Hello friends and family,

Last weekend Maama and I visited Agnes and Suza (host siblings) in Rakai Town. Rakai is known as being the district hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. Maama and I left Friday evening from Masaka Town. Again I was struck by the transportation options here in Uganda. We went to a gas station on the edge of town where the taxis are known to pass by on their way to Rakai and we waited there. A few taxis passed by and some tried to convince us that we should “sit, sit!” as in enter their taxi immediately but they just want to pack in the passengers and they weren’t even going as far as Rakai. Eventually a coaster came by, going to a town called Kyotera, pretty close to Rakai, so we got on. We stopped many times to pick up more passengers. Anytime there were people on the side of the road, the conductor would stick his arm out the window, pointing the direction we were traveling and if they waved him down, we’d stop. Ah, life without bus stops – get picked up or dropped off anywhere along the route. When we arrived in Kyotera about an hour or so later, we were packed into a car (sedan) to be driven to Rakai. At one point there were six people (four adults, two kids) in the back and four adults in the front (including the driver). Fuel is expensive and vehicles are relatively scarce.

People were curious to see Maama and I traveling together. I overheard the driver ask something like “Muzungu ali ani?” (who’s the muzungu?). Maama responded, “Ono ye omwaana wange” (she is my child), so when he laughed I turned to him and said “kye kyo” (it’s true). We enjoyed playing this joke on people a few more times during the trip. On the taxi back home to Masaka a woman and her child sat next to me. She said to her child, “Olabbe Muzungu, olabbe?” (do you see the Muzungu, do you see her?). I turned to them and said “Nedda, nze Muganda. Ono ye maama wange.” (no, I’m a Muganda. This one is my mom). The woman just laughed. Maama piped up with “Takulimba” – she’s not lying to you. I am happy to have learned just enough Luganda to do this, and also that I have truly been welcomed here as another daughter of Maama’s.

In Rakai we stayed in a modest motel adjacent to the Coca Cola depot that my sister Agnes manages and where Suza works. The room had two beds and a small table; the pit latrines and bathing stalls were outside, communal, though we bathed at the apartment where Agnes and Suza stay just down the road.

On Saturday they had to make up a missed Coke distribution day, so I rode along in the truck with Suza and his coworkers Derek and Samula. The attached photo shows Suza in the truck, Agnes watching, and Derek and Samula ready to load more crates. The route we took was to a town called Kibaale, which was where the main stops were. However we would stop anytime we saw the red crates filled with empty bottles along the road. Here in Uganda all soda (Coke or Pepsi products) is sold in glass bottles which are reused – I once had a Sprite with 1994 as the copyright date. Now that’s effective recycling!!

So I helped to separate the empty bottles (sorting by Fanta, Sprite, Coke) while the new crates for the store owner were unloaded. Then we loaded up the crates with the empties. People were very surprised to see me helping to lift the crates – because of our pale skin, it is assumed that Bazungu are very fragile and weak. Some people thought that I was the manager of Coca Cola, or maybe the manager’s daughter, come to make sure that the Rakai depot was running smoothly.

While riding in the truck Suza jokingly told me that my task when I return to the States is to find him a girl to marry. This discussion brought up the issue of dowry, when the man gives the woman’s family some gifts (such as cows, goats, clothes, food) in order to marry her – anthropologists actually call this brideprice but here in Uganda they refer to it as dowry. He was quite surprised to hear that in the US we don’t have that tradition. His next comment made me laugh: “you mean that you, Nakirya, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kasimaggwa, will be married free of charge??” I asked him what he thinks of dowry, if it’s a good thing or not. He said on the one hand, it shows the dedication of the man to the woman and his appreciation to his parents for bringing her up well, though on the other hand it is like buying a wife.

So we got back to Rakai at something like 6 pm and had to unload all the crates of empty bottles. For the whole day’s work, over 8 hours, Suza made 5,000 shillings – a little over $3. He says he’s been able to save half of his pay, to go towards his school fees. I see $3 per day and I wonder how much profit Coca Cola makes… but I don’t know those details, how much of the money goes towards fuel etc etc. How much is a 2-liter bottle of Coke in the US? Here it sells for 3,500 shillings ($2.20).

On Sunday we walked to Lake Kijjanebarola. The name is a combination of two languages and it means “it came when all people were seeing it.” The story goes that the lake was formed suddenly, during broad daylight, with people watching. Also there is a tradition that when you visit a lake in Buganda, you must wash your hands there.

After the lake, Maama, Agnes and I said our goodbyes and took a taxi to Kyotera (5 adults in back, four in front). Then we took a special hire taxi to Kakuuto Village with Agnes’ boss to visit the Kakuuto Ostrich Eco-Tourism Center. When we arrived, there were four horses near the main gate. It was Maama’s first time to see a horse! Attached is a photo of Maama, Agnes, her boss and our tour guide with one of the horses. We could have paid 15,000 shillings to ride one of the ostriches, but we declined. We headed back to Masaka, arriving at about 8:30. Luckily Maama knew the driver, a boy from Namaseenene, so he drove the taxi to our home to drop us off.

At work now I am helping Edward to write some grant proposals for UDEI. Today we are having a celebration in Bulayi to mark the end of our training series. I’m planning to wear my gomesi, I think they’ll appreciate it.

As my departure date nears, I am torn between being very excited and impatient to be home in Iowa and being very sad about leaving this place and the friends I have made. Also I want to share more about my experiences – thank you all for your questions, and keep them coming! Cory suggested that I post these emails on a blog so that other friends and family can read them; I plan to add responses to your questions there, so that these weekly emails don’t become too long. I’ll keep you updated about that.

Sending love,

Stephanie

Hard work

horse extravaganza