Paloga

Today was a wonderful day spent in Paloga.  We started by entering the town center and meeting some people before heading out into the village to check on the status of the water filtration systems.  We met a few men and women involved with the church there, and there were children around, hiding behind the huts, checking out the muzungu – i.e. whities, if you haven’t picked that by now. (I should mention that there are children EVERYwhere… babies, 2 year olds, 5 year olds, 10 year olds… some working, some just standing around, some in the gutters, some in the town center, some helping their parents in the fields.  It’s really, really terrible to see the older ones not in school during the day – that means that their parents cannot afford their school fees, the fees for the text books or uniforms).  Whenever I see them, I always wave and say hello (what else can you do when you have twenty-four big brown eyes staring at you?).  What’s really notable about the children is that some are so afraid, so skittish, so shy, and others are just really healthy well-adjusted kids who are self-confident: approach us, shake our hands, laugh at our goofy skin color and touch my ridiculously light hair.

My three new best buds from Paloga: Jan, Kevin, and Prossy.

So, as we approached the town center in Paloga, three kids in particular, Kevin (females have taken this name in Northern Uganda – interesting!), Jan, and Prossy immediately responded to my attempt to give them a high five, teach them how to fist bump, and blow kisses.  Here, I also met my first female friend from Paloga, Amarena.  She didn’t speak any English but was with us throughout the entire day, and after our first stop, became my official Acoli-language teacher.  Everywhere we went she would say Iy-rin (that’s the Ugandan pronunciation, apparently.  The “air” sound of Erin is too difficult for people to pronounce and, frankly, I like my name better without it), and then she would tell me a word or phrase to say after her.  I would just repeat whatever she said and then the whole group would laugh.  I honestly felt like a two year old just learning how to talk.  It’s quite hilarious though, and I like to make people laugh, so I’ll take it!  Honestly, though, I did learn quite a few words today – for example, “dung, dung” means “bye-bye”.

The town of Paloga is beautiful in and of itself.  It is among the mountains which are massive and littered with waterfalls.  Sadly though there are quite a few people left in the camps, which I got some video footage of today.  As we check water I’ve been in quite a few huts, and let me tell you, while they are functionally sound, they are not big at all.  They are not meant for sitting around and watching TV or checking your email (and no one, literally no one, has computers or TV, anyway).  So, the huts are disgustingly close together and it is clear that this is no way to live.  There is poop everywhere and no where to grow crops, which is how people survive here.  The irony is that there is so much land and these people, some of them at least, are still so close in proximity, all because of very horrifying and realistic fear that has haunted this place for years.  Only evil can do such a thing to people living in such a rich and fruitful environment.

The beautiful village of Paloga.

After making our rounds in the village, we returned to the town center for another formal lunch.  The children were still there and ready to play.  As they warmed up to me, they started to hug me, let me spin them around, and chase them a bit.  As we sat down, they started to pick up on the fact that I did not know Acoli.  They started to point at things and say the Acoli word for it, repeating it again and again until I got the pronunciation right.  They taught me the words for all the body parts as well as how to count to ten.  Before you know it, I looked up and was surrounded by about 18 little African kids, engaged, fist bumping, high five-ing and blowing kisses.  The oldest of them all, Kevin, was quietly counting my toes in English which made my heart break.  Clearly, she has had some schooling, but just couldn’t afford to continue.  (If I could, I would definitely have taken all of these kids back to America with me.)

For lunch, we went into one of the church-owned huts to eat with the parishioners and get feedback on the projects that we are interested in initiating next.  This was the first time I saw African instruments – they were beautiful things made out of all natural materials, being stored there for the church services.  I am definitely looking forward to Sunday mass!).  A little girl, Sophia, one of the counsel women’s daughters snuck in and slipped right onto my lap while her little brother sat next to me stroking my hair.  Sophia quickly fell asleep and her brother quietly listened to the rest of the meeting blowing me kisses as I had taught him to do.  It was a moment I will never forget.

Sleeping Sophia during our Paloga meeting.

We prepped the people on our first project for this trip: soap making.  On Monday, Shawn will be teaching the people how to make soap out of materials that they (mostly) have right here.  They can use the sunflower oil and shea butter oil from the trees and we will have to provide the lye.  The people were very interested, as soap is an expense that they must part with often and it will be a blessing for them to save both cash and a long walk to town.  They, too, are extremely interested in a sunflower press, but there is so much work yet to be done (and money to be raised) for us to help them reach such a goal.  Looks like we’ll be serving Uganda Blend at Pewaukee every Friday next year! (I’m thinking of picking up some real Ugandan coffee for our “Coffee House” next year before we return.)

Shawn and I with the people of Paloga.

This evening Shawn helped two extremely wonderful young men who volunteer for the parish, Michael and Augustine, to set up the internet café, as I sat outside watching the sunset, working on the blog.  Of course, the children walked past, stopped to chat, and wanted to see the computer.  I began to show them the pictures from Padibe, but they kept asking to see pictures of snow!  I tried to access my facebook account, hoping that I might have some there, but I do not.  If any one thinks of it, please send me pictures of snow!  The children surrounding me multiplied, and they were fascinated that people from the US were communicating with me via this little black thing on my lap. The internet café is also another great idea that will help these people so very much (we are using a generator to power it).  Some parishioners, and the group Extendicare have donated all of the materials, computer, printer and all, and now we just have to figure out the logistics: how much we will charge people to use it, who will be working the cafe, what we will do when we cannot receive a connection, etc.

Every day I am here, I am so proud of all the work Three Holy Women has already done here before my time, especially that pretty wonderful man, Shawn Alexander.  There is so much work to do and things are always complicated, but this is the work that keeps me alive and awake in my short time on this earth.  So, onward we go.  The traditional music festival (dancing and all) is tomorrow.

Thank you for all of the prayers and support.  Much love to those following us in the States (and Thailand!).