This week, a fair number of my cohort, and some of the education cohort before us, found ourselves in Kampala, at the Pope Paul Memorial Hotel for Grass Roots Soccer training. The week was busy, with a certified trainer from the GRS headquarters in South Africa. She was also a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer; now her service has taken her to an ideal career opportunity. For a lot of my friends: she’s become a light at the end of the tunnel, showing what worth can come from their difficult times.
My coworker Richard, and one of the Musoto Christian teachers named Rose, worked together to bring mixed gender, exclusive boys’ teams, and exclusive girls’ teams. It was a week jam packed with information and supplies. It was also a week filled with allergies. Apparently, it is in Kampala that my allergies wait for me. So much dust, so much pollution, and all the winds from all four corners blowing everything pollen into my body… But it didn’t stop the fun times, and some nights on the town with my friends.
Warning: People in the Photograph do not Adequately Reflect the SHEER NUMBER of Guests.
February 16 – 22, 2020
This week was spent in the office, back home in Mbale. It was a lot of logistical work, and a lot of administrative work. There was, and is, a significant amount of preparation still to go to make GRS happen at Musoto Christian Primary School. But, we have the faculty and staff on board, and many projects to make this happen have been completed, so we’ll be ready to move forward once I return from another Peace Corps training for a DREAMS club.
A beautiful bride on her special day!
I also attended my largest wedding to date: the ceremony was one thing, but the reception easily had over FIVE HUNDRED people in attendance. While it was a beautiful ceremony, and the reception was a lot of fun, I only knew a grand total of five people, including the two who invited me, so it was understandingly overwhelming…
From our Ridar rooms in Mukono District.
February 23 – 29, 2020
This week was in Mukono (the District just outside of Kampala) at the Ridar Hotel. Many of my same fellow volunteers were at this training as well, and it was once more a busy week, full of important and useful information to make a difference in the lives of adolescent girls and young women. Because, that’s what DREAMS is all about. Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-Free, Mentored, and Safe women and girls. I went with another co-worker, named Beatrice, so we can also bring these services and opportunities to the students of Musoto Christian Primary School.
March 1 – 7, 2020
Another logistical week, with not much to report. Preparing for GRS and DREAMS, as well as community outreaches for the upcoming Malaria month in April, has consumed all of my work time. We will be having meetings and plans with the schools, clinics, district offices, and more to move forward with these plans. So, unfortunately, not much else to share this week. That being said, thank you all so much for reading! And until next time: Be Well, Be Wise, and Be Good to One Another!
You see matooke trees with flowers around, and you know there’s a celebration happening there!
September 22-28, 2019
It’s Sunday, and suddenly I’m called into an impromptu
meeting with the District Health Officer at the Health Center to discuss the
upcoming events. Naturally, this
happened right when I’m in the middle of all my washing and cleaning, but
Director Richard is out of town, and I’ve been requested in his place. So, despite my dirty and filthy state, I met
with the head of the Mbale health office, Dr. Jonathan, Sister Agnes from the
clinic, and Christine from Spotlight.
We’re meeting because this coming Tuesday is a very big deal in the
history of our organization. Afterwards,
Agnes and the security team of Bukasakya Health Center III helped me to
reorganize the clinic space according to my design. This will hopefully help to aid with time
management, space maximization, and patient care.
And the celebration’s here!
Monday was a whole twelve-hour work day; at the clinic from
before opening to well past closing. The
new process for handling patients and increasing the effectiveness of the
workplace has already proven a vast improvement. Even my fellow health workers have noticed
the positive change we’re making. After
the long day – with many new patients as is the case with every Monday – we
focused on preparing the space for tomorrow.
We worked past sundown, and even after I left, a whole team continued
into the night.
It’s not a party in Uganda without the right kind of music and dancing! (all from the hips)
Tuesday was a spectacular day; even though it was another
long thirteen-hour day. After starting
off at the office for a little more prep time, I journeyed to the clinic in
Bukasakya, and found the festivities all ready for the big day! Today was the long awaited ground breaking
and dedication ceremony for the new Maternity clinic, our vocational institute,
and the new motorcycle ambulances (I call them ‘bodambulances’)! There was singing, dancing, wonderful
speeches, and – of course – the symbolic breaking of the ground. We were able to see some of the work the
tailor students were capable of, and see the very fair, possibly too cheap,
prices of their products. The buildings
and grounds were beautiful. More than
three hundred people were in attendance.
I was able to meet the sponsors from Harpenden Spotlight on Africa in
the UK, as well as a member of the British Parliament, the Honorable Bim
Afolami! They are all wonderful
people. We had enough traditional
Ugandan cuisine to feed everyone a nutritious meal, and then some. And despite the line for that meal bringing
me physically closer to the other hungry people – closer even than some past
intimate encounters – everyone was fed, happy, and had a wonderful time!
Our new bodambulances!!
When I returned to work at the clinic on Wednesday, I was so
proud to learn that the staff had continued to work using the new layout and
procedures I had designed, even when I wasn’t there. And it ran smoothly to boot! They are happy with the ease and comfort that
the new stages have afforded them. So,
Wednesday was a rather relaxed day – albeit with a significant number of new
patients. As I was walking home,
expecting an easy nine-hour day as usual, I was surprised by our visitors from
the UK! They wrangled me into a series
of productive meetings over drinks at their hotel, and then a dinner with the
board members of the Spotlight on Africa – Uganda Foundation. And thus, ended another long, productive, and
unexpectedly enjoyable day on this very busy week!
The Honorable Minister of Health, Dr. Aceng, breaking the ground on our new maternity clinic!
Thursday, we had to be up at 5:00 in the morning, because we
were all driving to Kampala! We have to
be at the residence of the British High Commissioner for evening tea, and a
fundraiser for Spotlight on Africa! And
we made it, despite the short delay from a flat tire on the road to Iganga, and
the repairing of the tire in Jinja.
Since every dark cloud has a silver lining, my new friends from the UK
bought me a bacon cheeseburger for lunch while we waited in Java House for the
repairs! I’d been craving one for some
time now, and yes: it was wonderful. We
arrived in Kampala at our destined location close to the time of our tea and
fundraiser, and the event itself was a smashing success! High Commissioner Alison Blackburn has a
beautiful house, with some breathtaking gardens, and we were welcomed with open
arms to gather as friends and co-workers.
We discussed the future of our work in the healthcare field for
Spotlight on Africa, and we ensured everyone would be on the same page going
forward. I even gave a short
presentation myself, impressing the political members of those in attendance;
they said I was a natural public speaker.
Afterwards, we drove through the maddening Kampala traffic to take our
friends from the UK to Entebbe airport.
After a friendly farewell, and a promise to meet again in a few more
months, the remainder of us made the long, long, LONG trip back to Mbale. In terms of kilometers, it wasn’t that long;
but for a twenty-hour day of mostly travel: it most certainly was long…
An afternoon tea and fundraiser at the British High Commissioner’s!
Friday was a day of recovery. And the weekend was relatively
uneventful. Just the usual chores and
errands. But there was another surprise
meeting on Sunday evening with a district official, so that was something. All in all, this week was exceedingly busy,
but an undeniable triumph for us and the work we do with Spotlight on Africa.
The High Commissioner’s gardens.
Now, I know some of you have reached out, wondering about
possible donations to Spotlight. This
is, currently, difficult to do, as the website is only accepting the British
pound. But I’ve talked with the members
from the UK, and we should be able to change that to include American dollars
in the relatively near future. So, look
out for that update, and give when you’re feeling generous!
September 29, 2019 – October 5, 2019
We also celebrated the opening of our new tailoring vocational building!
And with the end of the highly productive, stressful,
wonderful, crazy busy week, it is back to the usual grind. Monday at the health center made it clear
that it was time to start the next phase of capacity building for the staff and
the workings of the clinic. I started
planning for my one-on-one lessons with each member of the team, and how I
would build their typing proficiency as well as showing them how best to use
the computers provided by Harpenden Spotlight UK. Our monthly staff meeting was beneficial in
many ways, allowing for me to get most all of the staff on board with where our
work together would be going next.
In just a few years, all of this will be filled with buildings, making a complete sub-county hospital!
Wednesday also made it clear that the clinic still has some
major hurdles to overcome with regards to communication. My one-on-one lessons will provide ample
opportunity for this; it really just needs to be hammered in how important it
is to tell others on the team where you will be, what you are doing, etc. That way we can best ensure all stations and
departments are covered at all times when we are open.
My days in the office turned out to be much more complex
than I thought. Both days had me running
from the office to the district health office and back and forth so we can work
on getting the new motorcycle ambulances certified and working as soon as
possible. I also spent time revamping
the schedule for the health center, prepping for my lessons, working on the
quarterly report for the Peace Corps, and potentially become part of the
National Malaria Think Tank to which I was invited to apply.
My homestay brother, the new Doctor Dennis, and his friend and classmate!
Thursday was another day of celebration! My homestay brother, Dennis, graduated from
medical school, and I was lucky enough to celebrate with him, friends, family,
and lots of food. All in all, I would
say this week was another highly productive week! And it gave me a chance to start Prep-tober. Working a month ahead of time in preparation
for NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month!
Stay tuned for more about that as I try to write a novel in a month and
steadily lose my sanity!
A Writer’s Clock…
The weekend, starting on Friday, was hit by some of the
harshest storms, thunder, and rainfall that I’ve experiences since coming to
this country. It let up enough to allow
for work, errands, chores, etc. but during the evening and nightly hours, the
storms were at their worst. So, with the
roads being in such bad, and worsening, condition from all the rain, I still
have not been able to get my bicycle’s rear tire fixed. But good news: I finally have a large
rotating fan for my living room, and I have my small refridgerator! Now I need to start getting some actual
furniture and decorative pieces over the next few months/years…
Family and friends came from all over the country, and some from beyond, to celebrate!
There was cake, and as always: sooo much food!
October 6 – 12, 2019
With even more rain carried over from the weekend, a
pleasant surprise was waiting at the clinic, and would remain for several
weeks: nursing students! Which meant
there were able-bodied and minded humans to handle patient intake and
management; freeing me to start work on other projects at the center that had
been bothering me for a while. For
example, the storage room: it was in need of some serious consolidation,
maintenance, attention, cleaning, updates, and more. So that’s what my Monday, Tuesday, and part
of Wednesday were about. All and all, I
freed up two whole shelves worth of space, separated the supplies, drugs,
equipment, etc. into their own specified sections, and I’ve started the task of
updating the inventory. The work is not
finished, but it’s a solid start.
It will also make things much easier once we’ve received our
next quarterly shipment of drugs and supplies… Which is already late… By
several months… Another problem that happens here – it happens all over the
world, but here it can be rather frequent.
So, you just have the make due with what you have.
October 9th is the day when England granted the emancipation
of Uganda to its own sovereign state after centuries of colonial
occupation. To celebrate, I attended a
nationally sponsored training session on Measles and Rubella vaccination
efforts. You see, unlike some
Americans, Ugandans are aware of the importance of vaccinations – we have them
for free here everyday at our clinic.
Taking that to heart, you can now tell any “anti-vax supporters” that
you meet that they can look forward to complications, bills, and potential
sorrow, while the folks in Uganda just continue to build healthier and better
lives.
(Note: at the training, when I told them, the participants
were in utter shock and disbelief that some Americans were actually
rejecting the uses and benefits of vaccinations; they were also very, very
worried about the children living with such parents who refused their
life-saving medicines)
Thursday and Friday have been in the office, as per
usual. I’ve completed my first reporting
of activities to the Peace Corps, and I’ve been working on finalizing the
lesson plans for the folks at the clinic.
I also continued working on a few outlying projects, and continued
researching for the CHP health education expansion. This busy week will be concluded with a
relaxing weekend with friends. The
Lumasaaba crew is heading up to the Sipi Falls for the weekend, so be on the
lookout for many gorgeous photos in the next installment.
Once again, my wonderful readers, thank you for joining me
on this journey! And until next time: be
well, be wise, and be good to one another!
Happy International Day of the Girl-Child! (October 11th) Here’s to all the girls who’ll be saving the world as Wonder Women, one day! Or even today!
The Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MUZARDI)
Date: 06/01/2019-06/04/2019
You know how people tend to write off long distance
travel? Like, how those people will say:
“Jetlag doesn’t really get to me,” or “I can fly all day, and sleep the whole
gosh-diddily-ding-dong time?” We all
know people, or at the very least some-one
like that. And I can say, with
conviction that I am NOT one of them.
Leaving behind two loving and supportive parents (the mother
in that parental set was very strong I must say; I was very proud), I stepped
onto the first of several planes headed toward Philadelphia. Hence the previous post. Afterward, we rose – if we could sleep at all
– to board a bus, driving from two in the morning until five thirty when we
arrived at JFK in Queens, New York. When
the Qatar Airlines check-in personnel arrived to begin their shifts at seven,
checking bags and getting through security was relatively painless. And if you haven’t flown on Qatar Airlines, I
highly recommend that you do! There’s a
reason they’ve been ranked the number one airline for so many years. It was also a welcome bit of luxury, even
flying Economy class, that we figured we would have much of.
There was a layover in Doha, Qatar, arriving around
six-o-clock in the morning their time.
Doha International Airport was gigantic, quiet, and very clean. The employees were all very patient and
kind. And we even got to step foot on
Qatar soil, since we had to be shuttled to our next flight.
Little more than five hours later, we arrived in Entebee,
just fifty or so kilometers from the capital city of Uganda: Kampala. We were exhausted. We were excited. We were diligent in the collection of our
belongings and truthful in our customs’ statements that we were not carriers of
Ebola. And there were a fair number of
us in desperate need of the restroom as we bused our group to our Pre-Service
Training site: Muzardi.
Outside the Main Hall at Muzardi, proudly showing off the Peace Corps partnership
Pictures do this agricultural research site some justice,
but only slightly. Lush and green, with
chickens, pigs, and the employees’ pets all about, the simple, but ingenious
innovations of the research projects were all around us. And that only made the wonder of this private
space all the more special.
As it turns out, there were still some surprising luxuries
that awaited us here. Beds adorned with
treated mosquito nets, a small writing desk – one for each room’s resident, a
standing closet, with fresh sheets, towels, and the offering of daily cleaning
and turndown service, if we so chose.
Meals are prepared by a team of wonderful cooks, and these ladies know
how to make a staple food into a scrumptious and highly anticipated treat for
us to enjoy.
Gorgeous views with practical agricultural research projects are an everyday thing in Muzardi.
Our evenings are spent together, shared among drinks, or
pool, or music, or simply sitting out in the night-time air. The evenings can be surprisingly relaxing,
and I find it humorous how my fellow trainees think the balmy, breezy day-light
hours are too hot, and the cool and comfortable nights are too cold. But me?
This is wonderful. It’d be
paradise if a new round of allergic reactions to all this green didn’t waste
anytime getting to me upon our arrival.
06/05/2019
Well, so much for not being able to contact home for at
least three weeks after arrival in country.
Peace Corps surprised us with minutes on our work phones to call
home. And I was lucky enough to call my
mom on her birthday. Afterwards, we were
instructed on how to handwash our clothes and how to use and maintain the
cleanliness of pit latrines. Pit
latrines are quite the common sight, here and all around the world. And let’s just say that I’m glad I don’t skip
leg day, because all those squats will come in handy. We also covered – very briefly – the four
primary objectives of the 2019-2026 health initiative and where we, as Peace
Corps volunteers, will fit in it. They
include: Maternal and Child Health, OVC (Orphaned and Vulnerable Children),
Youth and HIV, and Capacity Building.
06/07/2019
Today was the day of my interview with the Program Manager
and Program Facilitator for the Health sector of the Peace Corps for finalizing
site placement and language. Of the
regions that we would potentially occupy, I would prefer to be near water, such
as a river or a lake, or in the district that is more mountainous. I suspect I will be living in a compound from
what the discussion of the interview was leading toward. From the sound of it, my primary health
objective will be the fourth listed above: Capacity Building. The potential compound sound like its own
town, with schools, vocational training establishments, and medical facilities
that specialize in certain types of healthcare.
It’s pretty exciting to think about, but nothing is final until the site
announcement. Which is still several
weeks away.
The lecture hall where the Healthcare volunteers met for our sessions.
06/08/2019
Near Muzardi is the town of Mukoro, where we spent part of
the day as we collected our sim cards for our personal cell phones. But that was where we encountered some
hurdles to overcome. I jokingly said
that, with so many issues with our passports and fingerprints, that they had to
call the State Department, but I learned that that was somewhat the case. They did have to get new copies of our
passports and visas, because the ones they were given before were
insufficient. After returning for
lessons, we covered social norms and some basic survival skills. We also had a couple very powerful
thunderstorms, which were very much appreciated, if they didn’t force us to
keep our clothes on the drying line all the longer. The cooks of Muzardi surprised us with French
fries and fried chicken, and I’m becoming a big fan of African milk tea,
samosas, their bran muffins, fried plantains (matooke), and pretty much most of
the food I’ve come across. Things have
been good thus far.
06/09/2019
Today was a day with an abundance of free time and more plenty
more rain to continue preventing our laundry from drying. To escape the now-familiar face of Muzardi,
we were invited to the Chakig Eco-Tourism Center. While there we were involved in a spectacular
nature walk, an active working farm, and a fertile herbal garden, which were
all helped to get off the ground by two former Peace Corps Volunteers. It was nice and inspiring to see sustainable
projects built by volunteers like us, still in effect years after they returned
home. In the evening, a group of us walked
around Mukoro town, waving to all kinds of children, walking with them, all beaming
impossibly infectious smiles, before watching a short live football match. It was a good way to close out a good day.
Chakig Eco-Tourism Center
06/11/2019
The adventures of getting a working personal phone has been
trying, to put it lightly. Though it
wasn’t in any fault of the Airtel employees.
Representatives from Airtel arrived in Muzardi around four in the
afternoon. Every person who did not receive an activation text since our visit
to the local Airtel store had to have their documents, fingerprints, and
photographs taken another two times (at least). Fortunately, they did not take our money for
data and calling services until an activation code was received and all
remaining necessary info was texted to their servers. This took until well past eight in the evening
and not everyone had their phones activated.
They would have to wait until another day.
Following this, there were several interesting conversations
among us as to who would be the first to drop out of the Peace Corps early. To be honest, this possibility never crossed
my mind until it was brought up tonight.
This led to a series of discussions on patience and how we needed to
adapt and adjust in order to keep up – ironically – with how things are done
here in Uganda. This was ironic because
time is very much relative in this country.
Basically, it boils down to: the work will get done, but don’t rely on
schedules too much, because life happens.
But the work will still get done. So, we Americans will need to slow down to
keep up with the people of Uganda. This
might be as difficult and as important a task as learning our languages and
cultural integration.
06/13/2019
The health volunteers went on a field trip to the Mukono
Health Center IV in Mukono town today. It
was there that we learned about their family planning services, immunization
services, and antenatal and postnatal services. Some interesting facts about Uganda’s
government sponsored healthcare for women and children: everything is free! Many, MANY of the same birth control options
that we have in the states are available here. The main problems encountered include running
out of supplies, and compliance/patient retention when it comes to routine immunizations
and the like. The hospital personnel are
also not able to reach everyone in the community that they’d like to. That being said, they still do amazing work. The nurses/midwives/sisters were all wonderful
hosts, giving throughout and potent answers to our questions. It was also interesting how accepted it was
(even by the patients) for us to literally just barge in on their sessions, led
by our hospital hosts, of course. We saw
newborns resting with their mothers following delivery and in recovery. The nurses also offered an interesting idea
for reaching the predominantly Catholic population regarding family planning
options: go into the communities for something different, such as cancer
screening, and run a logical tangent into the conversations to tell them about
their options – the point is to help them make an informed decision about all
of their options.
One of the many posters and images around the health center, used to promote healthy behavior.
06/15/2019
FINALLY! We finally have
our language assignments! We will be
having our introductory courses during our last week here in Muzardi in the
language of Lumasaaba! Lumasaaba is spoken
in the far east of Uganda in a land of “great mountains, crystal-clear waters,
cool climates, fresh fruits, and gorgeous nature.” So yeah, pretty damn lucky and pretty damn
excited!
06/16/2019
Today was our group journey to capital city: Kampala. We toured important landmarks and locations with
a current Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV). Our guide showed the various PC approved and
vetted hostels – which were very cool and very much my style, the mall which
was large and quite lovely, but very, very expensive. As we learned, anything you could want could
be purchased from the supermarket across the street from the mall, which was
well evidenced by how busy it was. Everything
in this supermarket was at least half-off what was priced in the mall. We walked to the PC Uganda HQ, relaxed in the volunteer
lounge for a bit, and toured a few more of the exteriors of the variety of foreign
embassies, but no photographs were allowed.
We ate a late lunch at the Bush Pig hostel, and then took a taxi to the
REAL Kampala. Everything in that first district
we visited was practically lifeless compared to the Old and New Taxi parks. Milling through the chaotic marketplaces, there
was attention and attractions in every direction. Despite all the tall buildings around us, I
have absolutely no idea how anyone living or working inside them could even get
inside. Riding in the taxis was an
experience – it took over 20 minutes just to get out of the taxi park, but the
ride back to Muzardi was relatively uneventful.
The journey back was also very cheap, and despite it being in the
afternoon, we were all rather sun-tired at that point, and so we called it a
day rather early.
06/17/2019
Today the Health trainees had sessions devoted to Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Safety lessons.
To better facilitate, and to demonstrate fun and engaging ways to teach
these lessons to children and youths in Uganda. We played a game of handball to teach how
irresponsible behavior can impact more than one member of the community, we
held a relay race of proper condom application and removal, and we made our own
RUMPS (Re-Usable Menstrual Pads). These
are cost effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable methods of
maintaining menstrual hygiene. They help
to keep girls in schools (since the stigma and stereotypes surrounding
menstruation often force girls out of their education), but it also empowers
them to have control over their own bodies and their own wallets.
Unfortunately, there’s no picture of my finished product because I failed
miserably in the process of making my own RUMPS, but I’m sure I’ll have plenty
of other opportunities in the coming two years.
06/18/2019
Five of us were assigned to St. Paul’s Boarding and Primary
School outside of Mukono town to perform a needs assessment on a group of 7th
graders, and their knowledge of personal hygiene. The kids were all looking sharp in their
bright red uniforms, and the walls inside and outside the classroom were
decorated with images, diagrams, and insightful pictures concerning subjects
that we didn’t learn in the states until high school. They were all exceptionally well-behaved,
respectful, and highly intelligent. They
were actively engaged to answer our questions, and were exceptionally
knowledgeable on many, many aspects of keeping themselves clean and
healthy. They just lacked the
opportunities to do so (i.e. no tippy-taps outside the latrines and shower
areas).
06/19/2019
We returned to the same school, with the same kids, with an
educational session on proper handwashing techniques and the benefits that we
prepared for around two hours as a group.
The session went extremely well, and the kids were all having fun, and
willing to participate in the lectures, the demonstrations, and the games. Some of them were even better at hand washing
than I was! Turns out that they taught
me something about proper handwashing technique. The kids were all actively engaged yet again
and having fun. It turned out to be a
very positive experience for the five of us, especially when one of the girls
asked if we would be coming back to teach them, and have fun with them, some
more. It helped to bring all of us
volunteer trainers closer together, realize how well, and how easily we work
together, and how even a lesson prepared in less than a day can still have a
big impact. We concluded our time there
by giving the headmaster some resources to build a few tippy-taps for his
school, and congratulated the headmaster on the terrific work he was doing and
how he should be very proud.
Students from St. Paul playing an educational game with us Volunteers
06/20/2019
Today, we went into Kampala town to get our banking and ATM
cards squared away, but the major event happened once we returned to
MUZARDI. The Peace Corps Volunteer
Trainers organized a truly touching and emotionally-bonding event for all of
us. We sat in a circle, but with our
backs to each other, and closed our eyes.
Four or five individuals were selected per six or seven scenarios to tap
the shoulders of those who matched the positive and inspirational affirmation
that the leader recited. They ranged
from “tap the shoulder of someone who made you smile today,” to “tap the
shoulder of someone who inspires you,” to “tap someone who you’ve shared a
secret with,” to “tap someone who you wish you knew more about,” to “tap
someone on the shoulder you know will be a great Peace Corps Volunteer.” It was all anonymous. It was all wonderful. To be honest, I was feeling like I hadn’t
bonded with many of my cohort here in Uganda, and that hampered my
relationships with them as a result. But
for every four to five “tappers,” for every six or seven questions, I was
tapped at least two, three, or even four times.
It was extremely uplifting, touching, and powerful. It absolutely brought us all closer together. We continued our bonding with music, and the
USA v. Sweden football match broadcasted on a big, projected screen.
06/22/2019
Muzardi threw us a wonderful going-away party with food,
music, dancing, and drinks. One last
hurrah before we departed to our regions.
It was naturally a lot of fun, but a fair few of us headed to bed at a
reasonable hour as we had to finish packing and preparing for traveling.
The nights were even cool enough to gather around a bonfire.
06/23/2019
We headed to the Bugisu region in the east, and the capital
city of Mbale. We actually ended up crossing
the Nile, which originates from a mountain near Jinja town. Never thought I’d see the Nile without actually
being in Egypt. We crossed and saw beautiful
bridge and beautiful waters, with promised plans for returning for various
water-based activities. Traveling to
Mbale was around a five-plus hour journey from Kampala, but much of the trip
was very smooth and uneventful. We passed
through forested stretches, plains, and mountains. The first thing we noticed about Mbale was it
is rather posh compared the other towns and cities we’ve visited/been a part
of. Large sidewalks, the population is
not so congested, and the city layout is well designed compared to others. We met met our homestay families: mine
includes Pastor and Matriarch Katherine, and her relatives. Son Demas, Nephew E.D., Niece Stella, and
Nephew Sam. She also has three other
children, two working in Kampala and one starting his career as a local doctor:
Derek, Deliverance, and Dennis, respectively.
All of them are lovely, with a splendid home. Three bedrooms (one of which is mine),
running water, electricity, a television, and a refrigerator for our boiled and
purified water. The family is very proud
of their family accomplishments: weddings and graduations adorn the walls and
furnishings.
Beautiful bridges crossing the mouth of the Nile near Jinja town.
06/24/2019
First official eight-hour day of Lumasaaba language
training, focusing on greeting and identifying oneself in Lumasaaba. Today was actually relatively uneventful, and
certainly not challenging just yet. I returned home, and ate dinner alone, as
families in Uganda typically eat very late, just before bed. Katherine’s son, the doctor Dennis, came to
visit and met me. He was very sweet,
smart, and offered me a standing invitation to the health center he’s working
to open. I am excited to better learn
about the work being done in this particular region with this particular
population. We watched the All Nations
Africa Cup of Nations with the family for a while before studying a bit before
bed
06/25/2019
Language is getting harder to learn, verbs and their complex
conjugations seem at times unnecessary, but it’s only day two. And while that is meant to be a comfort, it
is also rather disconcerting, personally – it is only day two and I am
struggling with language this much already… Regardless, we press on and
eventually, these things will just click.
Pastor Katherine had to travel into Kampala with family for the day, so
for the first time, my homestay brothers, sister, and I ate dinner together,
while watching more football on TV. I
didn’t get much studying done, since I did laundry and did some shopping in
town after classes were concluded. But
it was still a very nice evening at home.
06/26/2019
Language isn’t getting any easier, but we were able to build
a spreadsheet, after a fashion, of the verbs and how they are conjugated in the
tenses we’ve learned so far, and practiced as a group, so that was helpful. We went into Mbale town to officially meet
and introduce ourselves as Peace Corps volunteers to the LC-III and chief of
police. The LC system of local
governance was created by the current president of Uganda as a way of
empowering and providing a people’s government that works from the bottom of
society and makes its way up. LCs start
at the local village level, ten members of that particular community are
elected, and move up the population ladder.
LC-I is village, LC-II is parish, LC-III is sub-county, LC-IV is county,
and LC-V is district. It is just good
manners to be known by your leaders, not as tourists, but as legitimate members
of your community. At home, my family
and I worked on a series of assignments to be completed, watched the Uganda –
Zimbabwe Cup of Nation’s match, and then bed.
06/28/2019
My host family matron is also a pastor, and I was surprised
to learn, that it is all too commonplace and accepted for certain protestant
congregations to come together for prayer sessions… from 10 o’clock in at night
until 3 o’clock in the morning!!! I
don’t know how she was awake in the morning, but she was, so if anything, that
should speak to the power of routine and habits in influencing human
behavior. After learning more about
religious behavior, I am all the more excited to visit her church and meet her
congregation on Sunday!
06/29/2019
We, the Lumasaaba crew, were invited to meet with a couple
current Peace Corps volunteers at the Mount Elgon Hotel, within walking
distance of our homes and classroom. The
hotel is lovely, the pool is cool and very welcome on this hot day, plus some
good food at reasonable prices! There
was also quite an energetic wedding going on while we were at the hotel, and we
also took that opportunity to learn more about the people, by the people, with
the people. It was nice to have some
more insight into living in this region, as well as being a Peace Corps
Volunteer, without the looming oversight of staff and training expectations.
06/30/2019
Not many Sundays can I boast a five-and-a-half-hour church
visit, but here in Africa, it really is just another day! Seriously, I mean five-and-a-half-hours for
one service, and this being something that happens most every day of the week. After the service, and being partially deaf
in my right ear (the minister preaching with my homestay mother Katherine was
very interesting and charismatic, but let’s just say he really didn’t need a
microphone), Katherine took myself and my homestay siblings for a local lunch
of pork, plantains, and vegetables at a local venue, within walking distance of
her church. The afternoon was spent
doing the washing and studying more Lumasaaba.
And we ended the day watching the Uganda vs. Egypt football match.
07/01/2019
Goodness gracious, am I struggling with language now. I had absolutely no confidence today; it felt
like I knew absolutely nothing, and was genuinely paralyzed by the fact that I
could understand and translate most everything that was said during practices,
but couldn’t formulate a single word to speak myself. After lunch, it was pretty much all
self-study for me: working on being more confident in what I should – what I do
– know. After coming back to the
homestay, I relaxed a bit in bed, thinking about other things, before diving
into memorizing more verbs and vocabulary.
07/04/2019
Happy Fourth of July (American Independence Day) to you all! Or belated, as is obviously the case. Today, was more or less a day off from language training for the group. So, we took the day to come together and cook for each other and our host families. There was quite a spread, of both American and Ugandan cuisine. I learned a lot about food preparation and the actual process of cooking with the resources that we have on hand in this country. It was also a fine opportunity to get to know each other a bit more and to bond a bit deeper. The host families have been so warm and welcome and patient with us. Their goodness seems to be without end. And while the others may – or may not – have had a day off from language, I most certainly did not. I worked on a little side project for myself, as another of the photos will attest. Let no one ever say that I am not taking this language learning and responsibility seriously!
I’m like, super serious, you guys…
07/06/2019
Saturdays are our shorter days, so I’ve found my way to an
internet café – at an excellent price!
Less than a dollar American to use for the whole day! Before I explain the epic escapade that
resulted in my finally, FINALLY being able to post this long blog post, after
really studying, practicing, and having some one-on-one time with our
instructors, Francis and Beatrice, I actually feel some measure of comfort with
Lumasaaba. We have a mock interview to
measure our proficiency next week. This
is to serve as practice before our official Language Proficiency Interview that
takes place our last week of language training.
So, please: wish me luck!
Now, for the epic conclusion of “The Epic Adventures in Wifi
Searching and Social Media Posting!”
Yes, I know… the title needs work… Regardless, to put things simply:
here in Uganda, the government has imposed a tax on social media. Basically, for any device that can
potentially access the internet, you must pay the OTT tax – daily, weekly, or
monthly – to access, interact, and post on those sites. And while it makes sense now, in hindsight,
how blogging sites are also a part of social media, but the problem became that
I couldn’t pay the social media tax for my computer. And we’ve been so busy, and the options for
wireless internet access – with an acceptable connection – were so few and far
between.
But for now, I’ve found a fast internet connection, for a
very good price. I’ve updated and
restarted my computer. I’ve downloaded
and have started using a secure VPN, and now here we are. I want to thank everyone of you for your
patience. Thank you so much for thinking
of me, and asking after me. I hope you
find this long post to be educational, entertaining, endearing, and potentially
inspiring. Inspiring for you to take the
step towards visiting this beautiful, vibrant, and friendly country!
The next post is still up in the air; I am not
sure when it will be. But with Mbale as
my main city center in the region of Bugisu, doubtless I will be able to post
at this venue with some measure of frequency.
So, until then Wonderful Readers: be well, be wise, be productive and
happy, and I look forward to sharing with you again.
Peace, Love, and Uganda 