Tuesday July 28

Today is the second day of applications and surveys. The group split up into two- one going to the LC I of Nwoya and the other driving directly to village number 2, Luluyango. The ride was the same, bumpy and dusty, yet narrower. We drove through “the bush,” where the LRA used to hide. I’ve heard of the bush from all the documentaries and books we had to read, but seeing it now- tall grass that goes way past my head- I started imagining rebels lurking in there while we drove by. We finally got to Lulyango and had a conference with the village where the LCI and LCII introduced us to the people. The whole process was very much the same as the day before- children sat together behind the adults while the village officials sat on their low wooden chairs and benches and the rest were seated on a tarp on the ground. We did, however, learn from yesterday to wait for formal introduction before taking pictures. The rest of the day was just that- a learning experience. The conference ended with lots of claps and Acholi squealing. The squealing is a good sign. Katherine’s wedding, women would squeal and vibrate their tongues in celebration. It reminded me of the sound Red Indians would make, but unlike the Red Indians; the Acholi squeal was not a prelude to an attack. I realized the villagers were celebrating the fact that we were there for them.

So, we started the whole process. We had six translators and a separate station for English speakers. There weren’t as many English speakers as there in Nwoya, and each person was given a number to make sure that the first people in line were given priority over people who came later. Yesterday we came across some men pushing the women out of the lines, and so Janice suggested this number system to prevent that from happening again. The whole process was a lot less chaotic and more organized. We had a rotation system so everyone could explore the village, play with the kids, and observe the borehole. It took us four whole hours to go through everybody in the village with a 109 applications at the end of the day. But, what surprised me, was the patience these people ahd just for the opportunity to be considered for the bicycle program. No one complained about the wait. They just sat quietly on the ground- women tending to their children and men having conversation. They probably observed us muzungus too, while we observed them. But it was a very pleasant atmosphere. We had translators so we could interact with them, and sometimes no translation was needed at all. We all tried to learn a few words in Luo, such as “Apwoyo” for “thank you,” or “I tinini?” for “how are you;” and “ Nyingi nga?” for “what’s your name.” That put a smile on their faces- seeing that we were trying to learn their language although we were struggling with our pronunciation.

While we were finishing up a few more people, Kevin, Erika, Odeke, and Colin started playing with all the kids together. They did “Simon says…” and tag with about fifty kids of all ages surrounding them. It was an adorable sight- another instance where we really didn’t need words to communicate, but silly actions that Simon tells you to do.

As this eruption of giggles and cheers was going on in front of me, in the distance, in the direction of the borehole, I could see some women and little girls line up jerry cans in front of the pump while a young girl pushed down on the lever on the other side. When the cans were filled, they put them on their heads.

Sophia