I finally have a home!

I finally have a home! I am very happy in my village outside of Kumi. I have
fallen in love with it, and thank goodness because it shall be my new
home for the next two years. There are these abundant rock
outcroppings that seem to magically appear in the horizon, and one
just outside of my home. I mailed some pics home so hopefully my
parents can upload them. There is an archeological site about 10 km
from me which I cannot not wait to climb. Most days you see women
hiking up these immense rock structures with baskets of clothes upon
their head to do their wash in the collected rain water on the top.
Its very impressive. Washing clothes by hand is tiresome enough. The
people here are amazing. There is a much greater sense of freedom
exhibited by the women, less bowing, more eye contact, audible voices,
bike riding is acceptable! I feel much more at home here. It is rainy
season right now and the majority of the people are out in the gardens
planting g-nuts (our peanut equivalent). I hope to start my own garden
next week. I am also considering purchasing a goat for its milk as
well. The dry season happens from Nov to jan/feb, and the majority of
the people have to store food and water during those times. It will be
a challenge for me to learn but a wonderful lesson.
My first week was wonderful, busy, but I am happy for the change of
freedom from home stay. My home is very secure with steel bars and
shutters, which may sound disconcerting but I sleep pretty sound
having them in place. I have spent the last week painting and cleaning
some suspect brown smudges off of the wall, and building some shelves.
My next project is a table with my some of my new purchases, hammer
and saw.
I am just behind the secondary school’s lab but outside of the
compound and the right next to the bush. The first few nights when
every noise is heard to be 10 times louder than reality were a little
spooky but I have grown accustomed to the loud bangs upon the door
made by some of the largest cockroaches I believe to exist in the
world. The first night I heard the bang I leaped from my mosquito net,
knife in hand, only to find a massive cockroach stuck beneath the
door. The first time I was relieved and happy to see one I do believe.
My neighbors are wonderful. They have 5 children who like to spend
their time staring at me. The mother teaches at a local primary school
and the father is in charge of the curriculum at the school I will be
working at. He took me around to meet the LC (local counsel) who makes
various local decisions and offers advice to the people about family,
legal, and social matters. We had to go deep into the village to find
him and his small grass hut. It was quite an experience. As I was
saying thanks and taking leave he pulled out two sponsors from the US
through UNICEF and asked me to also sponsor his children. The
disparity of living conditions and education was large just a few
miles in. I also went to visit the police chief who spends the
majority of his time under the mango tree outside the office. When I
went to visit him he asked me what we would do in the US with a young
boy who had sex with a minor and infected her with HIV. I plead the
fifth concerned that my answer would dictate the future of those
involved. It is just so different here.
I live about 3 km from a small food stand that has the basics; flour,
eggs, tomatoes, rice (most of the time), oil, and lots of mangoes. The
mango trees are littered with them and children enjoying their
deliciousness. Ngora town is about 9 km from me and has a few more
options. Kumi town is much larger and is about 20/25 km. I recently
biked it on my new ride and Im pretty sure the tour de france will
soon see its first women competitor.
I also live very close to a hospital so rest assured I am in a good
place. There is also a school for the blind and deaf which I am very
interested in working for as well.
The largest challenges thus far have been being viewed by so many as
their savior. They see my white skin and expect me to have money, or
to adopt their children to give them a better life, to solve the water
and food crises that arises during their dry season, to help stop the
speard of HIV/AIDS. It is a very overwhelming feeling to have so much
expected from you. This of course is also one of the largest problems
I feel exists here though, the expectation that someone will save
them. This learned dependency, which is also much of our own fault for
enabling them by simply dumping large sums of money upon them without
teaching them how to use it, or how to take care of themselves.
Instead they wait for more money and more people to save them. They
are intelligent, kind, hardworking, and tough as hell people. There is
no reason they cannot learn to better manage their lives. Education is
where I think one should begin. Beyond that it would be too
overwhelming. I will also reiterate the problem of the lack of
analytical skills. I came upon a woman who was clutching a sick crying
child in her arms. The women her self drenched in her own tears. She
had chosen not to begin treatment for her child and instead return
home to pick up cloths first (3 hrs away), and then return to get the
child treatment. But had this occurred the child would have died
before returning back. Luckily a young boy and I were able to convince
her to return back to the hospital a begin treatment. Lastly the
marriage proposals are a little too romantic. I walk walk down the
street and receive numerous requests to be someone's wife in a very
short distance. Their main proposal being that they want a white one
to be their wife so they can be rich. Romantic yes I know. I am still
holding out for something a little more though.
These are just some daily things I see and experience each day.


So much to share in my new home!
I hope all is well! I miss you all so very much!
Be safe and take care and know I think of you all so very much!

New address is
PO Box 110
Kumi Uganda 50416