Day #17

6-5-09

It has been a pretty incredible day. If there has been one day in which I've been challenged to remain flexible, it was today. On two occasions I had to wait for Pastor Enoch to come back with his van and bring me to the next destination. We must have waited a good half hour on both occasions. But it wasn't a big deal. I think I'm growing accustomed to the African lifestyle of being extremely laid back. Perhaps when school starts back up it'll all change and I'll go back to my old ways of rushing everywhere, but for the time being, I have been enjoying not having to be in a hurry, constantly.
I think I tasted the worst thing I have ever tasted in my life, today. When we first arrived at the village the women took us into a room and "treated" us to millet juice. Apparently it is a crop grown like rice and is then ground into powder and mixed with water. This beverage is served to all guests within the village who are considered welcome in their home. Pastor Enoch explained that if it wasn't served to you then that means you are not welcome and should never return. Honestly, the taste of this juice was so horrid, you'd think it'd be the other way around. It had a fermented taste to it and though it looked like chocolate milk, it was far from it. I seriously had to force it down, as I did not want to be rude.
After this delightful experience, however, I really enjoyed the time we spent walking from one woman's home to the next. These homes varied as some were made of mud and others cement, but they were all fairly large (in comparison to the homes in Budumbuli and the slums, anyways). It was neat to see how excited the women were to show us their homes; clearly they took pride in the little they owned. It's so amazing how even those homes with dirt floors appeared spotless and there was hardly a trace of trash in their "yards." Many of them were widows and others had polygamous husbands. It seemed all of them lived meagerly, often depending upon the selling of their crops to send their children to school and pay their rent. Apparently many of them even rent the land in which they use to grow crops. This really surprised me, but it appeared to be very common in this particular village.
Most of these women had at least 3-5 children, many of which were in school at the time of our visits. According to Dean (our translator), school is not free at all, despite the government's claims.
Another problem facing these women was the lack of clean water. The closest water source produced only dirty water which leads to diseases if used. To get clean water Dean said they had to travel by foot for miles over a huge hill and then they'd have to pay for it and travel all the way back with it. An older woman explained it is impossible for her to go to such lengths and therefore settles for dirty water. But in the dry seasons, even this is not sufficient. Clearly this is the greatest need of the community, presently. I'd really like to help in the efforts to bring clean water to this area.
It was neat to see the different ways in which "Words of Hope," Pastor Enoch's organization, has impacted the different families. Whether it has been donating seeds, pigs, etc., every last resource has proved to make a world of a difference for these women. Perhaps even these small things are just what they need to get a handle on things.
After the village we went to a secondary school and basically hung out. I played volleyball and net ball. It was fun. I don't feel as though I met anybody in particular whom I would have liked to stay in touch with, but I was okay with that. I guess I've given my email to enough people that it'll be difficult to keep in touch as it is.