April 2008

New figures show that the number of Ugandans who cannot afford basic needs in life such as food, clothing, water, education and shelter has risen from eight to nine million to date. The latest household survey for 2005/06 by Uganda Bureau of Statistics puts the number of Ugandans living in abject poverty to nine million, a figure which is undermining a renewed government push to fight poverty.“It’s unfortunate that instead of the government reducing poverty, it’s instead rising every day,” Mr Oduman Okello (FDC, MP Bukedia) said.

In Memory of Budo GirlsBy Robert SsebugwawoOh Dear parents and fellow country ComradesWe are dead but not goneAlmighty Lord will comfort our soulsBecause we are innocentIt’s indeed so sad,That we perished like hogs,Because no one came for our rescueIn time of extreme needWho started the fire?Why did this happen?What did we do wrong?Where were the school care takers?We cannot even say a wordBecause we are deadOh, Fellow Country ComradesFrom all over the World

Disclaimer: I read this a few months ago now and I seem to have misplaced my copy of the book, so I’m going off memory here.As I said before, my parents brought this book when they came to visit and left it behind. Neither of them could stop talking about it, so I picked it up right away and was pleasantly surprised. This is one of those books that I found baffling—for two different reasons. First, that I had never heard of it before. It’s just too good of a book. Everyone should know about it. And not just those who have an interest in Africa. Second, I was baffled by the writing. It’s just too good. And it’s not fair. How can this woman excel at everything she does? How can she raise thoroughbred horses single-handedly, as a teenager, and then become this pioneering woman by flying planes in the 1930s, and then write as beautifully as she does?

Last night J and I went out for Thai food at the Metropole Hotel on Acacia Avenue. We planned on eating on their deck, under the stars, overlooking the golf course, only to find upon arrival that the deck was under construction. How, after having been open less than six months, do they already need to completely redo their deck?

For the Africa Reading Challenge I’m supposed to have six books about Africa on this list. I can promise I will read six books about Africa by the end of the year, no problem, but I can’t really promise what they will be. The first two are definite. The last four are probablies. 1. West With the Wind by Beryl Markham — Review forthcoming.

I will start by admitting that I have been really blonde about this car business. But promise me you won’t laugh when I tell you that only the other week I discovered that I had a car jack somewhere on the side of my boot. See it was inside the car wall if I can call it that. So this is the situation. I go to the car wash and accidentally drive over a huge stone and the only way to get through is raise the car. So one of the wash guys says, madam give me your jack. And I’m thinking ooops! I forgot to ask daddy about that.

A few months ago, I was sitting in the lounge in Kabira using the Internet in the midst of a film set. Kiwani, a Ugandan film, which debuted in Kampala recently. J found this still online, but I didn’t make it into the shot. But I was there, people, I was there.

I heard about Fahreed’s used bookstore only recently, though it’s been open since late 2006. It’s located in the Ntinda shopping complex on Old Kiira Road; a second, larger shop has apparently opened more recently in Nakawa, though I have yet to visit it. Like the Bookend, Fahreed’s also imports used books from England; unlike the Bookend, it does not buy books back. It has a larger selection of titles—thriller, chick lit, and general fiction is lumped into together, and there are also cookbooks, health and fitness books, textbooks, encyclopedias, children’s titles, as well as some old VHS movies. Hardcover fiction runs for Ush 10,000 and paperbacks for Ush 5,000. The setting is not as attractive as the Bookend, nor is as much care taken in displaying the titles. Fiction books are stacked three deep on the shelves, making two-thirds of the store’s stock very difficult to see. Be prepared to dig.

So here you go...FOUR JOBS I HAVE WORKED1-Social worker at Dwelling places Children’s home2-Social worker at Labour office in Mbale3-Features writer at Daily monitor4-Product editor at Daily monitor (to date)FOUR MOVIES I WOULD WATCH OVER AND OVER1-Pirates of the Caribbean2-Hercules (cartoon)3-Notting hill4-The Count of Monte CristoFOUR PLACES I HAVE LIVED (COUNTRIES)1-Uganda2-Uganda3-Uganda4-UgandaFOUR TV SHOWS I LOVE1-Desperate house wives2-One on one3-Friends4-Sex and the CityFOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION1-London-UK2-Jinja-Uganda3-Kabale-Uganda4-Nairobi-KenyaFOUR OF MY FAVOURITE FOODS1-Pizza2-Chicken3-Pork

This afternoon I remembered one of those fond memories of my first year in the great MUK. There was this guy who decided that he had found the woman of his choice in me (blush). After our first semester holiday, my suitor came up to me one fine morning and said his mother, in the good old village had sent me something. I was to accompany him to his hall. I honnestly did not know what to expect but I had a strange curiousity enveloped in total amusement. When we got to the hall, this friend shyly told me to wait by the roadside (another classic sign of village love (giggle).....anyway so by the roadside I waited. It took him about 10min and he was back clutching a big green paper bag with lots and lots of maido- yeah- groundnuts!

Children beleived to be with Kony up to now. FIle PhotoACHOLI leaders have asked LRA leader Joseph Kony not make it a habit to continue giving excuses to postpone the signing of the final peace agreement. “We have to exercise patience but Kony should also stop postponing the signing,” Gulu LC5 chairman Norbert Mao said on Wednesday. “Many of us were disappointed with the abrupt message of extension up to April 14 because this is the second time they are delaying the process.” Since Kony was the one who requested for the peace talks, Mao added, he must demonstrate that he was serious by personally signing the final peace agreement. The chief LRA negotiator in the Juba talks, David Matsanga, on Tuesday said Kony would not be able to make it from Garamba forests to Ri-Kwangba, where he was due to sign on April 3. He suggested April 10 as the day Kony could sign.