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The Mildmay Centre and Mildmay Paediatric Care Centre (formerly called Jajja’s Home). Thank you for your interest and kind thoughts. In response I thought a few lines from me might be a good idea!
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I guess we had been preparing for the event for almost a year and certainly at times we wondered if it would all be worth the hours of frustration spent chasing things, and the hours spent rehearsing. We had two visits from the team from Buckingham Palace, one preparatory one, when the suggested programme was approved, and a second a few weeks ago when they came to see the ‘dress rehearsal’ (with actors playing the parts of the Queen and Duke). When I first suggested a short ‘fashion show’ by the babies from the day care unit, the idea was received with anything but enthusiasm, but I had seen these babies and toddlers in action and I knew it would be a winner! |
| The day dawned bright and sunny which was a miracle as we have had ‘global cooling’ here for months, with torrential rain and flooding the week before! There were many breakfasts to be prepared in MPCC as we had a sleepover for 200 children from our community programmes, 70 jajjas, 70 day care children and 44 patients in the hospital, plus 40 staff and helpers! It was fun the evening before to see great vats of food cooking on local charcoal stoves (see attached photograph) and the Jajja’s so excited and all the children watching Lion King on a big screen in Suubi. However, with over 400 adults/children on site it was a bit tricky when the mains water was cut off and the water truck could not get through because of the CHOGM road blocks!! | |
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Fortunately Sue had a contact at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and requested that he get in contact with National Water if he did not want the Queen visiting a very unpleasant site! We were reconnected shortly after midnight and the water truck arrived too. We were so glad that the children and Jajja’s slept over as the PGB (Presidential Guard Brigade) arrived soon after 6.00 am and chaos ensued. They evacuated everyone from The Mildmay Centre (although the dogs had been round the day before) and put them outside the gates. They then gave the instruction that MPCC was to be evacuated plus all the children, jajjas, staff and children in the hospital. I was sent for, by Sue, and refused point blank. | |
| After several calls to ‘high ups’ we were let off, but not before Sue had got shut out and I had said I was going to let her in even if they shot me!!! Acting of course, but I was a bit amused to see all the staff who had come in from home and were shut out with Sue being led in prayer by Pastor – actually they opted not to waste time and they had staff prayers outside the gates. Later Pastor told me he was scared. Within a few minutes the gates were opened and the staff, and Sue, were let in. A good 2 hours had been lost so it was ‘all hands on deck’ for the final preparations. God was so good to us; everything was beautiful by the time the Royal party arrived. The visit started at The Mildmay Centre, where I greeted the Queen and Duke and introduced them to Dr Veronica (Chief Executive Officer, Mildmay) and Dr Emmanuel (Centre Director, The Mildmay Centre). I was then taken by car to MPCC to await the Queen there. |  |
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Dr Emmanuel introduced her to the Minister of Health and other invited dignitaries and took her to meet a family (I am sure you saw Stephen on TV). The children sang to her and she saw the clinics, whilst the Duke saw the pharmacy, path lab and physio department. The wretched PGB had taken a small gift and bunch of flowers two children were to give the Queen, and refused to return them - the children were so disappointed, and Dr Emmanuel was left standing having called them forward. She really made history in The Mildmay Centre by shaking hands with an AIDS patient (she shook several actually but didn’t know it!). The Royal Party were then driven up the hill to MPCC where again I met them and introduced them to my Directors, Sue and invited VIP’s (who included the Deputy CEO of Global Fund, Geneva). | |
| The Queen then watched the 70 Jajja’s dance for her and went to meet 10 of them who could all speak English. One was a 72 yr old granddad who had just graduated from one of our courses. He said ‘he had never thought he would ever graduate and was so proud’. She was lovely with the Jajjas and Molly, my Director of Community Services, introduced them. She was very chatty, caring and compassionate. Whilst she was chatting to the Jajjas, HRH toured the hospital with Margaret Awori and Roger Tripp. I then took her to meet some patients (babies) at the entrance of the hospital and we passed through to the marquees at the back, where the 300 children were singing, cheering and there were people waving flags everywhere. |  |
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| Her Majesty officially opens the Elizabeth Ward We had an African designer decorate and I was so proud of how everything and everyone looked. We took our seats for the fashion show and on cue it started. Everyone agreed it was the highlight of the visit. The babies and toddlers strutted their stuff to African calypso music as they walked along the catwalk – so confident – the youngest was 1 yr 4 months. They wore traditional Ugandan costumes from various parts of the Country and the Union and Uganda flags – the last two very small babies were in creative wear (see attached photo). They stole the show and everyone’s hearts. I pointed out one little girl who was an in-patient (in the yellow and white dress). She has chronic obstructive airways disease, and one hour before the show she was on continuous oxygen. She had been practicing for weeks before falling sick and she was determined to take part. She walked along beaming from ear to ear and loved it. After the event she returned to Elizabeth Ward and her oxygen, none the worse for her amazing contribution. When I pointed her out to Her Majesty she immediately told the Duke and they were both amazed at her determination and courage despite being ill. I then asked Her Majesty to officially open Elizabeth Ward and she did so by unveiling a plaque – she read it and then she and the Duke signed the Visitors’ Book. Her Majesty and His Royal Highness then met the day care children who sang “You are special, we are special’ to her and my Valentine (some of you know her) gave Her Majesty a gift. When the Queen saw it was a simple picture in a frame of all the Fashion Show children in their costumes, she was so pleased with it. She commented how small the babies were and I told her around 90% are malnourished but our youngest was only 5 weeks old – she was amazed that we took them so young – with Mum too if she is alive. The Queen and the Duke then saw poster pictures of our clinics and programmes in the camps, and she was very interested and impressed that we are in insecure areas. I explained that I cannot as yet go as I would put my staff at risk. |
A Centre fit for a Queen - The Queen and Duke concluded by doing a walkabout and seeing the MPCC staff dancers doing a circumcision dance from Eastern Uganda (I didn’t tell them that!). The young men dance themselves into a frenzy so they don’t feel the pain so much – so you can guess it was pretty dramatic! (A picture of the dancers appeared in Hello Magazine on line). The Queen shook my hand and told me she was very impressed and grateful for the visit. She was warm and friendly by that time. |
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