One step at a time, especially in toffee mud

Talking to people who have travelled to other countries in Africa provokes an interesting reaction. Many say that due to the years of dictatorship and brutality that the Ugandan people are the friendliest and most trustworthy in the continent. I felt immediately at home in Uganda which surprised me because most of my travels have been spent in Buddhist areas of South East Asia. I think subconsciously I expected to pick up on an aggression or feel unsafe; a naivety on my behalf, especially when quite the opposite was apparent. There was such a welcoming atmosphere when walking through a local village with Jeni who was also on our trip and Jonno who is staying in Jinga for a few weeks before his graduation. We wandered up to towards Soft Power - a charity set-up to develop and improve primary school educational facilities in Jinja. Bob (who has been on the charity run in Jinja for a number of years) and Georgie walked us through a long winding orange dirt track with homes made of brick, mud and straw set back from the track amongst plantations of avocado, aubergine, vanilla, potatoes, beans, chillies and exotic fruits. Children started to follow us and eventually found the courage to run up, hold our hands and walk us towards the education centre where we took their photos and they stare back at them with fascination.

The education centre is set-up so the children can experience a variety of lessons and activities. They learn about AIDS and malaria prevention, how to use a computer, sow, make clay pottery and are given mosquito nets. Even the simple things that we take for granted - power, climbing stairs, watching a movie and looking in a mirror are an experience. It's incredible how vital education is in Africa, there are so many myths about health and cures and religion. People still go to witch doctors and refuse to use the medicines from professional Doctors for fear of being outcast or dying. As we walk back through the village Bob and Georgie tell us stories about the locals. There is an astonishing amount of gossip – its hilarious. People fighting over goats, land, who’s doing more to be successful, who’s got the better home or an extra cow. I'm visualising making a programme about them all and calling it ‘NileEnders’

We head towards the end of the village and child runs up to Bob to say hello, followed by his father - Isaac, who welcomes us all in to his home. The 5 of us squeeze in to a small room with a dirt floor and immediately look towards a table near the window. There sits a large ghetto blaster radio with the most colossal wire aerial that evolves from the middle and crawls towards the ceiling like a giant spiders web – it looks like something that should be in the Tate modern. I wonder how Issac speaks such perfect Queen's English until he tells us he loves the World Service and listens everyday at 1600. I've spent a couple of weeks working at the World Service, watching and listening to broadcasts going out in all languages from tiny rooms in Bush House, London and when there I always wandered where it would reach, what kind of environment it would be in and who would be listening. And now I know. When Georgie tells Isaac I work for the BBC he gives a big smile and we have our photo taken together. I tell him I’m going to show his picture to everyone at Bush House back home and have a massively proud moment in my heart. I loved meeting Isaac. Bob you’re right, it’s the little things.