Positive

Today I took Jimmy with me to Kampala and we had a great day, just the two of us. The day started by me taking him to get tested at the International Clinic. We could have went to a local cheap place but I wanted some questioned answered and to make sure he was getting good care. As expected the test came back positive. We spent some time talking to the doctor about the treatment and how he should be taking it. He seems ok with the whole thing and never really showed any signs that he was upset or sad.

After the doctor I took him to a local muzungu restaurant for a treat. I guess I didn’t think about what a shock it would be for him to go to such a place. When we arrived his eyes got really big and he was surprised at how big the place was. When I asked him what he would like to eat he just told me to order for him because he didn’t know what anything was. I tried explaining what a burger was and what a few other things were, like pizza. In the end, after consulting a local waiter, we decided he would have a chicken burger. When it arrived, again his eyes got really big because he was surprised at the size of it. I could tell that he didn’t know what to do with it because he was looking at me for guidance, so I told him to cut it in half to make it easier. These kids don’t use utensils they just use their hands, so he was unsure how to properly do it. He tried to use his fork and knife to cut it because it didn’t work so I just cut it for him. Again I assumed that he would just pick it up and bite into it like we would, but instead he took it apart piece by piece and ate one layer at a time, bun, meat, lettuce, tomato and finally bottom bun. It was just a great moment for both of us. At the end of the meal I told him that we could take the leftovers with us. He looked a bit shocked and asked “where will we put it”. I told him that they would wrap it up for us so that we can eat it later. That made him very happy.

After lunch I took him to a large grocery store in the area and again his eyes lit up. He was looking every direction and couldn’t decide on what to look at. We walked around for a bit and I explained what certain things were. They even had a few products from Canada and the US which he was really interested in.

We ran a few more errands (bought more books for 2 schools) then headed back to Mukono. Jimmy went to class and I had a meeting with Kakembo’s parents about the passport process. We finished all the paperwork for both kids and are now ready to take it to the next step. In order for a Ugandan to get a passport it must be signed off on by 3 local chair people and the mayor, all which require bribes or “tips” as they call them here. I have one of the teachers taking care of that tomorrow.

Tonight we had a new volunteer arrive. She is an older lady from England who is very nice. We also sent Ann (the new volunteer from the other day) out to her village. She was terrified and needed to be consoled and hugged. I hope the shock where’s off and she is ok.

Jenn