Home Sweet Home

NOW WITH PHOTOS!

Augustine’s home is one of several spread around in a haphazard fashion.  His particular unit consists of three structures framing a small dirt courtyard:  the home, the kitchen and the latrine/shower facilities.  Each is made of concrete with a metal roof.  Much to Augustine’s dismay, as of now the windows are merely barred (no glass) and the walls have yet to be painted.  They just moved in a month ago, and actually had to borrow money to finish the roof in time for our arrival.  The furniture is sparse and sheets hang in front of the doors and windows, presumably to block the bugs.  Chickens run free through the courtyard, and roosters torment us each morning.

 On first sight, the home does not impress.  To be honest, it had me downright terrified.  But after a few hours, the warmth and hospitality outweigh the threadbare Jesus couch covers and you begin to feel at home.  Or you adjust to bare concrete prison walls.  Either way.

The main house

 The home includes a wide patio, with a bedroom off to the side.  There is where Chelsea and I sleep.  It is a pretty basic room with two cot beds and a row of (too high) hooks along the wall.  There is a window with metal shutters and a locking door.  No other furniture.

Our Room

 To the left of our door (and off the patio) is the main living space.  You walk into a living room with two couches, coffee table and lo and behold – a TV!  On the right of the room is a room with a door, which we presume to be the parents’ bedroom. To the left are two rooms, one appears to be the children’s room and the other storage.  Although we have yet to attain visual confirmation.



Living Room

 Augustine lives with his wife of eight years, Susan and their two children, four-year old Empeneza and seven-year old Justin. Susan speaks English and Justin understands it, but Empeneza does not yet.   There is also another girl, about 11 or 12 named Olivia.  She is the Susan’s niece, who has come to live with them because her father is an alcoholic and her mother wanted her to marry young.  Augustine and Susan wanted her to finish education and break the marriage cycle, so they took her in.

 The children are like any you see in the States -- shy, silly, smiling and curious.  We are intriguing oddities for them (and everyone else), so they love to stare and whisper.  Sometimes they dance around us singing in their language.  It’s a little creepy.  Augustine and Susan are warm, attentive and affectionate with the kids.  The only oddity is Olivia.  We do not see much of her, rarely ever actually.  She spends most of her time in the kitchen area or tending to errands.  We do not know how much of what we say she understands.  Chelsea and I haven’t figured out if this is just oldest child behavior, or some sort of Cinderella situation.  To be continued there…

 Augustine and Susan have been absolutely wonderful.  They always ask how we are, if we need anything  and what they can do to make us at home.  They even bought a fridge so we could keep our bottled water cold (although part of me thinks that was an excuse).  The children run free around the entire housing complex, often returning with others from the neighboring homes.  In fact, it seems like there is always a stray toddler milling about or someone stopping by to say hello.  No one here seems concerned with where their children are at all.  Kids as young as two will appear, wander away and then reappear later with some sort of snack (usually something I am jealous of).  It’s the personification of the saying “it takes a village to raise a child.”

 Before every meal, Susan comes around with a bucket of water so we can wash our hands.  She pours the water over us while kneeling.  After that, we all pray and then Chelsea and I are left to serve ourselves first.  Praying is big here – we do it before every tea and a lengthy one before bed.  If the TV is not on sports or news, it is usually the gospel music channel.  Thankfully, its not like the gospel we have here – more like pop music.

The food is well, not great.  There are beans at every meal -- not my favorite, but quickly becoming my saving grace -- and unfortunately posho.  Posho is the absolute WORST.  It is this weird white, grainy, dry sort of dry clump thing.  They serve it with every meal and people eat heaps of it.  It is tasteless and basically ruining my life at the moment.  The second worst is millet.  It is brown, gelateous slab.  It has the honor of being the first thing I literally gagged on.  Next on the “never again list” is cassava.  A bland, tough root vegetable served boiled.  Other than that, we have had goat, fish, various greens (usually spinach), lots of pineapple, nuts and once a potato (hallelujah).  There is also this egg and cabbage dish, which is the only food item I would describe as good, besides the pineapple. Chelsea and I snuck into the market the other day and bought some crackers, which we eat in secret whenever possible.  Africa skinny here we come!

Our hosts refuse to let us do the dishes, and everything is served and cleared for us.  We don’t even get our own water buckets to shower.  And today we were told to put our dirty clothes in a bucket for the house person to wash.  To be honest, it makes me a little uncomfortable being waited on like this.  I can’t tell if its hospitality, or general Ugandan custom.  I tried to talk to Susan about pitching in more, but she keeps smiling and dodging the question.



The courtyard



The kitchen area

View of the courtyard from the kitchen, with latrine

Neighbors house and water pump



Mosquito Net Living

All in all, I can see myself making it through these next 30-something days.  It is not without challenges, but hey….this is what I came here for right?