Are you ready for the vast expanses of sand in the Sahara Desert and are you dressed like Lawrence of Arabia? We have a choice of route, either along the Red Sea shore or the banks of the River Nile where we may pass the very spot where Moses was discovered as a foundling in his Moses basket among the reeds? The Nile it is!
We have a distance of approximately 380 miles to traverse before we reach Qena where the average temperature in July is in the high 30’s Centigrade. The place to visit is Dendera Temple, one of the ancient antiquities of note where the hypostyle hall (a room with many rows of columns or pillars that support a flat ceiling or roof) was built in the Roman period under Tiberius.
We are clocking the miles to Kumi with more walkers coming in to join us. At this rate, we should reach Kumi before the end of July and what will we find? Uganda is in a state of lockdown with schools and district borders closed as well as public transport halted for 42 days. The prevalence of COVID is spreading rapidly and these measures have seriously disrupted our KCF activities. We shall resume these as soon as possible but meanwhile the people are suffering from lack of rain affecting their crops which are vital for survival. Even my own rice crop is waiting for the rains before it can be transplanted in the fields. Our little blind girl, Grace, is back from school to live with her blind mother who is unable to grow crops due to her lack of vision and who has requested money for her basic needs. Our general fund will provide her with these although this is outside our usual mission of development but, in times of crisis, we must be flexible. The virtual walk funds will remain for the sole purpose of providing the GF youngsters with surgery.
Today a suspect COVID patient died on the ward which has brought home the reality of the present situation. He had disobeyed the restrictions by attending a family’s burial. Ruth has also been accepting new children for assessment and she must realise that all precautions must be strictly adhered to as we have learnt here in UK over the past months.
So, thank you again for your miles and donations! Keep walking please and the next update will be next week when we shall continue south towards Sudan.
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