Week 4- An Evening at PCA

This week I stayed late at Peace for Children Africa to see what life is like for these children after the sun goes down.  On our previous visits, we always left before dark; so, we only saw the part of the day where they work on homework, MDD (music, dance, and drama), and play games.  After the sun goes down, everyone begins their individual preparations for the next day. Some take showers while others prepare their clothes and supplies for school or help make dinner.  The excitement and group energy that filled the compound during the daylight hours was replaced by a calm, individualistic aura.  I was extremely happy I stayed because I got to interact individually with kids that I otherwise would only have played games or danced with in a group setting.

Two young boys wanted me to read with them. Due to their limited funds, they cannot afford to use electricity for lighting. So, we read by kerosene lamp, huddled together on a bench in the living room.  They read from a book of short poems, pausing after words they didn't know for me to pronounce the word and give a definition.  While I've had a lot of fun learning to dance and playing games with them, this was the first time I felt like I was actually making a difference in their lives even if it was just helping them to learn a few new vocabulary words.  I was amazed at how honest and open they were because at their age I would never want to read in front a stranger if I didn't know how to say a word.  They simply wanted to learn and read so nothing else really mattered.  I've been in an academic culture for so long that is obsessed with getting the best grades and having the best skills that I had forgotten what it was like to want to learn for the sake of learning.

After reading, we ate a simple meal together before I headed back to Makerere.  As the guest, I got the nicest plate, the only fork, and more than an individual's share of avocado.  My initial instinct was to refuse the gesture and try to take a smaller portion in a plastic bowl.  However, after being here for some time, I've realized that it's more rude to refuse food than to accept more than you need.  It has been a tough lesson to accept that in some situations, it is better for you to feel embarrassed or a burden than to make your host feel like he/she cannot properly entertain a guest.  Overall, I really enjoye my time at PCA and found that at night, there is a completely different environment that volunteers rarely experience.



Location: Peace for Children Africa, Kampala, Uganda