Recently I was lucky enough to be invited to a near by
village along with my roommate, Kelsey Landis. Kelsey is interning at TAKS Art
Center where she has gotten to know her co-worker, Concy along with her boss,
David. Concy currently lives in one of the upstairs apartments of TAKS but
claims the village as her home.
After about a 25-minute ride out of Gulu town we finally
arrived at Concy’s village. She immediately gave us a tour of the entire site.
She described each of the trees and plants and even allowed us to a few huts,
one of which 17 goats have claimed as their own.
During our tour we met an older man who they called Uncle.
He invited us into his hut to be able to see the structure. Afterwards, he
showed us a small pen where he kept 3 small pigs. Although he did not speak
English I remember thinking how kind of him to invite us as strangers into his
home.
After our tour we walked up a short trail to another side of
the village where the children greeted us. Ranging from ages 5-15, the group of
boys and girls performed traditional dances for us. The girls started while the
boys played drums. After a few different pieces Kelsey and I were encouraged by
the older women to join the children in dance. We both wanted to show our
appreciation to our hosts so we decided to try a few of the dances. Everyone
burst in to laughter while watching us try to maneuver our bodies in the same
manner. I couldn’t keep from laughing myself. Although I felt silly I tried to
let it sink in that here I am, dancing with children in a small village in
Uganda. I will probably never have this experience again.
Once we had received our dose of traditional African dance
for the day Concy invited the children to gather around us so we may thank
them. We offered them our proper devote of thanks and encouraged them to ask us
a few questions. I think my favorite question was them asking if Kelsey and I
were twins because we have the same name. They all giggled when we told them
no.
Being able to experience just an afternoon in this village
has been one of my most emotional moments on this trip. Having people be so
hospitable and inviting to complete strangers still baffles me. I felt more
welcomed at times in Uganda with new friends than I have felt at many homes in
the US. I truly appreciate these people and their love for us.
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| "Uncle" & his 3 little pigs |
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| Trevor, Concy's son, & I walking to the dancing area |
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| Kelsey Landis and Concy's niece, Macke |
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| Children dancing for us |
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