My Not-So-Humble Abode

When I was first accepted to Love Volunteers and told I would be serving at Noah’s Ark, they said the standard housing for LV is to stay with a host family in the community. They would set it up, but I wouldn’t know anything about my housing or family until either the week before coming or when I get here. Apparently things change at the last minute so often that they thought it would be better for me to know nothing than for them to change plans on me multiple times before coming.

They did not tell me much about typical Ugandan homes, but based on what they said and what I heard from friends who visited Uganda last summer, here is what I was expecting: Small home. Very few rooms. Most likely no electricity. That means no lights, refrigerator, or way to charge my phone or computer. A pit latrine somewhere outside. A bucket and hopefully a somewhat-closed-off room for a shower. Cooking over a small fire outside.

It all sounds very African, right?

A week before I left home, I emailed my volunteer coordinator to see if he could finally give me details about my homestay. I wanted to be at least somewhat prepared. We Americans travel with so many electronic devices that when the power goes out the world temporarily stops. What would I take if I knew I had to find an internet café or somewhere else in public to charge anything?

When he replied, he gave me two options. He said I was more than welcome to stay with a host family, where I would have no electricity, use a pit latrine, and all the other things I listed above. He also gave me the option, however, of staying at Noah’s Ark in their volunteer housing. I jumped at that opportunity, not because of the living conditions (I still had no idea what it would be like at Noah’s Ark), but to avoid having to travel to and from the compound everyday and limiting my volunteer hours to when it is daylight. He thought that was the better choice as well, and the day after arriving I moved into my temporary home.

Let me tell you, this home was not what I pictured when I thought of staying in Africa. Even when I was told I would be staying at Noah’s Ark, I thought maybe they would have me in a room with the children, or at least in a big room with some aunties and a community bathroom nearby. Nope. I have my own room and my own bathroom. They spoil the mzungus. Probably so that we come back.

Here is a little panorama of my room. When you come through the door, I have a little table to my right where I keep food, books to read with the girls, dishes to take back to the kitchen, and anything else I want to remember on my way out the door. The two windows have a beautiful view of the side of my neighbor’s room about two feet away. Not the most picturesque, but if I want scenery I only have to look out my door.

The room is partially round. My bed sits against the wall opposite the door. I was told by one of the Noah’s Ark staff that I didn’t need a mosquito net because they fumigate the volunteer housing, but when one of the long-term volunteers saw my bed without a net, he made a face that made me think I should invest in one. (Not that it’s much of an investment—those things are very cheap here.)

In the corner is my kitchen area, which consists of a sink and shelves. When I arrived, the only kitchen appliance I had was a small sandwich maker, like a Panini maker just big enough for one sandwich. After a couple days, I discovered that if I filled a teacup with water and set it on the hot sandwich maker, I could have some very warm tea in about 30 minutes. Then one of the other volunteers gave me his extra electric teakettle and it reduced my tea-making time by 28 minutes, of which I am very appreciative. Now I use the sandwich maker to make toast to go with my peanut butter or guacamole.

This desk was not originally in my room. At the beginning when I worked on my computer, I would pull my nightstand in front of my bed and use that as my workstation. One of the other volunteers had two desks in her place, however, so she shared with me and now I have an actual place to write and do computer work. For those of you with whom I Skype, this is not where I sit for that, so stop picturing it. I am rarely able to get an internet signal inside, so most often I sit on the step outside my room and talk to people from there. This will be interesting now that I have neighbors.

Not only do I not have to use a pit latrine, but I have my own bathroom and shower. The showers here are not a separate part of the bathroom—there is simply a showerhead in the open room. When I am finished, I have a big squeegee that I use to wipe up the remaining water and then it’s back to a normal bathroom again.

One of the cool things about these houses is that there are several shelves inside and outside made from a piece of flat stone protruding from the wall. I like the style. Actually, I think the style in general is very beautiful. There is stonework all over the walls that makes it feel rather cozy.

My ceiling, while very pretty, happens to be home to several rats. I can hear them scurrying around at night and in the morning, and they keep knocking dirt through the roof onto my floor. Better dirt than water, I suppose. This is easier to clean up than when my roof leaked. I liked it better when I thought it was just geckos running around up there. None of them have come into my room, however, so I just politely ask them to stay up in their own home when they sound particularly rowdy. They have been good listeners so far, and I am hoping to make it through the next five weeks without seeing them.

There are two different areas of volunteer housing at Noah’s Ark. The other one is for the more long-term volunteers. Those houses have a living room, two bedrooms, bathroom, and a small kitchen. In the upper housing, where I am, there are four single rooms and one large house. When I arrived, there were people living in all of them, so we would often sit outside and share a pineapple and talk. Two weeks after I came, everyone else left, so I have had this entire section to myself. It was a bit lonely, but at least I didn’t bother anyone when I Skyped outside early in the morning or late at night. Last weekend, I finally got two new neighbors who will be here for the remainder of my time, and I think the rest of the rooms will be filling up again soon.

Seriously, I am so blessed.