Daily Life in Gulu

 

The Acholi Inn Swim Pool

Every day starts about the same way these days. I wake up around 7:30 or 8:30 each morning and slowly wake up; even enjoying an hour or so of reading before I get going. I boil the water for chai and eventually eat a banana or an apple for breakfast. Sometimes when I am taking my shower, I step to the side and wait for the water to get warm, but the water never warms up! I don’t even scream anymore when I submerge myself into its coldness! I find it refreshing now. In fact, when your legs have goose bumps from the cold water, it makes a very smooth shave for the legs! Eventually, Kayla rolls out of bed in the late morning and gets ready for the day. We take our mornings slow because our nights are often late. There are morning chores that need to be done. Sometimes there are clothes to wash, a cement floor to sweep, dishes to clean, and things to put away. I have to remember to recharge both solar flashlights and radio each morning and to charge all electronics when needed. We have been without power again for the last 24 hours. I really hate being home without electricity-there is nothing to do but read with a flashlight! On nights like this we like to go to the pool because they have a generator and always have power. We usually head to the orphanage before noon and stay three to four hours.

This is the lifeguard at the pool and a good friend- Morris

At the orphanage I am doing one of two things. I am either helping in the accounting office, or I am holding one of the babies so that the mothers can go eat lunch or do their chores. Kayla has some friends she will go sit with, sometimes holding one of the babies, in the P-7 class (7th grade). She likes to listen to the lesson and talk with the girls. She will also play soccer with the kids. She is mostly on the other side of the orphanage than I am; she is with the older kids and the handicapped kids. Although rewarding, the volunteering time goes slow. I must be truthful here and say that I am bored. I have not been engaged in the accounting office in any challenging manner. I have mostly done data entry work or writing of receipts. My brain is idle and it drives me crazy. I’m not used to doing so little.

 

Innocent working as the DJ for the pool.

We head back home in the late afternoon. Sometimes we need to stop at the Gulu “Supermarket”, a place we can get the few staples we need like toilet paper, honey, soup, etc. We buy our bread at the bakery, and our fruits and vegetables at the market. It seems I am having to go to the bank for one thing or another almost every other day; often to just get smaller bills from larger ones so that we can have boda money. All these little errands take lots of time because we are on foot and everything in the town is spread out. It is hot and very dusty in the streets. One time I had to walk a ways on this dirt road for lack of a boda, and by the time I got home, I was a different race! I had a thick layer of dust all over my face, arms, clothes and in my nose and ears and eyes. I am still getting red dirt out of my ears on a Q-tip days after that event! I usually eat some beans at the orphanage. Kayla is now refusing to eat beans and poshe, and then she complains about being hungry and she wants to buy special food for her instead of eating beans like everyone else. It makes me angry that she can’t eat what everyone else is eating.

 

Kayla and her friend Innocent

If Kayla and I are not at the orphanage, we are at the Acholi Inn swim pool. It is the coolest spot to be in this kind of heat. We have friends we talk with and the music is great. My favorite thing to do now is the sauna. I love to sit in there as long as possible without passing out, with sweat pouring from every pore. I take a cold shower and repeat. It makes my skin so soft and is so good for the body. Sad to say though, that I won’t be jumping into the pool any more….it made my hair turn slightly green on the ends. I did some research on the internet and learned that aspirins, or lemons, or baking soda will take the green out, but the only thing I can find is lemons, so I will repair my hair tomorrow. It’s not super noticeable; just to me.

I go home about 8:00 or so, and read a book and am soon asleep unless we have plans to go somewhere or we go out to a club or a late dinner or something like that. Life has slowed down, and we have a routine now. We have made friends and we are enjoying ourselves……all these pictures were taken today.