Masulita Tour

What an incredible day! I joined 5 AFC staff for a tour of community learning centers around Masulita. Our first stop was the first AFC center in Masulita where we had helped to make bricks (see picture of drying bricks) on our second day in Uganda. The community members were busily making more bricks, clearing the grounds and fixing plaster since school starts in 4 days. Interviews for a new teacher were this afternoon back in Kampala.

Our second stop was at a home of a young couple with their 5 children. They were busy making bricks in their front yard and the children were excited to get a ride in the AFC truck, short as it was.

In the center of Masulita, we stopped to get water. The boda-boda drivers (motorcycle taxis) were teasing our staff person who works there to buy them lunch to celebrate that she brought friends with her to Masulita, especially a white one. Everywhere Sherie and I would go, we would hear, "Hello, White Person!" This is not said as a slur, but as a recognition, or greeting. Now that Sherie is gone, I am hearing, "Hello, Madame White Person!" In some of the villages we went through today, this greeting was changed to "Hello, China!" Some of the children cry when they see me because they have not been exposed to many caucasians. I try hard not to scare them.

We stopped at one center that is in the process of being built (picture of round hut with grass roof). Children have so far to walk to go to school that local communities are banning together to build facilities. The gentleman in the white shirt has been working on the buildings and doesn't even have children who will be attending. Chris (red shirt) is the teacher and as we would drive to a school site, the children would cry, "Master!" to him. It was endearing.

Another site we visited is the home of a woman who had an extra building that she is donating for use as a school. After interviewing potential teachers, a retired teacher in the village said she would teach instead and the children love her. On top of this generousity, the community is joining together to make things to sell, such as the lady making strips to weave into a grass mat (picture), to improve the school.

The final picture is not of our trip today, but of one of the 3 AFC staff members who graduated this week. This is a picture of Halima modeling her graduation cap and gown. Halima is the first person in her family to graduate from college; a huge accomplishment. Miriam and Vanessa also graduated and we are all proud of all three of them!