Sunday, June 17, 2007

Hello, Mulembe, from Sironko!


Sironko is lush, green and beautiful with wonderful views of the surrounding mountains.

We arrived in Budadiri yesterday morning to a very warm welcome. It's been a dream experience so far, filled with warm interactions, smiles and laughter.

After a hearty lunch, which included the staple matooke (plantains), we set off to have further discussions on the building we wrote about here. It is quite ideal for our purposes, set in a quiet peaceful spot, with a good amount of space for all the activities.

But, the owners, even after a lengthy discussion about the project, wanted us to pay rent to use the space. We thought long and hard, but felt quite strongly that it was important that the community provided space at no or negligible cost.

In the evening we approached another community leader and shared our story. His response was very positive, and he felt with us that it was imperitive that the community shares the ownership of the project.

He suggested two locations as a possibility: a room at a nearby school, or one near the Budadiri market, and promised to secure one of them by the end of the week.

So, while the space will not be as good, we feel very encouraged to be working with a like-minded person.

We will spend the coming week visiting homes, purchasing furnitures and doing other preparations for the launch. If the last two days are anything to go by, it is going to be an incredible adventure.

1 comment:

Sydney said...

Naveen and I agree about your decision to make it a community invested project. Can't wait to hear of your experiences and interactions...are you taking pictures of food too? ;)