Thanksgiving Day at Awere

Thanksgiving Day at Awere

I walked into Awere and right on the concrete, I saw two of the workmen hacking at something with wood axes. I then realized what they were attacking with a vengeance was half of a cow. Today was going to be a day of celebration and feasting, and apparently I was looking at dinner. I then just stayed out of the way. Alfred says the Acholi have a saying, “Don’t let the visitor carry the luggage.” So as opposed to home where I am always grabbing chairs and moving them. I think I might be insulting the students and staff at Awere by helping myself. Alfred always calls to a student who runs and gets me a chair if I don’t have one. Also, when the students come and ask for a teacher’s help they either curtesy or bow lower than the seated teacher until they are told to take a seat or stand up.
So I could not help set anything up, as the students and prisoners from Gulu prison, assembled two large tents. All of the boy fit into each other, but each joint was secured by lashing. I remember I loved lashing in boy scouts, and I think every Ugandan knows how to lash. So I watched as they assembled the tents. It was a good thing too, because we were all under the tents from about 10.30 am until 3.45 pm. It was a pretty amazing program.

The Anglican bishop came in a parade to the school, up the back dirt road where he was led to the school by dancers. The boys were all in shorts and fake leopard skins, the girls were in the traditional dance costumes. As the crowd moved toward the tents, I was able to have my photo taken with the dancers. They also showed me how to play the whistle that they had made from a horn of animal.

We then sat down and had a church service with the bishop. He was very warm and engaging and gave a good sermon for young students. They had a confirmation class of 20 that was confirmed and had a great choir who seemed to add a song whenever the bishop wanted to hear one. We then heard many speeches, including some great ones by the Head Boy, Head Student Prefect, and the incoming Student Prefect. The prefects are responsible for a lot of the discipline at school and in the dorms and it was really nice to hear students talk about discipline and what was needed to be a good student.

We had lunch where I ate the beef I saw earlier, it was the best beef I have had in Africa. Although, it was a very formal dinner with lace on the tables. We had to eat with what Komakech called “our tribal fork” aka our hands.

We then saw more dancing, a student written play about finding Jesus, a student written play about a girl who responds to peer pressure, gets pregnant and dies having an abortion. As silly as this sounds there were many comedic moments in both usually supplied by the student playing the witch doctor. It ended with students lip syncing and half performing music.

Today we drove 3 hours so we could see the site where Awere is going to be when they go back. Remember they are only in Gulu due to the war, and actually are much further north. I have so much more to tell you, but we just got back on Saturday and I am going to have to rush in to town to get this published.


peace

john