A Planting We Will Go....

Last week 4 veterinary students from the WCVM arrived here at FAOC to help for 10 days. We had plenty of hard labour planned for them but not all of it has worked out (shocking in Uganda I know). We were able to go out planting though which turned out to be a great day. Our main goal was really to show the women how effective group work can be in reducing time and hopefully can also build relationships. We went to my new favourite village called Nyamuanja. We planted Lab-lab, Leucena and Calliandra which are all good for goats and pigs and are relatively drought resistant (let's hope or else these blisters were worthless). We travelled around to a total of 29 homes digging, watering and soughing seeds.

The highlight of my day was when the women were singing as we moved from house to house. At one point they just all stopped and one woman played the jerri-can like a bongo drum and a small little old woman danced like nobody's business. I was so happy to have had my video camera and got some great video of them singing and dancing. Unfortunately I didn't get to take any snaps of the actual dancing but even just walking behind them, listening to them sing is something that can't really be described. They sing with such feeling and so effortlessly that you just have to smile, take in the moment, and cry ...uhhh I mean SIGH (seriously who could cry at something like that?).

The women were extremely gracious and sent us on our way with paypayas, avocadoes, tomatoes and sugar cane. There is no doubt about it that this was a "Feel Good" day.