Ugandan's Are Great!

There were many Ugandan's that had an impact on my life and I enjoyed spending time with in Lugazi. These are a few who are very important to me and I think are amazing and inspiring people.

Ahkmed and Ahklam: The are brother and sister. We rented the main house the volunteers lived in from their family. They lived in the small boys quarters in the back of the house.

The mother of the family we rented from, Wouda. She did not speak very much English and I don't speak Luganda and yet we still formed a friendship. She is a very kind, giving, and extremely hardworking woman. (I seriously hate this picture of me, I had AWFUL hair in Africa!)

This is Grandma Salma. She is so beautiful and funny. She always had such a huge smile to share with everyone. I never knew what she was saying but I could always tell that it was entertaining by the way that she would say it. I always claim that it's a good joke or one liner is all about delivery, with Salma that was always true.

Irene!!! She was our cook but more importantly she is my friend! She is the most sincere, fun, enjoyable person I have ever known. She's the greatest!

Irene and Christine

Edith and Miango. They are siblings and Edith is Ahklam's best friend. They would come and visit a few times a day. Edith and Ahklam were always doing kind things for us. They would wash our shoes, clean our dishes, and more. Miango was always drawing everyone pictures and would play games and color with us. They are very fun!

This is Ivan. Ivan became all of the volunteer's good friend. He was always helping us with directions when we needed to find a new place in town, he would help us get a good deal when buying things, and he would teach us anything we wanted to know about Lugazi and Uganda. He was very valuable to have around.

This is Richard at Hope Internet. Richard ran the Internet cafe I went to the most. He was always so nice to me and helped me with anything I needed on the computers. A bunch of us went to lunch with him and it was really fun! One night the power went out in town and it was late and dark. Ashley Ward and I were nervous to walk home alone and Richard volunteered to escort us home. I thought that was cool of him especially because it was out of his way. Thanks Richard!

David our guard! David is the best! Obviously he isn't just a guard he is also I skilled basketball player. David kept us safe at the main house and he even had to shoot his gun a few times to scare away thiefs. David is hilarious and would sit and talk to us for hours! He always knew how many people were gone and where they were. It was really impressive how quickly he learned all of our names and could tell us apart quickly. It made me feel safe.

Faith and Shem. Faith is our contact for the PWD (Person's with Disabilities Group) She would go with the volunteers when we met with the disabled children and their families. She works very hard for the PWD's and their families in Lugazi. Her son Shem is an artist and made paintings and wall hangings for us. I got two awesome wall hanging that he made that remind me of the people and places in Lugazi. He is very talented and did a lot of great work for us!

This is the Women's Group in Nnacazzade. These women are hilarious! They are super fun, full of energy, and entertaining! I love going to this group because it was always an adventure and so fun! They meet in an alley between two houses. We would do an activity with them and teach them English words to go along with the activity. It was always a blast.

Shelia. She is the strongest girl I have ever met. She would give you a bonga (fist bust) and you would think she had broken your knuckles. Immediately following the bonga she would kiss her fist! It was awesome!

Molly. She speaks both English and Lugadan fairly well. She is very bright and loves to just spend time with people. She lives pretty far away from where we would meet for PWD meetings and it was a pleasure to get to walk home with her.
Diana. She is the most energetic person I have ever met. More so than me even. Wow.
Vincent. Vincent was always shy with me but he is a sweetheart. He loved to play ball with David and DJ. It was really fun to watch him open up to both of those boys.
Fiona. She might look like a cuddle bug but really she is a monkey. She climbs all over you and then holds on with her legs. She is really strong with those legs of hers. I love Fiona because she is so happy, she has a fantastic laugh, and she is a little mischievous devil. I really like that.
Sam. Sam is blind and has hydrocephalus. He is extremely smart and can tell you almost every word in English and then Luganda. He craves learning and love listening to things. Rylee was able to give him a radio and he was so excited. He has an amazing spirit about him.

Sarah owes a sewing and alterations shop. She made us bags, shirts, dresses, necklaces, and more. She is very talented and also very kind.