Kooga and Davis
Har fejret jul i Uganda, og det har været fantastisk. // I’ve celebrated Christmas in Uganda – it’s been amazing.
Fun times!
Der er ferie på skolen, men jeg fik arrangeret at 12 børn, der bor i området, kunne komme og fejre jul. Joel var så venlig at lægge hus til, da mit sted er for småt. I Uganda fejrer man jul den 25. december, og det var egentlig meningen, at vi bare skulle være samlet den dag. Men det endte med at blive udvidet til tre dage! Lad mig bare sige, at det er pænt hårdt at være alenemor til 12 børn. Ha! Men det var det hele værd.
It’s school holiday, but I arranged that 12 children living in the nearby area could come and celebrate Christmas. Joel kindly lent us his house, since my place is too small for so many people. In Uganda Christmas is celebrated December 25th (in Denmark we celebrate the 24th), and we were supposed to meet only that day. Yet suddenly it was extended to last for 3 days! Let me just say that single parenting 12 kids is hard. Lol. But it was worth it.
Frank
Den 24. december mødtes Joel og jeg tidligt om morgen. Vi kørte til Semuto for at slagte en gris. Vejen op gennem landsbyerne var fantastisk. Der var juleforberedelser alle vegne. Mange små byer var pyntet med flag og der blev slagtet dyr her, der og alle vegne. Aldrig har jeg set så meget ophængt kød – og så mange mennesker stimle sammen om de små slagter boder. Julen er vigtig og noget mange sparrer op til i lang tid. Man spiser kylling, gris eller ko. Muslimer spiser får. Ged er der ikke så mange om – det er mere hverdagsspise.
Slagtningen af grisen i Semuto foregik på et leje af bananblade. (Billeder kommer snarest.) Det var fantastisk at se arbejdet blive udført med sikker hånd. De fleste vesterlændinge ville nok rynke på næsen og fødevarestyrelsen komme råbende med løftede pegefingre. Men der er styr på det.
December 24th Joel and I met early in the morning. We went to Semuto to slaughter a pig. The drive up through the villages was amazing. There were Christmas preparations everywhere. Many villages were decorated with flags and animals were slaughtered literally everywhere. I’ve never seen this much meat – and so many people gathered around the small butcher booths. Christmas is important here and something people save for in a long time. You eat chicken, pig or cow. Muslims eat sheap. Goat is mostly eaten outside the season.
The slaughtering of the pig in Semuto was done on a bed of banana leaves. (Pictures will come soon.) It was amazing to see the way it was done. Most westerners would probably lift an eyebrow and feel somehow lose their appetite, and the officials working with hygiene (don’t know what you call them in English) would most likely come running with all their rules and regulations. But people know what they are doing here.
Slagtning af gris // slaughtering of a pig
Efter slagtningen kørte vi omkring nogle bittesmå landsbyer i området og hentede fire børn. Jeg elsker at møde familierne og se hjemmene til børnene. Det giver en større og dybere forståelse for børnenes livsvilkår. Der var smil over hele linjen. Så kørte vi mod Joels hus og gjorde stop her og der for at købe mad til julen. Herefter tog jeg en boda boda hjem for at hente mine ting, hentede Frank og så tilbage til Kawanda, hvor Joel bor.
After the slaughtering we drove to some tiny villages to pick up four kids from school. I love to meet the families and see where the kids come from. Such visits give a greater and deeper understanding of the kids’ living conditions. There were smiles everywhere. Then we drove back to Joel’s house and stopped at some small booths to buy food for the Christmas meal. Afterwards I took a boda boda home to get my things, picked Frank from his home and then we went back to Kawanda, where Joel stays.
Så er flokken samlet // All of us together
Senere på aftenen fik vi besøg af de sødeste mennesker. En lille gruppe på fire personer iklædt nissehuer og bilen spækket med julepynt og gaver. De kom fra en ugandisk Whatsapp-gruppe, der hedder ”Buy & Sell”. Den ene er veninde med en af mine ugandiske veninder. Hun havde fortalt om BDI, og de ville gerne hjælpe med at sprede noget juleglæde. Så de kom med juletræ, balloner, pynt, kage, gaver og meget mere. Det er faktisk første gang, at vi har haft lokale til at hjælpe. Det var fedt! Det er selvsagt ikke kun ”hvide mennesker” der kan hjælpe og gøre en forskel. Det synes jeg er vigtigt, at børnene ser.
Later that night we had a visit by the kindest group of people dressed with Christmas hats and their car full of Christmas decorations and gifts. They come from a Ugandan Whatsapp-group named “Buy & Sell”. One of the people is a friend to one of my Ugandan friends. She had told about BDI and the people wanted to help spread some Christmas joy. They came with a Christmas tree, balloons, decorations, cake, gifts and a lot more. It was actually the first time we had local help. It was fantastic! Needless to say it’s not only “white people” who can help and make a difference. I think it’s very important that the kids see, that Ugandan people can help and care too.
Julekort fra “Buy & Sell” // Christmas card from “Buy and Sell”
Næste dag kom endnu flere børn til, og vi endte med at være præcis 12 børn plus mig og Joels to søstre og en bror, der var så søde at lave mad til os alle sammen.
Next day even more kids came, and we ended up being 12 kids plus me and Joel’s two sisters and one brother who were so kind to cook for all of us.
Flavia and Cate
Dagen gik med at lægge puslespil, tegne, spille fodbold, hænge ud, se tegnefilm og grine.
We spent the day doing puzzles, drawing, played soccer, hung out, and watched cartoon and laughed.
Julemåltidet blev indtaget til frokost og det var vidunderligt. Kartofler, matoke (madbananer), ris, spaghetti, jordnøddesovs, gris, ko og noget stegt hvidskåls-halløj. Mmmm!
The Christmas meal was eaten at lunch and it was delicious. Potatoes, matoke (green bananas), rice, spaghetti, groundnut sauce (here just knows as gnuts), pig, cow and some cooked cabbage. Yum!
Festmåltid! // Christmas meal!
Senere på aftenen var der kage, som var blevet givet af ”Buy & Sell” gruppen. Her skærer alle kagen for, så alle har en hånd på kniven. Så tæller man til tre og kniven føres ned. Haps!
Later in the evening we had cake given by the “Buy & Sell” group. Here everyone cuts the cake, so all kids held the knife. Then we counted for three, and the knife cut through the cake.
Sådan skærer man kage // How to cut a cake
Omkring kl.23 var det sengetid. Vi blev alle stuvet sammen på fem madrasser. Det var pænt varmt, skal jeg hilse at sige. Lidt i halv syv næste morgen blev jeg vækket af den første lille nisse, og snart var alle vågne. I løbet af formiddagen kørte vi alle hjem til deres respektive familier.
Around 11pm it was time to go to sleep. We were 13 people sharing 5 mattresses. It had its charm despite being seriously hot. Some little time before 6:30 am next morning the first little elf came to say good morning to me. Soon everyone was awake. Joel came around 10am and then we took the grand tour driving everyone home.
Godnat // Goodnight
En meget dejlig jul. Og forhåbentlig ikke sidste gang, at det lader sig gøre på denne måde. Tak til de søde mennesker, der har sendt penge til at give børnene (og mig) en uforglemmelig jul.
It’s been a lovely Christmas. And hopefully not the last time I get to celebrate Christmas this way. Thanks to the people who sent money to give the kids (and me) an unforgettable Christmas.
Solnedgang fra huset // Sunset from the house
Se flere billeder nedenfor. // More pictures in the gallery below.
Solnedgang i Uganda er noget særligt // Sunsets in Uganda are something special
