So I think it's easiest to break the day down into the things that we did:
KAMOCHA MARKET:
So for some reason the shoes that we bought for Little Angels didn't quite work out as far as the sizes go. We had 5 pair that didn't really work so we had to go back to the market and hope that the woman would be fine with exchanging them. I have never tried to exchange anything at a store here, let alone a flea market, but I was under the impression that it was more or less an "all sales are final" sort of deal. Joseph picked us up around 9:30 and we headed over to the market. Unfortunately, things were still just barely getting started and only about half of the vendors were set up. Our lady with the shoes was one that hadn't yet arrived! The guy that sold us the backpacks was already there and he recognized us and pulled out his phone to call the shoe lady, which was super convenient for us! In the meantime, we wanted to buy more pencils, some schoolbooks, and silverware. Those venders were also there. I had sent a text to our friend Godfrey about meeting later in the day and he decided he was free and join us as well. I was happy to have an extra hand for today - and one that speaks Luganda! Yay! The best part about Godfrey's arrival was that I saw him before he saw us! That's right, in a sea of black Ugandans, I picked him out from clear on the other side and he didn't see the two pasty white Mzungus standing out in the crowd. It was a proud moment for my Where's Waldo skills! The guy that we bought math sets from also remembered us and asked how the orphanages were. It was great that he was genuinely interested in what we were doing and wanted to help out. We ended up buying a bunch of the stuff from him and then headed out. The shoe lady still hadn't arrived and we didn't want to waste what could be hours waiting for her to arrive.
Joseph informed us that his wife, Eva was staying right behind the market because her step-mother had passed away and she needed to go for the burial. We decided to stop over and visit her. I also found the batteries that I brought to replenish the ones in the headlamps that we brought for Joseph and Eva last year. They had been hiding in my bag for at least a week! Joseph was SO EXCITED! He said these batteries are so much stronger than the ones they got here. I always wonder about batteries. The packages always look really similar, but there is something just off about them. I keep meaning to compare them side by side, but I am never around a place where I an see them both. I'm just glad that Joseph was so excited about it!
AGAPE
I was extremely nervous and tense to go to Agape. It has been the most emotionally draining and time consuming orphanage of the entire trip and it is the one that fits our medicine study the least and has the worst follow through on data collection. In addition, one of the older boys has been asking for money to help him get home to his sick mom. I don't remember how it started, but once it did, there were constantly messages and calls about it. I was just exhausted answering all of the calls and questions and I was getting annoyed with all the pressure. I totally understand that kids are in need and are looking for anything they can get, but he is the only one out of 6 different orphanages that the kids and caregivers are asking for things for themselves. It's completely inappropriate and the head of the orphanage had told us that he often does this with visitors. Although I didn't truly believe the whole story, I still couldn't shake from my mind that if his mom really was sick and I didn't want to give him 30,000 (I mean, seriously - it's only $13) and I don't give him the money, I'm going to feel really horrible. Maybe it's because I had a similar situation in the past where we didn't give a kid something and didn't trust him and then found out that bad things happened to him. I just hate repeating the past. I reluctantly gave the money and did it in front of one of the adult caregivers, telling him he needs to go with and buy the ticket. I don't trust the boy I gave the money to. It is against everything I stand for, and I am not happy about the whole situation. I think I just got to the point where I needed to be done with the entire situation and the easiest way was to give some money, not all, and say my peace. I later got a phone call thanking me and saying he was on his way home. Only God knows if he was telling the truth. If I am right and he was playing me, at least I didn't give him much. If I am wrong, then at least I don't have it on my conscious that I could have done something and I didn't do it.
CRAFT MARKET
Our next stop was near Agape. It's crazy - we always see this sign for a craft market on the road leading up to Agape but it looks totally deserted. All the shops are closed except for one or two, but there is a signpost on the main road and on the smaller road to mark it. When we drove by this time, it was full of colorful crafts and a ton of tents! It turns out it is only on Fridays. Honestly, we have looked for this craft market every year we have come because we heard it is cheaper than all the others and there it was, right in front of us the whole time - we just never came on a Friday! Catherine said it was God's way of giving us a little bonus reward for doing good work. Whatever the reason, I was happy because my mom got the few last minute things she was looking for and I found myself a really great wool hat knitted by a woman named Margaret who came from Kenya. It was super hot, but I wore it back to the car because I liked it so much! Finally something I bought in Uganda that I can wear for winter!!
DOWNTOWN
Godfrey had a stop that he needed to make in town and since he decided to stay with us the whole day, it was not a problem to just swing by. Also, my mom realized we hadn't gotten my dad any stamps yet! (but not to worry because the day I was "lost on purpose" with the boys downtown, I picked up a bunch) It worked out perfectly except for the jam! It is ridiculous how the traffic can change your mood! I always remind myself when I am stuck and home to be thankful that at least vehicles are moving and there is some sort of order to the way things work! Godfrey was amazing and ran to where he needed to go and was back before we finished getting stamps! We didn't lose any time AND we got stamps!
JAJA
We promised we would bring food to JaJa at her house, even though they have a source of funding for all of their food at this point. JaJa is still in the mentality that you need to ask for things because that is how she survived for so long. We knew she would appreciate matoke, so we picked up a couple of bunches along with some rice and beans. Joseph was friends with the guys selling everything we needed so we got great prices and it was a really quick stop. Then my mom had a brilliant idea that we should make tacos so Godfrey and I went walking around to get random vegetables. With a mere 10,000 we got all the vegetables and a couple of pineapples to feed at least 10 people. I am going to miss fresh foods at really cheap prices. (and having somebody to help negotiate the best price!) JaJa was really happy when we brought all of the food. The kids remembered us and were excited to see all the food. I wish we could have stayed longer, but we just had too many stops to make. I took pictures of the files that had the history of each kid. It was nice to finally have their stories laid out in front of us because the history of JaJa's place has always been kind of a mystery. Later on, I was reading them in the car. It was so sad to read about how parents had dropped their kids off and promised to pick them up and didn't return - many of them for more than a decade. I can't imagine how hard life must be to have the only option to give up your child to somebody else's care. I am not a mom - although some day I hope I am blessed to be - but even I can't imagine the bond that is broken when you give up your own flesh and blood! I am thankful that both of my parents loved me, they kept me, and they were able to provide everything I needed and more.
LITTLE ANGELS
Now here is where my anger escalated to a boiling point. I started yelling a little bit in the car after we left the orphanage, which I try not to do, but I was legitimately ticked off. We stopped by the market to switch out the shoes. Luckily, the lady was there and after talking to Godfrey she was perfectly fine switching the sizes for us. Unfortunately, we lost a shoe somewhere.....I have no idea. Even now, we checked at home and it is gone. Maybe it got left at Little Angels or something, but somewhere that size 33 girls shoe is missing its mate and we have it! We had to buy a new pair (she tried to charge 18,000 even though we paid 15,000 for all the others!) but it was totally worth it!
The kids at Little Angels were excited to see us as usual. I have grown to really love all these children a lot. I know their personalities and am able to talk with a lot of them. The older boys love playing Jetpack Joyride on my iPad which is unfortunate because I would have rather played soccer or something with them, but at least they were excited and they are really great at sharing and taking turns. We wrote down what we bought for the orphanage and my mom talked with Judith while Godfrey, Joseph, and I hung out with the kids. Saying goodbye was one of many times I had to hold back tears and I'm sure before tomorrow at 11:00 there will be more! I know that some day I will be back but I know that it will be longer than a year since I won't have the money and likely won't have the time to be back next year. I had the idea that my heart lives in two countries that are so far away. I feel like I have two families and two lives that don't often cross over. I am always torn between regret leaving one and excitement of returning to the other.
The worst part of the day was when I got in the car. I had been so sad that when I got bad news I was extremely angry. My mom had talked to Judith about Max. He apparently had come to the house later in the night after we left. He took some of the sugar for himself. Then he locked up the rest of the food that we brought and will hopefully distribute it all in time. Then he tried to TAKE shoes from one of the younger girls to bring to his daughter at home!!!!! Can you imagine? Who does that? The poor things wouldn't stop crying when he tried to take them so eventually he gave up on the idea. Then he tried to take the two blankets that were specifically for Judith's two sons. He said she didn't deserve them and he should take them to his kids. Luckily, his wife put her foot down and yelled at him. She said he is not allowed to take them from the boys. Thank God somebody rational lives with Max! I am fuming even now as I think about it. Oh yeah, he also took three of the rolls of toilet paper and give them newspaper to use instead. I don't remember if I said this before but since Max doesn't want to pay for sewage and running water in the house, the kids use the bathtub as their toilet. I have no idea how that works or is allowed! He said that they didn't need real toilet paper since they didn't have real toilets! AHHH!!! I just want to scream! I need to move on to the rest of the day or I am going to put myself in a bad mood again.
NANTALE'S
Our last stop of the night was at Nantale's orphanage. We had bought shoes for the cook that works there because we didn't realize she needed them on our first trip. We also only bought school books for primary school students so we had to get some for the girls in secondary school. It was fitting that Godfrey got to come with us because this was the original reason that we met him a few years ago.
The day went surprisingly well, but I realized towards the end that all I ate all day was a piece of bread with nutella and jam. I was probably getting a little cranky because of it. I guess that I got a little taste of being hungry. I still can't stop thinking about the boy, Ivan, at Kayunga, being surprised that we had never gone two days without food. I was mad about not eating for something like 10 hours - clearly I am spoiled!
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