Week 2

Hello friends!

My first week and a half in Africa was incredible! Last weekend we took a trip to Jinja where we stayed on Lake Victoria right where the Nile begins. On Sunday we woke up early to see the sun rise over the lake and it was absolutely gorgeous! I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am to have this opportunity.

I spent two hours doing laundry today. Hand washing is harder than it looks, and the Ugandan women find our efforts pretty amusing...but it makes me so thankful for washing machines! I am making more Ugandan friends and it is so interesting to learn about their lives. Just yesterday I was talking to a student from Northern Uganda and told us about how his older brother was taken by the LRA (the rebel army that kidnapped and forced thousands of children to be soldiers in Northern Uganda) ten years ago. They each have so many stories.

I started my internship at an organization called Off Tu yesterday. It is a program that houses and cares for 14 street kids. We also go to Kampala each week to hang out with the children living in a slum. These kids are either orphans, or completely rejected by their parents and are forced to beg in the streets. The organization tries to find extended families to care for them, but it often is unsuccessful so the children will come to live at Off Tu. Communication with the children is somewhat difficult because they are still working on their English, but nonetheless, it’s a sweet organization and I’m excited to learn from their staff and kids.

Yesterday I went to Kampala with my friend Brenda to go to the fruit market and the malls. So we packed in a taxi (which is really just a small van with seats drilled into the floor) with 16 other people and drove to downtown Kampala, where I found there are absolutely no rules for driving! It’s chaos! Brenda had to hold my hand when we crossed the street so I wouldn’t get hit (which also isn’t strange at all, even men hold hands all the time as a sign of friendship), and we made it to the market. While there, everyone kept asking, “Mzungu mzungu, how are you mzungu? Which country mzungu? Mzungu I love you!” But my favorite of the day said by a man who barely reached my shoulders, “Mzungu, you are just my size!” But things calmed down after that and I was able to get some ice cream and a delicious American meal, along with some mangos, pineapple, and avacados.YUM!

On Saturday we leave our dorm rooms to go live with a family in Mukono for two weeks. Some families are a 5 minute walk from campus, some are 45 minutes. So for those living farther, we really get a chance to see the community, even if we are just passing by. I am slightly anxious for this, since it seems like we just got settled here, but I know it will be a crazy good experience. 

I have so much I want to tell you all, but I can never remember what it is when I start to type. Some things coming to mind are the giant bugs...ants have stingers and crickets can fly. Oh, and my stomach has been awesome so far...PTL! =) Meals are entirely rice and beans with pineapple once a week and some sort of meat once a week as well. I'll try and post my address as soon as I remember to ask what it is! Your thoughts and prayers are still very much appreciated...seriously!! Miss you all!