Way Up Yonder

Every month a Peace Corps Volunteer accrues two vacation days, which most chose to spend in Zanzibar or back home for the holidays. 

Me?  I chose to head up further north to Madi Opei for a couple days where Mikael’s boyfriend, Jimmy, is from.  As I ventured up country on a road so bumpy that I could not bring myself to get comfortable enough for a nap, I watched the scenery pass.   Two hours later I arrived to Jimmy’s house, where Mikael was playing the local drums, Jimmy was slashing the grass, and his mom was busy with food preparation.  His family’s house, nestled in your typical African landscape, was absolute beautiful… Tiled floors and a refrigerator powered by solar energy.  Orange trees were tucked away in the garden, along with baby chicks born days earlier. 

Jimmy, Mikael, and I ventured into the small town, a simple fifteen-minute walk in the African bush.  We arrived home to dinner, sweet potatoes and pasted meat.  Think of dried beef in a delicious salty, peanut sauce. It satisfied my hunger as we spent the remainder of the night talking around a fire.  A chain link fence protects his home and when the sun sets, it looks as if you are sitting in the middle of a savannah because the fence simply blends in.

The next day we decided to hike to a hill/mountain.  I am not quite sure what differentiates the two but this was simply a lonely hump far off in the flat landscape that we wanted to hike to.  Underestimating the distance, we slowly made our way.  A matatu happily picked us up after an hour and a half, taking us to our destination but unfortunately on the way back we footed, as the Ugandans say, the whole way.  Upon arriving to the hill/mountain it was way to bushy to climb to the top so we took a rest on a rock to eat some sweet potatoes dipped in odi (local peanut butter) and oranges.  We played games and watched as children emerged from what seemed like nowhere to come look at the munu, white person. 

That night we played Skip-Bo, I taught Jimmy’s younger sisters and mom how to make popcorn and again we sat around the fire and watched as the stars slowly emerged from the cloudy sky. 

Three vacation days gone, twenty-nine left and more on the way. 

The next adventure waits and to where I am not quite sure. 

I’ll see where the taxi takes me…

The flat landscape that makes up the landscape in the north although 

those ridges extend to the right and divide Uganda and South Sudan 

Somehow close but still so far

Repair The Tears

Last week during Mikael’s and my visit with the girls, we noted how many of them had mosquito nets with holes for the little critters to sneak through to suck on some sweet blood throughout the night. 

Hence our reasoning to hold a net repair fair yesterday.  As we took comfort on their dorm room floor, which was converted from an empty classroom where many of the girls sleep on a 2-inch mattress on the cold cement, we took to explaining to them how to do a whipstitch to fix their net.  The girls took their needles and threaded it with the various colors we provided.  Hole by hole we threaded them up and even when we thought we finished, there were many more.

As we completed the net repair part of the day, we headed outside to talk about net washing and drying.  Mikael brought along an extra net that we were able to practice on and two hours later we were able to confidently leave knowing that they would sleep safe from the malaria carrying mosquitoes.

The girls were happy with the outcome and eagerly told us that they were excited to go home on term break and educate their family members about how to repair their nets and the importance and simplicity of preventing this deadly disease. 

The next stop to helping out the girls in this area is addressing the dorm area.  Currently the dorm has 6 bunk beds but houses approximately fifty girls.  The matron only approves of nets on the bottom bunks because hanging draping them over sticks from the top bunk “does not look smart.”  Then there are all the girls who take space on the floor.  There is no rope to hang the net from or way for them to get covered, which blows my mind.  It is like the girls are being exposed before being given a chance to creatively come up with a way to protect them.  A part of me wants to march straight to the Headmaster or Matron and explain the importance of getting them under nets, no matter how it makes the dorm look yet I also know that this is not the most culturally appropriate way to handle this situation. 

My solution?

Talking to my organization, who works with the school, and seeing if they can have any influence to address the problem.  When in doubt, I feel that asking a Ugandan to help bridge the cultural gap is the best way. 

Now I just have to convince them.

Sunday Shenanigans

Sunday cartoons and eating Honey-Nut Cheerios out of a 1-cup measuring cup were days belonging to the early 90s. 

Sunday softball games of rec league and then summer ball mark the late 90s and early 2000s.

Sundays from ‘07 to 2011 were occupied with a ringing phone reminding me of my RA responsibilities.

My Sundays now?

Let me tell ya.

I wake up to the sound of roosters proclaiming the break of dawn and barking dogs who announce the community members walking to an early morning mass.  After tossing and turning trying to get some sweet shuteye I finally decide to wake up to start the day. 

Depending on the morning I work out to some Jillian Michaels or Billy Blanks and then take the coldest shower known to mankind.  I seriously think that the water comes out in icicle form.  Then comes chore time… Sweeping, mopping, and sweeping again.  I do not think my floors will ever be clean enough to walk around barefoot.  I separate my laundry and start the long task of soaking, scrubbing, rinsing, ringing out the water, and hanging to dry.

I then head into town to the market to buy produce, the supermarket to purchase my weekly supply of yogurt for breakfast, and then I meet Mikael, another Peace Corps Volunteer.  Mikael and I head to Centenary, a primary school, to go meet the softball girls.  Due to this being third term at school, which means exams, they have been very occupied with their readings and studies.  Once we arrive to school, we visit with our favorite girls, make bracelets, and tutor them in the subjects they need assistance in.  Now let me preface this by saying that Primary 4 mathematics, the equivalent of fifth grade, makes me feel like I need to take a refresher course.  Their P4 math problems look more like a high school geometry final.  I tend to steer clear of math and science and help with English.     

After a couple hours studying under a tree, the girls pack up their books and bring out the softball bags.  We head onto the field to play a game of pick-up, work on pitching, perfect the art of hitting, and have throwing relay races.  It reminds me of the good ole days of Novato Heat. 

My two days of freedom are filled with a busy schedule of commitments and I would not want it any other way.

Especially when it is spent with my favorite girls.