Main Street in Jinja town is where I do most of my shopping. I would say it is about a 7-8 block of shops that I have frequented over the many years. At one end is the furniture shop we have bought various items for the house. At the other end I have gone to “supermarkets” where I buy more packaged snacks and spices. We buy the occasional ice cream cups for the kids at these local supermarkets. But I focus on on long block where I buy most of my African crafts. Over the years I have made friends with specific shop owners. This has been important because so many of the shop owners will see a “muzungu” (anyone non-black) and will start with a higher price. It is very common and very expected to “barter” prices down. They will start very high and sometimes it is obvious they are charging too much.
Unfortunately, our long time friend, Rita, had to move back to her village during COVID. Godfrey had checked on her and she wasn’t able to keep her shop open. For those who have known the story of Rita, I first became friends with her and her young daughter, Mary. I began buying from her because she was fair and didn’t try to cheat me. We became such close friends, when she had her next baby, she named her after me! She gave her my American name, Eydie. I did not yet have the name Kisakye. It was a deep honor for them to make that decision. I happen to be in town when Rita gave birth and was able to meet my namesake!
The other shop I buy most of the African crafts from is Faith’s. Since Rita was gone, I spent most of my time there. When I was in Jinja last before COVID she had just lost her husband. That was a very difficult time for her. This trip I was able to meet her daughter and her grandson! When I went into town it was later one afternoon. When I bought some things from Faith, she thanked me because it was the first purchase of the day for her.
The things I buy to bring home are helping people to literally feed their families. The first time I learned this was from Rita. I will never forget the time I bought some things and she was so thankful. She said, “now I can go and buy milk for the family.” So many times they are dependent on the sale of the day to buy the food for the evening. Main Street is filled with shops that basically all have the same thing. The competition is high. So my focus is helping the ones who have become family over the past 17 years.
There is a new friend called Sarah who I met through a friend, Ben. Ben has made the “Raining Hope” bracelets for us before. I did buy some things from her and paid her little bit more. But she had some items no one else had. Because of Ben, I told her that I know I spent a little more, but I wanted to help her. But if she is fair to me I will come back. The next time I went in, she was lower on prices and treated me more as a local because I was honest with her.
I also go to the Source Cafe where my good friends, Irene & Justine work. Not only is there a great craft shop there, but there is a wonderful little cafe. I was surprised to find a few years ago they installed an espresso machine and started making lattes! I introduced Godfrey to a mocha latte. You can imagine how much he enjoyed it after only ever having regular coffee! When Sylvia comes and helps me with shopping, I will take her in there to get a milk shake as a thank you! On my last trip she experienced a milk shake for the very first time! How fun it is so see her savor each drop! We go
the Source Cafe just a couple of times as more of a special treat and thank you.
One day we were in the Source Cafe and Irene’s daughter, Rachel came in. I couldn’t believe how much she has grown! I have known her since she was a little girl. She is now 20 years old! Wow!
The second week I was there I found out Irene had to take her to the doctor in Kampala. She is having lower back and right leg pain. She has gone to many doctors in Jinja and has had many tests. She was referred to a doctor in the capital city. The doctors still can’t find anything wrong with her. One day Godfrey and I were in the shop when Rachel was there. We had a time to pray over her for healing for her body. Continue to keep Rachel in your prayers that the doctors would be able to diagnose her and she can get the right treatment.
THE MARKET
All of our shopping for the family is mainly done in an area that is off of Main Street. This is where we buy all of our food staples. I LOVE shopping off the main path. This is where all the locals shop. Think of it as a HUGE swap meet or farmer’s market atmosphere. There is a large three story building that was built before COVID. It is basically an indoor mall to give a place for all the vendors to sell their goods. Before the stalls were all in an open field. Rain would make things so hard on the shop owners because of the mud.
The bottom floor is mainly “stalls” of food vendors. This is where we find our vegetables, spices, fruits and fish. If you go up a floor there are areas to purchase other items plus chicken and beef. Buying a chicken is not like our grocery stores. You pick them out alive but they are not that way when you go home! The fish are HUGE whole tilapia that are probably three times the size of the fillets you can buy at home at the seafood counter in the grocery store.
The upper floor is where you go to buy clothes. This is very much like going to a local swap meet. All the vendors have their stalls of clothing. When we are buying clothes for the family, this is where we go. Clothes are in good shape and we always can find things everyone likes for the fraction of the cost.
Outside of the main building are shops that we frequent. There is one shop we buy the majority of our supplies. Godfrey said the owner had asked about me because I hadn’t been there for so long. She is known as Mama Phiona. Her daughter, Phiona works inside taking orders. Godfrey said they don’t know the older woman’s name but she is just known as “mother to Phiona”!
Just like on Main Street, we have specific vendors we buy most of our food from. We go around the corner down an alley to a vendor we buy large bags of beans and posho. Another place we buy g-nuts (ground nuts) used to make a paste for a sauce. We buy our beef at a stand just a few doors down from Mama Phiona’s. This is not for the faint of heart!
What is such a blessing is to watch the process of how Godfrey buys the monthly food supply. This time he brought Sylvia, Joan and Vivian. We start at Mama Phiona’s shop and Phiona takes our order down. It is a fairly large order. After we pay for it, they are in the process of pulling all the items. He had Sylvia stay there and make sure the order is fulfilled. Then we went with the other two to the beef stand. After we ordered and paid, Vivian stayed behind while they cut up the beef. We gave Joan some money with the list of vegetables and spices needed. She went to the main building while Godfrey and I went to buy the beans and posho.
Godfrey began bringing some of them with him as they got older to help them understand about budgeting and purchasing food. It is part of how we prepare then for when they are ready to be on their own. So many are not trained then don’t know how to deal with life when they move on. So to see how well a system he has in place was so fulfilling.
Because we don’t have the van any longer, we have to hire a truck to transport all the items back to the house each month. So as everyone is responsible at each specific shop, all items go to the central area where the truck is parked. We all end up back at Godfrey’s car when we are finished.
At one point we had a very special bonus. Sylvia and I walked a block away from the market area. There was a place where she bought fabric for one of her dresses. In town they would sell a similar dress for 35,000 shillings ($10). In the market you can buy the material for 13,000 shillings ($4). She said the Main Street owners will buy from the market and then sell it at the higher price.
So we walked to where she bought the material. When we arrived, there was a woman on the ground sorting through the material pieces. Sylvia thought she was the one selling. When the woman looked up, Sylvia said, “Mom”?! Seriously, it was Sylvia’s mom! Her mother looked at me and jumped up to give me a big hug! It turns out, Sylvia’s mom was trying to surprise me. She wanted to buy a dress for me as a thank you for all I have done for Sylvia. She had asked Sylvia if she could join her in town to help. But Sylvia told her she couldn’t that day because we would be very busy for the house. Then we ended up there at the SAME TIME! Wow! I had picked out a simple black dress that was already sewn (15,000 shillings or $4). Her mom took it from me and said, “I want to buy this for you”. Such a humbling moment for me for her mom to want to do such a kind thing. It was another moment you want to say, “there is no need”. But to see the smile on her face because she was able to do that was worth even more than the simple dress.
The kind gesture from Sylvia’s mom is a symbol of what all the parents think of all the sponsors and supporters over all these years. The students as well as their parents are forever thankful for all of you who care so deeply for them. We are able to buy all the food and supplies each month because of YOU.
Jinja Town is a whole family in itself. More stories of other friends and family as well as the Wedding will follow soon!
Kale,
Mama Kisakye
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