Rooster

Yesterday, I succumbed to Tim’s pleas. “Yes, I will visit your community. Just remember the No Gift Policy I’ve signed with AJWS.”

The “half hour” drive was two hours. When the dirt road narrowed and the path ran out, we were in a field parked by a tree shading the welcome singers, musicians and dancers. “We welcome you visitor. We’re so happy you came………”

Their first ever Muzungu, white person, unfolded from the stuffed car clapping and swaying to the repetitive rhythm of the wood and metal instruments. My camera focused on their spirited energy and the pre-school children playing a copy cat game with their teacher.

The social worker, coordinator, chair and two instructors, all volunteers, led me into the small, dark, mud preschool hut. They gave me bottled water and a small folder. They understood I couldn’t personally help, but would I just look over their work.

Outside the kids were lining up to get their daily cup of millet porridge. Millet stalks to be chafed and ground were piled high in the corner, in-kind donations from families who couldn’t pay the 1,000 Ugandan shilling monthly fee – about 35 cents American.

After porridge we sang “If you’re Happy and you Know it Clap your Hands” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider”.

To save face for both the hosts who hadn’t properly fed me and me who declined food because of my American watch (they hadn’t killed the chicken yet) I was presented with a rooster to take home. Hey, I didn’t see anything in the gift policy about not receiving a rooster!

p.s. Yes, I will read their professionally laid out proposal and brainstorm how they might find funds for the 28 orphans they now serve, the 200 vulnerable children on their wait list and the 1000 other needy children in their district they hope to serve in a year’s time!

Nayleema

That's my African name given to me at Saturday's dowry ceremony. I think it means spring planting or maybe harvest or less poetically visitor. It was a bit confused with lots of answers from different people all with big smiles. We arrived high in the mountains after a gorgeous 2 hour drive on pavement then dirt then narrowing paths. When we finally arrived with the groom/dowry giver, he opened the trunk and out jumped a goat! I had no idea! It was the last of the dowry items to be added to the cows, chickens, pots, lantern, rice and of course gratitude money. Once again I was honored by sitting at the table with the receiving family and called upon to give words of greetings. Had my best meal yet - lack of eating utensils make no difference in taste. Wish I could post the picture of me in the gomas,the African dress,the women had me change into...........

Typical day

No day is typical but I'll tell you about yesterday. Got out from under my mosquito net at 5am to see if the power was back on. It was, so I plugged in my laptop whose battery had run out during the10 hour outage the day before. I transferred feedback off large newsprint that I'd gathered at various meetings. Had cold beans and rice and a banana and an avocado from my tree for breakfast around 7. Ugandans don't eat breakfast, instead eat humongous portions of rice and beans and matoke (mashed green bananas) at lunch. Gave up my corn flakes and milk weeks ago when it ran out. By now Mitch and Michael are up and sharing bathroom space getting ready for the day. Mitch's work van picks him up at 7:45 and Michael gets laundry washed in the tub and hung out in the sun then leaves for his 90 minute hike up the mountain to plant trees for a couple of hours as a community volunteer. I gather my work supplies in my pack and walk 20 minutes to the office often conversing with other walker/workers going my way. People love the prestige of talking to Muzungus especially older school kids. This day I'm suppose to catch a ride from the office to the rural school site for a meeting at 9. I don't get there until 10 and just like I tried to convince myself, it was all right because they were just as late on the other end. The meeting was with 27 community health workers gathered for a training. I had 90 minutes with them. I told them my background - wrapped my arms around myself and shivered when I spoke about Alaska. They love hearing about how much I like their country. We go outside and make a circle and toss a ball of yard hanging on to our piece. The catcher tells how FDNC helps their community. We end up with a big spider web that they figure out shows how we're all connected, networked and stronger as a team. Then they count off by fives and I give each group a large piece of newsprint and they brainstorm what more we can be doing to help their communities and report back to the group. Latrines, mosquito nets, potable water, first aid kits, goats, travel stipends and more training are some of what they report back. We have lunch together with a group of six American doctors who are visiting for the day and will be training them in the afternoon. After lunch, I met with the vocational school student cabinet - eight leaders. We had a focus group so they could tell me about their tailoring, woodworking, hair design, computer, and brick making programs. Their matoke sometimes is not ready on time, the girls sometimes act out, and they don't have highly trained teachers. They would like more tools, a higher level certificate on completion and computer training for everyone. I start my walk back down the dirt road and catch a cycle back to down. I debrief at the office, catch a bicycle to the house and quickly get ready to meet up with Kampala volunteer friends who are visiting and going to th Abudaya Ugandan Jewish Community Friday night service. Lots of drumming and dancing and guitars all in Hebrew and Ugandan. Stayed for dinner with the rabbi and got back to the house by ten. So that was my day. Now today, Saturday, I'm waiting at the internet cafe for a pickup to come by for me to take me to the mountains near Kenya for my landlord's dowry celebration. We were to leave at 10. It's 12:30 but hey, things can't start without his being there to give his intended parents the goods they negotiated. Will tell you about it next week.

Lions and hippos and giraffes

Just returned from 5 days on my first safari. Saw it all. Tried to post a shot here but learned my camera has a virus! Never thought to have immunizations for my camera before I left! Will try again when it gets out of the camera hospital. Meanwhile you'll have to wait til I get home for a whopper of a 75 pound trophey Nile Perch story - the highlight of my trip.

There's a picture of our guide, Crocodile Andy, with the fish we caught. We had to fight off the crocs and hippos to get it - really!

Great Celebration

Had a wonderful day at the first graduation of the Widows of Bulibulima Microlending group. 20 women paid back their 6 month loan - a 100% return rate. There was lots of singing and dancing and speeches and feasting and somehow yours truly was one of the guests of honor! And was I ever honored to be there. Now 40 more women will be able to get small loans to do a small business - sell beans, sew, grow bananas to help their families. Hope my picture posts.....

A walk around my neighborhood

Late afternoon, with the cooling sun, I went around my surroundings with Michael. He doesn't get walking for the sake of walking, but he's learned to appease many of the Muzungu (white person) oddities. Just below the uptown area where our house is begin the slums. Michael advised me to keep walking and stay out of site while he bought us some roasted corn so he wouldn't be charged a Muzungu price. We also bought a large spear of sugar cane along the way and he used it like a staff until we break into it. After finding my corn to taste like burnt pebbles I amazed a little barefoot kid by handing it off to him. It's corn harvesting season and the stalks on every itty bitty plot of land are tall and producing. I saw a big two story high furnace for cooking bricks. Takes a lot of the limited fuel around - wood and sometimes charcoal. We got home by dark to learn the electricity's out yet again. Peas and rice and bananas by lantern light and early to bed.