Nile Festival and Uganda Update

Being back in Uganda is wonderful after a long time away. There sure is lots going on. We have 4 long-term volunteers, three of whom are paddlers, Morgan, Anna, and Annie. Morgan has volunteered with our inner city kids camp on the Rogue River and paddled on the Nile before. Our fourth volunteer, Shannon has worked for the UN and wants to learn to kayak, which is great. We also have a returning volunteer, Juerg Ruf, from Switzerland who has been a Mr. fix it for the clinic, which we desperately need. Its great to have so much enthusiastic good help with our project.

After doing a number of net sales and family planning sessions in Jinja and Kamuli districts, we headed back to Bwindi in southwestern Uganda. We had been working with the Bahoma health center there to do malaria education and nets sales for people surrounding the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to the largest population of Mountain gorillas in the world. It has been very rewarding to contiue our work there and to follow through on our promise to get nets to these people.

Early December also hosted the biggest social event of the year in Bujagali Falls, the Nile Kayak Festival. The Nile Festival happened this year over the weekend of December 1-3. The event included the freestyle competition on Nile Special wave, the endurance race down 42 kilometers of river and the Silver Back Boda- Boda race. This year saw the largest turnout of paddlers from around the world thus far. Perhaps the ongoing construction of the dam at silver back explained everyones excitement to participate. Thanks to the Queen of England’s visit to Uganda just prior to the event, there was high water. Nile Special was a perfect level for the competition and many talented paddlers showed their stuff. In the end, Sam Ward and Steve Fisher were in a close duel for men's freestyle winner with the Judges having trouble deciding who would win. On the women's side, Michele Basso took first, Morgan Koons was second, and I was third.

The endurance race was on one of the hottest days and the contestants had to be fit and well hydrated or the failed to finish the race. Local Woman paddler Prossy Moremba finished first with her partner and Local mens team Ibra and Henry finished first. The boda boda race was also close and luckily this year, the boda course was dry which added an element of safety to the race. Ana Bruno finished first for the women and Ibra finished first for the men. During the weekend and the awards ceremony, much beer was consumed by all especially Nile Special. Next year looks like it will be the last festival, as the dam at Silver Back will be completed in 18 months, so start planning your trip to the Nile now! If you have not been to this magical river, you are missing out. You can always combine a paddling trip with your volunteer experience. They compliment each other well.