Two Hundred Sixty-Four

Our driver, David (a.k.a. Congo), met us early the next morning to take us to the Mbabali Orphanage. We checked out of the hotel and I made sure to tip my chambermaid generously.

It was a little bit of a drive to the orphanage from Naayla because of the traffic. Driving in Uganda is confounding.  They drive with Matrix-like skill!  They flash their lights, beep their horns, and make hand gestures (not to be confused with American hand gestures) to one another to communicate.  It is a language all its own.  Not only is there the challenge of vehicles moving at the same speed, within inches of your vehicle, there are boda-bodas (motorcycles) zipping in and around the vehicles like flies.  On top of THAT, there are people EVERYWHERE.  

Being in Uganda was like stepping back in time.  Many businesses and schools wear uniforms in the style of the 50s in the US, and everyone's manners hearken back to that time period as well, very polite, a greater sense of formality in certain situations.  At the same time, the economy is like the Depression Era: people everywhere hocking goods from street corners, median strips, sidewalks, and parking lots.  The only thing missing was people walking around wearing sandwich board signs declaring "The end is near!" and stands with signs reading "Apples 5¢".  

We made it through the city and met up with Rotarian Grace (a man) and James, the director of the orphanage, at a little grocery shop. I had heard wonderful things about James from Carolyn and Mary Tennant. They shared about his great love and care for the orphans and how he works tirelessly to find financial support for them. Meeting James was a real honor, he was everything they described and more.

Grocery shopping was never so simple.  "Look, Ma! No convenience foods!"

John had brought $500 from the Brunswick Coastal RC to purchase food for the orphanage.  That translated to 1,304,500 Ugandan shillings.  With that we purchased: corn meal, rice, beans, sugar, oil, tea, soap, and some cookies (for a treat).  James told us that the food, which would feed his 264 children, plus staff, would last for approximately 12 days.  Keeping their pantry stocked is one of their biggest struggles.

Zulu-Mahn and a happy shop keeper

Making a grocery list

 After our purchases, we drove down one of the worst roads we had seen yet.  The ruts were cavernous.  Here in the US they would be deemed impassable, I was honestly surprised we made it to the orphanage without having to get out and walk.

We finally made it there and began unloading the vans.  James ran off to get some of his staff to help unload the food, it was incredibly heavy.  The bags of grain and sugar weren't your typical 25lb bags of flour.  They were 100lbs easy, if not more!  It took 2 people to lift them.  Our team had also brought a couple duffel bags filled with books, toys, toothbrushes & toothpaste, and some clothes.

Before the groceries were brought into the storage room, a few of us went in to see where the supplies were going.  We were astonished to find that only one bag of corn meal remained.  

James, a true hero

With the storage room filled, and the duffle bags emptied, James took us on a tour of the compound.  The buildings were in very good condition, they were huge and had good sized classrooms.  We stopped in one room and I asked if I could share a video on my iPad of my children playing in the snow.  This was a big hit.  The children all laughed and were amazed!  Then I asked if I could play my ukulele for them.  James said it was okay so I started with “You Are My Sunshine” which the children all knew.  After that I asked one of the younger children if they wanted to help me play the next song.  He was eager to please, so while I held the chords, the boy strummed while we played the ABC, song.  When we got ready to dismiss the children I asked them all to line up and let them each strum on my ukulele as they left the room.  One girl, who was particularly tall, didn’t get in the line.  She was rather shy.  I went up to her and asked her If she wanted to learn to play.  I showed her how to hold the ukulele, positioned her fingers for one chord,  and showed her how to strum.  She did so well and was very pleased with herself.  Spending time with the kids like that was a real highlight for me.

Strumming along & singing a song

Getting ready to take turns strumming

My shy little student

Shower and laundry area and

Water pump

We continued our tour and saw that they had  decent latrines, a nice dining hall/assembly room, and very nice dormitories. The girls' dormitory in particular was very neat an orderly. When we returned from our tour the kids were assembled in the dining hall and we took our seats in the front row of the stage area.  It was nice, but I really wanted ot go sit with the children, after all, that’s why we were there!  Introductions were made and a group of 8-11 year olds put on a performance for us.  They welcomed us with song. Then they shared a song about work, another about abstaining from drunkeness, and another cautionary sing about aids.  They were remarkable!  

As I sat there watching the performance, I kept glancing over at the little ones seated to my left.  They were all 3 and 4 years old. All I could think of was how much I wanted to have a chance to spend time with them and just show them love. Finally, after the third song I made my move.  I went over to where the little ones were seated, I picked up a little boy and sat him on my lap.  We just sat there rocking to the music. One or two children behind me dared to come over and tap me on my shoulder.  I would glance at them and wave "hi" and they would race back to their seats.  Eventually, two children wound up on my lap.  I had the best seat in the house.

Music Is The Answer

Here is the music video we made with YPO.  Please take the time to read the lyrics.  The message these kids have to share is truly astounding.  

Music is the Answer

SHARON: If everything goes on well; we shall overcome the storm; hit wars to hell, victory shall be our home;
We care for a wonderful world; it's all about you, everywhere you go...
Eeeeh, kyaba too much! Like for Friends forever, Youth Passionate and the Rotary Club....for God! and my country

insight
In the above script ..."kyaba is a luganda word that means its" and eeeh is an expression  commonly used here (Uganda) to express sympathy and sadness for something that has happened to some one.   so the verse literally means
"its too much like for Friends forever, Youth Passionate and the Rotary club ..for God and my country"


ABRAHAM:
(The local language is called LUSOGA from Eastern Uganda.)

Bana abeeyo mukoba mutya? Aye eweife gyensuula tulibubi ino...Abantu abali awalala tibakagemagana. Amawanga ne diini balikulila
Eeyii yii bana.
Kibumba wandigye atuyambaa!!!!

Translation:  Hey my fellows over there, how are you doing?  Here at our home, where I stay, we are starving
People that were united are disunited, Tribes and Religions are crying
Oooh my fellows, GOD would have come to help us

MARY: Music is the answer, music is our friend, all across the world the music never ends
Friends in Uganda, friends in my heart, friendship lasts forever even though we are apart

MICHAEL:  I'm happy when my friends are coming home, Jah
All i need, is a friend that gives me hope, Jah
I don't need a mother, i don't need a father, all i need is friends that trust me
We've been friends forever, takin' this forever, Jah, Jah guide and take this friendship

CHORUS: One love, one heart
Let's be friends forever and feel alright
One love, one heart
Let's be friends forever and feel alright

JENNIFER: I'm thankful for a friend like you are, I beat the drums while you play guitar
Our music is sweet, we rock to the beat
You are a friend that completes me

CURT:  Take this time to get together, all over the world we make friends forever
The youth are starvin', many are dyin', we can make the peace if we just start tryin'

MARTY:  Thankful for our friendship, thankful to the Lord, thankful for the beauty, the beauty of this world
Music is a language, a language we all share, music is the glue that shows us that we care

ROBERT: From the day that we are born we start the hustle, Little youth them dyin' ,starvin' in the ghettos,
No where to sleep no where to run, the game is hide and seek,
The world is reversing, everything harassing

Chorus: One love...

ABDUL:  I got a feeling inside my heart, one day we shine forever,
I have that touch inside my heart that make me smile forever,
Hu yeah, no no Africa yetu (our Africa) ,
We looking for peace and love that's we wanna be......

DAVIS:  (The local language is Luganda from Buganda Kingdom of Central Uganda)

Munsoozi ne Nyanja mwetukuride. Ffe emitti emittto twegase ngatugumidde. Tunonya masanyu, tukooye ebyentalo... Africa ye Maama waffe

Translation: In the mountains and the lakes where we are raised, we the young people have joined hands strongly and firmly...we are looking for joy and peace, we are tired of wars. Africa is our motherland.

MAXWELL:  (The local language is Lango from Langi people from Northern Uganda.)

Iwani iwan bulu mukare niba! Watyeko neon can ilobo
Iwani iwan bulu mukare nibaa!
Katwere biin  ikony wa wunu

Translation:  We the youths of today. We should work so hard and avoid bad behaviours. Let’s exploit our talents, play drums, respect our parents and GOD is the beginning of Wisdom.

DAVID: Let's unite and we change the world
Use your talent, 'n show it out
Help the needy, show them light
Brotherhood up, apartheid down

CHORUS: One love, one heart
Let's be friends forever and feel alright
One love, one heart
Let's be friends forever and feel alright

One love, one heart
Let's be friends forever and feel alright
One love, one heart
Let's be friends forever and feel alright

Prepping for a video shoot

Ken & Jen, the Pied Pipers of children...

Sweet Sharon

Add caption

A wonderful gift from, Moses thanking us for our efforts

I have no idea what I'm doing

Friends in Uganda, Friends in My Heart

Drumming lessons had ended and everyone found their own little niche with the YPO kids. John and Ken played their guitars for some of the girls.  I took out my ukulele and started teaching David and Abraham how to play.  While we did this Mary talked with Micheal and Kayz (the music producer) about collaborating on a song together. The next thing I knew Marty, Curt, and I had been asked to write a verse for the song we were going to record and then prepare to sing it. Later (after we left) several of the YPO kids were asked to write their own verses to perform as well. The song would be based on Bob Marley's song, "One Love".  As excited as I was to participate, I have never performed reggae, and my inhibition was at an all time high.

Ken, St. David, Prince, and Abraham 

My excellent students

Bang-Bang

Curt, Abdul, & Producah Kayz

Ken, always the charmer...

Marty & Sharon

Curt, quit while you're ahead!!!

The Queen and her royal court

Samalie, John, & Deniz

Bang-Bang & Zulu-Mahn

St. David & The Queen of Maine

"Thank You"

Producah Kayz working his magic

Mary started off by recording the chorus and laying down several tracks for harmony and background vocals.  Then Marty, Curt, and I each took our turns in the studio.  I didn't have a problem writing my verse, but I got hung up on finding my own melody.  Thank God for Curt! He was a huge help in polishing up what little I had to work with.  Kayz sent the completed song to us several days later and we were astounded by the finished product. It was decided that we would give up the time we had scheduled for shopping to go back to YPO to record a music video.

When the dust had settled from our session in the studio, Mary sat with Maxwell and a big group that had started singing some Ugandan songs.  I eventually made it over to where she was sitting and joined them.  They were singing "Mama, I love you every day".  It was so very sweet.  

Then we began to sing "Wimoweh" also known as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".  The rest of the group gathered around and we sang, and sang....it went on for at least 20 minutes! It was simply amazing!  It was that little bit of heaven I experienced as a child. I didn't want it to end.  Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, each of the YPO kids took turns stepping forward to introduce themselves and express their gratitude for our visit.  Now it was MY turn for my heart to burst!  

It was decided that we would take the YPO out for lunch.  We went to the little cafe at the nearby mall where we had gone the day before.  It took a few car loads to get us all over there!  I went in one of the first vehicles and waited at a little coffee shop with Samalie, Sarah, and Davis.  We had some cold drinks while we waited for everyone else.  Sarah agreed to try my iced coffee and she liked it enough that she ordered one!  It was nice having the three of them alone as it made conversation a little easier.  

A feast fit for a Queen (Yes, I said it, so there...)

Abraham & Zulu-Mahn

Everyone else arrived, and several pizzas, plates of chicken & chips (have I mentioned the chips???  FABULOUS!!!), and many samosas were ordered.  I think our group must have been at least 40, including children!  I will say this, pizza isn't as popular with teens in Uganda as it is in America.  The samosas went fast though.  There was much chatter and joking while we waited for our food.  I got some plates and napkins from the kitchen staff and passed them out.  While making my rounds, I tripped on a cable that held the canopy overhead in place.  There was no recovering, the Queen landed on her royal throne...sigh...  I may not have a lot of rhythm, but when I fall, I at least manage to do it gracefully...  Thankfully, I was not hurt, but I provided plenty of entertainment!  We topped our meal off with ice cream cones all around.

Sweet Gracy

Sharon, Curt, & Gracy (Love this pic!)

Sweets for the sweet

Our moment of bliss came to and end and we we had to say good-bye. I really hated to leave, but we were scheduled to attend a performance of the Ndere Troupe at the Ndere Cultural Centre. As we drove away from YPO, my heart sank just thinking about never seeing them again.


We arrived at the cultural center a little worse for the wear.  Once again, I had forgotten to reapply sunblock while at YPO and now my sunburn had a sunburn!  I was so tired, mentally, physically, and emotionally.  I was especially glad to have Mary sitting beside me, I could resonate with her.  As Ndere Troupe began their performance, we both sat there with tears in our eyes missing the YPO kids!  With each dance we spotted some one who reminded us of one of the kids or we made comparisons between the style of Kuze Troupe and Ndere Troupe.  As much as we enjoyed the show, we missed our YPO kids the whole.time.  

A Queen By Any Other Name

It was Sunday morning.  The day before, Marty had expressed that it would have been nice to attend a local church service, but our schedule did not allow us enough time for that, and not only that but not everyone on the team practices christianity.  I suggested that we take some time at breakfast to express our thoughts and feelings on our experience thus far.  We each took turns sharing our gratitude for a number of different things, but the one thread that ran through each was gratitude for being there and making new friends.  Another thing we had to be grateful for that day was Curt's birthday!  We all sang "Happy Birthday" to him.  Shortly afterward we were joined by Moses and some more YPO members.  I believe Deniz, Abdul, and Abrham Ikiriza came along that morning.

Our team arrived at YPO ready to be students.  Our goal: to learn about traditional Ugandan music and dance, and also to learn to perform.  A gargantuan task for one whose color is Paper Bright 85, but I digress...

Richard, one of the YPO trainers, started us off by having YPO sing us the Ugandan national anthem.  What they didn't know was that we had learned it!  We sang along with them and you could tell the kids were surprised.  Later on I asked one of them, Abraham, what he thought.  His response was that once he realized what we were doing, his heart burst.  Then he knew we were true musicians. I think that's the best compliment I have ever received...

forty-??? 

How old are you now?

They asked us to sing our national anthem, and we did.  It seemed like quite a few YPO members knew it.  We were about to start our tutorial when someone mentioned that it was Curt's birthday.  The YPO kids had Curt sit down in a chair and stood around him singing "Happy Birthday" including the "how old are you now" verse.  Curt beamed the whole time.  What a special birthday treat!

Now it was time for our lesson.  Richard held up each instrument that is used for performance.  He gave us the Lugandan and English names for each and a brief demo.  Each time he described an instrument he would always say "the sweet music" or "the sweet sound".  John and I looked at each other and smiled because his description was poetic.

Next we were asked to come forward and each of us was positioned by a drum. I was a fish out of water! I put on a good front though (at least i think i did!) and took my drum sticks in hand, totally prepared to make a fool out of myself.

When I was in high school I was part of a singing and dancing group called Show Choir.  Of all the kids in our group, I had the least amount of coordination or the greatest level of inhibition, take your pick.  Our poor choreographer was so patient with me. Her solution to most of it was to have me walk or move with the beat to my position and throw out "jazz hands". Standing there, getting ready to drum, caused me to relive this angst-filled time of my life.

 Saint David: My drum teacher and Gerald's Ugandan twin

I will spare you the details, but I think I did okay.  I kept the beat, but changing from one rhythm to the next was painstaking.  David was next to me trying to help me figure it out. He was so patient.  He kept saying things like, "Tah tah, bah-bah-bah..." And I kept telling him, "Give me numbers!  Count for me.  I understand numbers!"  After that experience, I think David should be nominated for sainthood! In the meantime, Curt and Mary, who were on either side of me, were drumming away.  No pressure, right???

Finally drumming lessons came to an end.  We stopped for a break and planned on learning some dance moves a little later (thankfully that never came to pass).  As we visited, we were introduced t some of the YPO members that were absent the day before.  One young man introduced himself to me as Junior and bragged that he was a "genius".  

I replied, "Really...?  Well...what you fail to realize is that you are standing in the presence of the Queen of Maine."

It stuck.  I figured, if Buganda can have a monarchy, why not Maine?

By the time I left Uganda, not only did all the kids from YPO call me the Queen of Maine, but many of the Kijjansi Rotarians did as well.  

It's good to be Queen...

Kuza Troupe Member, Little J