Annet’s Art Project for School
Sibling Rivalry
This past trip was set apart by the amount of time I was able to spend with the girls. They do an amazing job at welcoming their guests with song and dance, but what I was really looking forward to was the time void of choreographed celebration—time that contained real life.
Staying there for four days afforded me many of those moments.
We prepared nearly a dozen meals together. We danced. We sang. We prayed. Many of the girls shared with me the details of their pasts, and we cried together. There was one incident, a silly incident, that’s managed to stick out and make me smile each time I think about it. It was an argument over a mosquito net.
A girl on a top bunk didn’t want to share her net with the girl below her. Though she was calmly trying to state her case, still, it made no rational sense whatsoever. Having the net drape down and cover the bunk below simply didn’t affect her at all. I had to laugh because it reminded me of the countless times I’ve had to settle equally senseless arguments between my own daughters.
Never has sibling rivalry sounded so good to me. Most of these girls were left orphaned by way of AIDS or genocide. They are relearning what it means to operate as a family and be a sister again. For those of you that shared a room with a sibling, you can attest, it ain’t always pretty!
They worked it out, apologized, and I went to bed that night thankful for silly discrepancies that can be fixed with laughter and a hug.
Opportunities Abound!
“She couldn’t believe that she had the chance to actually meet lawyers for the first time in person and they were so friendly and helpful to her. It really expanded her world and made her dream seem like more of a reality.”
Kristen: Hey Jen, got a couple questions for you about the trip. Can you please provide for us an overall chronology of the trip so far?
Jennifer: Sure! On Friday, May 7th, we took eight Gulu girls to Bwaise. We arrived in the afternoon and were greeted by our sisters. After lunch, Robinah organized a get-to-know you game and some ice breakers. By the end of the day everyone was dancing and mingling with girls from the other house.
- On Saturday, we rented a van and took 30 girls to the shopping center. Robinah bought them notebooks so they could write notes about everything new they saw. Many of them rode an elevator & escalator for the first time. We went to the zoo. Girls took notes on all the animals they saw. Lake Victoria was next to the zoo so it was fun seeing the girls run down to the lake and jump in the waves. Everyone had an amazing day.
- On Sunday morning it rained so many of the houses in Bwaise flooded. Needless to say, our day started a bit late. We took the girls to dinner at a nice Indian restaurant called Nawab. For many it was their first time in a nice restaurant. Then we got them ice cream after which they really enjoyed.
- On Monday, we headed up to Gulu with eight of the Bwaise girls. For many of the Bwaise girls, it was their first time leaving the five mile radius of their home. Ida, one of the hairdressing students, thought that Gulu was so far away that it wasn’t even in Uganda. She also said the being on the bus felt like she was on an airplane. We arrived in Gulu that evening and had dinner then the Gulu girls performed a traditional Acholi dance. The girls from Kampala joined in and learned some new moves.
- On Tuesday, the Bwaise girls got a tour of the local market. They helped prepare some traditional food like Gobe (greens with peanut sauce).
- On Wednesday, the girls hung out at the house and talked, laughed, danced and got to know each other better. They visited Restore Academy with John and Robinah.
- Today, we left for Bwaise with the rest of the six Gulu girls and arrived this afternoon. Many of the Bwaise girls didn’t want to leave Gulu because they though the Total Impact house was so big and nice. Doreen said that she thought everyone in Gulu lived in huts and was surprised to see the size of the Total Impact house!
Kristen: Who all has helped with the trip?
Jennifer: Of course staff and myself, and then Kirsten and her friend Ed, both from England, joined us at the zoo last Saturday. Kirsten is a lawyer with International Justice Mission in Uganda. She was able to talk with Pauline from Bwaise and Annett from Gulu about being a lawyer since they are both hoping to become lawyers one day. It was a wonderful connection for all of them. Kirsten was so impressed with the girls and invited them to come visit the IJM offices in Kampala. Tomorrow we will take Pauline and Juliet from Gulu, who is down this week and wants to study law, to visit her at work and talk to the lawyers there.
Kristen: I’ve heard many girls talk about how they are scared of the water; what did they think about the lake?
Jennifer: Everyone loved the lake! Some girls had an initial fear of the water, but quickly joined their sisters in splashing and jumping in the waves.
Kristen: Any hiccups in the trip?
Jennifer: So far, not really. I would say the only thing is that there weren’t as many activities planned in Gulu because there is not as much to do there as in Kampala. I don’t think the girls got bored – at least they said they weren’t bored. 
I think for the city girls it was refreshing to be in the country.
Kristen: Based on your observation, Jen, who do you think (thus far) the trip has impacted the most? What do you see that’s different?
Jennifer: I would say Juliet from Gulu has been very strongly affected by this trip. We took her and Pauline from Bwaise to the IJM offices today. We met with lawyers there and they were able to ask them questions about the profession. It was so encouraging for them and they got some great advice about studying hard, reading as much as possible and working to promote justice instead of make money. She couldn’t believe that she had the chance to actually meet lawyers for the first time in person and they were so friendly and helpful to her. It really expanded her world and made her dream seem like more of a reality.
Kristen: As a visitor and helper at the Total House, tell us what it has been like for you. Give us your perspective and what you see that is working. Tell us about the photography you have been doing with the girls.
Jennifer: Getting to know the girls at the Total Impact house has been amazing! They are so thankful and grateful for the opportunity to study and get ahead in life. They understand the importance of education and they all have such ambitious dreams. These girls are so bright! I know that they will have such a ripple effect on their country and touch so many lives. I have certainly taught the girls some things – how to play the card game spoons, about photography, and we’ve done drawing and art. But they have taught me so much as well – how to wash my clothes by hand, how to cook on a little stove with coals, how to kill three inch cockroaches, how to dance…although I don’t think I’ll ever be as good as them. My hips just don’t move the same way.
Overall, it has been amazing hearing their stories and sharing life with them. Also, experiencing new things through their eyes has been a treat!
Lessons Learned
Hope On Tap was a simple event.
Before coming to the simple yet effective formula for the occasion, we hit a few bumps along the way.
It began as an idea to throw a sizable poker tournament. We had this large vision of ten or so tables with certified dealers in a Chicago
warehouse space.
Tall ceilings. DJ. Catering. Open bar. I think someone even talked about trying to tap a celebrity to show up and play.
But as we tried to put the grand idea into effect, it became clear that aside from being outside our resources reach, the event might not be effective as a fundraiser.
That and it takes years to get the liquor license we would’ve needed, and we had months at best.
As David Byrne once said, “If the curtain opened and everything was there, there’d be nowhere to go.”
In other words, we still have room to spread out.
So we changed it to a simple gathering at a bar, with some snacks and the chance to win a slew of generously donated raffle prizes.
It really doesn’t take much to lead to a worthwhile and positive result.
That’s the whole point of the Impact House itself.
All of us at Purse of Hope and Total Impact House would like to thank the following organizations and people for contributing:
-Hyatt Regency at McCormick Place
-La Ciudad Mexican Grill and Cafe
Road Trip!
Today eight of the girls from the Total Impact House embarked on a grand adventure. The destination: Kampala. The objective: to stay with their Purse of Hope sisters and visit various sites in the city. So, while many of us were preparing for bed last night (11:00 pm), they rolled up their mattresses, put on their nicest clothes and boarded the bus just before 5:00 am.
The girls will stay in the city until Monday. When they return, they’ll bring eight of the Bwaise girls back with them. The Bwaise girls will stay throughout the week. The next batch of Gulu girls will return with them to Bwaise and bring back the last group of eight to Gulu. Sixteen girls from Gulu and sixteen girls from Bwaise will share and swap experiences for nearly two weeks. That, I imagine, will produce thousands of hours worth of memories and stories—ones that will be remembered for many, many years.
I asked Blake to tell us which girls are going first, their previous travel, and what they are most looking forward to. Here is what he sent:
1. Stella – Has been to Kampala. She went to Kampala last year. She is excited to meet her POH sisters in Bwaise and see Lake Victoria for the first time.
2. Stella 2– She last went to Kampala at the age of five and cannot recall anything about Kampala. It is like going to Kampala for the very first time. She is excited to meet her sisters in the Bwaise home.
3. Hope – Hope visted Kampala twice in her lifetime. She first went to Kampala at the age of 5 and last time she was in Kampala is when she was 10 years old. She can hardly remember anything in Kampala and wants to see Lake Victoria, National Theatre and the zoo.
4. Gloria – Gloria has gone to Kampala many times. She is excited to visit Kampala again and is looking forward to meeting her sisters at Bwaise and touring Kampala.
5. Scovia – Visited Kampala for the first time in 2006. She is excited to visit her sisters in Bwaise and is excited to visit the zoo and the Uganda museum.
6. Concy – Concy visited her aunt in Kampala at the age of 5 years. She can hardly remember what Kampala looks like. It seems to her like visiting Kampala for the first time. She is excited to travel with her sisters and being taken by Purse of Hope and meeting her sisters in Bwaise for the first time where they will get to know each other and share life experiences. Concy is looking forward to visiting Lake Victoria, touring Kampala city, and seeing tall buildings.
7. Joyce – Joyce has never been to Kampala in her life. She is excited to go to Kampala and see many new places. She is also excited to meet her sisters in Bwaise.
8. Anet – Anet was last in Kampala in 2002. She never expected to go back to Kampala. She is excited to go again and cannot wait to see how developed Kampala is. She is also excited to visit her sisters at Bwaise house for the first time where they will share experiences and get to know each other. Generally, Anet is very excited to tour Kampala.
Blake, Robinah and Jennifer will be reporting and sending pictures along the way. This will be a great road trip for all of us. Please feel free to participate by asking questions or just saying hi. They’ll be accessing the internet whenever possible. In addition to what I post here, you can follow them on Twitter and Facebook as well.
http://twitter.com/PurseofHope
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Purse-of-Hope-NFP/151054414448?ref=ts
This trip was the mastermind of and organized by our dedicated staff and funded entirely by a generous donor in New Jersey. On behalf of all of us, a very sincere thank you!