A few days ago while working in the field clearing land a
student came up to me. “What are doing Kirsten?” She asked. “I am clearing land
so you can have a student run sustainable garden for the 200 students at Hope
Academy. You will never have to eat Porsha again.” She looked doubtful. “You
can’t clear this,” she said, “Muzungus are too soft, your body is not hard like
mine.” I looked at the cleared field around me, obviously the work was being
done, as a large area had been cleared but she did not seem to notice. “Muzungus
and Bugandans are equal,” I said, “Anything I can do you can do and anything
you can do I can do. I know how to do this work because I have cleared land
during summer jobs and on my grandparent’s farm in Canada.” She remained
unconvinced. It made me wonder whether someone convinced her that Muzungus were
too good to work in the field or if they could not be taught how.
A few days later as I was carrying the Hope Academy Girls netball equipment to practice the same girl came up to me. "My friends told me that Muzungus could not dig," She said," So when I saw you I was so amazed."
Many things are done differently in Uganda than Canada, from the way vegetables are peeled and laundry washed to medicines that are used. It is important to learn how things are done in the area you are in so that you fit in. So I have learned to peel matooke, wash my clothes in three buckets of water and take aloe vera leaves when I am sick. It is a humbling experience to be taught at 21 years how to do get stains off your sweater but necessary because I do not want people to think I look dirty and therefore Canadians must be a dirty people. Still some people remain unconvinced that I can do laundry, peel matooke or dig a garden and they start to laugh at the idea of a Muzungu being able to do something a Bugandan has grown up doing. When they start to laugh I just grab some soap or a knife to peel or a hoe to garden and do the skill and the laughing stops. Let it be said that Canadians are full of surprises.
A few days later as I was carrying the Hope Academy Girls netball equipment to practice the same girl came up to me. "My friends told me that Muzungus could not dig," She said," So when I saw you I was so amazed."
Many things are done differently in Uganda than Canada, from the way vegetables are peeled and laundry washed to medicines that are used. It is important to learn how things are done in the area you are in so that you fit in. So I have learned to peel matooke, wash my clothes in three buckets of water and take aloe vera leaves when I am sick. It is a humbling experience to be taught at 21 years how to do get stains off your sweater but necessary because I do not want people to think I look dirty and therefore Canadians must be a dirty people. Still some people remain unconvinced that I can do laundry, peel matooke or dig a garden and they start to laugh at the idea of a Muzungu being able to do something a Bugandan has grown up doing. When they start to laugh I just grab some soap or a knife to peel or a hoe to garden and do the skill and the laughing stops. Let it be said that Canadians are full of surprises.
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