The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness of the needs of children in South West Uganda and to do a sponsored walk to Carrow Road to help The Bishop's School there (not a Church school) to build a dorm and other buildings and buy equipment. It is an investment in the future of these children in a very poor part of the world.

Last night I spoke by phone again with Bishop Edward in Uganda. A team of us will be going in August 2010. Last night's conversation meant we can arrange our trip from the 12th to 25th August. With the help of a local travel consultant we can now arrange our flights. So far five or six of us will be going. During that time we can visit the school and see the needs first hand. Some of the team will do practical work, including work at the Kisiizi Hospital. June and I will be taking services in the villages and preaching at a Convention during week two. However, it is unthinkable to go to such a poor part of the world empty hand.

Today June and I did our second 10 mile walk this time in the Wandlebury area of Cambridge. What a change in a week. The Beech trees especially looked beautiful as their leaves changed colour. We followed the Roman road and thought about the long history of it, beginning with the local garrison building it. We came back through Cambridge and bought some maps to try and find a route across the Fen to Norfolk.

I have been quiet for a few days but plenty has been going on behind the scenes. I wrote a piece for the Parish magazine about the walk to Norwich and as I have gone around the town several people have mentioned it to me. I have also some indication that there is now a seriousness about raising a significant amount of money for The Bishop's School in South West Uganda, to help further the children's education and well being. This morning I used Cheapest Calls to speak with Bishop Edward Muhima, Bishop of North Kigezi Diocese where the school is situated, who in turn is talking to the Headteacher about what might be achieved. It is thrilling to think of what might be accomplished because of the goodwill of people in this area.

I want to welcome Kathy-Ann and Ellen to the list of followers. I am delighted too to get the support from our lovely granddaughter Eden Grace. It was great to have a response from an old school mate, John Robinson (Robbo) who is now living in France. Thanks John for your words of support. We spent many happy hours together standing behind the goal at the Barclay End when we were kids. I remember vividly standing there during the kick-in before a match when Ron Davies shot the ball which went just over our heads and knocked a woman out who was standing immediately behind us. There's one piece of trivia (though not trivial to her)which has now been rescued from the obscurity of the universe!

I'm sure once the walk begins (on March 1st) it will not just be fitness that keeps me going, but the prospect of helping African children and the memories shared with so many old friends.

Monday 1st March at 9am is a possible date for the walk for Uganda to leave Ely Cathedral for Norwich City Football Club. It is estimated that there will be a 15 mile walk each day, ending at Carrow Road on Saturday when Norwich play Yeovil. If anybody out there would like to join in for part of the course, the whole course or only for a mile you will be most welcome. Please contact me at darmodyrichard@hotmail.com

Several people have asked me about sponsoring the walk. Do let me know if you want to do that and I will give you some details. I am also planning a more accesible way for people to give. There are no overheads as far as our work is concerned. Our own trip to Uganda in August is self financed. The money given will go to The Bishop's School (in spite of the name it is not a Church school). As we will be on the spot in the summer we will be in a position to ensure the best use is made of what money is given. There will be accountability for what is done with the finances.

Anyone who has been to certain parts of Africa will know that often it is the Church which has to act as a social service. It is not necessarily ideal but it is the reality and without it many people of all ages would be poorer.

We've gone international, it's official! Today I had a message from Marina Harris from the beautiful island of Tobago saying she is following the blog and that folk in Tobago are supporting the walk! Alright, she is a relative! But it's the way you tell them isn't it? Just think what a headline it would make in our local rag 'Trinidad and Tobago Join the Pilgrimage to Carrow Road.' There is a serious side to all this, but it is an agreeable seriousness. One of the lessons I have learned is that a good cause becomes a kind of dance, a bit like the Conga, which is a Latin American dance with African origins. It is such an infectious dance with all kinds of people joining on the end of the line. Well,thinking about some smiling, poor children in Uganda and adding a daft idea from a vicar and diverse people join in the serious fun. All sorts are united in the dance and age and geographical distance become irrelevant. Lord Mahinney, the Chairman of the Football League has also been good enough to give me some practical help. As a committed Christian he has been a marvellous support to me in my ministry over the last 10 years, and I welcome his help with preparations for the walk. David Armes too has been in touch. As with Alan Howard, David went to infant and junior school with me and we have met up again after many years. David taught me to tie my shoe laces. What a significant role that one act has played in my life! So, what a dance we have begun!

June and I put more time in at the gym today and were amazed that we weren't stiff and sore after yesterday's walk. What will happen next?

A heavy cold during my last week's holiday of the year-typical. Today I was sufficiently recovered to do a day's training. Remember, all this exercise is new countryside for me. When did I last do a serious piece of walking? Probably when I was 15, doing Fell Walking with a school group in the Lake District. So 10 miles walking around Grafham Water at one go was a big deal for me. My wife, June, joined me and off we went. For the end of October it was incredibly mild, with the temperature at 16 C. I can see why some people rave about this walking business. The resevoir was shimmering in the sun light while several boats bobbed in the water as fisherman angled for Trout. We walked in and out of nature trails, enjoyed swans preening themselves, grebe's diving, herons taking off- and all for a two pounds parking fee! We surprised ourselves that we could manage the walk with some degree of competence. Our sandwiches and drink tasted divine; such simple pleasures. After completing the course around the lake we sat on a blanket with a hot drink and a last sandwich (kept for this final act of triumph) and surveyed our minor victory!

The Bishop of Ely's Publicity Officer has given me some excellent guidance about raising public awareness. I have spoken by phone to one of Norwich City's Chaplains, Reverend Arthur Bowles, who played football with my Dad after the war, and also did my Dad's funeral. It was good to get his moral support and it meant a lot. What a long way all this is from Africa, yet as we walked it seemed so near.

'Do starving Africans a favour.Don't feed them.' This rather startling headline was featured in The Times today. The point was that feeding starving people in the short term has led to long term problems across Africa. While we are feeding them the underlying problems are not being addressed. Well, it is easier said than done. When we see pictures of what is usually described as a famine of Biblical proportions, it takes a very hard nosed person not to want to help. At the same time the point of the article is still worth considering. The punch line is that our support should target education. It is a well educated Africa which will have long term benefits. This point encouraged me because in a small way the walk is designed to raise serious money for one African school. As a Christian who takes the Bible seriously my conviction is that education itself may not solve the problem. Corruption for example requires a change of heart and not just of mind.

There has been hunger in parts of Uganda recently. However,in the south west where we are visiting there is not a shortage of food. In fact the land is very fertile. It is the poor infrastructure (roads are appalling), the absence of industry and generally a lack of investment which causes poverty, to say nothing of the need of a shift in mentality, for example in a more productive use of "waste". The prevalence of malaria, HIV/Aids, breathing related ilnesses and their attendant tragedies add to suffering, with children bearing much of the brunt.

What we are trying to do is a drop in a huge ocean, and there are lots of other drops like ours. Nevertheless I think targeting education may not be dramatic enough to grab headlines but it is sound.

There has been high emotion today. My Parish work goes on as always with the highs and lows of pastoral life. In the few gaps I have had today I have been moved by some emails about the walk. Alan Howard's response to this blog brought some tears to my eyes. Alan and I were at Bull Close School Infants and St Augustine's Junior School together. We met again recently after more than 30 years. Alan is Managing Director of Aspect Roofing in Norwich. He wrote:
"I seem to recall that many, many years ago, two snot nosed lads clutching a packet of chocolate biscuits, queued 3 hours to be first through the turnstyles to see Norwich play Stoke City. At the time Stoke had the one and only Stanley Matthews on the wing and a star studded team. Norwich beat them 5 or 6 nil and Ron Ashman played a blinder. On that emotional basis alone, I would consider it a privilege to join you for the whole pilrimage."

My MP Shailesh Vara has offered some practical support. He left Uganda in the 1970s with his family when Idi Amin expelled many Ugandan Asians from the country and in so doing crippled that country's economy from which it has never recovered. Mr Vara has kindly contacted media representatives on my behalf with the hope that the publicity will help raise funds for the school in Uganda which started all this off.