Asante Issue 14

The inflight magazine of Air Uganda part of the

Issue 14

The Rise & Decline

of Ugandan

Comedy

Arusha Tanzania’s Multifaceted

Safari Capital

your complimentary copy

Asante Issue Number 014 May - July 2013

True Blue

Editorial

Welcome aboard this Air Uganda flight and thank you for choosing to fly with us.

F

lying is not as scary as it was in the past; we get onboard an aircraft with the same confidence we have when getting into our cars. This is because of the safety and

security standards the commercial aircraft have achieved over the years.

It has been a long journey from the first flight of the Wright brothers back in 17 December 1903, where the aircraft was made mainly with bicycle parts, wood and fabric, and the maximum speed was 48 kilometres per hour at an altitude of no more than 9 metres from ground. Today an aircraft moves over 850 kilometres per hour at altitudes of 12,000 metres, a big change indeed.

Apart from technology used in making an aircraft bigger and safe, it is the concept of preventive maintenance that has totally changed the safety and security of flights. Let’s take an example of a car, which needs to be checked and maintained regularly to keep it running in good condition. If you only go to the garage when a failure occurs, then the life and safety of the car will drastically reduce affecting the reliability. It is the same with an aircraft, it needs to be checked and maintained regularly to ensure safety.

The IOSA programme is the benchmark for global safety The maintenance programme of an aircraft requires a lot of

management in airlines. The programme is an internationally

intensive work; a CRJ -200 for instance, requires to be inspected

recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess

every night, every week and every three months. Each time

the operational management and control systems of an airline.

the inspections are more detailed, as well as the skill of the engineers needed to complete the maintenance.

The IOSA registration is a great achievement for Air Uganda, as it reaffirms our position in the region as a safe and secure

This is not enough to ensure the safe condition of the aircraft for

airline.

the long term; the airplane must be sent to an approved Heavy Maintenance Facility every two years, to undergo a complex

In addition to all the innovative initiatives the Air Uganda team

maintenance revision, which lasts a full month and more than

is putting in place to give you the traveller the best travel

6,000 hours, and involves very deep inspections, tests and

experience, we are also focusing on ensuring that we operate

modifications, in order to keep the aircraft up-to-date with the

in the highest standards of safety. Air Uganda employs skilled

latest aviation technology.

personnel to ensure that the highest levels of operational standards are met. In conclusion, I would like to thank you

The engineers of the aircraft need to keep updated with the

for choosing to fly with Air Uganda and assure you of our

current aircraft systems through detailed and mandatory training

commitment to get you safely to your destination.

plans.

You fly, we take care!

Maintenance level and professionalism reached in Air Uganda is one of the highest in this region, and the recent IATA Operational

Kind Regards,

Safety Audit (IOSA) registration in December 2012, proves that

Roberto Manzi

we are aligned with the best airlines in Africa and Europe.

Technical Director

asante May – July 2013

| 1

Photo © Jonathan Kabuye

Issue 14 The inflight magazine

of Air Uganda

part of the

ne

The Rise & Decli

of Ugandan

Comedy

Arusha ceted

Tanzania’s Multifa

Safari Capital

Asante Issue Number

True Blue

014 May - July 2013

e

m Take

Home

The Rise and Decline of Ugandan Comedy A few years ago comedy in Kampala was booming; every venue worth its salt, from theatres to night clubs, to pubs, had a slot for a comedy show.

10

Kigali Comedy Night Meet East Africa’s comedy kings and queen.

14

Arusha: Tanzania’s Multifaceted Safari Capital It is all at once, a major conference centre, a booming tourist town, an agricultural hub, a missionary outpost and a political ideal.

18

Batty for Fruit Ten million giant straw-coloured fruit bats invade an untouched forest of Zambia, creating one of Africa’s most spectacular natural phenomena.

22

When Soccer Sneezes, Sport Catches a Cold So many plans, aspirations and billions of shillings in sponsorship money could be released to flow freely or …

28

True Blue Discover Tanzanite; a gemstone at least 1,000 times rarer than diamonds.

32

Spellbound by a Charismatic Nyamirambo It is a rare and enduring gift when a neighbourhood welcomes you and makes you, the stranger, feel at home.

36

Dar es Salaam Fish Market Explore one of the largest wholesale fish and seafood markets in Africa with diversity and abundance staggering (more than 400 types).

44

Soaring to New Heights: A Teacher’s Story When you support children to reach for the sky, you will end up in the skies yourself!

56. Air Uganda Offices

46

P is for Pastor “God knows what’s best, take heart, and don’t give up the faith”.

57. Route Map

48

Natural Health Solutions Mother Nature to the rescue!

58. Abato Corner

52

Beads of Time We just might discover that this most African of icons is much older than anyone ever expected.

Publishers: Camerapix Magazines Ltd Editorial Director: Rukhsana Haq Editor: Roger Barnard Editorial Assistant: Cecilia W. Gaitho Creative Designers: Charles Kamau, Sam Kimani Production Manager: Azra Chaudhry, U.K Production Assistant: Rose Judha Editorial Board: Rukhsana Haq Jenifer B. Musiime Jackie Tumuhairwe The views expressed in this magazine should only be ascribed to the authors concerned, and do not necessarily reflect the views either of the publishers or of Air Uganda. The printing of an advertisement in Asante does not necessarily mean that the publishers or Air Uganda endorse the company, product or service advertised.

ary copy your compliment

6

PM 4/19/13 12:38

dd 5

asante_newlook_cvr2.in

Cover picture: Anne Kansiime,

Ugandan comedy queen.

Regulars 1.

Editorial

4. Air Uganda News 12. What’s Up! East Africa 31. Asante News 42. Bookshelf 54. Basic Tips for the Traveller 55. Useful Travel Tips

59. Air Uganda Flight Schedule 60. Crossword Puzzle & Sudoku

ASANTE meaning ‘Thank you’ in Kiswahili is published quarterly for Air Uganda by Camerapix Magazines Limited | P.O. Box 45048, 00100 GPO Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 (20) 4448923/4/5 | Fax: +254 (20) 4448818 | E-mail: creative@camerapix.co.ke Editorial and Advertising Offices: Camerapix Magazines (UK) Limited | 32 Friars Walk, Southgate, London, N14 5LP Tel: +44 (20) 8361 2942 | Mobile: +44 79411 21458 E-mail: camerapixuk@btinternet.com Air Uganda, Marketing Office | Tel: +256 (0) 414 258 262/4 or +256 (0) 417 717 401 Fax: +256 414 500 932 | E-mail: info@air-uganda.com or jbmusiime@air-uganda.com Investment House, Plot 4, Wampewo Avenue, Kololo Website: www.air-uganda.com, www.facebook.com/airuganda@airuganda Correspondence on editorial and advertising matters may be sent to either of the above addresses. ©2013 CAMERAPIX MAGAZINES LTD All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

All photographs by Camerapix unless otherwise indicated.

Air Uganda News

Cornwell Muleya: New Air Uganda Boss Mr. Cornwell Muleya has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Uganda. Mr. Muleya has extensive airline management experience, having worked as a CEO and CFO for several airlines in Africa, including Air Mauritius, Air Botswana, Air Tanzania Company Ltd and Zambezi Airlines. He joins Air Uganda from ALS Limited in Kenya where he has been the CEO of this growing aircraft leasing business for the past three years. Mr. Muleya is both an Engineer and Chartered Accountant and spent the early part of his career in audit and financial consulting with Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Commenting on his arrival, Mr. Muleya expressed his delight to be part of an exciting and growing airline like Air Uganda. He looked forward to working with the Air Uganda team and the people of Uganda to further develop the airline’s network in order to enhance business and tourism. “I am especially impressed with the quality of the Air Uganda product and will work to ensure the airline continues to delight its customers and becomes a household name, not only in Uganda, but in East Africa and beyond”.

Air Uganda Introduces Luxurious Crane class in Dar es Salaam March -2013:- Air Uganda launched its luxurious Crane class to the Tanzania market at a cocktail party organized for clients in collaboration with Serena hotel.

Crane class is a premium class product offering targeting the more sophisticated traveler.

Crane class is designed to give the Air Uganda client a stress free travel experience from the time the client purchase his ticket to arrival at his destination. With this offering the client enjoys a separate check in counter to reduce the time spent in queues, he has access to the Airport lounge where he gets to relax and have a meal as he awaits his flight. The customer gets an extra baggage allowance. On board a crane class passenger gets an extra seat for his own personal space.

“The class is modeled between economy and business class, is designed to offer comfort and ease when travelling and therefore offering a dignified experience for our clients,” said Lucy Ismail , the Tanzania Country Manager while introducing the new product to the guests.

Air Uganda Resumes Kilimanjaro Flights In May 2013, Air Uganda resumes nonstop flights to Kilimanjaro with four flights per week.

The airline will serve the route with a 50-seater CRJ-200 aircraft.

Kilimanjaro is both a tourist and business destination and, by operating flights to the home of the famous Mount Kilimanjaro, Air Uganda is hoping to tap into both sectors. Air Uganda operates flights to all East African capitals: Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Kigali, Bujumbura and Juba in South Sudan.

In addition to Kilimanjaro, the airline plans to launch flights to Mogadishu, the Somali capital, in July this year.

4 | asante May – July 2013

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Photos © Jonathan Kabuye

entertainment

THE RISE AND DECLINE

OF UGANDAN

COMEDY A few years ago comedy in Kampala was booming but now audiences have become more discerning says Jonathan Kabuye.

6 | asante May – July 2013

I

f you were in Kampala about two years

In 2010 the reality show

ago, you would think that the Ugandan

Stand Up Uganda hit

entertainment scene was ruled by one thing – comedy. Anywhere you looked, whatever

town, and since that time the entertainment industry has never been the same.

day of the week it was, crowds jammed venues to attend comedy sessions. It was the in thing to do.

Every venue worth its salt, from theatres to night clubs to pubs, had a slot for a comedy show. Some

The Crackers had a popular youth attendance at their

were doing sketches, but the new thing was ‘stand-

Wednesday shows at Effendy’s in Centenary Park, which

up’. And Kampala just could not get enough of it.

included Daniel Omara and Patrick ‘Salvado’ Idringi (first and

It was a strange sight because, just a year before,

second runner-up, Stand Up Uganda).

comedy largely consisted of ‘slapstick’ – guys dressed in funny clothes clowning around on stage. It had

Happy days ruled, but it was not to last for long. Within a year

its genesis in the country’s troubled times, when

both Theatre Factory and the Crackers had split, and members

serious theatre was not a safe thing to get involved

left to start other groups. Pablo stopped his show, saying he

in, so making people laugh was the way to go.

had only planned it for two seasons, then went off and got married.

It remained that way even when all the insecurity was a thing of the distant past. But in 2010 the

What happened? Industry observers give several reasons for

reality show Stand Up Uganda hit town, and since

the drop in comedy attendances that resulted. Many say the

that time the entertainment industry has never

comedians became repetitive, and stopped being creative.

been the same.

“They started taking the audiences for granted, and would repeat the same jokes wherever they went,” one said. “The

First were the recording sessions, which gained

exposure they got also opened other doors for them and they

a celebrity status, and anyone who was anyone

ended up doing so many things they had very little time to be

in Kampala just had to be there. If you were not

creative and come up with new stuff.”

invited, you sulked all the way to the next recording session.

Many of the top comedians were in high demand to Emcee functions, and several were taken on as radio and TV

Because stand-up was relatively new, many of the contestants tried to retell internet jokes, and their attempts were hilarious. And when it was finally aired on TV the whole nation stopped to watch.

The guys who made it to the finals were instant celebrities, which they soon turned into a lot more money than the $10,000 that was won by the

presenters.

The unexpected boom in demand for comedy acts also took them by surprise, and they did not have time to treat it professionally. Several did not have managers, and would search for appearances and sponsorship deals themselves.

winners.

Others claim the audience for stand-up comedy was really not Several groups sprung up, and the winner of Stand

that big, and it was just the novelty that attracted the initial

Up Uganda, Pablo, had full houses on his weekly

big numbers.

Pablo Live show. Theatre Factory got together several talented comedians and held shows every

“It needs a bit of intellectualism to appreciate stand-up, and

Thursday at the National Theatre. In fact these

that market was not adequately exploited,” one industry

were to be the largest attended comedy events,

watcher said. “It is there, but the comedians need to know

watched by more than 1,000 people per show.

how to deal with it.”

asante May – July 2013

| 7

Comedy in 2013 Three years after Stand Up Uganda, the comedy scene is still active, although not as vibrant as it was two years ago.

Below are the main acts and comedians:

Fun Factory Formerly members of the Theatre Factory before they left en masse and put up home barely 100 metres down the road from the National Theatre where they used to perform. They soon moved to the Plaza, but are now back at the National Theatre every Thursday. They have two of the best female comedians in the country, Anne Kansiime and Veronica Tindichweba. Richard Tuwangye and Hannington Bugingo are also members.

Veronica T indichweb

a

Pablo After a hiatus, he is back at Oasis Mall’s The Hub, performing every last Friday of the month.

Anne

The C racker s

me

Kansii

Anne Kansiime The Crackers

Many consider her as the current face of Ugandan comedy.

This group was very successful at Effendy’s, and attracted a

She has a television show that has some of the highest

youthful crowd, but it soon broke into two and the original

ratings ever, even if the production is not top notch, and

members, Patrick Idingiri, Alex Muhangi and Daniel Omara

also performs with the Fun Factory. But she has become

then moved to the Theatre La Bonita, but audience numbers

something of an internet sensation, and her video clips have

are still down.

brought her international fame.

8 | asante May – July 2013

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Fans enjoy Kigali Night Comedy.

1 0 | asante May – July 2013

Anne Kansiime (Uganda)

asante May – July 2013

| 11

LAKE TURKANA CULTURAL FESTIVAL

The Lake Turkana Festival takes place for the 5th consecutive year in Loyangalani town, on the shores of the awe-inspiring Jade Sea this May. The 10 ethnic groups of the Lake Turkana region - El Molo, Rendille, Samburu, Turkana, Dassanach, Ghabra, Borana, Konso, Wata and Burji - demonstrate through song and dance their unique differences and traditions.

The underlying goal remains the promotion of peace and the appreciation of these fascinating tribes.

VENUE: Loiyangalani, Kenya

16th INDUSMACH 2013 - TANZANIA

The 16th INDUSMACH 2013 - International Trade Exhibition on Industrial Products, Equipment & Machinery is the largest trade event held annually in Tanzania. The exhibition attracts exhibitors from more than 20 countries and visitors from all over East & Central Africa, thus giving exhibitors an excellent opportunity to explore several countries in one time.

VENUE: Diamond Jubilee Hall, Malik Road, Upanga West Dar es Salaam, Tanzania WEBSITE: http://expogr.com/tanzania/indexpo/

UMEC UGANDA MINING AND ENERGY CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION 2013

16TH BUILDEXPO AFRICA 2013

Exhibitors from 35 countries. Visitors from 11 African Countries. Welcome to Africa’s Largest International Building and Construction Trade Fair.

VENUE: Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi WEBSITE: http://expogr.com/buildexpokenya/

UMEC 2013 is a turnkey event focusing on the Republic of Uganda’s mining, energy and petroleum potential and their sustainable development. The main theme of UMEC 2013 is “Development through Sustainable Management of Uganda’s Energy & Mineral Resources”. The event will be organized by the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Development, Republic of Uganda, in association with AME Trade Ltd. VENUE: Serena Hotel, Kampala, Republic of Uganda WEBSITE: http://www.umec-uganda.com/

16th AUTOEXPO 2013

COMMONWEALTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE

The Commonwealth Local Government Conference is the most important international event in the local government calendar. The conference is expected to attract some 600 high-level politicians, policy-makers and practitioners from Africa, Europe, the Pacific and the Caribbean to meet and learn about new ideas, approaches, and practice that can support their councils to deliver better services. It is also attended by partners from the private sector, development agencies and civil society.

VENUE: Kampala, Uganda WEBSITE: http://www.clgc2013.org

12 | asante May – July 2013

The 16th AUTOEXPO 2013 - International Trade Expo on Automotives, Spare parts, Accessories & Transportation is the largest trade event held annually in Tanzania. The exhibition attracts exhibitors from more than 28 countries and visitors from all over East & Central Africa, thus giving exhibitors an excellent opportunity to explore several countries in one time.

VENUE: Diamond Jubilee Hall, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania WEBSITE: http://expogr.com/tanzania/autoexpo/index.php

Gorilla Naming Ceremony

The traditional Kwita Izina naming ceremony in which community members suggest names for a new born infant has been adopted for the gorillas. Park guides suggest names for all young gorillas born in the past year, generally based on observed behaviour and characteristics. The naming is accompanied by traditional music and dance and the event helps to raise funds for conservation. You can even ‘adopt’ the gorilla of your choice.

Venue: Kinigi, Musanze District, Northern Province Address: Kinigi, Rwanda Event cost: Free, but donations expected

Rhino Charge

The Rhino Charge is an annual off road motorsport competition that has been held in Kenya since 1989. It is a unique and exciting competition that requires bravery and a high level of skill in off-road driving and navigation.

The event, organized by The Rhino Ark Charitable Trust, is held to raise funds for a very noble cause – conservation of Kenya’s Aberdare Ecosystem.

VENUE: Laikipia Plateau, Kenya WEBSITE: http://www.rhinocharge.co.ke/home.html

BAYIMBA GULU REGIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

In 2010 the Bayimba Cultural Foundation introduced a series of one-day Regional Festivals of the Arts to be organised annually in towns across Uganda. They provide a platform for artistic talents from the regions in Uganda while aiming to enhance access to artistic and cultural expressions countrywide, thereby supporting the development of the local arts scene.

In 2013, four towns will be hosting these exciting multidisciplinary Bayimba Regional Festivals: Gulu, Jinja, Mbarara, Mbale: JINJA Bayimba Regional Festival: 11th May, 2013 MBARARA Bayimba Regional Festival: 1st June, 2013 MBALE Bayimba Regional Festival: 6th July, 2013

LEWA (SAFARICOM) MARATHON 2013

One of the 10 ‘must do’ marathons in the world.

The Safaricom Marathon attracts participants from all over the globe who come to compete for a good cause. A unique event that not only tests your limits but also gives you an opportunity to enjoy a real African Safari!

VENUE: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Laikipia Plateau, Kenya WEBSITE: http://www.safaricom.co.ke/safaricommarathon/

THE ROUTE DEVELOPMENT FORUM FOR AFRICA

UGANDA FILM FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL: 2013

The 1st annual Uganda International Film Festival, also to be known as ‘UFFI’ is scheduled to take place from July 11-15 2013 in Kampala, Uganda, and aims to host more than 300 stakeholders and an audience of over 1,000 film professionals and enthusiasts.

VENUE: Kampala, Uganda WEBSITE: http://www. ugandafilmfestivalinternational.org/

Hosted by Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda and Entebbe International Airport, Routes Africa is the key event for airports, airlines, tourism authorities, policy leaders, keynote speakers and exhibitors to meet, do business and plan for the future.

VENUE: Kampala, Uganda WEBSITE: http://www.routesonline.com/ events/159/routes-africa-2013/

asante May – July 2013

| 13

destination

Arusha

Tanzania’s Multifaceted Safari Capital

By David Pluth Pluth.

Cultural Heritage Centre in Arusha, Tanzania.

14 | asante May – July 2013

Photos Š Ariadne Zandbergen Nature at ease: cheetah spotted at Ngorongoro Crater, 180 kilometres west of Arusha.

asante May – July 2013

| 15

Photo © David Pluth/Camerapix Publishers

It is, all at once, a major conference centre, a booming tourist town, an agricultural hub, a missionary outpost and a political ideal.

I

n May 2013, Air Uganda will commence flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport, Arusha, marking its seventh destination with Entebbe being the hub. The launch of this new route will

Parks and Arusha airport from where charter flights

highlight Air Uganda’s ambitious plan to expand its

(more than 90,000 passengers a year) to all the parks

network and provide seemless travel and accessibility

and game reserves can be boarded. In the tourist

to passengers flying within East Africa.

centre of Arusha, on the main roundabout, known as the Clock Tower, you can stand at the midway

Arusha has been described as the wildlife safari capital

point between Cape Town and Cairo and dream the

of the world. And it was here, in 1961, that Britain

dreams of adventurers and explorers or hark back to

signed documents officially ceding independence to

the swashbuckling actor John Wayne in the film Hatari

Tanzania. Before, after and in-between, the town

(Danger), shot at the nearby Arusha National Park.

has been more of a concept or an idea than a city as

Be sure to spend an hour or two in the large local

it splashes out across the plains below the majestic

market just to the west of the centre of town.

Mount Meru. It is, all at once, a major conference centre, a booming tourist town, an agricultural hub,

Nearby, the only Tanzanite mine in the world is

a missionary outpost and a political ideal.

producing gemstones for the fine jewellery trade.

And, on clear morning, from a rooftop terrace, you

The major industry for the region, other than tourism,

can catch a glimpse of the glistening snows of Mount

is agriculture. With its excellent transport systems

Kilimanjaro.

connecting it by air and road to Nairobi and the ports of Dar es Salaam, Mombasa and Tanga, it has

The Arusha National Park – an easy 40-minute

become one of Africa’s leading growers of cut flowers,

drive from Arusha – is a multi-faceted jewel, often

vegetables, seed beans, coffee and tea. Surrounded

overlooked by safari-goers. The park has a beguiling

by old tree-lined, shaded coffee plantations, some

diversity of habitats since its altitude ranges from

of which are now giving way to luxury resorts, the

1,500 metres (5,000 feet) to the 4,566 metre

landscape is ever changing and vibrant.

(14,990 feet)-high Mount Meru, the fifth highest peak in Africa.

The town is divided into two basic sections, the west side being the commercial hub for the local

The entrance gate leads into shadowy montane

businesses and agriculture, and the east side the

forest inhabited by exotic monkeys and birds. In the

tourist centre, with the main post office and a thriving

midst of the forest lies the spectacular Ngurdoto

street trade of batiks and souvenirs. The exception

Crater with its steep rocky cliffs and wide marshy

to this is the gigantic museum, craft and trade fair,

floor dotted with herds of buffalo and warthog.

Cultural Heritage, on the far west side of town, out

Further north, rolling grassy hills enclose the tranquil

near the massive headquarters for Tanzania National

beauty of the Momela Lakes, home to countless

1 6 | asante May – July 2013

Left: Uhuru Monument, Arusha, Tanzania.

resident and migrant waterbirds, including the spectacular pink flamingo.

Mount Meru, which dominates the western end of the Park offers unparalleled views of its famous neighbour – Kilimanjaro – whilst its slopes are also a rewarding hiking destination in its

Opposite: Climbers passing the Furtwangler Glacier on their way to the summit.

own right.

Visitors to Arusha arrive through the efficient Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) about 60km east of town, in the direction of Moshi. The immigration and customs formalities are simple and carried out by friendly uniformed officials.

Credit cards are accepted at most of the good tourist hotels in Arusha, and there are plenty of those. New resorts, spas and upper level accommodation is being built in and near the

Arusha has been described as the wildlife safari capital of the world.

city every day. There are even wine and cigar bars in town!

US dollars, Euros and Pounds Sterling are accepted at all the banks and foreign exchange kiosks.

The finest restaurants are found in the good hotels in town and the luxury resorts just on the outskirts of the city. Prices are somewhat less than one would pay for an equivalent meal in Europe or the US. Taxi fares are quite fair, but you should bargain hard and settle on a price with the driver before you start your journey.

On the day you set out for your safari the Tanzanian countryside will skim by almost too quickly as you glide along smooth paved highways. In less than two hours you can be at Tarangire or Manyara National Park. A little more than 30 minutes further and you reach the gates of the Noah’s Ark of Africa, the famed Ngorongoro Crater. There the paved road ends, but another 2-3 hours (depending on how often you stop to gaze in total awe at the landscape and animals) and you will find yourself in the world’s premier national park, Serengeti.

Air Uganda flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport, Arusha Four times a week

Things are changing all the time in Arusha. While you are gone for a week or two on your safari, something will have been built, or something will have changed by the time you get back to town. A quick Google search of the name Arusha will yield more than two million hits of city information, hotels, nightlife, safari companies, airlines and investment opportunities. Try them all. Just for fun. Get in the spirit of being in Arusha! •

asante May – July 2013

| 17

Adventure

Batty for Fruit It’s been one of natures best kept secrets for years that only a lucky few have ever witnessed.

Ten million giant straw-coloured fruit bats invade an untouched forest of Zambia, creating one of Africa’s most spectacular natural phenomena.

In the twilight at dawn and dusk the bats swarm chaotically over the high branches of the woodland in a whirling blizzard. But this isn’t the place of horror; this feeding-frenzy migration is one of nature’s epic displays of sheer wonder.

Text by Philip Dickson, photos by David Godny..

The spectacular event in Zambia is now considered to be one of the largest animal migrations anywhere on the planet.

I

t’s 4am and we are already up, creeping through tangled,

and certainly not the menacing beasts of horror films.

matted vegetation, feeling our way towards what appears

Overdosed and ‘high’ on pure sugar from their high-octane

to be an apocalyptic wilderness where trees are shorn of

fruit diet the bats fidget and squabble excitedly before

their branches, leaving a skeletal forest no bigger than two

they settle down in the roost, spooking easily by gusts

or three football pitches. Blinking through the inky blackness,

of wind and menacing eagles. Watching them flapping

talking in hushed whispers under a chilly star-studied sky, we

and squeaking in the dawn light through binoculars I can

trudge and stumble across the muddy swamp forest. The

see why they are sometimes called ‘flying foxes’, with

beams from our head-torches bob along in a lulling rhythm

mischievous bright-eyed chihuahua-like faces and the soft

illuminating an onslaught of biting night insects and I’m

golden fur of a faithful retriever.

relieved when we finally stop at the base of a massive red mahogany tree.

Kasanka National Park is a lush, marshy remote corner of northern Zambia that becomes the largest fruit bat roost on earth for six weeks each year. First

Bastiaan, our guide, signals that somewhere in the

noticed in the 1990s, over 10 million fruit

darkness above, hidden deep in the canopy 20m

bats are drawn from the great rainforests

(metres) from the ground, are two viewing platforms. Apparently this rustic hide was

of the Congo between October and

built for the British Broadcasting Corporation

December, crowding together in a

specifically to film the bat migration. Slowly

tiny patch of Mushitu swamp forest

and warily I clamber up the narrow rickety

for

a

gorging

bonanza.

Mystery

surrounds their lifecycle and migration

ladder in the half-light pulling myself on to a

but with a wingspan measuring nearly

tiny, creaking deck. Nothing had quite prepared

a metre and an average body weight over

me for the primordial view. Thunderclouds of bats,

250g (grammes) the bats are powerful fliers

eerily visible thanks to the bright moonlight, swarm over the misty equatorial rainforest, chattering noisily as they

capable of great distances. Each night they forage on

return from their long night of foraging. Huge silhouetted

an eruption of ripe waterberries, mangoes and loquats over

squadrons spiral haphazardly overhead from horizon to horizon,

50km (kilometres) away from the roost, easily consuming

almost colliding, landing clumsily into the overcrowded roost.

over twice their own weight in fruit.

Crawling upwards they use their short legs and long thumbnail on their wings, cramming together to hang tightly like leather

Getting to Kasanka was not as tricky as I’d first thought.

pouches on a market stall. Sadly some branches inevitably

We boarded Kilimanjaro on the Tazara Railway in Dar

buckle under their sheer weight sending bats and debris

es Salaam for one of Africa’s classic overland journeys.

crashing to the forest floor and an unlucky few are either

Climbing the great plateau near Mbeya we crawled to

crushed or grabbed by a lurking crocodile or stealthy raptor.

almost 2,000 metres above sea level before descending into vast lowlands, threading our way through the Selous

This spectacular event in Zambia is now considered to

Game Reserve. Forty-eight hours later Kilimanjaro’s

be one of the largest animal migrations anywhere on the

wheels clatter to a grinding halt against the metal track

planet. Although on the scale of an epic biblical plague, at

and the hollow hoot of her whistle means we’ve arrived

close quarters the bats are unexpectedly cute and comical

in Zambia.

asante May – July 2013

| 19

As the main safari season in the wildlife-rich Luangwa Valley winds down, Norman Carr Safaris - the original pioneer of bush walking - lay on their first guided bat-safari. In less than an hour we’ve hopped over the escarpment that prevents direct road access to Kasanka in a tiny Cessna, and bush-pilot Brad banks hard over Lake Wasa in a stomach-churning flyby, pointing out the stunted woodland where unbelievably 10 million fruit bats roost. Bumping over the midday thermals, the forest below certainly looks eerie through the heat-haze, as if stripped by some kind of disease, pestilence or drought.

On the ground Bastiaan, our passionate volunteer host, welcomes us to Wasa Lodge, nestling on the edge of the lake fringed with wild yellow flowers and home to hippos, crocs and prolific bird life. Kasanka is Zambia’s only privately managed national park and, although tiny, it punches way above its weight in terms of attractions.

The shy and elusive sitatunga is another of Kasanka’s celebrity

residents.

Preferring

its

marshy

papyrus

swamps, the aerial viewing platform at Fibwe hide has become one of the best places in Africa to see this rare semi-aquatic antelope.

Our home for a couple of days is a typically old-fashioned African camp with 10 thatched rondavel huts, each with its own veranda overlooking the lake with woodlands behind. The joy of Kasanka is its raw simplicity - it’s remote, rustic and exposed.

Even showers must be requested in advance to allow our rooftop tank to be filled by hand but, despite the isolation, culinary miracles are served by hard-working Boyd at communal tables in the main lodge. Without barriers between my hut and the wild I listen to the pulsating bush sounds from under my blanket and shrivel into my own insignificance. Nowhere could you feel more humble and incidental to the grand scheme of things.

Kasanka’s low-impact approach to conservation allows only two guided walks to the bat roost each day and this evening we get to see the bats flying out at sunset.

Leaving in the late afternoon we skirt around the bat colony in single file, wading through thigh-deep grass

20 | asante May – July 2013

In every direction bats reveal themselves, rapidly filling the sky. Tens of thousands become hundreds of thousands.

smelly,

bat roost. In the unspoken stillness of

After only half an hour the bats have

decomposing vegetation squishes and

the hide I sense a calm descending

dispersed but my adrenalin levels still

squelches beneath my boots and the

over the forest as the light wanes and

pound in the wake of the magical

back of my neck still slow-roasts in the

what seemed like huge clusters of

experience we’ve shared in awed silence.

fading heat. As we edge closer to the

giant seed pods dangling from ragged

In the deep, lingering calm we reluctantly

woodland in the eerie twilight, the trees

branches slowly wriggle to life. The

pack away our cameras and binoculars and

stand stark and forlorn, decimated by

tangled treetops twitch and tremble

turn-on our head-torches to leave the roost.

the immense weight of 10 million fruit

and an incessant chattering builds,

Plodding back in the cool night-air the

bats. And then I see one, a lone fruit

intensifying to a ‘roaring-rapids’ pitch

brightest beam is the one firmly fixed from

bat wriggling helplessly in the merciless

as the canopies explode with swirling

ear to ear as we squelch through riverine

talons of a martial eagle. Bastiaan

life. Restless, hungry bats pour out of

marshes, smiling all the way to our lodge.

whispers that Africa’s largest eagle has

the woodland in bewildering numbers

learnt to hunt bats on the wing, caught

into the gathering darkness for a night

Squeezing myself into Brad’s Cessna

for the first time on film recently by

journey across the forests to feed on

after a good nights sleep, I’m excited

the BBC for David Attenborough’s Life

a seasonal glut of wild fruit. Bastiaan

about returning to the big game of

Stories and his new Africa TV series.

appears at my side urging us to join him

the Luangwa Valley, not to mention a

Reaching

interconnected

on the high ground behind the hides.

few creature comforts. Witnessing the

ground level hides in the Bupata area

Caught in the grip of anticipation we

spectacular bat migration at Kasanka may

we creep in, looking directly into the

race outside. In every direction bats

not be everyone’s choice for their first

reveal themselves, rapidly filling the sky.

safari holiday. But when you’ve already

Tens of thousands become hundreds of

seen the ‘big five’ and don’t need all that

thousands. In chaos and commotion

pampering; when you want to get close

against the fading blackness, millions

to wildlife but somewhere a little wilder,

sweep over our heads, silhouetted

a little more challenging; a thrilling bat

against a magnificent sunset in an epic

safari at Kasanka would be at the top of

and

murky

reed-beds.

the

three

The

360 degree panoramic bat plague.

my list. •

Planning your bat safari:Air Uganda: www.air-uganda.com Kasanka Trust: www.kasanka.com Tazara Railway: www.tazarasite.com Norman Carr Safaris: www.normancarrsafaris.com Sky Trails: www.skytrailszambia.com

Plot 51/53, Windsor Crescent. Tel: +256-31-2391 000 / +256-414-391 000 E-mail: metropole@metropolekampala.com, Web: www.metropolekampala.com

Photos Š Joseph Kabuleta

sports

When Soccer Sneezes, Sport

catches a cold Billions of sponsorship money could be lost as Ugandan football bureaucrats agree to disagree, says Joseph Kabuleta.

22 | a s a n t e M a y – J u ly 2 0 13

When Supersport unveiled the fullness of their plan, ... the nation was positively stunned.

A

few years ago Kenya had two Football Federations, both struggling for legitimacy, and two football leagues. One was recognised by the government and the other by the world soccer governing body,

FIFA. The situation was a mess.

The Ugandan game wasn’t exactly thriving at the time either, but at least it couldn’t plunge to the depths of our neighbours, or so we imagined. The conflict in Nairobi, which attracted a FIFA ban at one stage, provided some comic relief from our own problems.

“At least we are better off than Kenya,” was the response of every football official tasked to explain the growing apathy towards the local game and the ever-dwindling number of fans at Super League matches.

Five years down the road, tables have been turned.

Kenyan league football is healthier than it has been in decades while the Ugandan game seems to have caught the ‘Kenyan bug’, so to speak. There have been several attempts at creating a rival football governing body in Uganda, even if most of them were lacklustre and often humorous. But one rival federation went as far as unveiling a new national coach who went ahead to call up his Cranes team. That one lasted long enough to give Ugandans a good laugh.

But nobody is laughing over the current situation with the national league which has left the entire nation in a spin and

So many plans, aspirations and billions of shillings could be released to flow freely or permanently blocked by one decision. threatens to thwart record sponsorship deals that

their own league was hardly revolutionary, even at the

extend beyond football.

time. It had been successfully implemented around the world with Uganda being one of the latest converts.

Two-league Confusion There was a time not too long ago when running the

In most countries, however, the Football Federations

Super League was more of a burden to the national

didn’t give up league management without a fight. In

federation than a privilege. Clubs were so badly

England, where a club-run league was first actualised,

managed and the enthusiastic fans that once financed

the Premier League won its freedom through a

the venture through ticket purchases were conspicuous

lengthy legal process in which it argued that top-flight

by their absence. Most fans had bought into the craze

clubs, being profit-driven Public Limited Companies,

that is televised English Premiership football and

couldn’t surrender their financial interests to a non

typically found it easier to associate with glamorous

profit-making institution like the English Football

brands like Arsenal or Manchester United than with the

Association.

confusion at local giants like KCC FC or SC Villa. With the indifference towards local football growing worse

That is the same argument that has won clubs across

every season, sponsors had long folded their wallets

the world the right to run their own affairs. The

and left.

overwhelming commercial success of the English Premier League with its mind-blowing sponsorship

At the height of the downturn, when the situation

figures has made it a model for other countries.

couldn’t get any worse, it got better. The top-flight clubs decided to register the Uganda Super League (USL) Ltd,

While in every other country clubs first fight before they

a company co-owned by all of them that would take

get independence from the federations, in Uganda

over running the league. The idea of clubs managing

independence came first then the fight followed.

24 | asante May – July 2013

sneezed. The first corporate company weighed in with a package that kick-started a trend. When Ecobank unveiled a Shs200m sponsorship, the deal was much more than its money’s worth. It was a vote of confidence.

“We are all well aware of the challenges Ugandan football has been facing,” the Pan African bank’s managing director Dele Alabi said at the unveiling in Kampala, “But those problems are not unique to Uganda.”

The ceremony was not attended by any of the Football Federation officials, however, as signs of a fractured relationship with the USL started to show.

When figures for the 2010/11 season were computed, it was noted with satisfaction that match attendances had improved by 20 per cent from the previous year, ending 15 years of a steady downslide.

But the best and the worst were yet to come.

It was the landmark sponsorship of Supersport that was, in many respects, a game-changer. In April 2011, the South African broadcasting giants unveiled a $5m (shs12b) five-year package that was set to propel league football to unimaginable heights. When Supersport unveiled the fullness of their plan, which included showing as many as 80 live league matches, local language commentary, At the time when a club demanded to manage their own affairs,

improving stadiums and pitches across the country,

there was nothing to fight for. FUFA, the local soccer governing

media seminars and many such things, the nation

body, was glad to hand over the carcass of a dysfunctional

was positively stunned.

league to the clubs.

And before they could get over the intoxication of The newly incorporated Uganda Super League set about making

the Supersport deal, Uganda Breweries, under the

simple changes aimed at returning the confidence of the fans.

Bell brand, broke stride with the often cautious

They decided that it wasn’t wise to enforce direct competition

approach to football sponsorship and weighed in with

with the English Premiership. They shifted local matches to

a shs2.2b three-year deal.

Tuesday and Friday evenings so that adherents to foreign leagues could enjoy the best of both worlds. It turned out to be

But not everybody was happy. By mid 2011, the cold

an inspired decision because fans started trickling back.

war between USL and the federation had become open combat, fought in and serialised by the media.

Return of Corporate Sponsorship

It escalated into the federation starting their own

After a couple of months of resuscitation, the dead man

league, the FUFA Super League (FSL).

asante May – July 2013

| 25

Nightmare for Clubs and Sponsors Unsure which league to feature in – with the FUFA version claiming continental legitimacy but the USL boasting of sponsorship money – most clubs decided to play in both.

Blick said that the train of optimism in rugby had slowed down to a near halt after hitting record speeds in the immediate

The sponsors initially stood by and hoped that the standoff

aftermath of the 2011 sponsorship deals.

would be sorted out one way or another. But it simply intensified.

When Supersport threatened to pull out of Uganda altogether,

“There are so many things we lost out because of the current

the minister of Education and Sports stepped in.

confusion in football. And that’s hurting us because part of our contract negotiations with title sponsors like Nile Breweries was

Other Sports Suffering

based on Supersport’s live coverage.

Now it’s clear that when football sneezes, other sports catch a cold.

“Failure to meet our contractual obligations to have live matches is blocking our sponsorship. We are limping.”

In September 2011, five months after the football deal, Supersport spread its wings into rugby and signed a $750,000

The rugby president estimated that the wrangles across the

annual sponsorship deal with the Uganda Rugby Union (UFU)

fence in soccer had made his federation lose as much as

for live broadcasts of all international games, as well as key

$200,000 (shs500m) through the suspension of live coverage.

League and Cup fixtures.

The Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Cricket Association Around the same time, the broadcasters also entered a sponsorship

Justine Ligyalingi was singing a similar melancholy tune.

deal with the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA), making the picture look all that much rosier for Ugandan sport.

“Since football wrangles intensified, we have lost out on live

But when soccer descended into chaos, Supersport temporarily

coverage because it would be too expensive for Supersport to

suspended live coverage, not just of football but of other sports too.

come for only rugby and cricket,” he said.

So many plans, aspirations and billions of shillings in sponsorship

“It’s true we were riding on football,” William Blick, the Uganda

money could be released to flow freely or permanently blocked

Rugby Union president admitted. “Supersport would never

by one decision. With bated breath, the nation waits for the

come to Uganda to do live broadcasts of rugby or cricket only.”

minister to make her ruling. •

26 | asante May – July 2013

asante May – July 2013

| 27

beauty

True Blue

Photos Š Onyx Jewellers Nairobi

The Jewel from Mother Africa

by Patricia Hughes Scott.

A gemstone of violet blue beauty was discovered in 1967, and named TANZANITE - a gemstone at least 1,000 times rarer than diamonds.

28 | asante May – July 2013

W

hat is the lure of gemstones? Why have they been so prized through the centuries?

Why are the crowns of kings and

queens studded with precious jewels? Why do women covet

them, and men pay exorbitant prices to give their ladylove the gemstone of their choice? Why have people desired them so much they have killed to own them?

Who can say why these products of Mother Earth are so valued, so coveted?

But the fact remains that jewels are prized, and fortunes are made in their production – where would South Africa be without its diamond mines, or Colombia without its emerald mines, for example? Gemstones never lose their value. Smart people have preserved their fortunes in economic times of hardship by putting their money into gemstones.

Gemstones are as old as time itself. As the crust of the earth hardened millennia ago and the continental plates forced mountains aloft and valleys under, they pushed together the elements that created all gems, their type and rarity being determined there and then. In East Africa there are several types of gemstones found – amethysts, rubies, sapphires, tourmalines, aquamarines and rhodolite

are mined in small sizes and quantities,

especially in the Taita Taveta area of Kenya’s coast province. But these are gemstones which are found in other places in the world.

In only one place the forces that shaped our earth created a particular gemstone - and they only created it once. In the foothills of Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro, in the northern part of the country in the traditional land of the Maasai a gemstone of violet blue beauty was discovered in 1967, and named TANZANITE - a gemstone at least a thousand times rarer than diamond ,000 times rarer than diamonds.

Foundation The Tanzanite Foundation was founded in 2003 by the Tanzanian government and is committed to developing, maintaining, and communicating confidence in Tanzania’s integrity and gaining stakeholder cooperation in the formalisation of the development and marketing Tanzanite. Subsidiary but important aims are those of ecological preservation and benefits to the people of the area.

It is a curious fact that Maasai men will not go underground, so they are not employed as miners, but they can - and do - deal in buying and selling the stones. It is not clear why they will not go down the mines, but ethnic beliefs and traditions are very strong in the culture of African castes, and the Maasai are very proud people who, among all the tribes of East Africa, have remained the most inviolate, the less touched and the least influenced and coerced by the practices of the modern world and the lure of money.

asante May – July 2013

| 29

This area of the world has an ecological environment

Precious Stones

like no other (it is in fact recognised as a geological,

The definition of a precious stone is that it must share

environmental phenomenon) so there was no tried

three important traits – beauty, rarity and durability.

and tested method of locating the stones or bringing

Tanzanite is classed as a precious stone. It has a

them to the surface and, for this and other reasons,

similar hardness to emeralds but is less brittle.

this amazing, rare and beautiful stone has proved

The four Cs generally describing precious stones

extremely difficult to copy in order to produce a

are colour, cut, clarity and carat.

synthetic variety, as has been done with other

Foundation claim they have a fifth C: Confidence -

gemstones.

which they offer in their dealings in the gemstone.

To reach their finished state, ready for marketing, the

It is remarkable but true that in this small corner

tanzanite stones are heated

of the world, under the shadow of Africa’s tallest

at a moderate temperature.

mountain, lies the only known source of this unique

This compliments the natural

gemstone, discovered less than 50 years ago, and

process,

tanzanite

which can only become rarer as it has been reliably

into a very stable state with

calculated that in less than two decades the last

no

stone will be mined. From that moment on, there

putting

structural

alteration.

or

chemical

The colour is

The Tanzanite

will be no more tanzanite.

natural and permanent. This varies from a rich velvety blue

The end – two words that mean so much: the end

to an exotic violet. The more

of an era . . . the end of the line . . . the end of

intense the colour, the rarer

tanzanite. Those who have purchased this gemstone

the tanzanite and this affects

now will, in the future, have an heirloom to cherish.•

the price which is calculated by carats.

Footnote: The Tanzanite Foundation recommend clients purchase these gemstones only from reputable jewellers who carry their trademark logo.

3 0 | asante May – July 2013

Asante News

JIKO at Tribe Hotel

Tribe’s signature restaurant recently launched a brand new menu carefully designed by Executive Chef Luca Molteni and his team. Inspired by the open flame grill, the menu is a tribute to local farmers; paying homage to crisp flavors and fresh, organic ingredients. The Jiko team has also reinvented Tribe’s famous Sunday brunch; the perfectly constructed menu features an extended dessert buffet, unlimited breezy cocktails, amongst an array of other feasts for the entire family. Jiko authentically holds true to the glamour of the hotel while offering guests the delights of whimsy and fantasy through a playful approach to presentation.

Leopard Beach Resort & Spa Re-opened on December 12th, 2012 this modern development will also offer an Asian fusion fine-dining venue with adjoining bar and will no doubt set new yardsticks for Kenya’s coast tourism.

To stay ahead of the competition, Leopard Beach has recently embarked on a major renovation programme. The popular Horizon Restaurant and adjoining Kalani Coffee Lounge have being refurbished and extended and now boast large, sweeping terraces offering panoramic ocean views. Even the award-winning Chui Grill has being improved: the popular Chaîne des Rôtisseurs restaurant has being extended to offer guests Voted ‘Kenya’s Leading Resort’ 2012 for the 3rd year running at the

a cool, air-conditioned and smoke-free dining

prestigious World Travel Awards, Leopard Beach Resort & Spa has a

section. And there’s a new addition to the Chui

well-earned reputation for excellence. As well as enjoying prime position

family, Wines & Whiskers -a classical wine bar with

on Diani Beach among tropical gardens overlooking the Indian Ocean, the

an impressive stock of southern hemisphere wines.

resort has extensively upgraded accommodation and facilities making it the preferred destination for holidaymakers and business travellers alike.

With five restaurants, stunning bars, a large freeform pool, the Uzuri Spa and a new villa complex,

Accommodation comprises standard and superior rooms as well as 20

this is a truly magnificent and cosmopolitan resort.

suites, cottages and luxurious private villas. All rooms a full range of

And the Chui Team – under the able leadership

quality amenities including Wi-Fi connectivity and Flat screen TVs. In

of the Coast’s most experienced hotelier, Chris

July 2013, the Resort is opening a new villa complex – The Residences.

Modigell – is looking forward to showing off its

Comprising two- and three-bedroomed villas, each with a private pool,

new spots!

asante May – July 2013

| 31

Photos © Ariadne Zandbergen

destination

Street scene in Nyamirambo and the big Mosque in the background is a landmark.

Spellbound by a Charismatic

Nyamirambo It is a rare and enduring gift, when a neighbourhood welcomes you and makes you, the stranger, feel at home, says Helene Thomas.

She sweeps the concrete of our compound every morning. There are five houses in the compound, including mine. Haj and his slightly older sister run – zigzagging around the wet washing hanging from the lines. Then his sister brings out a potty and Haj sits on it, glancing over at me, washing my clothes in my blue bucket. His sister, who is seven, washes him and empties the potty in our communal toilet.

After I hang my last load of washing I go and sit on the street just outside the compound. Haj follows, his feet sliding in his sister’s sneakers, one hand holding

H

up his over-sized shorts imprinted with flowers, aj’s mother sits on the concrete ledge outside her home, one

love-hearts and bees. We sit together gazing out

hand holding a hand-made straw broom, the other hanging

onto the street.

over her knee. Little Haj sits beside her; he looks up, she smiles and pats his head before rising again. She continues

Opposite us a group of men sit on wooden stools

to sweep the orange dust from the concrete pavement, bending over

playing igisoro, a traditional Rwandan board game.

because the broom handle is short. She holds her left hand on her lower

Next door, a woman and her children sit over a small

back and sweeps with her right.

coal stove cooking chapati and sambusa to sell.

32 | asante May – July 2013

from mud, others concrete or brick. Ornate iron gates

and offers them for 100 francs. A couple of children

front the larger homes and the quaint homes are

run after a wayward bicycle wheel with a stick and a

surrounded by golden bamboo fences. Clothes are

small boy walks behind his mother pulling a toy car

hung on washing lines that criss-cross between iron

made from a used juice carton and blue plastic lids

roofs, the gentle breeze making them dance to their

fastened on for the wheels. Nearby an elderly man

own rhythm. Then I hear the captivating and lively

sits on a stool, shaded by an umbrella, fixing shoes.

laughter of young children who play clapping games

The customers are plentiful.

out on the streets, giggling even more as I pass by.

There’s a constant murmur of conversation here.

If New York is the city that never sleeps, you could

People are always stopping to greet and chat with

say Nyamirambo is the neighbourhood that almost

one another. It is a custom I have come to admire

never sleeps. This inner-city suburb of Rwanda has a

and respect. It makes the pace of life slow and yet

personality of charisma and charm that, for me, had

still so purposeful.

me under its spell from the moment we first met.

I often find myself wandering Nyamirambo’s rambling

Nyamirambo is a thriving, colourful and vibrant

back-streets, intrigued by the aesthetically pleasing

inner-city suburb, just minutes from Kigali’s central

cobblestone roads that lead to orange-dusty narrow

business district. There’s an eclectic mix of shops,

paths connecting thousands of homes, some made

businesses, homes and people. It is one of the only

Photo © Helene Thomas

A teenage boy walks by with a bucket of boiled eggs

Dear little Haj, who makes me smile, and his slightly older sister.

asante May – July 2013

| 33

neighbourhoods in Kigali where you are likely to meet - all in the same street - lawyers, business people, hip-hop artists, Imams, street kids and elegant men and women dressed in designer clothing or traditional African cloth.

As I leave my compound to venture out into the night-air, I pass a group of Muslim elders who sit each night gathered around a small coal burning stove, drinking coffee. Tuckedaway tea-houses come alive at night, creating an atmosphere of celebration and ritual. I breath in the delectable air that is filled with the distinct smell of chapati. Freshly popped salted corn tempts my appetite as I walk by the quaint pop-corn machines that make me wonder if I have accidentally wandered into a circus tent.

I contemplate whether I will eat at my favourite Malian restaurant where I am guaranteed the cuisine that epitomizes the staple diet of locals, which is umuceri (rice), frite (hot potato chips), ibishyimbo (red kidney beans), igitoki (vegetable banana) and isombe (cassava greens). There are plenty of restaurants in the main two commercial strips of Nyambirambo and most serve this simple but nourishing cuisine. I have come to know the owner of the Malian restaurant and as I walk in through the sheer white curtain he greets me with a lovely wide smile, “Assalam o Alaikum” and I reply, “Walaikum Salam”.

34 | asante May – July 2013

FACT FILE: RWANDA Area: 26,338 square kilometres.

Capital city: Kigali Languages: English, French, Kinyarwanda (Kiswahili is widely spoken).

Official currency: Rwanda Franc (RFr).

Time zone: Rwanda is one hour ahead of GMT. Climate: Rwanda enjoys a temperate tropical highland climate typified by warm temperatures that vary with regions and average altitude that ranges from 1,500-2,500 metres on average. There are two annual rainy seasons: from February to June and from September to December.

Hotels and restaurants: Hotels and restaurants are abundant in Rwanda.

However it is advisable to book hotel reservations in advance. Credit cards are usually only accepted at the major hotels in Kigali.

ATMs: One can withdraw a limited amount of money per day using ATM card. However, the ATMs do not accept international cards.

Payments in Rwanda are made mainly in cash.

Calling code: The international calling code for Rwanda is +250.

Transport: Rwanda International Airport in Kigali provides both domestic and international flights. Also available in all major centres are local and luxury bus services as well as Air Charter services offered anywhere in the country. Driving is on the right hand side. An international Driving License is mandatory.

Communications: Rwanda has a superb cell phone network that covers nearly the entire country thereby easing both local and international phone calls. Also accessible are several internet cafés and computer centres.

Entry requirements: Passport is required by all. Check with your nearest embassy for current visa requirements. Entry tourist visa is issued at the exit point of Kigali Airport to all citizens with a valid passport of more than six months from the expiring date.

Health: There is no compulsory vaccination for travelling to Rwanda.

Prior to travelling to Rwanda, it is advisable to update vaccinations like cholera, tetanus, hepatitis A and meningitis.

Travel guide: Bradt Guide to Rwanda.

The hilly area above Nyamirambo is the Opposite: Pleasing cobble-stone roads lead to orange-dusty narrow paths connecting thousands of homes.

food basket of Kigali. Banana plantations, pineapple plants, mango trees and all kinds of vegetables grow in abundance.

And so, on just about every corner in this neighbourhood, there are women who carry

Right: On the days when i take time to cook, I venture out to buy the ingredients for my favourite homecooked meal.

traditional African baskets selling fresh produce. The colours so exuberant that you feel your taste buds dancing on your tongue.

On the days when I take the time to cook, I venture out to buy the ingredients for my favourite home-cooked meal. At one stop I contemplate whether I should buy the black or green avocado. Both of them look equally delicious so I take both, and then the shop owner packs me a kilogramme of potatoes into a brown paper bag. The next stop is a local home that sells cooked kidney beans. On a little rickety table they also sell small tomatoes, red onion, garlic, ginger and peppers. I gather all the produce together and venture back home ready to cook up a feast on my own coal-stove.

Photo © Helene Thomas

A special neighbourhood is one where not only the people but the place itself embraces you.

My small house has no kitchen or bathroom, just my three plastic buckets, a table and chair, a cupboard and a bed. It’s become a home where I feel connected to my neighbours and those in my street. I am grateful to muzee – who sits under his umbrella the whole day – for mending my leather sandals so I could continue my

concrete path in his slippers to come and share tea and

ramblings of Nyamirambo; to Bosco the

bread every morning.

bucket fixer who mended my broken red

Air Uganda flies daily to Kigali, Rwanda.

bucket (his job of fixing buckets, casserole

When places like Nyamirambo speak to your heart, they

pots, umbrellas and radios is a virtuous one

stay with you wherever you go. There is a sense of longing

given that much of the world has become

when you are apart. And quite often it is the very ordinary

a ‘throw-away’ society); to the shopkeepers

aspects of the place that you long for the most. A special

who sell me a baguette each morning which

neighbourhood is one where not only the people but the

comes complimentary with a gracious

place itself embraces you. In these modern times, where

greeting; to Mama Haj who keeps our

sometimes online communication supersedes direct

compound free from dust and litter; and to

human-to-human contact, it is a rare and enduring gift,

dear little Haj who makes me smile from

when a neighbourhood welcomes you and makes you, the

ear to ear as he pitter-patters across the

stranger, feel at home. •

asante May – July 2013

| 35

Photos Š Peter Holthusen

Destination

36 | asante May – July 2013

Dar es Salaam FISH MARKET Tanzania’s Most Thrilling Auction Peter Holthusen visits Kivukoni Fish Market, and offers sound advice for visitors to Dar es Salaam.

As the sun continues to rise over the bay, heating things up for the day, the Dar es Salaam fish market continues to flare.

I

t is dusk as ‘Home Boys’ slips out of the harbour.

depending on the size and type of fish they intend

She steams along the curve of Oyster Bay, but

to bid on.

it is not long before skipper Tulani Mjema has spotted a shoal of red snapper. He is less than

Fishing has always been important to the people of

a couple of miles offshore and the lights of Dar es

Dar. The city was originally a fishing village so the

Salaam’s sheltered harbour are still clearly visible.

Kivukoni fish market forms an integral part of their

The ring net is shot and the shoal captured. Carefully

daily lives. Many of Dar’s leading chefs, hoteliers

he brings the net into the boat where he and his crew

and restaurateurs can often be seen returning to

brail the fish into tanks of iced water, which rapidly

their kitchens with the catch of the day.

Above: Even for those who haven’t fostered an appreciation for seafood, Dar es Salaam’s vibrant fish market, near Kivukoni Front is definitely a place that should be experienced when travelling to Tanzania.

cools their temperature and ensures that they stay in the best possible condition.

With a population of almost four million, East Africa’s second-largest port, Dar es Salaam

Later they will be packed into boxes with ice before

(formerly Mzizima), is the largest and richest city in

being landed. The whole process has taken only a

Tanzania. It is also a regionally important economic

few hours. The catch has been good enough to meet

centre. Yet under its veneer of urban bustle, the

the demands of Tulani’s valued customers, and he

city remains a down-to-earth, manageable place,

is back in Dar just after midnight.

with a picturesque seaport, a fascinating mixture

Opposite: Many of Dar’s leading chefs, hoteliers and restaurateurs can often be seen returning to their kitchens with the catch of the day.

of African, Arabic and Indian influences with As soon as the sun makes its appearance over the

extremely close ties to its Swahili roots.

harbour, Dar es Salaam’s fish market instantly gets into top gear. People pour through the gates of the

Located in a massive natural harbour on the Indian

market, ready to throw down their money at one

Ocean, Dar es Salaam (which means ‘Haven of

of the many fish auction tables that abound there.

Peace’) is the hub of the Tanzanian transportation

By 7.00 am, the bustling market is blanketed with

system as all of the country’s main railways and

the organized chaos for which the city is renowned.

several highways originate in or near the city. Its

Groups huddle around colourful fish auction tables,

status as an administrative and trade centre has

3 8 | asante May – July 2013

Air Uganda flies daily to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

put Dar in position to benefit disproportionately from Tanzania’s high growth rate since the year 2000, so that by now its poverty rates are much lower than the rest of the country.

While there aren’t many ‘sights’ in Dar as such, there are numerous craft markets, shops and restaurants to keep most visitors happy. The streets, too, are full of colour and activity, as men weave through traffic on large Chinese-made bicycles, while women clad in brightly hued kangas (printed cotton garments worn by many women throughout East Africa) stand in the shade of government office blocks balancing trays of bananas and mangoes on their heads.

Along the waterfront, colonial-era buildings with their red-tiled roofs jostle for space with sleek, modern high-rises, leading to the vibrant fish market, near Kivukoni Front. Even for those who haven’t fostered an appreciation for seafood, the Dar es Salaam fish market is definitely a place that should be experienced when travelling to Tanzania.

Built by the Japanese government as part of an aid programme, it is composed of five open-air buildings. One hosts the kitchens where food is prepared for the workers or the more adventurous tourists who visit the place. Another building is used to clean the fish bought off the stands of the adjacent third structure, where the day’s catch is displayed. A fourth building is used for auctioning the fish, while on the other side of the street there is a fifth building where vats of fish are fried throughout the day in boiling oil. It provides an excellent opportunity to try the local food in a safe and friendly environment.

Very often referred to as a ‘Kitchen for four million people’, Dar es Salaam’s fish market is one of the largest wholesale fish and seafood markets in Africa, and plays a vital role in the distribution of perishable food to its citizens. This is fresh fish and seafood in the broadest sense – the diversity

asante May – July 2013

| 39

and abundance staggering (more than 400 types) – from sea

FURTHER INFORMATION

urchins to grouper, and from tiny sardines to huge marlin and

Tanzania Tourist Board www.tanzaniatouristboard.com

shark. Of them all, tuna is king.

The market complex is huge and sprawling, like a small city, with everything including tearooms and mosques. It’s a timeless place, with an ancient culture continuing in modern life. There are two sections: the ‘inner market’ is the licensed wholesale market where the auctions and most of the fish processing take place and where licensed wholesale dealers (approx 900) operate small stalls; and the ‘outer market’, which is an eclectic mix of wholesale and retail shops, many on narrow lanes, selling kitchen tools, restaurant supplies, groceries, vegetables and a plethora of vendors selling unique handicrafts made from the bi-products of their catch.

Dar es Salaam’s natural, nearly landlocked harbour is the outlet for most of mainland Tanzania’s agricultural and mineral exports and is also a transit port for the Congo River, whose navigable tributary, the Lualaba, can be reached by rail. The Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) Station connects Dar es Salaam to the neighbouring country of Zambia and beyond, while the Central Line Railway runs west from Dar to Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika via Dodoma.

Any visitor to Tanzania who is interested in fish, seafood, cooking, or simply dining at one of the country’s vibrant street food stalls, should make an effort to visit the Kivukoni fish market. It’s a Dar institution and is possibly under threat – there has been talk of expanding it because the ageing infrastructure cannot really handle the volume of traffic, and certainly not the number of tourists who flock there.

An increasing number of travellers bypass Dar es Salaam completely, by taking advantage of one of the many international flights into Kilimanjaro International Airport (between Arusha and Moshi) for the more popular safari destinations. Yet the city merits a visit in its own right as Tanzania’s political and economic hub. It’s also an agreeable place to break your travels elsewhere in the country, with an array of top-end hotels, inexpensive restaurants, a lively music scene, night clubs, bars, and well-stocked shops, and of course, Zanzibar is only a short ferry or plane ride away. •

40 | asante May – July 2013

HOW TO GET THERE: Daily flights from Entebbe. The Kivukoni fish market is located in central Dar es Salaam, at the junction of Ocean Road and Kivukoni Front, adjacent to the Kigamboni Ferry pier. It’s not far to walk there from downtown or take a taxi. Should you decide to drive a car, there is secure parking right across the street, in the grounds of the ‘Seashell’ and fresh fruit market.

INSIDER TIP: There is an office located on the second storey of the main market building. Head up the stairs to enjoy a stunning view of the entire market, fish auctions, Kigamboni, the uninhabited offshore islands of Bongoyo, Mbudya, Pangavani and Fungu Yasini, and the vast expanse of the distant Indian Ocean.

LAND AREA: The city has a total surface area of 1,590 square kilometres.

POPULATION: 3.5 million LANGUAGES: Swahili is the official language, although English is widely spoken.

TIME: GMT+3 CURRENCY: The official currency of Tanzania is the Tanzania Shilling; however visitors are advised to carry US Dollars.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Passports for all visitors must be valid for at least 6 months. Visas for up to 90 days can be obtained in advance or issued on arrival.

WHEN TO GO: Tanzania has a tropical climate and can be visited during all seasons. The weather is coolest and driest from late June to September, while October and November can be very pleasant. From late December until February, temperatures can be extremely high, but not oppressive.

During the rainy season (March to May), you can save substantially on accommodation costs.

WHAT TO READ: Journey Through Tanzania by the late Mohamed Amin, Duncan Willets and Peter Marshall, is one of the growing range of publications from Camerapix Publishers International.

NOT TO BE MISSED: Immersing yourself in the local lifestyle – everything from enjoying the weekend scene at Coco Beach, shopping for crafts at Msasani Slipway or Mwenge Carvers’ Market, to attending a church service at St Joseph’s Cathedral.

LOCAL FOOD: Ugali, the Tanzanian national dish made from maize or cassava flour, or both, with mouth-watering sauces. Mishikaki, marinated, grilled meat kebabs, or the array of freshly caught local seafood from the Indian Ocean.

Dar es Salaam

City Map

asante May – July 2013

| 41

bookshelf Symphony of My Life

The Best of African Cooking

The Challenging Times and My Variant Experiences from

Over 130 Authentic African Recipes

Ethiopia, Bhutan, Tanzania, and the United States

by Gebregziabher, Syoum

by Banda, Manjase

Index: 340pp, Paperback, GBP24.99 ISBN: 978-1569023570

Index: 140pp.

Paperback, GBP12.99 ISBN 13: 9780954682101 ISBN 10: 0954682106

The story of Syoum Gebregziabher, who has had an ambitious drive to succeed in education and public service.

He has worked tirelessly to improve conditions in his native Ethiopia, where he helped write the curriculum for the Public

Back in print, this popular illustrated cookbook has

Administration degree at the country’s first university. Under

over 130 recipes from the countries of North, East,

the Derg military regime, he helped form the Kebeles and

West and Southern Africa. Each recipe has a colour

Kebele Associations. Syoum also describes vividly his diverse

photograph, an ingredients list, clear instructions and

experiences as an international public servant in Tanzania,

states the country of origin.

Zimbabwe, Bhutan and Eritrea.

AFRICA: Eye to Eye with the Unknown by Jeal, Tim

336pp, Hardback GBP25.00 ISBN 13: 9781780879147 ISBN 10: 1780879148

With a foreword by David Attenborough. Lavish companion to the BBC One series reveals the undiscovered side of Africa’s five unique regions. Inspiring photography captures unprecedented wildlife behaviour, mesmerising new creatures and magical landscapes that will astound and captivate, and will challenge what you think you know about Africa. This is a spectacular journey through a vast and diverse continent in all its beautiful and unexpected abundance.

Witness the drama of eagles catching giant bats on the wing, lizards stalking their prey on the backs of lions and a nail-biting giraffe fight.

Share the discovery of the world’s rarest fish species and the firstever access to an island sanctuary for the elusive African penguin.

42 | asante May – July 20 13

inspiration

Soaring to New Heights

ATeacher’s Story

S

By Tina Parbhakar.

he paces around the tops

speech-makers as they commend and

of small heads in a tidy, yet

celebrate the primary students who

basic,

building

have become high achievers subsequent

located almost 10 kilometres

classroom

to their graduation from a Madrasa

from Kampala, filled to capacity with

Early Childhood Programme supported

both colourful materials and children.

preschool.

In the cool and sun-lit setting, the other

Development (ECD) teachers are seated

teachers attend to groups based roughly

at her sides and School Management

on age, named ‘Baby,’ ‘Middle’ and

Committee members as well as national

‘Top’ class. As the Head Teacher, she

stakeholders in the ECD sector are in

occasionally says, “Friends don’t hurt

attendance for the festivities.

Other

Early

Childhood

Above left: Ms. Aeeshah Nanyonjo is chosen at the Teacher of the Year and awarded a return flight

by Marketing Executive, Ms. Jackie Tumuhairwe, at the 2012 Madrasa Day.

Above: Ms. Nanyonjo arrives in Mombasa.

Opposite: Children of Nakasozi Infant Madrasat Buddo create art..

Photos © Tina Parbhakar

friends”, “Don’t papa [hurry in Luganda] – slowly, slowly, slowly”, or another easily

Suddenly,

understood phrase as she monitors

uncontrollably. Other teachers quickly

she

shrieks

and

shakes

progress and looks after her flock, before

come to her side. Then, they all start

heading home to two little ones of her

jumping up and down joyfully. What has

own.

happened?

Sitting quietly on a tented Kampala

The shy 19-year-old girl who started

lawn at the annual Madrasa Day in

taking care of children at a nursery in

October 2012, she listens to the various

her parents’ village had now proven

When you support children to reach for the sky, you will end up in the skies yourself!

As an excelling Ugandan teacher, then, in November 2012, Aeeshah climbs the steps of a plane and sits down, holding on tight and visibly nervous. Once in the air, she relaxes and remarks on how incredibly smooth the lift off was, as opposed to all the stories she was told. The week’s trip combines bringing back lessons and tips from preschool teachers and ECD practitioners in Kenya with time to tour the historical port city and get some much needed rest.

When she returns, Aeeshah remarks, herself as a capable, confident guide

Madrasa Resource Center Uganda staff

“I want to thank Air Uganda and the

to both children and their parents, as

are not far behind. She will go to Madrasa

Madrasa Programme very much for giving

well as an energetic leader among her

Resource Center Kenya, the birthplace

me this opportunity. I met many helpful

colleagues.

Ms. Aeeshah Nanyonjo

of the programme through which she

people with good ideas on my trip. I look

has been chosen as the Teacher of the

received intensive training for two-years.

forward to some of my recommendations

Year, and, on top of that, is awarded a

Indeed, Ms. Nanyonjo makes a positive

being taken up by teachers in Uganda in

return flight to Mombasa, compliments

difference in the physical, mental, social,

the next few months and years.” Ms.

of Air Uganda.

cultural and spiritual development of

Nanyonjo’s success is a testament to the

children in her community through her

idea that when you support children to

It is a dream come true for Aeeshah

knowledge of what is known about Early

reach for the sky, you will end up in the

and the other teachers, even though

Childhood Development internationally

skies yourself! We wish her more travels

flying is not something most dare to

and her ability to incorporate that into

to come and applaud Air Uganda for its

dream about in their lives. Aeeshah

methods and tools that are culturally-

support of excellence among Ugandan

begins to plan her trip right away and

relevant, low-cost and locally available.

teachers. •

Great Read Short Story

P is for Pastor Flash fiction by Monique Eleanor.

T

he first word Bebe Mankaa spoke was ‘Amen’.

The Chefor family; Pa in his tracksuit trousers and ‘I love New York’ T-shirt his brother had brought for him over the Christmas break, Ma Sue in what

should have been a cute night-shirt ruined by one too many washings and being tied up in her ancient loin-clothe, and the older kids Francis, Elton and Emmanuella in assorted clothes, which had at sometime been ‘outing wear’ but were now too old to be worn anywhere but inside the house. Even Mirabel the house-help and Mr. Paul the gateman had joined the family in the parlour where evening devotion was held as the bulb flickered from low voltage.

Pa thought of himself as an Equal Man, he often said it “I am an Equal Man”, he would say in his soprano voice before he went on to prove this equality by doing something that marked equity like commanding his help to join his family during evening and morning devotions. Thus it was that after each and every one had prayed in their turn and Papa had said the ‘The Grace’ and after the umpteenth “Amen” of the night the youngest Chefor at barely 10 months said “Amen” in a squeal as opposed to the solemn murmurings of the rest, but none the less clearly.

Ma Sue’s eyes flew open and down to the centre of the carpet where she had placed her last child to be part of the prayers. She shouted with joy and twirled Mankaa round

46 | asante May – July 2013

and round while Pa just kept smiling and repeating to everyone

and they continued, to give Pa the big family he had always

else present.

longed for, and to shut the mouths of those who had said for so long that she was not a woman. Unfortunately in the end

“Did you hear my daughter, did you hear that? Amen, her first

the family really wasn’t Pa’s and when the operation finally

word, that’s the Holy Ghost speaking through her, The Holy

went through with the doctor being a able to get blood in

Ghost is with us!”

from a neighboring Limbe Hospital, even an Equal Man like Pa, could not overlook such a slight.

He had conveniently forgotten that just before the prayers Mankaa had been crying at the top of her lungs. At that time

So when October rolled back around and Bebe and her siblings

he had declared her “her mother’s daughter” and the tears and

were to return to school, they were no longer students of

wails were, “The devil using her to distract us from worship, the

the prestigious Blessed Mount Carmel Boarding School,

devil I tell you!”

but rather the much gossiped about pupils of Government Bilingual School Muea. Ma Sue had been packed out of her

Years later, at age five Bebe Mankaa was still being called

matrimonial home and the dear Pastor refused all allegations

‘Blessed Bebe’ to the pleasure of her parents and annoyance

claiming it was an affront on his dignity to do blood tests to

of the other attention-needy children of the kindergarten class of Full Gospel Nursery and Primary School. Her ‘blessedness’ further confirmed when during the class-work in which they were all to write words for each letter of the alphabet; Bebe’s ‘A’ stood for annointed, her ‘C’ for Christian, Her ‘H’ for Holy-Ghost and ‘P’ for pastor.

prove his innocence. And every time Bebe passed her former schoolmates in her now grey and white school uniform, she would hear them squeal, • “P is for Pastor!”

Something went wrong though. Something went horribly wrong in the long holiday between Bebe’s form one and two. Pa had been unseated during an accident on an okada which he was on simply because his car was being used to drop off children who had attended Bebe’s 12th birthday celebration, and Pa had an urgent document to drop off for the upcoming crusade to be held by the church. It was at this time that the family finally had to chew the words they had always served to other church members when consoling them; “God knows what’s best, take heart, and don’t give up the faith”.

The words tasted like cod-liver oil; slick yet difficult to swallow.

But adversity added another fatal punch to Pa Chefor and his family when the doctor needing to make sure he had his patients blood type on standby had to check the children for a suitable match. Before all the results had even been released, Ma Sue twitching and sobbing had confessed that none of the children were Pa’s as he had been unable to sire a child, and after a couple years of ‘barrenness’ with everyone looking at her either with contempt or pity, they had joined the Full Gospel Church because her husband had been promised an end to his wife’s ‘barrenness’ by the power of God. It would happen however, that the power of God was to be experienced only during all night ‘spirituals’ between the Pastor and Ma Sue. So she conceived

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asante May – July 2013

| 47

Health

Natural Health Solutions Photos Š Nationalgeographic

Mother Nature to the Rescue!

by Gilly Pickup.

Easing a Sore Back

Relieving a Headache

Oh that sore back is driving you mad! Black pepper

Drinking more water can help relieve headaches because

to the rescue. In Ayurvedic medicine black pepper

sometimes they occur due to dehydration. Massage

is mixed into a paste, which warms up the skin

relieves tension headaches by helping improve blood

and helps banish aches. Grind it up with a pestle

circulation, or use essential oil of rosemary to make a

and mortar, mix with almond oil or similar oil and

cold compress. Add six drops to a bowl of water, soak

get someone to spread it on the painful area. You

a flannel in it then wring it out. Lie down and apply

should feel better in half an hour or so because

the cold compress to your forehead, pulling the flannel

black pepper is a warming spice and contains

taut on either side for 10 seconds so it creates slight

piperine which helps stimulate the circulatory

pressure. Apply to your forehead several times. The

system, ease stiffness, pain and shifts congestion

herb often helps to reduce the severity of a headache.

around muscles and joints. It is also rich in essential

It works by limiting the secretion of compounds that

oil, which promotes sweating.

cause inflammation.

48 | asante May – July 2013

Painful Eczema There’s no doubt eczema can be painful but you can help alleviate the itch by treating the skin with oats mixed into a paste with water. The silica in oats is a healing mineral that helps soothe inflamed skin.

Lemon is also useful for treating itchy skin. Its aromatic substances contain anaesthetic and antiinflammatory properties, which may help reduce itching. (If nothing else, you’ll smell divine.) Squeeze undiluted lemon juice on itchy skin and allow to dry.

Chinese folk medicine values mint as a treatment for itching skin because it contains menthol, which has anti-inflammatory properties when applied topically.

For sleeplessness caused by depression, rose is often effective, while camomile encourages peaceful sleep.

closed eye. Leave on your eyes for 10 minutes. The apple slice will be cooling on the eye and the presence of tannin, with its antiinflammatory properties, helps reduce puffiness. Alternatively, dip two metal spoons in cold water, freeze for a few minutes and apply to your eyes. The spoon shape fits perfectly into the area around your eyes and swelling will go down because the cold reduces inflammation and swelling.

Game for Toothache

Getting to Sleep

Cloves are the name of the game for toothache.

When you feel tired but can’t

Put a drop of oil of cloves on a cotton wool bud and

sleep, sip a hot sweetened milky

dab on the offending tooth. Clove oil has bacteria-

drink.

slaying properties as well as a numbing effect. In

because the sugars enable brain

the 1800s, when toothpaste was scant and dentists

cells to absorb more tryptophan,

employed tools of torture, every doctor carried a

provided by the milk protein,

supply of clove oil. Today we know that this extract

from the bloodstream.

from the clove bud contains eugenol, which acts as

converts into the feel-good brain

a local anaesthetic. A warm, wet tea bag is another

chemical serotonin, which calms

folk remedy that’s worth trying. Black tea contains

and slows us down. Several

astringent tannins, which may reduce swelling,

aromatherapy oils are renowned

providing temporary relief. (Then get yourself down

for

to the dentist, pronto ....)

Before going to bed add a few

It will help you drop off

their

relaxing

This

properties.

drops of lavender oil to a warm Tired Puffy eyes

bath. Sprinkle a few drops on your

For tired or puffy eyes use apple slices as refreshing

pillow too.

eye pads and to help reduce nasty dark circles. Keep

caused by depression, rose is

an apple in the fridge and then cut two slices, lie

often effective, while camomile

down, close your eyes and place a slice over each

encourages peaceful sleep.

For sleeplessness

asante May – July 2013

| 49

an effective natural cure against spots

are chopped, crushed or chewed. This

and pimples. The enzyme-rich gel has

popular herb may improve immunity by

soothing anti-inflammatory and anti-

stimulating some of the body’s natural

bacterial properties. If taken internally it

immune cells. Allicin can also help

helps detox the digestive tract, which in

reduce inflammation.

turn can help clear up skin.

Soothing a Sore Throat Sore throats can be soothed by putting two teaspoons of sage leaves in a cup, add boiling water, leave for 10 minutes, strain when cool and then use as a gargle.

Ginger helps too; it is rich in manganese which helps build resistance to infection and disease and contains immuneboosting zinc and anti-stress B vitamins.

You can make a simple, soothing drink by combining lemon or lime juice with manuka honey and ginger, which will help the body clear out toxins from this infection. Flaxseed oil, rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs), will also support a body that is fighting off and recovering from an infection.

Fight Off that Flu For colds or flu, a teaspoon of grated horseradish in boiling water makes a

Hangover from Hell

bracing drink. This powerful natural

Drinking lots of water before you crash

antibiotic aids the respiratory system.

into bed can help the hangover from Hell.

Horseradish

and

If however, next morning you still wake

promotes expulsion of mucus from upper

up feeling ill, raise your blood-sugar level

respiratory passages. Something else

to help stop the nerve-jangling dizziness

Getting Rid of Spots

worth trying is an infusion of liquorice

and shaking. If you can face a hearty

Spots the size of the Himalayas have

root. Liquorice is said to strengthen

breakfast, it will help make you feel

a habit of popping up when least

the immune system while echinacea,

human again, but if you cannot bear the

expected. Did you know that if you put

sometimes referred to as the ‘immune

idea, a raw egg yolk has the same effect.

a drop of water on the spot, then rub a

herb’, stimulates the body to fight

Eggs contain amino acids that the liver

soluble aspirin into it for a few seconds

off infections. Garlic can help prevent

needs. Tummy too fragile for a raw egg

it will disappear? This is because the

colds and reduce symptoms because it

yolk?

salicyclic acid in aspirin, which comes

contains allicin, a purified component

Bananas are also good: they contain

from willow bark, helps fight the nasty

of garlic considered to be the major

potassium,

guys that trigger inflammation. The

biologically active agent produced by the

necessary for maintaining the body’s

watery gel from Aloe Vera plant is also

plant and released when cloves of garlic

normal fluid balance.

50 | asante May – July 2013

clears

sinuses

Try freshly squeezed fruit juice. a

guaranteed

•

revitaliser

Photos Š James Michael Dorsey

Culture

Beads

of Time There are iconic images we all associate with certain places: the Great Wall with China, the Eiffel Tower with France, but when you think of Africa, beads are probably not the foremost image.

Perhaps they should be, says James Michael Dorsey.

Girl in decorative beads.

B

esides their role as physical adornment, beads are among the oldest known symbols used by mankind. Some of them share time and space with the earliest known cave paintings, and symbols are a physical manifestation of an advanced thought process that separates Homo sapiens from lower creatures. As such, beads have religious, social, and decorative properties. In Africa, more than any other region, they have long played a prominent role.

Many people believe that Phoenician mariners brought the first beads to Africa but there is no physical evidence to support this theory. What we do know is that in 2004 in a cave in South Africa near Cape Town, archeologists uncovered drilled ostrich egg beads that date back a minimum of 45,000 years and as much as 280,000 years, depending on who the examiner is. Sudan, Kenya, and Libya have all yielded similar beads that have been dated to at least 12,000 years ago. Various tribes of the Turkana people who ranged from northern Africa down to modern day Kenya used beads as currency and they were commonly paid as marriage dowries and used for the purchase of cattle.

Cowry shells can be found throughout Africa and are probably the most used decorative symbol on the continent. They saturated the land tens of thousands of years ago when much of today’s Africa was under water. They have long been used as a symbol of fertility, especially as ceremonial beads. In drier areas that lack cowries, eggshells have served the same purpose.

Almost all beads were made from indigenous, organic materials until around the fourth century AD when glass beads made their way into the continent from Portugal, and there is archeological evidence recovered from tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt that about this same time glass beads were in widespread use as personal decorations for noble families. For the next seven centuries,

52 | asante May – July 2013

Chevron beads.

beads were the driving force of the African economy.

By the mid-12th century Ghana, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, were producing glass beads and continue to do so even today.

Modern Maasai beadwork.

Maasai cowry beaded choker.

When foreign seafarers and explorers began to infiltrate Africa around the 14th century they brought glass chevron beads with them to trade for safe passage. These are produced by a rigorous process whose end result is several layers of alternating colours. Chevron beads were soon joined by millefiori beads from Italy, another type of multicoloured beads that hold intricate patterns in their design. Both of these styles proved to be very popular as currency for another four centuries.

Venice, Italy, was producing most of the glass beads for African trade by the 1700s and these came to be popularly called ‘slave beads’ as they were the primary currency used for the buying and selling of people at the time. Unfortunately that term was in common usage until the 1920s before socially conscious people began to realise just how offensive the word was and it was replaced with the term, ‘trade beads.’

As the craft of bead making progressed, smaller and smaller beads were produced, making it possible to employ them in the widespread decoration of clothing.

Whatever their vast and varied origins, beads remain a staple of African culture today. Numerous tribes have not only become masters of bead production and their use as decoration but have garnered worldwide reputations as artists of this milieu.

Ghana was, and still is, the largest producer of beads in Africa and the Ashanti and Krobo people make them

from ground, powdered glass that is uniquely identifiable.

The Fulani, hereditary nomads who range throughout a third of the continent, favour brightly coloured glass beads. In Malawi they create vibrant glass beads that favour floral patterns while in Mozambique, indigenous gemstones are a popular medium.

Zaire is known for stone beads while Uganda is leading the way by making beads from re-cycled paper. In Ethiopia, men and women of the Hamer tribe both wear headbands, armbands, necklaces and chokers of beads, and in the Great Rift Valley, the Iraqi people work beaded designs onto their clothing that is in great demand by collectors. In my travels I have also uncovered beads made from cork and fish bones, horn, ivory, metal, pottery and wood.

A number of tribal cultures have raised beadwork to its highest levels, employing it not only for rites and ceremonies, but incorporating beadwork into the utensils of everyday life, turning the most mundane objects into living works of art, and probably the best known of all are the Maasai.

They favour bright, primary colours: red, yellow, blue, and both men and women wear earrings, chokers, necklaces, ankle and wrist cuffs, but are probably best identified with the large round neck collars that adorn the women, and that has become their identifying icon to the world. This writer even has a beaded Maasai watchband. They not only wear these items for special occasions but also as an everyday way of life.

Maasai beadwork proclaims their joy of living every waking moment.

The North American plains Indians are also known for their magnificent beadwork that interestingly enough bears many of the same designs and patterns of early African beading. There are many anthropologists who believe this art form travelled over the now lost Aleutian land bridge when Asia and the Americas were connected long ago.

As science continues to allow us to look further and further into the past, we just might discover that this most African of icons is much older than anyone ever expected. • asante May – July 2013

| 53

Basic Tips for the Traveller in Uganda Land Uganda is a compact country, with an area of 236,580 square kilometres – roughly the size of Great Britain.

Climate Although situated on the equator, Uganda’s relatively high altitude tempers the heat, and humidity is generally low. Throughout the year sunshine averages about 6 to 10 hours a day. There are two rainy seasons: the main long rains, which start late in February and end in April, and the short rains, which start in October and run until about the middle of December. The region around Lake Victoria, however, receives rain at almost any time of the year.

Topography It is located on the equator, within the eastern plateau region of the African continent and between the eastern and western ridges of the Great Rift Valley. Near the borders several mountain masses stand out strikingly from the plateaux.

Economy Uganda is blessed with fertile soils that support a wide variety of food and export crops, both annual and perennial. Agriculture is the dominant sector of Uganda’s economy. The major traditional export crops are coffee, cotton, tea, horticulture, tobacco and sugar cane, while groundnuts, maize, beans, sorghum and millet have emerged in recent years as cash crops for the peasant farmers.

Language English is the official language and is also the medium of instruction in Uganda’s education system, from primary school up to university level. Swahili is also spoken.

There are some 30 indigenous languages spoken in the rural areas. The most common of these are Luganda and Luo. Electric supply All installations are of British standard and appliances should be fitted with the square, three-pin plugs of British specifications. The voltage is 240 volts, 50 Hz for domestic use. The voltage fluctuates continually, however, and proper surge protectors are advisable for any expensive equipment.

Time Uganda is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Time remains constant throughout the year.

People The people are warm, friendly, and full of humour. They are anxious to make friends with visitors and are continually asking guests whether they are comfortable and enjoying themselves. A large number of people speak English.

Excursions Uganda is beginning to develop an excellent tourist infrastructure, with first-rate roads and communication facilities. Uganda’s national game, forest and recreational parks are indeed some of the spectacular showpieces Africa has to offer. They do have regulations regarding off-the-road driving, game watching, and so on, which are clearly stated at the entrance gates of parks or on leaflets supplied by the tourist offices.

Mountaineering safaris to the Ruwenzori Mountains in the western Rift Valley are now becoming a favourite Ugandan expedition. Similar safaris can also be organised to climb Mount Elgon in the east, sharing the border with Kenya.

Hotels There are international-standard hotels in Entebbe, Kampala and Jinja, as well as in many of the smaller towns. Camping, rustic bush camps and guest houses are also available. The Kampala Sheraton, the Serena Kampala, the Grand Imperial, and the Nile Hotel, all in the national’s capital are by the best. There are many other less expensive, but quite nice hotels in the city. Outside Kampala, most towns also have a variety of moderately priced and budget hotels.

Banking hours There is a wide range of banks in Uganda, particularly in Kampala. Their hours are generally from 0830 to 1400 hours on weekdays, and Saturdays from 0830 to 1200 hours. Forex bureaux keep longer hours – 0900 to 1700 hours on weekdays and 0900 to 1300 hours on Saturdays. ATMs are available in the larger cities.

Communications Telephone, telex, fax and airmail services connect Kampala to all parts of the world.

Services are available at the General Post Office and its many branches, as well as in the main hotels. International direct dialling is available and now there are a number of Internet cafes.

Medical services Uganda has good health services, with some good government and private hospitals and clinics in the major cities. Air rescue services are available.

Currency Uganda Shilling (UGX). Notes are in denominations of UGX 50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000 and 1,000. Coins are in denominations of UGX 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. You can change money at banks and hotels. Although the forex bureaux usually have better exchange rates.

Credit cards International credit cards are accepted in major hotels and shops.

Working hours Shops and businesses are generally open from 0830 to 1730 hours on weekdays, with a lunch break between 1300 and 1400 hours. Some businesses are open on Saturday, at least until midday. Small, local shops or kiosks on the side of many roads are generally open much later, until about 2130 hours and on weekends and holidays as well; they stock basic food and household items.

Public Holidays 2013 1 January 26 January 8 March 29 March 1 April 1 May 3 June 9 June 8 August 9 October 26 October 25 December 26 December

New Year’s Day Liberation Day International Women’s Day Good Friday Easter Monday Labour Day Martyrs’ Day National Heroes’ Day Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Independence Day Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Christmas Day Boxing Day

Note:The two Muslim holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximate.

Customs Besides personal effects, a visitor may import duty-free spirits (including liquors) or wine up to one litre, perfume and toilet water up to half a litre and 270 grammes of tobacco or 200 cigarettes. Other imported items, not exceeding US$100 may be brought in duty free and without an import licence, provided they are not prohibited or restricted goods, are for personal use, and are not for resale.

Note: A special permit is required to export game trophies.

Health requirements Visitors from areas infected with yellow fever and cholera required certificates on inoculation. All visitors are advised to take an antimalarial prophylactic beginning two weeks before their arrival and continuing for six weeks after their departure. A gamma globulin injection provides some protection against possible infection by hepatitis and is well worth taking.

Visa and immigration requirements Visa applications may be obtained at Uganda diplomatic missions. Two photographs are required for visas, which are usually issued within 24 hours. Visas are also available at the country’s entry points. Check with the Uganda diplomatic mission in your country if visa is required as some countries are exempted.

Taxi services Taxis are immediately available at Entebbe International Airport. They can also be found outside most hotels in Kampala and at most of the country’s major centres.

All don’t have meters, so make sure the fare is negotiated in advance.

Car rental Several firms operate car hire services in Kampala. Vehicles may be hired with or without driver. For trips outside the city it is possible to hire insured cars appropriate for the trip (a four-wheel-drive vehicle with a driver-translator is recommended).

Entebbe International Airport The main point of entry is Entebbe International Airport, about a 30-minute drive south of the capital, Kampala. Although modest, the modern airport does provide automated passenger facilities, currency exchange, postal services, banking facilities, telephoned, duty-free shops, gift shops and a restaurant and bar.

Security The same rules apply for Kampala as for almost any city anywhere.Be careful and take the usual precautions to safeguard yourself and your belongings. Do not leave valuables in your car. Walking at night in all major centres is reasonably safe.

useful travel tips

1.

Make sure you purchase your ticket under the exact name that appears on your passport.

9. Because of the altitude, airplanes can be quite cold (especially the floor). Always take a jacket or sweater with you on the plane and take one of the blankets that the airline provides.

2. Do your own bag checks before you leave home, to avoid getting stopped by security and losing innocent (but sharp) items you forgot were in your bag — hello, nail scissors! — Carefully check each piece of luggage at home first.

10. When booking a family holiday, try to book airline seats in advance to ensure that your whole family sits together.

3. Smoking is not permitted on nearly all flights and many airports have restrictions, too. Be prepared to go without a smoke for the whole duration of your trip.

4. Before the flight, make sure you know your flight number (and any others if you are connecting with other flights). Write it down and keep it where you can reach it easily. You will need it to find the counter to check in, to find your gate, to board the aircraft, and to claim your luggage.

5. Certain clothing and accessories can set off an alarm on the metal detector and slow you down.

Avoid wearing clothing, jewellery or other accessories that contain metal when travelling through the security checkpoints.

Pack all your coats and jackets in your baggage where possible. All unpacked coats and jackets must go through the X-ray machine for inspection.

6. The air in the aircraft is dry. Minimize discomfort by drinking reasonable amounts of water and juices. Limit consumption of alcohol, tea, coffee and caffeinated drinks because they cause you to lose fluids. Wear spectacles instead of contact lenses. Apply a skin moisturizer.

7. If you’ve missed a connection, don’t stand in line to rebook with a gate agent. Instead, use your cell phone to call the airline’s customerservice number (tuck it in your wallet before leaving). You may speak to someone faster, giving you a better chance at getting a seat on the next flight.

8. If you are flying for a special occasion and plan to carry presents in your hand luggage, don’t forget to check hand luggage restrictions first.

Make sure all presents are permitted in cabin baggage and remember that the liquids in hand luggage rules apply to presents too.

11. Avoid booking flight segments close together. Major airlines consider a connection as tight as 35 minutes to be a valid connection, but this is often not enough time if there are long lines at security!

12. Have a written or typed copy of all passport numbers with issue and expiry dates, and dates of birth of children - so that you do not need to remove your passports or other documents when going through Customs etc. You will then have the information at hand to complete the numerous forms without having to show where you keep your documents 13. When you claim your bag at the airport, check it over before you leave the bag claim area. Look for any new damage on the bag and be sure that it was not opened and something taken. The baggage service desk for the airline is normally at the claim area; this is also true for Customs arrivals. Fill out the misplaced baggage information before leaving Customs.

AIR UGANDA CONTACTS AND OFFICES

Head Office: Housing Finance Bank Building, Second Floor, Lower Kololo Terrace Tel: + 256 (0) 414 258 262/4 P.O. BOX 36591 Kampala, Uganda Email: info@air-uganda.com Email: info@air-uganda.com Kampala Call Centre: Jubilee Insurance Centre 1st Floor, Podium Level, Parliament Avenue, Kampala Uganda.

Tel: +256 (0) 412 165 555 (0) 312 165 555 Email: info@air-uganda.com Entebbe International Airport (Ticketing Office): 2nd Floor, Passenger Terminal Building, Entebbe , Uganda Tel: +256 (0) 414 321485 (0) 417 717 222 Email:info@air-uganda.com PLEASE NOTE : After working hours: Weekdays (17:45 hrs - 21:00 hrs), Saturday (14:00 hrs - 21:00 hrs) and Sunday (07:30 hrs - 21:00 hrs) Please call our Entebbe ticketing office on Tel: +256 (0) 414 321 485

+256 (0) 417 717 222 for assistance.

Bujumbura Sales Office: Av Du 18 Septembre, Galerie La Perie Tel: +257 (0) 22 277 262 +257 (0) 76 179 000 +257 (0) 76183 000 Email: salesbjm@air-uganda.com

Nairobi Sales Office: 10th Floor, IPS Building, Kimathi Street, Nairobi, Kenya.

Tel: + 254 (0) 20 313 933/4 Email: infoke@air-uganda.com Mombasa Sales Office: 1st Floor , TSS Towers, Nkrumah Street, Mombasa Kenya Tel: +254 (0) 412 313 626 +254 (0) 734 605 203 Email: reservationmba@air-uganda.com Moi International Airport (MIA) Sales Office Tel: +254 735 877 289 Email: reserservationmba@air-uganda.com Unit 1 Terminal Building, Mombasa, Kenya.

Dar es Salaam Sales Office: Harbour View Tours J-Mall, Samora Avenue, 1st Floor P.O.BOX 22636 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Tel: +255 (0) 222 133 322/ +255 (0) 783 111 983 Email: reservationsdar@air-uganda.com

Juba Sales Office: Hai Suk Street (Opp.the Mosque) Juba, Sudan Tel: + 211 (0) 177 800 041 Mob: + 211 (0) 977 153 912 Email: salesjuba@air-uganda.com or info@air-uganda.com

Kigali Sales Office: Office No.26, Union Trade Centre Building, Town Centre Tel: +250 (0) 782 229 572 Email: info@air-uganda.com

ABAto corner!

The Fox and the Crow A crow had stolen a large piece of cheese and had flown into a tall tree. A fox who had seen it happen said to himself, with a little cunningness I should be able to get that cheese for my supper. He thought for a moment and then addressed the bird, “Good afternoon Miss Crow,” he began, “You look really beautiful today. I’ve never seen your feathers so radiant. Your neck is as graceful as a swan, and your wings are as mighty as an eagle. As for your voice, everyone knows it is as sweet as a nightingale’s. Won’t you do me a favour and sing me something?”

The Ant and the Grasshopper One day in winter an ant dragged out some grains of food that she had gathered during the summer.

Seeing the seeds drying in the sun, a grasshopper asked the ant to give him some.

“Why do you come to me to be fed?” asked the ant.

‘What did you do during the summer?’

“Oh,” answered the grasshopper, “during the summer I sang.”

Pleased with such praise, the gullible crow started to caw. As soon as she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell out and the fox snapped it up.

Trotting off with the food, the fox made things worse by calling back the crow, “I may have overestimated your voice and your beauty, but I said nothing about your brains.”

“Well,” said the ant, “since you sang during the summer, during the winter you can dance.”

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word square!

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How many animals can you find hidden in this square?

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Look for them from left to right, up and down, and diagonally.

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Score: 15 Excellent; 12 – 14 Very Good; 9– 11 Good.

Add vowels to the following to complete the sentence (3 words)

Thnkyfrflyngrgnd.

Answer Thank you for flying Air Uganda.

Answers Buffalo, Cat, Cow, Dog, Eland, Elephant, Fox, Lemur, Leopard, Lion, Mouse, Oryx, Ostrich, Pig, Tiger

Air Uganda Flight Schedule

Valid from 1 Feb 2013

ENTEBBE - NAIROBI FLIGHT NUMBER U7 202 U7 206 U7 206 U7 204 U7 204 U7 204 U7 202

DEPARTURE TIME ‘06:00Hrs 14:30Hrs 14:00Hrs 19:30Hrs 19:50Hrs 17:30Hrs 08:30 Hrs

FLIGHT NUMBER U7 203 U7 207 U7 207 U7 205 U7 205 U7 205 U7 203

DEPARTURE TIME 07:45 Hrs 16:25Hrs 17:40Hrs 21:10Hrs 21:30Hrs 19:10Hrs 10:10Hrs

FLIGHT NUMBER U7 122 U7 122 U7 122 U7 120 U7 120

DEPARTURE TIME 07:10Hrs 10:00Hrs 10:00Hrs 15:55Hrs 15:55Hrs

FLIGHT NUMBER U7 123 U7 123 U7 123 U7 121 U7 121

DEPARTURE TIME 09:00Hrs 11:45Hrs 11:50Hrs 17:45Hrs 17:40Hrs

FLIGHT NUMBER U7 320 U7 320 U7320 U7 320 U7 320

DEPARTURE TIME 09:40Hrs 09:40Hrs 14:30Hrs 12:05Hrs 12:05Hrs

FLIGHT NUMBER U7 321 U7 321 U7 321 U7 321 U7 321

DEPARTURE TIME 12:15Hrs 13:35Hrs 17:05Hrs 12:05Hrs 14:40Hrs

FLIGHT NUMBER U7 320 U7 340

DEPARTURE TIME 09:40Hrs 13:30Hrs

FLIGHT NUMBER U7 321 U7 321 U7 341

DEPARTURE TIME 12:05Hrs 12:05Hrs 15:55Hrs

FLIGHT NUMBER U7 350 U7 352 U7 352 U7 352

DEPARTURE TIME 12:45Hrs 11:20Hrs 17:20Hrs 09:00Hrs 18:30Hrs

FLIGHT NUMBER U7 351 U7 353 U7 353

DEPARTURE TIME 13:00Hrs 19:00Hrs 18:45Hrs

U7 360 U7 362 U7 352

09:30Hrs 17:20Hrs 18:30Hrs

U7 361 U7 363 U7 353

10:00Hrs 17:50Hrs 19:55Hrs

ARRIVAL TIME 07:10Hrs 15:40Hrs 15:10Hrs 20:40Hrs 21:00Hrs 18:40Hrs 09:40Hrs

FREQUENCY Mon - Fri Mon - Thu Fri Mon - Thu Fri Sat & Sun Sat & Sun

ARRIVAL TIME 08:55Hrs 17:35Hrs 16:50Hrs 22:20Hrs 22:40Hrs 20:20Hrs 11:20Hrs

FREQUENCY Mon - Fri Mon - Thu Fri Mon - Thu Fri Sat & Sun Sat & Sun

ARRIVAL TIME 08:15Hrs 11:00Hrs 11:05Hrs 17:00Hrs 16:55Hrs

FREQUENCY Mon,Wed,Fri Tue,Thu & Sat Fri Mon-Fri Fri & Sun

ARRIVAL TIME 10:05Hrs 12:45Hrs 12:55Hrs 18:50Hrs 18:40Hrs

FREQUENCY Mon,Wed,Fri Tue,Thu Fri Mon-Thu Fri & Sun

ARRIVAL TIME 11:30Hrs 12:50Hrs 16:20Hrs 13:55Hrs 13:55Hrs

FREQUENCY Mon, Wed, Thu Tue Fri Sat Sun

ARRIVAL TIME 14:05Hrs 15:25Hrs 18:55Hrs 15:55Hrs 16:30Hrs

FREQUENCY Mon,Wed,Thu Tue Fri Sat Sun

ARRIVAL TIME 11:20Hrs 15:10Hrs

FREQUENCY Tue,Fri Sun

ARRIVAL TIME 15:25Hrs 13:45Hrs 17:35Hrs

FREQUENCY Tue,Fri Fri Sun

ARRIVAL TIME 12:30Hrs 12:30Hrs 18:30Hrs 08:45Hrs 18:15Hrs

FREQUENCY Mon - Thu & Sat Tue & Thu Fri Sat Wed,Sun

ARRIVAL TIME 14:45Hrs 20:45Hrs 21:55Hrs

FREQUENCY Mon - Thu & Sat Fri Sun

09:30Hrs 17:20Hrs 19:25Hrs

Tue & Thu Fri Sun

12:00Hrs 20:45Hrs 21:55Hrs

Tue & Thu Fri Sun

NAIROBI - ENTEBBE

ENTEBBE - JUBA

JUBA - ENTEBBE

ENTEBBE - DAR ES SALAAM

DAR ES SALAAM - ENTEBBE

ENTEBBE - MOMBASA

MOMBASA- ENTEBBE

ENTEBBE - KIGALI

KIGALI - ENTEBBE

ENTEBBE - BUJUMBURA

BUJUMBURA - ENTEBBE

For any information contact your preferred Travel Agent or our Sales & Reservation Office on 041 2 165555/ 0312165555 in KAMPALA.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE & SUDOKU

Clues across 1. Ancestral divisions (6) 7. A source of reference, easy to pick up? (8)

Crossword 3

2

1

5

6

7

8. The act of selling (4) 10. Longed for (6)

9

8

11. Structural plan (6) 14. Obtain (3)

4

10

12

11

13

16. American fast food (5)

14

17. Open this for access (4) 19. First performance (5) 21. A sweet drink, often associated with mint (5)

17

15

18

19

22. John ….. (Italian explorer) (5)

23

22

26. Fruit with hard rind and juicy flesh (5) 28. … West, 1930s Hollywood actress (3)

30. Sell (6)

20

21

23. Cease (4)

29. Language of Egypt, Syria, etc. (6)

16

26

27

24

25

28

29

30

31. Responsibility, burden (4)

31

32. Speed up (put your foot down?) (4,2,2) 33. Higher in rank (6)

32

Clues down

33

1. Tracked down (6) 2. Large amphibious rodent (6)

5. Call to see someone (3,2) 6. Broke (5) 8. Starchy cereal (4)

Answers across 1. Tribes 7. Handbook 8. Sale 10. Craved 11. Design 14. Get 16. Donut 17. Door 19. Debut 21. Julep 22. Cabot 23. Stop 26. Melon 28. Mae 29. Arabic 30. Retail 31. Onus 32. Step on it 33. Senior

4. Totalled (5,2)

Answers down 1. Traced 2. Beaver 3. Shed 4. Added up 5. Pop in 6. Skint 8. Sago 9. Let 12. Sot 13. Guano 15. Felon 18. Owner 19. Dub 20. Bet 21. Janitor 22. Cob 23. Saturn 24. Teas 25. Pulsar 26. Marsh 27. Later 28. Men 30. Rots

3. Cast off (4)

Sudoku

9. Allow (3) 12. Chronic drunkard (3) 13. Bat droppings (5)

Place a number from 1 to 9 in

15. Criminal (5)

every empty cell so that each

18. Possessor (5)

row, each column and each 3x3

19. Add a soundtrack (3)

box contains all the numbers

20. Wager (3)

from 1 to 9.

9

4 6 9

7 3

23. 6th planet from the sun (6) 24. Afternoon meals (or drinks) (4) 25. Small, rotating star (6)

No number can appear twice in

4 2

a row, column or 3x3 box.

Do not guess –­ you can work

60 | asante May – July 2013

1

9 2

6

5

9

7

27. Afterwards (5)

30. Decays (4)

4

8

7

it out by a process of elimination.

26. Bog (5)

28. Males (3)

5 3

21. Caretaker (7) 22. Male swan (3)

1

8

2

4

3 9 7

The inflight magazine of Air Uganda part of the

Issue 14

The Rise & Decline

of Ugandan

Comedy

Arusha Tanzania’s Multifaceted

Safari Capital

your complimentary copy

Asante Issue Number 014 May - July 2013

True Blue