Today was basically a fact finding day for a couple of places. We called the reverend that Hilda worked for if he knew any places that take care of children. He was not sure, but gave us the name of Action for Children. We only knew that it was buy a taxi stage near Bukoto. Angella and I started looking for it because the boys were listening to Vanessa’s lecture at Mulago. We might as well not have looked because we couldn’t find it and nobody we asked had any idea. We did find some construction workers making a fence though. Random, I know, but it made us think that maybe we could look and see how they did it and then figure out how to make a fence ourselves. They were using sheets of metal nailed in to wooden beams. It looks like a pretty common way that people build fences. We walked a little ways to get the guys at a meeting place and then came back to the fence to show them. They thought it was a good idea so we asked one of the workers to teach us something. He ended up asking some random people and then showing us things. We asked where we could get the supplies and he told us there is a place near Rubaga where the orphanage is that has the supplies. He gave us his number and offered to come with us on Monday and maybe help us build if we wanted. Who knew that you could just ask about finding supplies and then get a worker out of the deal. So, Nelson will meet us on Monday and we’ll decide if we can pay for the supplies or maybe some help to do the job. It might be way out of our price range or we might luck out and be able to do it! I’m hoping for the latter!
We walked all over the place looking for Action for Children. We finally found a boda driver who knew where it was. He told us to walk a really long ways and then we should ask the other boda drivers that are closer. It was a pretty big hill and by the end we had probably walked two miles….but it was a great walk! On the way, a group of guys yelled some stuff to us in Luganda. Angella started laughing. People are always yelling to her when I am here and I’m sure it’s not fun for her. It’s usually something about how much they can pay for the white girl or something she claims is more offensive, but she usually doesn’t tell me. This time she explained they were saying, “hey we want the white girl, but what’s up with the white guys?”……at least that was her interpretation. I’m pretty sure Isaac and Dennis enjoyed the jokes as well!
After 6 turns, a lot of roads, and a few bodas’ directions, we finally made it to Action for Children and realized that it is almost right next to the main road we take every day and way closer to Angella’s house than we were lead to believe. I wish we would have known it sooner! Oh well, we got some great exercise! At least if we come back we won't have to go nearly as far!
The man at the gate welcomed us right away. I explained what we do to the receptionist and she sent us to meet with Shelly and Jessica, who oversee a lot of the programs for Action for Children. Jessica explained all of the things that the organization does. They are mainly focused on finding ways to empower children through improving their environment in various ways. They have set up a crisis phone number for children to call if they are in danger. They have worked with schools to educate children on what signs of abuse are. They also work with families in smaller communities to provide resources that they are lacking. It sounds like they do amazing work. I don't really think they fit the profile of what we are looking for though. When I explained what we do, they said we could come on Monday for another meeting and then spend a day going around and visiting the communities. I don't think the understand what we are doing and that we are not a large organization. That happens quite a bit here. We go to a place and they just keep talking about what they need and when we explain what they do, the ask for us to do something that is not what we offered. Sometimes I wonder how people manage to get anything done in groups here. There is just a complete lack of listening and understanding! It makes for a lot of interesting mishaps! We are still going to meet with them on Monday and possibly to visits on Tuesday, but I'm not really sure if it is going to be productive.
We needed to stop for lunch before we went to another place. The only one Angella could think of was Ibamba. It is the only restaurant that I really didn't enjoy at all! Last time I went there I tried to order three different times and none of the orders were right! The first time I just wanted nan and a rice dish. After waiting for a half hour, the waitress came and told me they were out. I picked something else instead. A while later everybody got their food except for me. I finally asked the waitress why and she said they were out of what I had ordered. I picked something random off the menu and she brought me something I didn't order! I was not looking forward to a repeat! They had a buffet set out lots of rice dishes, nan, some traditional Ugandan foods, and lots of vegetables. I thought about ordering off the menu, but since I could see the food on the buffet I knew they couldn't mess up! It actually was a great lunch. It's a really cool atmosphere with a grass roof and comfortable seats with tables made out of slices of HUGE trees. Ibamba redeemed itself this time. From now on, no ordering off them menu for me!
We went to Mulago and met Eva and Tom. Eva went to college with Angella and she knew of a place that we might be able to work with. Her aunt is the director of a home that takes in street kids and she has volunteered there a lot. Whenever anybody is sick they show up to her in the pharmacy and try to figure out how to get the medicine they need. Tom is a guy who used to volunteer there a lot but is now studying at Christian University to become a social worker. Both of them were really warm and lovable. When we arrived at Agape Children's Center I was surprised at how bit it was! They have a huge piece of land with a small house, a very large mud structure that serves as an auditorium, bedroom for 80 kids, and general meeting area for any of the kids. There is a small area with three walls that is the "shower" and a separate toilet building. Neither are anything spectacular! You can kind of get the idea in the pictures here. They have a cooking area with a couple big pots that they fill with millet and beans each day. It's a massive amount of food!
We went inside the small house and they sat us down in the living room area to explain what they do. Three of the older boys (probably in their early 20's were in charge of telling us what goes on at Agape. Eva's aunt Cathy had to go in to town so we didn't get to meet her yet. This place is funded by some individual donors who provide small amounts of money. It all goes into a pool and the director decides how to best use the funding. There is also a woman in the United States who pays the school fees for any of the children that go to school, which is only about half of them. Oh yeah, did I mention there are more than 80 kids!! I was amazed that they can keep track of that many but they all seem to know the names of all of them and what is going on in their lives. We got a really great feeling about these people and I am hoping we can find a way to help. Our biggest concern is that there are older boys and younger children. That means they don't fit the profile of the study very well, but there are at least 20 who do fit. I am hoping that we will be able to make it work for the ones who fit and maybe provide some other medicines for ones that it doesn't work for.
After getting a tour of the grounds we set out on our way. We were set to meet Vincent again to learn how to play those traditional instruments. Since we didn't see a sign on the door or gate, we offered to make them one. Now we will just have to find a way to get the supplies to make signs for both Little Angels and Agape! It's not as easy as going to the Home Depot, but we might be able to find somebody who knows where to get what we need!
We showed up to meet Vincent just in time for him to come and tell us that the center he was going to take us to is locked and we can come back tomorrow. So now that's twice we set out to learn and twice that we failed to learn anything. TIA! We decided to go back to Ntinda and get dinner at Taste Budz.....it's usually always our backup plan! After we sent the guys home on bodas, Angella and I both decided to walk home. It wasn't that late, and only a bit dark. It was a perfect night for walking and much more enjoyable than taking a Mtatu and boda.
All in all it was a good day. Except the power was out from the time we woke up until we got home from Taste Budz. I hope this doesn't become a pattern. It's hard to get things done without a working computer! It seemed like we didn't do much, but finding two new places and meeting with both of them can often take an entire day. That's kind of how it works. When we first started the orphanage project we met with twice as many orphanages as we actually used and it took the entire two weeks to get it all sorted out! I'm hoping we get at least something started out of one of these places from today!
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