It's a Jungle Out There!

What an absolutely amazing weekend!

One to drive home a true perspective on life, taking one from the “highs” to the “lows” within a short passage of time……

Having not lost any sleep from equating the cost of a night’s accommodation at the Game Park Lodge (After all, this was my “treat” after working so hard), we headed off on a game drive at sunrise.

I did not pitch my expectations too high on the basis that I had been fortunate enough to have been in several other game parks elsewhere in Africa – and Uganda certainly isn’t geared up for tourism!

Sound Advice - For Morons!

However, within the first hour, we had sighted a leopard and lions! These usually take a considerable amount of searching, even with an experienced ranger (and a degree of luck, though modern technology in the form of mobile phones can help to spread the word!).

The Law of the Jungle - Let's Invite a Friend to Dinner!

In addition to these prize “trophies”, we saw just about everything the park could offer (Elephants, Giraffes, Buffalo, Warthogs, Hippos, Baboons, and a whole range of antelopes and birds).

After the 4 hour drive, I was ready for a swim and chill-out time by the pool! All in readiness for……..

A 3 hour boat trip up the Nile river! Whilst the main event was to see the incredible Murchison Falls, it was amazing to see so much wildlife from the water, including the infamous Nile Crocodiles.



Just a Mother Trying to Protect her Eggs



Such a weekend can only emphasise the extremes of life – The sheer beauty of Nature, the harsh reality of Life & Death!

Yet, I was still quite unprepared for the emotional journey that awaited me…….

The exhilaration of watching wild animals in their natural habitat somehow did not compare to the “jungle” of emotions I was to endure last night……watching my team, Arsenal, take me on a proverbial “rollercoaster”….making me suffer at first, before raising my hopes……..Only to leave me in despair following a “give-away” goal in the final minutes of the Carling Cup Final!

Thus, the final “trophy” eluded me - Life can be so cruel!

A Decadent Lifestyle!

Since I've been in Uganda, I don't seem to have spent much money at all!

Not really much on offer to buy, apart from food and beer!

I had hoped to buy yet another African carving for the house - Yet I have yet to see any crafts on offer. Gulu is not exactly a thriving tourist magnet!

However, this weekend is my big treat - A trip to one of Uganda's Game Parks, Murchison Falls National Park.

Having been driven out here, along with one of the Finance team, my initial proposal was that we would all have dinner together. Whilst the other guys were staying at cheaper accommodation adjoining the lodge, we were informed that I was not allowed to eat with them at their place! I thought they were joking at first, but seems like a perverse apartheid policy!


However, to provide a humbling reminder of the wealth gap, I found that the price I'm paying for a night at my Safari Lodge is equivalent to a month's salary of the driver who brought me here - Hopefully, I will be able to sleep alright tonight in spite of this playing on my conscience.

A month's salary blown on a Single Night!

Back to School!

This is what this assignment was all about – The children!

I remember when my own were so very cute......

Freya - Now 13 Years

Harriet - Now 11 years, going on 16!

Whatever happened to those sweet little girls?!!

 

I really wanted to see first hand the contribution and support being provided by Comboni Samaritans.

Along with the Director of Comboni, we visited a particular school where two new classroom blocks have just been finished. These had been funded by the IRT (International Refugee Trust)

Although only 40 kms from Gulu, the remoteness of the location meant that it took almost two hours to get there, mainly due to the state of the roads (or should I say tracks!).

The school had been specifically chosen by Comboni following an independent survey of schools in the area to identify those with the poorest academic results. The completion of these new classroom blocks is the culmination of a process which began back in 2007.

The school accommodates just over 600 children, along with its teaching staff…..of ten!

In spite of this farcical ratio, the children were amazingly well behaved, though it was very apparent that the older kids take a lead in keeping the younger ones under control!

Furthermore, a localised custom involves the children kneeling down to greet adults as a mark of respect…..A very far cry from the way I am treated by my own daughters!

Not too long ago, the children only had one classroom block and therefore many lessons were conducted outside, under the shade of the trees.

It’s difficult to explain just how appreciative the school is to have the new classroom blocks. It has really transformed attitudes and enthusiasm from all concerned. Previously, one of the main causes of the poor school performance stemmed from the parents – Questioning the value of educating their kids, rather than have them help with household and farming chores.

Incredibly, this cultural obstacle appears to have been overcome – Enrolment to the school is increasing, attendance/punctuality is outstanding, and results are improving significantly.

Even with the support of such infrastructure, people have to pay significant school fees. Furthermore, just about everybody seems to pay not only for their own children’s education, but also for a number the inevitable orphaned kids from their wider family (where their brothers or sisters have died during the civil war or from HIV/AIDs).

I point I am trying to make is that, in addition to overseas support, the local people are firmly committed towards the education process.

This project is truly an example where charitable funding is really making a difference.

With this in mind, I have requested that the Director of Comboni identify a specific project that I can fund using the donations generously made into my Justgiving account.

With the exchange rate of around 3600 Ugandan Shillings to the Pound, I can promise that this will be a multi-million project!

I will pass on the details as soon as I am able to agree on an appropriate and suitable need.



 

A Typical Day in the Life of an AfID Volunteer!

AfID (Accounting for International Development) is the organisation that placed me out here. Neil Jennings, its founder, was insistent that I provide a realistic reflection of the true glamour of life as a volunteer.

A typical day sees me rise at 4 a.m., ready to start work promptly an hour later……Should I have I mentioned that the above is British time…….Uganda fortunately is 3 hours ahead!

I must admit that office life is somewhat different to that back home……

Open-Plan Office - Ugandan Style!

 

But what exactly am I doing here on a day-to day basis? Quite honestly, the nature of my own work is no different to that given to my own client businesses at home.

After two weeks here, I remain fully convinced and committed as to my two main objectives. Firstly, I am supporting the charity’s Finance Team to develop their systems and their own personal skills (“Capacity Building” being their own phraseology). Secondly, and most importantly, by providing greater confidence that funds are effectively “hitting the intended causes”, this should support the continuity of ongoing funding from donors.

The World today has so many worthy charitable causes, and as such, there is inevitably considerable competition in the Charity Sector. Coupled with the current economic climate, the extent of funding from the general public, especially in Western countries, would undoubtedly have been squeezed in recent times.

Hence, the importance of retaining good relationships with established donors.

Back to my “typical” day…..

After breakfast, a driver from Comboni (George) takes me to their offices, a journey of around 1 mile through a village and along much-eroded dust tracks. At the moment, everything is dry, but I can imagine how these roads deteriorate when the rains come!

Comboni has its own compound which accommodates the various offices for its “front-line” activities, a women’s co-operative and of course, its Finance team and Management.

Tea and a snack are delivered from the compound kitchen mid-morning, and a good meal is provided at lunchtime. The day finishes strictly at 5 p.m., when I am generally kicked out the offices. This always seems somewhat alien to my usual approach to work, where the timing is somewhat more flexible!

The Comboni Samaritans Main Administration Building

Ah yes, what about the actual work?..............

I do not intend to go into great detail about my work. Firstly, I do not wish to breach confidentiality, and, secondly, it wouldn’t make great reading (To all my Followers – Up to 7 at the last count!)

However, as a general indication of the existing culture, it appears that nothing happens unless a document is signed by three individuals, including letting someone leave the compound with one of the Charity’s motorcycles!

With my usual strategy of trying to streamline systems, I am trying to eliminate any pointless bureaucracy, whilst retaining those controls which are considered to be effective.

I did not come to Comboni with the intention of imposing any fixed model to run their business. Indeed, any changes involve a judgment as to what will make a positive improvement to their operations……And such judgement must involve the opinion from all concerned to be effective.

Therefore, I have needed to review the way the accounting processes have been operated, with the assistance of the Finance team. This has involved learning about the new accounting package they implemented last Summer, the relationships with a range of Donor Charities and how they manage the activities, financially and otherwise.

The Comboni Finance Team

Ultimately, my contribution here would be severely diminished if I am unable to transfer my review techniques to the local Management and Staff. I can suggest and introduce certain improvements whilst I am here, but they will need to continue the strategy on an ongoing basis to ensure effective improvements where needed.

As for the staff at Comboni, everybody has been incredibly friendly and supportive, though this appears to be very much the normal culture of Ugandans in general.

Such hospitality has applied equally to outside the workplace, an aspect which has to be critical for any volunteer. I had been worried before I arrived about how I would be spending the evenings and weekends, but those concerns have proved unfounded.

For anyone considering such a placement, never under-estimate the importance of the social side to make the most of your experience.

Living Under a Dictatorship!

Well, the big Election Day has come and gone, largely without trouble.

And as expected, it looks like President Museveni has achieved an overwhelming majority of the vote and will continue in office.

And how did I personally spend the momentous day? …..Locked in my hotel room!

Not exactly incarceration, but being the sad accountant that I am, I was obsessed with completing a specific project I had promised to the Comboni Samaritans, my charity.

I had been advised to keep a low profile, just in case there was any trouble during the election, so decided not to go out.

So, with a fanned hotel room and a laptop loaded with my favourite music, I was happy to become totally absorbed into an Excel spreadsheet all day whilst Uganda decided its fate outside!

The only noticeable change in Gulu over the last few days was a seemingly voluntary curfew of the town the night before Election Day when we were heading off for a Quiz Night! This was probably in response to several not-too-veiled announcements from the Police that it was ready to quell any “disruption to the political process”.

Otherwise, the atmosphere on the streets has been pretty normal.

The National TV channel has provided continuous coverage of the Election, as you would expect. However, news from Uganda has hardly hit the radar on CNN – Dominated by events in the Middle East and North Africa! I did watch one short commentary on CNN, presented by a freelance journalist I had met during my first week here - Small World!

In conclusion, it looks like a resumption of “business as usual” …..

Personally, I cannot imagine how it would be like living under a dictatorship for such a long time!!!!!!!!! ……….

Have you met my Wife, Louise?! In power since 1989!

Election Special!

If you're ever planning a far-away assignment such as this , why not spice it up by coinciding the timing with a national presidential election?!!

Tomorrow is the big day here in Uganda - and the place has shut-down! I knew that all businesses would be closed for the actual election day, but earlier this week, the Government granted an extra Public Holiday "to allow voters to travel to their designated voting places".

By way of some historical background (My "Education Slot"!), I'm sure many are more familiar with the legacy and stories of the regimes of Obote and Amin. Indeed, even when I was applying for my visa, the Ugandan High Commission were promoting their country by way of an advertisement for the film "The Last King of Scotland". If you've never seen the film, it is based rather graphically around the rule of Idi Amin....Some image to attract much needed visitors!

Anyway, back tothe history lesson - Yoweri Museveni has been President of Uganda for the last 25 years. In context to his predecessors, my guide book gives a reasonably good portrayal since this period has reflected steady economic growth for the country.

It appears that he certainly has no intention of stepping down and the political process seems to be very stage-managed towards his re-election. Recent polls on National TV have reported a 65% majority in his favour, if this is to be believed.

In Gulu,the general atmosphere is relatively calm. There is a lot of criticism of the current regime, though consensus is that there isn't any viable alternative amongst the other opposition candidates - A general resignation of "better the devil you know"!



Voter Registration

 As the above poster shows, all voters have to formally register, a process which involves recording finger prints. Despite living in the country for almost two..... weeks, it was confirmed that I was not entitled to participate in this election!

I have been told that the critical time will be after the election results have been announced. Will there be any reaction, particularly given recent events in Cairo? Indeed, it appears that the CNN Network is involved in some type of conspiracy, since its coverage is dominated by riots and protests in just about every country round the region and the Middle East.

In the meantime, however, one major concern on the minds of many local voters was eased considerably last night...........The fate of Arsenal's Champions League campaign!

The team performance was undoubtedly boosted by the immense support and willing coming from the Gulu branch of the Arsenal Supporters Club, in spite of the late hour (Way past midnight when the match finished).

Great atmosphere around our bar - Far better than my memories of the previous encounter with Barcelona witnessed in a pub in Moseley, Birmingham last year with a not so lucky mascot (The individual will know who I'm referring to!).

Based on last night's momentous victory, if ever there was an opportunity to offer a viable alternative candidate for tomorrow's election.........May I introduce the next President of Uganda........Arsene Wenger!!

Life in Gulu

I must apologise to my sole registered follower (?) for the delay in kick-starting this blog (mainly due to the availability of internet access). However, I can confirm that I arrived safely in Uganda and have now completed a fascinating first week of my placement.

Whilst I had certain perceptions of life in Gulu, several of those have turned out to be quite different. On the positive side, the hotel is remarkably comfortable – I was expecting something far more basic! My room has a good en-suite bathroom, TV, Fan (which I keep on all night to keep cool), mosquito net and sometimes electricity!

In contrast, the landscape around the hotel is pretty typical of the town – A road which is best described as pot-holes surrounded by odd sections of tarmac rather than tarmac with pot-holes. Either side of the road lies red dust channels which accumulate daily rubbish and anything else than happens to gravitate there! Most of the roads are fringed with a multitude of shacks from which locals ply their various trades – The animal carcasses of the butchers, live chickens in pens, welding services, car repairs etc.

But the heat and dust are always constant, night and day. And when this is accompanied by huge gusts of wind, I’m just glad I’ve chosen not to wear my contact lenses!

Choosing the Right Accommodation

 

 

 

Finding a Good local Butcher

Good Supply of Fresh Fruit

Final Choice of Hotel

View Outside the Hotel

Perhaps the most striking impression of this first week has been the friendliness and politeness of the local people. From all the traumatic experiences many would have endured from the recent history of the region, I was imagining that their general demeanour would verge towards being somewhat withdrawn or possibly manifest in anger or resentment. On the contrary, there appears to be a degree of hope for the future which is quite inspirational.

On the work front, it has been a surprising productive week, though not without its fair share of frustrations!

Having previously travelled and worked in Africa, I felt that I was better prepared than most for the type of “manyana” culture out here. Initially, an induction meeting had been arranged for my first day, to meet the key staff and agree the objectives of my assignment in more detail. Amazingly, everybody turned up! However, as the week progressed, some of those key staff disappeared for various (though justified) reasons, leaving me to chop and change my work schedule.

Although my principal motive for coming to Uganda was the very worthwhile causes being supported by the Comboni Samaritans, I was quite concerned as to what I would be doing outside the work environment.

I had already been told that everyone here is obsessed by English football, and have already seen a few live games, not to mention the constantly repeated highlight shows! Whilst the atmosphere in the hotel bar is lively, the greatest challenge is posed by the extent of interruptions during the matches. I am not referring to any breaks for commercials, but rather to the all too frequent power cuts, which sent the whole place into darkness for a good few seconds (before coverage is resumed)! As such, I’m glad I brought my head torch, which really should be a standard issue for this hotel!

As the sad accountant that I am, I generally regard my laptop computer as my life-support system. That view has been further pronounced here in Gulu. Before I left the UK, I loaded several music CDs on to the laptop and packed an assortment of DVDs, just in case I was stranded and bored out of my tree!

Fortunately, I have not needed to resort to this back-up plan – Well, not yet, at any rate!

The social side of life was not looking great after the first 3 nights – OK, I was initially tired from travelling out here and couldn’t be bothered to make an effort. However, since then, I’ve met up with some amazing people, a mixture of those working at the Comboni Samaritans and other ex-pats working for other charities.

Yesterday, a group of us travelled north to visit Bakers Fort. I have never heard the British Empire being viewed in such a complimentary way, since Samuel Baker was assigned to the area to enforce the prohibition of the slave trade (rather than promote it!).

One final story which provides a very poignant message about life in Gulu……

On Saturday morning, I bumped into George, the driver at Comboni who ferries me to and from work each day. He was collecting one of the charity’s HIV/AIDS clients in town……To take them to their funeral.

Initial Thoughts!

This whole process started early last summer. I'd always wanted to do something really worthwhile for charity, beyond satisfying the conscience by donating to the well-hyped tidal waves of Red Nose Day and Children in Need. However, the usual demands and excuses of everyday life always seemed to put such ideas on the backburner....and they never came to fruition!

Nevertheless, I was in the very fortunate position that I had set up my own business specifically with the aim of creating more time for the family and personal projects. So, I would only really have myself to blame for not making these things happen!

I received a random e-mail out of the blue from AfID (Accounting for International Development), an organisation set up to place accountants into charities around the World. This concept was particularly geared towards voluntary placements for working accountants.

The freedom to choose my own charitable cause and the timing of my visit was perfect. First and foremost, the actual cause had to be very "hard-hitting". I certainly had no hesitation in supporting the Comboni Samaritans of Gulu, located in Northern Uganda.

Beyond what I've already read about the recent history of atrocities in the region, it really is difficult to comprehend the true extent of the suffering and trauma experienced by those communities. Obviously, we have our own concerns about personal safety and security here in the UK. However, could we imagine a situation of rogue militia forces sweeping through our own neighbourhoods, butchering most of the people, and hauling any surviving children off to a life of prostitution or soldiering?

THAT has been the reality of this particular region in Uganda.....Yet, from all accounts, the surviving, child-biased community appear to demonstrate remarkable strength and resilience. More than anything else, it is their hope for the future that has driven me to embark on this project.

I guess the overwhelming question would be: "What on Earth can be achieved by sending an accountant into the middle of Africa?" (Apart from the hope of him being eaten by a lion!).

Well, I can confirm that I have not volunteered to "get my hands dirty" by building schools or latrines!

My placement is very much in a professional capacity as an accountant, with two prime objectives as far as I see my role:

1)  To support and mentor the local Finance Team, including developing systems to make the management and control of the Charity's activities more effective; and
2)  To provide greater credibility to the Charity's UK Donors that their funding is truly hitting the intended targets, rather than ending up in some official's back-pocket (A widely held opinion of many in the UK).

It would be hard to dispute the worthiness of the underlying cause of the Charity. I see my role as one of support to ensure that the funding provided is being used effectively.

Finally, I have also endeavoured to promote my placement over the next month as a vehicle to raise additional funds for the Comboni Samaritans. I would like to thank all those who have kindly made a donation through my JustGiving account, but would welcome others to support the Charity likewise. Please spare a thought for the traumatised children of these communities and make a donation to the main UK Donor, the International Refugee Trust, via the following link:

 http://www.justgiving.com/Grahame-Woodward

Many, many thanks for your kind generosity,

Grahame