Life in a Northern Town...

Remember that song? Sung by Dream Academy in 1985. A lovely song about a lovely town. So peaceful and serene, just like being in Nonai, Lamwo district, Northern Uganda.

Well, all the North really. There is something about this place that makes me breathe a sigh of relief and just slow down.

We've been North since Tuesday and this beautiful part of the world has offered me more incredible experiences. I love it here and would be happy with what it has offed me so far but this past week, I have had two more unbelievable, moving, humbling experiences.

We presented to 100 girls at Lalak primary on Friday. They were in grades 6 and 7 but must have been between 13 and 18 years old. This age at these grades is not unusual. After the presentation, Grace asked us if we would walk to her village to see her aunty and the homes that she built. The 100 girls followed us and sang all along the way. It gave me shivers to be walking through the bush, along a narrow red dirt path, just managing to see the thatched roofs over the tall grass with the voice of 100 girls all around us. It was hauntingly beautiful.

The other event was after Corey had spent a morning interviewing the elders in Nonai about their lives. He asked them about their happiest childhood memory, how had the environment changed in their lifetime and what advice would they give the youth. He sat under a mango tree and spoke with four elders while others came along and listened to the conversation. A the end of the interviews, he gave them all a hygiene kit (all we had as a gift) but asked Simon what ISEE could offer to them as a thank you.

Simon suggested a goat.

On Saturday (really? Only yesterday?) we all piled into the van to Nonai to offer a goat. We parked under the proverbial mango tree and the elders came to greet us again. Simon spoke with the chairman to tell him what we wanted to do. Then someone came across the road with a billy goat.

At the same time, a child led an older woman across the street. She held one end of a stick and walked behind the child who held the other end.

Negotiations ensued and finally a price was agreed upon.

"She is asking 100,000 shillings but we have negotiated to 90,000."

"Who owns the goat?" I asked.

"This blind lady." It was the woman who was led across the street.

"Do we have to pay 90,000? Can we pay 100,000?"

"If you want to support her because she is blind, you can give her 100,000."

"I don't want to support her because she is blind, I want to pay her what she feels her goat is worth."

This is negotiating between $45 and $40.

I went to the woman and shook her hand, introduced myself and said Ofoyo Matek. Thank you very much. She pointed to her eyes and shook her head. I reassured her that being blind was not an issue in these negotiations and then put the envelope of money in her hand. I assume Simon or Grace told her that she got the full 100,000 because she thanked me more than once.

Then the rope holding the goat was given to me.

I turned to the most respected elder representative and presented to goat to him on behalf of ISEE as a thank you to the elders for sharing their stories and for welcoming us so warmly to their village. We all shook hands and exchanged Ofoyo Matek, the women sang and ululated, and the goat was led away.

The elder women then presented with a large bag of simsim (sesame seeds) that they had harvested as a thank you to us for being part of their community. When Grace presented me with the bag and I opened it, I said, "Simsim!" The ladies all laughed and said "simsim!" back to me. I think they were impressed that I knew what it was and that I knew the local name.

We then piled into the van and headed back to Lukung trading centre (I would call it a village but they call it a trading centre because it has shops along the one main street.) "Odong Maber!" Stay well!

During all of this, I suggested to Andrew and Charlie that they take out a football to play with the children. The village boys instantly came over to kick the ball around but the girls watched from the sidelines. Sometimes if the ball would come to them, they would kick it back into the circle but they didn't come forward to play. Apollo joined the group but each time the ball came to him, he lined it up and pointed to one of the girls then kicked to her so that she could play too. I was touched by his gesture to get the girls involved as well. We left them a smaller ball that they started using for volleyball. It was great to get all the kids involved in playing, boys and girls.

Now maybe the goat we bought was just returned to the same pen that it came from and the money was used for something else. Maybe the goat will be eaten as part of a feast for the whole village instead of being sold at market. Who cares?

My heart is full of Northern memories. Life in a Northern town... Maybe I should teach them that song!

How will I be able to say goodbye?


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