Caught on Film

During the past few months I've been joined by three volunteers from Canada - Steve, Brittany, and John. Since foreigners are more likely to have cameras easily accessible during our work days, they've managed to capture me in action a few times.

Here are a couple glimpses into my recent days:

Me teaching the children their ABC's. (I had a video, but it's not working.
I'll post it later if I can.)

Spontaneous lessons. While waiting for a meeting with the ACTS widows group (an agricultural cooperative), the typical crowd of children gathered. I've found school children to be the most pesty, forward and sometimes rude. They stare, make comments and don't go away. This time I was determined not be passively swept into their schemes, so I took action. I thought, "They are supposed to be in school, so I'll make sure they keep learning." I got up, found a small stick and a patch of dirt. I had small children so I started with the basics: writing letters in the sand. Then it progressed to the ABC's song, and spelling words for the older students. The children got a kick out of it, and I much preferred this interaction to simply being stared at.

Surprise! Mzungu (white) women actually know how to use a shovel!

Ugandan Citizen. My colleagues have been quite surprised that I know how to use a shovel and hoe, and they are amused when I get all dirty working in the gardens. As much as I try to explain that I grew up in the country, so I know how to work the land, it still stretches their imaginations. After seeing me work tirelessly clearing large piles of weeds from a soon-to-be garden and shoveling sand into the back of a pickup, my colleague Johnson decided that I should become a Ugandan citizen because I know how to work hard!

One of my favorite days here because I got to work alongside the widows and get dirty!