Meggan’s Summer Visit to Uganda, Part 2!
~ Natalia Radcliffe ~Meggan stayed for about a week in Uganda with Pastor Wilfred Blair Rugumba and his wife Vena.
During her time there, she did a number of things volunteering with Mercy Childcare.
There was one day the kids got a treat in the form of a swimming day after school. 30 kids and two volunteers went. One van transported everyone to the swimming site.
Meggan with the kids in the van on their way to swim! Photo by Meggan Kimberley
Meggan’s skills as an ex-life guard and swim instructor came in handy. In the past, there’s usually one adult who teaches the kids how to swim. When there are so many kids, some have to sit out while the adult teaches the other group. This time, no one had to sit out! Meggan looked after the older kids and taught them how to swim, and the other volunteer taught the younger ones.
Staying with Pastor Rugumba’s family, she makes a point of cooking a meal for them as a token of her thanks and appreciation. Usually, she prepares some kind of American cuisine.
The day came for her turn to cook. Cooking takes almost all day, as it takes a while to travel to the open air market to get food and then return, as well as cooking the food itself. In addition, it’s a bit tricky to figure out how much food to get, as Pastor Rugumba and his family never know how many people will be having dinner with them. Usually around mealtimes, especially dinner, there can be 10 to 15 people. Being a pastor in the village, Pastor Rugumba welcomes any visitors into his home. Oftentimes, families will stop by for counseling, to thank him, or to visit. He always welcomes them inside, and if it’s close to mealtime, invites them to stay and eat with him and his family. Being the one to cook that night, Meggan had to make sure to keep that in mind when preparing the meal.
She went to the open air market to buy the ingredients she needed. Fish was on the menu for that evening, so she made sure to buy some. She had the opportunity to watch it be cleaned right in front of her, as the slices of meat were being cut right off the body. Imagine seeing something like that!
The open air market! Photo by Meggan Kimberley
Once she returned to the village, she started making dinner. Usually, meals prepared in Uganda are cooked in one large metal pot over an open flame, rather than being cooked on a stove or in an oven. Meggan wanted to try her hand at using the oven, as she had bought some sweet potatoes to make fries. It took her some time to try and figure out how to use it, as not everyone knew how to operate one. Eventually she did figure it out. They ate, after all!
While she was making dinner, she had help from Pastor Rugumba’s children and the children of the families who were visiting that day. She was able to give them some cooking lessons, which warmed her heart. As she loves to cook, it’s always a joy to be able to share her knowledge with others.
Meggan described the children as so appreciative and kind. They thanked her for the meal she made, describing it as one of the best meals they ever had. It warmed her heart to hear such earnest, genuine compliments for her cooking.
Speaking of cooking, while Meggan was there, she noticed a lot of the bananas that grew around the area were going bad from not being eaten.
Hmmmm, how to utilize the fruit so it gets used before it goes bad?
Meggan had an idea.
Banana bread.
A baked food here in the United States that many people enjoy, Meggan decided to teach some of the people in the village how to make banana bread. It’s another food they can make to eat with different things, and the bananas will be used up!
The first thing she did was go to the store to get a pan to make the bread, as no one had any in the village. After she did that, she taught them how to make banana bread. This coincided with the day she cooked dinner, so there was lots of help from the children!
Another day, Meggan visited the school she helped put together during a past trip to Uganda. The new school houses children in grade school, from kindergarten through high school. Over 200 children board there.
When she was last there a couple of years ago, the school was but a dream. The charity had only just bought the land and was starting to build the school.
Now, it’s a thriving place of learning, giving children precious knowledge, and, for many, a place to call home as well.
There are about 4 bunk beds in each room, and each child has their own bed and trunk to store their belongings. They do a very good job of keeping their rooms tidy. When Meggan was visiting there, the beds were spotless and everything was neat. The colorful blankets laying on the beds were folded into different shapes. Some were flowers, and others were animals.
Don, Meggan’s African son, is staying at the school.
Fun fact: the one room Meggan painted during a previous trip to Uganda ended up being the room he and his other roommates were staying in!
While at the school, Meggan spent some time with Don. One of the things she did was take him out to get a haircut. She used to be able to do more with him when he was younger, but he’s growing up now, taking more responsibilities with school and having a schedule he needs to stick to. She’s known him since he was 8, and now he’s well on his way to begin his teenage years. Time flies by sometimes, doesn’t it?
Meggan with Don at the school he goes to! Photo by Meggan Kimberley
Whenever Meggan goes to Uganda, she comes back with a sense of appreciation and fulfillment in her heart. She knows she’s helping to make a difference in the lives of people there, even if it’s just putting one smile on someone’s face.
Doing good in the world.
Yes, that’s the most priceless thing she always takes away from her time there.
Thumbnail: background picture by PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay.com.
