Renting A House America VS. Uganda

Welcome to my new home

I recently moved into a house that I am renting with two others on my team (Taryn and CJ). It has been an exciting adventure as we try to set up our new home. Already, we have learned so much, and will continue to learn and grow together as we figure out what it means to have a house in Moroto. We constantly are noticing differences in housing set up here compared to the western world. Here are some things we have learned, and our stories of how we got here!

Get a guard – steal from team leaders and make your friend mad.

In Uganda, security is a priority. A guard is a wonderful asset to have.  But not just any guard will do! You must find someone you trust! We came up with one man – our team leader’s weekend guard, Andrew. He is hard working, and thinks I am funny. However, this would be the second time within just a few months they have given up their weekend guard for team members, and Simon (their main guard) was less than thrilled. He was (is) one unhappy man to lose a coworker he enjoyed. When we heard how upset he was, we decided to bring him some cookies as a peace offering. When we brought them over, we said, “We know you are upset that we are taking Andrew –”

“Yes!” Simon cut us off before we could even finish, “It is very bad! You people keep taking all the good ones! You know, it is very hard to find someone you can work as a team. It is not good that you keep taking them!”

“We know it is hard, but it is good for Andrew,” trying to find any kind of positive.

“I know it is good for Andrew! But I don’t like it!” At this point we knew there was little we could say or do that would help the situation. We gave him the cookies, which he gladly accepted.

I have come to know Simon over my months being here, as I come and go from my team leaders home. He has extended compassion on me as I have grieved and expressed concern for me when I have been sick. Often, we will joke with each other as I enter the gate, and I always appreciate seeing him. Which was why I was saddened the day I walked in to a man I had never seen before. I assumed he was Andrew’s replacement. I went to greet the man, when Simon came up behind me. “Eh, Mary. This is the new guard because YOU took Andrew!”

“ME?” I replied in shock, “I am getting all the blame here?”

“Yes! It was you! You took Andrew!”

“Emam (no). It was all Nadim (Taryn)!” I blamed Taryn, who came in the gate right after me, so she was an easy target. Then I took off running down the driveway. I could here them all laughing behind me. Later that day, I returned to the house. I peaked my head through the gate and said, “So, am I allowed on the compound? Or am I still to blame?”

Simon laughed and said, “Of course you are always welcome.” Oh good! Our friendship is still solid!

Yes, we stole Andrew. But we have a great guard and stories of friendship that would never come like this from America!

SO. MANY. KEYS.

This is all for one house!

In America, most people have one key that will get them in all the doors in their home. That is cute and all, but here in Uganda, we take our keys very seriously. Our house has two front doors. Why? Because it can. Each require a different key. We also have a padlock on it, for the outside door when we are out, and for the inside at night. It provides another level of safety. That is a total of three keys just to get inside the front door. But wait, there is more! We have padlocks for our garage (AKA Mary’s private Crossfit box), our back door, the gate, and our guardhouse. Keys. Keys for every situation!

If keys make you feel important, may I suggest you move to Uganda?

“Do Not Paint” painted…. Why was it not to be painted? Because it gets jammed

Look closely -- it says, "DO NOT PAINT"

On our first night officially in the house, we invited our team over for dinner to celebrate. Near the end of the evening, Lyle, one of our team leaders, breaks out some tools and begins working on our front door. No one really took much notice of what he was doing, as we have all come to know that is simply what Lyle does. With time, we discover he was trying to fix the latches on our double front doors. These latches are at the top and bottom of the door, which can then be driven into the door frame above or into the ground. This gives better security for locking our doors. When our house was painted, they painted the latches as well which gummed them up. He got them to latch and everyone went home.

The next morning, the latches were stuck in the locked position. The first door, we were able to jimmie it open, but the second we couldn’t even budge! After a bit of time, I noticed some words in the metal work of the lever. I began laughing uncontrollably as I read the words “DO NOT PAINT” that had been smothered in paint!

This is Moroto, not America. The chances of the painter being illiterate are great. They were told to paint the door, so they are going to paint that door! They didn’t think it may cause problems later. In America, it would be assumed the words were there for a reason, so we would follow directions. These are just some of the things we have discovered as a different outlook of life.

With the help of a hammer and my crossfit strength, I was able to get the latch loose, and we can again use our entire front door.

Waiting for beds means you use pop up princess mosquito nets…. That are NOT self-set up!!

Moving anywhere may mean waiting around for furniture for numerous reasons. This move’s wait was for many things, but nothing as difficult as my bed. In the States I would just sleep on the floor, no problem. And I have done it too! Once when I moved into an apartment, I slept on the floor for a month before I was able to get my bed. But in Uganda, we have mosquitoes – and mosquitoes carry malaria. Malaria is not fun. I know, I have had it. So, I bought a spare mattress (for all those people who will come visit me, right? Come November I am open for visitors). And I borrowed a pop-up mosquito net, but I waited until the last minute to put my bed together the day we moved in.

We move along to our first night dinner party. As people were preparing to go home, Ingrid, our other team leader, asked me if I wanted help setting up my bed. Nah, it was just my bed, and the net is simple, according to the packaging. Everyone goes home, and I realize the packaging lied. I began to pull the net out of the packaging, when it popped out of my hand. I shouted. My housemates came running… they’ll eventually get use to my over dramatic noises. “Wow! They weren’t kidding when they said, ‘self-set-up’,” I said as we stared at two giant circles sitting on the ground with what seemed to be an obscene amount of netting. We tried to figure out how this thing was supposed to go over my bed. Every angle was a failed attempt. We would maneuver one circle around one end of my bed, only to be slapped with the other end, as it didn’t reach. I was exhausted, cranky, and determined to make it work. As I tried stretching one of the circles over the end of my bed, when I felt the tension of the pole release.

“Oh my gosh,” I said as panic raced through my heart, “I just broke their net! WHY DID I SAY I DIDN’T NEED HELP?!”

“No,” Taryn says, as one who can see what is happening, and isn’t swimming in netting like I was, “I think that is how it works! They are supposed to come apart,”

“Oh my gosh! Duh! Just like those pop-up tents I would use in my class!” It was like the “Durr” switch turned on in all our brains. However, we were not in the clear yet. You see, this net isn’t about to let any mosquitoes in! Around the bottom was an inner lining of net. The posts of the net easily fit the corners of my mattress, but with the extra fabric on the bottom I still couldn’t get it over! Finally, we figured if we put the net down first, we could slip the mattress inside. Bingo! That is how it is done!

We laughed. I was exhausted, and so ready to finally go to sleep! But I stopped to remember Ingrid’s invitation to help. “I seriously regret that decision!” I spoke in a horrible fake lisp in my state of exhaustion and glee over figuring out the net. I get weird(er) when I am tired…

What a first night in our new home in Karamoja!

Where is the local Target?

This was the truck I rode in from Jinja up to Moroto

Whenever you move, you always have so much you need to buy. Although I have never been to an Ikea, I here it’s convenient. I’m more of a Target or Gordmans kind of gal myself. TIA – This Is Africa. There is no Target or Gordmans… or Ikea! Instead, we have several little shops that may or may not have one or two items we need. Shopping takes days because after a few different disappointments, I am ready to give up for the day. After all, everyone will be getting what I want to buy “tomorrow” so I will have to do it all again the next day. But along the journey, you get to meet new people, discover new places, and be a part of the community.

There are some things one may need that cannot be bought in Moroto. Things like a fridge, oven, and a few other large purchases. We lucked out – and by “luck” I mean a huge blessing from God! One of my friends I know from Jinja, also a part of AIM, was heading back to America. As a result, they were selling a bunch of things (like that bed I was waiting for in previous stories). The only way to get all we had from Jinja (and some things from Kampala) was to rent a truck. I met the truck in Jinja, and then rode with them up to Moroto. It was a long journey. The three men rode in the front seats, while I had the back “seat” to myself. By seat, I mean bench with a cushion on the bottom part, but nothing for my back except a metal bar. There was no space for my feet, so I sat crisscross for eleven hours. I was so ready to be home when we finally pulled into our compound!

I am not a shopper. I don’t even like shopping in the States. But God has blessed this process. He has given a relatively smooth process (except the trip to Jinja). As things come together to make our new home, God graces me with patience. And times when I begin to feel worn, He draws me back to His refreshing love.

Feel like this isn’t positive? I am so grateful for concrete houses!!!

I feel like I have been able to find the positive side in these situations. However, I want to give a story that starts positive from the beginning. It’s a little story that I have multiple names for… mainly two: “Thankful for Concrete” and “Bless This Hot Mess” the latter being the story of my life!

Before our oven arrived, we had a two-burner countertop cooker we used. Our kitchen is large, but very little counter space. It happens to be located next to the sink. Convenient, for the most part. We hung out kitchen towels on hooks next to the sink. It seemed like a logical place to hang them. One day, I was cooking meat for our team meeting. I put it in our pressure cooker on the stove and let it begin as I brought our guard tomatoes. As I waited for Andrew, I heard CJ yelling from the house, “Mary! The house is on fire!” I dropped the bag of tomatoes on the ground, and ran into the house to witness Taryn and CJ throwing water on the last of the flames which engulfed the kitchen towels that once hung right over the cooker. Obviously, our kitchen towels were no more, but the only other damage done was to the paint on the wall. It bubbled up and needs to be redone.  I thank God for concrete houses being a standard in Uganda. Had we been in America, this probably would have been a lot worse! Now I am known as the pyromaniac of the team, as this is the second accidental fire I have started while in Uganda… I just like to leave my mark everywhere I go!

Blessing from God

I am so grateful for the sweet blessing of this home. It is far more than I ever need, and I love seeing it for the sweet gift it is from my loving God. He has walked with me through this process of setting up a new home in a new culture. He holds my hand and fills me with His grace. We are still in the process of setting up (waiting for furniture to be built, etc.), and are still learning about renting a home in Moroto. I am so thankful He will continue to walk with us, as He pours His grace on us