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!