Nkula is on the way home!
Brooke and Jonathan just let me know that the group passed smoothly through security and are about to board their outbound flights. Here at HQ we are so grateful to the families and friends of the Nkula students for their ongoing support, and especially grateful to Brooke, Jonathan, and each of the students for such a successful semester.
Please enjoy this final note from Brooke and Jonathan, as well as this great photo of the crew leaving the airport.
Wishing everyone “safari njema” (safe journeys),
Avy
from Brooke and Jonathan:
Mambo marafiki!
We made it! Three months in East Africa has flown by! As your OE’s, we both want to say that we are so proud of each of you and all that you have learned and accomplished. As your friends, we want to say thank you for being with us on this journey, and we will miss all of you!
We thought a fitting end to the blog would be a brief recap of all that we have seen and done. So without further adieu, here is Nkula Fall 2015!
We arrived at the Portland airport having not met in person up until this point. Greetings were exchanged, and that first group picture was taken. Thank you and goodbye to Avy, check in for the flight, and through security. We chat excitedly in the terminal, do our first of many Carpe activities, and prepare for our first flight. In Amsterdam we meet Caitlin, our group is finally complete, and its off to Uganda!
Eliza’s bag walked off with a random stranger in Entebbe, but it finally returned and we were off. Jinja was our first port of call, for orientation, scavenger hunts, Sean D. Incredible, and rafting on the Nile! That first night in town, a huge storm blew in, and we huddled under a roof with the locals, quite an introduction to Uganda.
“If you want to act like pirates I’ll talk to you like pirates!!!”
“Joseph, swim right….. No your right”
Ziwa was our first project. We met Martine, the first of many friends, who showed us how to monitor rhinos. Gerald fed Joseph’s Fanta obsession, and Angie spoke about what it takes to work in conservation in Uganda. Bag checks and school painting! The ride out to the bus was memorable, even if we did miss the first one.
“All good days start with a wet bum!”
“Wait, how do you spell the warthogs name!?”
Kampala was full of chaos and fun. Our first one on ones were here. BANANA BANANA BANANA!!!!
The Post Bus to Kabale….”Can we stop on the Equator to take a picture? “, “Yes, no problem “. That bus just kept right on driving. We stayed at The Home. We drank passion fruit juice, we met Bright Owen! SNEC was fantastic. Joel, Precious, ” Appo”, Jordan, Sam, and so many others. We learned so much from the amazing kids here.
“Mzungu!!! How are you?”
“What is he praying for? “, “He wants God to bless you so that you can give him $5”.
“Who used all the toilet paper?”, “Guys, I have an ownership to take”.
Lake Bunyoni! Canoes and trekking. Mama Bena welcomed us into her home, and we greeted her mom with a series of “Mmm’s”. Bright Owen paddled and sang songs to us, Tom told us about his families island, and Eric played us hauntingly beautiful music.
“What do you love about Bright Owen”?
Rwanda!! Our second country, and what a contrast. Kigali seemed so organized after a month in Uganda. We visited the genocide memorial, learning about the countries tragic past. Barak gave us our first insight into the lives of Rwandans, and we discovered that Rolexes do not cross borders. Happy birthday Brooke!
“What flavor of cookies are those?”, ” Cookie”.
L’esperence was a reflective time. Prince shared his story with us on the hill overlooking Lake Kivu. Victor shared what 10 years in Rwanda had taught him about life, fulfillment, and the pursuit of happiness. Affinity circles, hoeing the banana field, the amazing running Jean de Dieu, using machetes to prune eucalyptus trees, nights around the fire talking about life and vulnerability.
“We should burn some houses to celebrate!!”.
“What kind of dog is that?…it’s a desert tortoise”.
Off to Tanzania, via Burundi, Kenya, and finally Dar es Salaam. Morogorro! Thank you Chilunga for getting us to Morningside and the top of the mountain! Beatrice and Placeda taught us Kiswahili while we stayed with our host families! We played a valiant game of football against the Seminary team, and cooked a gratitude dinner for our host families.
” Kufa!!!”
“Have you guys met Mr. Kim yet? He’s awesome!”.
Iringa was a relaxing stop on our journey. The safari was full of afternoon delights, and we spotted a chui and dancing lions!
Njombe! The Peace Corps took our rooms, but all was good! The quiet streets were nice to wander, and we finally got to watch The Lion King. Ohana Amani was wonderful. A healing retreat along the way. Asante sana sana sana to Curry and Lucca for being wonderful hosts, and nourishing our bodies and minds with the garden fresh meals, intention rituals, and lessons in permaculture. The Hunger Banquet, gratitude, loose leaf teas, East Africa’s most impressive library, sage & solos, and workshops in communication. Let’s not forget the “crazy party” of bad t-shirts, glittery masks and shared laughter over a certain card game. Happy 21st birthday Jordan!
“Push and pull”.
“Just take a shower, you will be fine “.
The time for student directed travel finally arrived! It was off to Tanga and Bagamoyo for fishing, caves, and a little beach time. Jordan felt a little sick, but started to look much better before heading out, so happy for that!
The Baobab home was our final project. Terri and Caito, the Baobab kids, the Stronger Together kids, and all the mamas in the kitchen, taught us a great deal. Thanksgiving was here!! Days swimming with students, building the classroom, teaching and reading to students, and late night dance parties.
Zanzibar!! We finally made it. Paje beach was breathtaking. Seaweed farming and old mosques. The infamous urojo and sugar cane juici with lime and ginger. Maasai strolling the beaches selling their beaded work and dafu galore! Get your electrolytes. Stone Town was the perfect end to an amazing three month safari. SCUBA diving, rose petal singos, traditional herbalism workshops, mouthwatering street food, and the closing ceremony on the sand bank surrounded by the Indian Ocean at sunset. We return to Dar for one last hurrah. Indian food, botanical garden meditations, one last feast of wali nazi and off to the airport.
And now here we are at the end of our journey together. We can honestly say it’s been incredible. You have all taught us so much! Remember to trust the process and to trust yourselves. You have got this!!! Hungera, you have graduated the school of shuttle cock mastery and global citizenship. Many of you are off to other parts of the globe to put your skills to practice during your FVP’s, some are off to work and others to university. Remember all Mama Africa has taught you and the wisdom you’ve garnished from each other. We wish you the best in all your future endeavors, wherever they may take you. We will see you all in South Sudan after your FVPs.
We love you, it’s true.
Your Mzungu OEs,
Jono and Blook
