Gulu

We arrived back from Kijabe, Kenya on Sunday the 26th. Another family that also took their son to RVA with us were going to be heading back to their home in Gulu. We have been trying to visit them for over a year, and it just never worked out. Since they were already in Jinja and going to be heading home, we decided it was a good time to follow them up.

Probably at least nine months ago, Hackers for Charity had donated a computer with N-computing installed and three monitors. When our friends, Keith and Lisa Coggin, set it up in the classroom in Gulu it didn't work. Over the months they returned the computer to Jinja and our technician tried to fix it. Long story short... it was finally fixed and we felt like this time we should actually go up for the install.

Having just returned from a day and a half of travel we were glad when Keith decided to stay in Jinja on Monday and just relax. Declan really wasn't crazy about getting in the car again and traveling another seven hours. What a blessing when dear friends of ours offered to have Declan stay with them.

Tuesday we head out, taking dusty back roads.... seeing a cow tied to the back of a boda (motorcycle), that was a first. The country up there is beautiful. Clouds... I like clouds. Up there they were so white, and the sky so blue.

We arrive late Tuesday afternoon. The school is closed for holiday, but the computer classroom is suppose to be ready for set-up. Of course, that was not the case. It seemed like all the workers had decided to take off while Keith and Lisa weren't there. So the computer table that was suppose to be finished wasn't. The carpenter assures Keith that it will be done by 9am the next morning.

Later that evening the carpenter calls back and says he is on the way to the school to bring the table. Yeah... we would get to do set up the following day.

The Nile River

One of the school buildings

More classrooms... open door leads to the computer lab

At this point.... we had to just laugh. The carpenter indeed did bring the table.... but it was in pieces. Not assembled. But that's okay.... now we can tell him to not varnish the top of the table so we don't have to wait for it to become un-sticky. With clear instructions given to the carpenter we head to the huts for the night.

The next morning, Wednesday, Keith goes over to see the table. It is assembled!! However... the clear instructions that were given were not followed. A nice coat of varnish is covering the entire table. When we asked the carpenter why the instructions weren't followed... he says, "oh, but if the rains come the table could get wet on the top and needed to be sealed." Which was a good argument, except for the fact that it was not asked for, and in fact was not wanted. Keith puts a fan on it for the night, and we hope it will be dry by morning.

Thursday.... FINALLY. The table is assembled and dry, we can install the computer classroom. I helped a very little bit, Jon does most of the work.. but by the end of the day it is ready for use.

Keith with the carpenters

Six stations, instead of three. Nice new monitors and deep freeze installed so no one can accidentally erase or mess up the machine.

Johnny making sure everything is working properly.

We are very excited to see how the children take to them. This is will be the first time most of the students will have ever used a computer. Thanks to the donations of supporters we have successfully installed another classroom. Keith and Lisa are also so excited to have a computer lab for their school. I will update with stories when I receive them from Keith and Lisa.