“Kayla” is the newest arrival at St. Jude’s Orphanage. She is one day old in this picture. She is named in honor of my daughter, Kayla, who is very excited to have such a beautiful baby girl named after her! Baby Kayla was brought to the orphanage after her mother expressed a desire to kill the child. So now I split my time taking care of one month old Sandy, and little Kayla. They usually sleep much of the time, so I just hold them and feed them.
Eating beans and poshe every day at the orphanage.
My Kayla is spending this week living at the orphanage full-time. I hope she is having quite a life changing experience living with all the orphans, eating their redundant food, doing chores and helping with the babies. We need some time apart from each other. I will still see her every day when I go to the orphanage. Her room there is nice; it even has hot water which is something I don’t have! Now that the weather is not so sunny and it is raining every day, my morning shower is freezing! The diet at the orphanage repeats every day; breakfast is corn porridge with sugar, lunch is poshe (thick corn meal) and beans; dinner is poshe and beans again. They eat meat only once a week on Sunday.
The orphanage knits sweaters for a source of fund raising. I watched these young ladies make the one she is holding up. Next week I want to make one myself. All in all, my time at the orphanage continues to be rewarding for me, and I am making some great friends.
Knitting sweaters at the orphanage.
The rainy season has come early this year and it rains every afternoon and often at night. The streets are easily flooded and the water and garbage flows openly down the streets. It is no use using an umbrella because the wind just turns it inside out. The rain just pours and pours like I have never seen it, and I have seen heavy rain when I lived in Texas, Florida and Hawaii where it rains a lot. Our windows are closed at night because it is too cold outside now. We sometimes even need our jacket during the day now.
This last picture is my neighbor. She often cooks me a little bowl of beans. Today she brought me some cabbage and poshe. She is a very nice lady. I have picked her up some beans at the market and given her money occasionally. She can’t speak a word of English, but we always seem to communicate our needs to each other.
It is the children's responsibility to get the water every day and every night.
This week I spent an afternoon with Grace Amono, President of the Gulu Rotary Club, inspecting 9 of the borehole wells that Frederick Bese’s Company, Frontline Engineering & Investments, LTD rehabilitated for the Rotary Clubs in the Seattle area. The drive took several hours and it was so beautiful to be in the bush to see the country side. At one point I noticed a moving rope crossing the road, but was to learn that it was a trail of ants that bite very hard! The driver stopped at the next ant crossing and let me get out of the truck to take a picture. As a neared the ants, they came towards me as if to smell me and taste my foot! I got a great picture of them.
This is the sign at the borehole that we rehabilitated last October
All of the wells were operational and very heavily used. It is a great thing to rehabilitate water wells. First, it provides a clean source of water for the surrounding area. Even I drink the water from the well at the orphanage; it is safe and clean. Second, it allows closer access to a water source so that the children do not have to walk so far to gather water. It is the job of the children to collect water every morning and every evening; no matter how far they have to walk to get it.
These kalang ants can bite very hard!
On another note, electricity is not something one can rely on here. It is off so often; day and night sometimes. When it happens to be on, we make sure to charge all of our electronic phones, computers and IPODS. I always know where the flashlights are; even our little phones have a “torch” (flashlight) on them. Our lives in America are full of machines that make life so much easier than here. It took me so long this morning to wash Kayla and my bed sheets, a towel, and a few clothes. A soak is sudsy water, wring them out, scrub them, wring them out, rinse once, wring them out, then rinse again, and a final wring before hanging them outside to dry. My hands get so dry for the next two days, and then I have to start all over again! I like to wash my clothes a few at a time, but Kayla is waiting until every single thing she owns is dirty, so she hasn’t washed much; just some underclothes and a shirt here and there. The mothers at the orphanage have a daily huge pile of clothes to wash. I usually hold the babies while they are doing their chores.
I also spent a full afternoon interviewing several more girls who need assistance with their school fees. Their stories are always sad and I wish I could help everyone that is coming to me. One lady was abducted at the age of 14 by the LRA rebels, given as a wife to a rebel soldier, and has a 5 year old daughter that she wants to put into kindergarten. She would also like to finish her high school education. Most of the kids I talked to lost one or both of their parents to the war or to HIV. If anyone is interested in sponsoring some of these girls, I can email you their stories and pictures and you can choose to sponsor an individual, or just send a fixed amount that I can use to help them with their school fees.
Saturday night (Feb 20th) was an exciting night for me! I got to witness a traditional Acholi engagement ceremony. Things are done differently here in Acholi land than the US. This couple has been together already for several years and have two children. They are finally ready to make their union official. A few years down the road, this couple will have a marriage ceremony and another big celebration for the whole village. On a side note, an Acholi man can and many do have several wives and many children with those wives. Lucky's (Kayla's friend) dad has 5 wives!
Gulu Rotarian President Grace Amono and her sister
The groom at this wedding paid the bride's family 15 head of cattle, 1 box of soap, jeri can of perfume, 9,000,000UGX ($4500), a beautiful gomez (dress with belt) for mother in law, a suit for his father in law, a goat for the auntie and another goat for the uncle. When a family has a lot of daughters get married, they can become wealthy! Sons, of course, need lots of money to pay for a good bride. I wonder what my price would be to wed in an Acholi ceremony.
The good food we ate
There was lots of great music, dancing and laughing. The food was all traditional; sesame seeds ground up and boiled, greens mixed with eggs, beef, potatoes, millet, beans, etc. We eat it all with our hands; at the orphanage too, we eat with our hands. I have to remember to eat with my right hand although I am left handed. Eating with the left hand is not polite here. The bride was so beautiful and happy. A huge rain storm ended the celebration earlier than expected, but a great time was had by all.
On the way to my house!
The weather has cooled off due to some SERIOUS rain! It rained so hard at times that the roads became rivers; actual rivers. Sheets and sheets of rain fell today preventing me from leaving the market square for over an hour. I waited under a shelter with many others caught in the storm. To get home, I had to cross roads with almost knee deep water. The roads were rivers of trash and debris. I went to the market looking for peanuts, but they were nowhere to be found. No one knew what I was asking for. Later, I learned that I needed to ask for “ground nuts”. I will return tomorrow and ask for “ground nuts” and will have a nutritious snack to carry. Our fruits, vegetables and bread go bad so quickly without a fridge. I’m just going to have to buy less more often.
Kayla learning to do laundry at the orphanage!
Today is Wednesday, Feb 17th. I was woken up late last night by the sound of Kayla crying. Her heart is hurting. Now that my tears have stopped, I am hearing hers. She has been a great comfort to me through my ordeal, now I need to help her. My advice to her is to fill that hole in her heart with the joy and love she is experiencing with the children of the orphanage. Fill it with love for your new friends and the joy you have being with them. Fill it with courage and peace as you see the poverty around us and as we help one person at a time have a better life. Time will heal your heart my daughter; just give it a little more time. I am so sorry for your pain. I love you so much.
Agnes getting her clothes ready for school.
Agnes took me to the market today to show me where to buy “ground nuts”. I am also going to buy beans so that her grandmother will cook them for all of us for dinner occasionally (remember, I don’t have a stove, so if I want beans, I have to go to a restaurant). A bowl of beans with fresh tomatoes and onions on top is my favorite dish. It is usually served with sweet potatoes, posha (ground corn meal formed in lumps then boiled. In Italy it is called polenta), or rice. It is considered “poor man’s food” and they eat it at the orphanage every day. When I sit down at a restaurant, I am told about all the options like goat stew, beef stew, fried chicken, etc. The waiter is usually surprised that I ask specifically for a bowl of beans because that is not what the typical foreigner wants to eat!
Market Street
While at the market, I got Agnes the school supplies she needed to go back to school today. I want to send a special thank you to Paula Bailey for sponsoring Agnes for all three terms of 2010 for a total of $450. This is room, board, and school for a whole year. Paula, you have changed this girl’s life forever and she is so grateful!
Bananas at the market
In my next blog I am going to feature three other girls who have come to my help from the orphanage.
Our days continue to be full of work at the orphanage, time on the internet, time with friends, and time together as mother and daughter relaxing at home or over dinner. All is well.
I am going to write about three girls from St Jude’s Orphanage that need money for school fees. I am going to pay for their first term, but I cannot do the second and third term on my own. I need your help, and it isn’t too much to send. If you care to help me sponsor one of these girls for second term or third terms, please email me at rhosling@msn.com and I will let you know how to get the money to me so that I can pull it out here, take it directly to the bank associated with the school, pay their fees, and then give the paid bank slip to the girl so she can continue to attend classes. These girls were in tears this morning because they are missing school every day. I will have them back in school by Monday, but please consider helping me keep them there for the whole year. I have told them I would do what I could, but have made no promises beyond term one.
GLADYS
GLADYS ALIMOGUM - 14 years old
Gladys was born in Koch Goma in 1996. Her mother is alive but sick with high blood pressure. Her father is deceased. He was UPDF, a Uganda Army soldier who was killed in Congo when fighting with the Kony rebels in 2009. There are five children in the family and Gladys is the second born. Gladys is living at home with her mother helping her take care of the younger siblings. Her grades are excellent and she has worked hard at her studies. She desperately wants to continue with her education. I have met with her, talked with her, and I am very impressed with Gladys and her desire to get back into school. She knows that education is the only way for her to get out of poverty and help her family. She will attend Gulu Senior School. She is Senior 1 which is equivalent to our 8th grade level. Her first term is 115,000UGX ($60), and her term two and three are 83,700UGX each ($44 each term). Can someone sponsor Gladys for terms two and three?
DOCUS
DOCUS KISAKYE – 16 years
Docus was born in Busia and now lives at Obiya Highland. Her father was a Ugandan soldier and he died in the war in 2003. Her mother, Rachel produced 4 children of which Docus is the third born. Her youngest sibling lives in an orphanage in Kampala as her single mother cannot provide for them all. The mother is not able to provide school fees for Docus. When I first met Docus in the office she was crying. Telling her history to me for this article made her sad. She doesn’t like to talk about her past. She is a senior 3 which is equivalent to 10th grade and she will attend Graceland Senior School in Gulu. Her fees for first, second, and third term are 250,000UGX each ($130 each term). She is a very good student and deserves to continue her education so that she can help her mother and her family. Can someone help me sponsor Docus for terms two and three?
This is not Vicky, ha ha. I don't have her picture yet, but I will get it soon!
This is Vicky!
VICKY ACAYO-16 years
Vicky was born in Pader in 1993. Her father, Richard, died in 1996 of sickness. Her mother, Rose, is still alive. Rose produced 2 children with Richard before he died and then she remarried another man who is still alive and they had four more children. The current husband of her mother, Isaac, refuses to pay the school fees for the children of her first marriage, the late Richard. The mother cannot provide the school fees for Vicky due to their poverty. Vicky has passed all her exams but is at home due to school fees problems. Her school fees are a mere 71,000 UGX for each term ($37). I will pay for term one, but can someone help me sponsor Vicky for terms two and three?
Working together, we can help these girls. If you want more information on how to help, email me at rhosling@msn.com. Let’s do this together!! There are so many more I want to help; this is just a start!
The other night I woke up at 1:30am DRENCHED in sweat from head to toe! It is HOT, HOT, HOT! The dry season continues until about March. I finally went on a search for some kind of fan to put by my bed so that I could sleep better. After several unsuccessful attempts, I finally found my wonderful fan for 65,000UGX (approx $33). Last night was the best night I have had since moving here. I slept like a baby with the cool fan air blowing on me all night! We wake up every morning to the sound of goats bleating, roosters crowing and babies crying. We can even hear the neighbors talking in their homes. I guess they can hear us too!
Our Neighbor cooking her dinner
The second best purchase I have made is a membership at the only pool in Gulu at the Acholi Inn. I have gone twice now and thoroughly love it. The first time I went I was able to actually swim some laps. Our second time, Sunday, was just too many people playing in the pool. The music is played loud, they dance on the deck and everyone is so happy. We stayed at the pool talking with friends until past 10 pm. It was a great time had by all. BTW, the local music played here is SO GOOD! It’s mostly hip hop with a great beat; a favorite song of mine is “Gulu Boy”. Kayla went to the pool with some friends yesterday after the orphanage. She likes to hang out with her new friends. In fact, last weekend was her first time to go clubbing, and she had so much fun!
The kids playing at the orphanage
We had a BIG rain last night; in fact, it is still raining this morning. It will be a very muddy day today. Dust is something that is everywhere. Dust is in the air, all over the house, on our skin, all over everything. We can’t escape the dust; we are just learning to live with it! There are no screens on my windows, so I get all sorts of dust, blackened pieces of paper, bugs and beetles in our home; and LOTS of mosquitoes! For those that really know me and know how kept my home in Hawaii is would be surprised to find how relaxed I have become in the cleaning department. We don’t have a lot of belongings, so housekeeping is very simple- except the dust. I have mosquito bites all over; you can’t escape them. Thank God for malaria medicine!
I have a new project at the orphanage. They want a Polaroid picture of each orphan for the child’s folder. It’s something they have been trying to get for a long time. My son, Jeremy, bought me this great little Polaroid inkless printer that prints pictures directly from my camera. So yesterday, Kayla took the first 20 or so pictures of the babies and I printed them up last night. Today I will take them back to the orphanage and then take more pictures. We are also going in early this morning to meet the Canadian Psychologist. Kayla might be helping him with some of his work. I am still tracking down that QB disc so that I can unlock it. Each day I go I spend it holding little Sandy the one month baby boy. He likes me and I enjoy holding him. I finally have an accounting project at the office as well. So I will split my time between the babies and my accounting.
Here is Sandy and I again!
My Favorite picture!
Another cutie at the Orphanage!
A good Rotarian friend of mine from Kapolei Rotary Club, Hawaii was moved by Kayla’s friendship with the neighbor girl who cannot afford her school fees but wants to become a nurse. She offered to pay this girl’s tuition for her! I had the privilege and joy of talking with this young lady, Agnes, yesterday and I reviewed her last year school transcripts to ensure she was a serious student that would actually appreciate the help. Agnes was so touched and so happy that her school fees are to be paid; she was full of joy and happiness. It was a very happy day. She has only missed two weeks of classes, so we are going to move fast and get her back in school as early as today or by tomorrow at the latest. I am meeting her outside at 9:00 am to go to the bank where I will pull out the money and then take it to the school’s bank where we will deposit it. She can take the bank note straight to the school and resume her classes. If she does well this term, we will pay her term two and three before we leave. This Rotarian friend and I would like to get several young ladies’ school fees paid because education is the only way out of poverty. It means so much to me and so much to my dear friend who I hesitate to mention by name without her permission; you changed a young ladies life forever.
Agnes and Kayla. Agnes will leave for school tomorrow!
As an update, I took Agnes to the bank earlier this morning and we got her school fees paid. For merely $150, Agnes get full room and board and all her supplies and classes for 4 months; now that is a GREAT deal. I didn’t realize she would actually be leaving and not coming back. I thought her school was local. There are SO many girls without the money for their tuition right now. We all need to work together to help as many of them as we can. There are girls at the orphanage who just need $57 per term for their fees. I will take pictures and send infor about each of them as I learn their story. So far, we have helped Agnes get back to school, and that is a great start.
Helping Frederick at his Frontline Engineering office
What a great day I have ahead as I help this young lady back into school, spend the morning at the orphanage, meet with the missionaries this afternoon, then spend a lovely evening with Rotarian President Grace Amono. I’d like to squeeze in some swimming somewhere in this day; and a nap would be nice too! Oh, lucky me!
Yesterday, Feb 11th, Thursday we started off the day doing a few errands before we went to the orphanage. We needed to buy our phones since we were unable to unlock our ATT phones from the US. Our nice little phones were 62,000UGS (about $31). You pay for the minutes before you use them, so we each put about $10 on the phone. Kayla felt she needed her own phone, so she used her babysitting money and has her very own phone! We also needed to get an extra key for Kayla and we have been coming in at different times in the evenings and it was a hassle to worry about who had the key. We made a visit to a very important man today. He is equivalent to the governor of the city, and Frederick wanted to introduce Kayla and me to him. He is the one that arranged the transportation and accommodations for us in Kalang, so we needed to pay our respects and introduce ourselves. Kayla brought a map with her, so we are able to show everyone where Hawaii is.
Kayla and Trinity enjoying the internet on our front porch
Frontline Engineering drove us to the orphanage. I did not work with Quickbooks today like I thought I might. I just held little Sandy, fed him and talked to him. Kayla went to the other side and played with the disabled kids in the therapy room. We, again, didn’t bring enough water to drink. I was so thirsty, though; that I drank from the borehole well after calling Frederick to ensure it would be safe to do so. We rode back to town together on ONE boda boda today! Again, he went very slowly with us.
We went to the Happy Nest again for dinner. We had a local dish with millet and sweet potatoes put in a sauce of peanut butter and finely chopped greens; not to my liking, which I was surprised because I love peanut butter. I just never thought to eat it mixed with greens! Today I went back to the market and got some noodle soup, carrots, apples, papaya, bananas, bread and other food to stock our home.
President Grace Amono, Gulu Rotary Club
The Gulu Rotary Club meets every Thursday from 6:00-7:00 pm every Thursday night. It was great to see all the familiar faces from last October and to be surrounded by friends and Rotarians again. The meeting was full of jokes, fun and lots of information. They are doing so much for the orphans in Gulu, and of course, they are fully involved in the World Vision/Rotary water project that started Feb 1st and will last two years. It is a very active and jolly club. Grace Amono is the president, and she is doing a wonderful job. Several members are preparing to head to Addis Ababa for the District Conference. Grace has asked me to go. It was a wonderful evening of fellowship and service.
You will not believe what I just had to do! I asked my very nice neighbors where I should take my garbage to, and they pointed across the street at a pile of rubbish lying on the ground; so environment unfriendly! I did as I was told, hating everything about what I was just about to do, but I walked over there and threw my bag onto that pile. If I had a shovel, I would have liked to at least bury my trash, but alas, I just littered. Gulu has been practically shut off from the world the last 25 years due to the war. The war has only been over for 4 years. We were told that garlic has just been introduced here recently. Imagine that. Another thing that I have noticed is I did not bring enough of the right kind of clothes. I cannot wear my shorts here; all the ladies wear long skirts. I do not have a long skirt. I wear my jeans and capris. Some of the children call Kayla and I boys because we are wearing pants. They do not see women wearing pants. Kayla did bring several skirts and long dresses, so she is just fine in the fashion world of Gulu.
More Gulu Rotarians
So we are getting settled here. We know where our garbage goes; we have our phones, keys, our contacts at the orphanage. We are getting familiar with the town and our neighbors. We have made new friends. Good night dear friends. I will make contact again soon. I think next week I will have my own internet connection when Ben arrives. Until then, it is just every once in awhile.
Today I felt my heart being filled with Joy. I still have a long way to go, but the process is beginning. I was at St Jude’s Orphanage today for my first day of volunteer work. Frederick’s team of workers drove us the approximate 5 miles to the orphanage, and said they would pick us up at 5:00. I spent the first couple of hours talking with Francis, an Italian accountant that is working very hard to organize the accounting system. I tried to get QuickBooks to open but it has not been registered, so the program has locked. I will use my Pro Advisor status and get it unlocked today, but first I have to go buy a small phone so that I may make the USA call. Kayla and I have been unable to unlock our phones here in Gulu. The rest of the day, I held the smallest member of St Jude’s; little 3 week old Sandy! Sandy is a beautiful, teeny baby boy. His mother died from child birth. You will love the pictures. Sonya, I whispered in his ear for you. As I stood on the veranda holding this child and watching the other toddlers playing in the yard, I felt my heart filling with the joy I knew would happen doing this kind of service. God is so good to me!
Kayla and her little friends
This is the only way to cool off on a VERY hot day! Notice Kayla in the background chatting with a young man!
Kayla and I learned a few things on this, our first day away from our Gulu home. We need to carry more water with us because three bottles is not enough on a very hot day. Second, two boiled eggs are not enough food for lunch if all you ate for breakfast is 2 small tomatoes (me) or a banana (Kayla). By late afternoon we were starving and thirsty. We were given a tour of the other side of the orphanage where the disabled children live. Some of the kids have cerebral palsy, spinal bifida, muscular deficiency, a couple were paralyzed by falling out of a mango tree or falling off a boda boda (the motorcycle taxis). After our tour, it was time to meet out ride back to Gulu. We waited for 30 minutes and then I decided to ride back to town on a boda boda. Kayla was a bit apprehensive about riding on them, especially since we just witnessed two kids paralyzed from falling off them. I talked with the two drivers and explained to them that they MUST drive slowly with us, and that if I ever felt unsafe, I would get off their bike and walk away without paying them. Most ladies ride with both legs to one side of the bike (side saddle), but we would be straddling the seat and if we fell off, we would take the driver with us! They went so slow with us, it was almost embarrassing! The young man with Kayla on his bike had a great time with her. I reminded him she was only 15 years old; he was a happy boda boda driver! He gave us his number so that he and his friend could take us out to the orphanage again the next day. I think we have found our regular transportation around the town. It is fun!
Kayla and on our boda bodas!
We met Frederick at his office and grabbed some rice and beans at a place called “Happy Nest”. After dinner, Kayla spent some time with her new friend Lucky Lucy, and I went out for the evening with my new best Gulu girlfriend, Grace Amono, President of the Gulu Rotary Club. We had a lovely evening talking and eating a snack at the “Dove’s Nest”.
Kayla and I in front of Frontline Engineering & Investment Ltd
On Tuesday, I remembered that I had Grace’s card in my purse, so we were able to connect again. She was on her way to a joint World Vision/Gulu Rotary Club meeting. World Vision and Rotary have joined forces to implement a $930,700 water, sanitation and hygiene project in Northern Uganda. I can’t believe I was able to sit in on the meeting and watch the formation of the official committee that will oversee this project! The committee was made of three Rotarians and three World Vision employees. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization operating around the world to provide water, health, food, security, education, economic development resulting in poverty reduction and educational services to the world’s most needy. Everyone that knows me knows I am a Rotarian. I love Rotary. Tonight, will be my first Gulu Rotary Club meeting.
Before I close, I have a very interesting fact to share: kissing is not part of the Acholi (Gulu) culture! Except for a few young folk who are picking it up on the television, the men here have not been exposed to kissing! I thought kissing went back to Adam and Eve; I thought everyone in the world kissed! I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around this bit of information because kissing is such an important part of a relationship in our American culture! Kissing is so much fun; I can’t believe they don’t know it!
I must jump into the cool shower now before another day of adventure and excitement begins. I actually love the cool water now. It is so refreshing!
I love to travel and to serve! I find peace and joy through service! I have been to Germany, Austria, Italy, Malta, Japan, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, China, Chile, Argentina, Peru and India! I have traveled with Rotarians from around the world to administer polio immunizations in Ethiopia. I have lived in N.Uganda and performed service work in the war-torn area of Gulu. Now I begin a new adventure in Albania, Eastern Europe. Traveling is a life-changing experience, and I hope to share my adventures and lessons with you. What a life and what an adventure!
