In the Presence of Royalty (Pt 1)

On Sunday, Michael and I hung out with Aggie and Rose for the day. We went out to meet a friend of the EAC family, Jonathan. Jonathan is quite a funny guy. He had many clever remarks and hilarious stories of his neighbors and friends. His family owns an area of land that houses a beautiful country club. The 4 of us decided to sit at a large table outside and went in to grab our buffet plates. In the middle of lunch, we were joined by a couple that was fancily dressed. Soon, Jonathan's mother introduced us to them as one of the prime ministers of the Buganda tribe, an ancient group that owned much of the land that Kampala sits upon. Though they don't have any appointed power, they still hold much influence within Ugandan society. They were so friendly and talked with us about their families. It was such an honor to be seated next to them. In the end, the wife invited Mike and I to come to visit their place of entertainment! Should be exciting!

After, we ate our buffet plates, Jonathan's mother urged us to try their tilapia. I love fish, so I was quick to accept her offer. I'm so glad I did. Ah, it was soooo good. MF and I ate it together with homeade spicy chili sauce. It gave my beloved Tabasco a run for its money! Delcious! You can see pictures below of the scrumptious delight.

We began our first week at the office. Mike and I began with a meeting with Aggie, program manager to understand all the services that EAC provides from an administrative stance. EAC is amazing! They provide not only a quality education, but also holistic care (medicine, food, shelter, counseling, transportation, etc) and relationships that go beyond the norm. Mike and I are so blessed to be in the company of such great people. We interviewed Teddy and another EAC student's mother at her house. The house visit was touching. She lived in the slums of Kampala beneath a rocky hill. Her square brick house had many holes that leaked the remnants of the day's earlier rainfall onto the walls and floors. She pushed back sheets that served as doors and welcomed us to sit down in her cozy living room. She spoke Luganda, so Alex translated for us. We asked her about how EAC helped her. She told us how her daughter was the star of the family and gave everyone hope because she was able to go to school and have her basic needs. But, even beyond an education, EAC helped her when her house fell, when she found out about her HIV/AIDS diagnosis, and is currently helping her to construct a kitchen and a new toilet in the backyard. We toured her house as she explained how her children sleep 5 to a room in 2 beds on top of chicken cages beneath. Despite all of her trials, when we left, she had a gift of bananas to give to us. MF and I were astonished at her generosity in times of what we considered to be despair. But, then, before we left, she told us that happiness is not always what you have, but it's what you are able to see. It's the possibility of something better in the future. And, because of EAC, she had hope for a bright future for her family and for her community. She was happy. I went to her house thinking I'd learn more about EAC, but I ended up learning more about the true meaning of happiness.

BEFORE : YUM AFTER: DOMINATION

-Nick