Our team woke just before the sun peeked her face out from behind the horizon to the sound of chimpanzee vocalizations this morning. There was excitement in the air as our team savored the pancakes that David and Bethan had prepared. Today, we would be traveling to an island on Lake Victoria to see the local school's environmental drama competitions to be held at Myende Primary School.
Our team, as well as the judges selected for the competition, made the 1.5 hour journey to the island on a long wooden "slow boat". As the boat moved further out into Lake Victoria, storm clouds began to gather in the south. In the distance, we could see the pelting rain that caused the waters to grow increasingly rough. Soon our narrow boat was pitching back and forth and the faces of a few team members were growing a pale shade of green. Fortunately, after a short while, the storm broke as quickly as it came. Brilliant rays of light shot through the dark clouds illuminating our first destination, Ngamba Island. There, in typical warm and hospitable Ugandan fashion, we were treated to coffee, tea and cookies which revived us significantly and we were back on the boat for the short trip to Myende.
When we approached the island, faces of some of the local villagers who had come down to the shore to greet us came into focus. Men with their brightly colored fishing boats were scattered down the beach, pulling neon green nets out of the hulls. After descending a precarious wooden ladder, we were lead up the small path that cut through the humble little fishing village to the highest point on the island. Our team was seated like royalty under a breezy tent, a prime position to enjoy the days festivities. We sat waiting patiently for the performances to commence and were joined by an elderly lady dressed in traditional Ugandan clothes. Everyone's gaze was drawn to this enigmatic woman. It turns out that lady, Nekimbugwe Christin, donated the land on which Myende Primary School was built. The land was passed down from her father to her brothers, all of whom died of AIDS, leaving Nekimbugwe with the responsibility of raising all of their children. The local government-aided school was 15 miles away and the children of the island were unable to travel that distance every day by boat. Our anthropology team spoke with Alonsio Omerikit, the director of the Myende school. His collaboration with Nekimbugwe Christin drastically changed the lives of the children on that island when the Myende Primary School was born. Neighboring Ngamba Island, where the CSWCT Chimpanzee Sanctuary is located, has contributed significantly to aid in the growth and development of the school through donations of textbooks, desks, blackboards and uniforms. As a result, the children are very invested in their environmental studies and are learning about local conservation issues. This interest spawned the first annual Environmental Drama Competitions, bringing in 6 schools from 4 neighboring islands to participate.
Our team was extremely impressed with the caliber of acting from these little children. There were dramatic interpretations of everyday issues that their families deal with, such as hygiene and sanitation, and the relationship problems that they cause. Their plays covered wildlife conservation issues such as poaching, overfishing and the bushmeat trade. There were beautifully choreographed musical performances too. Their little feet kicked up the red dust as they danced and sang in a single file line in the sunlit patch of grass designated as the stage. The various primary schools, easily discernible and grouped together in their brightly colored red, green, white and blue school uniforms were assembled in a wide circle in the shade of several large trees. The Primate Handshake even had a little performance of our own!
Midway through the performances, we were treated to a delightful lunch of rice, veggies, mutake and for the non-veggies amongst us, spicy chicken and beef dishes. We ate our lunches in their red school house while gazing at the walls around us, studying the children's chalk drawings.
When the day's festivities came to a close, the children still showed an astounding amount of energy. They spontaneously broke into song and dance as they made their way back to their respective boats. We walked back down through the village, our surroundings bathed in golden light as the sun dipped low in the sky. The little children clasped their hands with ours and peered up at us curiously when we attempted to hurtle the communication barrier. Our team waited on the beach to board the boat home and everyone from the village, including the chickens, goats, cows and pigs seemed to wander down to see us off. At this point, the school children had worked themselves into a frenzy and were competing in volume and intensity as they sang and danced aboard their boats.
Today was truly a magical day for us all. We were so honored to be included in such a special event for the island children and I am certain that when we lay our heads on our pillows tonight, sweet moments from today will be dancing through our heads.
