Resettling Ashilaf and a Chicken Gift!!

Well, it is 11:20pm, which means I am usually in bed, but I just HAD to go ahead and post again tonight! Uncle Eddy and I had a great experience today with resettling Ashilaf, the boy we took with us on Tuesday, but were unable to resettle and had to bring back to the streets for two nights.

First, I need to preface a little bit. Resettling a child with their actually family is a top priority at API. The children should be at home with their families, not sleeping on the streets and being abused from all angles (other boys, police, older men). Sometimes when boys have been taken home, the parents have completely rejected them and asked that API not bring them back home every again. With that being said....

I was worried about taking Ashilaf home. He said he ran away because his father was beating him, but wanted to return for school. I wasn't sure if he would be welcomed, but I was convinced that the Lord had a wonderful plan for him today since we were unable to take him this past Tuesday. Here's how it went..

7:12ish am  Uncle Eddy picks me up from the Volunteer House (VH) where I stay, and we grab a boda-boda to the slums. And in my opinion, a boda boda is the best way to start a day in Uganda!

7:20ish Arrive to a boy dressed in a new shirt and trousers from the recent visiting group and we begin walking

7:50ish  Arrive at the bus parking lot [click here for picture] looking for a bus that will take us to Mbale. We find a bus, but Eddy says it still lacks about 20 people to be full and the bus will not leave until full. He is unable to find another going in the same direction, so we board thinking that we may sit there for an hour or so.

8:30    Bus LEAVES!! I have no idea how it makes it out of that crammed parking lot, but I should stop being surprised by the impressive driving of the Ugandan people... they are talented!

So, off we go to Mbale! Crammed full into the seats of this large coach bus. It was cracking me up on our bus ride that there was a guy that rode the entire way and for the first hour brought out all of these crazy gizmo creams, throat drops, lotions, etc. that were suppose to be so wonderful and great. You could buy them for "great deals" off of him from right there on the bus! "If you have  headache, rub it on your head! If you have a backache, rub it on your back! Relieves pain fast! Normally you pay 5,000 shillings, but today, you can have it for only 2,000!" oh goodness! Good entertainment.

9:10 Stop for a potty break a.k.a everyone who needs to go, enjoy squatting off the side of the road in the bushes to relieve yourself.

10:30ish Pull to the side of the road for a market where people RUSH to the car holding up baskets of their food for you to buy through the window! Check it out!

2:00 ish We finally arrive at Mbale. We get off and speak to some bodaboda drivers who say it will take about an hour down a rough road to get to Ashilaf's home in the village. So, Ashilaf and I climb aboard one boda boda, and Uncle Eddy on another. Riding down the road through the more remote areas was so funny... people would be in a conversation, see me, a mzungu, and just stare at me ride by. The children would stare or shout "mzungu! mzungu!" haha.. great fun

The beautiful view from the boda boda ride...

2:45 ish Arrive at Ashilaf's home. Now we were led down a dirt pathway past several mud homes with thatched roofs and finally arrived where Ashilaf's mother was. The most incredible thing was that they welcomed him with open arms! the mother said she had been crying every day for the past 4 weeks since he's been missing and she was so thankful for our street program and that we brought him home!

Come to find out... When Ashilaf was convinced to run away by his older brother, he took a boda boda 45 minutes into town, somehow a taxi bus to Jinja (3 hours away) and then walked from Jinja to Kampala (2-2.5 drive on bus).

Uncle Eddy and I with our chicken!

To show their appreciation, the tribe sent Uncle Eddy and I off with a gift! a chicken!! haha...





Then we took our 45 minute boda boda ride back into the city, enjoyed some dinner, then left about 6:30 to come back to Kampala. We arrived at the VH about 10:30 and now it is time for me to get to sleep!

The view of the city of Mbale from our upstairs restaurant... Wish you could see the mountains better! So beautiful!

What a blessing for Ashilaf's family to welcome him and be so grateful. This is the first time anyone has received a tangible gift from a resettling! haha... and someone please let Don Loudon and Uncle David know that I gave Ashilaf a Gideon Bible to keep at home.

From wiping my face clean after today..Well worth it!

what an awesome story, no? !!! Going to bed completely exhausted, but thrilled for Ashilaf to be home this evening and not on the streets of Kampala.