På eventyr i Ndejje

5 personer i baksetet funker fint i Afrika. Utsikten var det heller ikke noe å si på.

På lørdag satte vår kjære taxi sjåfør Robert seg i førersetet på bilen sin. Med sjefen vår, Mike Wachira, i passasjersetet, og 5 voksne mennesker, Faith, Justus, Peter, Kaia og Meg i baksetet, rullet vi ut på veien i retning Ndejje, Luweero. Delvis på grunn av ”jam”, og delvis for ikke å bli tatt av politiet, kjørte vi en utrolig humpete omvei gjennom et slumområde i utkanten av Kampala før vi kom ut på veien. Det var mye spennende å se utav vinduet de gangene jeg fikk løftet hode for å skifte sittestilling der jeg satt på gulvet under fire par bein. Til nærmere vi kom Ndejje til vakrere ble naturen, og da vi fikk lirket oss ut av bilen måtte jeg måpe. Det var så grønt og fint, med palmejungel, fjell og gress, så ulikt Kampala city, med eksos og kaos.

Grunnen til at vi var i Ndejje var for å representere CHRISC på en fotballturnering for 16 år gamle gutter. Som hedersgjester måtte vi håndhilse på alle 8 lagene, ønske lykke til, presentere oss og være med å dele ut premier etterpå. I Afrika er ikke tidsplaner ment å følges, så vi ble et par timer forsinket. Midt i turneringen fikk jeg derfor tid til å ta meg en liten safari i nærområdet. Jeg gikk opp en nydelig vei, og da jeg hørte at det var aper her, var eventyret i gang. Jeg møtte på en lokal gutt, David, som tok på seg ansvaret for å være min apeguide. Plutselig, uten forvarsel startet det å hølje ned, og vi måtte søke ly i et tomt klasserom på toppen av åsen. Her tok guiden min seg tid til å lære meg alt jeg trenger å vite om aper, slanger og andre dyr. Leksjonen gled over til å bli et heidundrende dramastykke jeg aldri vil glemme.

Etter en stund stanset regnet og vi gikk for å lete etter aper. Dessverre hadde de flyktet inn i jungelen på grunn av regnet, og det var for farlig å gå inn der uten skikkelige sko. David var skuffet, han visste jo ikke at jeg syntes det var interresant å se kaffe på trær eller hvordan g-nuts vokser, så jeg var overlykkelig over at han hadde vist meg den flotte naturen i Ndejje. En eller annen gang kommer jeg til å bygge meg et hus her.

Veien opp til apejungelen

Guiden min David, og arbeidende mor og datter

David lærte meg alt jeg trenger å vite om aper

Smiiil

Weapons

Me with the guards at the Stømme Office.

One of the first things I noticed when I arrived Uganda was the armed men in the airport. They looked serious and I didn´t want to be in any sort of trouble with them. But it was an airport, and it is probably specially needed in places like that, I was thinking. But no, weapons are just as normal to see here as dogs are in Norway. They are everywhere. You pass armed people in the streets, in the shops and they sit on sofa-looking benches in the back of these big cars. I was watching a football match with "girls under 20" Uganda vs. Rwanda, and even there a whole army came and surrounded the field. There was probably not more than 100 supporters at the stadium.

People in Uganda think it´s funny when I say that the police in Norway usually don’t wear weapons. That would never work in Uganda. (Not yet at least, because there is too much weapons among the civilians.) Anyway, when I figured out that the armed people are there to protect us and not to kill me, they weren’t that much scary anymore. Only a little. When we are going to use a mini bank now, we are always looking for one with armed men outside. Then we know it is safe.

We were surrounded by this heavy equipped army at the "girls under 20" - fotball mach between Uganda and Rwanda.

Touched

Today we had our last classes with the kids at St Martins for this year. They will have a long christmas holiday, and than we will be back in February. We had fotball with them and life skills about "love your neighbour", and in the end the kids got different notes with a sentence about them, like: You make a difference, you are a good friend, you are important, you are loved and so on.

One of the most touching moments so far in Uganda was today when me and Kaia had both streams of primary 5. They were about 100 kids, I had the responsibility for the girls and Kaia for the boys. When everyone had got their note, and we had read the two greatest commandments from the bible (Matt 22; 36-40), there was time for hugs and goodbyes. When 50 girls, then followed by the boys jumpet at me with big hugs and "love you-es" and "miss you-es", I were really touched.

I even got some letters from some of the girls. In the letters there was many nice words and blessings, and even some coins! It made me feel bad that poor kids wanted to give the rich norwegian money, but I think they wanted to show that I am more than just a mzungu to them, and I am really grateful for that. These kids have touched me and will allways have a special place in my heart.

But this was just a goodbye for two months. Im not looking forward to the real goodbyes. Good we still have 5 and a half months left in Uganda. Hope they dont run by too quickly.

Thank you!

Thank you Lord for taking care of us

Thank you Lord for giving us what we need

Thank you Lord for being our Dad!

I pray for all the sad ones

And for all the happy

I pray for all the poor ones

And for all the rich

Thank you for loving us all

Help us love each other!

Amen

First trip to Mbale

The traditional dresses we wore at church.

Balley on the roof.

Thinking

6 AM at the bus out from Kampala


My first football mach in Uganda, between cows of course


Silje and Marthe took us to an good indian restaurant, and showed us the town and the nature of Mbale.

04.30 AM Friday morning my alarm clock rang and I had to wake up. I was surprised. It was actually quiet outside. I didn´t think that was possible in Kampala. But it didn’t last for long. After one minute the choir of dogs started, after two minutes the mosque started to scream, and after about three minutes they got company from our beloved cock. I had to laugh. This is the Kampala I’m used to.

06.00 AM I, Kaia and Mike Wachira Muraguri, our boss, sat at a bus out from Kampala, heading Mbale. After 3,5 hours with jumping in the seats and many exciting things to look at, we arrived the city under Mount Elgon. Silje and Marthe showed us their working place, CRO, Child Restoration Outreach. It was nice to see how they worked with the street children, and I played football for the first time here in Uganda! Barefoot! It was really fun, and I have a lot to learn if I’m going to reach one of my goals for this year; to be an ok football player.

This weekend we also got to meet some of the football players at the CRO-team, a bunch of handsome boys. At the evening Silje and Marthe served us delicious chapati-pizza, and we had a good time together. At Sunday we celebrated the women’s day in church, wearing traditional African dresses. These clothes look beautiful at African women; it’s not the same with red and white Norwegian girls. (As you can see at the picture above) But it was a fun experience. Thank you for having us, Marthe and Silje. You are most welcome to our place, noisy Kampala, this weekend.

A hen suddenly jumped out of the bag, and made the norwegians jump in surprice.

Luganda lesson nr 1

Our very own luganda teacher Gonzaga

This is some of the words I know (and still tries to memorize) in luganda by now:

Mzungu – White person

Oli otya? – How are you?

Bulungi – Fine / Good

Jendi – Fine / Good

Wasuze otya? – How was your night?

Nasuze bulungi – My night was good

Ssebo – Mr

Nyabo - Miss

Webale – Thanks

Sagala – No thanks

Welaba – Goodbye

Enjjala enuma – Im hungry

Emere nungi – The food is good

Webale kufumba – Nice cooking

Jangu wano – Come here

Njagala… – I want…

Kale – OK

Nedda – No

Laba – Look

Elinya – Name

Sente meka? – How much?

Mukwano – Friend

Kiki? – Whats up?

Tewali – Nothing much

Ovawa? – Where have you been?

Kulikayo – Welcome back

Tulabagane ekya – See you tomorrow

Nkwagala – I love you