Geoff shifted back to Wairarapa from Auckland, continuing his long friendship with Berit, her husband and their three children. Berit meantime had taken to sponsoring a child in Uganda and had became so engrossed in the good work she was doing she has now organised sponsorship for 35 Ugandan children.
During the years Berit has succeeded in filling 11 shipping containers with donated goods for her Ugandan friends, made easier until recently by some help from Danish government sponsorship as part of its overseas aid programme. The generosity of the Danes has helped clothe children and families, provided them with schoolbooks, pencils and pens etc as well as school furniture, blankets and sheets for the families.
"Berit had been to Uganda many times over the years and two years ago she sent me photos of the kids with her dad, and I volunteered my services to come and take photos.
"I had never been to Africa and I thought I had better go, so I headed off in November last year.
"Berit was waiting for me at Entebbe airport, where we picked up people she had been working with through ABC Children's Aid. That began 20 years ago as the Uganda Australia Foundation set up by Ugandan Francis Odida and his Australian wife Trudy and today is run from Iceland, which has supplied a huge amount of aid, along with other Scandinavian countries.
"I was able to see how it all works and was very impressed."
Geoff said ABC has built seven schools, mostly in the war-torn northern part of Uganda, while two are on the outskirts of the capital city Kampala.
"Of the two in Kampala, Kasangati is a nursery and primary while the other in Kitetikka goes from nursery right through to A levels."
Berit and Geoff visited the schools and some of the sponsored children in their homes, distributing goods from the last container and some special christmas gifts from sponsors.
"We were then taken north to the district of Pader and the village of Rackoko, Mr Odida's home."
Geoff says ABC has built a nursery through to secondary school, medical centre, vocational school and their own radio Station - RapaFM. Geoff set about photographing kids who needed sponsorship and, along with Berit, was taken to the modest homes of families to conduct interviews.
"There are so many orphans as a result of war and AIDS is a big issue although through education they seem to be making progress with the problem now.
"Ugandans are really keen on education and sponsorship allows them to get an education, a school uniform - which all children wear - and a hot meal each lunchtime, which for many is their only meal of the day."
When Berit returned to Denmark after 10 days, Geoff had decided as he had come such a long way to be there he would be staying on for another two weeks."I had no idea what I was going to do but I was taken in by the Odida family and I was taken up north again to areas where there are no luxuries such as electricity, water from bores only, phone lines and other things Kiwis take for granted."
While en route north with Mr Odida (who in New Zealand would be described as the head kaumatua of his village), his longtime school friend and government employee Julianna and his granddaughter Jennifer as secretary, they discussed ways they could assist the inhabitants.
"Nearly all cooking in Africa is done using charcoal which is sold in big sacks for $30 in Kampala, while it is only $7.50 a sack 400km away in the northern district of Pader. A clever yet simple plan was hatched. We each put $200 into a kitty and purchased 100 bags of charcoal and trucked it to Kampala.
"We sold it at the market rate and the profit was put into the next load and our kids sponsorship project."
Geoff spent the rest of his stay on the outskirts of Kampala in the staff quarters of ABC, visiting markets and getting to know the local people - it was there he had his life-changing moment.
Irene Acheng, a 19-year-old Ugandan and Geoff, 57, met by chance at ABC and by just exchanging glances both fell instantly in love. The upshot of that fated meeting is that Irene and Geoff are planning to be married in a traditional ceremony in Uganda on January 17 next year with the blessing of Irene's parents and guests from the Wairarapa. Geoff won't have to wait until his wedding day to catch up with his soon-to-be-bride, though, as he is heading back to Uganda in May where he will be running a workshop on photography in Kampala and exhibiting a portfolio of his work in September.
Meanwhile in New Zealand he has had quite a measure of success getting further sponsorship for Ugandan children - which only costs sponsors two flat whites or $8 a week - and with getting equipment donated to help schools in Uganda for our first Wairarapa container to Pader District. On his return to Uganda, Geoff will be regularly recording hour-long programmes which will go to air in Wairarapa on Arrow FM every other Tuesday morning as well as his regular Out and About column in Midweek.
Geoff says "It's all about sharing our common wealth as we have as much to gain from them as they can gain from us. It's brilliant that they have a radio station with "rapa" in the name and they are a rural farming community just like us who could use a hand to get back on their feet."
Geoff is happy to show his photos and talk to anyone who is interested.
