Five agri-business trainees, including myself, arrived in Iganga Saturday. Two of the five will be stationed in Iganga, which is centered among the remaining three sites. We were taken to our learning center, where we will intensify our language study and learn more about Ugandan history and culture while staying with our host families for four weeks.
Hellen in her kitchen
My host parents Hellen and Simon
A nun greeted us at the training center, which is owned by her order, and next door to a convent. Francis Mango, our language teacher, will stay in a little cottage on the grounds of the training center. We piled out of the van with about half of our luggage (the rest is stored at PC headquarters) supplemented by the Peace Corps with a new pillow and blanket, a wash bucket for bathing, and a solar charger. On the way we stopped for sheets for Nick and a pot for me to pee in during the night so I don’t have to leave my room.
Our host parents began to arrive to take us to their homes. Comedy ensued. The name I had been given as my host father was “Simon Peter”. I walked to the first arrivals and asked his name- “Peter”. I asked if he was Simon Peter, and I thought he said yes. I introduced myself and met his wife. They were the only ones there for awhile, so we just stood outside chatting while the other four trainees awaited their parents. Long story short, we eventually figured out I had the wrong parents. Three of the five fathers were named Peter. My real host parents were last to arrive, and he prefers to be called Simon. My host mom is Hellen.
This is Peace
Innocent and Adrian
Simon (50) and Hellen (30) are both teachers, but Simon has more on the ball than that. His home property is U-shaped around a red clay dirt courtyard. He rents other rooms that surround the courtyard to other teachers.
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Simon owns a local school, different than the one he teaches at. It adjoins his first house, where the school was started, and is across the road from the second house, where I am living. I toured the school briefly with Simon on Sunday during classes. There are 450 students in nursery through 7th grade including many boarders. The boarders who stay for the weekend take classes on Sunday morning. The school is administered by Ann, who lives in Simon’s first house, and is also Simon’s first wife. (Yes, Simon has two wives!- more on that later) Hellen also has teaching certifications but works part time for now. She has been sick with a recent bout of malaria.
Sharon and Edith
Simon and Hellen have three children. Innocent is 5, Peace is 4, and the only boy, Adrian, is 3. They have no toys and amused themselves Sunday morning with the water from the spigot, dirt, rocks, and loose bricks.
Simon and Hellen also care for two “dependents” Sharon 18, and Edith 17, who do many household chores. Sharon has finished Primary (elementary) school, Edith has never attended school.
At first these kids knelt before me when they greeted me, but as we get comfortable the kneeling has stopped..
I am getting the same foods as training, but it’s way better tasting. My plates are often too full, but I am getting them to adjust it.
The language classes this week have been difficult. I understand the concepts, but I do not memorize as well as the the younger trainees.