
Grace, Elda, Sigrid, Syprose, Adriana, Carla, Hermien, Ine, Christa, Chris, Nicky International Exchange Program Uganda 6-20 th of January 2014 Participants Adriana Riquena Brazil Carla van Thiel The Netherlands Chris de Leeuw The Netherlands Christa Werner Germany Elder Yenziwe Masuka South Africa Grace Kinyanjui Kenya Hermien van Sloten The Netherlands Ine van Emmerik The Netherlands Nicky Westrick U.S.A. Sigrid Richardson The Netherlands Syprose Atiena Oduor Kenya 1 International Exchange Program Uganda. 6-20 th of January 2014 Morning Afternoon Evening 6th Mon Introductions. Information Optional: guided tour Kampala; After supper some sharing personal side seeing/shopping 7th Tues See Grail Center and projects; see Social Center 4 pm Guided tour Lubaga Hospital After supper some sharing 8th Wed Go to Nakirebe. Grave Elizabeth and new Lunch at Nakirebe After supper some sharing Center; 10 am Eucharist with Cardinal Wamala. 9th Thurs Visit Cecilia Ssentamu and family. Pass Kasubi Have lunch at Cecilia After supper some sharing tombs (graves of Kings of Buganda) 10 th Fri 9.30 leave for Kitovu Grail Center. Stop at Lunch at Kitovu. Visit Immaculate Kasendwa and After supper some sharing equator family 11 th Sat Go to Ggulama (Vocational Training School and Lunch at Nakasojjo After supper some sharing Nakasojjo (Health Unit) 12 th Sun 7 am Eucharist at Cathedral. Leave for Pass Mburu Park. Stay at Mushanga Social Center After supper some sharing Mushanga 13 th Mon See Health Unit and Social Center Sharing on different projects and Home Care Program After supper some sharing 14 th Tues To Kishabya St. Michael Grail Center. See Lunch at Kishabya. Share with some men + women After supper some sharing Center and grounds groups. Back to Mushanga 15 th Wed Tour around Mushanga Social Center Lunch in Mushanga. Walk up the hill (optional) After supper some sharing 16 th Thur Back to Rubaga Grail Center Lunch at Kitovu After supper some sharing 17 th Fri To Teo Nakibule. See her projects Lunch at Teo’s home After supper some sharing 18 th Sat To Jinja and source of the Nile Lunch in Jinja After supper some sharing 19 th Sun To Namugongo (Martyrs of Uganda) 10 am Lunch in Rubaga Grail Center After supper some sharing Eucharist in Basilica. 20 th Mon Packing and last shopping Packing and last shopping After supper some sharing 2 January 6, 2014, Hermien All participants had already arrived between January 2 and 5, so instead of a travel day, this was the day of our first meeting. After breakfast we gathered in the dining room looking out over the lush garden with banana trees, avocado trees, organically grown vegetables, and the sounds of a variety of tropical birds (More about the center grounds tomorrow). January 6th is Epiphany, Syprose, Josephine and Elda and Christa reminded us of that with her opening words. Like the three kings who were looking for the star to find Jesus, we had been looking forward to this program in Uganda for a long time. We took turns to introduce ourselves: 11 women from 6 countries and 3 continents, all connected to the Grail for a short or a longer time (Chris wanted to join already in 1946). We were joined this morning by Prisca, Josephine, Connie and Regina from the Grail center Rubaga. Some of the shared interests are: education, health care, family planning, finance, management, agriculture, pastoral counseling, Grail formation, meditation, poetry, creative writing. We also wrote down and shared our expectations and dreams for this program. The program was handed out and explained. It looks very promising. After lunch we got into two cars for a city tour of Kampala. The traffic was unbelievably heavy. Not only cars were crisscrossing on the road, sometimes trying to push each other away or gesturing that the other could go ahead, but when there was Connie, Adrinana, Prisca, Frances (almost) no moving forward possible for a while the boda bodas (motorbikes with a paying passenger on the back seat) would squeeze in between and pedestrians would cross in front of us. It was hard to breathe because of the air pollution, but fascinating to see so many people carrying so many loads on their bikes or on their head or just watching others do that and all the little shops along the street. We got out at the Anglican church and looked at the graveyard but our plan to go shopping on Kampala Road could not be realized because there was just no way to stop or park the car. 3 We saw the City Hall and the Parliament building and stopped at Garden City to buy some post cards and more. We were looking for a coffee pot but with the help of the driver only found a coffee machine. Then we stopped at an arts and crafts market where we could buy beautiful souvenirs. Connie did a very good job negotiating prices. After supper we met again to hear from Prisca and Josephine some history of Uganda. We learned about clans, tribes and kings, the artificial border with Tanzania, about the manipulations of the president and about the Ugandan Roman Catholic martyrs who were burned because of their faith. January 7, Ine The Grail center in Rubaga In 1951/52, two Grail women (Lydwine van Kersbergen from the Netherlands and Margriet van Gilse from Belgium) drove from South-Africa to Uganda, exploring how they could start working as Grail. There they made the first contacts with the Catholic Church. The bishops needed help for the management of the hospital in Rubaga; they wanted to stimulate the dignity of women. Dr. Magdalene Oberhoffer from Germany was the first one to take leadership of the hospital, later followed by Dr. Johny Storimans (Netherlands) and Dr. Rita Moser (Germany). At first the Grail women slept in the hospital, in small rooms. The Archdiocese provided land to build a Grail-Center. The main building with kitchen, living room and bedrooms was built in 1967. Elisabeth Namaganda, a student at that time, was one of the first who lived there. Now Grail women from Rubaga Grail live there: Prisca Nakitto i/c, Connie Nalwanga (Nurse and store keeper of UCMTI) 1, Frances Nassuuna (Public Health Nurse and trainer), Regina Bashaasha (senior counselor and trainer). Prisca takes care of daily management of the house. Rose Nayiga (Financial Director of UCMTI) and Patricia Nakityo (i/c of Nakirebe projects) live together in one of the staff houses of UCMTI. Josephine lives in a room in the social center, but all three have their evening prayers and supper at the Grail house. Later on, an annex to the house was built; the rooms are now rented to students who are trained in UCMTI. We see a lot of small projects during our walk through the Grail Center. The chickens provide for eggs for the house, but they are also sold to neighbors. We see the stables for the pigs, there were about 100 there, but due to pigs-disease they had to go, unfortunately for the second time already. There is a small biogas installation in the back of the garden. The gas is used for the cooking. The Grail started a training program around domestic violence. They invited local leaders to discuss this issue. Poverty is an important factor; not being able to feed the children heightens anxiety and alcohol abuse. With the help of a little bit of funding the women of the Grail started a program. Children were invited to participate in workshops at the center during the holidays; they were trained in organic farming. During the months dedicated to Maria (May and October) they visit people in the neighborhood. They pray the rosary together; it gives an opportunity to talk about daily life and problems. Afterwards, the center can be of help in many ways, there is a small fund for emergency cases. Patricia shows us her wine making project. She works step by step. She started making 10 liters, when that was sold, she went on. Income is also generated by teaching other people in the neighborhood. People bring money but also materials, like bottles. It turns out to be lucrative to make wine for weddings. Weddings are a big thing in Uganda. Patricia first sold big jerry cans with wine, now she is producing bottles with a special label for the occasion. She is already thinking about new developments, bigger cans, and a machine to put corks on the bottles. 1 Uganda Catholic Management and Training Institute 4 Uganda Catholic Management and Training Institute (formerly called Social Center) We visit the social center, the Uganda Catholic Management and Training Institute, and are welcomed by the director, Dr. Mereciane Nassuuna Musoke and by Rose (assistant director). Rose explains and gives us a tour through the center. This center, initially for women and girls, was founded by Joan Dilworth in 1965. Joan started teaching under a tree. Now the center is owned by the Episcopal Conference of Uganda. During the first visit of Pope Paul VI (1969) there was a Ugandan Episcopal Conference, funded by Miserior and the German government. After that the center became a national institute, still managed by the Grail. In 1971 Amin evicted many foreigners, which caused a national brain drain, but activities still went on. In 1979 the civil war started, Rose and Christa had to sleep in the storeroom in the hospital, many people came to seek refuge, many activities were postponed. After the war, in 1985/86, the school and training programs could start again with help of Auxilium and Cebemo funding.
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