Sunday, January 2, 2011

"Shifting" Compounds in Gulu, Uganda


One Mango Tree has officially moved compounds. We are so happy with our new place. Prisca and I had been harping our new landlord like crazy to make sure everything was “shift-ready” before we moved in. The women worked very hard to get everything transferred over. Where in America we would have hired trucks and moving men and bought boxes and bubble wrap, the women came in the morning and piled everything on their heads and walked the dirt road between the two compounds to start the transfer. The truck and the men did eventually show up but the women were still the number one workers.
Their work ethic BLEW MY MIND. They knew the task at hand and had it fulfilled quickly, no complaining or extended rest period. Their resourcefulness and perseverance was inspiring and I knew it could only come from the skills and mind-set they had developed from working for One Mango Tree and knowing the feeling of providing for their own needs.
The move went smoothly. We were surrounded by painters, cleaners, and guard men as we moved in.
They were still working on the paint job for the outside and I think in honor of the company that was moving in they painted our house a beautiful shade of ORANGE, like the inside of a mango.
As night fell over our new packed out house the Sunday night rubbish burning began and the air filled with smoke.
The last thing the landlord said to us before he went home, after the down payment was given and the moving was finished was, “One more thing, see this dog here, he has no other home. He is yours.” And thus, we were given Pinker, the lovely guard dog of our new orange One Mango Tree house.

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