A Visit to the Village

A farmer and his dog
(Photos courtesy of Jim Tanton)

Justus is our campus's milkman, canteen owner and my new best friend. He's been bringing fresh milk to my doorstep since I arrived, and we've struck up a pleasant and harmonious friendship. For Christmas, I gave him a little American flag and a ball for his son, in return, I received a picture of him and his son Jethro, posing austerely for the camera. When I first arrived, my old site mate and I asked if we could help him to milk the cows, a prospect that delighted him. 

Justus has been inviting me to see his home in the village, and finally for the first time in 15 months, we found a day that suited us both to make the journey. Jim joined us too, and when we decided to walk there, what was supposed to be an easy stroll turned into an afternoon hike. 

I love exploring around the mountains of Kabale, they are an endless ocean of rolling hills that seem to go on forever. I've explored relatively little though, only the hills around Bukinda valley. I've also met other Westerners who say they're working at Ryabirenge School, but I had never been there. It's sad to say, but in 16 months of living here, I haven't even ventured past my primary school. Lately though, I've been a bit more adventurous. I visited the village Health Center IV and met the Head Clinician working there, inviting him to attend some HIV activities I was doing at the primary school. 

So you can imagine how happy I was to go past that imaginary line and go down the village road to Justus's. We walked for a good two hours, first past Ryabirenge School, then up up up into the crops and more hills, across a flat mountain top and down the other side into another valley. At the top, you can see for miles, right into northern Rwanda. Justus knew the way like the back of his hand, but I doubt I could do it again on my own. 

After walking through dusty crops of potatoes and barley, and sliding down the side of mountain, we finally made it to Justus's house. I was pleasantly surprised-- it was lovely. The house looked brand new, with new tin roofing, freshly painted walls and a pristine little yard that looked over the entire valley of Chogo. Little chicks followed their mother hen in the back yard, while baby goats munched away on the vegetation. I met Justus's wife Jennifer, who lived alone in the house while her husband was away working, her children away at school. She first served us pitchers full of obushera, a local brew made from sorghum. They mix the sorghum flour with water and let it ferment for a few days, making it slightly to very alcoholic, depending how long it sits. Drink enough of this stuff and you'll look like the men outside the local bars. Jennifer had just made the brew the day before, so lucky for us, it wasn't yet alcoholic. It tastes like a really healthy drink, a bit like yoghurt, but slightly more sour. 

We sat outside on mats and played with the local kids who had come to play with my hair (they were fascinated by my hair and its texture) until it was time to eat. I wasn't expecting to be fed, but as is customary here when you have a visitor. The meal was delicious, some of the best food I've had in country. I even ate matooke, which I normally avoid, but it was too good to resist (matooke is the signature meal of Uganda, it is steamed plaintains, or green bananas). We had beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, matooke and goat meat. It was a feast and such a generous meal. 

After eating and laughing all afternoon, we had to make our way back to Bukinda before the sun went down. We walked back an hour on a dirt road to the closest town Muhanga, and took a matatu back to Bukinda. The village is pretty tucked away in a remote valley. No electricity runs through there, no foreigners pass by. You can imagine the faces of the locals as we passed by, seeing a muzungu in their neck of the woods! A few miles past the village of Chogo is the Rwandan border, and a small and unused border crossing. I love being in remote places like that, when you feel you're at the edge of the earth. 

I was happy to see my little American flag hanging in Justus' family's home, as a little reminder of the friendships made along the way. 

Sorghum season

Outdoor kitchen where the cooking happens

Justus, his wife Jennifer and his brother James

Justus and me in Chogo valley

Jim and Justus in his home village