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Uganda 2000 - Entebbe District Entebbe Project 2000 | Project Photographs

The Entebbe Team is James ("Lee") Carrot and Andrew Marshall (Hinckley, Leicestershire), Jacob Foster (Collingbourne, Kinston), Luke Irving (Andover, Hampshire), Harvey Smith (Shirely, Solihull) and Steve Fitzwater (Nottingham).

Local hosts are Moses Musisi - Entebbe District Executive Commissioner, "Freddy" - Local Scout Leader, Priest & Councillor, Livingston - Freddy's Driver & Charles Bronson Look-alike, Isaac - a Local Scout, "Handy Andy" - Locally employed labourer, Joseph - Unit Driver & all round good egg.

Together they have been given the task to undertake the following projects in the next 5 days in Entebbe District. Our report shows they are already working together as a team, Uganda and British Scouts and supporters.

• Project 1 - New District Scout HQ & Training Centre
  The first step in any camp site project is to stake your claim and ownership of the land. The Unit in Entebbe have been working on the new site, purchasing poles and putting them in the group in pouring rain. Steve said "It didn't really matter about the rain, it was still hot and we soon dried off". The spare poles given to St Teresa's Primary School for a new fence. The Unit is now (Thursday) actively engaged in wiring the poles to form a fence.

• Project 2 - Dig well
  This is a 30 meter deep borehole on the edge of a swamp. The borehole has a manually operated pump which has been broken for many years. No-one living locally has been able to afford to undertake repairs. Repairs which probably cost less than £50.

  The consequence is that the local in habitants are drinking the mangky water - sometimes without boiling it! The water is considered so bad they would not let the UK Scouts go in it for fear of them catching something nasty! The situation is made worse by the fact that somebody has set-up an unauthorised brick works on the site - thus muddying the water.

  It is estimated that it would take about three hours for "Handy Andy" to repair - if the Town Council(?) will provide the money. "Freddy" has been trying for years to get this done. Unit negotiator Steve is meeting with the Town Clerk on Friday to make the request on behalf of the local people. No doubt he will tell the Town Clerk what good publicity it will be for Entebbe if the local people can be seen to be drinking clean water.

  Entebbe houses many international agencies concerned with the reduction of disease in the country.

  As a "stop-gap" the Unit have been digging out the well (fed by a spring) hoping that if deep enough, the sludge will settle thus improving the quality of the water

• Project 3 - Repair roof of Kyeune Petero's hut
  Kyeune Petero is an old man who claims to have been born in 1911 making him 89 years old, a remarkable survival if Kyeune's dates are right. He has no where to live so has been given a mud hut by the "landlord" of the land. The roof of the hut was "thatched" with local vegetation and was in a terrible state.

  The Unit replaced the roof with corrugated tin sheet - bought by the Unit at a cost of about 30 pounds sterling. Everybody helped with Kyeune's roof - Harvey even got the local children collecting and plaiting grass to make string later used as skipping rope.

  When the job was completed and the Unit was about to leave, Kyeune shook everybody's hand and said (in Kiswahili) "God had brought you here - may he keep you, and take you back".

  In a sudden urge to eat fried eggs Harvey purchased a frying pan. The receipt was made out for a "flying pan" which caused amusement to Scouts and locals alike. As the Unit is in Entebbe, home of Uganda's International Airport this is perhaps the new class on BA to replace Concorde? (only joking).

• Project 4 - Repair roof of Old Lady's hut
  Today (Thursday) the unit has made a start on the hut. The roof is in similar state to Kyeune's except that the timber roof structure also needs replacing. No doubt by Saturday all this work will be completed and the Unit can have a rest climbing Mount Elgon!
• Bits and Bobs
  In the meantime Steve and Harvey have made friends with some local children. They find Steve's (Fitzwater) surname amusing - and call him "Mister H2O".

  "Freddy" is desperate to get some funding to pay for some of the local children to be educated - only 20% are currently at School. This is every child's dream in Uganda to get a good enducation and to do better!

  Almost certainly the safest country in Africa at the moment the Unit is located in Entebbe not far from the airport and therefore security is sensitive. The are camping in the Botanical Gardens (with a patrol of armed-guards) along with local Scouts led by Angel who is the daughter of the Chief Commissioner of Scouting in Uganda and adviser to his Excellency The President of Uganda.

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