Saturday 25th October

The days seem to be getting cooler (or else we are getting used to the heat). During the night I was so cold, I needed to pull a sheet over me (nothing else was needed)! The water cooler and fan were running though.

Saturday morning we set off by bus to Omdurman and the ECS translation department where we met up again with Samir. He put us into the Bishop's car (read Toyota Land Cruiser), opened the windows for us (those that would open) and off we set to Dar Al Salaam. Petrol was a need, but the first petrol station we stopped at had no fuel. The second filling station was okay, so we filled up, while watching the somewhat bizarre sight of a donkey at the diesel pump (there was an oil drum on the donkey cart which was being filled).

At Dar Al Salaam we visited a school, where we were warmly welcomed by the pupils and teachers. The school has about 180 pupils aged 5 to 13 in five classrooms. The classes varied in size from about 50 down to 25 pupils (fewer pupils as the age range went up). Here we saw them being taught mathematics, Arabic, and reading and writing. The older children also knew some English. One of the classrooms was called Bradford.

Every child in the school is given breakfast each day - a meal of bread and lentil stew. We saw this being served while we were there. Some of the children would literally be on the streets if it were not for the meal they get at school, because their parents could not afford to keep them at home.

We presented each child with a new pencil, which was accepted with thanks. When we came around with a balloon for each child, they got excited. I suspect that we left the teachers with a totally disrupted school when we left, but it was a joy to see the pleasure and excitement among all the pupils. Before this, the behaviour was exemplary, although the leather whip lying in the headmaster's office may have gone someway to explaining that. We also gave the school some dustless chalk, Post-it notes, and gave all five teachers a St Mary's diary, and some pens and pencils.

Talking to Samir about the future needs of the school, he stated that they would like to build a new classroom, and a cover for the central compound. A new classroom, with benches, desks, etc, would cost about £6 million Sudanese pounds (about £1500 Sterling).

From the school, we went to a displacement camp, where we called in on a local parish centre, where we saw a clock that had been donated by St Mary's Church. Services are held here each Sunday, with Communion once a month. Generally the service will last just one to one and a half hours (longer when Communion is being celebrated).

Travelling back, we saw the donkey carts queuing up at the borehole to fill their drums. The water in this area is all carried in by donkey cart, and sold to those who need it. We also saw some bricks being made. Again, all the water for this comes from the donkey carts, and the bricks are not fired, so consequently are much weaker than those made in the factory beside the Nile. If walls are not well plastered with donkey dung, which contains waterproof mucous, the unfired mud bricks will collapse when it rains.

We asked about toilets. Various charities have helped dig pit latrines in many of the houses. Those who do not have their own latrine will either share a neighbour's, or there are public latrines as well.

As we moved back towards the city, we diverted to a livestock market, where we saw goats, sheep and camels for sale. We managed to resist the temptation to buy anything, though the goats have character and a camel would be an unusual addition to the Embsay scene.

Following a break, we set off for the Cathedral. This was the last day before the Muslim month of fasting - Ramadan. Muslims will totally abstain from food and water throughout the hours of daylight, but feast during the hours of darkness. This meant that the shops were packed, and so were the roads. It took us well over an hour to reach the Cathedral, instead of the usual thirty minutes.

The service was a farewell service for some Germans from the Lutheran Church in Aurich, North Germany, and we were meeting the Revd Bernard there, who had invited us to stay with him on Saturday night. The service was amazing. Highlights for us was the insistence from the Master of Ceremonies that everyone should be brief, as it was getting dark. Everyone ignored him and took their time - after all, they were mainly preachers; then it got dark and we had to talk among ourselves until they got a light fixed up; there was the quote made to the Germans "Once you have drunk from the waters of the Nile you will always return....except you haven't" (obviously they only drank bottled water while they were here); and then there were the senior churchmen taking calls on their mobile phones throughout the service. I hope this service was memorable for the Germans - it certainly was for us.