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Arlington Academy of Hope
PO Box 7694
Arlington, VA 22207
tel: 571-228-4102 |
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| Uganda News 4 - 24 Hours in Uganda |
Uganda News #4
A Report by Cynthia Margeson
Arlington Academy of Hope
October 18, 2006
24 Hours in Uganda
Everyday is different; no two days are alike; this day may have been busier than some; other days are funnier; everyday presents a new challenge or problem solving situation; not a day goes by that we do not throw up our hands at something and say, “this is Africa!” And so with that in mind, let me take you through a day in the life of…
Oddly enough I will begin at 6pm on Tuesday evening, October 17. At that time, it was determined that Thomas, the HM, had not remembered to ask the cook staff to make 100 chapattis to be carried by the P-6 and 7 classes on their trip to Kampala. So… we asked the wife of one of the cook staff to help us out. For the next 4 hours, Bess, Steven, son Jackson and helper Jenifer had a system going to make these fried flatbread pieces (all by lantern light). This involves mixing, molding, remixing with some oil, rolling flat, frying, adding more oil, turning, etc. Each one takes about 2 minutes to cook (and this is on a charcoal stove by the way). Catherine and I were busy boiling 80 eggs. The lunch menu for this exciting field trip was chapatis, roll, hard boiled egg and bottle of water. The chapati operation finished about 10 pm. We fell in to bed and agreed that we would get up at 5 to see the students off on this trip of a life time.
At 5 am, Thomas is ironing his African suit with the charcoal iron and we three muzongus are arising for a predawn hike down THE hill. One teacher, one cook and three children appear at the door and are ready to help carry the lunch packages down. The excitement is building with these children as they relate that they have not been able to sleep for the anticipation of this two day bus trip to Kampala, about 200 miles away. The stars are brilliant, the crescent moon is setting in the east and we are using our torches (flashlights) to find our way down the incredibly rutted road. We have both commented that we are unable to enjoy the view even in daylight, as our eyes must be peeled to the ground. Some of the ruts are more than 12 inches deep and across. There is a big 70 passenger bus waiting in Kikholo, more than half of the children have arrived by 5:30 (for the 6am departure) and there are a few assorted curious onlookers. Children are eager to greet Catherine as she is the one who has paid for the transport for this trip. Good morning greetings and handshakes all around. Students are wearing their Reading Carnival T-shirts for Wednesday and they are giving their ironed school uniforms to the headmaster who is packing one giant suitcase with 60 school uniforms-they must not get wrinkled. The bus departs in amazingly good time, only 15 minutes past the announced departure time. By now Geoff, Catherine and I are beginning to climb the hill and are accompanied by some early arriving students, on their way to AAH! They proceed to school and we retreat to our house for breakfast.
By 8am we have reported to school and are figuring out the teaching schedule for the day as one teacher is out sick and five have gone to Kampala. My first class is P-5. I have been doing some reading comprehension with them but today I want to have them work on designs to be entered in the contest for the ATS yearbook cover. Following that class I am involved in discussions about what to do with two students who are being tested for TB; they have been in school all along, the whole class has been exposed; do we test everyone?; how can we be assured that they will persist with the long program of treatment? Our clinic personnel are very knowledgeable and familiar with procedures such as this going through the Bududa Hospital. It is decided that the clinic will pay for transport to Bududa so that the proper tests can be given. (In the end, one is positive, and one is negative). All students have a half hour break at 10:30 and this is one of the times in which we have the library open for book returns and checkout. The line averages 10-15 students at all times.
Everyday at 11, Catherine and I each have a reading group of P-1 students for some small group work. I have the middle group, so this is as much an exercise in speaking English as it is reading. I hope I am using the correct ESL method of verbalizing everything I say and do and then they repeat or answer my statement or question. Akello is passing out the pencils. Who has a red pencil? Fahadi is standing, I am standing. Who has the green book, etc. Kitongo, please chase the chickens from the classroom. That was a new one which resulted in no action. After repeating it several times, Iddi finally translated to Lumasaba and then finally Kitongo jumped up, and very energetically knew exactly what to do to chase the chickens from the room!
12-1 is another reading comprehension lesson in P-4. 1-2 is Library Checkout during the Lunch break. 2-4pm is spent checking exercise books (papers) from each class-something I thought I could get away from by retiring.
About 4 in the afternoon, I walked over to the kitchen area to see our goats- Arly, Hope, U2, three unnamed ones and our newest, Camden a sweet black and white one given to Catherine by the family of 2 children she sponsors. For those who don’t know, Camden, Maine is now Catherine’s hometown and there’s just a touch of homesickness for the fall foliage. Banana leaves just don’t change colors like the trees in New England. The temperature also does not fluctuate much: 16-20 degrees C. at night and 25-28 degrees C. at midday. The rains may be slowing here in the village; we actually went 6 days without a downpour. Newsflash: one of my goats has had a kid and is now in the private care of one of the security guards. From my strictly urban observation I think there are others who will also be “producing” soon. That big black male goat which the sponsored children’s parents group gave us in July seems to be happily situated with the female goats. While visiting the goats, I also chatted with the cooks using their limited English and my limited Lumasaba and Swahili- We are visiting the home of one of them, Abdul on Sunday. For those of you who have been here- it’s beyond Saku Saku school- that means a hike! Papa, John’s father will be our mountain guide!
By 5 I am ready to go home to the Headmaster’s House (25 feet from school). I think I mentioned moving here in late September so that Geoff from FIMRC and Catherine and I are altogether which makes it simpler for all those helping us. I’m hoping that tonight we may have power as the last good day for electricity was Saturday and that was for almost 24 hours. Sunday was a tease of 45 minutes; Monday was less than that and nothing on Tuesday or Wednesday yet.
When power does come one, I now immediately announce it (to myself or anyone nearby who is also probably cheering) and then the next thought is, what needs to be charged? Computer, phone or camera. There is no schedule or pattern, no rhyme or reason, to when we get it (There is even an increase in load sharing as power outages are called in Kampala now). Homes which do not have generators, then switch to candle light or kerosene lanterns and exist in dimly lit rooms or houses. And so the day comes to an end, and in case you are wondering, there was no power this day either. Maybe tomorrow!
Until next time, love,
Cynthia
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