Crash

I seem to have hit a lull in the interesting story sector, but recently I had a very fun and potentially damaging bus ride. I was on my way back from an outing and decided to sit in the very back of the bus, since that was the most open out of any other section in the bus. To my surprise, before I even sat down, the bus took off at lightning speed. When I finally got to my seat, I though, okay, I can handle this. About two seconds after I had that thought, the bus hit a bump and I went flying…seriously I was at least two feet in the air. When I landed, the Ugandan sitting closest to me was laughing. I also thought this was funny…the first time. After the fourth time I didn’t find it as amusing…neither did the Ugandan. Luckily the bus ride wasn’t very long, so I only had to put up with a few more bumps. It wasn’t so much the airtime that sucks, actually that was quite fun, but the landing was just painful.

In other news, I got yet another marriage proposal from a Uganda. This was one of the funniest though. I was with a friend at the bank, waiting for her to complete her transaction. While waiting I noticed one of the bankers looking at me and saying something to my friend. I didn’t really think anything of it, mostly figured it was just the guy making sure I didn’t have any business he should attend to. As my friend and I were walking out of the bank, she asked me to take a look at the banker who was earlier pointing me out. Apparently, while trying to complete her transaction, the banker was asking about me, more specifically what my bride-price was. My friend told me she indicated my high level of education which would make my bride price very high. I laughed and said yes, it would probably be about 100 cows. My friend, almost taken aback, said well I told him it would be $100!

Apparently my friends view highly of me.

SAY YOU'RE ONE OF THEM

Some time back, I was asked a very interesting and thought provoking question by a trainee, who I am to mentor and guide through training and after if necessary and desired. She asked me, Aditi, are you happy with your decision to serve here?

I’ve thought about this question many times over the past few months (more so in the past few weeks) and I’ve finally come up with a solid, honest answer. Initially I’d always say something along the lines of yes, I am happy I came here, even if I’m not making an impact on a daily basis I think overall in the course of the two years I will impact at least one person. That’s probably a standard response to these sorts of questions and it’s basically the same answer I gave the trainee who asked (though I did elaborate a little on the ups and downs of service)…but after giving it some thought I realized that wasn’t really an honest answer. I did mean it, to some extent, but it wasn’t the full truth of how I felt, how I would really answer that question.

So, I gave it some real thought. I asked myself, are you really happy you left everything behind and came to Uganda to serve? Is it what you thought it would be? Are you fulfilled? Do you feel your work is useful, meaningful, and impactful?

Here’s my answer:

For the most part, yes, I am happy I came to Uganda. There are times I’d like to throw in the towel and just go home, there are times where I do not think I’m doing anything useful or worthwhile and there have been many times where I question my decision. In the end though, the few things that I do that I know are influential and have some impact keep me here. It may not be the work I do at my site, it may not necessarily be the work I do in my town, but when I am working on outreach projects in different communities or when I am interacting with youth, I feel good, useful, and alive. When I’m reading through submissions for the youth newsletter, Uganda’s Young Stars (see links in side bar), I feel joy in my heart. I can see the writers are expressing themselves in ways they probably were never able to before and that one thing…that is the thing keeping me here. My work at GirlTech (the camp intending on fostering an interest in math and sciences in young girls) and Peace Camp (the camp intending on address conflict resolution and youth empowerment) also keep me here because I know, even if I do the smallest job, I’ll be making a tremendous impact in the lives of the participants and subsequently in the communities where the participants live, go to school, or work.

So I guess, in the end, what I’m trying to say is yes, I do feel I have made the right decision in coming here. Sure, I could be working in the U.S., actually making money doing similar work promoting health in poor communities and promoting youth development and empowerment (or, as was recently made apparent to me, I could be teaching English in Asia and be receiving more than twice as much money as I am “making” now). But the person I am would not be happy doing that, not at this point in my life. I am a better, more caring, and more receptive person when I am in the “developing” world, whether visiting or working. I learn more about humanity, justice vs. injustice, and inevitably myself (I will be the first to admit, this is completely selfish).

So, until my selfish needs are fulfilled, I will continue to find opportunities to help, long-term or short-term, those around the world who need and want me (because we all know, if a community doesn’t see a need I see, my ideas are almost moot).

GirlTech was nothing short of amazing. There were so many points where I felt fulfilled, happy, and just purposeful. The weekend of training was nice because it was laid back and very low key. I got to know the other science teachers and also got to relax a bit before the girls arrived on Sunday. After the girls arrived it was hectic and I seemed to always have something to do, even on the days I wasn’t teaching. On Monday, another volunteer and I led four nature hikes. We were supposed to foster inquiries and observations in the girls, which proved to be difficult, especially since we had no idea about any of the nature surrounding us. We did a few hikes during training to familiarize ourselves with Wanyange, where the camp was held, but most of the hikes involved us making things up. Apparently it sounded like we knew what we were talking about, at least according to the PCV mentors. Tuesday was my day off teaching but I spent the whole day helping the other science teachers launch bottle rockets. It was pretty awesome to see the girls’ reactions when we did the first launch for each session. They never really knew what to expect and almost always reacted with surprise and a little fear. It was so cool to be able to show them science in action and to expose them to something they may not have seen before. Some girls got really into it and even cheered and clapped, one girl even copied my constant “IT WAS AWESOME!” scream (which I did after every launch, I mean every launch…there were 30 of them). The scream became a sort of catchphrase and will surely be appearing on any video footage sent out about GirlTech in the future. All the girls seemed to really enjoy all the sessions, not just the bottle rockets. I was also running around helping out. I suppose it was better than just sleeping or lying about all day, though I was hoping for a little more rest. Wednesday was my first solo teaching session, where we did disease detectives. I was really nervous the night before because I had never done a disease detectives session, let alone lead one (although since I got a certificate in Epidemiology I suppose I technically have done a disease detectives). During the first part of my lesson I had the girls throw around yarn which represented an infectious disease (Ebola, Influenza, Cholera…you name it) to illustrate the infectious nature of diseases and also to show how an individual can affect a community. I then went into a brief history of John Snow and Epidemiology and then finally got the game going. The first lesson went fairly well but of course there were many bumps in the road. The second group got really into the game though, which was awesome. Some of the groups didn’t really understand the point; some didn’t really read all the interviews, and others kept guessing the same incorrect responses without really looking at the data from the interviews. The last group was definitely one of the best. I had to guide them a little but in the end they really got into the game. When they finally got the right answer, everyone cheered in excitement and I felt so proud that they understood and played the game so well.  On Thursday I had a nutrition session which initially felt like it was going to completely bomb. The first lesson was not bad, but I don’t know how much the students got into it. The second group, however, really got into it and it was probably for the better because Peace Corps administration came to visit GirlTech and decided to sit in on that session. They were really excited to try and figure out which foods belong to which food group, which foods provide which nutrients, and also to figure out what common item can be used as a reference for portion sizes. It was really fun! At the end I had them draw out what portions of a plate should be what food groups and it was cool when I did “the great reveal” because the girls started their own drum roll. The last two sessions went pretty well too. I think the girls really learned something from the nutrition session and I think they really were able to visualize the portion sizes I was trying to emphasize. It was funny though, one of the girls questioned my portion-appropriate plate (taken from myplate.gov) which I showed them after they designed what they thought was a portion-appropriate sized plate. I guess a mountain can’t be moved in a day. The final day was really laid back for most of the science teachers. We did mostly prep work for the science fair, which turned out to be fun even if it did take hours longer than anticipated. During the science fair we held a round robin of random science experiments like “The Nose Knows” and “The Gravity Gulp”. It was fun and the girls’ minds seem to continually be blown. The closing ceremony was short and sweet, we handed out awards to the science fair winners and participant ribbons to the rest of the girls. Some of my Venus girls won second place with their “Science of Sweets” experiment. We also gave a big thank you to the co-directors of GirlTech and I think they were both surprised and really touched by the gesture. All the campers seemed to really be sad to leave the camp which made me both happy and sad; I was happy because I realized that I really did touch some lives this past week, but at the same time I was sad because I didn’t want to leave the camp after feeing so fulfilled.

Transition to Peace Camp, where the mood was completely different, it was more contemplative and peaceful (who would’ve thought?). The first full day was nothing short of amazing. We spent the day at a ropes course in Gulu called The Recreation Project. The campers spent the day doing the “Leap of Faith” (where they climbed up a log, stood at the top and jumped off in an attempt to hold onto a metal bar), an small obstacle course, “The Spider Web” (where each group was supposed to get every person from their group through the web of ropes without touching a single rope), a zip line, and a rock wall. All the campers were really brave in doing the leap, I think every camper attempted it and most actually got a hold of the bar. At the end of the day there was some time for the staff to try the leap and most of us did but only a few of us actually touched the bar. My attempt was nothing short of hilarity. Before I even got to the log (there is a ladder you have to climb before you get to the foot holds on the log) I was already freaking out. I was just standing at the top of the ladder and started having a panic attack. With the cheering support of the crowd before I started climbing up the log. When I got to the top of the log (not standing on the flat top of it but just on the foot holds) I freaked out again. Somehow I got to the very top and was trying to figure out how to stand on the top without falling off. I got one foot on but couldn’t manage to gain balance enough to get the other foot on so I ended up just sitting at the top. I made multiple attempts to stand only to stop and sit back down at the top. People were laughing in the crowd but most were encouraging and trying to guide me to the standing position. Finally, and I have no idea how, I got to the standing position and eventually even jumped off the top of the log, completely missing the bar. When I got to the ground I was shaky and my legs felt like cooked noodles, but I did it. I made it to the top of that log and jumped off…and I survived!

One of the most inspiring and moving part of the day, however, was the perseverance of a young camper. He is in a wheel chair but that did not stop him from participating in any of the activities. He did the leap, the zip line, and even climbed the rock wall. Just seeing his motivation and determination was genuinely inspiring. All the campers and counselors cheered for him in every activity he did (and he succeeded in every one he attempted). I don’t even know how to put into words how amazing this young person is. Even though he’s in a wheelchair, he is an athlete, playing wheelchair basketball in a society that in more cases than not hold a stigmatized view of the disabled. To see how much hope he has for his future and to see how positive he is about his life just makes me feel I can and should be able to do anything in life…that nothing can stop me…that nothing can stop anyone. All you need is the right amount of determination and a positive attitude. Watching this young person climb himself up a log and launch himself off the top with only his upper body strength, watching him climb up a tree to go down a zip line, watching him climb up a rock wall with only his upper body strength, it all makes you realize how much opportunity there is in life no matter what life has given you. This young man survived the northern tribal wars, the LRA invasion, and came out with such a positive outlook and such determination…it’s just mind-blowing.

So I guess, I want to say to all my family, friends, and anyone reading this…you really can do anything if you stay positive and determined. No matter what life gives you, you can find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Another very inspiring and world-view altering was the Forgiveness Ceremony held towards the end of the week of Peace Camp. The four different tribes affected by the greater northern wars grouped with each other and presented their grievances and wrongs to each other and asked each other for forgiveness. A few of the tribes didn’t have any problems with each other but there were some major conflicts between the Acholi tribe and the other tribes as well as the Langi tribe and the other tribes. It was so mind-blowing to hear all the testimonies from the groups and then one of the campers come up in front of everyone and gave his own personal testimony about how he was abducted and was in the bush for two years trying to survive being in the rebel army. He was so brave to tell his story and then ask everyone for forgiveness. It was also amazing to see how all the members of the different tribes interacted with each other when in all likelihood they could have killed each other during the wars. After all the tribes forgave each other we all got together in a circle, lit candles, and sung songs of unity. We also burned papers from each tribe where all the grievances were written down to represent the act of forgiveness and moving on.

It’s so hard to imagine these campers in their middle adolescence trying to survive living in the bush with rebel armies while I was in middle school complaining about fitting in and worrying about how I would fit in when I got to high school. Even here in Uganda, I complain about such ridiculous things like not having work at my site when in the grand scheme of things my life could be a lot worse. It’s moments like this that are truly humbling and really help me to keep my priorities straight.

Being in Peace Corps has been a constant roller coaster, but it’s moments like this that really make me feel surer of my decision to serve here. Even when things are less than ideal, I know that I will become a better person in the end. I may not touch or change heaps of lives here, but I know all these people I meet will change and touch my life to an unfathomable extent. 

Like Water for Chocolate

I still remember evenings watching the news and listening to stories about the infamous water crisis of sub-Saharan Africa. At the time, I didn’t really give it a second thought (that’s not to say I didn’t care, I just never felt affected by it nor did I feel I could do anything to really change or help). Now, let me tell you, it is one thing to hear and see images of other people suffering from the so-called water crisis, but it is a completely different issue when you are actually experiencing this water crisis.

For the past four months (at least), the town council has stopped pumping water to my site. Initially this wasn’t a surprise, often the water being pumped goes in and out on a weekly basis, and so at first no one really thought anything of it. After two months, we realized there was a problem. After weeks of going back and forth with the town council arguing about paying for water that is not being pumped, the town council finally told us there was a problem in the piping (which I don’t believe but hey, I guess you have to take whatever excuse you can get).  By the time we got this reasoning for the lack of pumped water, it had easily been three months since we had any pumped water. We had been relying on the rank tank reserve water the whole time (again, this wasn’t really a problem, at first). After having relied on the rank tank reserves for almost four months, we realized that our reserves were soon going to run out (and surprise, surprise, within the next few weeks they did). So, for the past two weeks my site has had no water. I had to get people coming from Kampala, Masaka or Kyotera to bring me water so at least I’d have drinking water. I had one last Jerri can of water I was saving to bathe with (I had reduced my bathing to once a week out of necessity…gross, I know). I had been putting off washing my hair for weeks because it easily takes half a bucket of water just to wash my hair (needless to say, I seriously considered shaving my head). I have been reduced to using the communal pit latrines because I didn’t want to use any water to flush my toilet. I soon became a master of reusing any water that was used for washing the minimal dishes I used for breakfast or tea. I would use the water to wash a small amount of clothes, and then use that was to wash my dishes, then use that water to flush my toilet. If I felt the need, I would use the water to wash my face first, before using it for anything else, but I would never just through the water out after one use (interestingly, the other staff members did not seem to engage in the same level of reusing water, even with the crisis they continued a single or simple double use of water which led to more panic on my part). After weeks of waking up in the middle of the night in a panic, and trying to find ways to get water (including considering going down to the swamp and getting water which was brown or ridiculously trying to figure out how people could ship me water from around the world…I was desperate) I finally decided to suck it up and spend about 4,000 USH (about $2) to get three Jerri cans of pumped water from town so I could wash my clothes (which had piled up for the past month, at least). Of course, the universe decided to play a cosmic joke on me, because as soon as I got the water and started my washing it started to rain, and by rain I mean pour. I was so happy, I didn’t even care that none of my clothes would dry until the next afternoon; I didn’t even care that I’d have to sleep in my sleeping bag because I had washed my sheets as well. All I knew was that I was saved, I wasn’t going to die of dehydration, and I will make it through yet another dry season.

Hallelujah!

Water for Elephants

Never in my life did I ever expect to be able to say “I survived an elephant almost charging my taxi”…but I’m getting ahead of myself…

I decided to celebrate 4^th of July early and late…I guess I’m really getting used to this whole leisurely lifestyle Ugandans live. The day before 4^th of July, I hung out with a couple volunteers in my town and their friends who had come from the U.S. to visit. It was nice having a quiet barbeque where I probably ate more different vegetables at one time than I had eaten at any point in Uganda thus far. This was definitely a good way to stay the 4^th of July celebrations, which continued the following weekend on the 7^th of July.

I decided to spend the weekend after the 4^th of July in Fort Portal, a relatively big town on the western side of Uganda. It was my first time heading over there so I wasn’t sure what to expect (I probably should have expected a 9 hour journey though).  There are two routes to get to Fort Portal from my town, I can either go through Kampala which would decrease the travel time by an hour or two, or I can travel through Mbarara. While Mbarara is the longer route, the upside is you go through Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is the main park to do safaris in Uganda (the other is Murchison Falls, where they have giraffes).

Given this information, I decided to go through Mbarara because a) I would be able to go through Queen Elizabeth National Park, which I have not seen yet and b) I would not have to go through Kampala, which I generally try to avoid. So, Saturday morning, bright and early, I began my journey to Fort Portal. The beginning of the trip was uneventful. Usually I get to see zebras along the way, between Masaka and Mbarara but that didn’t happen this time around. I stopped in Mbarara for a quick lunch of delicious palak paneer at City Top, a great Indian restaurant. I was hoping to pick up a sandwich to-go at the sandwich shop next door, but it appears they have closed down permanently. I was a little let down by this and the lack of Oreos in Mbarara, but on my way from Mbarara to Fort Portal I saw an elephant. Not only did I see an elephant, my taxi almost ran into one. We had entered Queen Elizabeth National Park and were minding our own business, looking for animals along the side of the road. When we turned a corner, the taxi suddenly game to a screeching halt (seriously, imagine the cartoon sound of a car screeching to a halt, that’s what happened) and right in front of us was a very large, very angry looking male elephant with tusks that could pierce me without even trying. The taxi driver immediately began to go in reverse, speeding away from the elephant. The elephant took a couple steps in the direction of the taxi, but stopped and continued to cross the road. As scary as this probably sounds, the entire time I was thinking, why are we going away from the elephant? We should be going towards it so I can get a better picture! As we were passing where the elephant had crossed I literally climbed over my neighbor’s lap and hung out the window to get a picture of said elephant. It seemed this wasn’t common occurrence since everyone in the car seemed amazed and there were even a few other people taking pictures.

The rest of the weekend was fairly uneventful after that (honestly, after surviving an elephant almost charging your vehicle, anything should be considered uneventful). I got to see heaps of volunteers I hadn’t seen in a while, which was really nice. I got to have some good food in Fort Portal (they have a pizza place, a hand-made ice cream place, an Asian Market, and all kinds of other things which caused me to ask, repeatedly, where the heck am I?). A few of us tried to go on a hike, which turned into a 10k adventure to try and find a view on top of a hill (we never found it). After the hike, we spent a few hours at a nearby pool which was absolutely beautiful and dubbed “mzungu central” because all the foreign volunteers in the area seemed to hang out there. The weekend ended with a really nice BBQ (a big shout out to all the people who helped prepare and cook the food) and me spending another 9 hours getting back to site (there were some Irish volunteers in attendance and the whole weekend I tried to explain the phrase “hot mess” to them, and one of the best examples I could come up with was traveling from Fort Portal to Rakai in one day…that was a hot mess).

All in all I'd say it was a good weekend...

Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard

I recently went to a Red Cross general meeting, which was hilarious and a complete waste of my time (because it was all in Luganda, not because the meeting content were useless). Unfortunately, I fell asleep 5 minutes in and woke up to one of my students staring at me and smiling. I apologized and made sure to keep awake for the rest of the meeting. I made it through the rest of the four hours without falling asleep but I didn’t have anything to contribute. I’m glad I stayed awake for the rest of the meeting though, because it was interrupted (rudely, but still hilariously) by a potentially drunk and homeless fellow. He sneaked in and just sat down, unbeknownst to anyone until he started talking to himself rather loudly. Once this was ignorable no longer, everyone (and I mean everyone, even Prima, the Mayor of Rakai Town Council) just stared at him. Apparently that is the trick to getting an unwanted guest to leave. After the rude interruption, the meeting continued with general elections of the Youth Executive Board. This took far longer than necessary, probably because they made every candidate give a speech, then had to verify the candidate’s age (which proved difficult since none of the candidates had birth certificates, which apparently is required for verification). Finally I was excused to eat lunch (which by this time ended up being more time-appropriate for an early supper) which consisted of rice and peas (big day). I wasn’t complaining though, I hadn’t really eaten anything all day so I was open to anything (as long as it wasn’t meat, but at some point I feel like I may even cross that line). After the meeting, while finding our way back to the nursing school, I discussed possible future events with the two members who attended the meeting with me. This proved interesting, as the chairperson for the school’s LINK group suggested a Red Cross Day in Rakai Town. This would be pretty amazing, hopefully it comes to fruition. 

All in all, the day ended up being okay…I just hope this means I’ll be a little more active in regards to community outreach projects in the future.

In unrelated news, I am getting more and more frustrated with the lack of organization and communication at my site. I was recently asked to proctor an exam for one of the classes, which I happily agreed to. I was told the exams were in the secretary’s office (which sometimes I think should be my office since I am nothing more than a glorified secretary) ready to be distributed. When I got to the office to request the exams, they weren’t organized at all, they were not put together as exams but all separated as if they were freshly printed. So I had to spend a good part of the morning putting together the exams (luckily I got some help from the secretary…big day, he was doing his job). Once I got them together I went to the classroom to distribute and proctor the exam only to find out the exam time was in the afternoon, not in the morning as I had been told the day before. So I woke up, got ready and organized for an exam I wasn’t to proctor until later. On top of all that I just finished type 157 pages of abnormal midwifery which was not only exhausting but it makes me never want to birth children. 

Not only do I feel my skills are underutilized (what skills I’m referring to, your guess is as good as mine) but I’m definitely being over worked in a very monotonous capacity. I am doing secretarial work during the day and babysitting in the library at night (okay, a little harsh with the use of “babysitting”, but seriously, I sit in the office in the library and read until a student wants to check out a book, otherwise I’m just sitting there making sure they don’t run off with the books, stools, or tables). 

So, as you all know, I recently received a rather large package from my family when they went to India. You are also aware of the uproar this package caused not only for me, but for the Peace Corps office, the Embassy, and even more people I probably don’t know about. When I finally got my package, I decided to keep the box (having gone through so much trouble to get it, it didn’t seem right to throw it away, at least not right away) and figure out some use for it, if I could. After a few weeks of the box just sitting around, taking up space, I thought it might be time to just cut my loses and throw it onto the trash pile (where one of the other staff or grounds men would probably take it and use it for something). After pretty much settling on this decision, I went along with my day when I suddenly had a Eureka moment (you know, when you suddenly get the answer you have been wanting for some time). 

The Eureka moment came when I was staring at the pictures of my friends and family I have taped on my wall, with duct tape. As you all know, duct tape is very strong, so I suddenly realized that when I took the tape off upon leaving Uganda the tape would ruin the pictures (I probably realized this before but I didn’t really put that much thought into it). Upon recognizing this dilemma, I noticed the giant box, just sitting there. Suddenly, it clicked! I could cut up the box and use the side panels as a makeshift pushpin/cork-board type thing, where I could pin up all my pictures, letters, notes, and other items that I wanted to keep visible. BIG DAY! So over the next hour I took down pictures, cut up the box, used the amazing invention that is double sided duct tape (seriously, I cannot convey how amazing this product really is), and created very crude looking, but very functional pushpin/cork-board panels! I have to say, I’m very proud of myself.

And now, for your viewing pleasure…

Before I had my Eureka moment. You can see the duct tape frame previously used.

After my Eureka moment...messages of love from family and friends.

Pictures of my family and friends.

Right Package, Wrong Baggage

And the saga of the withheld package continues…

It’s been just about four weeks since my package arrived from India and it is still stuck at Entebbe Airport at customs. I’m not exactly sure what the folks at customs thinks is in the package but I can assure you, there is nothing in there that is harmful or detrimental to anyone’s life (unless you count sweets, which I suppose can be deemed harmful to one’s health and subsequently one’s life). After getting intermittent updates from the Peace Corps office (who apparently had to get the U.S. Embassy involved…big day) my package should be released within 24 hours (that basically means the company has to get it from Entebbe Airport but not before I pay 130,000 USH which is equivalent to $52). The Peace Corps office will theoretically get it and hold it for me until either my supervisor can get it next time he is in Kampala (which should be this weekend or next week) or the Peace Corps office can bring it to me when they are in the area. Hopefully my supervisor will pull through. The ridiculousness of this whole fiasco has definitely made me never want to use CHIPS or WWL ever again. 

*Readers, please take note, if you are sending a package from India, NEVER use CHIPS or WWL for international shipping*

I finally got confirmation that my package was at Peace Corps. My supervisor was amazing and picked it up! However (yes, there is always a “however” in these kinds of circumstances), my supervisor has yet to show up at my site…at least I know he has the package. 

A few days after he was supposed to arrive, my supervisor finally brought the package. Let me tell you, the package was worth the wait. I don’t even know how to explain to you the glory within the box. There was layer upon layer of clothing, food, sweets, shoes, and pretty much anything else one could wish for from India or pretty much anywhere else in the world (okay, maybe not anywhere else in the world, but I would have to say I got a pretty good taste of international cuisine in that box). I have to say, I must have the best family in the world for thinking to send me such an amazing care package in spite of everything else going on in their lives. I know there were far more important things my family could have done than worry about sending me a parcel but no, they thought of me. I am truly blessed to have such an amazing family and I can’t say that I feel deserving of their love.

Now, please enjoy some photographs depicting my unpacking of the epic box (which took almost 3 hours).

 Welcome Home!

You probably can't tell, but the address is my box in Kyotera...NOT Entebbe Airport.

Packing foam!

Layer 1: Clothes!

 Food stuff (cake mixes, brownie mixes, teas, spices, etc...)

 So many Indian snacks to enjoy!

 More clothes and shoes!

So many clothes!

 After the long process of unpacking, I took a rest...IN THE BOX!

I want to thank everyone at Peace Corps for their help with this whole situation, especially Cotious and James. Without your help, I may never have gotten my package and surely would have had to pay the original asking price. So, thank you. 

The Wedding

Can someone please find the mzungu a chair?

Do not worry friends; we are simply waiting for the mzungu to find a seat.

Oh here, they are bringing the mzungu a chair.

This is how the epic day that was Bursar Rose’s wedding culminated.

The bursar at my nursing school (Bursar Rose) recently got married and I had the honor of attending the ceremony. Unbeknownst to me, I would be spending most of the day in transit, going from one location to another.  

The day started much like any other here in Rakai during the rainy season. I woke up fairly early to the wonderful sound of raging rain storms. I was told the day before that I should be ready around 9 am for the vehicle that would take me, along with some other staff members, to the wedding location. I decided to stay in bed until 8:30, falling asleep and waking up intermittently. Upon finally getting out of bed, I realized I had no water and decided to tackle that task first. As I was getting water, I ran into the IT staff member, who told me the vehicle I was waiting for would arrive at 10 am. I assumed this would be the case since in any event of rain, appointments and scheduled times seem to go out the window. I took my time, made tea and got myself together. At about ten minutes before 10 am, I heard a knock on the door which turned out to be a staff member coming to help me put on my gomez (yes, I wore a gomez, which is a “traditional” dress women wear in Uganda during important functions, such as introduction ceremonies, weddings, graduation parties, etc.). I told her that I had yet to bathe (which I was not planning on doing anyway…shhhh) so I would get help from my neighbor who arrived the night before. A little after 10 am, I got myself together with the help of said neighbor and proceeded to wait…for almost an hour. At 11am I finally got a call that the vehicle had arrived and I should proceed down my mountain, in the mud, to the car. Of course my shoes were caked in mud but at the end of the night I got it all off so it ended up being fine.

The rest of the day was spent being shuffled from location to location. The actual wedding ceremony was surprisingly short. It was completely in Luganda, so I had no idea what was going on most of the time. It seemed to me that the ceremony was just another excuse for the preacher to do more preaching, at least he was very animated which is how the pastor at the nursing school is when he is preaching (of course he’s preaching in English so I actually know what’s going on most of the time). The couple apparently signed the marriage certificate during the ceremony. At random points other staff would explain to me what was going on. At one point everyone got up to give some kind of offering to the bride and groom (which was money) and I had no idea what was going on. Someone asked if I was going to give an offering and I said I had no idea what that entailed (and at the time I didn’t know, it wasn’t until I noticed people giving money that I put two and two together). I didn’t even have any small bills, so even if I did want to give an offering, I couldn’t have. Apparently you’re only supposed to give small amounts of money for an offering.

After the ceremony, we went outside to see the couple and watch as their photographer set them up in various poses for pictures. At one point, Bursar Rose called me up to where the couple was standing along with their close family and friends. She asked me to be in some of the pictures with her. I wasn’t really surprised; I know having a mzungu (a foreigner) at her wedding was probably a big deal. After the wedding, we sat around a bit, got a snack and then headed off to the reception. In between we stopped for some lunch, which proved to be precarious for me because everything was made with meat. I ended up settling on some matooke, rice, and g-nut sauce (a really oily sauce made from ground nuts, pretty much just like peanuts). I didn’t eat much of it, thinking there would be more food at the reception.

 Silly Aditi.

 

At the reception, all that was given was matooke and meat. Lots and lots of meat. So, I didn’t eat. All day I hadn’t had a drink either, so by the time we got back to the school I was exhausted and super dehydrated, but I’m getting ahead of myself. 

At the reception, the theme was definitely that of giving. The new couple gave out cakes to various important people at the reception, including the director of the nursing school. Subsequently, everyone at the reception went up to the new couple with gifts and words of kindness. I had contributed to the gift given by the staff members of RCSN, so I just went up and shook hands, but even that small act seemed to really touch Bursar Rose. I got a lot of unwanted attention, probably made worse because I was a mzungu in a gomez. At some points, I felt I was getting more attention than the new couple got, which was kind of irritating. 

When we eventually left, it was after dark so I was being eaten up by mosquitoes. It took FOREVER for us to get back because the vehicle kept stopping to pick up random people (even though we had hired it out). At one point I wanted to scream, but I decided that was probably not the best idea so I just kept as calm as possible. Once I got back, I ate some bread (the first bit of food I had eaten in hours) and drank heaps of water and just passed out.

Just another weekend for the mzungu at RCSN!

After the wedding, the “week of arrival” began. By Tuesday, everyone was back (this was fairly exciting for me, having been mostly alone at the nursing school throughout the past few weeks). Within the next 24 hours things changed dramatically. I now have people at my school to socialize with again, plans for me to actually contribute are taking place (though they mostly involve me creating electronic copies of notes and other documents, but I suppose that’s something…baby steps, right?). I’ve also decided to get into town at least once a week to see my neighbor PCVs. I’ve been pretty lazy in getting into town but realizing how lonely things can get, I guess that got me to get my act together.  So, my new semester initiatives (as described before) have been adjusted a bit, after having discussed these options with my supervisor.

New Semester initiatives:

1.       Work with Emma on socio-psychology course in Kalisizo

a.                   Observe/evaluate current lecture method utilized by Emma in Kalisizo

b.                  Determine areas of improvement

c.                   Develop/integrate best practices/currently utilized teaching techniques from U.S.

d.                  Evaluate new teaching methods with students

2.       Work with Nora and students in community placements to help develop best practices for working within communities

a.                   Observe/evaluate current interactions/practices of students working within communities

b.                  Determine areas of improvement

c.                   Integrate new ideas/current best practices into community placement interactions

d.                  Evaluate new methods with Nora and community

3.       Identify and train two students to assist in library operations (develop an application for those interested)

a.                   Develop/disseminate position responsibilities/expectations to students

b.                  Create/distribute application for interested students

c.                   Review returned application and determine two potential candidates

d.                  Train candidates on library operation methods

e.                  Schedule/observe students for two week period to determine actual capability

f.                    Train students on key identifiers for replacement students

4.       Work with Moses on IT/Computer course

a.                   Observe/evaluate current lecture method utilized by Moses

b.                  Determine areas of improvement

c.                   Develop/integrate best practices/currently utilized teaching techniques from U.S.

d.                  Evaluate new teaching methods with students

5.       Evaluate current HIV/AIDS outreach practices and determine if improvement is possible

a.                   Create an evaluation tool to implement during future outreach programs

b.                  Observe/evaluate current outreach method utilized by Youth Against AIDS Club (Y.A.A.C.) and Red Cross LINK Group

c.                   Determine areas of improvement/discuss with students groups ideas for improvement

d.                  Identify any outdates material/methods used which can be eliminated

e.                  Integrate new practices/current research for HIV/AIDS outreach/education

f.                    Evaluate new outreach methods/effectiveness

g.                   Continue to update/evaluate outreach methods (monthly/annually)

6.       Apply for SPA grant ($10,000) for building of clinic on RCSN grounds (communicate with Jenny)

a.                   Identify future location/site for clinic

b.                  Identify what school can contribute (medical supplies, dugs, etc.)

c.                   Identify uses

                                                               i.      Relieve intake of patients at district hospital in Rakai

                                                             ii.      Provide vaccinations, check-ups, drug distribution, education sessions on prevention, and any other primary health care needs

                                                            iii.      Provide a training center for nursing students directly on campus

d.                  Identify key staff members to work with (director, principal tutor, Moses, Cylus, etc)

7.       Work with Red Cross, God Cares, and Rakai AIDS Counsellor’s Association (RACA) on projects/camps

a.                   Communicate availability/desire to work with organizations

b.                  Community skills/resources available from volunteer

c.                   Build relationship between students at RCSN and local organizations

8.       Work with PCVs in area on Life Skills course with local primary/secondary schools

a.                   Communicate availability/desire to work with schools

b.                  Community skills/resources available from volunteer

c.                   Build relationship between students at RCSN and local schools

The new semester has begun for the returning students, but for the new students, the semester begins on Monday. Hopefully I’ll be able to implement some of these things. I have already given the outreach evaluation form I developed to my supervisor and he seemed very excited about implementing it, however that is how he reacted to many of my past projects, including the evaluation form I created for the different courses and the electronic inventory of library books, both of which were never really implemented or discussed further after completion. 

I’m still working on the youth newsletter, Uganda’s Young Stars, with other volunteers and it’s going very well. I even had a couple submissions from students at my own nursing school, which was very encouraging. I hope the judges choose them (and given the limited submission we received this time around, it is definitely possible). I think if some of my students get chosen this will encourage more students to participate.  

I also hope to work with some youth development camps being held in August. I’ve already completed an application for a youth camp focused on fostering an interest in math and science among girls (called GirlTech). This camp will be held in Jinja, a place I have grown to enjoy. Another camp being help in August will focus on the reconciliation of the northern tribes (this is in reference to the disputes exacerbated by Kony and other rebel groups). This camp (called Peace Camp) will be held in the north, probably in or around Gulu. I am really interested in both, but they overlap by a few days. I’m debating whether I want to apply to both in hopes of getting both and having to turn one down or if I should risk just applying to one…I’ve already got the application for GirlTech filled out since it’s due in a few days, but the application for Peace Camp won’t be available until June 11^th or so. I guess I can hold out for a few more days while I decide. 

Mpola mpola things will work out…