Baking, home ec and children's smiles

October 30, 2009

This morning the girls and I headed over to Sean’s house to do our baking. Jessie wanted to make cinnamon rolls and I was going to make chocolate chip cookies. Once I had admitted to the girls that I’m ok at making cookies, they wanted me to try it out in Gulu. While we were in Kampala they picked up all the necessary ingredients, so all I had to do was make them. I texted Bee to make sure of the recipe and then the fun began. It proved to be a little interesting to make the cookies for a variety of reasons. Every ingredient’s measurement was a guess (no measuring utensils), converting from metric to imperial, no microwave to melt butter, a broiler pan instead of a baking sheet, and a gas powered oven with two settings, hot and hotter. I made a disclaimer before I started that I couldn’t guarantee success but they didn’t seem to mind. 

The cookies ended up turning out pretty well (by my standards) and amazingly everyone enjoyed them. Sean was like a bigger version of Issa Stroud, sneaking the uncooked batter out of the bowl and into his mouth. I didn’t mind at all but just found it comical. Along with Sean and the girls, Coy also sampled the cookies. Coy is Robbi’s fiance, and is great. He hails from Boone, North Carolina and is possibly the easiest person to talk to. Within a couple minutes of talking I felt completely comfortable, as if I can known him for a long time. He engages with people, looks them in the eye and listens. Both he and Robbi completely bless me. They are real. She is from southern Italy and loves better than anyone I’ve ever met. They met while doing work in Darfur and plan to marry soon. I’m so glad to have met them.

Along with baking cookies, I also helped Karly with sewing her hat for Halloween. She found a great hat at the Owino market on Saturday but it needed some alterations. In true to my Thiel roots, I came to Africa prepared for just about anything, which means I definitely had a sewing kit. I told Karly it’d be no problem to fix the hat, so after baking I sat down to continue the home ec kick. I have to admit, it turned out to be an ok pirate hat.

After all the bakign was done we went to the market to drop off our costume fabric. I took mine to Florence and made sure she knew that the bigger the better. She laughed as I explained it to her and I got excited to see the result. She is such a sweet lady and always seems maybe a little surprised to see me but I enjoy going to talk with her.

After dropping the fabric, I went through the market to grab a few things for dinner. Because we had all eaten so many sweets neither the girls nor myself were hugnry for any real food. Fresh veggies are the perfect meal in a situation like that.

Every time I go to the market and walk home with my bag brimming with groceries I get a little messed up. On my way home I walk by the police ‘village.’ Most of the military here lives in government housing, which consists of metal huts and horrible toilet and bathing facilities. The level of poverty is great. I also pass by the Police Primary School. There are literally thousands of kids attending school there, and even thought the grounds are kept very nice, from what I can see from the road, there are very basic conditions there. So here I go walking by with a grocery bag full of food. And I’m not saying that I should not eat, but sometimes I just want to give the bag away. I know its not sustainable and a hand out doesn’t last, but it’d fill their stomach for a little while. I don’t know. Nonetheless I made my way home with such a bag of groceries and dropped them at home. I felt incredibly restless upon arriving there so I grabbed my camera and headed back towards town, reasoning that I’d take a picture walk.

I went on my normal path in front of the stadium and was planning on proceeding past Watoto in order to take some pictures of the church. Then, there, near the boda stage, I met her.

Her name is Barbara. She greeted me as most children do and asked me how I was. I explained that I was well and she asked if we could meet sometime. I said we were meeting now and she agreed. We began chatting as we walked on and I began to ask a few questions. She was there with her brother, Rocky, and they were on their way home. She is 10, he is 8. They have two more siblings, Fiona and Rogess. They stay near Watoto, behind the nearby forest. When I asked if they stay with their parents, the answer was no. With their grandmother. Both parents died in 2004 of Aids. WHen I asked about school she explained that she doesn’t go now. She did, but now there is no money for school fees, so at 9 years old her education was halted. She used to attend Holy Rosary Primary, where her favorite subject was science, especially sanitation. She enjoys playing net ball and prays at the Christian church. Her favorite food is beans, but because of the way things are, they only eat lunch during the day. She is very smart and unafraid, and I had a difficult time remembering she is only ten years old.

I asked if buying some food at the market would be helpful to her and her family. She replied that it would, and her grandmother would thank her and say she did a good thing. We went to the market and bought rice, beans, oil, cabbage, bananas and bread. As the bags filled up I wasn’t allowed to count the cost. God reminded me that He hasn’t counted anything when He’s given all of what He has to me. He’s just given. I know that maybe that food will not last past a week, and I know that a hand out is not the best way to help. But my belly would be full this evening, and for theirs to not be... That bothers me.

As we were walking back to their home Barbara said, “you said you were going to the market, but then you didn’t buy anything for yourself.” I explained that I had spent the money on them. She said I was a kind person and may be one day she would be too. I encouraged her to do that. To be kind. She said she didn’t have money, but I explained that I don’t have a lot, but kindness can be done without any money. I asked her to promise to be kind if she got the chance she promised.  

I realize this story is common here. Seeing the faces of her sibling almost made me cry, and I’m thankful. My heart should be broken over children not eating, over orphans, over poverty. Though this was one instance, maybe more ‘one instances’ can see this world changed. A promise to be kind...