party pooper

What a contrast. Going from eating cake just for fun (and as a kick in the ass to the body image expectations imposed on us by pop culture) to just plain eating. Since my first trip to St. Mary Kevin Orphanage in Uganda in 2006, I have been hyper aware of this contrast.

Eating to enjoy/eating to survive.

There is no cake at the orphanage except on Christmas Day. There is barely anything more than corn meal posho, potatoes, rice, porridge and beans. Thanks to Change the Truth there are three, rather than two, meals a day. And sometimes there are greens.

Here is what is involved in making a meal happen:

Firewood is gathered and chopped. It is not unusual to see barefoot twelve and thirteen-year-old boys swinging the axe.

Maize meal, which is purchased in huge bagfuls at the market, is mixed with water and a little sugar. Then a fire is built. The porridge (or firmer posho) is cooked over the fire. Usually this is done by the grown-ups, but sometimes it is done by the children (barefoot children). The meal (depending on its consistency) is scooped up and plopped or poured onto plates, bowls, buckets or mugs held by the children who patiently wait in line. The children eat the posho with their hands. They eat the runny porridge by raising the plate, bowl or mug to their mouths.

The food prep area is outside on the ground next to the wood chopping area. The kids usually help with this task - peeling potatoes, cutting meat (on special occasions) with large knives. The cooking is done in a partially enclosed structure. Two big vats are used. The vats fit into a metal stand that is poised over the fire pit. There is a lot of smoke involved in cooking these meals. So much smoke that I can only stay in that partially covered structure for five minutes before the tears running down my face and the fierce stinging in my eyes force me to go outside to catch my breath. (This occurs much to the amusement of the young kids who are waiting in line and the adults or older kids who are cooking and serving up the food.)

On special occasions goat, chicken, pig or cow meat is thrown on the fire.

And on the most special occasion, cake is served.