Congo (DRC)
I think Congo (DRC) is where I suffered the most culture shock. As we walked across the border from Cyangugu - Rwanda we were immediately surrounded by excited Congolaise all eager to talk to us, all eager to touch our skin. We were grabbed in each and every direction everyone wanting to change money with us, to take us into town, to help us. One policeman seemed very eager to please - we all wondered what he wanted from us. I'm pleased to say that this policeman in particular wanted nothing from us, just to help us and see that we got to our boat safely. We made it safely to the port where we were going to purchase our tickets. We asked for a tour of the boat before we decided to spend 14 hours on it! It was a small boat, designed for 200 people...they were selling 400 tickets, so we would be carrying twice the 'legal' amount of passengers. As we returned that evening to catch our ride to Gommoa we were pushed through the crowds of people to allow us to board the boat first. I do not know whether it was because we were Mzungus or because we had first class tickets. In any case the Congolaise - and rightly enough - started shouting and arguing, I heard one man shout 'Why are you letting the Mzungus through first? We've been waiting so long...you care more for the Mzungus than your own people!' I felt guilty that we were being let through the gates before the crowds of people that had been waiting, and I understand how it can be percieved from the Congolaise side. Trying to board the boat was a rather interesting experience! Everyone was pushing and fighting to get the best seat on the boat. I gradually pushed my way through the crowd like a good African would and eventually made it to the front of the crowd, what I didn't realise was that there was no plank to walk onto the boat, there was just a very large gap between the port and the boat - and to make matters worse the entry to the boat was sloping steepily down towards the water! As I was steadily pushed forward I managed to jump over the gap and started to fall backwards as my back pack was very heavy and there was a bunch of people blocking the entrance - where I could stand on a flat surface! Luckily someone grabbed my arm, this person escorted me upstairs to the first class cabin by pushing and shoving poor people out of the way and yelling stuff I couldnt understand - needless to say that this guy then turned around and asked for some money - so much for being genuinely kind and helpful! We sepnt an interesting evening on the boat - turns out the first class wasnt too bad. I suppose it was better than being squashed downstairs with hundreds of people and many chickens - both dead ones and living ones!! We were also pretty squashed upstairs too - we were about 15 people sleeping on 3 matresses! The television was on full blast blaring out music videos in Swahili with scantily clad women dancing provocatively. There were thousands of insects - hopefully no malaria borne mosquitos.
We arrived in Gommoa at 7am. Upon arrival at the port we were summoned into a small shack and asked to show our passports. Of course there the official aksed us to pay an obligatory sum of money which everyone had to pay upon arrival! Of course I must of missed the 397 other African passengers queuing up to pay their dues! We questioned the official as to why we had to pay money after getting off at a port in the same country we boarded. We explained to him how we already had to pay more at the Bukavu port than the rest of the people - there was a scribbled note on a piece of paper that said 'passengers $10', it wasnt until the lady saw us Mzungus that she added on 'foreigners $20'!! He said that it was normal to pay a fee at both sides of the border. We told him that in that case they should print it on some official paper and hang it up on the wall, we told him that it wasn't fair to ask us to pay more just because we are 'rich' mzungus. After much debate he gave us our money back - so much for it being an official fee!
Gommoa is a very interesting town - it borders with Gisenyi - Rwanda. It has a live volcano which last erupted in 2001 destroying most of the town. Everywhere is covered in black ash and volcanic rock. Houses have been built on top of the lava, mostly wooden shacks, sometimes using volcanic rock. Most of the houses dont have electricity or water. If you walk into the tiny houses the floors havent been flattened at all, its all bumpy and black - the beds are wonky as are the tables and chairs!
We started taking photos in Bukavu but many people kept on shaking their heads at us or tutting, we eventually found out that its forbidden to take photos and that if caught we would get our camera confiscated, have to pay a fine or end up in jail. I didn't take my camera out after that - so unfortunately got no photos of Gommoa.
We walked back into Rwanda before dark. The next day we spent sometime into Gisenyi. We went to a very beautiful and secluded spot by Lake Kivu and walked around. We also just sat and relaxed watching the sunset. As we were walking back by Lake Kivu we stumbled across a small group of boys bathing in a small pool, there was also a group of men bathing in the lake. In order to get back to where we started our walk we had to cross a stream which was flowing from where the boys were bathing, obviously we didnt want to step into the water barefoot as we had flip-flops on. So we walked round. The area we walked into appeared to be a little muddy so we opted to walk on that rather than in the water. Turns out we were all wrong about the mud. In fact it was much like a warm muddy pile of sewage. It stank of sewage waste, it was warm - and oh my goodness it was just gross! We were sinking into it pretty fast. I feel into it on my knees as my flip-flop got stuck. Ironically, when I got out of the muddy swamp, I ran into the very lake I wanted to avoid in the first place to wash all the smelly sewage waste of my legs and feet!
OTHER NEWS
On Tuesday, Jesse, my star preschooler, left to go back with his Mum. Jesse arrived in August last year from prison, where his Mum was doing time. He had to leave the prison because he was getting too old to be there any longer. So a few months ago his Mum was released after serving her sentence and has now returned to the North of Uganda with Jesse. It was very bittersweet to see him go, but we know that he his happy and excited to go home.
I returned from Rwanda to find two of the toddlers quarantined with the Mumps, unfortunately it has spread to almost all of the pre-schoolers and a few of the younger toddlers. There is one case of the mumps in baby room 1, and we are all being extra vigilant to ensure that it does not spread to the preemie room.
Very exciting news – for me anyway – I am taking driving lessons! Yes indeed! Although Uganda is probably not the best place to learn to drive it is convenient because I have many long dirt roads to myself without having to worry about too many other cars. The nurse here bought a cheap old car and she is teaching me.
Yesterday (Friday) the Mamas in the toddler house asked if they could have a meeting with me, regarding some issues in the house. It turns out that the Mamas feel that when I am not there the kids play up for them– so in other words the kids behave all nice and sweet for me. Well I’m not 100% sure that that is true, but never mind. They would also like me to discipline the kids more, because they feel that the kids do not always obey me! I am slightly confused – do they behave for me or dont they? By discipline they mean spanking the children! Now, I am not against spanking a child on the bottom, in fact I think that these kids and probably a lot of kids back home need a good spanking every now and then when they misbehave. All this business about not being allowed to spank your own children is ludicrous – and I think that the deterioration of the younger generation and their destructive and criminal behaviour is because spanking is no longer enforced – anyway that’s a whole other story. So basically, we talked through methods of discipline, I gave examples of what we use at nursery (time out etc) and we all agreed that we would try these other methods! So watch out kids here I come!! lol
I’ve been thinking a lot about adoption recently, not whether I am going to do it or not, because I know that it is something I am definitely going to do, but when, how soon is too soon? All these amazing kids here who have no family, no hope. The only hope in their lives is being adopted or fostered. It upsets me that kids like Sophia – who has AIDS, cant be adopted outside of Uganda – it upsets me that she probably will never be adopted because not many people within Uganda would want to adopt a child who had AIDS and pay for all the medical expenses. There are so many kids who need adopting in Uganda however the government make it so difficult for people to adopt. I went to the embassy in Kampala on Monday, because I heard of one British case where a couple had attained legal guardianship of a child and then taken that child back to the UK on a visiting visa, cutting out the whole living in Uganda for three years procedure. They were unable to comment on any particular case, and as far as they could tell me the law regarding adoption between the UK and Uganda haven’t changed. I still have my heart set on adoption, but there are so many things to think about. I guess I still have time, I’m not that old yet! I wont adopt until I now that it is what God wants me to do. So I guess I am just praying and waiting on him for an answer!
On Thursday night, I took Nathanial home with me, we had a barbeque with a friend of mine and we feed him lots of meat – since that’s what his body needs. I think he really enjoyed the sausages! I also gave him a bath with warm (!!) water – this might possibly be his first hot bath – ever!! He loved sitting in the little basin and splashing about in the warm water – it makes a change from the orphanage where they have a bucket of cold water thrown over them!! I put him in his PJ’s and lay him down on my bed – he was fast asleep within 10 minutes! He slept well – I on the other hand, didn’t so much! He took up most of the most tossing and turning all night and even managing to kick me on the face once! It was so nice just to lay there and watch him sleep – he’s so cute! We had toast in the morning for breakfast, then I had to take him back for 8.30am so I could do pre-school.
