Being Caught with my Pants Down

Most people would be a bit upset about being caught with their pants down but it has happened twice to me this trip and I am ready to do it again!

Bree, Ellen, Kathy and I have done two presentations on women’s health: one at the vocational school in Gulu and one today at Living Hope primary school in Nateete. I had offered the program to Pastor Chris before we left Canada but had not heard back from him. As we were driving home from Gulu, he called and asked us to come to his school Tuesday at 10am. So this morning we packed the van with 100 bags of sanitary pads and headed to the school.

The program we offer starts with Ellen who talks about the reproductive organs and the menstrual cycle. She touches briefly on pregnancy especially if she’s asked but she does stress the dangerous times to have sex if you want to avoid pregnancy. Ellen’s part is quite serious except when she imitates sperm swimming up. In Gulu the young women laughed. At Living Hope the young girls just stared and the ladies of the church (the Tuesday morning bible study group) didn’t react at all because they were under the watchful eye of Pastor Sylvia..

My turn next. I am responsible for teaching about health during menstruation. I talk about drinking lots of water, eating well, and keeping clean. Then the fun part begins. We have travelled with almost 300 bags from Days for Girls that contain 2 ziploc bags, a bar of laundry soap, a pair of undies, two re-useable pad holders, 10 flannel pads, a facecloth, 2 safety pins, and a nail file for fun. I take off my shoes and to the giggles of young and old (especially Bree) I put the undies over my pants and pull them up to my knees. Then I show them how to use the pad holders and pads.  It’s really quite ingenious and if the pads are washed well, the set can last the girl three years.

Once I’m free of my extra undies, Bree and Kathy teach about HIV AIDS and the ABCs of safe sex. Bree talks about being faithful to yourself as well as your partner and shows the girls how to assertively say “NO!” when they don’t want to have sex.

Our presentation lasts about 2 hours depending on the amount of questions. The women and girls all had great questions ranging from the biological (where is the placenta?) to personal (is it okay to bleed more than once a month?). Before handing out the kits, we tell the audience that they are now the teachers for their sisters, mothers, aunties and friends. It is important for women to educate each other about healthy sexuality because we know best what is happening to our bodies. The presentation was a great success and Gaylie, our interpreter, was awesome.

After we handed out the bags, the girls went for lunch and we talked a bit more with the women. One woman dressed in a wool blazer and a long woolen skirt asked why she was getting hot flashes at the start of her menopause. Ellen explained it biologically but we all wanted to tell her to not dress so warmly. I was hot just looking at her. The women then proceeded to bible study with Pastor Sylvia, Pastor Chris’ wife. I would have loved to understand what she was talking about. They were all kneeling and confessing. Our sex talk probably gave them lots to confess. Sylvia had attended our lecture as well and took notes but there was nothing but a very serious face from her for the whole two hours we presented.

We stayed in the church for the lunch hour (we were in church almost 4 hours!) and then we moved to different classes to teach. Bree and Marina went to the K-P3 classes to read and sing songs, I took postcards from Canada for the children in P4 and P5 to reply to, Ellen taught the excretory system to the P6 students and Kathy reviewed the respiratory system with P7. Her review was short though and then she did some soccer tricks for her group. They were thrilled.

I was so happy to connect with the students that are in photos on my wall at home. Patricia, Hakimu and William are now in P6 and Patricia is the student prefect for the second year in a row. Fred has finally passed P4 (I think he repeated twice). I was especially thrilled to see him as I was worried he may have left school. He must be 15 years old and at an age where his parents could easily pull him out of school. Shafik shared his big smile with me from his P4 class. Florence, the amazing dancer, is in P7.

When I walk into the classes the students now greet me. “Hello Teacher Erika” they say with big grins on their faces. “When are you coming back?” They are always shocked when I say that I won’t be back until the following year but I promise to return and see them when they are in the same grade or one grade above if they have passed all their exams. I feel like I belong there and they are excited each year when they see me step out of the van.

It is my hope that if we do come to Uganda for a year (or more!) that I will be able to volunteer at Living Hope in the afternoons and evenings a couple times a week to help the students pass their exams and stay in school. I love the children there and the teaching staff that I have worked closely with is wonderful as well.