One More Week is Bittersweet

After returning from our fantastic Murchison Falls journey this past weekend, one of our favorite hotel employees invited a few of us over for dinner at her home. Birwinyo Grace has been like a second mother to all of us in the GSSAP group while staying at Hotel Kakanyero, so even though we were absolutely exhausted, we were excited to spend some quality time with her. Her home was very humble, consisting of one room with a bed, some shelves, and mats to sit on. She shares a traditional grass-hut kitchen in the back with her neighbor. She cooked us one of the best local meals we've had in Gulu, (especially for me as a vegetarian!). It consisted of homemade chapati bread, cow peas, vegetable stew, and a delicious potato, egg, and veggie scramble. We were absolutely stuffed afterwards, but of course had room for fresh pineapple. She also took us to see some of her friends in the community. There were a ton of kids playing nearby, who Grace said (and we could tell) were all very happy to see us. Hannah made a new friend with an adorable young boy, Trevor, who Grace invited inside to come inside with us. He cannot speak, but is incredibly bright. He loved our cameras and picked up the touch screen quicker than I ever did. As bittersweet as it is to be leaving this incredible place, it is amazing to have met so many beautiful people, especially people like Grace who we plan to continue contact with. Knowing how much our group means to people like Grace has been one of the most rewarding parts of this trip.

With love from Gulu,
Apwoyo!