21 in Africa

I had an absolutely AMAZING 21st birthday. After dinner the team blindfolded me and led me outside. They had decorated the back of the house with streamers and a poster. The family that lives in the back of the house made me potato chips and a cake. I was completely surprised. They had been planning the whole thing since the day before, and I had no idea. They covered me in confetti as I blew out my candles. I didn’t make a wish. I simply couldn’t think of anything more I could want at the moment.
Tori told us that when someone in her family has a birthday everyone goes around and says something they like about them. I sat there awkwardly as everyone said one positive thing about me. Although it was probably the most uncomfortable ten minutes of my life, it was really nice to hear. Later, I opened the presents that people had gotten me. Achalam (18) and Laola (12), the girls who live behind us, got me figurines. Edith (18), my friend who lives down the street, got me a brush and mirror set. These are honestly the nicest girls I have ever met. Edith comes over and steals my laundry to wash. When I try to pay her she laughs and refuses. Achalam teaches me how to cook chicken, peel matoke, cut fruit, wash the floor, ect. I constantly feel guilty because every time I try to return the favor they do something else even nicer for me.
After I opened presents, I asked Corbin (one of the volunteers) to sing me a Backstreet Boys song. Corbin is absolutely hilarious. He disappeared into the house and rehearsed lyrics. He emerged 15 minutes later and presented an almost-professional rendition of “Larger Than Life”. The performance merged into a dance party. Achalam requested Shakira and showed us how to dance. Even Christine and Irene (our friends that work at Hope Children’s Home and our cooks) danced with us.
All in all my birthday was fantastic. I wish I were a more emotional person so I could have cried to express my appreciation. Wonderful night. Beautiful people.
This weekend we rafted the Nile. One day, when I have time, I will try to articulate how beautiful it was. For now, it will suffice to say, that it was simply unbelievable. In between big rapids we would float down the river in absolute awe. Along side the river there were some villagers washing their clothes and bathing. As we approach one of the class five rapids, there was a tall, thin man standing on a rock exactly in the middle of the river. The man was completely naked and the rock couldn’t have been more than a meter in diameter. The water raged around him but he stood stolid, yet joyful on his rock.
We were on the river for nearly six hours. There were 12 rapids, five of which were class five rapids. I fell out twice in the beginning. As our team got more experience, we were able to avoid being thrown out or tipping over. The very last rapid of the day was a class five called “The Bad Place”. Our guide explained that this was the largest commercially run ‘hole’ in the world. Basically, it is a huge succession of rapids that turn back on each other like a washing machine, creating a whirlpool. He told us to hold on and paddle as hard as we could. Then he added: if the raft started to pull us under, let go, hold your breathe, and wait for your body to eventually float. Right as our raft was crowning the first rapid, all six of us in the boat release an introspective curse word followed by uncontrolled screams that were soon muffled by that roaring water. Before I could think, the raft was thrown upside down and I landed head first into the waves. I don’t know how long I was under for, but it was long enough for me to decide to count, reach 14, get bored, and decide I should find a way to surface. My head finally breached the air long enough to get a half-breathe and a mouth full of water. I was now being tossed in and out of the water. I was terrified to breathe because I couldn’t tell when I was free from when I was submerged. I honestly thought that I was going to die and I started to tell myself that at least I would have a cool story to tell in heaven. I am embarrassed that these would have been my last thoughts. I’ll have to work on that. Lol. When I finally reached the bank of the river I stood silently in shock until Corbin (who was also on my raft) walked up and shook me. We let off nervous laughs and hugged. A few moments later I realized that that was the most fun thing I have ever done. I can’t wait to go again!
Monday and Tuesday were very very busy. We are trying to get all of our projects set so I went to meeting after meeting with our project leads, trying to get things rolling. Rylee and I have been working with a woman named Faith who has put together a women’s group of mothers with children who have disabilities. There is a HUGE range of disability in the group (deafness, paraplegic, mental retardation, epilepsy, ect). Almost all of the women have been abandoned by their husbands, and many are unable to get jobs because they can not leave their child. There is a lot of stigmatization of people with disabilities and their families, and many of the women are afraid to take their children into public.
I have met with these women and had the chance to get to know their children. I already love them so much. The children are always very happy to see me and many of them are very bright. Tragically, these kids are not being stimulated or encouraged to learn.
In partnership with Faith HELP International is going to have weekly meetings with these women while some of our volunteers teach and play with the kids. We will be covering subjects including: goal setting, parent/child bonding, communication techniques, socialization, empowerment, and business skills. We will also be training teenaged girls in these subjects. This group of girls will be accompanying a HELP volunteer on weekly home visits. HELP will create a handbook to give these girls at the end of the summer and the girls will continue to conduct home visits after we have left.
Faith has taught the women how to make paper bead necklaces. They sell them to earn money for a community center where the children could go to support each other, be stimulated, get education, and received physical therapy. Faith has received two computers from some donors, but the children don’t have access to them, because there is no center. If anyone would like to purchase some of these necklaces, I could arrange their safe delivery. Let me know if you are interested and I will give you more details.
I will write about more of our projects in my next blog. In the meantime, check out the HELP Uganda blog and the blogs of my team members (you can find them on the HELP Uganda blog.