The Well

21 Feb 2011 1:56pm
Woke up to some back pain this morning, which is nothing new, after some stretching I'm feeling just fine.
The kids were heading in to school when we started eating breakfast.
We at first decided to find something to do while the dental clinic was being set up. But the work seemed to find us. We found out the well can not be easily fixed. The pipes fell down 120 meters and can only be reached by certain equipment that there is only 2 of in the entire Uganda!
The closest one is on the other end of Uganda and doing a project. It has been expected the well will take a month to fix!
We decided to help fill the jerry cans, Fred got us a truck to drive us, 3 large tanks and jerry cans to the river to fill. We all piled in the back and held on tight for a very bumpy ride.
We got lots of stares as we filled our containers in the very dirty water.
To tell you how dirty it is, Shannon put her arm over the container to keep it from spilling and with in 1/2 hour had a rash all over that arm.
Once we got back we all got ready to mix up the plaster to fill in the brick walls inside the library. Very dirty but fun job for those that did it. I opted to fill the cans for the plaster and for the kitchen to make the children's lunches.
The kids lined up for lunches and after having to wait for the food to be cooked because they just got their water they got a more than expected helping of rice and beans.
Now we are all enjoying our lunch break.

When I hear stories I'm trying to be better about remembering to write them down.
Fred was talking about why the children have their ears pierced. It is a sign that they are "un-pure" to the head hunters.
He said there are allot of rich men that have witch doctors and before they build new buildings, the witch doctors have instructed them to find and sacrifice a child and than build the building on top to have their building flourish. They pay headhunters to find them "pure" children to sacrifice.
There  are so many stories of the horrible treatment that still goes on in Uganda, and most of Africa itself.
There are so many men that just have sex for pleasure and some have 25 children that they don't feed or take care of. Most are extremely malnourished. Most men will beat their children for crying and just leave the woman to attend to them.
Fred is such an amazing man for being so different and loving than the rest. He was abused in numerous homes growing up and still deciding to do all he could do to help children.
He started this orphanage in 2005 not just as a place for orphans but as a school to be able to educate the children. He encourages and teaches each one to be their best, they want to be teachers, doctors and business men.
He said most of Uganda is so uneducated they don't know anything different. He tried to teach safe sex and the men believed the condoms produced cancer, because of the lubricant. They don't know any better. They said they would rather die of aids than cancer.
He is educating this generation so they can lead and spread the good educated words. He has so many wonderful things happening here.