Round houses and mud chairs

I went up to Gulu last week, which is in the north, where the LRA (Kony and his mates) and the Ugandan Army did some very, very terrible things. But let's not just define the place by it's post conflict status - it was a really great place to visit and is doing well at getting back on its feet.

We spent two days 'in the field' out in Amuru (about 2 hours each way on very potholed and slippery roads). The homes were all like those above and the compounds were exceptionally clean and tidy, I did feel a bit of a slob when I imagined how they might react if they came round to ours - even though it's actually pretty good (you do a great job Sue!). My main reason for going was to find out about mud furniture and a bit more about groups and how they work well together, so we had lots of questions and listening to do.

I was also there to make a video about building a chair out of mud and bricks so that I could a) show it to the people in the slums where we work b) share it with the world on Youtube and c) make a bit of money by doing it for Send a Cow - fair enough eh? Making the video was simple as we worked with Jennifer, her friend and Andrew (below), who were really great and let me boss then around to help me get the right shot - which isn't easy when there is harsh sunlight outside and darkness inside their homes. Isaac King and I surprised ourselves by actually feeling really sad when we'd all finished up at the end of the day, that's how nice they all were (Isaac also said that he would like to spend a holiday in one of the huts, which I'm sure we could arrange).

So, because of the light I decided on a photo-video as it would have been too blurry otherwise. If you want to know how to make one of these beautiful items of furniture then watch this and you'll be rolling up the carpet and getting bricks from the garden quick sharp.

Make a mud & brick chair 

Or just take a look at these beauties...

Mud up north

Next week I'm heading 'up north' to a place called Amuru. Unlike going up north in the UK, this trip doesn't involve extra rain and extra eyeshadow, but it does involve strong accents. Why the 5 hour drive? Well, there's a group of Send a Cow farmers there who have been innovating in making all sorts of household furniture out of mud and a few sticks. I must admit, I've no idea how they do it so well, but that is why I'm heading up.

I'll also be gate-crashing the Send a Cow Social Development meetings, which will give me a really good idea on how to help groups increase their resilience to shocks, change and challenges - which we all know come our way in life. I'll be updating when I return, for now, here are some pictures of the kind of things these groups make. Maybe you'll start seeing them in IKEA soon?

For those who like maps like I do, here's a  map...

View Larger Map

Rain, rain

We are all anticipating some heavy rains over the next few months. For us, this will just mean coats on and a few slips in the mud, but for many in the slum communities it means flooded homes, cold nights and sick children.

It's not something that can change overnight, but it is something that we can work with the communities on; helping them to adapt their housing and run off trenches as well as trying to get in touch with the local council so that they can do their bit too.

I made this little video to show the impact of just one mornings' rain so that if I do meet up with a local political bod, I can whip my phone out and show them this...