Our New Home

I arrived in Mbale after a four-hour journey from Kampala. Along the way, we passed many villages. I was told they are not considered towns, but merely villages. I was rather disturbed by the time we made it to Mbale. The only somewhat progressive place I saw was Jinja. Most of the villages were very small. Just a handful of dwellings and many of them were mud huts or rudimentary brick shacks. Dispersed among their yard were children with clothes dangling off them…many girls in what an American would consider a Sunday school or party dress that was too big. Of all the children, I saw I only saw two toys. It was at the same trading center and two boys had long sticks with two wheels connected with an axle attached at the end. It reminded me of a archaic version of the popup I had as a kid. Except these two boys were much older than the children I see play with the popups. I saw a few kids with what appeared to be kwashiorkor. The strangeness of it all was that while I felt sorrow for these families they seemed to be unaware of their poverty. They simply were going about their business farming, selling items and tending to their daily work. Along the road, people were making and selling charcoal, drying and selling rice and so forth. How is that possible? The strength these people have is amazing; their will to survive tremendous. After arriving in Mbale, Tina brought us to the TASO center where we were introduced to the general manager Kimera. We soon found out he is a Bugandan prince. Though he seemed almost embarrassed that we were told. Peter was quickly called and we were taken to our new house. We arrived and everyone started unpacking our heavy and over packed luggage. Even our neighbor and security guard Tom.
Our house is three bedrooms and two bath. The floors are made of cement that was painted years ago; the walls a rough plaster with paint peeling in every room. The two bathrooms have showers that only produce cold water that drains directly on the bathroom floor wetting everything in even remotely close proximity. One of the bedrooms has light fixtures but faulty wiring so no lights work. Only one toilet flushes properly and quality craftsmanship is very much nonexistent. I do not describe this house to you in complaint, rather to enlighten you on the conditions that many people must live in, because this house is considered a very nice house to most of those that live in Mbale. I have been here two days and have already had multiple people mention this to me. I can only imagine the houses that other people must make their homes.
As you drive though town you get the feeling that you are in something like an old western movie by looking at the buildings. The difference being that the people don’t quite fit the description and the building have not been repaired since before the old west became old. Many building are patched with aluminum; most are filthy others have been reinforced using large branches and yet these are the buildings that people conduct business in everyday. The streets are mostly dirt though there is some remnants of what was once asphalt. Most vehicles spend their time dodging what some describe as pot holes but I would describe as trenches. In every alleyway and along every road and crevice there is trash thrown about. Among the trash, you can find every variety of goat and chicken picking through looking for some scrap of food. These are the same chickens and goats that will be used for milk, meat and eggs. Cattle are hearded down the our street each day to the watering hole in front of our house. They know exactly where to go and don’t try to run away. Any trash that makes it to its proper place is then burned for all to inhale. Yet this town is set in a beautiful, almost magical setting. It is in a tropical lush green area at the base of Mount Elgon. The trees are full of bright flowers and fruit. Bananas, jackfruit, papayas, and passion fruit can be found everywhere. A waterfall can be seen trickling down the side of the mountain who’s peak is mysteriously hidden by a fog of clouds. It is a strange place yet it is growing on me quite quickly.

Bird from Kampala
Room at Namirembe
View at Namirembe
Our Guarddog Foxy
Skink in our garden
View of falls from our road
Teal Bird