2AmericansTravel: African Drums

Zebras on Safari in Lake Mburo

Africa. I've always wanted to go. It sounds silly but the movie The Lion King first inspired that spark in me to visit the continent. The music and the people seemed a culture so alive and in tune with the Earth, I just wanted a piece of it. Uganda did not disappoint. The bustle of the planes and the rushed jumble into the vans, I do not consider my welcome into Uganda. My welcome to Africa came with drums.

My first sunrise, cue the Lion King: "NAAAAAAAAAANTS INGONYAMAAAAAAAA BAGITHI BABA!"

I awoke around 5am that first morning. There was the sound of a drum out my window - a heart beat floating down the hill, accompanied by singing, raw and tribal. Crickets were chirping along and my own heart was beating in time. The drummer seemed to beckon the sun from the earth, drawing her in and welcoming the valley mists. I could hear bats flying to their roosts in the roof with a flutter of wings. Tucking their wings as the night began to tuck itself away. Earth's music pulsing along with the cackling of roosters and barking of dogs. I was welcomed to Africa with drums.

Music is such an integral part to Ugandans. I can not count the number of times we were sitting around and someone began to sing, or dance, or play the drums to fill the time. Rejoicing and singing is in the blood of the Ugandan people. The droning televisions here seem so empty in comparison.

Some of the children in the Slums of Kampala

My first day in Uganda we spent in the slums of Kampala. I had seen pictures and braced myself for what I might find, but I was not as prepared as I had imagined. The smell is something you can not get from pictures. The smells of burning plastic, burning trash, and stale urine holds to the grounds of the slums. Rivers of excrement and trash tinged a weird blue. These are things I don't want to remember, but must not forget.

Little bare feet splashed through the puddles yelling "mzungu (muh zun gooo)! mzungu!" These words follow us everywhere we go, meaning white person. Usually children are running and yelling, holding their hands outstretched. I hold their hands and ask "How are you?" "I'm Fine!" is always their answer with broad white smiles. Although their lives are tough, these children are genuinely happy.

One little girl I fell in love with was Margaret. She walked with us through the slums and goes to Ray of Hope. It is a school that TenEighteen helps fund. She is able to leave the slums each day and go to school, get a hot meal, and get an amazing chance to better her life. Margaret is one of the many children TenEighteen sponsors to go to school. We visit her little home in the slums, a room of two small beds and two plastic chairs. In her home she lives with her 3 brothers and her sister along with her parents. They live in a home as small as my bathroom. Yet they are happy, smiling, excited to share their plastic chairs with me. Margaret's mom is one of several women who have written business plans to apply for micro-loans from TenEighteen. Her mother is asking for a micro-loan to buy chickens to sell eggs to others living in the slums. It is not much, but it will allow her a living. Jeremiah and I are helping sponsor Margaret through her next year of schooling as she continues into secondary school. It is amazing that less than 20 US dollars a month can change her life and her family's life. She will have a chance to better her life with education.

Some of the kids from Ray of Hope who need sponsors to keep up their education. Margaret is in the back.

Through the struggles I saw in the slums of Kampala, I also saw love and community. Many here are loved and supported by neighbors who have even less than they do. This is something I witnessed throughout Uganda and it was beautiful to see humans taking care of each other - giving away their earthly possessions to their neighbors and expecting their heavenly father to provide for the next day. Prayer was always on the lips of the Ugandans I met - it is almost a different language than it is here because trust in God's provision is mandatory.

Blessing their lunch

Our next two days in Kampala were spent with Ray of Hope. I read the book The Little Engine That Could to one of the classes. My lovely friend Christine translated for me and the kids seemed to really enjoy saying "I think I can, I think I can!" After that, teacher James asked me to play with the kids. We played Simon Says and a silly game I made up called Find the Pebble. Then the futbol came out and all craziness ensued! These kids loooove to play soccer. We had a lot of fun kicking and throwing the ball. Before heading off to Mawanga, we spent our morning in Ray of Hope having a ladies tea. When I say they can dance, I mean they can dance! These women were able to shake their kabinas in ways I could never do, but we had a great time dancing and laughing together.

Our welcome to Africa was so amazing and full of love that I could not help but become friends with those that I met. I have so much more to tell but I will stop here today. My next post will be about our time spent in a small village called Mawanga with Pastor Paul. TenEighteen is truly doing some amazing things in Uganda.