The last week.
This is the last week. I cannot believe it.
On Tuesday we did our final savings workshop with an organization called Project Have Hope.
Everything went really well--people showed up (and on time!), we had enough people, and we were able to gather everything we needed. But beyond that, we were well taken care of by very kind, generous, and loving women. They had tea, bread, and butter for us after the first two workshops; and when they found out that we do not drink tea, they ran and grabbed us cold sodas. And later in the afternoon the brought us a full African lunch: rice, beans, sweet potatoes, beef, and sauce. At one point I needed to charge my computer, and so they took me up to a woman's house and she let me sit and work while the computer charged. She was making jewelry, and before I left she gave me a pair of earrings as a gift. These women also gave us Acholi names. Mine is Ader, meaning, "beautiful and everything good." I was so impressed by their kindness, and I had no idea how to (sufficiently) thank them.
Yesterday was spent working on our research paper. However, in the afternoon I felt something I had not felt in quite a while....hunger. It was beautiful. So I hopped up and walked to our favorite chapati stand to get a rolex (chapati, eggs, tomato). When I got there, they said it would take a while (I think they were finishing up their lunch break or something? No idea, this had never happened before.) and invited me to sit and wait. So I stepped behind their stand and sat down with them--five of us all crowded behind a little food station. We talked, they shared their food with me, etc. They were shocked when they found out that I paid to come here myself. They were even more shocked, however, when they found out that I was 21 without a husband or a baby. The conversation continued with them asking if I was trying to get married, planning to get married when I get home . . . turns out this is a hot conversation topic even outside of Provo. I didn't really know what to say, so I just explained that I finish school in December and then I'll try to find a husband. They were satisfied with that. (One of the men also wanted something to remember me by, so tomorrow I'm going back to take him a carabiner and he is going to give me something.) So that was the highlight of yesterday.
Today was fabulous. We went to the botanical gardens in Entebbe. So beautiful. Not just exploring the gardens, or sitting on the beach of Lake Victoria . . . but riding in the mutatu, walking around the neighborhoods (being led by little children to find the way out), and watching Islamic festivities. It was a great day. We saw monkeys, watched a spider catch and eat its prey, and just explored all day.
