Leal and Audrey with current Nyakato HS boys

In January I was contacted by email by a woman who wanted to do some birding in Bukoba.  Audrey Dickson and her husband Leal - now from near Seattle, Washington - were Volunteer teachers at Nyakato Boys Secondary School (about 7 km north of Bukoba) in 1963-64.  Tanzania became an independent nation on 9 December 1961.  As the British pulled out the educated secondary teachers left their schools to take up posts in the new government's civil service.  Similar events in Uganda and Kenya saw hundreds of USA teachers being sent to East Africa to fill the gaps.  These folk were the forerunners of the US Peace Corp.

Audrey and Leal were newlyweds when they arrived in Bukoba and had their first child here so it always been a special place for them.  They have continued their association with the school and have raised funds for books, computers and lab equipment over the years.  This was their second visit back since their volunteer days.

Jenny and I spent a few hours with them while they were here.  We took them to a couple of Bukoba's finest restaurants (none of which existed in the 1960s), shared their welcome back to the school and showed them some of the region's birds.  Audrey has become a serious birder in recent years.

Leal and Audrey receiving gifts from Nyakato HS staff

With limited time available, on Wednesday morning I took Audrey and Leal to the Kyanyabasa Ferry wetlands on the Ngono River.  We didn't see the Shoebill but did see some great birds including Saddle-billed Stork, Rufous-belled and Purple Herons, Black Crake, Lesser Jacana and Long-toed Lapwing.

Purple Heron

Saddle-billed Stork

It was fascinating to look at the old photos Audrey and Leal had of district scenes from the early 1960s.  We plan to take modern versions of several of their Bukoba photos.

Downtown Bukoba, circa 1963 (Photo by Leal and Audrey Dickson)