The Hera women live in the Bison slum area of Tororo and are trying to improve their lives. Some have been able to start businesses, and many have begun moving past illiteracy. The meeting was almost completed as we in the second part of the GUW group arrived, but several of the women were proudly showing off their ability to write their names, write the alphabet, or do arithmetic.
The group then said farewell to Mary, presenting her with a traditional Ugandan dress as a gift. Faith Margaret from the Mari community had come to Hera because many of these women are her friends, and she was able to help translate. Despite her disability (she crawls on her hands and knees), she gets around on a boda boda (bicycle transport).
Mary then asked several of the women who lived close to take a visitor to see her house. This living is, indeed, a step down from the villagers whose homes we visited yesterday. Here there are no individual privies, no land for growing anything, no separate cook house (cooking is done outside), and houses even smaller and meaner. Yet my hostess was happy to show me her home and introduce me to her children.
When we returned to the school where the meeting had been held, the women had completed preparation of the feast. As usual, I skipped the meat and chicken but did partake of some cooked cabbage and two different kinds of cooked greens that were delicious.
We all piled back into the bus and went to the Ngiyo Ber Women's Estate. This housing development had been built by Give Us Wings with the proviso that the title to the house must be in the name of the woman of the family. Men/husbands are allowed to live on the "estate," the name given by the group, but they cannot own the property. The houses were MUCH nicer than those occupied (not owned, mostly rented) by the Hera women. Many of the owners had spent time and effort on landscaping, and the community owned land which could be farmed providing food and income for the residents.
The Ngiyo Ber women had a program with a full agenda -- including speeches, singing & drumming, a "drama" put on by the youth, and presentations to Mary -- a red evening gown and some jewelry. They even had a cake, the first one I've seen in Africa, made by a member of the group.
They then wanted to serve us a few meal. Since we'd eaten with the Hera women not 3 hours before, we declined. The folk in that community ate very well that evening!
We did accept the invitation to visit several of the homes. Those who had problems with their houses seemed most eager to point out the flaws. Most interesting -- Like housing developments everywhere, some homes were well maintained and some had been allowed to deteriorate. Mary pointed out several times during the meeting portion of the event that these homes belonged to the residents. There was no landlord and so maintenance had to be their responsibility. Some got it; some wanted to be rescued again.
These houses provided a marked contrast to the Hera houses. They were made of brick, larger (a main room and 2 smaller rooms), had an individual privy and a kitchen out back in a separate building. With the greenery of banana plants around, the setting was quite lovely.
We left around 6 p.m. to return to the hotel. Had dinner together, and Jacinta (who we'd met at the Mari group) arrived with her jewelry and other items to sell. Then it was time to catch up on a little e-mail, take a tepid shower (water at this hotel was hot only once), and get organized/packed for the morning's departure for Kenya.
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