Yesterday we got back from one of the best worst more hilarious and fulfilling 2 days ever. We went up to Buyanbuyoka on Monday morning (the same village that we are finishing the school and building a health clinic in). In an effort to avoid throwing up on the hike up we decided to boda up- especially because we had so much stuff - picture us with our 4inch foam pad mattresses, mosquito nets, food, blankets, clothes, and teaching supplies for 2 days. The boda ride is a joke... they make you GET OFF and WALK the hills! Mal Gal and I were sharing a boda and I was dying laughing, every time he made us get off she would yell "well that's 1 thousand less!" We were paying him so we didn't have to walk up the hills...fail. We were laughing so hard though it was worth it.
When we finally got to the top it was mind blowing. The people are so excited for the school to be finished and the clinic to be built that they have already dug out the foundation of the clinic. We also ran into groups of kids carrying rocks bigger than they were on their heads up and down the mountain! The kids run and get rocks on their breaks from class because they want to help! It was such a humbling experience. We were complaining about walking up the hill and they were carrying ROCKS on their little heads! It was so cool. They are just so dedicated and ready for more opportunities in their village.
We slept at the village on Monday night and it was a great experience... There was a tracker jacker nest in the room and 9 of us shared 4 mattresses that had plastic on them so we kept sticking to them as we were trying not touch each other and get comfortable with the mosquito nets attacking us. It was hilarious. There were so many funny instances because everyone was getting kind of cranky which made it all the funnier... it's good that we can laugh at each other.
Tuesday they asked us to teach English lessons and I got P1 (1st grade). They told us they needed to learn the ABCs which was so false... these kids already knew them! It was supposed to be a 40 min lesson...but when the time was up they said "no, no you go till break.." turns out that meant 2 hrs... it was really fun though. These kids are the best behaved kids I have ever taught! They just sit there and listen intently. They WANT to learn! They are in 1st grade and already know that this is their best opportunity. I couldn't believe the motivation. They were so much fun!
After class we went out and helped carry rocks. I have never been so dirty in my life! Pure motivation though was the 3 yr olds carrying bigger rocks than I can even pick up! I can't even describe how great this experience was- even though it was super tiring and hot to walk up the mountain, get rocks, bring them down to the pile, and then climb back up- it was so awesome to be a part of the community. They are a happy people. Everyone is always smiling and helping each other out. They are all so grateful to us, saying thank you and shaking our hands at any opportunity. It makes me feel unworthy though because I know it's all them! It is their desire and motivation that is making this happen! All we have done is carry a few rocks (ok they calculated it was about 7000) down the hill....
Funny story... on one of the plentiful hikes up the "slopes of the elgon mountain" (as the men in the village liked to tell us) - I stopped to pick up a little baby who was sobbing. He had been being held by his maybe 3 years older than him sister- they were about the same size... He stopped crying as soon as I picked him up-so I obviously couldn't just put him down. Simon, one of the men in the village, cracks me up- the whole time he kept telling me "ok lexis we go we go"- he passed me on the path up the mountain and I asked him why the baby was crying. He told me he was hungry, it was one of the saddest moments of my life.. then Simon pipes in and says "lexis why don't you breast feed him?" uhhh oh..Simon I can't... "why not? he is hungry?" oh just not really capable Simon... then he walked up to get more rocks, on his way down he yells to me again "lexis! he is hungry! breast feed him!" hahaha that's not even a weird thing for someone here to say so he had no idea why we were laughing so hard. He also couldn't comprehend that at 24 I have never had a child and am literally not capable of just whipping it out and feeding the boy... haha. So great.
When we finally got to the top it was mind blowing. The people are so excited for the school to be finished and the clinic to be built that they have already dug out the foundation of the clinic. We also ran into groups of kids carrying rocks bigger than they were on their heads up and down the mountain! The kids run and get rocks on their breaks from class because they want to help! It was such a humbling experience. We were complaining about walking up the hill and they were carrying ROCKS on their little heads! It was so cool. They are just so dedicated and ready for more opportunities in their village.
We slept at the village on Monday night and it was a great experience... There was a tracker jacker nest in the room and 9 of us shared 4 mattresses that had plastic on them so we kept sticking to them as we were trying not touch each other and get comfortable with the mosquito nets attacking us. It was hilarious. There were so many funny instances because everyone was getting kind of cranky which made it all the funnier... it's good that we can laugh at each other.
Tuesday they asked us to teach English lessons and I got P1 (1st grade). They told us they needed to learn the ABCs which was so false... these kids already knew them! It was supposed to be a 40 min lesson...but when the time was up they said "no, no you go till break.." turns out that meant 2 hrs... it was really fun though. These kids are the best behaved kids I have ever taught! They just sit there and listen intently. They WANT to learn! They are in 1st grade and already know that this is their best opportunity. I couldn't believe the motivation. They were so much fun!
After class we went out and helped carry rocks. I have never been so dirty in my life! Pure motivation though was the 3 yr olds carrying bigger rocks than I can even pick up! I can't even describe how great this experience was- even though it was super tiring and hot to walk up the mountain, get rocks, bring them down to the pile, and then climb back up- it was so awesome to be a part of the community. They are a happy people. Everyone is always smiling and helping each other out. They are all so grateful to us, saying thank you and shaking our hands at any opportunity. It makes me feel unworthy though because I know it's all them! It is their desire and motivation that is making this happen! All we have done is carry a few rocks (ok they calculated it was about 7000) down the hill....
Funny story... on one of the plentiful hikes up the "slopes of the elgon mountain" (as the men in the village liked to tell us) - I stopped to pick up a little baby who was sobbing. He had been being held by his maybe 3 years older than him sister- they were about the same size... He stopped crying as soon as I picked him up-so I obviously couldn't just put him down. Simon, one of the men in the village, cracks me up- the whole time he kept telling me "ok lexis we go we go"- he passed me on the path up the mountain and I asked him why the baby was crying. He told me he was hungry, it was one of the saddest moments of my life.. then Simon pipes in and says "lexis why don't you breast feed him?" uhhh oh..Simon I can't... "why not? he is hungry?" oh just not really capable Simon... then he walked up to get more rocks, on his way down he yells to me again "lexis! he is hungry! breast feed him!" hahaha that's not even a weird thing for someone here to say so he had no idea why we were laughing so hard. He also couldn't comprehend that at 24 I have never had a child and am literally not capable of just whipping it out and feeding the boy... haha. So great.
Practicing for the boda!
babies holding babies! meet stella and miriam.
huge rocks on their heads!
so much more talented than me!
relief when they told us we had enough rocks....success!!
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