An Ugandan Childhood

12 March
Photos- Zach, Mary and visitor Doreen on the way to primary school today, Deborah giving Gloria a bath, and some kids at the VOLSET school- the girl in the front on the left with porridge all over her face, that’s Raina and she is trouble.
Today we gave the talk about child abuse to the primary school about an hour and a half walk from home. I put together the presentation and pictures but Mary interpreted and her animation and enthusiasm kept the children’s attention. This is not the type of talk you’d hear in an American elementary school- there was mention of chopping off heads (what the abuser often threatens children he’ll do if they tell) and fairly graphic descriptions of the type of abuse that happens. From what I can tell this seems to be a much bigger issue than we have in the states with teenagers often raping children in addition to adults. Enough said.
Gloria is doing very well. A week ago she went to a clinic in Mukono and was given a dose of antibiotics although no diagnosis as to why she is not gaining weight and still has such an extended belly. The antibiotics have perked her up and she’s much more animated and interested in interacting instead of sitting sucking a finger. I’m no physician and no parent but it seems obvious to me why she isn’t progressing- she barely gets any food as far as I can tell. She gets a cup of milk in the morning and a quarter of a sandwich that has some margarine smeared in. Not sure what she gets for lunch as I’m not around and then dinner is another glass of milk. When I’ve sat beside her to eat breakfast she is reaching for my food and the Ugandans say “oh she is satisfied, it’s just when she sees someone else eating she wants to eat too.” I think she wants to eat because she’s hungry. I asked Mary today if I could start giving her my stash of Clif and Odwalla bars. They are full of vitamins and protein and if she has ½ in the morning and in the evening it’s probably the easiest way for me to improve her nutrition. I don’t think anyone here is trying to starve her but food and eating are approached very differently in this culture. Breakfast is a cup of tea at dawn. If you’re a child at school you get a cup of porridge (very runny cream of wheatish stuff that I think is really soy) around 10am but if you’re an adult you coast along on the tea until lunch around 2pm. That’s typically a plate of rice and beans or posho and beans or matooke and beans. Then dinner is around 8:30pm (or 10pm which is when we ate tonight). While folks want food to taste good it’s less about nutrition and more about what is going to make you feel satisfied.
Quick note about children here- I think some American parents should spend a week or so in Uganda so they can check out the approach to child rearing. Basically, once you can walk, you’re on your own unless there is a sibling about to keep an eye on you. Not uncommon to see a 4, 5 or 6 year olds tending a younger siblings. There are diapers in Uganda but you find them in the store not on the bottoms of children. They don’t wear bottoms which I suppose means no diaper rash but probably less lap time. I was a little alarmed when one of the kids dropped his sticky lunch in the dirt only to put it back in the container and commence eating until I saw the head teacher’s 6 month old son wallowing in the dirt and teething on the sole of my shoe and his mother didn’t blink an eye. It’s true you can’t beat the dirt and the dust here so why make yourself crazy? Oh and toys- it’s whatever you can find- rusty nails, knives… there doesn’t seem to be anything a kid can find to play with that an adult finds too dangerous and takes away. That said, I haven’t seen any kids playing with fire… yet.