American Comforts

I am speaking on behalf of my fellow Uganda Peace Corps Volunteers.

Kampala is awesome.

I am not talking the crazy taxi parks, thousands of people asking for the muzungus money or boda bodas that zip by you like you never existed.  I am talking the American food restaurants, air-conditioned movie theaters, and ice cream sundaes accompanied with strawberries.  Who cares if they are frozen.

Well these American comforts don’t come cheap to a PCV’s budget.  A hotel room with a hot shower for $8?  A half-pound steak with garlic mashed potatoes and garlic sauce for $10.80?  Sorry but that’s out of my weekly budget.

Then I met my Embassy sponsor.

So as you hopefully are aware, the United States has an embassy in foreign countries.  These individuals work in various capacities, for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to USAID.  These fellow Americans partner with Peace Corps for an Embassy Sponsorship Program that allows us to stay with them in their home.  When we are in Kampala we are given the opportunity to stay with these individuals and families. 

Last week I took advantage. 

After my VAC meeting, Mikael and Meish met me so we could begin planning for National Camp GLOW.  Mikael and Meish are fellow Volunteers who I am Co-Directing camp with.   As Co-Directors of camp, we are not reimbursed for our accommodation or transport so we thought to contact Mikael’s sponsor and stay there.  Free of charge.

As we got to the house I was in utter awe.  It was not too extravagant but rather just perfect.  A big lawn with three dogs running around, plus a chicken and goat, volleyball net set up for those evening games, trees and plants that reminded me of my backyard, and a simple two-story home filled with family pictures, books, and lots of love. 

Jenny and BK have two sons, aged 8 and 10, whom I was able to bond with over some riddles and our love for Planet Earth.  They also put me in check when it came to my trivia knowledge.  They are some very sharp young boys. 

Future valedictorians. 

The family was incredibly hospitable, feeding us fish tacos with pico de gallo and corn tortillas, bagels with cream cheese, a cheesy pasta and tomato casserole with ricotta, mozzarella, and gouda, and chocolate chip cookie bars, lemon bars, and ginger snap cookies straight from the aisles of Trader Joe’s. 

They did not stop there.

Next came the hot showers, American shampoo, again from TJ’s, mattresses that were not made from foam, washing and drying machines, a flat screen television that we watched BBC Africa on all night and wireless Internet. 

It was America in the Kampala suburbs.

Moral of the story… Embassy sponsors are awesome and can help fill the void of home when home is in another hemisphere on the opposite side of the world.