DAY 1 OF UGANDA
It's amazing to say it's the end of Day 1 because we've crammed so much in that it feels like we've been here for days already!
First up, as I write this Chris hasn't arrived yet. He arrived late Sunday night.
Instead I tagged along as Gary, Fearne, Ben and Kimberley went to see what 200,000 packs of mosquito nets look like! And this was only a third of what they've been able to raise after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Feb!
Tomorrow the 'Fab Five' (as they will be by the morning as Chris will have arrived) will actually be taking a truck load of the nets to a local village and distributing them. Each net will potentially save a life from mosquito bites spreading Malaria.
Fearne and Ben today went on local radio powerhouse Liberty FM to publicise where the nets will be given out, while Gary and Kimberley went to a local hospital to see victims of the disease Comic Relief is trying to eradicate.
Gary said it was the hardest thing he's ever done, and Kimberley cried on the spot.
I've yet to have seen this side (I'm going with Chris to the villages tomorrow). Instead I've been meeting the locals at the city we landed in last night and the town that we're resident in today, and you know what, it really surprised me.
Apologies if this is really obvious but having been brought up on Comic Relief videos from Africa I had the impression that the whole country of Uganda were like the villages that are struggling for food. But to my amazement, Kampala (the capital city) is a vibrant city.
The towns have (British) road signs, good quality roads, British power plugs and signs for well known logos in Britain like Barclays, Shell and Orange! Between the mobile phone companies and Cola soft drink wars it seems a third of all houses have been built using their advertising boards.
The best thing is. EVERYONE is friendly. I learnt what 'white person' was rather quickly because entire villages would come and point at me saying it (at least I hope that's what they were saying!). Locals just wanted to greet you. Even when in our cars entire villages would stop what they are doing to watch you drive through. Me, being in the last car couldn't resist the odd wave - to which the entire village waved back!!!!
I'm being won over already by Uganda, I have a sense of dread knowing I'm about to see the sadder side to their lives. That will start tomorrow when Chris arrives.
Aled
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Comment number 1.
At 30th Nov 2009, creativefulfillment wrote:Now that the last king of the airwaves (the saviour) is on his way ( on St Andrews Day of all days!) we should hopefully get an insight into these people's lives.
Just like when I watched that Forest Whitacker film about the tyranny of the 70s.
Feels like it's 2011 and time for comic relief again.
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Comment number 2.
At 30th Nov 2009, GeeDeeSea wrote:"First up, as I write this Chris hasn't arrived yet."
He wouldn't miss his regular gym session for anything.
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Comment number 3.
At 30th Nov 2009, Julie Bartrum-Lang wrote:Sometimes I wonder if Aled has lived in a cave in a remote part of Wales for most of his life, and sometimes I know he has!! Makes amusing radio though, I do hope he's found time to moisturise.
Chris will hopefully post someting a little more insightful tomorrow.
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Comment number 4.
At 18th Dec 2009, wuwei wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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At 18th Jan 2010, gucci2sale wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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At 29th Jan 2010, jessic wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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At 1st Feb 2010, john hoo wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 8.
At 27th Sep 2010, U13936289 wrote:Day of all days!) we should hopefully get an insight into these people's lives
.
Just like when I watched that Forest Whitacker film about the tyranny of the 70s.
Feels like it's 2011 and time for comic relief again.
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