Thursday, October 1, 2009
Ahh, October my FAVORITE month. I have to admit…going through some Fall withdrawal right now. Its still quite hot here…miss the cool, crisp fall air. The sounds of the trains rolling through Floral Park station. Oh well – I suppose I have the rest of my life for that. J
So today I had TEPID water for my shower, which made me FABULOUSLY happy. Honestly it’s hard to think of a worse way to start your day than a really cold shower! Its hard enough to stay clean here…even more so when you are trying to shower underneath a cold drip. I got a scratch on my arm that’s gotten infected. Since I’m in Hoima there are no antibiotic creams or anything like that…a tiny scratch has turned into a pseudo nasty sore on my arm. Got to love it.
I walked out my motel today and, WHAT?! The place was INFESTED with mzungus! I hadn’t seen a white person in 3 days and all the sudden I felt like I was at Disney Land – people walking around with expensive watches, visors and huge camera’s. The other day Solomon told me that the thieves in Uganda have 2 impressions of mzungus: first they are rich ; second they are dumb. You know how the saying goes…a fool and his money are soon parted. These people were walking around like they were getting on Disney’s Tower of Terror. I could see the locals licking their lips. The groups of tourists were shocked to see a white guy walking around Hoima by himself – they did a big doube take – ha. I didn’t talk to any of them. I am sure they were just passing through on their way to a safari or Murchison Falls or something. Not trying to too my own horn here…BUT…I couldn’t help but think this “tour group” wasn’t really experiencing Africa. They came in their private bus…they all walked in a big, protected group…they had a tour guide.
For breakfast I found another place selling those weird corn-muffin tasting things I had yesterday. I tried to find a place that sold coffee…but to no avail. Then I hopped into an internet café and caught up on some emails. 500 (25 cents) shillings for 20 minutes…pretty cheap. While I was sitting there three guys came in and sat next to me. They were overly nice, asking me how my day was, telling me they hoped I enjoyed my stay in Hoima…etcetera…I will explain why this incident was weird later (keep reading).
I met Solomon at Nsoma hotel at 10:30 and we headed out to Morningstar SS. The kids in the class asked me what I thought of Barack Obama. (everyone here is obsessed with Barack). I messed around with the class and pretended I didn’t know who Barack Obama was. They didn’t know what to do – ha. Then the kids showed me their tomato garden, which was covered with reeds.
“Why is it covered with reeds?” I was going to bust them for being lazy.
“It helps retain the moisture and enhance the size of the tomato.”
Guess I don’t know anything about growing tomatoes in Uganda. I DO know a thing about business and the kids are really excited to know how I am going to help them grow their business. I don’t know yet – but I do know the soil in Uganda is possibly the most fertile I’ve ever seen. You get the feeling that anything you drop on the ground will sprout roots and start growing. The soil is literally alive..you rub your foot in it and ants and termites and other bugs come flying out. Crazy.
Afterwards Solomon and I went back to the SAME restaurant and ate the SAME thing – matoke, posho, rice, beans, soda. Good lord, I am going to turn in matoke. Gross. Getting sick of this stuff. If I don’t get food poisoning there I don’t think I’ll ever get food poisoning.
After lunch we went to Kitara SS. These are some of the poorest kids in Hoima…and let me tell you…there is a direct correlation between the kids economic background and their academic performance. Its not because they are less capable than the kids from richer families…no…its that they THINK they are less intelligent and less capable. These kids are so unconfident that they won’t look you in the eyes and their responses are literally as soft as a whisper. To combat this Solomon makes them talk into a “microphone” so they enunciate more and are more audible. Its annoying though…you literally have to ask them to repeat things three times before you can hear them. Halfway through the lesson it started raining and we almost had to stop class because the confluence of the soft talking and the pitter pat of the rain on the naked tin roof of the classroom made hearing almost impossible…but after a while the rain subsided and we finished class.
Afterwards the kids showed me their tomato farm. See…that’s the problem (my problem I need to fix) with all these businesses…they are ALL the same. Tomato farm here. Tomato farm there. Tomato farms everywhere and that means NOBODY makes a profit. Business 101. I am trying to hammer that concept into their minds…but it’s hard because the Ugandan culture isn’t one of differentiation. Everything is the same. The restaurant I’ve eaten at the last 3 days and nights doesn’t even HAVE A NAME. I mean – how can you possibly begin to differentiate yourself when you don’t have a name. This isn’t rocket science – but it’s the roadblock I face when trying to teach these kids how to be business people. Hmph.
When we got back to the classroom a kid named Twisenge Elins and I had a conversation. This is just one example of me putting my foot in my mouth…which is something I’ve become quite good at.
“Where are you from Twisenge?”
“The Democratic Republic of Congo.”
“Oh that’s great – when is the last time you visited the Congo?”
“3 years.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that? Don’t you go back during break?”
“My parents were killed three years ago. I am a refugee. I don’t go back because everyone is dead. I have nothing there. All I have is myself and I am here.”
Oh.
He had such a broad smile and positive attitude. My family is my support, the rock upon which I build myself…I couldn’t imagine life without them. Twisenge is alone. I can’t imagine how terrifying that must be. Even worse to be a refugee orphan.
As one of the other Educate! workers told me, “Refugees are the lowest social caste. Even those Ugandans living in slums have basic rights. Refugees have none.”
It’s hard to live life knowing there is so much hurt and so little you can do to prevent it. Sometimes blinders are necessary.
Afterwards we took a tour of the Kitara grounds. It was raining lightly…suddenly a BEAUTIFUL rainbow sprouted out of nowhere. It was brilliant and scintillating and an odd background to the foreground of children playing soccer and dilapidated shacks. It was such a brilliant dichotomy between beauty and ugliness. I got some incredible snaps of the scene…which are posted.
Solomon and Twisenge then asked me if I’d like to see the COBURAS compound. I said yes. COBURWAS was founded by orphan refugees that realized NOBODY in the world would watch out for them…so they decided to watch out for themselves. The refugees banded together and started performing revenue-generating projects so they could send themselves to school (paying school fees) and afford a place to live. These people have nothing...and they banded together and made something. Two years later they are living in a compound near Kitara (the proximity is essential so they can walk to school) and going to school.
I visited the compounds…Before I walked into the boys dorm Twisenge had to flush the chickens out. Wow. I walked in and the smell almost knocked me over…but these kids were happy to have a place to sleep. I took pictures…they will be posted. When I walked in a guy walked up to me.
“Hello – I met you earlier today.”
I didn’t remember him.
“You sat next to me in the internet café this morning. “
Ahh yes. I was glad I was nice to them. Sometimes all the “mzungu!” and endless attention gets annoying (yes, attention gets annoying for even the most histrionic people. Britney – I feel your pain girlfriend) and I have started to ignore people when they yell mzungu in an offensive manner.
Glad I didn’t ignore these kids in the café…I would have felt bad. Anyways – lesson to everyone: be nice to everyone because you never know how they will unfold in your life.
Then Twisenge and Solomon walked me to the girl’s dorms. By this time all the boys from their dorm heard news there was a visitor and soon enough I was surrounded by refugee orphans. It started to rain so we were ushered into a large blue room with a single light bulb hanging in the middle of the room. I looked at their faces glistening with sweat and the sudden rain. There are about 50 children (young adults) in COBURAS and most of them crammed into the room. They made such a BIG deal that I was there. They talked for about a half hour and then waited with baited breath for me to say a few words – per usual I stammered and stuttered and said nothing prophetic, but was thanked “for my wonderful words.”
Here comes the emotional part – after I spoke we joined hands and they sung a prayer to God. The song thanked God for all their blessings (them being alive…them not starving…them having shelter) and they were SO thankful. And I looked around the room and not ONE of them had shoes…10-15 of them were stricken with malaria and were too weak to see me…and THEY were thanking for God for their blessings. Their strength of spirit and indomitable faith was almost too much for me and for the first time since I’d been to Africa my eyes welled up with tears. There are no words to describe the sorrow in my heart for them. I thank God I wasn’t one of those kids. I don’t know that I would be as strong as them. It was a truly touching and life changing moment. It was surreal that I was there.
Afterwards I hugged all of them. Even the ones with malaria came out to hug me and then go back to bed.
Outside I met Emmanuel…the refugee charged with helping the COBURAS deal with the ravages of malaria. I found it ironic that we stood outside being stung by mosquitoes while we discussed malaria prevention. By the way – malaria is rampant and ruthless in Uganda. People get it several times a year and it’s a chronic disease that can kill you 40 years after you get it. I don’t think they know that.
Afterwards Solomon and I walked to town. Same restaurant…same food…my last night in Hoima. During dinner Solomon told me that all his students love me. They say I am different than all the other mzungu’s (not sure in what capacity). I was relieved because I feel like I still struggle to speak with them. Glad everything isn’t in vain.
