HOPE Speech Day

Sunday was HOPE’s Speech Day/End of Year Party/Graduation for P7 & Top Nursery Class…phew. It was a 6 hour affair, but could we really say we were surprised?

The teachers turned the courtyard in front of the Youth Center into an African wonderland (with the help of one very tall Mzgungu named Adam): complete with kitenge curtains, tents, lots of lace and of course lawn chairs. I found myself on desk duty; heaving big wooden desks to the tent. This activity would have been better suited for me if I wasn’t practically sewn into my dress, but I’m told that’s the style, and anyway I was there to help, so onward we went.

Parents (eventually!) filled the tents, dressed in their best – so beautiful. The fabrics here are so vibrant and amazing and these women love to get dressed up! It was really encouraging to see how many parents came to support their kids, and pretty special when we got to meet them, too. It really helps us get to know these kids on a very different level once we can see a little bit about who they spend their time with, you know? Of course, the kids all looked so good in their uniforms and I was especially happy to see my buds Espware & Shandrack, plus Julien and his 4 sisters Neza, Yvonne, Yvette & Julie all in their new uniforms we had made.

me, Julie, Julien/Yvonne, Yvette & Neza, great expressions, right?

me with Espware

The kids performed tradition African song and dance routines and the costumes they came up with were awesome! I am continually impressed with their abilities; the boys their rhythm and the girls…they can move. Girl nor boy is embarrassed to dance in front of a crowd (I wouldn’t be either if I could dance like these kids!). They also performed skits that took on more serious issues like child abuse & neglect, the dangers of accepting items from strangers, and the importance of staying in school. Some children also got to show off their science and math knowledge while presenting mini-lessons to us. It was great to see the kids having so much fun delivering these messages to their parents.

When the kids were dancing, their parents, friends or just impressed audience members would come up mid-dance/skit/reading to hand a him or her some coins or candy. We even saw the kids sharing with their classmates after they finished, too: my buddy Julien told me he shared one of his coins because he already had a lolli pop; he didn’t need both! I just so happened to have a bunch of silly bands in my purse (ahem), so it was the perfect token of our gratitude for their hard work! Silly bands are takin’ over Ndejje!

The one bummer of the day was the Top Class Graduation – doesn’t seem like a downer but in order to participate in the whole ceremony at the Party, the child needed to have paid for a cap & gown (yes…they are 6 years old, and yes, like a high school graduation cap and gown!). Our sweet friend Abigail did not have the money to pay for that, and even though I had told her teacher I would pay for her party fee, that seems to not have included this gown business! Abigail was really upset and so of course that made me upset. I wish there would have been another way to include all the kids in her class, not just the ones that could afford the hefty price tag.

It’s already an issue much too familiar to us: every interaction, event, occurrence throughout every single day comes down to money; the fact that we are supposed to “have” it and everyone else needs it. We expect it from strangers on the street, but try as we might to give the teachers (in this case) we work with the benefit of doubt, it’s unfortunately it's hard. I just wish it wouldn’t creep into something that was supposed to be a celebration. In any case, Adam, Courtney and I have decided to have our own graduation party for Abigail! It should be really fun…but I think that means I’m headed back to Owino market for the party food…

Shandrack & Espware

Today I was in for a day of fun with brothers Shandrack and Espware. Shandrack (11) is in 4^th grade, and his brother Espware (12) is in 5^th grade; both boys are very small for their age, but their smiles big and their hearts huge. I have been trying for literally over a month how to tell you about these 2 guys (along with so many others). I really have a special place for them in my heart and want to share a little bit of their story with you.

The boys come from a family of 5 kids, with 3 older sisters. The whole family moved from the Congo in 2001 but their parents were split up at the time of the move and their mother only recently moved here to Uganda. She is very poor and quite frankly unable to take care of any of the kids. Although the boys usually live with their father, it is not a stable place by any means. He himself is not very able (or willing, it seems) to take care of these boys. He is re-married to a woman who I have never met, but of whom I’ve heard bad stories. Shandrack and Espware were chased out of their fathers home last week, which is seemingly a more usual occurrence than I originally thought, so they are staying with their mother right now. Her place is smaller than most college dorms rooms, only as wide as their full size bed is long. The bed takes up half the space and 2 other arms chairs fill most of the remaining area. The mother, oldest sister and 1-year old niece share the bed while Shandrack, Espware and their sister Brandine sleep on the floor.

I don’t mean for their story to seem hopeless or overly depressing, but it’s their tough reality. Looking at the boys, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell much about their home life, though. Shandrack has THE most hysterical laugh I’ve ever heard and fortunately is always laughing. His voice, I can’t even describe. It hasn’t quite turned the maturity corner yet but just makes everything he says so much better. I love this child so much; he can put a smile on my face at any second. Seeing his dimply smile alone makes this work worth it. And Espware is such an incredible big brother, he’s taken on somewhat of a father figure for his brother but still really loves to be a kid. He’s a huge goofball and loves to climb…anything. One minute we are haning out, the next minute he’s in the mango tree, throwing down fruits to us. He’s impressive on the football field, especially for his size and can really hold his own. I love watching him when he’s with the other kids; he has an intelligence about him which I know will take him far. Both boys are very creative and love to draw. We make a weekly habit of going through their sketchbooks together; I think they’re both going to need another soon!!

Not just because of their size, but for other reasons kids pick on other kids, these boys get their fair share of jokes from the others. Their shoes are literally worn through to the ground and their school uniforms are faded. Well not next school year – it was time for some new threads & shoes for my buds! They graciously accepted my request a couple weeks ago and we had been counting down the days!

When I got to the boys mother’s, they were outside drawing. They looked so cute in their outfits, too, both dressed up very handsome. Shandrack has this suit vest that he always wears and, at first, he wouldn’t even take it off-just added another vest on top, this one fleece. Eventually (unfortunately!) he changed into a shirt and we left. Espware had on his jeans for church and was so psyched to show me each hidden pocket and zipper.

Once we got into town, we found ourselves back at the dreaded/crazy/infamous Owino market (see birthday post if you're lost). This time though, we didn’t come in contact with the smells! The vendors were still hustling, still throwing things in our face, still grabbing this & that, trying to get us to purchase their whatever. Eventually, the boys settled on some “strong” (their only request) shoes for school, and then each found some white sneakers for every day. They also got some new shirts, shorts and socks. But I have to explain these since I can’t post pictures yet: Shandrack got pink socks with panda faces (amazing) and swimming trunks – “Look, I don’t have to wear underpants!!!! he screamed, mid-market (even more amazing). They also got matching shirts which normally I think is too cheesy for kids of the same family, but these boys are too cute for me to even care.

We went back to their mothers and after a short fashion show, played cards for hours and got ice cream (ok, not me but it looked good!). New uniforms are being made right now, too! I will surely request that awkward first-day-of-school pic we all had to take but I think these boys will be into it though, silly faces and all.

Time flies when you're having fun...

Courtney and Adam returned Thursday, thus ending my first solo week in Africa. While they found themselves hiking through the rolling hills of Western Uganda, I found myself singing, dancing & trying to play the drums like an African, having a water fight, back-to-school shopping, playing cards, in the middle of a enraged mob of African men, getting robbed, having my head braided (wish it was dreadlocks!), eating pizza with bacon, plucking the wings and legs of live grasshoppers, trying pumpkin for the first time, and being offered a child to take back with me to America.

Ok, so let me explain. They made me kill the grasshoppers! Alright who am I kidding, I'm addicted and I don't care who knows it. I am bad at robbing the little things of their body parts though, so I'll leave that to the pros.

Speaking of robbing, I suppose there's something else I should explain... I was robbed again - what's up Kampala?!? How's a [white] sister get a break in this town?? I was sitting in the back of a taxi stuck in traffic, someone scratched down my arm with a pin or something through the window and at my surprise, grabbed my iPod from my hands and tried to run away. Someone knocked him over and that's where that enraged mob of angry African men comes in: They beat this guy up! Big time. It was scary, yet redeeming at the same time. Sorry, but it's true! I of course just wanted to get out of there but every woman in the taxi kept telling me to go by the thief/mob and grab my iPod...to which I asked Are you insane?! Clearly. iPod was recovered, only to break the next day. No worries now, most things I brought here are now gone or broken so I hope this is the last report of theft!

That fiasco aside, the week was awesome, like I said. I feel refreshed and really happy to be here; I got to spend good time with the kids and I didn't really notice I was here on my own (not that I didn't miss Courtney & Adam, it's good to have them back!!) Wednesday and Thursday were pretty much two of my most favorite days yet; dueling it out for top day here so far.

Wednesday morn I came to check my internet but serendipitously all 3 places nearby had no power. I decided to head to the Youth Center to do some cleaning and a few other projects since I thought the kids were out of school, but as soon as I got there I heard drums and singing at nearby HOPE. Obviously I went over there in lieu of cleaning! Next thing I knew I was dancing and "singing" much to the kids delight. It was so fun and even the little 5-6 year olds had some things to teach me, these kids can move!! I love watching them sing and dance. A few goofy boys were just snapping, clapping and winding their way through their dancing friends, smiling and cracking up the whole time. There was one entire wall of the classroom lined with kids beating on drums, too - what an incredible sound it made. Everyone was practicing for their big Speech Day party on Sunday. I can't wait!!!

After a bit I went to clean which I actually enjoyed, mostly because 2 of my little buds snuck out of practice and helped. We had a hilarious water fight that left us drenched, exhausted and giggling. We finished just in time for practice to let out and nearly 70 kids filled the Youth Center to draw, read and play games. More dancing took place, of course and some kids even found barrels outside filled with water which they treated as a swimming pool and hopped right in. It was awesome and I need to show you these pictures! I think a beach day for these kids is knocking on my door.

I ended the night with an invitation to go back to Acheal, Jeledi, Abigail and Jaelle's home. These 4 intelligent, goofy, amazing kids and their caring older brother Samuel moved here from Burundi in 2007 after their mother was killed and their father jailed. I cannot imagine the things these kids have seen, and hanging out with them leaves me smiling and in awe. It was my first time to meet Samuel, the kids guardian, and at 20, maybe 21 (he's not sure) I am just inspired by him. We all talked by candlelight for a while and as the kids showed off their artwork to their big brother, I couldn't help but feel myself bursting with happiness and their excitement. My next post needs to be about this family but for now, I just want to say if I end up back in America in a couple with an adorable girl about 3 feet tall, with the biggest smile and brightest eyes ever, her name is Abigail. (It's just plain rude to refuse an offer when you are the guest, you know.)

Thursday, I got to take two of my most favorite boys shopping for some new kicks and a few other things. I wanted to make a separate post about Thursday though, not just because it was so great, but because I want to tell you more about these 2 really special, incredible boys. And how they taught me the art of dissecting grasshoppers. Haha, ok enough with that, I get it.

I was a little bummed back at my place, though, that our Thanksgiving didn't quite follow our original plan for a live turkey that we subsequently were going to kill (by we I mean our African friends) & cook for dinner (do I sound crazy yet?!), but it did include some bomb bacon pizza.

The kids at HOPE have a party/Speech Day on Sunday and I am pretty sure that will take the prize for best.day.ever. I can't wait to show you pictures of the day and if I can, post videos. You need to know these kids.

"Just another 365 day journey around the sun"

I woke up Saturday morning at the crack of dawn to go to Owino Market to get the items for this birthday meal I was to prepare for my party the next day. Now when I say "market" I'm using that term loosely as I really mean The Most Crazy Place on Earth of People Selling ANYTHING. Everywhere you turn, someone is trying to sell something. "My friend!" one vendor called out, as if that was going to entice me into buying the nail clippers painted with Allah. "Sister, sister!" shouts another holding World's Largest Pack of Sugar. Scarves are flying, pants are hanging from the rafters and the quiet hum of sewing machines can somehow always be heard over the screaming men. And don't get me wrong, who doesn't love the smell of freshly ground peanuts, but add the smell of hundreds of fish (albeit fresh)/pineapples/chopped onions/gallons of tomato sauce (okay-that I hate) and the ever-present pollution of Kampala...now you're talking overload. Did I mention it's 8am?

Sunday brought the party and we had a lot of fun; the food came out great to my surprise. My friends decided I was African (enough) in their eyes/stomachs, and that's good enough for me! The night came to a high when a couple friends dropped off some gifts; not just any gifts but a pretty set of drinking glasses, a wine glass, and a package of Playtex pads. Wait, what?! Yes, indeed, pads. It was awesome. Ok, in all fairness it was probably the packaging for the wine glass, but I prefer to take the slightly more awkward option here. Either way, it was hilarious. Stay tuned for some pictures...

In continuing the celebration (well, Monday was my actual birthday!) Court, Adam and I started the day off with a trip to our friends art gallery. It was fascinating and there were some beautiful pieces. He, himself, did not have much on display at the time though, but after we toured the place, we did get to talk about the possibility of him coming to talk with the kids and even to do a screen printing class. How cool is that?!

After the art gallery we decided to head to this awesome little diner called I Love NYK (New York Kitchen!!). It even looked like a real NYC diner (actually, probably better than some I've been to...)! Of course, I got a bagel with lox and then, just because I could, got the world's most massive slice of red velvet cake. Seriously, wait til you see this thing! It was delicious, even if I could hardly finish a 1/4 of it... After a trip down NYC lane, we checked out some local crafts markets, of course, and then we ended the night at an outdoor restaurant where I got steak & Belgian style frites, and the most delicious passion fruit juice! (Is it me, or is this turning into a food blog?!) Anyway, it was an awesome weekend full of (real!) food, love from home, and friends here in Uganda. I even got to have a surprise mini-celebration when some of the kids came over on Tuesday!

Thank you again & again to everyone who sent wishes; it really was so nice to hear from you!!! Extra thanks to Marina, Marvelle & Mark, Mrs Grossman and Brother for the birthday donations, to Adam & Court for the whole weekend, to BK girls for your early morning call, to Fe for your perfectly timed package and untimely everything else and of course, to my parents for all they've done & continue to do...

Here's to 26!

Goals and Grasshoppers

On Sunday we held our first 'young adults workshop' which aside from our lesson, included 6 hours of church service (yes, 6), singing, dancing, whistle blowing, 87 attendees & 2 American girls. Our theme was "Making S.M.A.R.T. Goals" & we discussed effective goal setting and how one can really set his/her sights on something for their future. (And as if you are wondering, S.M.A.R.T. is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely). The workshop went really well and we found some people even taking notes! Some really incredible people shared great success stories of various goals they had acheived themselves. It was very uplifting and encouraging.

We prepared for about 30 so imagine our surprise when we found the room packed to 87! It was a good surprise though, for sure. I've also confirmed, for about the 78th time in my adult life, that I'm much more a behind-the scenes person than the one that enjoys being up front. As soon as I was handed the microphone and asked to stand in the front of everyone things got freaky. Thinking there'd be about 30 people, I imagined a nice little circle of chairs, everyone at the same level, everyone encouraged to share. No such luck, but it went really well in the end...especially when I convinced myself that everyones really focused on the translator not me, it was a little easier (oh the things we tell ourselves...).

In a completely unrelated but equally important note, my new favorite snack is grasshoper! They are cooked of course and oh so tasty. On the way to training yesterday afternoon, some ladies called us onto their porch to offer us some of these tasty treats (senene in Luganda) and of course I went sprinting over. I learned all about how to cook them, etc etc. I'm less interested in that though (naturally), and just into eating them. Speaking of young grasshoppers, happy birthday to my baby bro. Even though you aren't so baby, you are still my little brother!! Hope you had fun!!!!

Prepping for a big weekend comin up...birthday celebrations on the horizon!! I am going to try & cook for my guests which will be sure to provide some blog worthy stories...


Thinkin of you and hope you are doing awesome,
Heather

Hats off to the Graduate!

Well, unfortunately we were not able to go to the U POP (aka Ugandan pop-I've learned) concert on Sunday--major bummer, right? Our friends ended up not being able to go, the sky was threatening a wicked rainstorm and Court, Adam and I decided our time could be better spent sampling coffees from around Eastern Uganda and craft shopping. It was a nice afternoon, for sure!

On Saturday night though I did get to attend my friend Didier's graduation party. Rather, Dr. Didas' graduation party... just in case he reads this I know he'd like that better...

Since I was told things started at 7:30, I arrived a little before 8. I figured that was on African time.... Jokes on me, I was probably one of the last to get there! I snuck in with my friend Jasiri and we tried to sit in the back (the whole courtyard of Didas' home had transformed into a sea of lawn chairs) where we saw our other friend Rapha. Well...Olivier (Dr.s' brother) wasn't going to have any of that - we were to sit up with the family in the row chairs that faced the crowd, of course! Of course!

After I delivered my much-rehearsed greetings in Swahili to Dr Didas and Oliver's mother, the Doctor himself came out in a rather grand entrance. He looked rightly proud in his cap & gown and his parents were beaming. The crowd goes wild! I'm so proud of him too; it's a HUGE accomplishment, and he graduated with a degree in Software Engineering at that!

Next up was FOOD and the DANCE PARTY, my favorite combination of events. We were delighted to dance to a lovely mix of Congolese music and some R. Kelly/Usher/50 cent etc... (Windsor, you would be proud!). The food was great too, we even had beignets and meat - mmmmm. A nice switch for my palette.

After we digested and got a little more dancing in (those Congolese LOVE to dance. Scratch that, Africans love to dance..) Dr's dad came out to greet me. He's very intelligent and well spoken! I was invited into the family's home to have a beer, and soon after the graduate, Olivier, their 2 sisters and other brother came in to join their US: their father, mother, grandmother, a few aunts and me. It was time for heartfelt speeches, warming thank-yous and me to feel like I happened in on a private family affair. No one seemed to notice but me, of course.. It was really touching and makes me even more proud to call them my friends!

Finally, a few of us decided it was time to take the party to the real dance floor and we went to a nearby bar where the latest Congolese music videos were played, with some R. Kelly/Usher/50 cent mixed in of course.

It was a great night indeed!