2AmericansTravel: Mawanga

And onto our next stop, Mawanga!

Snack time for these two!

In Mawanga we stayed with Pastor Paul who helps run and orchestrate ROWAN (Rural Orphans and Widows Aids Network). We were not there specifically for ROWAN but I learned quite a bit about the work they do in Uganda. Aids has claimed the lives of many in Uganda, and ROWAN is working with the orphans and widows affected by this to get an education, buy land, and be self-sufficient people. In Mawanga alone there are over 130 orphans. This is a staggering number for such a small village. ROWAN has given these children schooling and an amazing opportunity to better their lives. You can learn more about ROWAN and hear Pastor Paul speak about his passions at http://loverowan.org/about/.

Pastor Paul and Myself

Mawanga is a lovely rural village. Farms and livestock surround you as you drive the dirt roads to get there. Pastor Paul and his family were so welcoming to us and I loved my time spent with them. Every evening, we enjoyed an amazing home cooked meal prepared by his wife Edith. I had a lovely time chasing around the baby goats, playing with the children, and having laughs over the dinner table!

We came to Mawanga because 10eighteen has a
co-op here teaching a few of the women how to sew. Edith (not to be mistaken for Pastor Paul's wife) came with us from Kampala and is currently helping teach the women in Mawanga how to sew clothing to make a living. When we were with her, she was teaching the women how to sew skirts. Edith is a beautiful soul with a big helping heart. Watching her love these women and teach them skills to further their livelihood was amazing! Every day she wore a dazzling dress that she had made herself and I was amazed at her craftsmanship and skill.

Edith working with the women on a skirt template

A group of boys in front of their school

While Edith worked with the women, Pastor Paul showed us around the village. We got to see the school, the clinic, and the ROWAN facilities. As we walked around we attracted the attentions of many little smiling faces yelling "Mzungu! Mzungu!" I spent most of my time in Mawanga playing with the children and listening to Pastor Paul speak. He is a soft spoken man at first, but he is absolutely hilarious! He had us roaring with laughter around the dinner table.

The kitchen where Edith cooked some amazing meals.

Mawanga was one of the more rural places we stayed and it did not have running water or electricity. Using the squatty potties was a very different experience for me! This being said, Mawanga was one of my favorite places that we visited. It is beautiful in scenery and in people. Pastor Paul took us up to the mountain at the edge of Mawanga. We climbed to the top and basked in the beautiful scenery as the whipping wind cooled us off.

During my time in Mawanga I did my best to learn some of the language and below are the few words I was able to pick up thanks to Pastor Paul - of course as soon as you move towns, the language changes.

Jambo! - Hello! (Swahili)
O si byo tya? - "How are you?" (Luganda)
Tusangaire - "You are welcome"
Webale Nyo - "Thank you very much"
Webale Kufumba - "Thank you for cooking"

It was very difficult saying our goodbyes to this lovely family. As I left I gave some of the clothes that had been donated by friends to Pastor Paul to hand out. I had to portion them out because we had several stops to go and I got a bit overwhelmed having to decide what to give here and what to save for our other stops. The small box I gave him felt vastly insignificant as I thought of the torn clothing the children were wearing. I wanted to change the lives of all of those kids, but I had to remind myself that "this one is enough" (Kisses From Katie). Pastor Paul is really changing his corner of the world and I was thrilled to be a small part of it.