First day of class. Anticipating that there might only be six students available, we had twelve today. And we were busy! Right on time this morning our Three Boys arrived at our compound, reservedly excited, and in their school shoes. They were brave to go to something they did not have much idea about. I wondered how much they go away from their neighborhood. I’ll try to find out. We arrived at Fred's about ten a. m. and Fred greeted them in their language. Fred was in the swing with the other students working on images of HIV/AIDS issues. Most of the images were the same thing, a mannish form “from the bush” and a woman holding up a traditional Acholi shield as protection, with a word saying “abstinence” or “Go away” or “Loyalty”. Read More!

This was a little overwhelming, though apparently not out of the realm for my young friends, and Kyeyune ended up with a bird image and the other two tried to follow the theme. Once I got used to the process of it all, it went pretty well. One of the older boys asked me for help with a lion he was carving, and his first two colors were a mystery to him, but I think he was well pleased at the end of the day. Printmaking is a hard way to portray something you see in your mind. Most of these were first time printers. And folks, I am much more of a printmaker than a teacher, but I keenly want them to succeed, and (the American way) feel good about their accomplishments. All of these kids, aged maybe ten to seventeen, are hard workers, patient, no resistance. I don’t know whether this experience will encourage a good life for them, but here we all are, and who knows.

At two o’clock we took a lunch break, all the students had matooke, the traditional universal Ugandan food of steamed plantains, with beans. Fred, Phil and I were served rice and beans simmered with tomatoes, onion, peppers, salt; delicious. After lunch I talked a little about my work, and showed a book of African folk tales illustrated with woodcuts, by Ashley Bryan. Then I decided to read them one of the stories, not knowing how much English would be understood. I got a few laughs on the part about the monkey, and am hoping to draw out some stories from them. We’ll see.

We came home tired, and called the nice fellow on the motorbike with the Indian food and the cold Nile beer. I’m starting to feel like a pudgy colonial. This is all really cool. I am a lucky gal to be out in the world this way.