flowers and another love song...

Just a few pictures of my day...

 Cam and I went to the village today and Simon had another surprise for me... he brought me flowers! Haha and another love song... out of control! He is so cute and happy though!

 Damalie was not interested in getting off my lap so I could take a picture with Simon and the flowers..

 Teaching Simon and Jaclyn to shaka

 Simon and Jaclyn's mom! 

I love this family!

the time a boy wrote me a love song and gave me a live chicken

Love this kid so much.

Well you know how much I love Simon- turns out he has the cutest little sister and I love her too! Her name is Jaclyn and she is quite possibly one of the cutest kids I have ever seen.

Jaclyn!!!!

This week we went up to Bunabuyoka to hang out with the kids and talk about the language school they want to start up there. It had been forever since I had been and I missed Simon! (and the other kids of course). As soon as we got there the kids came running out of the school and gave us hugs. It is the best feeling in the world when a little African kid remembers your name! So the shouts of Alexis! automatically puts me in a good mood. Which is good considering riding on the taxi smashed with 24 people in a van always makes me a bit cranky… (we discussed that middle middle on the airplane ride home would be a welcome spacious journey compared to African travel!) Simon of course ran up to me and told me he had something for me but I was a little confused as to what he was talking about so just gave him and hug and moved on.

Simon and his note/song!

Later I was talking to Jared the school teacher, which by the way MIND BLOWN- his name is Gerald! haha the whole summer we have been calling him Jared and I will continue to call him that-fits much better, and he told me that Simon had something for me. He motioned for Simon and he came running down and handed me a note. It turns out it was a song and it was so cute. He sang it for me and I loved it. Ha as the other girls pointed out- first time a boy wrote a song for me…and I didn’t hate it! 

Jared/ Gerald

Later that day we were hanging out with Jared and tall skinny teacher Simon and they are obsessed with the Princess Pat! We sang it to the kids once and they love it. I have literally never seen so many grown men dancing and singing to the Princess Pat.  We also got them to teach us a little African dance which was super funny. We were all laughing and then Jared was like “oh! I almost forgot! the boy brought you a chicken” …. uh what? yup Simon brought me a chicken! I felt so bad because his family can’t eat sometimes and here they are giving me a chicken! What am I supposed to do with a chicken?! I tried to turn it down but didn’t want to offend as Jared assured me I would if I didn’t take it…They made me hold it and thought I was the funniest person in the world when I called it chicky chick… I just really didn’t know how to react… I was so flattered by the present and the obvious ultimate sacrifice in Africa. Jared told me of course it wasn’t extra- there is never extra- but it is a sign of friendship. I mean he gets up at 5 am everyday to walk up the Hell Hill just to make it to school on time (it’s about an hr walk) and he did it holding a live chicken! He also takes care of his cute little sister on the way. It just made me love him all the more. Apparently the only thing I need to love a boy is a song and a live chicken haha. Sara (the woman we stay with) made it for dinner! Chicky chick is no more!

Some of my favorite village guys dancing! They love the princess pat!

This picture cracks me up- mostly because they don't think twice about  the hand holding... especially in a place that it is illegal to by gay....

He got me a what?

Finally comfortable with Chicky Chick

Sorry mom... this is chicky chick after... I of course had to eat it- I would be a terrible person if I didn't eat the poor boys chicken!

Cami and I have not been on a real project together all summer and are thinking about running an eye camp in Buna. The team in Lugazi had 800 pairs of glasses donated and they have nowhere to put them. We are thinking it would be really cool to do a camp and do a bunch of eye exams and then leave the extra glasses in the brand new clinic that we built! Then they will always be there when people need them. I am excited to finally work with Cami on something!

I just love Cami so much! Believe it or not..we are dancing haha

The beading women are doing good and we are excited to start them out on some new designs soon. As for the urine project…we are officially finished! So much cooler in PDF form… it still makes me shudder thinking about the pouring of Ryan’s pee we did… but on the plus side the women are super stoked! Also I found out that the people in Buna are using urine as fertilizer! haha I was just joking with them today when we were helping the kids plant beans for their agriculture project and they were like uh of course! haha.

Jaclyn and Simon!

I just love it here. 

come come ye saints

Come Come Ye Saints is one of my favorite hymns but yesterday we sang it here in Mbale branch and it was really humbling. Just knowing what their everyday entails and then hearing them sing the song "why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? 'Tis not so; all is right" really put it into perspective. I know this song was about the pioneers but these people and pretty much pioneers in their country- the church has only been in Mbale since 2008. The branch is growing everyday. The missionaries have baptisms every week! It is so cool to be a part of this branch and meet the awesome people working to make it better. 

Just in case you don't know the words I've included them- really read the lyrics- if they don't think their "lot is hard" I have no room to ever complain about my life! 

Come, come, ye saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell -
All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell-
All is well! All is well!

We'll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away, in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the saints, will be blessed.
We'll make the air, with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we'll tell -
All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell-
All is well! All is well!

 another sad sign at Child of Hope Primary School

 "Everything I know I learned on the street"..literally. 

Bath time in the slum- cutest chubster around!

NBD.

I don't think I will ever get over the nonchalant attitude toward human life and innate rights here in Uganda. I can't even comprehend the difference of my life and the life of a Ugandan. All the time when tragic things happen, we are told, "it's ok, that is how life is- it is our way" I want to yell out that it is NOT ok! That those things should not have to be normal! In their experience though it is nothing to complain about, it happens to everyone, they should just accept it. 

They work harder in one day than I have ever worked. It's amazing.

For example, I have told you about Annette, my apaperero from beading, the other day she was really quiet during beading and I went to her "house" afterwards and asked if she was ok, she told me that her good friend and neighbor had died. You know i'm always awkward with news like that- but she said it so matter of factly that I had no idea how to respond. I told her I was so sorry and she just told us the same "it's ok, it is our way here in Namatala". I just can't comprehend that that is daily life- NBD.  Then today Rebecca and I were in Namatala and walked passed her house and she was selling some vegetables outside. Rebecca bought some for the house and Annette said "oh thank you! you have given me lunch today!" She didn't say it to make us feel bad, she was just stating the fact that she wasn't going to be able to eat lunch that day (and probably not feed her children lunch either), but since she made a sale she had some money to get food. NBD.

Annette, my apaperero!

her son Silver

One of my friends at the church works as a guard. He is part of the infamous 21 pack (all the young single adult boys who are all too excited to hang out with us mzungu girls). Yesterday I was at FHE at the church and he was in his guard getup. I went in the little station and saw he had a gun! I asked him if he even knew how to use it and he said "of course". Why wouldn't he be able to use a gun? He is from Northern Uganda after all... I asked what that meant, but all the boys seemed to think it was obvious that anyone from Northern Uganda would be able to use a gun. He then proceeds to tell me that where he is from every boy knows from the age of 12. NBD. He was KIDNAPPED from his home and taken to the bush and beaten and taught how to use a gun. He was able to escape with some of his older friends and had to go into hiding. He told me that it was better for him when Kony moved to Sudan because then he could stop hiding and go to school again. His dad had died and his mom couldn't really take care of him. I made him pinky promise that the story was true- he told it like he was telling me about the time he went to the store- like a total NBD moment. It's a big D. big D. He is one of sweetest and calmest people I have met here. I would never imagine that coming from him. When you think of that sort of thing happening-child soldiers and what not- it is super sad, but to know someone- makes it all the more real. Yet that was 10 years ago and he is not angry or bitter like you might expect. He was baptized a few months ago and is preparing to serve a mission. 

We have another friend (also part of the 21 pack) and he is one of the happiest people I have ever met. He is great. He also has gallstones and not enough money for surgery so is taking medication that makes him super sick and dizzy and nauseous. He can't pay for school fees, but wants to finish so bad, that he goes to the church everyday and studies by himself so by the time he has saved enough to go to school he won't be behind. He has so many bad things in his life but he is totally part of the NBD movement. So happy and I want to say...jolly. That's right I said it- cheese. He is just always smiling, even though he is in intense pain pretty much all the time. I mean my life can't even compare. I feel guilty when I complain about stuff and here he is never complaining.

This is not one of the 21 pack but another always happy man from Bunabuyoka

There are so many other things, this post is real long already though- but the attitude towards men being more important than women- just accepted- no one even questions the correctness of that statement, healthcare not being supreme - that's just how life is, everyone has malaria, NBD if I have a C-section then have to ride with my newborn home in a taxi stuffed with 28 people and then get on a boda (motorcycle) to get the rest of the way to the one room mud hut (that is if they didn't give birth in said mud hut and use a razor blade to cut the cord then go back to work), it's normal that the street kids smell like paint thinner because they have been huffing, NBD.

I just want to point out that all of this is a big deal. I still don't think I have adequately described the sad things you see here that are "NBD" to everyone because that is the way of life- but then in contrast to that the happiness and gratitude that is shown by every person. We are working with a documentarian right now that is going to help us make a movie about Namatala, but he is also working on a documentary called "Uganda 2012" It is in response to that Kony 2012 movie i'm sure everyone has seen. His main point is that when the outside world thinks of Uganda they think of Kony now- which is not a problem. He says they have been out of war for years now and that the real problems in Uganda (because Uganda DEFINITELY has them) are that there is no medication in the hospitals, and that people cannot afford to receive an education.

It still blows my mind that signs like this are at primary schools- it's not fair that they have to deal with stuff like this

I still can't wrap my head around it, but i'm thankful for the opportunity to even take a glance into what life is like for the people of Uganda.

wanji?!

I haven't been in the united states for the fourth of july in so long... I guess summers are for traveling? It didn't really feel like a holiday- we went about our usual business and best day ever- we got to tell the women that we are going to buy necklaces from them! They were so excited. We definitely got a few AYE AYE AYES! It feels good to finally talk openly with the women about the website and tell them why we need to have it a certain way. I really want to be here to see the start of their businesses! I am looking into possibly changing my flight so I can see the project through- but i'm debating prices.

Annette and her design! She is my apaperero (friend)!

Rebecca and Veronica with her design

After beading we went home to our 4th of July extravaganza! We had SO much food! We made pretty much everything you would have in the states. We also had all of the Americans we know (aka the elders) over and then our favorite African friends were also invited. We played volleyball and ate A LOT. We had so much extra food. Cami and I were talking to Freddy and he was joking with us telling us that we needed to eat more food because there are starving kids in Africa- we told him that people say that all the time in the states. I asked him how we could give it to the starving kids, and Freddy is so awesome he just picked up and said let's go! He said last year they used to have huge dinners and then give the extras to the street kids all the time. So off we went, trash cans full of coleslaw in hand (we got creative, we don't have very many dishes) to go feed the street kids. Freddy told me he was my body guard and that it would be safe. We went to town and Fred took us to the place where the street kids sleep. They all know him (he is actually pretty famous in Mbale, a radio DJ that everyone loves) they lined up for us and we handed out plates and served what we had. They were so cute, and surprisingly polite. There were some older guys there too though that were trying to push the little boys out of the way. They all smelled strongly of paint thinner and Freddy told us it is pretty common. Huffing the paint thinner makes you lose your appetite. There was a little boy named Henry that told us he was 13 (he was TINY) and that he went to school up to P7 but his father abused him so much that he ran away from home. It was so humbling. One of the most heart wrenching 4th of Julys that i've ever had.... considering last year I was in Verona, eating gelato and walking around lago di garda. I can't believe the stark difference in one year to the next. I'm grateful for all of the opportunities I have had.

 Pineapple upside down cake! Made on the charcoal stove pictured below- our cook Sam is amazing!

 Who doesn't boil eggs outside? Deviled eggs? yes please.

Last night we painted paper for the beads... like Rebecca says our beginnings section could be a million pages long. We literally were sitting in our house painting old magazines, trying to get the graphics not to show, while getting paint all over us and stuck to us- never to come off, we couldn't find
places to keep all of the wet painted papers- they are currently scattered all around our house with no real places to walk..500 sheets of painted paper = only half of the necklaces we need to make!

We printed our first business plan! We gave it to Child of Hope when we had our meeting about becoming partners!