Written By: Nicole Mills
A new year, a new day and it was raining this morning. We needed to be up and headed out to the ghetto for the yearly feeding at 6am this morning, but there was a torrential down pour. Unlike the states, when it rains severely in Africa it limits activity and therefore causes huge inconveniences. So, we had to wait it out. Two hours later it changed to a drizzle and we set out on the now muddy roads to begin what would an incredibly life altering day.
We dropped Cliff and Kato, two KIK employees, at the meat market, first and then drove to Banda where Lillian, head of KIK's women's group, was waiting to start the preparations for the cooking.
Lauren, our visiting videographer, and Filda an adopted street girl, got out to start preparing and filming the events while Tomi, KIK's Director and I, went to pick up the Venezuelan volunteers from Christmas.
When we all arrived in the ghetto the women were cutting firewood to cook the food, pits were being dug to start the fire and bricks were being stacked to put the pots over the fire. The Jeremiah Women were in charge of all the cooking and kids were already starting to swarm.
The rice was being sorted through by the women for pieces of grass and small pebbles, but unfortunately, there were no cows for sale at the market. Instead we bought 250 kilos (over 550 lbs) of meat that was already slaughtered and cut in quarters. When Cliff and Kato arrived with the truck carrying the meat and they began to unload it I was amazed at how much flesh and bone was going to have to be cut into small pieces for the kids to eat. I had never seen that much meat all at once before and it was odd to see that meat actually moves like a water bed (which makes it difficult to cut with dull knives).
Because of my previous Christmas chicken killing successes, I was immediately roped into hacking up the meat with the guys. This was the most grueling task I have ever taken part in. It involved various cutting tools like an axe, machete, panga, and knives. We had to cut through bone, muscle, tendons and fat. My arms, back and hands ached after over four straight hours as we continuously swung blades.
To top it off I was covered in bits of bone, fat and meat that splattered while hacking everything apart. It wasn't so bad until we got to the leg bones. These were large, smooth and very hard. When you crack them open with an axe and then hold the pieces to cut into smaller pieces the marrow gets everywhere. Raw marrow is yellow, gritty, a bit bloody, and slimy. All in all...gross. I looked down at one point to realize my hands were covered in it! I tried not to gag as I wiped them on the softer pieces of meat as we were going along.
In Uganda they cook every piece, from the meat, to the fat, to the bones and even the tendons and I was splattered in it all. The clean up process was tough with minimal water and all kinds of who-knows-what under my nails, but it was a job well done.
By the time we finished cutting the meat, face painting had already taken place, a DJ had come and was blasting Ugandan music and the kids had multiplied astronomically. I took off my over-shirt, which was covered in cow guts as it was also getting hot. I also wrapped my hair in a scarf to keep it back during the feeding.
We started lining the kids up in two rows (kind of) and armed ourselves with permanent markers to mark the hands of the kids who had been fed and keep count.
On each of the two tables we set a pot of rice and a pot of meat stew and the mayhem began. Most of the kids brought their own plates or bowls, but those who didn't we provided a bowl. Trying to keep the kids in line, and them from cutting the line is a task in and of itself. Everyone is hungry and this will be the only time this year for some when they will be completely full. The sun at this point, despite the rain this morning, was out in full force.
Once the kids were served they sat in the grass eating their meat and rice with their hands, laughing and chatting.
After the children were served all of the Jeremiah women who cooked and worked to prepare the meal got in line and were served by my mom and myself generous portions of food in appreciation of all of their hard work.
Because of the rain not as many people came as we thought but several thousand people, mostly children, were fed an entire meal and left with full bellies. The rest of the late evening was spent visiting with the kids who had came and cleaning the cooking pots, and borrowed bowls.
A new year, a new day and it was raining this morning. We needed to be up and headed out to the ghetto for the yearly feeding at 6am this morning, but there was a torrential down pour. Unlike the states, when it rains severely in Africa it limits activity and therefore causes huge inconveniences. So, we had to wait it out. Two hours later it changed to a drizzle and we set out on the now muddy roads to begin what would an incredibly life altering day.
We dropped Cliff and Kato, two KIK employees, at the meat market, first and then drove to Banda where Lillian, head of KIK's women's group, was waiting to start the preparations for the cooking.
Lauren, our visiting videographer, and Filda an adopted street girl, got out to start preparing and filming the events while Tomi, KIK's Director and I, went to pick up the Venezuelan volunteers from Christmas.
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| Volunteers |
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| Sorting Rice |
The rice was being sorted through by the women for pieces of grass and small pebbles, but unfortunately, there were no cows for sale at the market. Instead we bought 250 kilos (over 550 lbs) of meat that was already slaughtered and cut in quarters. When Cliff and Kato arrived with the truck carrying the meat and they began to unload it I was amazed at how much flesh and bone was going to have to be cut into small pieces for the kids to eat. I had never seen that much meat all at once before and it was odd to see that meat actually moves like a water bed (which makes it difficult to cut with dull knives).
 |
| 550lbs of meat |
To top it off I was covered in bits of bone, fat and meat that splattered while hacking everything apart. It wasn't so bad until we got to the leg bones. These were large, smooth and very hard. When you crack them open with an axe and then hold the pieces to cut into smaller pieces the marrow gets everywhere. Raw marrow is yellow, gritty, a bit bloody, and slimy. All in all...gross. I looked down at one point to realize my hands were covered in it! I tried not to gag as I wiped them on the softer pieces of meat as we were going along.In Uganda they cook every piece, from the meat, to the fat, to the bones and even the tendons and I was splattered in it all. The clean up process was tough with minimal water and all kinds of who-knows-what under my nails, but it was a job well done.
By the time we finished cutting the meat, face painting had already taken place, a DJ had come and was blasting Ugandan music and the kids had multiplied astronomically. I took off my over-shirt, which was covered in cow guts as it was also getting hot. I also wrapped my hair in a scarf to keep it back during the feeding.
We started lining the kids up in two rows (kind of) and armed ourselves with permanent markers to mark the hands of the kids who had been fed and keep count.
Once the kids were served they sat in the grass eating their meat and rice with their hands, laughing and chatting.
Because of the rain not as many people came as we thought but several thousand people, mostly children, were fed an entire meal and left with full bellies. The rest of the late evening was spent visiting with the kids who had came and cleaning the cooking pots, and borrowed bowls.
It was a long, tiring but amazing day.
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