Debriefing

Tuesday, July 29^th:
So much has happened in the last few days. It’s a little too much to think about at the moment, but I’d like to try to get some of it down.

On Saturday Lucy and I went in to the Agricultural Show at the trade grounds in Jinja. It was pretty much like a big street festival at home, except much muddier, less organized, and absolutely packed. I didn’t take any pictures because it seemed like a pretty likely place to get your camera stolen. There were a lot of booths with crafts and Lucy and I had fun souvenir shopping. There were some music stages set up too, a lot of street food, and a lot of tents of agricultural supplies and organic products. We couldn’t stay long because Wilber was frantically calling to tell us to meet up with Dennis and come to where he had hired the car to take us to their old school.

We finally did catch up with Dennis and his friend Stella, then fellow volunteer Ian, and took a matatu outside of town to meet up with Wilber. The six of us piled in to a little car and the driver took us up the bumpy dirt road to Busoga College Mwiri, the boys’ alma mater. It was a really beautiful school. There were sweeping views of Lake Victoria and the surrounding hills and lots of monkeys. It had the feel of a nice summer camp or a rustic university. Dennis, Ian, and Wilber appeared to have been BMOC’s and there were a lot of people to greet during our campus tour. It was a really fun trip, and really thoughtful of the boys to show us their school.

We left around dark, had dinner in Jinja at the Highway Restaurant, and made our last Jinja-Buwenge matatu ride.

Sunday was a day of nonstop calorific farewells. Lucy and I went to the Catholic church in the morning, and Father Charles had us stand and told the congregation that we were leaving the next day, and said thank you. A bunch of people shook our hands and said goodbye after the service, which was really nice. As usual, a bunch of little kids came by after church and we had a near riot using up my Polaroid film and giving out the last of our balloons. Everyone wanted a photo with the mzungus.

Then is was time for lunch at Sandra’s, and no expense was spared: chicken, rice, matoke, spaghetti, potatoes, dodo, and sodas. After the meal a group of little girls laid out a mat in the living room and performed a series of skits and songs for us. It was pretty adorable, and pretty comical at some points. There was a lot of mumbling in the song they sang in English.

Godfrey, the teacher from St. Gonzaga, had arranged to “pick us” at home for a visit to his house at 3, and at 2:45 Sandra was insistent that we go and visit the new house her family is building. “Where is it?” I asked. “Just there!” she said, pointing. “Can we walk there and back in 15 minutes?” “Yes.”

So, after walking ten or so minutes…. “Sandra, where is this house?” “Somehow near.” The house ended up being about a half hour away, but the girls were excited to show it off so it was worth it really.

Godfrey was late, so no problem there… we took a matatu to Bukyonda, his village, then walked to the compound where he lives with his extended family. We had an delicious and identical meal (substitute cabbage for dodo), and looked at his pictures of the AVs that had come to the primary school he teaches at part-time. After the meal he awkwardly asked me if I “could take that… booze, that….brew.” I was like, “You mean beer?” Which he did luckily, as opposed to waragi or some other locally distilled poison.

He ran off and came back with Eagle brand beer, which is brewed with sorghum and is a meal in itself. We were all pretty stuffed by the time we set off back home.

Then it was time to pack! It’s amazing how quickly those bags get filled up. Lucy and I both set aside a lot of things to give away.

On Monday we took care of last-minute details and said our last goodbyes. I handed out a bunch of broken and useless crap to three little kids that were hanging around while we cleaned out and they went nuts. The one-lens sunglasses and broken-zipper purse were both coveted items. Lucy and I decided that a group that took the junk from garage sale “free” tables and shipped it to African villages would be hugely successful.

Saying goodbye to Teddy was hard. She took a break from an all-day meeting to hug Lucy and I and there were tears all around. Leaving Sandra was sad too. I have her a big hug and she said, “Don’t forget about us,” which broke my heart a little bit.

A bunch of the primary kids came by to say goodbye and check to see if there was anything we were leaving goodbye, and Father Francis drove us to the SPW office in the priests’ car. It was the nicest ride I’ve had in Uganda. Driving away was a strange feeling.

Lucy and I dropped off our mattresses and extra bags, then had a celebratory lunch (with cake!) at Ozzie’s and tried to digest the fact that we were actually finished. It hasn’t sunk in yet.

Most of the international volunteers spent that night at the campsite at Bujagali. We had a nice last meal together and had a really weird night at the bar – lots of vomiting, crying, dogs, etc. Anyway.

The morning truck seemed to come much too soon, and it was back in to Jinja for breakfast at Backpacker’s and a slow migration over to Rubaga for debrief. I called Dennis and he was going to be late with our M&E forms, so I went in to town for a pedicure while people were showing up. Nice.

Jen, Carson, and Rich fly out tomorrow morning, so we had an emotional goodbye to those three after lunch. They changed their flights after I did and I wish I could have flown with them, but it’ll be okay. It seems unreal that people are actually leaving.

More on debrief later…

Wednesday, July 30^th:
Debrief, day two. It’s actually going really well; we’re not wasting too much time and the sessions have been relevant and reflective. Plus, they are bringing in really good food. Rubaga is still Rubaga, but it’s less painful than I thought it would be.

I cannot believe that I only have two more nights in Uganda. I’ll make my last trip into Jinja town this afternoon, say goodbye to Lucy tomorrow, and be on a plane in less than 48 hours. I get little waves of really wanting to stay but I am ready to go home too. I’m a little nervous about what it will be like to be in the US again. It might feel like I never left and it might seem totally horrible and bizarre, and I don’t want to experience either of those things really.

The cutest thing just happened! Dennis walked over during the session and told me that two of the little girls from our village, Bridget and Sharon, and been brought over by their mother because they hadn’t gotten to say goodbye to us and wouldn’t stop crying. So we had a little goodbye out in front of the building and exchanged contacts. How funny.

It’s lunch time now, then a quick trip to town and a lot of SPW activities… I might not post again until I’ve left. It’ll be nice to put up some videos and more pictures when I get home. Home. Man.