Walk For Water

My Walk in Uganda

up was dreadful. My stomach was in knots and my feet where swollen. I realized I was late for my walk to get the water for the day so I rushed out the door without breakfast, grabbing my 6-gallon jug on the way and a wrap for my head. My three-hour walk was the time for me to just think. Pain was rushing up and down my legs and then shooting up to my toes. You get used to it after a while, but walking today was difficult. I couldn’t get my mind off how hungry and thirsty I was. The beginning of my walk consisted of orange dusty paths covered with light green trees on each side. My only companions where stray dogs and goats passing. As the walk continued it felt as if it was getting hotter by the second and the only thing in sight was the horizon and big plains of dirt. I could almost smell food. I was quite delirious, but I had to get to the well in time! So I kept walking on into the emptiness. After hours of walking I was sweating and my feet where starting to bleed from all the rocks. I wondered when this would be over but I knew, this was only the beginning. I still had to walk back with my water! Crossing a brown rickety bridge I was relived because I saw the water pump in the middle of the path which was surrounded by several kids playing and jumping in the muddy water right next to me. I pumped the handle up and down till I finally saw clear water filling my jug and I was so ready to just go back to sleep. I took a sip of the warm water, not refreshing at all. I still had to walk home and I was just way to tired. I started to feel sleepy and my heart was pounding. My eyes slowly closed and the next thing I knew it was dark. Wherever I was, it was dark.

Walk for Water

My walk from my home village right outside of Gulu to a small lake where I get my water everyday.


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My Last Day in Sierra Leone

Waking up I felt hot and sweaty, my hands where sticky and my skin felt dry. Waking up was hard, I was so tired and I didn’t understand why. I then looked at the clock and realized it was 5 am. I walked into the kitchen and saw Foday standing there with two buckets about to walk outside and feed the cows. I asked if I could join him and he smiled and handed me a bucket. That’s what I loved about Foday, he never had to use many words but when you had a conversation with him he could make your imagination expand.

That morning Foday and I made mango with rice pudding and spices. We shared with some children outside and they had asked us to play football with them. We quickly answered with a happy “yes” and one of them ran to get the soccer ball. Most of the children had no shoes and I couldn’t really focus on anything other than their soar and scratched up feet. The children where so sweet and friendly, they had felt so safe with us which made me feel good.

After a long game of football we said goodbye to the children as Foday and I started to walk to the end of the village where we could go under a beautiful waterfall. Once we arrived I was astonished of the size! The waterfall was so tall and looked extremely cold and refreshing I just couldn’t wait to go in. Foday was the first to surprisingly jump off one of the rocks near the waterfalls edge and land in a pool of water surrounded by trees and mossy wood. I did the same and when my skin hit the water I felt so relaxed and cooled off! Foday and I swam around and took about an hour just staring up into the sky looking at clouds. The sun stayed out all day and it was just the perfect temperature that Foday and I didn’t even have to bring towels. We just got out and within a few minutes we where dry. Walking back we played “Guess the Animal” and Foday taught me about different animals that lived in Sierra Leone and what they where called in his language. The only one I remembered was ndege, which means large bird.

Exhausted and relived I was home from a tiring adventure I decided to write in my travel journal. I added pictures and little things like stickers and a coin that I had gotten at a little stand with Foday. About two hours later I had basically filled my journal with all the things that had happened in these three days. Conversations between Foday and I, the food I had eaten, the couture I had experienced, and the people I had met. It was a book full of amazing memories I would never forget!

My last meal with Foday was probably the best! We had rice with chicken curry and a sweet coconut soup that was just so creamy and delicious we finished all of it. We talked mostly about the culture of Sierra Leone and the language. I had learnt so many new phrases and words I felt like my brain would explode. All in all it was the perfect way to end my little journey from Santa Barbara, California to Kenema, Sierra Leone

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My Second Day in Sierra Leone

As the sun rose over the mountains I slowly woke up and put on my clothes. There was a loud banging coming from the kitchen and I quickly ran to see Foday crushing nuts and berries on the counter to make porridge. Laughing softly I smiled and joined him. I felt my stomach growl as I smelt the fresh oats and fruit that were going into the porridge. Foday then set the table with a light cloth and blue napkins. He placed a bowl in front of me and then softly grabbed my hand to say grace. “we are thankful for our food and our many blessings. We are thankful to have family in our hearts and friends by our sides. We are thankful for shelter and warmth, for god we are thankful. Amen” 

 

Once my bowl was empty and my stomach was full, Foday said “today I would love to take you to a big rice field next to a forest where we can ride our bikes. I clapped my hand with excitement and got my helmet, the next thing I knew I was running out the door being chased by children that were screaming “kuwa huru” which according to Foday means “be free”.

Once we arrived at the rice field I only saw green lush plants and tall beautiful trees reaching into the deep blue sky. I felt like I was looking at a painting. It was serene! The wind in my face and my hair blowing everywhere we speeded down the hill past several people working in the rice field and a little brown dog. We made our way into the forest and the tall trees covered every bit of sunlight that It felt like it had disappeared. The air had become cooler and I felt chills. Foday led me to a dirt path and we arrived at a small lake where he pulled up and set down his bike. We sat near the edge and watched the sun go down. Our long talks alone were always my favorite. Foday shared stories and times when he was a little boy and I talked about my parents and all my brothers and sisters back home.

The ground was dusty and cracked, my hands felt rough like they were becoming raw. Foday and I finally decided to ride home. It was still hot and you could hear the crickets chirping from miles away. It was like loud music you couldn't turn off, but once I got home the noise put me right to sleep.

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My First Day In Sierra Leone

The plane was finally landing and I felt so relived to get out of the sweaty seat I had been laying in since that morning. My feet fell asleep as I stood up and I looked out the window. Long plain’s of dirty roads and blue sky’s filled my view. I stepped out of the plane to find Foday standing there with a big smile on his face awaiting for my arrival. We exchanged hugs and went on our way to explore Kenema. The air was dusty but the town was peaceful and lush. Once we made it to Foday’s house he showed me to my room. It was quite small with a long bed that covered one part of the wall and their where to windows above a wooden shelf sitting in the corner. As I admired the view from my window I heard my stomach growl. I then realized I hadn’t eaten since before I boarded my flight.

            
Foday decided to take me to a small stand in the middle of the town where we ate pepper soup with rice and chile. I gulped down the soup and already felt so much better. It was sweet and spicy with a milky texture that just made my throat warm. Foday then took me to several other stands to look at jewelry and ceramics. I bought a Necklace with several colors on it as well as orange and brown earrings with a matching bracelet.We must have walked in the town for hours because by the time we started walking back to Foday’s house it was dark. On our way home Foday and I talked about his family and how he came to live in Sierra Leone. He had told me that his family died during the war as well as his little brother Kanim. Tears where rushing down my face as he explained his heart ace and pain that caused him to leave his wife and become homeless on the streets. We sat down, looked up at the stars, and he said “I will never forget their laughs and faces, they where my whole world. That’s when I knew I had to start a better life for myself. So I went from begging on the streets to earning money for my drum business and realizing a new passion of my own, music”. His story had already inspired and touched my heart. That night I only thought of my family and how much I missed everyone back home, but I knew I had to finish my journey here and I knew it was going to be great.

 

Pay it forward, my Kiva connection

Currency Exchange In Sierra Leone, Kenema. 

$1.00 US Dollar = 4310.34 Leone 

$5.00 US Dollars = 21551.72 Leone

$10.00 US Dollars = 43103.45 Leone  

$20.00 US Dollars = 86206.9 Leone 

$100.00 US Dollars = 431034.48 Leone 

Pay it forward, my Kiva connection

When I visit Kenema the ten phrases that I would like to know before I arrive are: 

Hello- Hujambo 

Nice to meet you- Nzuri ya kukutana na wewe

Love- Upendo 

How are you- Habari gani

Whats is your name- Jina lako ni lipi

My name is- Jina langu ni

Music- muziki

Guitar- Gitaa 

Thank you- asante

No thank you- hakuna asante

Yes please- ndiyo tafadhali

Pay it forward, my Kiva connection

For my next adventure I will be flying to Sierra Leone, Kenema. Where I will visit with my friend Foday who I met over Kiva.org. 

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Dancing around the world

This year I decided my 2013 would be great. I thought of a journey I could take around the world! Only bringing my dance moves and a video camera. I would visit several different cultures and we would dance!...

 

My first Visit was in Beirut, Lebanon. 

We danced in front of big statues and in streets, it was so fun and I met so many interesting people who suprisingly spoke English. I met hilarious friends and they took me to great ice cream shoppes and we also had a small flash mob at a restuarant! It was so fun and hillariouse.  

My second journey I ended up in Athens, Greece.

A friend of mine who I met in Beirut came along with me and he was a great english speaker who knew so much about the culture and arts. Then we decided to video us dancing on a bridge and there was a beautiful scenic backround that I just loved. We laughed as everyone did jumping jacks on the side of the bridge.  

Our next adventure was to Lesedi, South Africa.

It was extremelly dusty and hot but all the more fun for dancing! We first met with a group of people living in a small community and they showed us some dance moves of their own, an old tradition from their anncesters. We also exchanged our own dance moves and taught them how to do the mackarana. 

Once our hot sweaty days were over, we decided to go to another tropical area, Australia! 

It was quite hot in Australia so we decided to go scubba diving! I had the great idea of filming us dancing on the bottom of the Great Barrier Reef. We had so much fun but it was extremelly hard to stay at the bottom without floating up. 

After travelng for so long we finally went back to the United States but we weren't quite done. We decided our next location would be League City, Texas. During our time at League City we ran into a really funny group of firemen and we decided the best dance video we could have would be right on the stairs of the evacuation building with several fire fighters! It was so funny because all the fire men were telling jokes while trying to learn the dance moves. 

Again we left the United States and traveled to Bali, Indonesia for some meditation and relaxing. 

We first went to a tea house and met some woman who were students at a school near by and they loved to dance, so they showed us a dance they made up and it was very fun and I still remember it. 

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My Skateistan Journey

     The side walks where muddy, and the wide dirt streets where bombarded with enormous mountains of trash. My heart skipped a beat when our big van speeded by a child with no leg begging on a pile of garbage. “How could I stay here?”, I asked myself. The images in my mind shuffled, and my head pounded. Within a second I had convinced myself, “I need to help these children... I already feel connected to them!” I whispered quietly; hoping no one else in the van would hear me. It was December 19, 2012. I was on my first journey to help the children of Kabul, Afghanistan. At that moment I felt every child in Kabul had reached out and made me feel welcome, heart to heart. When the van slowed and the squeaky gates peeled open, like a grumpy, old dog refusing to move from his sunny spot in the road, I was excited, ready, and prepared. I wanted to see children, tell them stories, talk to them, make their day better, and most of all teach them how to skate!

     A keeper of the house showed me to the room when we arrived. My bed was a wooden box and my mattress was stuffed with paper, but at that moment, I did not care! The point I wanted to get across to my mind was, it’s all about helping the kids.  That was all that mattered! My bedroom was on the top floor. A broken window was the only thing that gave me view to the dreadful city, and my ratted sheets were the only things that gave me comfort. “I am lucky, I am lucky, I am lucky!” I kept repeating this over and over in my head while climbing into my bed. I felt the uncomforting warmth of scratchy tape holding to the planks of wood stacked on top of each other. My tossing and turning made my bed screech every time I moved. Loud screams came from outside that made my night unbearable. I just felt so bad about everything that was happening, and I was in a complaining mood. After restless hours of lying in bed, I decided to put my frustration aside, and I finally fell asleep.  

     While trying to sleep off my hard night, the sun awakened me by seeping through the window, and blasting my face with light. My eyes opened and I immediately sat up and got dressed. “Today is the day!” I screamed with excitement. All my troubles were set aside, the sadness, the regret, and the helplessness! It was completely replaced with energy and butterflies. The day I would meet 50 orphaned children and teach them how to skate board, would be a day never to forget. Running downstairs, with pure delight I saw a bowl of Mantoo. It was an egg dumpling with lamb and beans. It tasted heavenly and I felt so good after finishing the whole bowl. I rushed out the door forgetting all my belongings and my shawl that I quickly wrapped around my head and ran for joy towards the vans parked outside. Once Our Skateistan crew all packed- 50 skateboards in a van. Tom our film executive started driving them over to the orphanage. We followed on skateboards of our own, all excited to see everyone’s happy and excited faces! Arriving at the old, crumbly brick building, we were surrounded by eager kids. All of a sudden tears welled up in my eyes. The world slowed down for a minute, and I felt as if there was a big black hole in my stomach. Everyone’s clothes were tattered or missing. A little boy had no arms; a girl had lost an eye. My heart felt like it crashed into a big pit of nothing. It was black. My entire world was black.

     My emotions towards the children’s condition were brutal. I couldn’t wait to administer de-worming medication for the children. I was so anxious, but I still managed to teach and interact with the kids. During the day I met a girl named Nagine. She told me stories about her family, and how her parents were diagnosed with HIV. A sad cloud formed in my stomach and head. We exchanged looks and she hopped onto the back end of the board. She fidgeted while I scooted her slowly down the cracked pavement. It was as if she read my mind, and changed my focus to something enjoyable.

I felt so useful during my time at the orphanage. Every child had something to say. It was amazing, and heart felt to hear their stories. I was also very impressed with everyone’s skating skills, and I wish we had stayed there all day. The sun was setting and the children were ready to go to sleep. We all said our goodbyes and slowly walked out of the lot. I felt we really accomplished something today. I am a sucker for smiles, and today I got fifty bright smiles on fifty bright faces! We skated out of the dusty parking lot; I could feel the wind in my hair and chills running down my back. I tumbled through garbage and old empty cans, dodging every street sign, making sure I didn’t fall thought I felt unbalanced. We finally reached the squeaky old gate, and my mouth was dry, ready for water and some sleep on my uncomfortable bed. I looked up, seeing the stars’ luster in the sky, and the moon’s twinkle with sleek white. Taking a moment of silence and time to think, I decided to pray. Whispering timidly I said, “I pray for all those children at the orphanage for whose life was cut short. I pray for Nagine and her health. May she be well and not suffer through a sickness as her Parents did.” On that note my head plopped down onto my thick hard bed. That night I would sleep on my prayers.