Alafua and Wassua

This is Alafua (really spelled Arafua, but in Luganda r's are pronounced as l's.)
I wrote about seeing him on the road marching home from school, so proud in his school uniform. There are no sidewalks, and really no two sides of the road.

These small children share this small road with huge "Lorries." And two years ago, one came barreling down the trading center and killed a small girl. The driver drove straight through to the next town to report it, because he knew if he stopped the villagers would have probably killed him.

There are men usually standing in the back of these trucks, on the mounds of sand they are transporting from wherever. They usually shout and wave or put their fists in the air and cheer when they pass by us muzungos.

Or sometimes they hog the road and cause us to climb the ledge to safe ground as they pass. Yesterday Jeff walked with a rock and I think the drivers steered clear.

Wassua was bleeding so I ran and got my first aid kit. Just like the girl on the island, he was mesmerized and quiet as I cleaned his wound and applied the bandage. I also patched up another child. Now in Nsumba the children (mostly Alafua) show me when they have scratches. I have to decide whether they need bandaids or not. usually I just give them a thumbs up and tell them they will live.