I know all of you are excited about your upcoming summer vacation! I hope you all have a great last week of school! Just know that I am as hot as you are—there is no air conditioning here. Every day you pray for a gentle breeze and for some cloud cover. The sun here is very hot because it is so direct. I am closer to the sun here than you are, so you can burn very easily. I am always careful to put on sunscreen. I am getting used to sleeping in this extreme heat, but it is hard to never be able to escape the heat.
This last week, I enjoyed teaching the boys at the orphan home. I was teaching them how to say things in English then they were teaching me how to say things in L’Ugandan. I am really enjoying learning a new language and to being able to understand more of what people are saying. It is amazing how quickly you can pick up a new language if you are immersed in it. I am also feeling so much more confident in moving around the city. I have learned which road goes where and where things are located. I often ride a taxi-bus, which looks like a small van with 4 rows of seats. Often they can cram 20 people in the bus, so you sit very, very close to the person next to you. Then when you want to get off the bus, you shout “Conductor, massou.” The bus then pulls to the side of the road and you get off. Each ride is about $0.25, so it is an economical way of getting around town. I always have to pay close attention though, so I get off the bus at the right place.
Today, I went shopping in the heart of Kampala. I was looking for some pajamas. The interesting thing about shopping in Uganda is that everything is negotiable. When you want something, you begin bartering. Usually the seller suggests a price for the item, and then you suggest another price. This goes on for 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Finally, when you are okay with the price, you pay the seller or you walk away and say no thank you. When you walk away, the seller may then accept your price or let you walk away. Bartering for everything from food to clothing has been hard to get used to. I was not skilled at knowing how to get a good price for what I wanted, but I am learning and getting better at it.
Next week I am heading up to Gulu where most people live in refugee camps. Refugee camps are places where people live when a war is being fought on their land. They can no longer live in their hometowns, so they have to move to a “temporary” place. This war has been going on for 20 years, so some kids have only known the refugee camp as home. Ugandan soldiers guard these refugee camps, so that they people are safe from the rebels. It is important to stay close to the camp because the rebels like to kidnap children and force them to become soldiers. I will spend the night with a widow in a refugee camp, so that I can know the suffering of these people. It will be an emotional experience, but it is always important to care about the suffering of others.
I will also be visiting 3 homes that take care of former child soldiers and AIDS orphans in Gulu. These kids have had some really traumatizing things happen to them, but they are now in an environment where they can get some counseling. The mentors that live with them are slowly helping them get better. They are now going back to school or learning a trade. The picture at the top is of Laker, the director of the program, and one of the kids at the home. They are kids just like you with the same hopes and dreams who want a normal life. Many of them have lost their parents due to war or to AIDS. It is hard for them, but they are determined to take school seriously and get a better life for themselves.
So, dear students be thankful that you live in a country where there is no war and where school is free to everyone!! You are the luckiest children in the world!
I hope you all enjoy your summer break!! I will see you in the fall!!
Much love,
Ms. Miller
