Doggy Tricks

I'm peacefully minding my supper of rice, potatoes and beans when I realize one of my colleagues at the table is talking to me: "Nokorera nkahi?" (Where are you working?) I answer "Ninkorera Bwesumbu na ACTS." (I'm working in Bwesumbu with ACTS.) My colleagues all laugh, mostly out of pleasure and amusement of a mzungu speaking their language. Then other questions start to come in Runyankore (the local language): Do you have a husband? What are your parents' names? Do you have children? Fortunately these are all questions I learned from my language tutors the night before, so I mostly answer correctly. As each new question comes, I can’t help feeling like a dog being taught new tricks. It’s if they throw a stick and think, "Let's see if she can catch this one." Then, my colleagues realize that I am only answering questions so they inquire of my tutor, "Can she ask questions too?" Yes, it turns out that I can! I say, “Oine emyaka ngahi?” (How old are you?) “Abamuka nibarara bata?” (How is your family at home?) They all laugh – another trick learned! This is all in good humor, and their fascination only helps me learn more because as they throw new phrases at me, I either surprise them with my knowledge or learn new words.

My colleagues Rachel, Yorokum and DJ. Rachel and Yorokum have been my language tutors for the past few months.

Although language study has sadly gotten pushed to the side too often during the past nine months, I’ve made some progress. I can now often catch the basic jist of a conversation. One language highlight was last Sunday when for the first five minutes of my colleague’s sermon I could understand everything he said! It was awesome! I’ve found knowledge of the language quite practically useful too. One day I was driving a truck full of people and overhead a young man in the back asking one of my colleagues in Runyankore if I was a “woman” (i.e. married) or a “girl” (i.e. single). I spoke up, saying I had heard what he said, and we all laughed. Oh, what a life... :-)

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!