The Technical School

When I first came to Uganda in 2014 it was just an idea.  When I returned in 2016 the walls were going up.  Today the technical school in Buikwe that was the brainstorm of Juliet and the project of the Kajjansi club is up and running and changing lives.

Juliet and I left the house at 7:00 and met the club members in a parking lot, where we all transferred to a bus (one of the club members runs a school) and headed off – about 25 of us — through the traffic toward Buikwe.  Our destination was a technical school that the Walter Foundation funded – and which other funders have joined in and helped to grow.

And grow is the active word.  Under a new principal, the school is growing, and more dormitory space,  equipment, everything is needed.  The good news:  The school is growing its own workforce to make things happen.  So the welding students have put together new beds; the construction students have built a new toilet block and so on.  Much needs to be done, but these are all good problems, because they are all problems of the need to expand.

There were many speeches.  Those of you who have visited projects in developing nations can imagine how many speeches there were.  And Peace, who is chairman of the board at the Center, was the MC.  When it was finally my turn to talk, I told the story of Otto Walter, demonstrated the toothbrushes, and then Peace asked the students, “How many of you have taken a picture of a muzungu?”  A few relucantly raised their hands.  “How many of you would like your picture with a muzungu?” They all smiled and raised their hands. So we captured every single student in photos that the CLub will send back to the school.  Pretty funny.

Lunch was created by the culinary students, who don’t yet have an indoor kitchen.  That is still to come.  The culinary students also cut the cake that we ceremoniously cut, and considering that they don’t have an oven, I’m not really sure how they did that.

Then it was time to get back on the bus, and return to the city. One more stop, to pick up the dress that Juliet had made for me overnight – I lost the  argument on who should pay for it – and the club had also given me a dress and Frank a shirt.  So we are well provided for.  And then home, dinner and I fell into bed!