Jacob's Introduction

This entry is long overdue, but the day was too wild, too entertaining, too eventful not to share. Teacher Jacob, the math and science teacher for P5-P7 is getting married! Three weeks ago he had his formal introduction to the bride’s family. Man, Ugandans know how to put on a show!

The all day affair started at 10:00 as we dawned our gomesi, traditional Buganda ladies’ wear. It took three Buganda women 20 minutes to dress each of the mzungus in these multi-layered rainbow dresses with shoulders that put 80s shoulder pads to shame. The men had it much easier with their white dresses called kanzus.

After we had all dressed and as I was pondering how I might pee wearing the gomesi, nine of us crammed into a van and drove to Teacher Jacob’s house. There we met a stressed-out teacher Jacob and his smart-looking family dressed in kanzus and electric rainbow colored gomesi.

As we waited for an hour or two for teacher Jacob to get dressed we were entertained in Luganda. First, his spokesman lobbied us for money, telling us that Jacob’s gifts for his future in-laws were too few. Next, as we waited for Jacob’s friends to extract the keys that they had locked into their running car, a Ugandan man with a guitar serenaded us. He had the most unique voice, very nasally, but somehow pleasant. He sang us what I thought was a happy children’s’ song, but was actually about how homosexuality is a sin.

Once the keys were extracted and our musical entertainment was worn out we boarded the cars and vans and moved the party to the bride-to-be’s house. After an hour an a half on a bumpy, unpaved road we emerged from the car with slightly droopier shoulder pads.

The ceremony itself was phenomenal, though I could not understand any of it. Each family had a professional spokesman, basically a comedian, who would make fun of each of the family members in Luganda as they appeared before the audience. It was like a 4-hour version of a Comedy Central’s roast, followed by TONS of Ugandan food.

At the end of the ceremony I got the Cliffs Notes version of what had gone on from Annet, the Hope School headmistress. She explained that almost all of it was a joke, but there were a few serious problems: First, Jacob’s gifts were not sufficient. With his teacher’s salary he could not afford the dowry of chickens, cooking oils, goats… that the bride’s family had required. Second, the bride’s father at the ceremony may have been a stand-in because the real father did not agree with the wedding. I have yet to find out if the man was actually the bride’s real father.

Tired and stuffed full of food, we made our way back home. We ran into a broken down truck in the middle of Ndejje road, and after trying three alternate routes, we finally made it back to Calm Guest House at 11:00 pm. The wedding is May 1 and I am looking forward to it! I’ll say it again, Ugandans know how to do ceremonies!

Youth Feature Double Narrative

(Joweria on left)

(Chelsea)

One of the unique facts about HOPE Primary School that I have neglected to mention is that it is the only school for refugees outside of a refugee camp. While it is not assisted by the government, it is recognized. This has most likely been achieved by the growing number of Ugandans attending the school and Jacque’s insistence of separating himself, a refugee, from the school in a public forum. While there are obvious qualms with this approach it is a necessary one it seems, and has led to this school being able to operate as it has thus far. I found myself wondering if intercultural communication and/or education is a part of the school, or if there were issues between refugee students and Ugandans. Initially, when the refugee population outnumbered the Ugandans Jacques mentioned that there were disagreements or conflicts that led to Ugandan children saying, “This is not even your land….you are from Congo…you shouldn’t be here…etc. etc. etc.” There were instances when these problems involved student’s parents who wanted to go to local authorities (despite the police force being very little compared to the 500,000 strong population in Ndejje) for certain conflicts, which would cause obvious problems for refugees. But it seems that there are no obvious issues to Lisa and I upon seeing the students interact, but also there is not much acknowledgement of HOPE’s diversity and potential arenas for stratification. They have a “Debate Day” once a week, but it appears to be more focused on general issues such as school systems, corruption, etc. So I took an opportunity to interview two P6 female students, one Ugandan and one Kenyan (with help of a translator) to get their perspective.

Chelsea Norah
Grade: P6
Age: 11 years old
Nationality: Kenyan

Where are you from in Kenya and when did you move to Ndejje?
CN: I am from a district in central Kenya called Kakamega. I moved here in 2007 so my mother could find work.

What work does your mother do? Did she move here knowing anyone?
CN: My mother still hasn’t found a job but will soon get. She wants to be a tailor. No, she moved here knowing no one.

Do you miss Kenya? Is that where your father is?
CN: I like Kenya more than Uganda and I miss it a lot. I miss my grandmother and cousins. My father works in Sudan. I talk to him on the telephone sometimes but I forget what his work is. I haven’t seen him in three years.

How long did it take you to learn Luganda? Was that difficult? You are so good at English did you learn that at HOPE?
CN: It took me a year to learn Luganda. I also speak Kibukusu and Swahili. In P1 I learned English from my teacher in Kenya so when I came in P3 it was not too hard to read or learn.

Did you find it easy to adjust or be welcomed in Uganda?
CN: It was hard at first. My best friends at school are in Baby Class. But I live next to Sharon (a Ugandan in P6).

What do you like most about HOPE and what do you want to do after school?
CN: I like that the teachers teach us so we can pass (exams). I want to be a bank manager because I see that it’s a good job.

What is your favorite food, football team and music singer?
CN: Chips, Chelsea – because it’s my name, and Esther Wahome – a Ugandan singer

Is there anything you want to say to people reading this?
CN: Tell everyone I’m a good girl.


Joweria Nakijjoba
Grade: P6
Age: 14 years old
Nationality: Ugandan

How many are in your family Joweria…is this your sister (girl in photo that she always minds like a little sister)?
JN: No, this is my friend. I am only one. I live with my mother. My father died in 2000 from malaria.

What work does your mother do?
JN: She sells clothes.

What do you like most about HOPE? I see that you are a great dancer where did you learn how to dance? Is that what you want to do after school?
JN: I like to play with classmates and speak English at school. My friend at another school taught me how to dance, I love it and singing so much. I want to be a nurse after school.

No, I don’t know how to play you’ll have to teach me, it looks fun. How do you like going to school with so many people from different countries? Was it ever confusing for you or strange?
JN: I feel happy and benefit from learning other languages and dances from students from other tribes or countries. At first I did have a problem with some of the Congolese girls because I thought they were talking about me all the time in their language (she gave an example of a classmate she felt didn’t share with her and felt she would only share with her Congolese classmates).

How did you overcome that feeling or problem?
JN: Now because the school is taught in English they (refugee students) don’t use their language as much. So I don’t feel as bad and we are friends.

What is your favorite food, football team and music singer?
JN: Sweet Potatoes, I don’t like football! I like netball…I’m want to teach you how to play. And I like the Ugandan singer Bugebe Wilson.

Is there anything you’d like to tell your Internet readers?
JN: Tell them girls should take care of themselves. Because men encroach on young girls after school. Know that AIDS is a killer disease and try to avoid men that take advantage.