feeling spoiled

I feel like I have to confess something.... Last week, Julie and I hired a cleaning lady.

Yes, a cleaning lady... And honestly, I had mixed feelings about doing this before I got to Uganda. I knew that a lot of people who live overseas have "hired-help," and I thought it was okay for people with lots of kids, or a huge house or something... but not for me. I did my own cleaning before, so I figured I could do it just as well in Uganda.

Well, I was wrong. Cleaning in Uganda is unlike any other cleaning I've done before. When we fist moved in to our new place, I swept and mopped all the floors (something I do maybe once every couple weeks at my house in the States). The next day I couldn't even walk around barefoot because a layer of dirt had already settled back on the floor. And cleaning the bathrooms- same story. Dust, everywhere. And my poor clothes.... for the past two months I've been trying to hand wash all my clothes myself. And I don't think I was doing it right... Since I still had dirt stains on a few of my shirts after retrieving them from the line, I think all I have been doing is making them smell better, not actually cleaning them.

In comes Justine. She is a widow who lives in the area and has been out of work for a while. Apparently she has "something not quite right" with her (at least that's how another Ugandan woman described her). I haven't noticed yet; Justine seems pretty with it to me. But regardless, now she has a job for a couple hours every Thursday. And believe me, she is so good at what she does, and she is incredibly appreciated in this household! After she comes, I can walk around barefoot.... and she made my white-t's look brand new..... and she even took the trash down to the burn pile. She's like an angel.

I am blessed by Justine's new presence in my life.... and the best part is, she is blessed by me and Julie too. If you think the job market in the US is rough right now, try living in Uganda. It's pretty typical for a college graduate to spend a few years doing what we would consider a crappy job before they get a big break and land a job that they are actually qualified for. I have met quite a few people here who are currently driving taxis and cleaning houses who have university degrees in things like engineering or business administration or social work. Jobs are few and far between here.

Which is why I have become even more passionate about providing the opportunity of employment. It is something I think we often take for granted in the US. At least I know I had this view that I didn't have to work a job that I didn't want to. If we don't like our boss, or the work we are doing, or our working conditions, we just quit and get a new job. Maybe with the recession, this mentality is changing.... but I have heard statistics here like "only 5% of the labor force hold permanent jobs" and "women make up 92% of the informal work sector," which makes what's going on in the US job-wise pale in comparison.

Fortunately, there is a movement in Uganda for job creation through social businesses (like Sseko for instance).... and I realized that hiring Justine is a very simple way that I can also be responsible for job creation. Yes, I could clean my own house and clothes, but why would I when I know that Justine could do a much better job than me, and by employing her we are providing her with a source of income? The answer seems simple to me.... So in those moments when I feel spoiled for having a cleaning lady, I remind myself that it not just a matter of my own convenience and comfort, but also a way that I can care for the widow without giving away handouts (probably one of the last things Uganda needs)....God has commanded us so many times in scripture to care for the orphan and the widow, and here I have finally found a tangible way to do that in my everyday life.