Nyege Nyege Fest 2.4//Uganda
What happened when I took a group of EMPOWERED Ugandan youth, to a music festival, to talk about periods.
I woke abruptly at dawn; people were being called to prayer, the birds, the migration of bodies starting their day outside the glazeless windows. My body remained still, I was shooketh. My eye lids burst open and I looked around the room to desperately try to piece together where I was, and how had I gotten here. Go back to sleep. I wasn’t able or ready to process it all yet. A few hours later I stirred again. I check my phone and it’s now afternoon. I lay there letting my eyes move around the space I found myself in, my body and mind catching up with my reality - I was actually back in Uganda.
A little while later I decided to get up, no one is home. Medie had said he would be out at work but the boys next door would be around to help me out with anything I might need. I listen to the birds gossiping right outside the window. I turn to watch them quarrel and pull out my notebook. Moving slowly, taking it all in, I move myself to sit on the front porch, the same way I started the day back when I lived with the host family. Home sweet home I think to myself. There is something so familiar about being here, as I’m processing the environment a smile dances across my face. I feel safe here, in my body, it’s familiar. I have no guide, or drive, or translator glued to my side. I feel comfortable, even with no curtain on the bedroom door, or bathroom door. I sit for a while and smile at the people passing by. People wave back and nod. Children whisper muzungu and giggle to each other.
Sega, one of the boys from next door returns home and sits with me. He begins to introduce himself; he’s a boxer through one of the projects Medie set up that engages young people through sports empowering youth. He also has his own goats and chickens. I wasnt aware of any of the young people I met previously owning goats before - something about him was different.
He takes out his phone and begins to show me some videos of his recent fights.
There’s something about when a person feels comfortable enough to want to share more about who they are that lights me up. Connection - it’s human nature.
At the same time, I’m getting an update of how the youth here are doing. Those that I previously knew had moved on to try and make ends meet. There was still the same struggles; limited opportunities, finances and resources. This organisation was a group of volunteers who were busying themselves with the type of community work that helps shape a person, it can turn things around but it didn’t pay the bills. They were evicted from the original venue, there had a library, a youth parliament and had a boxing ring to train, practice and perform in. The land owner wanted to develop it.
Welcomed like a family member, a reunion with this stranger who feels like home, I slot back into life in Iganga.
