Post #10: Beyond Words

Hello and greetings from the beautiful country of Uganda! I definitely haven’t taken enough scenic pictures to prove it but Uganda is absolutely gorgeous! It’s nicknamed the Pearl of Africa and honestly, I can see why! The ground is very fertile and the grass is so green.

This week, students in many Primary Schools in Uganda took Mid Term exams (halfway through the 3rd and final term of the year). The students at both Faith and Good Hope took exams administered by Sipro. Because there weren’t enough teachers to supervise the exams at Faith, many classes sat in one room together to take their tests. Each subject (math, English, social studies, science, and religion) had its own test.

Grading the math and English exams for my students at Faith was a heartbreaking experience. Majority of the students really struggled on these tests. It was tough to go through each one and have to mark so many incorrect answers. It was especially hard to see every student in the class get problems wrong on topics I taught them and we spent a lot of time practicing. After this week, my appreciation for teachers has increased exponentially!!

The average score for Primary 6 math (a class with 5 students) was a 28%. For Primary 3 English, a few students scored below 20%. There was only 1 student in Primary 4 who got above a 50% on his math exam. While I was shocked, the teachers said these low scores are not unusual.

The kids I have in my classes are so smart. I watch them solve problems on paper and in the world around them all the time. They’re capable of learning things quickly and applying their knowledge to practice problems. Unfortunately, many of these students are behind where they should be in a variety of areas. Because there aren’t enough teachers, each class learns less. By the end of the year, students have only learned a portion of the material they’re being tested on. Additionally, many of the students have difficulty understanding what the questions on these exams are asking. For example, the students in P3 mixed up the words “where” and “when”. I think this problem is due to struggling with English and lack of practice with quizzes/unit tests/practice exams.   In the next few weeks, I’ll try to give some tips and practices for question reading so the students will be more successful in their final exams!

While grading exams was not a happy experience, it was a very helpful one. It helped me see what fundamental concepts students need more practice with. It also gave me a better idea of what the learning objectives are for each grade level.

Although their results may suggest differently, these students aim to get high scores on these exams. They fear what may happen if they don’t. Corporal punishment is not illegal in Uganda and teachers beat students for behavioral and academic wrongs. As someone who is strongly against corporal punishment, I’ve struggled with some of the actions of teachers since I’ve been here. While I don’t believe teachers should beat students, I also don’t want to make the teachers here feel inferior or judged for their practices. I’ve tried my best to express my opinions to the other teachers and suggest alternative (potentially more effective) methods for discipline. In the past few weeks, I haven’t seen any of the teachers at Faith hit the students.  Of course, I don’t see everything that happen there, but I hope that the teachers try out new ways to help students learn from their mistakes.

The students at Faith informed me that they would be beat for any exam they scored lower than a 50% on. Many of them were very scared to see their scores and learn their fate. I was really upset to hear this as I feel that exam preparations are both the responsibilities of the students AND the teachers. I decided to speak up a little louder about this matter. I spoke to the head teacher and requested that students not be punished for low scores in English and math. I explained how I felt that exams reflect on both the student and the teacher. I told him I thought it was unfair that students be punished when it may have been their teacher’s shortcomings that caused a low exam score. He listened genuinely and said they would reconsider.

I was particularly sad about the performance of my Primary 6 class on their math exams. These 5 students are so hardworking and very bright! I have no doubt they could all get 100%'s on those exams correct if they brushed up on some of the topics and understood what the questions were asking.  I looked through all of their exams and made a list of the topics they need to go over. It’s a lengthy list and they looked a little frightened when I showed them on Wednesday. I promised them I would go over all these things with them before I leave. I explained that it was their responsibility to focus, ask questions, and do all the assigned homework. We will have a retake of the Mid Term a few days before I leave and if they all can get above a 65%, I told them they can come to my house for a celebration. As soon as I said the word celebration, the fear vanished and was replaced by excitement. Now that cake is at stake, these students are working even harder than I ever imagined possible! They’re hoping they can improve their math. I’m really hoping we’re able to cover all the material they’re missing in the next three weeks!! With God, all things are possible so this will definitely be one to pray for!

Last Saturday, I got to join George Mike and Derrick for a Let There Be Light Solar Light Distribution to vulnerable members of Wakiso district. We arrived at our first distribution point to find a big group of kids. Mo (the other volunteer) and I were thrilled to meet them, but we quickly realized they hardly spoke any English. Most of them were dressed in torn clothing and had no shoes. I assume most of these kids come from extremely poor families meaning they probably can't afford to attend school. Without going to school, it’s very difficult to learn English. Despite the language barrier, Mo and I had such a blast with these kids! While there parents listened to George Mike explain how to use the Solar Lights, Mo and I taught these kids some favorite nursery rhymes, camp songs (where words fail, hand motions save the day!), games, and yoga. It was such a fun morning!

Two months ago, a morning like this would have left me exhausted. But last Saturday I found myself laughing and sad to say goodbye. My first few weeks in Uganda, I found myself exhausted after every conversation I had. As I mentioned in earlier posts, people usually converse casually in Luganda. Additionally, the English here is very different from the English I’m used to. The people here use different wording, phrases, and expressions. They also speak with a different accent and have a hard time understanding mine. As a result of all of these differences, I just didn’t talk to people as much. I felt pretty disconnected those first couple of weeks and if I didn’t have Mo around, I would have probably felt really lonely. As time has gone on, I’ve gotten used to the accent many people speak with and have come to understand the way people word things. I’ve changed the way I talk to make it easier for others to understand me too! My English might be very different when I return home.

In order to learn to communicate here, I had to listen. A lot. Conversations were so difficult because I was trying to lead them. And people usually didn’t understand what I was asking. Once I started listening though and not constantly trying to organize the conversation, I started understanding so much more. I’ve also learned that communication goes far beyond words. Last Saturday was a great example of that. It’s pretty incredible to get to know people through facial expressions, laughing, hand gestures, and watching. It takes quite a bit more time, but that isn’t a problem these days. I’m definitely getting more used to (and coming to really enjoy!) the relaxed timing here.

Here are some photos from the last week!! Thank you all for the encouragement! Happy Halloween!!

Love,

Hannah

Lots of fun with these new friends at the light distribution!! The little girl I'm holding, Mary, had a big gash in her head when we arrived. She had a swarm of files surrounding the cut/her face as a result which I imagine was quite irritating. I was prepared with a band aid and she became so happy once the bugs stopped bothering her!

This little girl Marissa is so sweet! She's very excited her family can use their new solar light to light their home.

Some women of Wakiso district charging their solar lights for the first time

Seeing his solar light blink as he holds it up to the sun for the first time

The kids at the light distribution love having their picture taken and seeing it after! I have many photos from this morning :p

Mo and I were walking back to the car after distributing some lights and these kids came out to see us. They were so scared and shy at first and didn't speak any english.We taught them how to high-5 and then asked if they wanted to take photos! They were so excited to see pictures of themselves and we took many silly photos following this one. 

The shoes of Nico, one of my students at Faith!! The velcro no longer works and he's been running around with these for a few weeks! Fortunately I have some just in his size thanks to someone who donated shoes! He's going to be so happy!

As a reward for a whole week of good behavior in Primary 3, I brought ingredients to make Guacamole with the class!! They had so much fun learning to make it and LOVED the end product! Esther volunteered to cut the onion and miraculously didn't shed a tear!

A really sad photo. This girl is the little sister of one of the students at Good Hope. She came by a few days ago and I could not believe how bad (and big!) the burn on her shoulder was. Her sister thought it was from hot water but wasn't sure. This was a few days ago and it looks a little better now, but she's still recovering.

Post #9: By My Side

Hello!

It was another amazing and incredible week here in Uganda. I can’t believe I am approaching my final month. While it makes me really sad to think about leaving, I am really excited for these next few weeks. Everyday, I get better at being here than the day before. I learn new tips and tricks that help me teach and effectively explain things. I now know how to make small talk with people in Luganda, what questions to ask a kid based on his/her height, and how to navigate Bulenga as well as some of the surrounding villages. I’ve also learned some new and creative ways to help people. I can’t wait to see what else I’ll learn as I approach this next month!  I think I will be the most capable here on my very last day.

Here are some stories from the week! Usually I add photos at the end but I decided to mix a few into the post this time! Enjoy :)

Monday morning, I was exhausted from the weekend but excited to be greeted in the by my wonderful Primary 4 class at Faith! These kids are GREAT. This group specializes in neat handwriting and accurately drawn diagrams. Even something as insignificant as a dash is drawn using some kind of straight edge. This week we practiced telling time using analog clocks. As you can imagine, this took a lot of time, as they made sure a perfectly drawn clock accompanied every example in their notebooks. This is the group with the widest range in abilities. Fortunately, the ones who used to lag behind seem to have caught up quite a bit!  Here’s a class photo we took earlier in the week!

My persistent Primary 4 students: Doreen, Lukia, Precious, Lydia, Shaluah and Patrick, Edison, Ferdinand, Travis, Victor (left to right)

Teaching at Faith has been fun but busy! There are 5 classrooms- Nursery (has 3 age groups), Primary 1 & Primary 2 combined, Primary 3, Primary 4, and Primary 6. There are 4 teachers at the school, but it’s rare for them all to show up.  On Thursday, Teacher Betty and I were the only teachers for the day. The concept of “substitute teachers” is foreign and teachers here don’t lose their jobs if they don’t show up to school for a few days. Things come up and sometimes a teacher can’t make it. The unfortunate result is that often times, students will sit in a classroom without a teacher, sometimes for a few hours at a time. On Thursday, I did my best to teach the 3 higher classes at the same time but I still haven’t figured out how to be 3 places at once. Fortunately, the kids were able to do work I wrote on the board while I was out of the room. Usually, when I return to the classroom, the kids are working quietly. If they finish early however, chaos can break out.

In addition to lacking teachers, the students at Faith are lacking basic school supplies.  Notebooks, pencils, and pens are luxury items in Bulenga. Obviously, they are necessary for school. but it can be difficult when families simply can’t afford them.

Before I came to Uganda, I was advised to be very careful about when I give things away. I came with a suitcase full of clothes, toothbrushes, shoes, and school supplies thanks to many generous friends, neighbors, and family members. If I arrived at Faith and Good Hope with all those goodies on my first day, the kids would expect me to come with things for them everyday. The most valuable thing I have to give these kids is my time. Once that runs out, I’ll leave them with the other goodies, all of which I know will go far. Waiting to give out the donations also allows me to identify which kids need them the most.

That being said, I have given a few things away to the group at Faith! I’ve brought some pencil sharpeners to each class, because I got so nervous seeing kids sharpen their pencils with razors! I’ve also brought coloring materials on some days for special activities. The other day, I watched my class of P.3 students share one pencil as they constructed lines and shapes.  It’s great that they are so good at sharing, but 12 students sharing 1 pencil was pretty inefficient. That night, I was reminded of 1 John 3:17 and thought about the giant bag of pencils just sitting in my suitcase. These kids needed the pencils NOW so the next morning, I showed up with a pencil for everyone in my class. A #2 pencil is probably one of the least exciting gifts in my opinion, but these kids were thrilled when I handed each of them a pencil. They asked me if they could borrow my permanent marker so they could each write their name on the pencil.  They kept thanking me for my generosity and I almost laughed. But it really gave me a perspective into how sacred school supplies are for these kids. I can’t wait to see the faces of these kids when I tell them my friends in America have donated many more pencils and other things for them!

Promise, one of my beautiful Primary 3 students, with her new pencil!

I’ve been spending my afternoons at Good Hope, which have been lots of fun! While the school has difficulties of its own, school supplies are much less scarce! Additionally, there are enough teachers for each class. The school is organized and a number of parents are very involved in supporting the school. Everyday there has looked a little different for me! Sometimes, I teach a class or help a teacher mark papers. Other days I play games and sing songs with the kids when they get out of class. I love hanging out with the kids and getting to know them! While I know a smaller percentage of the Good Hope students due to the large size, the kids there are so welcoming and eager to learn! They ask me all types of questions from “Are vampires real?” to “are you married?” to “in your country, do you have chickens?”   They are so curious and it’s fun to chat with them!

Good Hope is preparing for a ceremony/fundraiser next month. It’s a big event! A selected group of students perform a dance for the event in the style of the Buganda. This dance includes some vigorous and isolated hip movements, quick steps, low squats, neck jolts, and lots of jumps. It’s extremely energetic! A dance instructor came on Tuesday to begin teaching the routine. The teachers told me I should come and watch. I eagerly agreed- I was so excited to get to see a traditional dance!

The instructor held a quick dance audition to select the top dancers of the group. Once he had about 40 or so, he began to teach the routine. This guy taught so quickly and whenever he didn’t like the way someone was doing something, he simply dismissed the dancer. The group shrunk down to about 20 by the end of the lesson! The instructor kept yelling at them because they weren’t smiling, and I wanted to help out! I decided I should hop in and join the group. I figured seeing an American try out their traditional dance would make them all laugh. I was also quite curious about the dance- it looked like fun!

I may have reconsidered that decision if I knew how I would feel the next day!

As soon as I joined the group, all eyes were on me. Not just the eyes of the dance instructor and the dancers, but the eyes of the other 250+ students and all the teachers. I think some kids from the houses around even peeked into the school yard to see this entertainment! A few girls brought me a sweater to tie around my waist (I’m not sure why they do this, but I think it helps with the separation of the upper body and lower body movements) and a stick to hold in front of me (something they do to help with balance). The dance instructor started continuing with his directions and I tried to follow along. Wow! It was not easy! I definitely was not a natural at the Buganda dance style. BUT I did successfully bring smiles to many faces! Everyone was laughing! I was glad my failure could be so entertaining. After my initial rough start, a few students came by my side and helped me out. As the instructor continued shouting directions, they held my hand and walked me through the whole thing. It was so sweet!!

As the routine continued, the moves increased in difficulty. Soon we were shaking our hips while walking and spinning and jumping. It was impressive watching some of the young kids pick up these complex movements with ease! It was clear I was getting tired. The students kept asking me, “Teacher Hannah- are you tired? You can stop!” and I replied with, “yes, I’m tired, but I’m not going to give up!” If I was tired from dancing along in the back row, taking an occasional sip of water, I couldn’t imagine what it was like for the group of kids in the front under the strict gaze of the dance instructor. These kids were working so hard and I wanted to just spend a little bit of time walking (dancing!) in their shoes!

To say I mastered the Buganda dance would be the overstatement of the century. I did however pick up a few of the moves and manage to follow along with the flow of the dance! As I walked away, the dance instructor pointed to me and said, “see you next time!” I was shocked he didn’t banish me far away from the group for putting his moves to shame! I definitely look forward to the challenged the next lesson brings!

The next day, I could barely get out of bed! My neck hurt so bad from the aggressive neck jolts throughout the dance. My quads were aching and even my feet had a hard time functioning!  While pain isn’t fun, it was definitely worth it to get to dance with those kids.  And I hope the memory of me flapping around will bring smiles to their faces when they perform!

Here are some of the wonderful students at Good Hope!

The wonderful Salma was very helpful, standing by my side to make sure I picked up the moves correctly!

I hope you enjoyed these snippets from what was a wonderful week! It’s time for bed over here but I hope as you’re reading this, you’re enjoying your weekend! Make sure to try something new!

Love,

Hannah

The "Boys side" of the Primary 4 classroom at Faith

Wrapping a cylinder and some boxes to learn about surface area in Primary 6!

Faith is in a rural area. Many people work as farmers! This is the beautiful view out of one of the classroom windows! The walk is long but gorgeous

One student who lives close to the school showed me this- this is what his family uses for a mirror!! Definitely different than the full length mirrors we have in the U.S.

Post #8 Party Time

Hello! My apologies for writing this a day late! It has been such a busy weekend! Many of my weekends here have been pretty relaxed and filled with washing clothes, catching up on emails, and visits to the kids who stay at Faith and Good Hope. It’s fun to get to spend some extra time with the “boarders” at the schools (most of them orphans) and nice to get to hang out with them outside of a classroom setting!!

This weekend however was filled with a celebration each day! Each one was so special and lots of fun! I wanted to take some time to tell you about them.

The celebrations kicked off last Sunday with a 1^st Birthday Party for a little boy named Lincoln. Lincoln lives next door to George Mike, one of the KACCAD workers. Whenever I walk to school, I pass by George Mike’s compound. Usually his wife is outside with their 10 month old son Elvis and his best friend/nextdoor neighbor Lincoln. I usually take some time to chat with the moms and hold the babies for a few minutes- they are two of the cutest little guy I’ve ever met! Birthday Parties are not common but Lincoln’s family was able to afford one for him. I felt so honored to be invited to join in the fun!

When I arrived at Lincoln’s home, I was greeted by a large group of kids! Most of them looked familiar as they live in the houses I pass everyday when I walk to school. Usually my conversations with them are brief so it was really nice to be able to sit down with them and ask them their names, which schools they attend, and what they like to do. Many of them had questions for me! I’ll make a list of the most common/funniest “in your country….” in another post.

We had fun playing games and chatting when Lincoln’s mom told me to sit down. Although there were many people there- fathers, mothers, grandparents, kids, cooks, the birthday boy- I was served lunch first. I was very appreciative but I didn’t feel deserving of the first and fullest plate of food.  All I’d done was show up!  But I remembered a phrase my best friend’s grandma taught me when I was little- “it’s just as important to be able to recieve a gift as it to give a gift”, so I accepted the food with a smile and enjoyed it!

The food in Uganda is delicious! Vegetables and fruit are fresh and plentiful. In the volunteer house, I eat a lot of rice, beans, eggs, potatoes (called “irish” here), avocados, spaghetti, and chapats (delicious! Kind of like a pancake meets a tortilla- often served soaked in beans  as a “Kikomando” or rolled up in an egg as a “rolex”). The average person in Uganda can only afford rice and food like this for Christmas. Most people here eat matoke (cooked bananas, texture of mashed potatoes), porto (kind of like gritz, made out of corn), beans, greens, yams, and “g-nuts” which get ground up to make a sauce. Beef is not common and chicken is only had on the most special occasions.

At all of the celebrations I attended, I was served a plate with rice and matoke and then a bowl of chicken and a bowl of beef. The idea is that you take the rice or matoke and let it soak in the juice of the meet before eating it. Forks are rarely used in Uganda. I’m still working on mastering the art of eating with my hands.

After eating, there was more talking and mingling. I learned that to ask children here what they want to do when they grow up, you ask them, “what’s your future?” I had fun asking that to the kids and hearing their answers- teacher, lawyer, driver, doctor, pilot, military, and football player were a few popular ones. The size of the crowd started to grow as the time to cut the cake approached.

Think about the last time you went to a birthday party. Chances are, there was a cake. Most American birthday parties have cakes, if nothing else, as a formality. When it’s time for cake, the host puts out the cake and offers everyone a slice, usually starting with the Birthday Boy or Girl. Often times, a guest will say “I’ll just have a small piece!” or take a piece and only take a few bites. It’s not uncommon for the cake to be large, resulting in leftovers that get thrown away a few days later. 

Cake is a delicacy in Bulenga. The one thing all 4 parties I attended had in common was the cake ritual. A small table is put out with some type of delicate white cloth on top of it. The cake is put out a few hours before it’s served, allowing everyone a chance to look at it. The cakes here aren’t quite as detailed as most cakes in America, but they still have frosting (a hard icing) and words piped in colors. A few bottles of soda are put around the cake. I don’t know why they do this. To me, the bottles of soda resemble sweet little soldiers protecting the prized queen of the sweets.  Anyone with a phone takes a photo of this set up and little kids will stand and stare at the cake alter. When it’s finally time to cut the cake, a huge emphasis is put on the actual cutting part. There is a countdown starting at 5 or 10 for the guest of honor to put the knife through the cake. Once the cake is cut, sections are broken up into very small pieces and crumbs and brought around by the guest of honor. The guest of honor serves all his/her guests before enjoying a few bites for him/herself. Adults are served first and parents will give small pieces of their piece to their children. No crumb is left uneaten. The tray the cake is on and the plates the cakes is served on are given to the kids once all the cake has been served. They swarm around these, trying to get one last molecule of the cake crumbs.

When I watched the cake being served at Lincoln’s birthday, it reminded me of the story in the Bible where Jesus feeds 5,000 people with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. A small cake sat on the white cloth. In an American bakery, it probably would have been labeled as a 6 serving cake. At this point, many kids who lived nearby had joined the party, hearing that cake would be served and hoping they too could receive a few crumbs. It was a lovely cake, but I couldn’t imagine how it could serve the over 75 people who were now at the party. I watched in awe as Lincoln’s mom and aunt circulated the crowd with pieces of cake. Everyone got some! Most of the kids just received a handful of crumbs but they were thrilled! Dancing followed- it was a wonderful night!

This past Friday, I got to attend a graduation celebration! Derrick’s wife, Shakirah (not the same Shakirah that runs the volunteer house but a closer friend to her), just graduated from university! I’ve met her a few times in my time here so far and she’s so friendly and funny. She actually just gave birth to a baby boy, Dannish, last week so she’s had a pretty exciting couple of days! I didn’t attend her graduation ceremony but I met up with some of her friends and family at her mother’s house for a “welcome back” party! Shakirah’s family is relatively wealthy and was able to afford some speakers and a tent for this party. While we waited for Shakirah’s return, I chatted with some of the other guests. I fell in love with her friend Sheha’s daughter, a 1 year old girl named Swahil. Usually the first time babies here see me, they scream and cry. For many of them, it’s their first time seeing someone with such light skin so I understand why they’re frightened. Swahil nearly jumped in my arms when she met me though! She’s a very smart and happy baby! I had a nice time chatting with her mom as well!

When Shakirah returned (around 5pm), we ate lunch. I was brought onto a large mat with Derrick and Shakirah’s uncle. Even though she’d just graduated and also was recovering from giving birth, Shakirah kneeled down and served us our food. It was a little uncomfortable- I wanted to jump in and say “you sit and rest- I got this one!” but as Derrick’s wife, it is expected that Shakirah will serve him. Gender roles are much stricter here and sometimes I have a hard time seeing the ways women are restricted. I’m not here to judge or start a feminist revolution though, so usually I don’t speak out against it. Sometimes I’ll ask question to try to understand why things are the way they are. While many women aren’t upset about their positions in society/their households, it can be good (for everyone!) to challenge what’s accepted as a “normal expectation”.

After a delicious lunch and getting to meet Baby Dannish, the cake alter was prepared. The song “Happy Birthday” played on the speakers and candles were lit on the cake. This made me laugh but nobody questioned the situation. I think these are just things expected to go along with cake. Remember how I’m still getting used to the loose/slow timing of Uganda? The candles on both Lincoln’s and Shakirah’s cakes were really tall. They were lit and left burning for a few minutes while final arrangements were made. Usually, cake candles in America are blown out almost immediately but here, the candles last longer, allowing for a little bit of extra time before they melt and destroy the cake. Whoever started the birthday candle business over here knew what she was doing when she tripled the size!

On Saturday, I got to attend the confirmation of a wonderful girl named Cherise. I met Cherise at Faith my first day there. She’s 11 and has no living family so she stays with Teacher Betty. We clicked instantly- she loves math and goats (future WPI student maybe!) She’s incredibly smart and hardworking. During my first few weeks (her holiday) I made a math worksheet for her everyday to give her some practice during the break/gauge her abilities. She wowed me every time- succeeding in problems that are beyond the skill level of most Primary 5 students. She also speaks English very well and is helpful when I’m trying to explain game directions. Sadly, there is no Primary 5 class at Faith (not enough students in that age group) so she has to attend class at another school. I miss seeing her everyday but still visit her at Teacher Betty’s house on the weekends. She’s a little bit quiet but so bright and always looking out for the younger kids. I just really love this girl so as you can imagine, I was stoked to get invited to her confirmation!

I arrived to Teacher Betty’s house Saturday morning and we went with Cherise and her good friend/next door neighbor/my student Sheila to the next village over. We arrived at a beautiful church! It was huge and as we walked in we realized it was packed full with girls and boys in little suits and dresses and mothers in traditional Ugandan gowns. Some fathers wore jeans which are considered very fancy/classy here. Many of the little girls were wearing white- some in new gowns covered with sequins others squeezed into what looked like a little sister’s dress up ballet skirt. It was fun to see all the outfits- there was certainly a variety!

The mass was beautiful! I’ve been able to check out a couple of churches since I’ve been here. The one I’ve liked best is called “Watoto Church”. It’s a large non-denominational church with a few branches across Wakiso District. The phrase “sweating like a sinner in church” (thanks Katie) has been the case every time I attend a service somewhere. I get very hot during the non-air conditioned, partially outside services and feel like I end up leaving a small pool of sweat in my seat when I leave. This was my first time at a Catholic Mass in Uganda and it was really nice! The music was led by a choir. It resembled the Latin mass choral music sound I’m used to but was accompanied by some drums which added a really lively flavor! The entire service was in Luganda but Teacher Betty translated for me which was helpful. Over 200 kids got confirmed so it took quite a while!

After the service, we went back to Teacher Betty’s house. I spent some time playing and catching up with the other kids that stay with Teacher Betty and the kids that live nearby. I saw many of my students/students from younger classes at Faith, which was fun! Usually when I visit on Saturdays or Sundays, I get to hang out with my students outside of class . It can be a really nice opportunity to get to know them better! When it was time for lunch, Teacher Betty rolled out a beautiful mat for me and poured me soda in a goblet. Again, I was served first. We ate he rice and also had chicken. Most of the kids only got a small part of the chicken but no meat was left untouched. The kids sucked on the bones for a long time- getting out every last piece of flavor.

When I asked Cherise a few days before the celebration what I could get her as a gift for her confirmation, she told me she would love a cake. Asking for a cake was probably the most selfless thing an 11 year old girl could ask for as a gift. The cake cutting ritual went about as usual and Cherise asked me to help her cut the cake which was really sweet of her to share the honor. Many kids from the homes nearby came by for a few crumbs and again, the cake was devoured. It was so incredible to see Cherise serve everybody first. Before she got any for herself, she even put away 2 pieces for friends that couldn’t make it.

The final celebration I attended was the Good Hope Primary 7 Leavers’ Party (7th Grade Graduation). These students will take their final exams in a couple of weeks, finishing “Primary School”! In January/February, those who can continue to afford school fees will attend Secondary School somewhere new. I’ve gotten to teach math to this group a few times and have gotten to know many of the students just from hanging out at the school in the afternoons. They’re so bright and a class full of enthusiasm! Mo, the other volunteer, knows them really well as she’s been their English Teacher since she started here. Fortunately, she was able to make it back for their celebration! Her brother passed away in a car accident and she flew home to attend the funeral last week. Despite some really tough times, she came back to finish up her last month volunteering here. She really wanted to continue her work here and her family wanted the same. While she’s still going through the tough emotions that come with having a brother die, she’s been continuing to pour her heart out over here. It’s an incredible thing to see.  I’m very glad she was able to come back!

Mo and I arrived for the Leavers’ Party around noon. A big tent was set up and chairs lined the inside, excited to be filled with teachers, parents, and honored students. There are about 30 students in the P7 class and it was wonderful to get to honor them. The festivities started around 3 with a sermon from a local pastor.  Then, all the parents/grandparents/guardians went up and prayed for each student individually. About 15 parents/grandparents/guardians were there. I don’t know the exact number, but several students in P7 don’t have parents or anyone taking care of them. After a couple of speeches, lunch was served (Promptly at 5pm)! The students brought us each a plate of food. Parents and teachers were served first. The food was again, delicious and a huge treat for the students. They usually eat porto (gritz, made with corn flour, pretty must tasteless) for lunch and dinner every day.

A gospel choir from a nearby church performed a few songs for us. Then, a few teachers gave speeches after lunch. Teacher Mo and I were each invited up to give speeches- a huge honor! I offered some words of advice to the students about having confidence in what they know and that knowledge is power. The committee of students who planned the Leavers’ Party spoke- thanking those who helped fund the party and explaining some of the challenges they had in organizing it. Some parents spoke as well- offering encouragement to the students as they prepare for exams and new schools. The cake alter was put up at noon and we all starred at it from then until it was cut at 7. At this point, I wasn’t surprised. After the final speech, the P7 students ran to their dormitories and came out a few minutes later changed from their school uniforms to fancy clothes. They tried to cut the cake together and a few boys shook up the soda bottles and let them spray like champagne as “Celebrate good time come on!” played on the speakers surrounding us. It was a very funny scene indeed and Mo and I could not stop laughing. 

What would a party in Uganda be without dancing? After enjoying some cake, all the girls from P7 rushed up to Mo and I and begged us to dance with them. Thrilled at the invitation, we excitedly joined them! At this point, it was dark. The party had some speakers and lights though so the dance floor was bright! We danced the night away. I didn’t know most of the songs but I sang loudly to the ones I did. As I mentioned earlier, these kids know how to DANCE! It was amazing to see even the little ones moving their bodies like professionals. I had a blast dancing with my students. Usually at school dances, teachers line the outside of the floor as chaperones. At this dance, all the teachers, parents, P7 members, and other students at Good Hope were together on the dance floor (there was no floor, but the phrase “dance ground” sounds weird). It was a great way to celebrate a worthy occasion.

I have been doing much more than partying this week! Teaching both at Faith (mornings) and Good Hope (afternoons) has been going well and I’m trying to approach units and topics in creative, hands on ways to help students really understand what they’re learning. I’m getting a little stressed out as I realize there are certain standards each student will have to meet for his/her class by the end of the year. I’m worried I won’t finish topics fast enough/review enough and they’ll fail as a result. I’m working on planning ahead to make sure there are plenty of opportunities for each of my classes to strengthen their existing knowledge and learn everything new they have to know!

I’m absolutely exhausted but wanted to make sure I gave you a glimpse of what celebrations in Bulenga are like! I may be the only person in Uganda to have ever had 4 pieces of cake in 1 week. I’m certainly grateful to have gotten included in so many wonderful occasions!

I hope you are well and that you have something to celebrate in the week to come!

Love,

Hannah

getting to meet some of the kids I say hi to everyday at Lincoln's 1st Birthday!

cutting up the cake for all to share

The beautiful and accomplished Shakirah!

Shakirah's good from Shila and her daughter Swahil 

Cherise (left) in her confirmation dress with her good friend Sheila (right)

A group of the kids who got confirmed standing with the priests! There were many more!

Not a great photo but looking back from the front of the church! It was big and beautiful! The balcony amazed me- it had no ledge, bar, or anything to keep people from falling off!

Lunch at Teacher Betty's! Matoke (cooked banana) is under the green leaf

Cherise in a Birthday hat (despite the fact that it wasn't her birthday) preparing to cut her cake! Many children gathered around the watch. 

The Good Hope Primary 7 class goes down a line of parents, each one praying for each student.

Zachariah and his daughter Viviann! Zachariah translated the entire P7 ceremony for me as most of it was in Luganda! I was very appreciative- it was a long ceremony!

Meeting the mother of one of my wonderful students, Benita! Benita is so smart and has become a dear friend to me. Her mother is so beautiful and kind like her daughter!