Around the world

Around the world; a Nation Hopper's journy to teach on all 7 continents.




Friday, January 10, 2014

Best. Week. Ever!


This has been the most incredible week I’ve spent in Kampala.

On Monday, after I had a meeting with the women, Cliff and I picked up Stephen, Cranma, Isaac, Ronald, Okidi, Eric, and Otim and took them to Tomi’s house. These 7 boys are part of the youth group that regularly help out with the Saturday program. 

On Monday we only had half a day, and we spent it playing ice breaker and team building games. We all watched a movie before going to sleep. 

On Tuesday we started on our sewing project after a bible study lesson (thanks again Sally and Bernie for the books!!!). However the sewing machines proved to be a pain in the butt and pretty much refused to work. The boys cut out all the fabric they would need, interesting note; the boys preferred the pink and flower/bug fabric to the dinosaur and green print fabric. 

On Wednesday we struggled again with the machines and finally threw in the towel. I showed the boys how to sew their bags and ripped clothes by hand. The boys were surprisingly excited about the bags. After dinner we played charades, 20 questions, a game like hide and seek but only one person hides

On Thursday Cliff picked us up and took us to a football field, the boys were dying to kick a ball around. We played a game like keep away where you kick the ball to each other and the person in the middle tries to get the ball, and hand ball which is basically keep away. We split into teams and kept the ball in the air, passing it back and forth. During the keep away game, Ronald took a ball to the face and I did I back flop onto the ground to avoid tripping over Cranma. 

Friday was the best day of all. All the boys finished their bags, Eric was a whiz on the sewing machine that I had no patients for. Cranma, Isaac and Otim had the best whip stitch I’ve seen in a while. Okidi and Ronald definitely dragged their feet but they still did an awesome job. Flida and I took a boda-boda to the craft market because I needed a few more gifts, Cliff was in his village all day. After lunch the power went out so we walked to the football field, Prosey took us on a ‘shot cut’. This ‘shot cut’ involved hiking up two super steep hills in the mud (it had rained during lunch) in the baking sun and ending up at the market near the country club. So we had to back track a quarter mile to the field. Pretty sure that’s not the definition of a ‘short cut’. Eric was very concerned that I would not be able to climb the hills and offered several times to either carry me or get a stretcher and put me on it. I assured him that even thought I had shin splints like nobodies business, I wasn’t going to break. We played a small game of football, Stephen and I’s team won, though Eric will deny it. And before anyone gets impressed that I played football, I pretty much shuffled around the field and purposefully got in Eric, Isaac and Cranma’s way so Stephen and Okidi could steal the ball. Prosey wanted to take her ‘short cut’ back but we all put out foot down and went the regular way that took half as long. We all hung out/played outside until dinner was ready. I had everyone draw me a picture while there was still light out, some of the boys are really good with a pencil. After we all showered in the dark, obviously not together ;), we converged in the living room to watch a movie on my lap top before bed. Just as we sat down on the couch the power came back on! 

These boys are incredible, the house has been filled with so much laughter and noise! They are so sweet, ridiculously funny and are thirsty to learn. Ronald drew this awesome design on his arm the other day that I fell in love with (read as next tattoo, which makes three new ones when I get back… Don’t tell my mother ;) Spending the week with the boys has been such a privilege for me, and I’m so thankful I have gotten to know them. I’m only sad that I’ve only been able to spend such a short time with them.  

But, the best part of the day was when Cliff came back from the village at about 7. Okidi pulled me aside and asked me to ask Cliff if it would be ok if they boys took me to the airport next week. I choked up and asked Cliff. We’re supposed to have the girls here Friday night, and there isn’t room for all the girls and boys at the house. But Cliff and I think we worked it out so the boys will spend Friday night at the house and come up Cliff to take me to the airport. Cliff asked everyone who was going to miss me and they all started talking at once; ‘I’m going to miss her from here to the moon’, ‘I don’t want her to go’, ‘I want her to stay.‘. I nearly started bawling and had to change the subject. 

Tomorrow we take the boys back to the ghetto :’( and spend one last day with the kids. We’re going to walk around the ghetto, visit some of the kid and women’s houses and say good by to the kids.   

Stephen, Ronald and Okidi 

Team building game with a hula hoop


Human knot


Isaac

Cranma

Stephen

Cliff

Okidi

Ronald

Stephen had one flip flop, one bare foot and kicked everyones butt

Keep away 

Hand ball 

Me and ma boys

Notice the dirt on my back? That's from earting it,  hard

Ronald and Okidi 

Stephen and I 

Eric hard at work 

Cranma concentrating 

Otim

Ronald and I 

Isaac with his patched shirt and bag

Ronald eating jackfruit 

Stephen 



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