Day 11: Palissa

The day started with that hot spiced tea at Anna’s Resort. As we were strolling there a little boy came up to Zak, grabbed his hand and shook it. Zak was totally charmed. The child had no interest in Phoebe or me but was mesmerized by Zak. So adorable! and, NO, there isn’t a photo since it happened so quickly.

We met a field full of girls at the library. They were from four different schools ranging from P3 through high school. They were fully engaged and loved doing role playing. Phoebe had girls playing pregnant teens and disgruntled mothers. She had them playing men and teachers and got them laughing as she drove the necessary information home. They had so much fun.

When it came time to try the kit on one little girl jumped right up and made a perfect model. Her infectious smile put everyone at ease. 

Jane from Women with a Purpose came to see the class. I met Jane years ago when our friend Carol first told me about Palissa.  Jane started a vocational school right down the road from town and we’ve had women there making our kits on and off over the years. Jane is a powerhouse. She has made it possible for girls to gain all sorts of skills and to become independent. We were so happy to see each other.

Jane in Palissa

We gave out over 200 kits to the students and another 9 or ten to the female teachers who showed up to witness the instruction. We left feeling successful but tired and started our trek back to Jinja.

On the way, we passed papyrus fields and more rice paddies and in a small town along the way Yassin stopped and bought my favorite roasted corn on the cob for us. That man is an angel.

Papyrus

We rolled into Jinja at around 3:30. We sat under the mango tree and played cards until eventually it was time to go to dinner. A glass of wine outside with Phoebe and Zak was a perfect ending to a busy day.

Tomorrow we’ll see Tabitha and help her teach a class here in Jinja, and then on to Wakiso.