Today, we visited Sanyu Babies Home--an orphanage that takes in any child found left by toilets, at their door, etc. The students and professors had some exhausting fun playing with the children, feeding them, and helping around the home. (Orphanage pic) Afterwards, the bus drove us to meet the people of Love to Love--another orphanage that also promotes health education through music.
With regards to our research topic of alcohol and other drugs, we've noticed the common practice of both but a lack of resources dedicated to educating, preventing, and healing alcoholics and drug abusers.
Back at Owino, we noticed some strange activity down in the Nakivubo channel at the entrance of the market. Four young men were chewing Mairungi/Khat—a plant that is normally used as chicken feed but is commonly abused as a drug. As we moved further to the outskirts of the market, we found other young men packing it for sale in banana leaves. Even in TORUWU (Training of Rural women in Uganda), we were surprised to see so many homes in the area growing Mairungi/Khat. When talking to one of the locals, they stated that it was for sale as a main source of their income.
Although the use of Khat is not illegal because it poses no know physical damage, WHO lists it as a drug that creates dependence. People using the drug become euphoric and continue needing the drug to feel that way.
During our homestay in Rakai, it was observed that several of the homestay families practiced a common tradition in Uganda culture of producing local brew (Malwa). It was eye-opening to see the children of the families making the fire for the brew, mixing the brew, and sun-drying it until ready for fermenting.