We are starting our second journey to Uganda. Our aeroplane has got one hour delay..

People from Uganda are waiting with us for the flight to Entebbe, they look like very tired of European way of life. Young kids are running around us, their parents are taking them last photos from airport. In Uganda you can leave a normal life. You can have your own father and mother, you can come to prestige school, you can wear nice school uniforms. This realty shows us that in Uganda you can leave a normal life. Uganda is not just a group of homeless kids on the street.

 

This summer lots of bazungu decided to visit this beautiful country. Behind us is sitting a group of volunteers dressed in blue shirts, probably from some kind of non – governmental organization.

 

First day in Uganda. Gosia is sleeping on a bed covered with musketeers. Close to her is her mobile with MTN network and her head is full of memories.

It has been one year since we last saw Uganda and all our friends who we have been working with us.  We have not seen them yet and it won’t be possible to see them soon. But we are happy anyway of being over here.

 

By the way is Saturday, we can hear music sound outside, looks like there is a disco somewhere.

 

On our first day we were looking for an accommodation. We found one in Kampala.

 

Soon we are visiting city. We have been over here since yesterday. Kampala has got more than 700,000 inhabitants. These are the data from 2004. How it is today ?  Probably less population.

 

Walking through the streets and market we see again thousands of people selling goods. There will be always somebody who will try to sell you something even if you don’t want buy. You can buy here everything – from boxes of matches  ( which is 100 Ugandan shilling ), sweets, books, herbs up to suits for thousands of Ugandan shilling. You can hear car horns so loud. They are rules for no rules on a streets regarding traffic.

 

Today is Sunday and Kampala looks empty. Less cars and people so probably because of this we see more homeless kids on the street. They are begging us for money. If you give one a coin or sweet suddenly you will see lots of them begging. Sometimes you can see all homeless families on the street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30.06.2009 Tuesday

 

The middle of the day, behind a window children greet loudly an approaching teacher: “Hello teacher Odya!”. A moment of a silence… and then we can hear teacher words and the children joyful shouts. They don’t have the books but repeat sentence by sentence after the teacher just to remember a lesson. Sometimes one of them takes the floor and answer the questions. It’s a challenge for Odya to teach almost on hundred pupils in one class. They learn eagerly, because it’s their chance for a better future.

 

The Education in Uganda is not compulsory. It is still a privilege, not a right. The children who don’t go to school, always come and watch curiously what is happening in the school area. Tough life, hard work, helping for parents and family, struggle for survival in the streets, recruitment to rebel’s army from the northern part of the country, it is the childhood of Ugandan children. The school is still a privilege.

 

Walking down the streets in Kampala you can meet older and younger pupils wearing the colorful school uniforms. The stream of colors come out before 7.00 in the morning and show again around 14.00 hours and 17.00 hours. The younger children finish lessons earlier, the older ones spend all day at school. Always smiling and shouting faces greet us with words: “Hi bazungu” (bazungu - white people or mzungu – white). The children come closer, grab our hands. They watch us carefully as the aliens from the different world. Adults smile seeing that scene. The street opens on the new arrivals. You can not feel alone on the street when you are the white man.

 

The school buildings don’t look like ours in Poland. The pupils whose school is located behind our house, where we live currently, learn in a wooden storeroom. They don’t complain because it is much more than they expected.

 

At 17.30 hours the bell ends the lessons. The children greet it with a joyful shouts the same like in polish school. Tomorrow they will get up after the sunrise and welcome the teacher Odya again saying: “Hello teacher Odya!”. It will give them the chance for a better future.

 

01.07.2009 Wednesday

 

We will hear the car but this time not a boneshaker or screech of tyres. The sounds come closer louder and louder. Finally we hear Bobby Wine’s song and a man’s voice shouting something through the microphone. In the crowd of passenger cars, lorries, and matatu buses (small buses) we saw a big lorry and several men on a top of it. One of them shouted happily: “the best mattresses in Kampala!”. It was a driving shop, not a driving disco as we realized later.

 

Since when we saw the sitting men on a top of mattresses, we began to think about a bed that we should have bought to our flat, because we rented an unfurnished flat.

 

It was the beginning of arranging our stay in Uganda.

 

In Kampala and small villages nearby you can find carpenters who put outside the furniture that they make, especially beds and ornamented cupboards. Between the beautiful beds and cupboards on the Road Kunya we saw a booth with two small, basic beds, unfinished cupboard and chair. There was also lots of wood shavings all around. The young boy came out of the booth and asked in English style: “How are you?”. When we found out that the price of the bed was so low, we ordered a double bed on Thursday. 

 

 

08.07 - wednesday

 

 

Uganda is one of the country of Africa where amount of the people affected by HIV is decreasing due to the fact that government is helping to stop spreading disease.

In primary schools, students are being taught about premarital purity and to stay with one partner in the future.

 

Few days back we met a woman who is searching for the homeless kids leaving in the street asking them if they want to learn at school by finding them a sponsor for an education. Asking her why she is doing this for them she told us her story.

 

In the 80’ies AIDS was not known so much, Uganda people did not talk about it and even did not think that they can be affected. Oliver and her husband were one of the first who met the problem. Her husband had an HIV virus. Symptoms were like tuberculosis but nobody thought that this can be a HIV virus at that time. When the news about AIDS spread across the country many of their friends and family were against them. They thought that they can be affected by touch or even by being close to ill person.  Oliver and her husband stayed on they own with the problem.

 

Oliver’s husband died in 1990, she had to bring up the children on her own. Many families having the same problem started to help her as well and that was the reason why she wanted to help somebody else one day.

 

Her HIV test was negative.

 

 

14/07

 

At 12.30 is a dinner time as you can feel the paraffin in the air. Women are preparing small pottery oven filling up with coil and paraffin, burn the fire and small kitchen is ready to use. Dinner will be ready at 2.30pm.

 

We had a new neighbours for few hours. They were sitting in front of our house. They looked afraid, not knowing why. They were astonished not by the colour of our skin but because we were taller than them.. We also had 2 new animal friends, chicken.

They were waiting with us for a dinner. Their legs were tighten. One was leaving one day longer than the other one. In one minute we heard screaming, than silence… smell of oil….

At least met was fresh, so we would not have to worry that is out of date.

 

This small pottery oven and you had to prepare matooke or potatoes. The richer can have  some cabbage and bins. Everything is done in a proper way and time without any rush. New ingredients are added slowly as well as slowly kitchen lady is stirring the soup. Nothing will burn or over burn.

 

On of our neighbours offer us sharing with her meal when she prepares next time, but we did not want kindly replying that we have got a quick soup to prepare in minute with hot water. She looked at us did not understand and left. But she opened hour mind and heart for the new way of preparing our dishes. Soon we had a pottery oven and wax without coil. Bought ingredients and made our first tomato soup with French fries. Was not good but our way of preparing it was much faster as we afraid of over burning. (lool)

 

We are all god creation no matter white or black, is the people who make this difference.

 

Being white in Africa and not being notice is impossible. Kids are chasing you, screaming behind you, you can hear from time to time muzungu (white). You think sometimes like you are from a different planet and you are missing the feeling of being the same as the others.

 

If you are white you are rich, no matter what country you are from. There is no distinct difference for an African person if you from USA or Poland and even if you try to persuade them prices for you in shops will be grater 2 or 3 times or even more. Barging is always the key to success but probably you will never pay the same price as the native person. In fact paying a bit more is not a big deal for us as the prices are still cheap.

 

We are really happy if our neighbours can help us from time to time without asking for money. At least for the moment we can forget that we are white.

 

And what about black people in Poland ? I think we don’t have to answer this question as it is obvious. One day our friend had a visit. It was her black friend from Kenya. Poland was not a real and friendly home for him. White people can expect better hospitality in Africa then black.

 

He asked only one question. WHY ? and nobody could and can give a sensible answer NOBODY

 

Again we are all the same inside but the only difference is colour of our skin, appearance.  Being a human being is something more.. ..love and compassion is not about the skin, it’s heart. I know a few white people where money turned them to be not a human being and I know a few black people where I can learn from them how to love one another of real love.

 

We have found a different world not far away from us on the left side of our place of staying. World where money is not about the houses and cars but about people.

 

Large amount of small houses, build close to each other, not a regular size.

Between those houses lots of people and kids. Kids playing and laughing asking you

“Oli otya mzungu?”  (How are you). People saw that we had a camera and asked us to take a photos, kids were vary happy that could see themselves on a photos. Life is different over here, live is on the street, small shops, women are cooking and washing babes.  Students are coming back from school in smart uniforms. They showed us their school a small wooden house squeezed between house which was difficult to believe that this is a school.

 

In those kind of places like above you can feel like you are at home that is the real Africa.

 

We were walking further and on top of the hill you can see another hills fully populated with houses and people.

 

Every road is leading to somewhere….

 

 

22/07

 

Hurrah we have got an electricity after 6 days. Our landlord did not pay the bills but finally he did it.

 

We have got a volunteer. Her name is Monika. Kids form Kyabishaga started missing her. English lessons and maths for primary school students, taking care about kids from kindergarten, football and volleyball matches, playing drums, dancing in front of the fire, helping to paint the house, building the playground, buying mattress for the kids sleeping almost on the ground and some other stuff… this is the work of our volunteer in Kyabishaga district Luwero about 80 km from Kampala. This small village without electricity is for them like home and they don’t want to leave to Kampala.

 

Life in a Kampala go fast but not as fast as in European capitals. People are getting early in the morning and you can see the crowd till late hours. Sometimes you think that they don’t sleep at all as they work and sleep in one place. You can see many food shops open almost all over the night. You can buy ciapati, sausages, corn late night where the only electricity is oil lamps. People are crowding together and laughing all the time. Boda-Boda (public transport  driver plus his motor/engine) like tuk-tuk in India waiting for the passengers coming back home after work, for the people going out party, people who wants clubbing and listen to music. Night life has got a different meaning over here together with smell of cooked meals and fruits. It’s hard to explain this you need to be here to feel it.

 

Coming back home on night basis you can discover another world, world of the homeless kids leaving on the streets. Kids at the age of 5 or 10 wearing and sleeping the same dirty clothes are bagging for money every day. When you see this for the first time you can’t believe it, but yes this is true, life reality – these are the kids of the street.

 

We met few of them and spoke to them. Life for them is a real pain. They think of a day only as another day to survive, no plans for the future, no dreams, no hope at all. They only think how to get something to eat, how to find a shelter from the rain, how to escape from bad people who wants to hurt them.

 

So there is greater dark in Africa, grater than lack of electricity, it is a darkness of life of young pure kids leaving on the street without hope and future…

 

 

 

 

 

25/07

 

It has been a month since we came to Uganda.  We get used to screaming kids seeing us, to green nature and green banana’s tree, to all street smells and to our place of leaving.

 

But we can’t get used to poverty which we see every day as opposed to wealth.

We can’t get used to silence, passivity and saying yes it’s true where it’s obvious not.

 

Reading versus of the book “Poverty don’t cry, poverty don’t have a voice, poverty don’t suffer, but suffer in silence…. (Heban  /  Kapuscinski)

 

And it is not only about material poverty, it’s about something more…

 

They called it HOPE…

Shame that some of the people don’t have a good life, they are small and don’t even have like this women from the book “Heban” – her own bowl of rise…

 

Saturday – 2.30pm

Somewhere in Kampala

 

After dinner everybody is coming back to finish work before getting dark.

Afternoon is very hot, thousands of people are walking slowly. Taxi guys are shouting and harassing people to take their cabs - Luzira! Nakawa! Ntinda!

You have got only one desire, feeling thirsty and need water after walking.

Soon this feeling is coming back again and its all over again and again.

 

3.00 pm

 

We are searching for the homeless kids leaving on the street. It is not an easy task during the day.

We asked our black friend and he replied -  they are everywhere..

We could not find for a long while thinking that it’s good that there are not so many as we thought. We have checked few streets but still nothing.

Suddenly we found a girl sitting on a wall dressed with dirty skirt.

She had 8 or 10 years. First of all we thought she is waiting for her mum. We came closer asking for her name. She replied Ester. What are you doing over here ?.. No answer.. Where is home ?.. no answer. Are you hungry ?… no answer. I tried to pat her on the head but she did not want to. What else can we do for her ?. We gave her a bunch of sweets. She smiled. We decided to go away. She said bye and laughed.

 

Later on we met a boy, about 6 or 7 years old. Maybe he was a brother of Ester – who knows ? His name was Gerald. We could not find out more from him, but he was not afraid of us as Ester.

 

4.00 pm

 

We wanted to find a shop where we can buy some food for the kids we met. We did not know if they were hungry or not in fact. When we came back they have gone out.

If I were on my own I would have thought that they have never been there – déjà vu.

 

Black Angel exists. They are thousands of thousands. They are appearing and disappearing.

 

4.30 pm

Shoprite (Market)

 

Two boys are standing in front of the shops age 12-13. One of them has got a weight.

It’s their job. Almost nobody wants to weigh – in. Gosia stood on a weigh. Payment was food (roll, banana and juice). Boys were so happy as they looked like they have not eaten for a long time. They did not know English but always replied Yes whenever we asked them for something.

 

 

Saturday

4:45 pm

 

We are sitting on a wall in front of the hindu temple observing people and life.

Cars and taxi’s are stopping on a red traffic lights. Variety of small merchants and people selling goods are crowding around cars to sell their stuff before traffic lights changed.

Women with a baby is  begging for money. Suddenly lots of kids age 6-12 are begging for money from people in the cars and taxis. Traffic lights has changed, kids are sitting on a pavement waiting for another cars to stop.

 

We started waving to them, they run to us so quickly. We talked to one another and gave them some food, took some photos.. they wanted more and more pictures..

 

We left.. got our photos.. but what they got ?

 

 

Saturday 5:15pm,

Somewhere in Kampala

 

We are going through the market, where you can buy everything. Place is not nice, people all round. It’s very hot and noisy. We see homeless kids who are begging money at the age 3 or 4. Looks like somebody is doing a business using them for this purpose.

The are all sitting on the ground having the same ear – ring raising hands for the money. Even If you give them some food, they collect them on their knees and raising hands again. They are boys and girls around 10 of them. They are really so small among other people and crowd that it is just a miracle that nobody step on them. These kids are smiling and do not speak at all. They just simply are…

 

Saturday 6.00pm coming back from Kampala

 

Again we see a small girl age probably 3 but looks like 1.5. We gave her food. What else can we do for her ?.. nothing…  We can just leave…

 

Although you are leaving you still have got all of these kids in your memory and heart. And it is not an easy way to forget…

 

05/08/ ( sprawdz date kochanie podalas 2009 ? raczej 2008)

 

My name is Seven. I am 12 years old. I am leaving on the street.

 

06/08

 

I ate chicken and chips today in real restaurant. It was a big portion. I tried to eat French fries with fork but could not. Half of the dish I packed for later to my plastic bag which I always got with me. I was with my mate Hussein in this restaurant. Outside there was another friend of us, but he was afraid to come inside. He did not recognize our aunts, who took us for a dinner.

 

07/08

 

We are on a football pitch in Kololo (Kampala). There is an uncle with us who is helping us sometime. He was leaving on the street. We are waiting for our aunts. They are not coming, they probably forgot about us? Today afternoon I am going to earn some money on a street. When I came back aunts came as well. I came closer to them, smiling. Everything will be ok now. Uncle is talking to aunts. He is saying that we want to come back to school, then our speech is recorded. We need to say something about ourselves. I am a bit stressful. This should help us in finding future sponsors.

Our aunt promised that next day we meet again.

 

08/08

 

I know Kampala very well. Today we are together with our new friends walking down the street. We are holding each other hands and showing others park where we come to rest after all day of begging. Many other homeless kids are coming over here.

It is not an easy to talk about your life in the street. You would rather forget about this.