Lordy the smoke is thick tonight – there is always something burning: plastic, goat hide, something… But tonight is improved by that fact that I managed spaghetti in the few minutes of electricity and discovered gas has arrived!!! I paid, got a receipt and will have a real honest-to-goodness functional stove by tomorrow night. Now to shop again for veggies. Came “home” and ate lukewarm spaghetti while I watched an episode of Burn Notice n DVD. Thanks again Chris if you’re reading this!
Yesterday I was invited to go to Open Day at a girls school.. My neighbor founded a girls school on family land to honor his mother’s dying wish. Here’s the story: George, the same neighbor who loaned me the hot plate, grew up in Gulu and was here when the war erupted in the 80’s. He had eight brothers and four sisters, but in those years education – if it was available – was focused on the boys, so none of his sisters were educated. The war raged on for decades and only one member of his family survived. On her deathbed, his mother asked that he use the land to build a school for girls, so that – in the future – girls would have a voice. It’s called Graceland College for Girls, but is actually a secondary (junior high and high school) housing about 350 young women.
Challenges abound, but hopefully these girls will have more possibilities than most. The Head Girl took me around yesterday and having a Munu (local term for Mzungu) created quite the ripple of giggles. When I spoke to them in Acholi, giggles turned into full scale riotous laughter. They just think it’s really something when we use their language and are so surprised and excited.
The use of the local language is one of the things that sets Peace Corps apart from the scores of others who are here on the short term to help. While they may answer you in English, they love that someone makes the effort. Kids especially get kick out of talking to these crazy foreigners.
My Kindle is a life saver – thank you Alice for convincing me to get it! Reading a great book (have read 7 since I’ve been here), “What Dreams May Come,” about “life” in the great beyond. Any of you with a hankering to read what is essentially a true account of life on the other side of the veil will probably enjoy it. It syncs with some of my experiences. Let me know what you think.
Dong Maber
Nancy