East African Adventure: Arrival in Bwera

Robert shared his welcoming smile and warm spirit with me as I arrived at Bwera - my new home for the next two weeks.

I was nervous and brave this morning as I left the Canadians and headed to rural Uganda alone. The taxi was a Toyota sedan holding fifteen people and a live chicken right at my feet. Arriving at the center of town and seeing Nelson brought emotions to the surface. What a moment!

It was right to the police station where I registered as an official guest in the village and followed Nelson's request to hire two guards for the house at night. We are very close to the Congo border, and Congo is an unstable place.

My 9:00 am arrival kept everyone hopping because they thought I would arrive in the afternoon. Preparations were being made - cockroaches and rats "disciplined" and my house made up just right. It was a royal welcome, and I met Nelson's mother who posed with Nelson and Robina's kids, Nellie and Ruth. [wah bah cheer ay] means hello, so I knew what to say to the matriarch.

Bosco is another youth in the family dwelling. He is Nelson's sister's boy who lives here. G-nuts (ground nuts) were pulled directly from the ground as we scavenged for plastic bags together.

Nelson was busy arranging students and teachers on this Sunday to prepare for my arrival. We rode together on his motorcycle, accompanied by Rubina on a boda boda carrying the keyboard and other gifts (see her in the police station picture).

Now here is a time I wish I had recorded something, but I was completely overwhelmed and swept entirely into the experience. We turned on the school road and students had walked out to meet us. Nelson said, "I think they would like to walk in with you. Is that okay?"

"Oh, yes!" My hands were held, my bags were carried, and I was swept along that road by warm, loving, powerful songs of welcome and excitement. These kids sang big and like athletes. When the group tired, one would sing on and the group would meet her, clapping, adding harmony and fueling the embrace. Honestly, that walk was an experience of a lifetime and a dream come true. I really cherished the moment and although I can not blog it, you can hopefully feel the energy - goose bumps, shivers, squeezing hands, deep eye contact, huge smiles, and some tears of joy. Every child at Bwera Vocational Secondary School is an orphan of AIDS. Nelson is a revolutionary.

He led me directly on a tour of the school. You are most welcome at Bwera Vocational Secondary School!

Here is the school garden, with crops including cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes and various fruit trees.

The goats produce both milk and kids,

chomping away on whatever is offered.

Hand made structures protect seedling trees and future shade-makers for a beautiful school campus environment. (PODA helped COBRA to build the school less than two years ago.)

This is the kitchen,

and this the computer/music/Grade 8 classroom, with a brick maker behind the lockers (they made their own). It is one of six classrooms.

These sewing machines serve the tailoring program - a good career here for girls. The teachers are already wiped out after the exciting delivery of musical gifts, maps, sports uniforms and the promise of Pro-D.

For me as an honoured guest (and potential donor), a traditional group was hired to perform the entertaining dances, songs, rhythms and dramas of western Uganda. Below are images from a play about a man whose wife divorces him for being uncircumcised. His buddies 'do the job', and you can see the happy reunion of bride and groom.