I have one main boda who regularly takes me to schools and any trips I need on a motorbike. He is also known around the community as the guy to go to for any problems and who will get things done. During our ride to a school today I enquired about how his boda stage was. What followed was an interesting story:
I gave someone five lashes. The butcher told me how his colleague had stolen some goat’s meat. And also, he was dressed very shabby and stank. So we got some Ariel (detergent), we had the basin and the water there, then we stripped him and washed him at the centre. We cut off a piece of charcoal sack for a sponge. We also ordered him to put on clean clothes and to wash his clothes, which he did there and then.
I enquired whether he got the lashes for stealing the meat or looking shabby:
‘Both’.
Then later…
‘The man rang me to ask me for forgiveness for his behaviour and he was very thankful that I dealt with him like that.’
Dan and Jodes... in Gulu, Uganda 