Performance in a Village

Ohhh Mondays..

After devotions today the FH workers had a meeting to start their own VSLA (Village Savings and Loans Association). I think it is wonderful that they are going to use the same program that they are promoting in the villages.

After finding out that cleaning out the desk I have been using made the owner upset (read the previous blog post for details), I felt really uncomfortable in the office. I took all of my papers back to the guesthouse and finished my first pile of registration forms. A small victory. I went back to the office and was handed an even larger stack to type up. Ryan, Tim and Cassie hadn't been given any work yet, and I was feeling really frustrated by the inequality of our workloads. Also,The unhappiness of the morning was a little bit overwhelming and I was on the verge of tears, so I laid down on the concrete floor in our room and listened to some music to make myself feel better. At lunch I talked to the others about how I was feeling. They agreed that my job involves a lot more work and much fewer interesting cultural experiences and chances to meet people as theirs. They convinced me that it was okay for me to go with Ryan and Tim to the field this afternoon and finish the forms tomorrow.

Tim, Ryan and I went with Moses and Alfred to this drama performance. We drove for half an hour to Padibe where we met the actors. All of us waited around for a while until they informed us that the drama troupe did not have transportation so we would be driving in shifts. They packed our SUV full of people and took the first batch, then 45 minutes later came back for the rest of us. we squeezed so many people into that vehicle! 5 in the back, 4 in the middle, 3 in the front and two standing on the back bumper and holding onto the roof. I was sitting next to one of the guys in the group, but we didn't really say anything to each other. I was tired so I sat quietly for most of the ride. Then the guy turns to me and says "you aren't talking to me". I replied back "Well, you aren't talk to me either". So then we introduced ourselves and chatted for the rest of the trip.

We pulled up into the courtyard of a village. Our presence attracted a lot of attention, and soon there was a crowd of at least 200 people gathered around to see us, and to watch the performance. The group started by singing a few songs. Then it started to rain lightly and everything fell into chaos as 300 people tried to stand under the cover of the tree. The leader of the group stopped the singing to rush over to us and tell us we could wait in the car until the rain stopped. We told him that we actually preferred to sit in the rain because it felt nice to cool off. The rain only lasted for 10 minutes, and then the performance resumed. The skit was about a young man who went off to college in town and spent all his money on alcohol and prostitutes, from which he contracted HIV/AIDs. It was very fun to watch, and Moses translated what was going on for us. One thing that shocked us a little bit was when the performance went from PG to PG-13. The stage crew held up a few sheets as a makeshift bedroom, which the young man and the prostitutes entered. The entire village - men, women, and children- laughed hysterically at this. Then the actors emerged, and the man was shirtless. They made a lot of jokes about sex, alcohol and being sick. I felt a bit awkward, but the villagers laughed at everything as if it was just part of life. (which it probably is).

When the play was over, we shook a lot of hands. I took some pictures- something that always causes a small riot of people pushing each other out of the way to see. Some of the older people wanted me to take pictures of or with them, so I did. They kept asking us to give them money or help them out of their situations. That always makes me feel pretty uncomfortable. It was 7pm by the time we loaded into the car and started driving home.

As I looking out the front window at the long dirt road ahead of us, I realized how much I am going to miss this. There is nothing that makes me feel more alive than seeing an open dirt road in front of me, disappearing into the African plains. Highways in the US just wont do it for me.

We got home late and had a great dinner. Consy and Betty had cut up pineapple and made us cabbage and tomatoes to go along with it. YUM!

Talked to a friend and my parents on the phone and then watched some Big Bang Theory before bed.