Haley spent most of the fall of 2012 and spring of 2013 working to earn money for a trip to Uganda with her best friend's family. They operate their own non-profit, Link to Lift Northern Uganda. Their mission is to bring health care supplies, run clinics, and bring the message of Christ to the people of Northern Uganda, where the husband was born and raised. Haley has been wanting to go with them for years, and finally, she raised the $3,000 necessary for the trip.
We were mostly feeling secure about sending her half-way around the world to a place we've never been (okay, I've never even left the country), where the conditions, climate, food, and political atmosphere were questionable. But we've known the family for a long time and felt better knowing that they have traveled there and spent many, many months in the area with the people. They have family there, and Bon (husband) only recently left Uganda to come to America. It is extremely helpful having someone who grew up in the country you are visiting. He knows all the little things they don't teach you in travel brochures. Like how to cross the street when there are no traffic lines, and the people there consider the road for cars, not pedestrians.
We had to get a lot of things prepared, besides just the plane tickets. She had to get a passport and all sorts of immunizations, and also had to help prepare crafts and Sunday School lessons for the children.
The journey began with a drive to LA in a stuffed SUV pulling a UHaul trailer filled with supplies. I'm sure the ticket agents at the airport took a heavy sigh when they saw this group coming with about a dozen plastic tubs full of medicine!
From LA, they traveled by plane to Europe, then to Ethiopia, and then finally to Kampala, Uganda. That is the big city, and after spending a couple of days there, they hopped in a (stuffed) van and headed north through the center of the country.
A view of the marketplace from their hotel in Kampala:
Once they got to Kitgum, Haley and Kalin shared a room. They sometimes had water, and had to take showers (when they could get them) with the (cold) water barely trickling out of the shower head. This was a luxury, and Kalin wasn't as lucky in her other stays in the country. They had no air conditioning, of course, but did have a fan. However, the fan only worked when the lights did not, and the lights only worked when the fan did not. They were actually happy to have either one!
They do have restaurants in Uganda, and the food is mainly rice, beans, chapatti, and posho. Chapatti (chu-paw-tay) is basically their bread (unleavened), cooked on an open fire. Posho is a mix of flour and water, and Haley surprisingly liked it. They also ate goat, chicken, fruits and vegetables. The beans are cooked all day long, using hot salted rocks. Haley lost over 10 pounds between the diet and physical work and walking. When she got back, she made her own versions for us to try.
During their travels on the "roads", they saw a lot of wildlife passing by. The monkeys were always very interested in cars, hoping to get a banana or other food item thrown their way. They were also very scary, and quite aggressive.
Here is a photo of their room, complete with mosquito net:
Haley absolutely loved the children in Uganda. They were very intrigued by her "mono" (tan) skin. They called the others in her party "muzungu" (white). They were also very surprised that there were black people in America (????). The only one they really knew of was Chris Brown, and they repeatedly asked Haley and the others if they knew him, and if they could get his address. Haley politely replied that she does not, in fact, know Chris Brown, and has no idea where he lives. They were also surprised that there are, actually, many black people in America who were not immigrants. Haley thought they might benefit from an American history lesson, since Africa is actually a really big part of it. Maybe another day.
A large part of what they did was just playing with the children. Most of them spoke English, but those few who could not afford the tuition to attend school did not. Many of them attend school periodically, being kicked out when their tuition is not up to date.
The girls shave their heads because of lice, and all the school children wear uniforms.
The boys are very much in to kung fu, and are pretty awesome at striking poses. We have a lot of pictures like this:
Another big part of the mission was to help women - many of their husbands have left them or died - learn ways to employ themselves. Here the girls were teaching a local friend to bake cookies to sell:
The children really loved Haley's hair, and here are a few of them in their school uniforms braiding her hair. All women and girls wear only skirts or dresses, so we stocked up Haley's wardrobe before she left.
The local children would often stop by the office at all hours of the day. They kind of just wander around at night, even the little ones, and aren't really under any adult supervision.
Part of Haley's responsibilities was to make signs for the clinics they held in several different villages. They instructed people where to go, and where to line up.
This is one of the Christian lessons they shared:
This is "Baby". She loved Haley:
This is one of the clinics they put on in one of the villages. Hundreds of people came out to see the doctor and get the medicine they need. They don't have access to basic things like aspirin and antibiotics.
Because they own a van that stays in Uganda, Haley's group (luckily) didn't have to travel on one of the buses that travels to the more remote parts of the country. At each stop, local people bring their goods right up to the bus windows in hopes you'll purchase something from them. You can buy lots of things, including meat-on-a-stick.
They also traveled to a wildlife sanctuary on one of their days off, and were able to see all the African wildlife. Haley's favorites were the warthogs and the giraffes.
They also took a picture of themselves on the Nile River (apparently a no-no. You can't take pictures of the Nile!!)
This is "The Doctor's Office". People who came to the clinics saw the doctor in this hut:
Haley met a lot of new friends in Uganda, and was very sad to leave them behind. But she still stays in contact with them, and if she had the money, she would go back right now.
There were lots of very interesting markets in Uganda. You could buy everything from dried fish to flip flops.
Before they left the country, they stopped by Bon's family's house. They played with turkeys, and had a duel with sugar cane. I didn't know that's what sugar cane looks like:
