First day on the Farm
The contrast between Southern Uganda
and the cities and towns surrounding Kampala, Jinja and Entebbe to
mid Uganda going north is sharp. The bustling cities with lots of
noise, cars and motorcycles (boda bodas) weaving in a out everywhere,
horns blaring, people moving, business in small shacks everywhere,
sometimes using every inch of the land, including street children
selling and begging as people are stuck in jams gives a person a
feeling of constant activity. In the evening as it gets dark, and I
mean dark!, the towns become alive with activity, everyone on the
side of the road cooking, walking, visiting and selling. This is
their social time as it cools down and the traffic jams go well into
the evening. It is not uncommon to get stuck in a two to four hour
traffic jam in the stiffling heat! Air conditioning...think again!
Music is everywhere also, loud and louder to the point you cannot
think at times. Imagine all of this going on while trying to drive
through mud and rain and potholes, dodging people, goats, chickens,
cows teathered to trees and yes lots of bicycles, boda boda's and
other vehicles. The smells are alive and not always good as the
sewer is a simple ditch flowing with debris separating the red dirt
road with the shacks of shops. Jinja town has sidewalks in some
places and is quite nice and touristy, yet comes alive at night
similarly. There is an abundance of houses with tin roofs and
bathrooms, and showers indicating more prosperous living and income
generation ability for the local people as well. The missionary
community in Jinja has become quite large and their is a lot of white
faces around everywhere you go. For Beth, married to Kenny's brother
John, this has been quite comforting. I relish in visiting them for
a normal toilet, shower and bed after being up north a while and it
is so nice to have "family" to stay with intermittently and
bounce ideas off! Their son, Kiah, loves visitors too and loves to
play games with "Auntie Nadine". I see them more in Uganda
than I ever did in America!
My jet lag haze and brain fog has
lifted and I relish in driving north out of Kampala and away from the
traffic on the new good road with only a few stops for road
construction! People are still walking and animals still on the side
of the road but it thins out considerably, the air becomes fresh even
with the oppessive heat, the green farm land abundant. Ah..beautiful
wide open spaces! The houses become less and turn into more thatched
huts as subsistence farming becomes evident. Still there are
intermittent towns that look to be prospering more and more each time
I come. One thing that does not change are the bugs...bugs and more
bugs this time of year...my skin is a constant itch!! Our turn off is
about 4 and a half hours north off the main road from Kikumba sub
county of Kiryandongo district, and 13 km to Rakayata village and the
Family Empowerment Uganda – Cannan farm, our partner and home away
from home.
Terence, our new accountant and clinic
administrator is with me and has already proved so valuable.
Richard, as well. We have had a lot to talk about and are excited to
start the work and see how the clinic is doing, especially. For this
is the main reason I came back so soon and for so long. I think the
american medical system is challenging, wait until you hear about the
Ugandan medical system! I am thankful for good trusted ugandan
friends I can call on to help. The learning curve is huge as I will
soon find out.
I feel at home here....no matter how
much struggle it is to get to Uganda and organize the work and
projects and leave my job, Kenny and America behind....there is so
much joy in returning to my home away from home. No matter how hard
it seems in this extreme contrast of cultures, even the hardest day
does not seem as hard as in america or maybe I am just more and peace
and happier volunteering, serving and leading a simple existence by
faith alone, rather than by my own direction in the US. Whatever it
may be, I am grateful...thank you all for the support and prayers, I
would not be able to take these journey's without each and every one
of you.
I am excited to wake up tomorrow to the
birds singing, roosters crowing and all kinds of farm smells! Stay
tuned as the real work for me is about to begin. In a few days
AIDSpirit team will also join the farm.
Nadine
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