melissa/slumber party

Very early in the trip planning process, we made the decision to experience SMK overnight to get the full impact of daily life for the children. So with Lynne armed with her video camera and several flashlights (“torches”) for video lighting) and Melissa stocked with toenail polish and card games, the “slumber party” at SMK began. We chose a day of great excitement for the children…the day their new beds arrived.

Little did we know that the kids were planning for our stay as well. The kids were abuzz with the news that we were actually staying at the school. The younger girls chose special beds for us to sleep in side by side in their newly painted yellow and purple room. The older girls came in to make our beds with clean linens and put down our mosquito nets. And the older boys planned a dance party and campfire.

As the sun went down, darkness descended very quickly on the school campus. Within the dormitories and dining hall there is some basic lighting. However, most of the campus is shrouded in darkness. Many children shared they are used to the darkness, for most of their villages did not have lighting after dark either. They have the paths of the school memorized and usually travel the grounds in pairs.

Once everyone had their dinner of sweet potatoes and beans, the music began to play. The older boys hosted a dance party with a mix of mostly Ugandan music. Although we did not understand a words being sung, the enthusiasm and persuasion of the children along with the beat of the music made it impossible to stand still. In the cover of darkness our bodies were dancing with a large group of children taking turns to show us their best dance moves.

After much dancing, the campfire began. Neither of us knew what to expect. In America campfires usually entail smores and scary stories…at SMK it entailed drumming, dancing, singing, and chanting. Kids took turns sharing their village chants and dances with one another. The older boys took charge of rallying the younger children around the campfire in a playful exchange of singing and dancing. With the stars bright in the sky, the blaze of the fire, and the engagement of the kids, we could not help to be mesmerized by this rare experience.

Then the music and dancing began again until the wee hours of the morning. As children got tired of dancing and were ready for bedtime, they went into their beds. With all of the singing, dancing, and general merriment, it may have been easy to overlook that these orphans were putting themselves to bed. Friends were telling other friends good night (“sulabulugi” in Lugandan) and proclaiming their love and well rest to one another. The lights never went out during the night, and the occasional cough would break the silence of the night. Overall it was a very peaceful night’s rest on new, comfortable mattresses and warm blankets to cover the chill at night, and we awoke ready for another day with the children at SMK.