Trip to Uganda, post 1, Haslett Goes to Africa

About a month ago I went on a trip to Uganda. Marion, in her role as director of BHD*, is currently working together with the charity TESS** to design a new school, health centre and church in Teso, Uganda. I went along to make some pictures. The following posts show some of the results.

*Buildings for Human Development, http://www.bhdinternational.org/
** Teso Educational Sponsorship Scheme, http://www.tess.uk.net/

The team on the way to the site of the project.

Marion explaining the project to local engineers and surveyors on site.

Rev. Jeremiah, one of the projects initiators, on the site of the new school.

Trip to Uganda, post 2, School Children in Teso

We visited several schools in the surrounding area to get an idea of what existing conditions were like. Due to lack of resources the class sizes are huge, often 100 to 150 children in one classroom. Even under these conditions the children were hard working, polite and greeted us like visiting royalty.

School Children, Kapiri

School Children, Kapiri

Maria, Kumi

School Boys, Kapiri

"Fire Burns", Kapiri
These are the children of the school teachers who live next to the school. On the blackboard today's lesson is: "A stone hurts, a razor blade cuts, fire burns, poison kills"

Trip to Uganda, post 3, Portraits

Below are a series of portraits made during my trip to Uganda. My experience was that people generally like to have their picture taken. Very often they would look directly into the camera with quite a serious expression. Perfect for a portrait photographer!

Girl, Kumi.

This was the daughter of one of the families we stayed with. She was sitting right at the corner of the building with low morning sun. She waited patiently for me to run back to the house to get a 80mm lens.

Men with bicycles, Soroti.

Mother, taken at her home between Kumi and Mbale.

Mother with family and local children, taken at their home between Kumi and Mbale.

Children, taken at their home between Kumi and Mbale

Photographic Studio, Soroti.

Women, Kapiri.

Children, Soroti.

Trip to Uganda, post 4, Kampala Street Views

The following photos were all taken on a recent trip to Uganda. This post shows a random selection of street views taken in Kampala and on the road to the countrside region of Teso.

Kampala

The street just outside our guesthouse.

Boda Boda Repair Shop, Kampala

The taxi service in Uganda is based on motorbikes know as Boda Bodas, meaning 'border to border'.

Bed Shop, Kampala

Delivery Truck, Kampala

Laundry Service, Kampala

Construction, on the road to Teso

Shops and 'Boda Bodas', on the road to Teso

On the road to Teso

Trip to Uganda, post 5, Soroti, Teso

These shots were all taken in Soroti, a small town located in the Teso region of Uganda. Soroti is about 15km from the site of the new school.

Trip to Uganda, post 6, Kitchens

Ugandan hospitality has to be experienced to be believed. We were made to feel really welcome wherever we went. This included an endless supply of fantastic meals all prepared out in the open on wood or charcoal fires.

Trip to Uganda, post 7, Kapiri

These photos were all taken in and around Kapiri, a the small village next to the site of the new school.