A Letter to My Host Family.

          People have been asking me about my host family. So before I begin my letter to them here is a bit about my family. My mom’s name is Angela and my dad’s name is Steven. They are both nurses. I have six younger siblings. Aloysius, Augustine, Antonio, Asumpta, Agnes, and Maxy. They love Nickelodeon, Disney Junior, Uno, and Hot Wheels. They love to play soccer, and hang out with each other.  They are incredibly kind to one another and me. Mamma makes the best popcorn for my friends and I. She cheers me on while I speak Luganda and she shows me so much love on a daily basis. Jacky and Pauline also live with us and they help take care of the house and the kids when mom and dad are traveling for work. On top of that they both work in a salon and braid hair. I was incredibly lucky to be placed in a family that was incredibly perfect for me. I can’t wait to see them again. Here is a letter I wrote to my host family. 

My dearest host family,

Mbeera ne Angela ne Steven. Amaka gange njagala ku mwebalenyo okundabiria. Mweabale okunsomesa Luganda. Mwebale okunyamba bwe nail mulwadde. Mwebalenyo okunjagala. Nsanuse okuba ekitundu ku maka gamwe. Nja kubasubwa nyo.

(I stay with Angela ne Steven. My family, I want to thank you so much for taking care of me. Thank you for teaching me Luganda. Thank you for helping me when I was sick. Thank you so much for loving me. I am happy to be apart of your family.  I will miss you so much.)

Maama Wange (my mom), thank you for always literally cheering me on every time I speak Luganda even if it wasn’t correct. Thank you for always correcting my Luganda and teaching me more each day.

Baganda Bange, mwebale okuzannaya ma tatu ne okusoma Luganda nange. (My siblings thank you for playing cards and studying Luganda with me.) Thank you for making me laugh. Thank you for allowing me to join you in games and watching TV.

I have spent the past three weeks with you all, my beautiful new family. You have loved me so well. You have taken care of me, laughed with have and me became a safe place for me to go to. In these past three weeks I gained Baganda mukaaga, a maama ne a taata mu Uganda (6 siblings, a mom, and a dad in Uganda).

I am going to miss sitting with you all while I study and you all watch TV. I am going to miss my daily Maxy hugs and her coming and sitting on my lap while I study. I am going to miss playing cards and laughing with you all. Honestly, I am going to miss everything about you all. Thank you for a beautiful introduction to Peace Corps life.

Now it is time for me to say, “see you later” as I travel to a new location for a week leading up to the moment that I swear in to the Peace Corps and move from trainee to official Volunteer. Then from there I move to my site, which at that point I am now four hours away from amaka gange (my family). I am hoping to visit as much as possible. However until than remember this, amaka gange (my family) you’ll always be.

Meet my Maxy. 

More photos will be added of the rest of my family after swearing in. For our Host Family Farewell we wore our swearing in outfits and we are keeping those secret from our Cohort.