Being a Muzungu

The Kaara community we stayed in, was well out in the countryside, even the Ugandans didn't quite know where it was on a map. So, not suprisingly for many of the people we met they'd never seen a white person before. We'd drive along the tracks to the shouts of delight of the children as they shrieked "Muzungu! Muzungu!" (White person, white person) as they waved at us to catch our attention.

We were a novelty, a once in a lifetime experience. So our hands were held, are arms stroked, and hair played with. The children took our glasses, our hats, our cameras. 

We were not seen as wealth, a source of money or expensive gifts.

 Yet, when we left the area we were. In Kabale (the main city in the south) we attracted beggars. And yet this was nothing compared to when we went to Queen Elizabeth National Park, we watched two children as they spotted the car of Muzungus and sprinted towards us with joy on their faces. And we got ready to wave at them, but as they drew near they pulled a sad face and reached out their hands for money.

I felt hurt, and yet their response was, in hindsight, what I should have expected. They saw my colour and expected money, whilst I saw them and expected a friendly welcome. How often do we different expectations of each other? And is it right, that developing countries look for money and wealth from developed countries? Surely, giving money to these countries if like giving a man a fish, rather than teaching him to fish. I know we can't stop begging overnight, but surely if we respect peoples cultures, not flash our wealth and encourage local crafts it's better than giving a beggar money?

When in another tourist region, one of the Ugandan ladies we worked there commented on the fact 'We looked like Ugandans and spoke like them too' why? Because we dressed like Ugandans, and respected their dress, and spoke the limited Rugika we knew before speaking in English. And in doing show, demonstrated that we respected the culture we were part of. If we don't embrace cultural differences, does that send out the message that their culture is below ours? That they should become British too? I don't know the answers, and it might be completely untrue, but what happens if it isn't? Is this a new age of colonialism but this time through tourism rather than the army?

Generosity from those in poverty

In the eyes of a westerner, the people in Kaara were in poverty. Their main source of income was from the food they produced - mainly potatoes. And yet they had such a gift of generosity. 

"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people have their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

 Luke 21:1-4

Like in this verse, the people of Kaara were generous, in their giving to the Church and to us. On a Sunday, collection was taken in Church. Like in the UK money was offered, however contrary to the UK food was also given. This food was then sold off at the end of the service, with members of the congregation buying for each other. And, as a thank you to us, we often received food, like potatoes, pumpkins, beans and cabbages. Staple foods in the area we were in, however once we also received a stick of sugar cane which was  interesting to try and another time a beautiful basket of passion fruits.



However, this offering of food did just occur on a Sunday, whilst we gained a lot of extra food then, people sent us food throughout the week. We would often return to our house to hear that someone had dropped off potatoes/beans/maize, and twice we received a chicken. Ugandans are known for their hospitality, and whilst we were never invited round to someones to eat, they were generous to us in the food that they gave us. Despite us being the richest people around, with plenty of food and variety, they gave us their food to say thank you. And whilst to us, a few potatoes or extra beans was nothing, to them this gift was a lot. And, that is the true meaning of generosity, not how much or what you give but how of much of what you have you give.

Like in the bible passage, the women gave all she had, how often do we as westerners, give only what we can afford to give once we bought food for the week, paid the rent, bought some new clothes, and had a night out. Shouldn't it be the other way round?

Hear are some facts to help put our 'essential' life style into focus.

• It would cost around $9 billion to provide global access to clean water and sanitation.
• Each year Europe spends approximately $11 billion on ice-cream

• One of the biggest diseases in the west is obesity
• And yet, so many families go to bed hungry, unsure when and where their next meal will come from. 

I don't think this is right, so next time you buy and ice-cream or a snack, think about giving the same amount of money to someone else in need.

Girl Power (or the lack of it)

I've just done an exercise that gives you the opportunity to make decisions as if you were a 16 year old girl, whether you male or female I suggest you click here to also do it before you read this blog.

I writing this blog because it hit me again, just how lucky I am. I am a woman living in a country where I have rights, where I can be independent. Where I have GIRL POWER!

I see myself as independent. I'm not fully, but my parents are supportive in my decisions. I know, whatever I decided to do, they won't stop me, they may try and talk me out of it, but they won't stop me. I know, they only want whats best for me.

My parents see education as a priority and have encouraged me to attend school, 6th form college and now Uni. But, for many children, especially girls, education isn't seen as a priority. As many parents in other countries don't have an education, they don't understand the advantages of their children having one.

So, many children, again especially girls, drop out of high school due to the long distances they have to walk.

They then go and work in the fields.

But, often after a year of working in the fields that parents have found someone for the girl to marry, either a boy the similar age - but can a 'marriage' between a 13 year old girl and a 14 year old boy really be called marriage? Or a man much older.
Why? The man has to pay a dowry for the girl, so the parents gain money and lose a mouth to feed.

Liz said despite it being illegal for a girl under 18 to marry, it is rare to discover an unmarried woman under the above the age of 18. However, they would wait until 18 until starting a family.

IF, however, the girl did end up staying on in high school. Many girls end up getting pregnant by their boyfriends, and end up disgraced back at their family home as the boyfriend might not marry them. In this case the girl and her unborn child is reliant on her families support.
Her prospect for marriage are slim, however a man may marry her as his second wife.

Like in the 'Girl power' scenario, marriage isn't an option, it was an expectation in the community we stayed in. However, unlike the scenario sexual education was available. One afternoon we went into the local primary school, so beforehand we asked to look at the textbooks they used. I was shocked at the level of sex ed the children were receiving at primary school. They were learning stuff that I was taught in years 7-9 at high school in primary 4-7, like contraceptive methods and where to get them from.
However, as my fellow team mates pointed out, it was important for them to learn it earlier on, partly because many might not reach high school but also because of  HIV/Aids and other STIs.

Sorry that this blog is quite similar to "Education is your life, guard it well" but, these issues hit me again hard and I wanted to blog about it.

Because I believe that Girl Power needs to be available to all.

Because I believe that girls need to have a voice.

Because I believe that girls shouldn't be sold into marriages or the sex trade.

The Butwa Tribe

Singing and dancing is an important part of the Butwa's culture, so this picture shows us dancing with them as they sang to us (and also helps to show the height difference)

The Butwa tribe are pygmies, when Liz mentioned that there was a chance to see them I admit I was incredibly excited to see them. Why? I'm ashamed because I had a curiosity similar to that of seeing a rare animal. I was intrigued to see the pygmies because it seemed interesting and realistically wasn't going to happen again. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

So, I decided to read up on them, luckily we had a Uganda guidebook with us, so I started on that. I was intrigued to find out the average adult height was about 1.5 m, (I thought it would be closer to 1 m.) But, what sparked by interested most was their history. I'd just assumed that they'd be okay, but like many indigenous tribes they're not and their past plays a big part in why. But, whilst their history is interesting, their present stocked me. The Butwa are no longer hunter-gatherers but 'conservation refugees.' They are unheard and ignored by the government, living off the pity or generosity of the other ethnic groups and treated as a tourist attraction.

And that disgusts me. 

And because of that I'm now ashamed of my initial thoughts towards them because they are an amazing group of people who are misunderstood and not represented. They are survivors despite being dealt an awful hand. But most importantly they are not a tourist attraction like animals in a Safari park but human beings, people God created and loves and people that should be seen as our equals. 

I'e just googled 'batwa' and here are some descriptions, just so you know, I'm not making this up.

"... the Batwa became squatters living on the edges of society.... The Batwa in Uganda (today) experience systematic and pervasive discrimination from the government and other sectors of society, and their rights as indigenous peoples are neither recognised nor respected." 1

and

"They are now some of the poorest people in the world with a high infant mortality rate and low life expectancy." 2

The Butwa people are survivors despite going through so much suffering. As I read about them I disovered a huge compassion for these people and anger at the way they have been and are being treated. By the time we went to met them, I was still excited to see them, but for a new reason, I wanted to meet these people who are surviors despite the odds, I wanted to learn how they lived, to see the truth with my own eyes.

But I was also afraid that we were going to see these people as a tourist attraction, as I read more of the guide, I'd realised for many of the tribes tourism was the only source of income for the Butwa. Luckily the tribe we met were as excited to see us as we were to see them,  as for many of them it was the first time they had seen a Musunga (a white person.) 

The Butwa's History

The Butwa are naturally hunter-gathers and therefore used to live in the forest of central Africa, the tribe we based used to live in the forest that has become Bwindi National Park. They lived in the forest, not destroying it but living off it's abundance. 

However, their first problem arose when the Bantu people moved in, unlike the Butwa they did not repect the forest and survived through farming, thus cut down large areas of the forest. Reducing the area that the Butwa could live in.

To add insult to injury, when the forest became the Bwindi NP the government gave compensation to the Bantu farmers for the land they lost. However, as the Butwa whilst 'owners' of the forests weren't given any compensation, they were just evicted from the forest. Not only did they lose their land, becoming squatters, they also lost their livelihoods. They were hunter-gathers and didn't know how to farm, not that they had any land to farm anyway. 

And this is where their story ends, but as I've researched I've discovered glimmers of hope. They are programmes aiming to get the Butwa's voices heard, and in the meantime help make them self-sufficent by providing land and health care. So I pray, that in reading this you'll become aware of their plight too and you'll help to make others aware too.

Our visit

Despite, the issues I've mentioned, the tribe we visited were ones that had a glimmer of hope. One of the Reverends in the Kigezi Diocese had been filled with compassion for this tribe and had been able to buy a small plot of land for them so they were no longer homeless. They were also next to a school and some of their children were attending it, so they were becoming educated. Liz said that they were a lot cleaner then when she had previously seen them, and sanitation appeared to be on the increase, they had a toilet and a drying rack that we could see.

However, the houses they lived in were pitiful:

Some of the Butwa's houses and general living 'facilities'

Not only were the homes tiny, but they were for the whole family and it was all the living space they had. They all slept in their and they cooked in their. I actually don't know how they fitted. But, Liz said it was an improvement from the last time she'd seen them, so we can only pray that a difference to their lives will continue to occur.

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echuya_Batwa but from a quote taken from the first periodical Report of Uganda to the African Commission on Human and People's Rights
2 http://www.friends-of-bwindi.org/batwa.php