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Yep… this week in Uganda. Meet the Nile Perch!
(pic by Dru Collie)
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Light Gives Heat’s Curated Collection From East Africa: Hand-Picked, Hand-Packaged, and Just in Time forMother’s Day!
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Harriet is an angel. Without her we would be dirt red from head to toe 24/7. So who is this angel? She is our housekeeper and washing machine – and what a machine she is.
Each morning she arrives at about 8:30. All maybe 100 pounds of her gathers up mountains of laundry (for nine people) and heads to the back porch. Here, she fills a small basin with water and begins to hand scrub each and every piece of our grimy clothes – including baby Silas’s multiple diapers! She scrubs relentlessly until each item is clean and then hauls all the clothes, towels, etc. to the front yard and hangs them on the line and bushes.
If it were me, at this point I would collapse on the couch and beg for someone to please bring me an ice cold glass of tea. But NO! It is then that she heads again to the back porch and begins to iron on a table/box/dog pen/desk. Every square inch of clothing, towels and sheets are meticulously ironed to kill any mango fly eggs so they don’t nest in our skin.
Only then does she fold every article of clothing neatly and put it in a pile for us to collect.
THEN – she heads indoors to sweep, mop, clean bathrooms and windows.
All of this is completed by around 2 p.m. when she heads to her second job.
Keep in mind this is in tropical weather with no air conditioning or fan. She never complains, politely says “hello,” and smiles when I give her chocolate.
Hopefully any time I feel like whining about too much work, I’ll remember sweet Harriet and know that I’m being a weenie. You rock Harriet!
(Source: thestringofpearls)
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The String of Pearls: The Way of Women
Betty’s friend “produced!” The woman who was in labor FOREVER (like two weeks) finally had a baby girl! And she and the baby both lived. Miracle!
I asked Betty if she was done producing now and Betty said no – she’ll keep producing until she has a boy. She then explained to me…
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Holy Safari!
Just 10 - 20 feet away from most of the animals - including lions! A Nile River cruise with only Carsyn, Haley, me and the guide - with a family of elephants playing and swimming 15 feet away! Sleeping in a tent with hippos grazing nearby - amazing! Magical. Just magical!
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More Murchison National Park Safari photos!
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Dennis (also known as Abraham) teaching me how to ride the boda this afternoon. At first I didn’t know why were stopping and then he just got off and got on the back and said “tugende” which means “we go”. It was a little scary at first and he couldn’t stop laughing at me but it was pretty fun! :)
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Late Tuesday night Betty headed out into the dark night by herself. Although she was frightened, she said God told her to go to her friend producing (having a baby) at the hospital.
The next morning I asked how her friend was and she told me that she had been having terrible pain since the last part of February (when she was due) and that she finally went to the hospital on Sunday. She is alone, as her husband is away at work in another town and her other three children are at neighbors’ houses.
Betty said her pain was severe but she was not “opening” (dilating). She said that everyone thought she was having twins because she was so large. I asked why they didn’t do a caesarean and she said because her friend would not give them permission because she did not want to die. Apparently a large percentage of woman in Uganda die from caesarean section – often from incorrect doses of anesthesia.
This afternoon Betty is going to see her again and take her hot water so she could wash and have something warm to drink. I guess I never thought about a hospital with no hot water. Betty also said that if she doesn’t “open” today she’ll go home because there is “nothing the hospital can do.” I am fearful she may die.
Our Ugandan friend, Gerald, said that many, many women and babies die in childbirth because they can’t afford to go to the hospital. And even in the hospital the care is “not certain.”
Then, I look around at all of the pregnant women and wonder if they’re scared. If they worry about dying and leaving their babies without a mother – or if they’ll ever get to meet the baby inside of them.
Women in the towns and cities have an average of 3 – 4 children, but in outlying villages they often have 8 or more. The thing is, they need children to help with never-ending chores, make income when they can and take care of them when they’re old.
I asked Gerald, “What if couples don’t want to have children?” He looked at me like I was from another planet and asked me to repeat myself. He then laughed and said he didn’t know anyone who had made that choice. Everyone has children.
Then I asked, “What if the woman, because of something physical, is unable to produce?” He said then the man could marry another woman and have two wives – or more. “What if the man can’t produce?” I asked. He said he didn’t know, but certainly the woman wouldn’t be able to have another husband.
All said, it is such a miracle we see so many beautiful, smiling children and their lovely mothers. I’ll keep you posted on Betty’s friend.
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A little sneak peek at a new SUUBI line we are working on in Uganda at the moment!
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A Little Shopping!Last Monday Megan took us to Kilombera, a place just outside of Jinja where craftspeople loom stunning scarves (like the ones Light Gives Heat had in their marketplace collection at Christmas), blankets, towels, aprons and much more.
Gerald took us on a tour. It was fascinating! I can’t believe how much work is put into these - days and days! Makes me appreciate my scarf even more!
(NOTE: Some amazing products that LGH has been and will be working with in the near future!)
