I'm currently writing this blog from jinja as we're now on our 2 month Easter holidays. This April however we have been teaching since the 10th.
As each month goes its coming closer to our leaving date so nowadays I try to savour every day here as I know a week or month being at home ill miss my home here like nothing else! It's also the little things that I'm going to really miss for example lunchtime as school, usually sometimes weird/funny happens like once tonny from p5 was chasing girls around the school I asked tonny what on earth are you doing to make those girls so scared which he showed me proudly a big wart coming out of his hand, that boy has no shame! Being here for this long you also begin to notice little things that you wouldn't notice otherwise like deo in p3 his English has gotten soo much better than it was when we first arrived its such a good improvement. Deo and stevie are also our school time keepers and after a hundred times I had to fix their falling apart watches I decided to buy them both a watch for next term so hopefully next term the school will actually be on time for once!
This month we've had some rain, it's quite a light rainy season so our tank has ran out during this month once. Which meant a trip to the bore hole! I went at the same time as school was finishing so I went with the kids that live en route to the bore hole. Ronald roped me into carrying his books home but repayed me by buying me a banana pancake which I shared with the gang of kids walking with me (a banana pancake does not go far with 9 kids!) I also bumped into Brian who wasn't at school that day and asked him why he wasn't at school which he simply answered with "debate" I was like you know what Brian I don't blame you there as debate is horrible, I would have hated it if I was them as they have to stand up I front of the whole school and argue a point that they don't even know much about all in English. Last time they had to debate about which one was better water or fire......
This month we also celebrated international health day on the 7th.
It was all based on preventions and treatments for malaria which was very relevant for the kids at our school. We first of all did a brief talk to them all and asked them questions to see if they knew ways to prevent malaria and got them to read out some facts. Then we had invited Phiona a nurse from the health clinic who we are good friends with to do a more in depth talk with the kids. They were all so interested and really got into it as it does affect all of them somehow.
So after the 10th jess and I made our way to Kampala for jess' 19th birthday. Pretty much all of the volunteers came to Kampala for it. It was such a nice weekend. I had my first ever proper massage which was amazing although it wasn't as relaxing as we were talking about Uganda and she was literally in hysterics while pummelling my legs because I told her we cooked on a charcoal stove! That night we also went out for a nice meal and ordered a surprise birthday pudding which she loved! It was brilliant when the waters came out singing happy birthday which a huge sparkly decorated cake.
As this month is the month that a lot of volunteers families come out to visit. It's quite strange seeing them here. It makes you realise so much about Uganda that we have forgotten about. It's like seeing the country through fresh eyes. Things like how little the kids have, as at home again the orphanage the babies literally only have a pot that used to contain pills and they spend their days peeling the paint off the wall and putting it in the pot. It's quite easy to forget this as no one has a lot so it just seems normal but then you actually think wait kids in the uk have toys, arts and crafts, books and a lot more. Yet the kids here are happy with a pot full of peeled off paint...
Also violence and beating, when we talked to them about it they were pretty hottified about it all as jess and I wake up to kids being beaten in the morning which happens right outside our house.. We have become so hard being out here it's quite sad but if you were to let every single bad thing get to you you would not want to get out of bed in the morning.
Another thing they pointed out was what do the kids do once they have finished school? Education here is such a vital part in life here, the country is literally covered in primary schools. But once the kids are finished with primary school they are pretty much dropped and left stranded on their own. Which sadly usually results in them not going on to further education and getting a poor paid job their parents had. It's sad as there is so much potential in so many kids but they just don't know what to do with it.
Uganda does have many flaws and numerous problems and corruption, it is so clear to see that Ugandans live for the day, they don't think or worry about the future- yes we will spend all our money on building half a house, yes we will eat all that bread now as who knows what will happen tomorrow. It's quite a contrast to the way we are used to, saving is such s huge part of life in the uk whereas saving here is not really existent...
April also meant Easter! Easter is celebrated hugely here as its such a Christian based country. So for Easter Day we went to home again the orphanage where we did some arts and crafts with them, making flowery headbands for the girls and bandanas for the boys. They loved them and wore them to church that day as well! We also did an Easter egg hunt with all the kids. We split everyone into teams and we had previously hidden their colour of eggs all over home again. They then had to find their colour of egg then bring them back to us as we were the team leaders. At the end we then handed out each child a package of mini eggs that a volunteers mum had brought out. They were amazed that they looked like eggs but were chocolate! Even the older teenagers at home again were getting very into it!
There was also a Easter football tournament going on between all the villages. We watched the final on Easter Day as well as it was kaihura who our friends play in from home again against another village. It was such a good game and to top of Easter Day kaihura won!! They were soooo happy and were running around the pitch crazily! We even got an excitable hug from the captain sundae who was over the moon!
It was such a good day, by far the best Easter I've had in my life!
In the holidays we also went to visit a guy called Everest who is 21 but is paralysed from the waist down. It's such a shame as he is such a friendly person and loved playing uno with us! The people he lives with are very helpful and kind to him and people who have visited him before have decorated his room to make it very homely which is lovely!
This month I've also been trying to improve my volleyball skills, the boys at home again are ridiculously good at it, David even wears a glove on one of his hands so he can properly smack the ball down. I'm getting better though!
Recently however home again has started to go down hill after the supervisor went crazy and joined a cult and called us white demonds.. But ever since the babies house especially has gotten so disorganised and saddening. For some reason the tv was moved into the baby house so now the babies are shut in a room while the house mothers watch tv and braid one another's hair. It's so frustrating and when the kids do watch the tv it's not even appropriate stuff for them to be watching. The other day we took them all outside and it was like they were on a whole new world! They never get let out and the house mothers rarely interact with them. I feel so sorry for them, it's not about how poor thy are and the lack of money they have it's the lack of love their giving which is the problem. It's so sad but faith the owner is joing to talk to them do hopefully there is a change soon!
So that has been April here, next month we will be on holidays got most co it but will be going back to school at the end of the month!
Jess managed to get Lubega to finally fall asleep!
Nakiwala skipping then our route to our nearest village Myanzi!
