Raw Thoughts
The trip to Uganda really was really life-changing. But really, it was life-changing for different reasons than I expected.
During the trip we were in two separate communities, Kumi and Piswa (central, eastern Uganda)
Geographically, Kumi was flat and covered with trees of all shapes and sizes. The ground was burnt red, sort of like the red clay of Georgia. In this community, the group I was leading was involved with construction of latrines for specific needy families. The construction was basic and allowed 4 people to be involved each day. The rest of the team was involved with home visits during the day. The group walked around the rural areas of Kumi, stopping in at various houses and visiting with the families and children. The Food for the Hungry/Uganda staff showed us around and introduced us to the families that they were working with and supporting.
And really, this was both very challenging and enjoyable. The people at each of the homes were so hospitable and loving. As we arrived, neighbors and friends joined us from surrounding houses, bringing chairs and gifts. Often we would sit under a big shade tree and talk. The conversation was simple. In some cases, I would have to fight back tears as I heard the background story of the family from the Food for the Hungry/Uganda staff.
One home that we visited was the residence of a child-headed household. Tabitha, 14 years old, is raising her 4 younger siblings. Her parents have died of HIV/AIDS and she now bears the responsibility of taking care of the family. If that wasn’t difficult enough, she is also suffering from HIV/AIDS as she contracted the disease via mom/child transmission. School is not really an option for her because she must stay at home and take care of the household affairs (cooking, getting water, gathering firewood, etc). We gave her a home care kit, which she was excited to receive. But wow, it felt like a drop in the bucket in comparison to her situation.
But the real surprise was the joy on her face. You would have never guessed her situation by the way she carried herself. She was smiling and was proud of her brothers and sisters. Her courage was almost overwhelming.
Also in Kumi, we got a chance to teach, entertain, and play with the kids from a local public school (Nero). This was a riot. There was about 600 kids present everyday. Beginning at 3pm, the madness of crafts, games, songs, dancing, bubbles, running, and laughter didn’t end until 6:30 PM. At that point, we loaded our sweaty and exhausted bodies into the bus and headed back to the guest house for some dinner. It was amazing to see children entertained for hours by just playing with the bouncy ball or a Frisbee.
After 5 days in Kumi, we moved over to Piswa for a brief visit. The purpose of our journey to Piswa was for some of the team to visit their sponsor kids. The landscape was so different! We needed two 4x4 vehicles to make the rough journey up to Piswa, but wow, was it ever worth it! The beauty of this area was breathe-taking! Mountains, lush green rolling hills, waterfalls, etc. Amazing! And that was just the beginning! It was the people that made Piswa so great.
We visited a school and enjoyed a performance from the students of people. On the side of the hill, the students, in their matching uniforms of course, started to dance and sing. It was great. We visited the clinic and got to attend a Saturday afternoon church service.
For our day off (and my b-day), we went white water rafting on the Nile River! That was great stuff! We must have flipped 4 or 5 times. My legs are still sunburned.
I am looking forward to returning to Uganda someday. Maybe you'll have to join me.
Josh
posted by Unknown at 10:58 AM
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