Black Friday...

...Is not celebrated in Uganda.

Happy Thanksgiving!

So I'm living with a whole bunch of American's and with Thanksgiving being strictly American, we decided to celebrate at our house.  Every student paired up and made something (I made cornbread stuffing) so we had a ton of food.  We also had a ton of people, I think it totaled something like 30 people... students, staff, our cook and some families from America.  Anyhow it was a good time.

My favorite part was the fact that I won a slap bet last night so I truly got to celebrate Slapsgiving today!  (You would only get this if you watch how I met your mother).


I went to Kitgum last weekend!  It was amazing to go back and see the girls.  It was incredible to see the transformation, some girls that I only saw smile once or twice were laughing with the rest of the girls.  So great.

The education fund I'm working on is getting approved in the higher levels of FH and seems to be going well.  Everyone that's looked at it has said that it should be approved.  So we'll see.  One of the girls even wants to go to secondary school and then nursing school. I just have a lot of hope in this and how it could turn out for those girls.  Again, will update as I learn more.


Andd we leave Uganda in two weeks from today.  Insane.  I can't believe it's so close to the end.

Picture Updates

We went to this place called Kasubi Tombs last weekend which is the largest grass hut in the entire world and it is the resting place for the last 4 kings of Buganda.  The first one buried there was the king who invited the missionaries into the country in the 1860s.  He had 84 wives which seems a bit overkill but whatever.  Anyhow it was pretty amazing and here are some pictures...

We also went to this amazing dancing thing two weeks ago (I think I wrote about it but forgot to add pictures - here they are!)

 

(If this wasn't blurry you'd see that this woman is dancing with 6 pots on her head.)

Phil

One of my good friends, Phil, from Messiah is studying in Uganda with another program and we finally hung out yesterday!

It was fun catching up but it was even more fun to see somebody that I knew from home in situations that we don't have at Messiah.  It was kind of a relief to have one of my friends talking in terms that I know but most people from home wouldn't, being in a context that would be completely foreign to most.  For example, how many of you use these phrases in common speech:
- Boda-boda
- Matatu
- Airtime
- Mzungu
- Museveni
- Old taxi park
- Shillings
- Oweno
- Matoke
- Posho
etc. etc.

I also got to meet Suzan :-)

Phil Wil and me.

Phil Wil and Suzan!

One of many random things to be witnessed in Kampala.

I can not believe that I've already been in Kampala for 2 weeks!  It's weird to think that we leave here in a month.  I was looking at the schedule and next weekend I'm going to Kitgum, the next is free and the next is our last weekend/debrief weekend!  That's insane, I feel like I should have months left.



So, I am officially going to Kitgum on Thursday.

Mom this is for you - Because I am going to Kitgum, I will not be able to go bungee jumping over the Nile as I had planned (everyone is going to Jinja for whitewater rafting/bungee jumping).  Yes, I am sad about this too Mom.  But it's the only time I could go to Kitgum.  Maybe next time.  Actually guaranteed next time! :-)

Other than that, classes are good.  I realize I haven't written much about them and I think it's because they're not political like in Rwanda when each class made me question society.  I'm taking a class on African religion and African traditional religion.


Oh I'm also trying to memorize the map of Africa.  So far I know about the bottom half and the entire East side.  North West Africa is going to end me.

Wedding

I thought this posted on Saturday but apparently it didn't.  So here's it is.

I went to my first African wedding today!  And guess what?  It wasn't much different than an American wedding in most ways.  The bride and groom are both Christians so it was a traditional church wedding.

Differences:
- Nobody arrived on time.  TIA.  I love it.
- The videographer kept filming us (the only 6 white people) which got annoying because he kept holding the flood light in our eyes.
- There was no alcohol (they are both "born again" Christians which means no drinking...ever).
- The bride's family speaks one language, the grooms another, and the bride and groom speak English because they don't know the others local language.
- The bride's clan presented them with gifts like a broom, a pot, seeds, chickens and a goat.
     -Yes.  They brought a goat to the reception.  And yes, naturally it chose that moment to relieve itself.

Anyhow, it was good, the bride and groom are great together (I know the groom because he works with FH and was in Kitgum for some of the time I was there).  Today was good.

So I'm fairly certain that you've been able to tell that I was thoroughly moved by my time in Kitgum.  While I was there I noticed that a lot of the girls want to return to school but financially can't afford it.   Vocational school costs something like 120-150 dollars a year and they only need to go for one or two years to be able to work in that field and support their family.  However, $120 is completely unheard of for them.

I came under this huge conviction.  It is in my capacity to completely change their lives.  To turn a woman who has to labor in the field for a dollar a day into a woman who can tailor or who is educated in another area and who can support herself and her family adequately.

So I spoke with some of the directors in FH and they seemed excited that I was interested in sponsoring two girls (Lilly and Josephine) to go back to school.  In fact, they've been wanting to do something like this at the New Life Center but hadn't started anything yet.  So I'm in the midst of making a proposal that would allow people to sponsor a specific girl to go to vocational school for two years.  The sponsor will hopefully also be able to send money for their kids school uniforms and materials (about 5-10 dollars) or anything else that they want to help with as well as the school tuition.

I hate asking for money from people.  So this is me not asking for money.  But this is me saying that if you feel motivated (I know some people have already asked my mom about this) then by the end of my time here I will know exactly how/if this will work.  Please let me know now (meganclapp@gmail.com) if you are even the slightest bit interested.  I can give you pictures, names, stories, anything that might help you pick someone to invest in.  Both financially and through prayer and communication.

I'm assuming that a sponsor will give anywhere between $150 a year ($12.50 a month) to $200+ a year.  Or any amount that they would want.  Some girls just need someone to help buy some new clothing or other items that could be a one time donation.


But by not going out to dinner one time a month, you can put a young woman through schooling that will change her and her kid's lives forever.

Again, this is not a plea for money.  But if this encourages you, look out for more updates and as I gather more information I will let you know.