What the hell have I done?

Kayla and I in front of our apartment

“What the hell have I done?” is the thought in my head our first day in Gulu. It’s a big move to take my 15 year old and move to the other side of the world! Let me start from the beginning. It is an almost impossible feat to pack for a three month trip into a very remote part of Northern Uganda. It is a place that has been ravaged by over 20 years of violent war. Their children were kidnapped for many years and turned into child soldiers. The war is over at this time, and the children, now young adults, are returning home wounded and troubled. Many of the babies that the young girls conceived in the bush are being abandoned, so the orphanages are overflowing. I came to Gulu doing Rotarian Service in 2008 and 2009. I have a special place in my heart for these amazing survivors, for I too am a survivor of a different kind. I know what it takes to survive, and I know that I am overflowing with love that can help. As a Rotarian, I have dedicated my life to service above self; but as you will see, it is not always easy!

A very nice neighbor

After about 36 hours of traveling, we landed in Entebbe to the friendly faces of good friends and fellow Rotarians. This trip could not have been possible without the help of our dear friend Frederick Ocaya Bese, who arranged our transportation from Entebbe to Gulu, which is about a 5-6 hour drive north. We were accommodated overnight by a NGO called War Child Holland. We had arrived late at night, and it is not safe to travel to Gulu at night, so we left for Gulu on Saturday morning. My heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone that made us feel so welcomed and loved that night. It was a long trip for us!

Right next door to us

We drove into Gulu on Saturday afternoon. Frederick took us directly to our apartment that he had procured for us. It is in a very poor part of town. We are neighbors to some who have no electricity or running water and they live in the little round huts you see all over Northern Uganda in such poverty. When I first saw the area, I was terrified. What have I done? Our apartment is like a palace compared to those around us, yet it is very basic compared to what we came from. It needed much cleaning and it was totally empty. We needed beds to sleep on, sheets, a table, chairs, dishes, teapot for boiling our water, and even light bulbs! We needed to get the mosquito nets we need to sleep under for protection. As it was getting late, we hurried to the market to get the things we would need this first night in our new home. It was a busy afternoon full of new sights, smells, and experiences.

The Field by our home

We have a flushing toilet, a shower and running water, which is more than I hoped for. I have no fridge or stove, but I have an electric teapot to boil water; but it can also boil eggs, make hot cereal, and warm up soup. I buy milk in small boxes that don’t need refrigeration and can be poured over cornflakes. Now mind you, these are NOT Kellogg’s cornflakes- they are very different tasting. Food has become unimportant really; we only eat when we are hungry and our life doesn’t revolve around it. We have a few vegetables (avocadoes, tomatoes, garlic) and fruits (bananas, passion fruit, apples) and bread to eat. We can only drink boiled or bottled water. We can eat a good dinner at a local restaurant for 3,500-5,000 schillings ($1.75-$2.50). Our bodies still don’t want to eat during the day or sleep at night because our days here are our nights in Hawaii; they are confused. We are 13 hours ahead of our home time. We have some major jet-lag.

Our neighborhood

We were welcomed into our new neighborhood with smiles and kind faces. My first night was scary because I am out of my comfort zone. Everything has changed. I am now totally responsible, legally and physically for Kayla’s well-being. I am a newly single woman in a very large world. This new position I am in was terrifying for me this first day, but as I am writing this a few days after this first day, I can assure you that every day is getting better. I am getting more confident with my new role, and I am starting to relax.

This is our mode of transportation for now:

Frederick's Frontline Engineering Land Cruiser

You dont even want to know how this picture was taken! Notice the steering wheel on the other side? Yes, I am driving on the opposite side of the rode!  Watch out everybody!

I cried today for the poverty of the people around us. I cried for the realization that all our worldly belongings were gone and we were down to the very necessities of life. I cried for the chicken tied up and laying on the ground waiting to be eaten. I cried for the love that our dear friend has shown us as he tries to make us comfortable in this village that he so loves. Today, I give my thanks to God for bringing a dear friend like Frederick into our lives. We could not have done this without him, and he does this because he loves his people and he loves Rotary, and he knows that Kayla and I have something to offer them. He lives and breathes Rotary, and as fellow Rotarians, our minds are the same; Service above self.