Kyenjojo

Silver's Uncle, who financially looks after the entire extended family, promotes nonviolent action, and has lived in Europe, provided us with free transport to Kyenjojo ("Chyen-jojo"), the family district five hours west of Kampala. There are no major towns, only a few small trading centers, on the way to their rural area. As we made the drive, I noted swamps, endless green hills covered with thick bush, and people pushing bicycle large loads of water, sugarcane, and other supplies. Silver's Uncle likes to stop in rural road-side markets to support commercial agriculture. He's been making the trek on the road for 40 years and people everywhere know him as a charming and charitable guy.

Silver's house, a kilometer from Kyenjojo Town, looks much like other houses in the area: metallic roof, brick wall with broken glass bottles on the top to prevent thieves, and a few family house workers who always kneel and bow their heads to all visitors and family members older than them.

Silver explained to me that his district is very pro-Museveni (the current president). He receives a 97% favor from the Kyenjojo district, having assisted in making the region its own district entity not many years ago. Silver's father, a learned man with degrees to his name, was recently involved in a corruption scandal, trying to illegally make money from local school exams. Following the scandal, which was not successful, he retired from his position at age 49 and is now running for the district chairperson position. He spent his days campaigning in town.

Silver's mother is such a cheerful woman with a rich laugh, overseeing agriculture and a store for female clothing, all the while advocating for women's rights. The male house worker is cheerful, loving both digging in the garden and asking me questions, such as "Why does everyone in America own a gun?" and "Why does America engage in so many wars?" and "Do you have jackfruit in your place?" Some of Silver's half-sisters are still at home. Older siblings are elsewhere in the area.

It's funny when you show up to live with a family who is hosting a mzungu for the first time. They want to know if you can eat the local food. They fear you will fall sick in the middle of the night. They give you a separate eating place, and they slaughter animals in your name (I got a chicken the first day and a goat the last day).

The first full day in Kyenjojo, Silver and I walked about 10 kilometers with a young man named Moses to a small village in the mountains. During the sunny walk, we passed NAADS projects: government-funded "model gardens" which are supposedly used to demonstrate to locals how farming should be done. However, Silver and Moses pointed out how poorly they were conducted and how model farming did not help communities. Some planted pineapple, which the land doesn't even favor. The more well-off families actually receive money for NAADS projects, rather than the poorer groups. And NAADS is allotted more money than departments of transportation, education, and others combined, according to Silver. A complete waste of government funding (and US aid).

When we finally reached our small rural destination, about 200 people were marching toward us, mostly kids, singing and playing drums. At the front of the pack was a kind man who greeted us as "Baptist." His full name is Mugabe John Baptist. We were then led into a local Catholic Church where Moses, Baptist, Silver, and I were given seats at the front. The meeting was to discuss the future direction of Utopia, a local NGO/CBO. The kids there (from two local schools) were suffering, many from AIDS, or parents deceased of AIDS, or child-headed households, or lack of proper bedding, or land theft, or the long trek to school each day, or a combination of many factors. Silver spoke to the community with intelligence and authority. I know he will make a good lawyer and restore human rights in his district someday. They asked us both to say things and contribute our opinions. Silver did most of the talking, and I said what I felt I could, but admitted that as a white man I could not be a figurehead here. Silver talked a lot about transforming the community through agriculture and not relying on donors.

Following the meeting (3-hours perhaps?), we were invited for a huge meal in Baptist's home. I didn't know such a boney man could have so much food in his home. We visited neighbors. There was one old lady who was like 110 (people live long and healthy without western medicine, ya know). Another old lady gave me a gift: a trinket holding coffee beans.

We took a dangerous boa ride back to the main road. From there Silver's friend came by on a motorcycle and picked us up for free, then left us with a free ride in the back of a pick-up truck. Then we walked through town and were again picked up for free by the owner of a local resort which we had purchased sodas from the previous day.

The next day we walked around town and visited different sites to view the scenery. Silver's dad even took me on a fairly long walk in the morning. Kyenjojo is a slightly more mountainous Pennsylvania: very hilly and green with some big rocky areas. That evening we had a goat roast and a big crate of soda had been purchased for us. In Uganda, as Silver says, home = food.

In the morning, we took breakfast and said goodbyes. I just arrived at UCU campus after 2 PM (Saturday) in Mukono and I'm about to go home to Toto's. I'll be seeing Megan and Suzan soon.