Most weeknights, we hire a few local women (and longtime Help International friends) Betty, Rosette, and Eve to cook dinner for us. A couple of weeks ago when this trip was very new to all of us, I decided to join them while they cooked on the back porch of our house. (On small charcoal-burning stoves) They really like singing so I decided it would be fun to sing some good ol' fashioned gospel music. Before I knew it, everyone was standing in a circle clapping, stomping feet and belting out "Amen"s and "Hallelujah"s.. I really wish I knew more gospel songs now because it has become quite the tradition. The women-- and their friends-- now refer to me as "Pastor Lane" and they always ask me to lead them in boisterous songs. It's kind of fun.
Thursday morning, I went with Abby to the Musana store (Help International helped them start a business making jewelry which they sell through Help International volunteers in America and now here in Lugazi). Abby and other Help Int girls are helping these women learn English. As usual, they required that I lead them in a song or two and then we got down to business learning English and talking. They are awesome women.
Sitting in the front room of the jewelry company "Musana". Eve is the closest woman facing the camera in the white hat.
Abby giving Betty an English lesson
Proud To Be A Girl
Some of the Help International girls are doing a program called "Proud to be a girl" where they lecture at schools teaching empowerment and sexual health. I have been pretty blown away by the things that Ugandan women go through. Some of us guys go along to teach (talk sense into) the boys in the high schools and try to help them understand that they need to respect women. It has been interesting and eye opening.
Speaking of interesting, physical contact is an interesting cultural difference here. In this picture, we see Joseph (one of our local friends) holding hands (interdigitating) with Whitney. This is totally normal for friends to do. Even boys hold hands with other boys who are friends. (pretty sure it will take a lot more than 4 months in Uganda for me to embrace that cultural difference)
I took all of these pictures on our way to the school where we had the "Proud To Be A Girl" assembly.
These kids cracked me up so I had to take a picture. While walking, I spied this little-dude with a banana leaf cape and the other little-dude tying a bonnet around his little brother. Kids here are hilarious and very imaginative with how they create fun without elaborate toys.
Hey, you'd be ticked off too if your older brother forced a banana leaf on your head against your will. Beware the evil behind the smiling eyes.
Here is the same Joseph from the previous picture where he was holding Whitney's hand, now with his arm around Elaine. I think I am going to make a hobby out of taking pictures of affection like these.
Awww snap, Interdigitation... holding hands now.... Don't hate the playa, hate the game.
Abby posing with some kids who ambushed us on our way home. I've never been hugged on the knee caps so much in my life.
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