When I'm In Uganda I stay at a center where the Comboni Sisters live, and while these good Italian nuns look very nice in their tan habits, socks and crocs, that is not what this post is about. This is about the Saturday morning when my two dear Ugandan "daughters," Diana and Effie did me the favor of modeling the many many necklaces that the bead ladies had made. But first, the setting:
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This is the view from the wide terrace right outside the door to my simple Catholic room (bed, desk, chair and crucifix). With its lush garden, colorful trim, and thick walls, it was a great place for a photo shoot.
Effie's nephew Katuga came along with Effie, too. He is what is called "stubborn" in Uganda. See it in his eyes? He demonstrated his stubbornness by occasionally ringing the nuns' little bell rather loudly and pawing through all the jewelry. Diana and Effie had brought along a variety of outfits from their wardrobes to mix and match with the jewelry, and they pretty much figured out what to wear with what, and I shot the pictures on my video camera, because my water bottle had spilled all over my regular camera.
 |  Diana had modeled before, so she had the poses down pat, and she was also really good at suggesting new backgrounds (as I was sort of stuck on the yellow wall, the green door, and nestling among the dusty potted plants). Diana is my trusted assistant when I am in Uganda. She knows how to do everything: set up a mobile phone, book a bus, find a taxi, buy 150 |
sodas...whatever needs to be done, this girl can do it, and do it in four-inch heels, too. Besides working full-time as an accountant, she helps pay school fees for the kids in our education program, and sometimes ends up taking them to the doctor (though that's not her job). She sings in her church choir, too.
 Effie is my son's girlfriend, and because of that, according to Acholi culture, she has to be very quiet and docile around me. I usually like to keep native customs intact, but this is one I push against. I want to know her. I spend a lot of time at her house, and she and her sister make our new jewelry styles that have added metal pieces. She's a hairdresser, so I had her plait my hair. I asked her to join me in Kampala when I took the kids to the hospital, and she was great helping us get around the city, translating for me, and helping me shop for the kids. |  |
These beautiful women are real Ugandan young women with hopes and dreams. Effie had to quit secondary school early to care for her mother, who has since died. Diana lost her mother at age nine; her father, a photographer, was able to provide her with an education. Effie is building a house next to her grandma's house near Gulu, which she hopes to rent out for income. Diana dreams of someday owning a hair salon, or a shop selling clothing from Kampala. Both have applied twice for visas to the US, and been denied every time. We're going to try again, in hopes of bringing Effie for Christmas, and Diana on a student visa next fall. So, look out, Midwest! The Omiyo models are goin' places!
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