These last few days have been the hardest. I have spent the last two days in Kampala's hospital's cancer ward with one of the most amazing little boys I have ever met. His name is Ojada, he is nine, and for the past year has been receiving treatment for bone cancer in his leg.
Lying on the cement ground outside with him yesterday, covered in ants and flies holding him as he is going through so much pain was incredibly difficult. The hospital is overcrowded and people are dying left and right. Even while we were there a child passed away and I could hear the mother screaming inside. It takes every muscle inside of me not to brake down sobbing.
Even through this, Esther, Ojada's mother who has HIV is a rock. All she said at the end of the day was this, "It is ok, no matter what happens...in the end we will all be dancing with God".
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Besides the food, I am loving it out here. It is a bit unreal but now becoming comforting. Even as I sit here in Kampala typing this to you, I wish I was in Kapalebiong. As far as my art projects, they are going so well. I am really excited. The first project I am now a part of is with a new organization called Nu Intentions (check out the website at www.NuIntentions.com) where we employ 8 wome ranging from the ages of 14 to 24 to make these beautiful earrings. A girl from San diego (one of Amelia's friends) started it about a year ago and I will be the new rep for Oregon and eventually I'll try to go up to Seattle also. She designed these beautiful earrings that the girls weave and then send back to the states to sell. In addition to this project, we wanted to involve a few of the Karamajong girls (they are the tribe that has been raiding and killing the Teso -where we are, for years. There has been peace for awhile so our hope is that by allowing these girls to work together it will bring more peace and understanding between the two tribes) in making jewelry also. So...exciting! Last week we went and visited the Karamajong. I didn't know this but they are actually an off-shoot of the Massai tribe in Kenya. I prayed that we would be recieved well and thankfully we were. They are a beautiful tribe, tall and slender with tons of jewelry and drapery- just like the Massai. Even most of the children had permanent anklets, bracelets and necklaces. We even got to dance with them! They started clapping and singing- again just like the Massai they jump. I got some great photos and jumped with them. What was really encouraging is that we originally went out there only to view samples, knowing we did not have the finances to include them yet, but after sitting down and viewing everything I am able to buy two types of bracelets and then they are giving me free samples of the necklaces (which were too expensive to buy) and then taking them back to Portland to sell! I will be picking them up in August. Also encouraging- the man helping to do the work as far as sending and recieving the jewelry, money and supplies is a very good man. We (amelia and I) needed to make sure the girls were all getting paid and things were being done honestly and praise God, they are because of James. My other projects are with the same Nu Intentions women and some of the schoolchildren. With the Nu Intentions girls I am having them practice drawing while we are gone these next two weeks. I was able to buy each of them a drawing pad and pencil to start. When we get back I will be painting batik's with them. These are paintings on fabric using wax and ink. Luckily I was able to find a man in Soroti to help me learn how to use these materials and what exactly to get. So (money allowing) each girl will be painting 3-4 batiks to take back to the US to sell. Towards the end each girl will be getting a disposable camera and photographing her life. Each girl has gone through a lot and their stories are on the Nu Intentions web site. I wasn't sure how these ideas were received as the girls do not know us well yet and do not show their excitement. But every day this week we have been visiting a girl's home and meeting her family. When we came to Betty Itea's home she showed me 5 drawings she has already done. And some of the other girls have told me what they're doing also. I am so excited to see where this goes.
At the school, in one class I am just teaching art. The kids again did not show much enthusiasm but when class time was up most had a hard time giving me their papers and when I told them about next time, that I would be teaching techniques, their faces lit up. We'll see what happens with that. I am also working with an older and smaller class of about 8 15 to19 year old boys and each will be given a camera when I get back to photograph their lives also. My hope is, that with these works I will also try to sell them in the states (mainly the photos) and pay for some of the kids school fees. Education really is the key here to get these kids out of their current situations. Even just out of an IDP Camp where they do not know if they will get food again. They are so driven to be in school I want to try and help them as long as I can.As far as traveling, we take public transportation...which means traveling in the back of a truck where about 50 (not overexagerating I actually counted and when I get to 35 on just one side of the truck I quite counting) people (and food, supplies, chickens and building materials) are crammed into the back of a truck. It's a bit painful because the roads are so bumpy and you sit on bags of posho, but people take of eachother here. Old women who may refuse to smile at me, take my bags when needed, assist me where to sit, when to stand and so on. Everyone does this, I would feel perfectly safe to bring my own children on one of these because everyone helps. We take a bus to Kampala which was actually pretty comfortable, besides the smell. And getting around Kampala...well, we take bodas. Yup, the little motor bikes that traveling agencies say don't get on. You have to, the city is too big and they are your only option. I actually really like them, besides that I feel like I might pee my pants every 5 seconds. There are no traffic laws here, plus huge potholes in the roads, so everyone is always swerving and driving as fast or slow as they want. They also drive 3-4 to a 2 lane road. The bodas do what they want, we go between cars, in the shoulder/curb, anything. It's like living in a fast-speed video game. But Amelia and I were invited to a bbq last night with other NGOs (basically a bunch of other white people) and all of them have been riding on bodas for years and no one has been seriously injured.
Sorry no pictures yet, but the internet is too slow to download them. Hope all is well with everyone and will update soon...headed off to Jinja, along the Nile River!
At the school, in one class I am just teaching art. The kids again did not show much enthusiasm but when class time was up most had a hard time giving me their papers and when I told them about next time, that I would be teaching techniques, their faces lit up. We'll see what happens with that. I am also working with an older and smaller class of about 8 15 to19 year old boys and each will be given a camera when I get back to photograph their lives also. My hope is, that with these works I will also try to sell them in the states (mainly the photos) and pay for some of the kids school fees. Education really is the key here to get these kids out of their current situations. Even just out of an IDP Camp where they do not know if they will get food again. They are so driven to be in school I want to try and help them as long as I can.As far as traveling, we take public transportation...which means traveling in the back of a truck where about 50 (not overexagerating I actually counted and when I get to 35 on just one side of the truck I quite counting) people (and food, supplies, chickens and building materials) are crammed into the back of a truck. It's a bit painful because the roads are so bumpy and you sit on bags of posho, but people take of eachother here. Old women who may refuse to smile at me, take my bags when needed, assist me where to sit, when to stand and so on. Everyone does this, I would feel perfectly safe to bring my own children on one of these because everyone helps. We take a bus to Kampala which was actually pretty comfortable, besides the smell. And getting around Kampala...well, we take bodas. Yup, the little motor bikes that traveling agencies say don't get on. You have to, the city is too big and they are your only option. I actually really like them, besides that I feel like I might pee my pants every 5 seconds. There are no traffic laws here, plus huge potholes in the roads, so everyone is always swerving and driving as fast or slow as they want. They also drive 3-4 to a 2 lane road. The bodas do what they want, we go between cars, in the shoulder/curb, anything. It's like living in a fast-speed video game. But Amelia and I were invited to a bbq last night with other NGOs (basically a bunch of other white people) and all of them have been riding on bodas for years and no one has been seriously injured.
Sorry no pictures yet, but the internet is too slow to download them. Hope all is well with everyone and will update soon...headed off to Jinja, along the Nile River!
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