Fort Portal

Last Tuesday we arrived in Fort Portal after 13 hours of traveling.

We have been staying at a hostel run by Youth Encouragement Services. YES was founded 15 years ago by Carol Adams, an American. Her organization now takes care of over 300 kids who came from elderly-led families, child-led families, or orphanhood.

Throughout the week we have been working at the Manna Rescue Home where 30 kids with HIV (28 have AIDS) live.

We spent most of our time assisting them with maintenance projects (fixing ceiling tiles, putting up mosquito nets, painting signs, concreteing goal posts, and tearing up cement). In the aftrenoon, however, and especially the last few days, we have focused more energy toward playing with the kids. We started arriving and leaving later in the day, and Karen organized a candle-making activity for all of us.

As elsewhere, we worked alongside very interesting people who were very willing to tell us about themselves and Uganda. On Saturday we visited the house of one of Carol's office workers, Rose. Her mother adopted all 27 of her grandchildren after 12 of her 13 sons and daughters died. Together with Rose and a daughter in-law, the grandmother cares for all her residents in the "House of Kids." When we arrived, teh kids gathered int he backyard to give us a proper greeting. They sang and danced as one sat on a jerry can and beat on a bucket. A popular song among them is a sadly cheerful tune about family members' dying from AIDS.

On Monday our foreman, Paddy, was willing to talk with us about his life in Uganda. Though only ~36, Paddy has been involved in the Ugandan turmoil since he was 10. While in primary school, Obote's government burned his town. Paddy fled and joined the guerillas where he served under Musseveni throughout the Civil War and Musseveni's early years. After recounting his early years, Paddy fielded our diverse questions on resources, foreign policy, and politics.

With our free time this week, some of us visited teh chimps, botanical gardens, a local market, and the tombs of the Kingdom of Toro.

Since we have been staying at a hostel, many of us have opted to cook for ourselves. Our meals have been jsut bread, salty peas, mac and cheese, egglplant with tomato and cheese, and lots of eggs. On Friday night, we had a very special pizza dinner before acquainting ourselves with East African culture by watching the "Lion King." (On Monday we wathced "Hotel Rwanda" while we had the opportunity).

In just over an hour we will had tour to Lake Nkuruba for some R+R after oru very busy week.