The Village Elders

The village elders were amongst the most interesting people that we've met. Gogo Sulume is a larger than life figure and the only gogo who speaks English well enough to have a conversation. She has raised all ten of her children in this village. At the end of a long day with the kids, we walked to Sulume’s house to learn from her and watch her make beautiful bead creations. She sits outside her small concrete thatch roofed house at a table and beads from early morning to late at night. We had a beer and she had a cold drink and we talked and listened. She made us feel included in the village by sharing her culture and traditions with us. She even included me in the female initiation ceremony which is meant to be kept within the village women. More on that later. The other gogos were equally as intriguing.

Sulume

Gogo Joanna

Joe, Shelly, Gogo Sarah

Chief John is the leader of the village which means he organizes and leads the traditional ceremonies. He drives a taxi for a living and works from 6am into the night despite being the chief and in his later years. The chief made us feel at home in his village by stopping by the center to visit us daily and inviting us to his home. We sat on his front porch and his wife brought out butter cookies and ginger soda with brandy. It was surprisingly delicious and refreshing. The chief has a beautiful garden with various flowers, plants, fruit trees and a pumpkin patch. He is a very generous man and gave us a pumpkin for Christmas. We promptly ate it for dinner and it was the best pumpkin we’ve ever had.

Chief John

Pastor Peter is another great character who we met on the first day. He is one of the village pastors and we got a great sample of his sermon. He is passionate about the people in the village, their health and maximizing their opportunities for a fulfilled and successful life. We learned so much about the people’s struggles sitting with him and it allowed us to better serve the community during our stay.


And finally there were the ladies who were with us everyday helping, cooking, eating with us and looking after us: Elizabeth, Mama, Connie, Dinah and Esther. Elizabeth and Mama have big personalities and we had a lot of fun with them. They carried out her duties with toddlers attached to their back with a cloth or towel and pinned in the front. These women could cook! I had no idea what to expect from African cuisine and was pleasantly surprised that I loved it. I cleaned my plate every night and that’s generally not my style.