Simplicity.

Another beautiful day in Uganda today. I'm sitting out on my veranda looking out to the hilly farm land. A gentle breeze blowing and the sound of the kids playing soccer from behind the house. Its days like this that I'm in awe of how beautiful simplicity is. 

Saturdays are our days off here. This particular Saturday I woke up extra early, made a "big breakfast", sipped my coffee as I read, and waited for my roommates to get up. Outside sitting on our veranda, waits Colin ( a 4/5 year old boy here who has an ulcer on his knee). Colin and  I have come quite close  these days (even with our language barriers).  He comes to greet us at our house almost every other day and waits at our door for us to come and play. I step outside and we begin our little routine. I stretch out my arms, he stretches out his arms, I shuffle my feet, he shuffles his feet, and then we run into each other for a giant hug. Every  once and a while the kids will come to our veranda. It's always a special moment to see the kids just hanging outside our house. Most of the time we end up just sitting on the steps "talking" with them.  They try to teach me their language, we sing songs, we color, or we just sit. Simplicity. 

I took a walk today with Emmy and Aaron. We went further into Kabembe that I have ever been. Our feet shuffling through the dirt roads, children yelling "I see you, muzungu" "bye, muzungu", people stopping to say hello, goats at the edge of the road getting in as much food as they can, and boda-boda drivers passing by.  Simplicity. 

It's almost as if the world stops this one day at Acheru. All the workers have gone home, the caregivers hang out in their dormitories, the kids run around and play. Everyone takes the day to stop and rest. After all the work that the women do through out the week they need the day to rest.  My roommate Aaron wrote a blog about the work of the Ugandan women, and I couldn't express it any better.

http://ugandalovethisblog.aimsites.org/2013/08/24/ode-to-the-african-woman/

 They are some of the hardest workers I know and I never once hear a complaint. We always try to join in their work. I've planted beans, I've washed, Aaron has cut wood, Emmy has made food, We have all carried fire wood. The mothers love it when we work side by side with them. They find it hilarious to watch the muzungu try the Ugandan work. Most of the time we come out bruised and they tell us we need to toughen our skin (which is totally true, since I now have three bruised knuckles from washing my clothes)!

They deserve a day of simplicity. A day of rest

Colin and Me.

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