Too often, we've had parties for friends that were leaving so we decided we needed a different reason. The mosquitoes weren't invited but they came anyways.
Ritah and Brigitte had a rather busy week in the clinic seeing 80 people and counseling numerous others. We had the joy of watching the pesos work better all the time. Sometimes in a way we don't expect. One day a sick, pregnant woman with complications of malaria and being HIV positive arrived. She required more intensive care than we could provide, so, we decided to refer her to the government hospital in Masaka (13kms away) where she could be admitted. After determining that she was not in labour, we decided to send her on the back of a scooter. The family had no money for the transport so we decided to use our petty cash for this purpose. The woman's family then gave us 4 pesos to cover the costs. We had not asked them for anything but they had worked for these pesos so felt that they were, in fact, truly taking care of their loved one without requiring a handout. We all now feel that the community really understands what we are doing and are prepared to do their part.. Next week we are doing our first immunization session. The gov't has agreed to supply the vaccines and send a doctor if we provide the facility and our nursing skills. We plan on administering as many doses of tetanus toxoid as possible because we have seen and heard of many fatal cases of tetanus. There are still a lot of misconceptions about immunization and we are not sure what the turnout will be but hope the numbers will be high.

2006 – Water!
We now have more water!!! Thanks to a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous, Tekera and other surrounding communities now enjoy fresh, clean well water. A second borehole, located near the community centre, has just been completed. The first attempt failed to produce clean water but a second effort proved successful. This second borehole will be very convenient for the centre and the school. It will also alleviate some of the traffic from the original borehole. Considering the community had only a pond as its only source of water previously, along with a non-functioning pump, the people in Tekera and area feel extremely fortunate. Having poor access to clean water is not uncommon in Uganda. While help is being provided to communities without access to water, it is a long, slow process. Without the help of a concerned individual, this would not have been possible.

September 2006 – Hello everyone! Sanne and Manon
Hello everybody
(by Manon de Beer & Sanne Wellen)
Another two weeks in Tekera and everything is going well here. Time flies when you're having fun. We are beginning to like the food, we talk some Lugandan words and people get to know us better. We're not just muzungus anymore but they know who we are!! It is so much fun for them to see two white ladies on a boda boda or on a bicycle! This week we were going for a walk with two of the staff in the morning. It was beautiful! We saw monkeys and butterflies flying around in their beautiful colours. We saw so many colours of green. It's amazing!!! That's why they say this is "the pearl of Africa". Everything is getting much more normal. That's good, it feels safe and it is nice to feel like it's home. The other side is that we have to say to each other that the people, the surroundings and the view is beautiful. Otherwise we maybe don't see it and that's a shame.
At school, things are getting better. The timetable is working because of the new bell and clock. The attendance every morning is strict but good. Only the financial part is not finished. They have to pay school fees and be registered. This week, we started with a strict program for the teachers, children and us. For us, it feels good to work with them and the children. Every smile gives us energy and a good feeling. In the morning, we coach the teachers, read English with P3, P4 and P5 and later do P1 and P2 to work on their English and mathematics. We have had a great two weeks and it's hard to think, but we already see a small difference.
This past week, we started helping with the adult education. Some could speak a little English and others had trouble with the alphabet. It was different than working with children but still good. One of the staff did a lot of the teaching because a lot of translation was needed. Next week, there will be two classes. One for beginners and one for people who are more advanced.
In the coming weeks, we will continue this and start with the playground, a sub-project which we want to finish before we leave. We want to see the children laugh and having fun. That's a thing we want to realise....make a child smile!


August 2006 - Pineapples Anyone?
On August 4/06, we became pineapple farmers. A patch of land came available when a farmer decided he wanted to pursue another line of work. The 1/4 acre has about 1100 pineapples planted but they won't be ready for harvest until late next year. There is still lots of room so the agriculturist has indicated that another 1500 pineapple suckers should be planted. By using the work programme, this will be a good opportunity for community members to begin learning the best growing practices. We'll also benefit by having a field planted very quickly. I'm sure it be shocking to find that a full grown pineapple will wholesale at $0.20 each. A far cry from the price at the supermarket. Something to think about as you glance at that fresh imported pineapple that is selling for $3.99.