In my grannies' granary

One fascinating thing I ever saw at my grandparents' was a granary; a storehouse for threshed grain. 

In a small village of "Karo'karungi", every end of year or beginning of year was time to harvest grain mainly millet and this was often done once a year. Almost all the chunks of land would have been sowed with millet, a bit of maize, sorghum and beans. As everyone gathered around for Christmas celebrations, this was also part of the plan. The sowing was simple but the harvest extremely tiresome. It was done with short blunt knives smelted specifically for this. After the bountiful harvest, it was sun-dried and later kept in the granary. When the time to consume it was right, it would be drawn from the granary and milled with grinding stones into fine flour. 

The granary is made in such a way that it protects all the content in it from moisture, pests or any other destructive measures. Food kept here was meant to last the family an entire year until the next harvest and it did. The millet was mainly used for millet bread and porridge but along the year, a few other crops would be planted and harvested as supplementary foods. In these homes food was thus always in abundance. In this granary, however small it looked from the outside, was plenty of food collections and in most cases, it would only be tapped into when there were visitors at home.

However today, hindsight is 20/20. If one day we woke up and got to find out that all the food selling points are out of service for just a week, it would be a crisis. Then I wonder, what happened to the granary attitude, have we become too blessed that we take the things around us for granted. But also I have been wondering if banks are the new granaries, and if so, I guess each home should have control of their granaries that is not under the supervision and control of another system, because whoever controls it, then controls you.

Democracy

Is democracy really the government of the people by the people for the people?
Who are the people? Are people really free to make their will?

I just want to talk about one thing I have never been able to understand in the definition  of democracy, and that is the people. Is it all the people, a few of the people, majority of the people or a special group of people. It is unfortunate that most of us when we thing of democracy, we think about the electoral processes, but this is what I think. That people are hypocrites. Beyond the elections, I don't see in which other circumstances people opt for democracy to rule them. If democracy was that good, why don't people apply its principles in their day to day lives. Does democracy rule in our homes, at our work places? in our relations? and so is a human being truly a democratic person.

In a democracy, why then do we have hierarchies of power, which hierarchies create economic, political and social imbalances. How then will such people ever be equal before the law when some are rightfully of higher command than others; in a world where a customer is often working by the terms set by the seller.

For most of us we apply democracy by the majority rule, but then how do we marry that with God's ways where majority does not necessarily show the will of God. God went after people considered outcasts in society like Hannah, David, Joseph, the apostles. Today I only came with questions. we shall continue with the conversation later.

ORANGE THE WORLD

Safeboda championing a campaign against
gender based violence in Uganda.

As we go through the 16 days of activism to end  gender based violence against women and girls, I am reminded of so many bitter experiences I have had to numb my nerves against for sanity's sake.

For those that might not know, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls. The campaign runs every year from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day. The color Orange symbolizes a brighter future, free of violence.

I keep thinking to myself how I can use these days to actually make a difference to save or change a soul, but the courage to do so is still so far away from my wishes. To have to go through violence is one experience that I think until you go through it, you would never understand fully. 

I am yet to hear from a woman who has not experienced this kind of violence especially here in Uganda. I recently overheard someone make a comment that if you have never been told by a boda boda guy that you are beautiful ( which is often followed by grabbing or insults of you negatively respond) , you must be the ugliest being to have walked on these Ugandan soils.

The rage in my heart. I didn't even know where to start from to tell this young man that that is the ugliest sense of compliments any girl or  woman should ever have to go through. Before I did, everyone laughed out loud like that was the dopiest joke anyone ever told. It was sad enough that a young man thought this way, but worse to see that this has become so normalized to the extent that women here were in agreement.

Calling that sexual assault opened up a debate that you probably already know where it ended.

The thing with violence is that we think that it depends on the offender. No it doesn't.  Probably a boda boda rider is not one most of us expect respect from so his actions don't seem like they matter much. When someone close to you carries out an offensive act against your body, your mind, you will never be the same again. 

Gender based violence could be physical, emotional, economical. While we are used to the physical bit of it, the emotional is largely unrecognized as violence. Some of us are in controlled relationships or marriages and we think that's okay simply because the offender has a side that cares and loves us as much. Don't let the honeymoon fail  your conscience.  

As human beings we all deserve to be treated equally whether we are children, men or women. Break the chain of gender-based violence. Write if you can, speak if you can and  act if you can. All our small actions matter.

Lifting the Veil!

When you visit a place, however beautiful, desirous, comfortable, don't overstay your welcome! Even if it it is a place you have dreamed of all your life, get up and leave in due time. In fact leave when you are still desired but if you must stay pray to be admitted as a resident.

Here I am reminiscing about childhood memories, about the days I spent with my grannies in the village. Whenever visitors were coming over, we laid beds, prepared the finest meals, scented the entire home, cleared and beautified the compound. In fact, the kids were asked to shower and put on their church attires, because our casuals would have been torn and dirty for days. My grandmother would even pull out the utensils that would have been kept for ages. All the table cloths were unveiled and place cleaned to sparkle. 

Some visitors would be so impressed that if they had come for a few days, they would stay longer until my granny would Lift the Veil. Underneath it you would see all the pretense that has been making everyone uncomfortable. Beyond the intended welcome, the visitors would be required to work like the rest of us. One by one, she returned the "special utensils" until that awkward moment when the visitor lost comfort in their stay.

Ideally the visit had gone into a stalemate and indeed, the minute the Veil would be lifted, these visitors would take off either back to their homes or maybe to the next host. Like food, anything that overstays its span is bound to go into a stalemate. It could be a  relationship, a job, a journey etc

Anything that stops to grow starts to die; especially the spirit. Employment is currently the biggest contribution to people's state of stalemate. I am a believer that while we apply for various jobs, by writing our resumes, the very minute we get hired, we should be working on our next qualification. It is not greed, it's growth. A man that is not ambitious in this era will easily be ambushed by their own death.

A goodbye should precede that hello. Don't keep the door waiting.

However, there is always an exception to the general rule which technically is the general rule. There is a visitor who will lead you to and and also lead you in your own home. When he visits you, you will soon realize that that has been his home all along, he will lay the tables for you, invite you to dinner, clean up after all the messes that you have learnt to live with. Unlike other visitors, he is the provider for his host. When you make him feel at home in your own home, he will become your home.

He has been waiting to make you his own for so long. And eventually, he gets to wed you like like was born for this exact moment, that you may have life and that you may have it more abundantly. When he lifts the veil off your face as his bride, it is for good, it is eternal. All the lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride are lifted along. And now you have a new face full of love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  It is a moment to live happily ever after.

He is Jesus Christ. When he comes knocking, please invite him in, and your home will never feel, look or be the same again.

What is your ENDGAME?

Some of the Fans and Spectators cheering on during the Uganda v Malawi Match, November 2019 at Nambole Stadium.

Basking in the warmth of a fading sun, I watched the ball curve in from one goalpost to another. There was such mammoth energy behind each sun's ray as men gambled in the field. My experience in football is not one to pride in from playing to watching and anything else related to the game despite having recently joined the "Abachuba" team in the Budo League. 

Much of my attention is easily drawn away by the spectators. 

A couple of weeks ago I managed to follow through a match between Uganda and Malawi at Nambole stadium. There was so much energy, love, commitment, consistency and attention from all over the stadium which was painted black, yellow, red and white. The vuvuzelas there, the screams and excitement was all exhilarating. I kept wondering if this in no way affects the concentration span of the players.

I remember once running a marathon in high school, and the very minute the race commenced, mine almost ended there. The shock that all these people on the sides of the trekking journey were gathered for our cause, most of whom were strangers and a handful of friends humbled me that I literally sat down to first shade a tear but journeyed on later. To hear my name out there made me feel like I had won the race already but maybe that was also to my disadvantage. I started to imagine how I would disappoint these fellows in case I performed terribly. The journey that started there after was no longer about me alone but literally about every other person waiting for me on the finish-line including those on the sidelines. But first, I found a certain peace within.

"God's Grace Took Me Through The Race"

 

Some of us have not mastered the art of focus amidst all the voices that surround us, cheerleaders, or spectators. I was stunned by these young men's focus and skill which gave many spectators reason to cheer on. It was definitely good energy throughout and we blessed God for the win thereafter.

However, sometimes they may not be cheerleaders, but just a bunch of naysayers. May you say nay to such Sayers. Like Peter walked in faith onto water we can become deaf to all the naysayers that might intend to instill fear in us. I noticed a couple of Malawian players rolling up fists in disappointment against each other and I guess those are the hardships of playing on foreign grounds. 

One thing is for sure, that spectators, cheerleaders or even naysayers don't determine the endgame; the players do. If we may see the world as a football pitch, we can make it worthy enough for the spectators to cheer on and if we must let's slay those naysayer.