A strong woman

Most of our projects were set this week and should start full force next week. It has been a really long process getting everything going, but that it how development work goes. We really wanted to give our volunteers the opportunity to start their own projects and be involved in every step of planning.
Thursday we met with a women’s group in a small neighborhood in Lugazi called, Nmango. We were brought to a small house near a secondary school where a small woman was weeding her garden. Even from many yards off, we could see the definition of her arms. Almost all of the Ugandan women we have met have been extremely strong but, Janet’s muscle tone is something exceptional even here. More unusual is the fact that she is not robust. She does not have the curvy waist and hips that Uganda women tote with pride. She would make a good model for a biology class, every bone visibly protruding and every muscle perfectly chiseled. When she turned to face us, I noticed cheek bones so high they seemed to put pressure on her eyes. As Janet introduced herself as the chairman of the women’s group and showed us her garden, house, and school, I couldn’t help but think about how strangely beautiful she was.
The other women slowly arrived and we sat together on grass mats that they had weaved. These women also make paper bead necklaces, and they taught me to make a bead. Seconds after convening the meeting, it began to ran, so we ran into the shelter of the school. Amber, Natalie, Heidi, and I introduced the different programs that we could offer to the women: Lorena stoves, Square Meter Gardening, English, Business skills, and Health/Nutrition. They were excited about all of the programs and pleaded with us to meet with them every week, instead of every other week which we had originally suggested. More than anything the women wanted to learn how to build Lorena Stoves.
Lorena Stoves are VERY low cost. All types of fuel are extremely scarce and expensive in Uganda, especially firewood. The Lorena Stove is highly efficient and uses just one-third of the amount of firewood than an open fire. Additionally, cooking over an open fire carries significant health risks to women and their young children. The smoke fills the small house and causes acute repertory infections, which are a major health problem here. The stove sends the smoke out of a chimney. We will start building a stove with the women next week. We will teach them how to make this first one and they will be able to replicate it in their own homes.
I walked home from the meeting with Teo, the Madame that introduced us to the women’s group, and I inquired about Janet. Janet was a school teacher, but had to quit teaching to farm and raise animals when she became a widow. Her husband died of HIV AIDS. Janet also has the virus, which has caused her to loose weight very rapidly. In the mist of the loss of her husband and the deterioration of her own body, Janet has become a leader among the women in her community. She encourages them to gain knowledge, work hard, and love their families. She radiates an energy out of her small frame that commands respect and adoration. The women look to her for strength. She is the strongest woman I have ever met.