Youth Feature # 4

This is a youth family edition – while all four of these young people deserve their own day, their collective story and the life they’ve shared is the epitomy of courage, love and resiliency. From the first day Lisa and I arrived here I was intrigued and drawn to these four individuals (and at the time was unaware they were siblings, despite the now very obvious resemblance). I had the feeling they carried themselves like they knew where they were going, without traces of a past burden influencing who they are today. They moved here from Burundi due to the vicious conflict between the Tutsi and Hutu populations. If you are like me, you might not have known that the Tutsi/Hutu conflict was not exclusive to Rwanda. In fact, Burundi’s conflict was as violent if not more so (two of the first three Prime Ministers were assassinated and scores of bloodshed on both sides); this most likely attributed to the shock-value of the atrocities committed during the Rwandan genocide and brutal civil war that flowed over into Zaire (Congo) – leading to the consequent demise of Zaire and conflict that still remains there today. Sadly, we are all well aware that age does not matter in war or conflict, and these four can more than attest to that. Their father was Hutu and mother Tutsi. The father’s family came and killed their mother in front of them, and Jacques informed me they had every intention of inflicting the same fate upon the children. These ‘purification’ campaigns stemmed from Belgium’s enforcement of ethnicity being the defining feature of day-to-day life (ID cards, prominent positions in society, etc.), effectively eliminating any sort of collective identity that had once existed.

These four, along with their 18/21 year old brother (it really says a great deal that all seemed unsure about their respective ages or birthdays, but knew to the hour when they arrived to Uganda) sought refuge in Ndejje shortly after their mother’s death, while their father remains (or has since past away) in prison. If there is any sliver lining to witnessing the worst of life at far too young an age, it is the blessing that they have each other and are as solid individually as they are as a unit. So, it is my honor to introduce Abigail (who I foresee becoming a diplomat), Jeledi (a jack-of-all-trades brimming with charisma), Asheal (an artist – I’m trying hard to find a proper sketchbook for him because he’s incredibly talented) and Jaelle (who is driven and sharp enough to do anything in this world).

Abigail Nukuri
5 years old
Top Class (Kindergarten)

Jeledi Nyenintsizi
9 years old
P2

Asheal Twarabishimye
11 years old
P3

Jaelle Nyeninganji
13 years old
P4

Do you all have a name that is the same?
Lots of giggling and shaking of heads…
*Sidenote: In Africa last names are given to individuals, so siblings do not have the same last names (one child in another class was given the name which translated is: “I have made a mistake”). But also there is (usually) a family name that a child can choose to adopt at some point in their life, or for official purposes. It seems to be similar to middle names in the United States but more official and utilized here.

Where in Burundi are you from and when did you move to Uganda?
Jaelle: We moved here on 14 July 2008 from Kinyinya District in Burundi.

How many languages do you speak? Did you know English before? Your English is so good for having recently moved here!
Jaelle: We speak Swahili, Kirundi and Luganda.
And English!
Jaelle: You think we speak English??!
Well, I’m talking with you all now aren’t I?
Laughter from everyone…(minus Abigail who is in the process of learning English).
Jaelle: And English! Four languages!

Do you miss Burundi? How do you like Uganda?
Asheal: I like Uganda enough. Don’t want to go back to Burundi.
Jaelle: I miss my friends.
Does Abigail remember Burundi?
Abigail (per her siblings): I like Australia.
More laughter.
Jeldi: I want to go to Australia too. Yes, I like Australia.
All come to the agreement that Australia is indeed the top destination.

What do you like most about HOPE School?
Jaelle: I like learning in English.
Jeledi: Being taught properly.
Asheal: I like the teachings of manners and discipline.

What do you want to do once you are done with school?
Jaelle: I want to be a manager of an office.
Jeledi: Train driver.
We call those people conductors!
Immense laughter ensues…and the word ‘conductor’ is repeated numerous times.
Asheal: Math teacher.
Abigail: (per her siblings) Nurse. She wants to be a nurse.
Hmm…I’m thinking you are answering for her.
Smiles and more giggling.

Tell me about your brother, what does he do?
Jaelle: He is 21
Asheal: No he is 19
I thought Mr. Jacques told me he was 18…Jaelle: He is 21. He works...
Jeledi: He works in a hotel.
Jaelle: Yes, he works in a hotel and we live with him.

Tell me what a normal Sunday for you is like?
Jeledi: We go to church
Jaelle: Then we do chores.
Jeledi: Cooking
Asheal: Washing
Jaelle: Then we play games
What kind of games?
Jaelle: Football…hiding…
Hide and Seek?
Jaelle: Yes! Hide and Seek.
Asheal: Then we bathe…eat and then sleep.

What is your favorite food and football team?
Asheal: Rice and Irish potatoes, Barcelona.
Jaelle: Chips, Barcelona!
Jeledi: Rice, Barcelona
Abigail: Rice, Arsenal
More laughter…
Asheal: Wait, also fish.
Jeledi: And meat!

Youth Feature of the Week # 3

This is a two-for-one youth feature. Having gotten to know the young people we’re around daily much better, I’m increasingly fascinated by the bonds between students and of course their amazing spirit and inspiring lives they’ve already led at such a young age. This week I chose two girls that are mature, leaders, engaging and bright beyond their age. Their names are Daniela and Eve and are very close friends. Their families are also good friends and know each other from the DRC. Daniela is Jacques daughter (and while she was born in Uganda she still maintains a deep attachment to the Congo) and Jacques knew Eve’s family from their village in the Congo, and encouraged them to come to Uganda. The lives their parents lead and the solidarity between them says a lot about the wonderful young people they have become.

A bit camera shy...

There we go, beautiful! Eve on left Daniela on right.

Name: Daniela Muisha
Age: 9
Nationality: Congolese (born in Uganda to refugee parents)
Grade: P5

“Where is your family from in the Congo, and what can you tell us about your family?”
DM: My family comes from Goma. I visited there once and I loved the lakes, seeing the hotels and how our family cared for us. My mother is a tailor (and we all know the many things her father does). My brother Ivan is in P3 and my sister is a year and three months old old.

“What do you like most about HOPE Primary School?”
DM: I like sports, learning – especially science, the teachers and the food.

“What do you hope to do once you are done with school?”
DM: I want to be a bank manager.

“Tell us what a normal day for you is like when you aren’t in school.”
DM: I read my school books and really like reading story books. I go to Jehovah’s Witness church and then I rest.

“What is the hardest struggle you ever faced and how did you overcome it?”
DM: When my sister was very sick…and also walking to school for an hour every day. I sang to her and always stay smiling and laughing…and try to play with her.

“What is a country you want to visit someday?”
DM: I want to visit California because of all the tourist sights. I want to visit the West and South regions of the USA. (Sidenote: We had our USA day and explained how the country was broken up into four regions and that Canada and countries in South America are not part of the USA – so I’m secretly delighted with this response!)

“What is your favorite food, music singer and football team?”
DM: Rice and chicken, Alinaportantion (a Ugandan band, in English called Goodlyfe) and Real Madrid.

“Who do you think will win the World Cup?”
DM: South Africa

“Anything special you want to say to the readers of our internet site?”
DM: Have a good journey. And come to Uganda!


Name: Eve Magho
Age: 13
Nationality: Congolese
Grade: P5

“Where are you from in the Congo, what do you miss about home and what can you tell us about your family?”
EM: I am from Goma and moved to Uganda in 2007. I miss my friends and family…my Grandmother and also my Grandfather before he died. I have five in my family. Three brothers, Ivan is in P1 and two older brothers that make windows and doors. My sister Dally is in P3. (Sidenote: Jacques informed me that Eve’s father works for an NGO called Medicine Sans Frontiers, aka Doctors Without Borders, as a driver that delivers equipment and medicine deep in conflict areas.)

“Wow, you moved here pretty recently! Did you know English before coming to Uganda? How many languages do you speak?”
EM: No, learned it here. I speak Swahili, Luganda, French and English.

“What do you like most about HOPE Primary School?”
EM: I like the school and the teaching. Also sports. (Sidenote: this girl LOVES to juggle the soccer ball.)

“What do you hope to do once you are done with school?”
EM: I want to be a doctor that delivers babies.

“Tell us what a normal day for you is like when you aren’t in school.”
EM: I do mopping, washing and cooking. For fun? I watch TV and films and play with Daniela and friends.

“What is the hardest struggle you ever faced and how did you overcome it?”
EM: Not having money. My brothers worked so my family could have money.


“What is your favorite food, music singer and football team?”
EM: The food that is given to me, Shakira, I like playing football – no favorite team.

“Who do you think will win the World Cup?”
EM: South Africa?

“Anything special you want to say to the readers of our internet site?”
EM: Greetings and hi to everyone.

Progress

The week started out with a very pleasant surprise. Stevie and I were planning on meeting a couple of friends at Bubbles O’Leary’s, an Irish pub in Kampala. Our friends ended up arriving about three hours late, so we made friends with some fun and very generous Irish businessmen. After explaining Soccer Without Borders and the work that we do at Hope Primary School to these Irish men, who are involved in several non-profit projects in Africa themselves, offered us a very generous donation.

On our way home that evening, Stevie and I thought about where we should invest the money. We are leaning towards investing in electricity for the Ndejje Community Center. Installing the infrastructure for electricity at the Center will cost approximately $400 USD. If we can find neighbors who are interested in splitting the cost of the electric pole and its installation, however, the cost could be divided several ways. These extra funds have set the ball in motion. Jacques has begun searching for people nearby who are interested in getting electricity. Sharing the cost is looking promising because there are a few new homes going up around the center.

With electricity we will be able to begin some computer programs. Though these programs are at least a few months off, I am getting excited about introducing the Hope Primary School kids to computers. Most have never used one. The will also allow us to run evening programs at the center, after the sun has gone down.

We are making progress on the activities front too. Sunday evening we had a couple girls over to our house and started reading a Nancy Drew mystery. Hopefully there will be enough interest to turn this into a regular thing (and hopefully we can move it to the community center once it gets electricity so we can read in the evenings.) We also began planning for P7 music videos. The class was divided on song choice. All of the girls wanted to perform Rhianna’s ‘Umbrella’, while all of the boys voted for the Rabadaba (a Ugandan singer) song ‘Indian Culi,’ so we are going to do both. Filming starts on Monday and I am excited to see them sing, dance, and hopefully let loose.

The construction crew is putting the finishing touches on the new building at Hope Primary School leaving the forever-busy Jacques looking for something else to keep him occupied. What better than another construction project? Lately, Jacques has been talking about building a temporary structure on the side of the community center to hold half of the nursery class. Currently, Hope School Nursery uses the Community Center during the mornings and early afternoons. For the Center to truly be for the community, rather than just Hope School students, I think it is important that at least part of the facility be available all day for equipment storage, equipment rental, art projects, games, etc. This temporary structure should go a long way in making that possible.

Still, our biggest challenge in establishing a sustainable community center is finding someone permanent to stay on, run programs, and make sure that the equipment is not disappearing. If only there were a million Jacques in the world! Another Jacques would be nearly impossible to find, but Stevie and I are perpetually on the lookout for someone to work with who will take over and continue the programs once we are gone.

Ndejje Etiquette

Etiquette in Ndejje, Uganda is, not surprisingly, different from etiquette at home. Stevie and I are slowly learning a new set of ‘good manners,’ but they take some getting used to.

Ugandans are very generous people. They give whatever they can, whether that is a soda, dinner, or simply a big smile from a stranger walking down the street. People take pride in their ability to give, and as we have learned, it is impolite to refuse these acts of friendship. This is all wonderful until you apply these manners to food and drinks.

Stevie and I have been invited to a couple of meals at friends’ houses, and we’ve quickly learned to come with empty stomachs. Our friends bring out large portions of Ugandan food and we happily eat. But then out comes another course, and another, and another until we’ve sampled all varieties of Ugandan cuisine. By the end of the meal we are on the verge of bursting.

Feeling obliged to accept generosity is also dangerous when it comes to drinks. At one of our delicious, button-popping meals at a student’s house, his older brother offered us a glass of wine. Stevie and I were both happy to accept, but grew wary when he came out with a bottle of sherry. He poured us large glasses and kept on topping them off throughout the meal. Needless to say, we were both pretty tipsy by the end of the night. As we were leaving, the student told us we looked really tired. “Or something like that,” Stevie replied.

Once you are invited into someone’s house, you are expected to return regularly and unannounced. In fact, the host might be insulted if you fail to make these unexpected house calls, thinking that his/her cooking or company was not up to par. We have had several people over and, being the polite people that they are, they all stop by often and unannounced. These visits are usually a welcome surprise, except when we are cooking. Cooking takes a long time here, so when we are home the probability that we are cooking is pretty high. Now, if someone arrives while you are preparing a meal you are expected to ask them to stay and eat, even if you have not prepared enough food. Going back to the first new manner we learned here, it would be rude for them to refuse. At least a couple times a week, Stevie and I end up sharing our over-spiced concoctions with our surprise guests. Too polite to refuse the food or not finish it, they smile eat it even though they can hardly tolerate the taste (especially if it has black pepper) just as Stevie and I smile as we reluctantly divide our dinner onto more plates than two.

Flashing is routine in Ndejje. Fortunately, (or maybe unfortunately, depending on your penchant for public nudity) I do not mean exposing one’s self in public. Rather, I mean flashing someone on the phone. Phone credit here is precious and not to be wasted. When someone needs to get a hold of you but doesn’t have the phone credit to chit chat, they’ll call and hang up right away. This is a cue to call them back. It took me a while to catch on. For at least a couple of weeks I could not figure out why my phone would just ring once. Now, I’ve got the hang of it and have even started flashing people when my phone credit is low.

Since phone credit is like gold, phone calls are efficient matters. Hanging up on someone is not a sign of disrespect. Rather, it is normal. Once the caller has the information he/she needs, the phone call ends. There is no need to waste credit on unnecessary chit-chat or formalities. Stevie and I thought we were in big trouble one afternoon when the headmistress called us to ask if we were at school. When we said no, she promptly hung up. Our friend Jimbo, hearing the exchange from the headmistress’s side, later explained that she wasn’t mad; she simply didn’t need any more information from us and didn’t want to waste any more phone credit.

Religion is a common topic in casual conversations in Ndejje. In this community of refugees, everybody has a different background and a different story, and everybody is interested in learning about the newcomers. I am no longer surprised with the follow-up question to ‘How are you?’ is ‘what religion are you?’ On more than one occasion, people have asked Stevie and me if we are Muslim. Curious as to why everybody thinks we are Muslim, I asked one of the kids at Hope School. He told me that he thought we were Muslim because when we sit, we sometimes fold our legs in front of us (Indian style, though that is probably not the PC term).

I’m sure that we still have not picked up on a host of several social cues and manners, and we’ve probably accidentally offended a few people. When we return to the States, please don’t be too upset if I hang-up on you.

Youth Feature of the Week # 2

This is a special feature as Gideon is no longer at HOPE Primary School. But we felt his story and profile was worth sharing. Gideon lives in Nsambya (if you’re a loyal reader you’ll recognize that name as the location in Kampala SWB has another program in) and is a refugee from the DRC. Gideon’s father is around 70 years old and no longer able to work and his mother disappeared when he was young, so he held a job while attending Primary school in order to be able to pay his school fees, which was the only way he could attend school (a school taught in a language that he had to learn as he went along). This is another reason why HOPE is such a unique and amazing institution, because as much as it struggles to adequately pay its teachers or at times settle past debts, it won’t turn away students who cannot pay right away and offers a reduced price for refugee children. Back to Gideon. He casually and shyly told us he walked to school from Nsambya everyday (because he couldn’t afford to take a taxi, which costs 1,200 Uganda shillings – around 60 cents). In a taxi it takes around 50 minutes to get from Ndejje to Nsambya. He would wake up at 5am and start his journey without breakfast (and unfortunately was not be able to afford to eat lunch at school as well) and roll into school right around its start, which is 7:30 am. And after school he walked back home – and apparently never passed up playing football before his long journey back. It is reminiscent of our grandparents telling us how they used to walk a mile to school everyday…but minus the African heat and extremely unsavory road conditions (e.g. boda boda drivers, dusty dusty roads, etc.). It makes you feel guilty for cutting classes, no? It does for me! Gideon is an inspiration and I am truly hopeful he is able to find the funds to continue his education at the Secondary level. He certainly deserves it. Enjoy his profile below…

Name: Gideon Mambandi
Age: 16
Nationality: Congolese
Grade: 2009 P7 Graduate

“Where are you from in the Congo, do you have any siblings and when did you move to Uganda?”
GM: I am from Kisangani in the Congo. My sister Agnes is 14 and goes to HOPE school now. We never fight. I moved to Uganda when I was a baby and don’t remember it.

“What have you been up to since graduating from HOPE Primary School?”
GM: I am looking for Secondary Schools but they are all too expensive. It costs UGS 500,000 ($250.00) a term and there are three terms [in a school year].

“What do you miss most about HOPE?”
GM: I miss games…football. And my favorite subject was History.

“Tell us what a normal day for you is like.”
GM: I wake up and pray in the morning, then mop the house and sweep the compound, make tea, rest, play football and then go home.

“What is the hardest struggle you ever faced and how did you overcome it?”
GM: When I was starting at HOPE school it was a hard struggle to get up and walk to school everyday, for two hours there and two hours back.

“Who is your hero/person you respect most in the world?”
GM: I respect my elders because they take care of me.

“What is your favorite food, music singer and football team?”
GM: Rice and beans, Usher and Manchester United.

“Who do you think will win the World Cup?”
GM: Brazil

Youth Profile of the Week

For our inaugural “Youth Feature of the Week” we chose to interview Hakim, who was there to witness our first legitimate meal we made using a kerosene stove (we both agreed our tuna and cheese during the blackout did not count). We hope you enjoy getting to know and also learning from these children as much as we do! Hopefully this gives our readers more insight into the community we are immersing ourselves in, as well as provide those that donated a look at where their generosity has gone and understand how much it truly provided a child and a community.

Name: Hakim Kafero
Age: 13
Nationality: Ugandan
Grade: P7

“How many are in your family, and where are you from in Uganda Hakim?
HK: There is my mother, father, two sisters and one brother. I did have three sisters but one got sick and died when I was very young. We come from Western Uganda, the Mbarara District. We moved to Ndejje in 2003 and all I remember is that at our home in the West was very old and with big land.

“What are your parent’s careers?”
HK: My mother works at a shop selling fruits, sodas and snacks in front of our home and my father is unemployed, but he used to be a taxi driver.

“Tell us what a normal day for you is like.”
HK: I go to bed late, like 1 AM, and don’t need much sleep, only three hours. I then wake up and dream for two hours. My dreams are crazy and so great! Then I get up and go to Mosque with my family, and then to HOPE school at 7:30. After school I like to play games, especially football.

“ What dream did you have last night?”
HK: In my dream I was a black leopard.

“What are your hopes and dreams after HOPE School?”
HK: I want to go to Secondary School and University. My dream is to be an MP (Member of Parliament) because I want to develop Uganda and other countries. I want to help others because there is too much corruption. And I like to make my own choices. I want to go to USA and Brazil. Uganda will take ten years to develop and take care of my family and in those countries it is more easy to take care of them.

“What is the hardest struggle you’ve ever faced?”
HK: Having to pay school fees.

“How did you overcome that?”
HK: Before my father lost his job he worked hard to get money to pay for my fees.

“Who is your hero or person you respect most in the world?”
HK: My mother because she takes so much care of me.

“What is your favorite food, football player and football team?”
HK: Jack fruit, Frank Lampard and Chelsea.

“Who do you think will win the World Cup this year?”
HK: South Africa!