Fri cont. Ugandans know how to party!

When we got home from school, the preparations for the party were well on the way. Guests had already arrived as they always help out. The ladies sat peeling matoki and ‘Irish’, cutting onions, green peppers 🫑 and tomatoes. Two year old Gerry was helping with the ‘Irish’! Yes, they start them young in Uganda!!

I left them to it, I needed lunch and a rest! I actually woke up 2 hours later, to the sound of the children on the ‘shade’ playing with the ‘dinky’ cars I brought out! Quite happily except when a Norman took one of Gerry’s! They never get away with it! 🤣
And I met my most recent namesake! Gorgeous baby Geraldine, her mum was helping with the vegetables and feeding Geraldine at the same time.

Later Judith and one of her other sons Emma were cutting up the pork, and the chickens freshly slaughtered from Innocents poultry project.
Vegetables were being gently simmered to make a tasty soup, gravy to us, and Innocent’s wife Betty was on her knees in the smoky kitchen making g-nut sauce and cooking cabbage
Then she was mashing the steamed matoki in a plastic bag as if it were giant dough! She must have some good muscles on her!
Alex was in charge of one of the main fire though I thought it rather out of control when I saw it! The fried pork was delicious though!

Ibrahim and lovely Olivier, plus others arrived as darkness fell. There had been a party atmosphere since early morning but now it really took off. The music was turned up, the cold beer and sodas flowed! Yes, I do love an Ugandan party!
Nico the young deaf man who we had trained in basic carpentry turned up and I was enclosed in a big hug! He gets the occasional job alongside another carpenters but not many will take him on. He used to be my water boy, collecting from the borehole several times a day for a ‘small coin’. Alex came round with the water, bowl and soap and then the meal was served in a particular order. Special guests first, me, then the men then the children then the remaining ladies. The meal was more or less the same as we have every day, matoki, rice, Irish, white sweet potato, cabbage, avocado and g-nut sauce and chicken but with the addition of very well done crispy pork! The ladies spent the majority of the party sat on the ‘shade’ ready for many people having seconds. They do like their food when it’s available!
Innocent and I said a little about the reason for the party, Olivier said a prayer of thanks and then we tucked in!
Abi, my almost driver, and her friend had made a 70+30=100 birthday cake, the candles were lit, the song was sung, then sung, then sung and the cake shared. Dancing of course followed with 5year old Norman showing his particular skills! He and the other children never flagged for a minute!
It was a beautiful clear moonlit night spent with lovely people, a lot of fun and laughter and the Nile tasted so good I ended up having three! 🤣🤣

Next morning – I woke to the sound of children playing, brooms brushing, pots being washed and constant happy chatter. I laid there for quite a while before making an appearance, probably writing to you!🤗
When the children have no jobs to do they amuse themselves with whatever is available to them. They were drawing in the mud this morning. Gerry was cuddling a new baby, a burnt log this time!
We had to say goodbye to Emma and Daisy who are being cared for by an aunt while Judith is looking after me. We would see them again soon as a mosquito net delivery is planned for their village. Party just over but going to deliver mosquito nets to the community round the school today so no rest just because it’s a Saturday!

Alex did his usual daily walk to the swamp to cut reeds for the cows. Could hardly recognise him on his return!