Morning arrives quickly in the village. I have mentioned the noises (taxis and poultry cries) but darkness to light also happens in less than 30 minutes. On my walk out to the latrine about 6:40 am (conserving water during the dry season-each flush takes 10 liters and we are paying 200 shillings for each 40 liter jerry can), I can already see students briskly walking to school. Students at our school walk from 5 minutes to 1 hour in order to get to school in time for the 7:30 am lesson. They are not however, the only ones on the road- there are other primary and secondary students, a few “commuters to Mbale” waiting for the next matatu, and people on their way to the water hole or to the market in the next town or to their own plots for digging. Students usually look towards our house and wave if they see us.
For us, we begin our hilly climb between 7:15 and 8:00, depending on the schedule for the day. The trading center of Kikholo is coming to life at that hour and there are many villagers with their wares (including sides of meat, fresh chapatti, bunches of matooke, 50 kg bags of charcoal, etc) for sale.
The taxi vans are rumbling along, racing to the next possible passenger only to come to a screeching, dusty stop. Once we leave Kikholo (where the passable road ends), we are greeted by various choruses of children along the roadside, hidden behind matooke plantations and from fields afar. The voices are at first quiet, and then more confident and then some even become desperate for us to answer their, how are yous? I am fine. Morning and evening we hear: Good morning teacher or Good morning Sir (a telling sign of the level of education). The first groups are milling about the grounds of the local UPE school; they are standing, sitting, chewing on sugar cane or grazing their cows. The next group of 4-5 little ones are out of their house usually engaged in some little activity. All are in various stages of dress and undress depending on their stage of toilet training or the availability of clothing. They are always enthusiastic and organized in their Good mornings and their how are yous and they keep up the chorus until they feel we have answered their individual call. The mother encourages them to greet us.
Nearing school we watch the progress of a mother and a few assorted children throughout the month of February as they dig and weed and dig some more to ready their field for sowing as soon as the rains arrive (due any day now). One of her youngest children lingers near the family structure. He usually sees us first, yells a Hiyee and then runs to the other side of the structure and will not stop his frantic waving until we respond or have passed. These greetings keep us moving up the hill, as well as every passing pedestrian wanting to greet us with their spoken English, some Lumasaba and some Swahili. The Ugandans are indeed a friendly people!! After 20 minutes we reach the school and cool down for about 10 minutes before we are ready to greet students in classrooms.
The afternoon walk home is frequently accompanied by some of our students who are happy to tell us about their day or explain certain things along the way.
It can be our favorite time of the day, for two reasons. The children are practicing their English and…it’s downhill all the way to the Guest House!
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