Happy International Women’s Day! I so do not understand why American women have not hopped on this band wagon, this is the fourth best day of the year. I’ll explain, today men around the world have to stop and appreciate their women. They do that appreciating by cooking for them and then realizing how much they appreciate that they don’t have to do all that work every other day of the year.At least that is how it works at my house! Denis and I started hanging out on Women’s day 3 years ago, so it’s extra special for us. We celebrated with Ugandan Pork and Cassava. Delic!
I have lived in multiple Ugandan homes and can attest to the incredible women who keep Uganda going. Women run Uganda. From working in the garden, to mopping muddy floors all day, to cooking over a fire in a small room for hours, to holding official positions in government, to running banks and businesses, women are everything in Uganda.
My first Ugandan mother was Toto. She was my host mother when I studied in Mukono. She first taught me what makes a strong Ugandan woman. She worked in the garden all day every day to harvest food to sell and send my brothers and sisters to college. Toto taught me what it means to be family with people you were not born into. She called me Kelele, meaning noisy in Swahili, and she cracked up every time I laughed too loudly. Toto passed away last summer, way before her time should have been up. She left four kids, two of them daughters, Sarah and Kevin, who are growing up to be beautiful young women and I am proud to have them as my sisters. I’m so thankful for her strong example of love and sacrifice. I hope to one day be half the woman she was. We miss you Toto.
The Family Otim 