Love

I made a brick this morning! There is a contraption (I hesitate to call it a machine because it requires so much manual labor) that you put dirt into and then put all of your weight into pulling down a lever to compact the dirt into a brick. Totally awesome. I also helped with interior design of the birth center. We molded extra mud into the walls to create the shape of branches, flowers and leaves. This was a challenging project but a lot fun. After two days of work I love the fact that I have very dirty fingers and toes!

As we were leaving the birth center for the last time, we rounded the corner in our enormous bus and out from behind the bushes came all of the men that were working at the site with us over the past 2 days. They completely surprised us-- rushing out into the open, screaming wildly, waving and smiling as a farewell to us all. It is difficult for me to describe why this was so emotional for the entire group We worked with these men intensely for two days, sharing stories and information about our cultures. They are the exception to the stereotypical, male Ugandan-- these men were thoughtful, kind, understanding, generous and supportive. Natalie is so fortunate to have them on board for her dream project, and it was so moving to see their appreciation for our presence in those last moments.

Before we left Kasana, we went to Natalie's home for lunch and enjoyed, yet again, the traditional Ugandan meal. That's our fifth time eating Thanksgiving in 3 days. I'm all starched out, but am very grateful for the local hospitality. They don't eat like this every day, but insist that we do as their guests. After lunch, we opened several of the bags full of donations for Natalie to see. We finally got to see the magnitude of what we collected. Natalie says the birth center will be up and running even sooner now that she has nearly all of the supplies they need to operate.

Sarah, Heather, Amanda and Davian stayed behind to help deliver another baby at the current birth center as we road back to the Sheraton Kampala. We were blessed to hear about this healthy birth later in the evening during group processing. We found out that today is Amanda's son's birthday. She gave birth to her first child twelve years ago today. She said, "12 years ago I became a mama and I helped someone else become a mama today." That really struck me. I feel special to be one of the 24 women in the room to hear that lovely realization.

I have mixed feelings about returning to Kampala. I am very aware of how lucky I am to now have amenities like bottled water, air conditioning, regular toilets, and a comfortable queen sized bed. I am also constantly thinking of our new friends that don't have these things. I lived for a few days in the Kasana volunteer house, and even there we had fair showers and working toilets. Most people in the village are walking miles for water and going to the bathroom in small cement holes. As a guest in their village, I was in no way roughing it, but now I just feel positively spoiled. I can understand a little more clearly now why people have incredible difficulty transitioning back into their normal lives after visiting a third world country. There's no turning back from what we've witnessed and experienced here, and in many ways I'm compelled to live among these people despite the constant struggle of their lives. The love I feel is so intoxicating it's easy to forget the daily hardships they endure.

Each night we take about an hour to check in as a group to make sure everyone is feeling fine and supported. It's also been a nice opportunity for me to remember some of the things I've forgotten to share with all of you. So much happens in a day, it's difficult to remember all of it. There's just one last thing I'd like to share...

Yesterday, when a group of us were taking a break from work, an old woman slowly walked towards us to sit in the shade. The woman did not speak English, but Natalie told us that the woman is ninety years old and walks to the birth site every Wednesday to help. She had hurt her leg. The woman sat and spoke softly to Jen, one of the participants, for several minutes in a language that none of us understood. Minutes later, she slowly stood to make her trek back home. We said goodbye.

Ninety years old. How will we show up when we reach her age? What will we be willing to do for our community and our children? She is way past the ability to conceive, so she is clearly coming to this site each week to see a project thrive that will support her granddaughters and great-granddaughters. She is an example of love at it's finest. I am in awe. May the Universe forever bless the great women of Uganda in all their strength and magnificent beauty.


Thanks for reading,
Megan