Witch Doctor and Child Sacrifice

I had the meeting with Kakembo’s mother and Ruthy’s Father last night. It went great. They were overjoyed about me inviting their kids to come to Canada. They kept thanking me over and over again. I was told that Kakembo’s family is very poor and they do not have a phone, so I agreed to buy them a cheap cell phone. When the mother was told this she immediately got down on her hands and knees and grabbed my hand to thank me.

After I left school, Jimmy walked me home and we discussed what was happening with him and his AIDS status. He told me that his aunt told him that he has AIDS and that he is on ARV medication. We spoke for awhile about what AIDS is and the things he needs to do to be safe. He must have had some counseling already because he already knew a lot. He also told me that he is nervous about staying at his uncle’s place because he is beating him badly. He even showed me the marks. We discussed a few options and he told me he was going to talk to his aunt about it. We also discussed taking him to be tested at a proper clinic in Kampala, so we are going to do that on Monday.

Jimmy’s guardians asked me to talk to him about not walking home on the main road because it was dangerous. They told me to have him walk home the back way. When I spoke with him about this he told me that was scared to take the back way. I asked why and he told me that both he and his sister were threatened by a local person. The local person told them that they are working with a witch doctor and that they would cut off their heads. Normally I would have thought he was making the story up but just before I left Canada I read an article about how child sacrifice is on the rise here in Uganda. When I arrived here I spoke with a few people about it and they told me that it is popular in the Mukono district where I am staying. Not so much in the town but in the villages further out. Basically these people kill children thinking it will bring wealth to their family. Needless to say I told Jimmy to stick to the main road but to be very careful.

This morning I went with Leslie to visit the PACE project in Seeta. It was great to see the progress that was made since I saw them last. They are on the new land and the shell of the school is built. Even though the school is not finished they are teaching in it now.

The area where the school is, is absolutely beautiful. They had to put in a road when they built the school because it is off the main road. The “road” looked like a walking path, we managed to make it up but it was off roading.

We had a meeting with Betty (the schools director) about what the current needs are. She gave me a list of things they need to finish the school. I have given her money to finish putting doors and windows in. We have also bought school desks and benches, as well as a blackboard. On Monday I will buy them new textbooks and supplies.

In the afternoon I picked up 3 of my favorite students and went to Kampala along with another teacher from the school. We went and picked up the passport applications and got photographs taken for them. Afterwards we went to Oweno market and bought them new shoes. They were very excited to be in Kampala because none of them had ever been in the city before.

On the ride home our Mutatu (taxi van) ran out of gas on a remote village road. The driver had to walk to town to get gas while we all waited in a field. Of course when they local children saw a white person get out of the van they all came running towards me yelling “Muzungu, Muzungu” I took a few photos and then we were on our way again.

When we arrived back in Mukono it was dark. I was so tired I just wanted to go to bed, but it has been so hot I haven’t been able to sleep. I ended up sleeping in the main sitting room because it was cooler in there.

Waiting for the clouds to come again.

Jenn