01-21-10

Okay, so I had a little near fainting moment at the ADP we were visiting yesterday. It had been a 4-hour car ride in the dusty countryside with the windows down. We were sweating and talking and just looking forward to the next thing. When we arrived at WV office for that area and were seated to hear their presentation, we were all seated, many of us, in a stuffy room with no breeze and a tin roof. One of our team said it felt like we were in a bread oven. Except believe me it did NOT smell like a bread oven in there. Only a few minutes went by when I knew I was going to pass out. Sometimes you just know! Anyway, our team leader could see it and hustled me out, Joel grabbing bottles of water. A granola bar, glucose pill and 2 bottles of water later I was feeling just a bit better. Okay, so who cares but I have a point here. I have NO idea how these Ugandan women work all day in the heat, walking miles to water, chopping down the grasses to build their huts. They have to be way more exhausted, dehydrated and worn out than me. Yet, for their children, they will do anything! They make bricks, build their own huts, work in the sorghum fields, walk to the market, care for the livestock, the list goes on. How do they do it? Many, many of these women are Aids widows, many carry the disease themselves yet work till they just no longer can to provide for their families. They are strong, they are brave, they will sacrifice and work till they have nothing left. Because they are moms. Who love their babies just like I love mine. Their tenacity astounds me. And it humbles me. And it makes me have to do more.