Pineapple Project Hand Over - part 1

We had the opportunity to tag along with Elder and Sister Ron and Sandra Bean (from Seattle, Washington) on a “Hand Over”. They are Humanitarian Missionaries, and a hand over is the final step of one of the projects they have approved. In this particular case, the project was called “Pineapple Project”. They were approached by Rose, a village woman, who represented a group of 90 or so single women who were trying to support their families. Rose described her group to the Beans, and submitted a proposal, which was approved by them, then by the Area Authorities in South Africa, and, finally, by church officials with the Humanitarian Department in Salt Lake City. They received approximately $10,000 for the purchase of a chain saw, barbed wire fencing equipment, 40,000 pineapple saplings, coffee grounds for fertilizer, and pesticides. The women were responsible to clear the land and prepare it and plant it with the pineapple suckers. This, they did about 10 months ago, and today was the symbolic day of handing over the project to the women. I believe I was told that the men in the families of these women have been killed by AIDS, leaving the women to care for and support the children themselves.

After a drive of an hour or so outside of Kampala, and a long ride down some bumpy dirt paths, we arrived at the actual planting site. Within a short while, many African children surrounded our group, consisting of the Libbys, the Giles, the Beans, Fred Simbwa, and ourselves. We took many pictures of the villagers, and of the plot. After an hour or so there, we traveled another kilometer or so, and arrived at Rose’s house where a sunscreen built of tree posts and burlap awning covered an area where benches and rented plastic chairs were set up.

In fact, we followed in a boda boda which had 20 colorful plastic chairs stacked on the back.

There must be a Ugandan version of Celebrations party rental somewhere. On the porch was set up a disc jockey, complete with computer, monitor, and speakers to accommodate loud music and a microphone.

We mingled with the villagers, greeted them, and took a short walk over to a nearby bore hole (a type of well drilled down into the earth so that the local people can pump water).

There was ceremonial dancing, speeches in Lugandan (which we didn’t understand), singing of the Ugandan national anthem, and another state song, speeches by the members of the Pineapple Project committees, and, finally – yes, the lunch. I was a bit nervous about this part of the program, because you can be pretty sure that the dishes were not sanitized in the fashion we were cautioned to use here, nor was I a witness to exactly where the meat came from. Judging from the many “Good Meat Markets and Butcheries” we have passed, I was a little concerned. I did witness the cooking of the matooke back behind the house. It was steaming or boiling in big bundles of banana leaves, and the rice was cooking in pots over charcoal. These women had worked very hard to prepare a large meal for all the villagers, and the guests of honor….us!

I did just fine..sipped on my Mirinda bottled soda, took careful bites of rice and matooke, and even some chopped eggplant. The taste wasn’t my concern..it was the invisible amoebas and other stuff that I was worried about. Time will tell!

I'll do part two later....it is late, we are at the mission office, and have a drive with lots of exciting traffic to negotiate in order to get back home safely!!!