At St. Joseph's Primary, Ndeeba

Today I went with Susy, one of MCDT's loan officers, to a meeting held at a school in Ndeeba. Just off the room where we were meeting with borrowers was a preschool class. Most of the teaching seemed to be call and response in form, with this wonderful rhythmic character. I didn't understand it at all, of course, until we got to the point when the teacher said, "How are you?" and all the preschoolers in unison shouted, "I AM FINE!"

"How are you?"
"I AM FINE!"
"How are you?"
"I AM FINE!"

over and over again.

When I came out at the end of the day, a few children, probably not from that class, were standing in the yard. I said to one, "How are you?" He promptly answered, "I am fine," and seemed pleased and startled that this actually worked.

I feel the same, actually. This morning a woman walked in and said, "Sebya tyano, nnyabo," to which I answered "Bulunji," as is proper. She said, mmm. I said, "Sebya tyano, nnyabo," and she said, "Bulunji." Mmm. Then she started saying all sorts of things I didn't understand. I'm sure I goggled a bit and turned to Susy for help. "She said you are doing very well," Susy told me. Mmm.

Jesus loves the little children

Yesterday, I had Joseline and a friend of hers over for lunch, the first guests I've had here, and we had a marvelous time, swapping stories, cultural details and songs, among others. I tried out "Jesus loves the little children" on her, and she gave me the Luganda version, sung to the same tune. Here it is.


Yesu ayagula abaana,
abaana beensi zonaa.
Badugavu naberu,
bamyufu nabakyenvu
bonna ba mu wendo nnyo mumasoge.

Eladde bannyabo

Fred, the loan agent with whom I have been paired the last couple of days, is doing his very best to help me in the most basic Luganda, but my age is showing in my inability to hold on to even the simplest greetings. I have been trying all week now to commit to memory the greeting, “Ela de”—at least I think that’s how you might spell it. It could also be “Era de,” the consonant sounding like a blend of “l” and “r” with a little bit of a “d” thrown in.* “Nnyabo” is “madam.” “Ba” is for a group of women. The proper response for the greeting “Elade nnyabo” is “Elade nnyabo” back. Unless, of course, it’s a man greeting you (or you are a man), in which case it’s “Elade ssebo” (or “bassebo” for a group of men).

As we were walking to our first meeting yesterday, Fred explained to me that “Elade” as a greeting is asking, “Is there peace between us?” or perhaps, “Peace be with you.” And the response is the same (“And also with you”), to be sure that those meeting are approaching one another peacefully. He tells me that it comes from a word that’s used to describe still waters—“The waters are calm.”

*Joseline, with whom I had lunch today, informs me it is "eladde" with an L and two Ds.

Basics: English

English is the official language here in Uganda, as I think I’ve mentioned before. The strange thing about it, I realized, is that everyone learns the official language at school; to the best of my knowledge no one speaks it at home.

This means, of course, that English is a second language for absolutely everybody. The fluency seems to depend upon the amount of schooling a person has received, though I’m sure ability and other exposure play into it. Those from rural areas in general seem to have less English than those native to Kampala.

Although there certainly is an imperialist history to the use of English, I can also see how it would be a more neutral choice than any native language here. So far, I have encountered at least three ethnic groups with three different languages: the Buganda (for whom Uganda is named) who speak Luganda; the Acholi, from northern Uganda and southern Sudan, who speak Acholi, a Luo dialect; and folks from the West Nile region who speak an entirely different dialect of Luo. To make any one of those (or others I don’t know about) the official language might set that group up as superior. And then I suspect there would be real trouble.

I’ve been fascinated by the amount of interpretation required here. At the Bible study on Monday night, Joseline interpreted between English and Luganda—and not just for my benefit. At the meeting with the Life in Africa members, Grace needed to interpret into Acholi, not just for me, but for Peter who is from the West Nile and whose native language is not understood by the Acholi.

It is simply a peculiar thing to realize that everyone here speaks a foreign language because in some ways that is the best way to get along.

Promoting intercultural understanding

I was reading an inter-office email about how the lending program affected members’ lives and came across the acronym SOL repeated over and over. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what it was. Finally I broke down and asked Peter who explained it stood for “standard of living.” Ah, of course.

There was a taxi driver strike yesterday for matatus, bodabodas, and special hires to protest the crackdown on unlicensed drivers and mechanically impaired vehicles. This sounds like a grand idea to me, but the drivers claim that this is merely a pretext for extorting money from the drivers, which is possible. At any rate, all day yesterday we heard and saw vehicles going by with people hanging out the windows, yelling and waving—drivers and conductors showing their displeasure. Jesca and Peter both went home early since they needed to walk to get there. I was very glad I live nearby. As I explained to Ezra before I went home, if I had wanted to take a taxi I would have been SOL.

Donut update and African sounds

I brought something resembling donuts to the staff meeting today. The meeting started at noon yet again, but I was ready for it this time. I had brought a bag of something Peter told me were "half-cakes," a deep fried batter about the size of large donut holes, and laid them in the middle of the table. As each staff member entered the room where we held the meeting, they gave a little "Oh!"--not an American sounding "oh" at all. I can't describe it better except to say that it was a particularly African "oh."

Another African speech sound that I love is the "mmm" sound that seems to mean something like "I see," or one of those sounds of encouragement that people throw into conversation. I heard that a number of times during staff meeting as well. I find it very satisfying and utterly impossible to replicate.