Rural homestay

I spent a full week in "up country" Uganda. I stayed with a family in a rural village and experienced life without electricity, running water, cell phone reception, or internet. It was a wonderful time. Without television to distract me, my family and I spent time working in their fields, shelling peanuts, visiting with friends and family, fetching water, threshing and winnowing millet (like grain), listening to the radio, and laughing at their many animals.

My family included Papa Moses, Toto Loy, a nephew named Nesmus, a brother named Hezron, a granddaughter named Apio, Tata (Toto's mother), and "The Old Man" (Toto's father's brother). Extended family often lives together and families are very close knit. Staying with us that week were Ruth and her daughter Julie.

All of these people are in the Ateso tribe and speak Ateso. The Ateso tribe was generous, kind, and joyful. They gave every visitor something to eat, even if they were just passing through (which is much more frequent than in America).


The hut I slept inside of at night


Beating/threshing millet to make bread


With Papa, Toto, and Hezron