I have been in Uganda for the past few days now, and my experience has been amazing so far! I came here to work with a non-profit organization called Watoto, which means "children" in Swahili. Watoto started as a church in Kampala in the early 1980's, and has expanded into something of a dream! They take care of orphaned children and women who have been in an abusive relationship or widowed, needing new direction in life. They also take care of babies who one or both parents have died of HIV/AIDS, giving them the proper medical treatment and love they deserve. The work they do is amazing and is more than what I expected. They have three villages in separate locations around Uganda, and they take care of about 3,000 children in total. On top of all of that, they have a sustainability program which includes a chicken farm, goat farm, and a farm with 200 acres of crops to provide for all the children they take care of!
I have been to two of the villages so far, and my experience with the children was amazing. The first village I visited is called Bbira, which means forest, and upon arrival I was greeted by many happy children wanting to hold my hand! A 9 year old boy named Moses took me all around the village with his friends. They loved to be around me, and I loved being around them. Moses and his friends showed me around most of the village, and when we came across a giant hut, they wanted to take pictures! I had a wonderful time taking pictures of them acting silly and having fun! They loved to see the funny faces and poses that they made. It was wonderful to see the children so happy and welcoming of me!
As we were walking around the village, it started to rain. The rain was a non-stop down pour for almost an hour and a half. I took refuge in one of the houses, and I was welcomed by Mama Sandra who was the mother of the house. Mama Sandra lived in a house that my church, the Oasis, built in 2007. While it was raining it was lunch time and she invited me to eat. Mama Sandra cooked my first homemade meal. She made rice, chicken stew, matoke, and a sauce that went over the matoke. The meal was wonderful, and made me wish that I could eat like that everyday of my life. The meal felt like family time. Everyone ate and made conversation and it was nice. When we were finished eating, the rain was still coming down heavy, so we couldn't leave until it was over. I played a board game with them, and the game was equivalent to the game “Trouble” in America. It was a nice experience being able to play with them, and it felt like I had been friends with them for years. Everyone was kind and friendly, so I had an amazing time in the village.
Once the rain was over it was time to say my goodbyes. I am going to go back of course, but I felt that I wanted to stay forever. Everyone was filled with joy and happiness despite what they have been through in the past. I made great friends that day with children my age and younger than me. I thanked Mama Sandra many times for the meal she cooked, and said bye to all the friends I made that day.
After I left Bbira, I went to the next village, Suubi, which was a 30 to 45 minute ride. Suubi means hope in Swahili, and Suubi’s location is on top of a mountain that has a view of the surrounding land for miles on each side. When I arrived, I was amazed at the sight of the village! The space was so open, and in the middle of the village, there was a circular glass dome where their church services are held. On one side was the primary school, while the other side was the secondary school. The houses that the children stayed in were beyond the school on both sides. I didn't get to see much of the village like I did at Bbira, but I felt the same kind of love and happiness from the kids staying there.
At Suubi, I met many kids that were around my age. The kids I met were dancers, but they were practicing a fight scene for a promotional video. It was interesting watching them play fight because they moved like acrobats. While watching, I started talking to a kid named Ronnie. Ronnie has been with Watoto since he was about 10. He has been able to travel to different parts of the world dancing, which is an opportunity not many kids have out here. We had a great talk, and I was able to tell him my life dream and part of my story and life experiences. He told me about his dream as well. He has already had some traveling experience, but it was with another dance group. He wants to travel the world with his family and spread God’s word through dance. His family are the kids that he has lived and danced with for the past few years. He wants to dance and share his experiences with the world and start his own ministry similar to Watoto. He realized that he is lucky to be at Watoto, but also said that there are many more vulnerable children out there and he wants to help them like he was helped. Hearing his passion and dreams was amazing to me. After the fight practice was over, they did a dance performance which was fantastic! They did three routines to different songs, and seeing them dance made me think that Ronnie’s dream is possible. They are all great dancers and I can't wait to see them make their dreams come true. I believe that with the right opportunities they could do some amazing things.
My first few days here in Uganda have been the greatest experience. I am still in for some more great experiences, but I will never forget my first few days and the great people that I met. Everyone has their own story and past, but being able to thrive through the problems and keep smiling for another day is something that I admire. Life has all kinds of challenges, and being able to get up and get through another day is an accomplishment itself.
