Interview with Miss G. Smyth by Bebhionn Rogan and Sean Rafferty

1. How different was the food in Uganda compared to the food in Ireland?

     The food in Uganda was completely different. The stable diet  was rice and meetoke which was a savory green banana.

       2.What games did you see the children play? 

I did not see the children play any games. At break and lunch time the children just walked around the school yard. The yard was so bumpy and covered in clay and mud there was no play area. However the children in Holy Family sent them balls, skipping ropes, Frisbees, a kite ball bubbles and lots more. The children in Saint Dominic’s school were really excited to receive these gifts. They wooped and cheered and sent prayers and thanks to their friends in Holy Family Primary school.

3.Was there many homeless people? 

Unfortunately We saw lots of homeless people. The slums of Kampala were full of homeless people. We also visited a home for the homeless run by Samaritan nuns. In the home there were lots of elderly people. The nuns also cared for many disabled children who had been left at the door because their parents could not feed or look after them. Indeed the day we visited, a little baby boy had been abandanded at the gate. This little boy was blind. He responded by laughing when I sang him a song and played with his wee feet. Many of the people in the home were lying on a thin matress on the floor, sheltering under a thin blanket. Remarkably they were all smiling. It was heartbreaking to see but at least the people in this home were being looked after by the nuns. They were getting food and shelter.We left some money with the nuns but there was nothing else we could do. The atmosphere in our mini- bus was very subdued on the way back to base, many of us wiping away a silent tear.We all felft so sad and helpless.

4.What difference did the well make to the children?

The well was built by the people of the Parish of Killyleagh and Kilmore. The well made a tremendous difference to Saint Dominic’s Primary school and to the surrounding community. No longer did the children walk two miles each way before school to fetch water. Hygiene at the school also improved and there was less sickness. The Parish of Killy leagh also built toliets for the school which was serviced by the well. Life is so much better for the children due to the generosity of our Parishioners. The whole school community are so proud of the toliets and the well. The school also lets the local community use the well after school hours. For this service the local people pay 200schillings about 20p. The well makes life a lote pleasanter for all.

5.   What happens to the children that cannot afford to go to school?

These children stay at home and don’t get educated. Ultimately they, then cannot get a job. This year the   parish of Killmoe and Killyleagh hoped to sponser 40 chidren whoes parents could not afford to send them to school. In actual fact the parish raised the money to sponsor 150 chidren.

6.  Did many people with cars in Uganda?

No, very few people had cars, only very wealthy people had cars. The roads were very primative, they were like large mud tracks. Even the main roads were full of potholes. Most people travelled by foot. Some people travelled by taxi which was a motorbike called a boda boda as many as 5 people would travel on the motor bike at a time.

The children walked 6 or 7 miles to get to school every morning and again after school. Because of the distance to school many children stayed overnight, or boarded. Conditions in the dormitorys were poor. The dormitories were over- crowded and lit by one bare bulb.