So today was my last day. I must say, it has quiet possibly been one of the most emotional days of my life. I knew that I would be sad but I never knew that it would hit me like this. Let me start by saying; for those of you who think you can love a child that is not your like it is your own, I say you have not spent time with African children. I realize that I sound like Oprah here, but I truly feel like these are my kids, and I know that some of them feel the same about me.
This morning I noticed that one of my "bad kids" was sitting quietly in the back. When I went to do his video he started crying. Normally he cries because he got beat by another teacher so I assumed that is what it was. When I asked him what was wrong he told me that he is very sad that I am leaving. This is a kid that I didn't even think liked me because I had had it out with him on more than one occasion and he was upset at me. I was so over whelmed that I started crying as well. I gave him a hug to which I think he was surprised. (African's don't hug very often)
I passed out all the toys and extra stuff I brought to the kids this morning. Even though 99% of them don't have hair (yes even the girls) I gave them all hair ties and clips and they were so happy. They were wearing them as wrist bands. So cute.
After lunch they did a performance to for me. There were some speeches and some singing. At the end they asked me to come say a few words. I was dreading this moment because I knew I would break down. Before I even reached the front I burst into "the ugly cry" I couldn't even compose myself. I was so embarrassed. I did manage to get a few words out and noticed that some of my kids were crying as well.
After we cleaned up I went to go back to my classroom where all the kids were and they were sobbing. I'm not talking a little crying but the whole class was balling their eyes out. I had to have 3 other teachers come in just to console them. I of course joined them in the crying and then passed out toilet paper. They all laughed because I had brought 2 rolls with me. (What can I say, I knew it would be bad) After we got them calmed down I convinced them to come outside to sing and dance. I video taped them having fun. I must say that they were not their normal selves though.
In the end we looked at all the photos I had taken during my trip and then they came around. I also took a photo with each kid, but my camera started acting up, so I am not sure how good they will be.
Tomorrow I am going back just for a few minutes to give each one of them a personal letter from me. I know there will be a lot of tears so I am already sad. If only I could express to them what they have done for me. I love these children!
See you in a couple of days!
P.S. Yes I'm crying while I write this:)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
It was bound to happenn
So it finally happened. I got sick:( I've spent the past couple of days in bed and even had a trip to the doctor. After Saturdays "girl day" I came home and rested because I wasn't feeling well and was really weak. On Sunday I went out for a couple hours and then remained horizontal for the rest of the day. I was so weak I couldn't even sit up. At around 1 am on Sunday I woke up in pain. I was sweating bullets, my stomach was upset and I had a full blown migraine. I went and slept on the mattress on the living room floor so I wouldn't disturb anyone. Because I hadn't eaten much when I was throwing up, nothing would come out. I was dry heaving for a few hours and would sometimes get some stomach bile to come up. (I know, too much info) We didn't have any power so it was dark and I couldn't see, and at some point I saw my vomit change color. I thought I was throwing up blood so I freaked out. I arranged for a special hire to pick me up in the morning to take me to the clinic. (A special hire is a private taxi that costs 30 times then a regular taxi) I felt bad for the driver because I couldn't sit up. I just laid in the backseat until we reached Kampala. At the clinic all the people were rude and not very thorough. They took my blood so that they could test me for Malaria or any other infections. They said that my blood count was showing no infection so they "thought" they would treat me for a sinus infection. I took the medication and went home to sleep.
Now I have had migraine headaches for most of my life, but this was a whole new experience. I really thought I was going to die, and at some point wished I would. At least back at home if you are sick you have some kind of energy from the food that you have eaten, but here it's not like that. Because I hadn't been eating I was so weak I couldn't do anything but lay there. The only thing that helped was having a mini fan blowing cold air in my face (thanks mom) After 5 hours of laying there and had to pee so bad I finally managed to get up and go to the toilet. Yet another fun experience. I swear those stairs are going to be the death of me:) Finally in the evening my pills started to kick in and I could move around and eat a little. Today and I feeling a bit better but definitely not 100%. I think it will be awhile before I feel great.
Outside of out that sickness I have recently learned that most of us volunteers get worms while here. I have been advised before I leave to get dewormed. I also found out that most of our beds and our couches have fleas. In fact we spend most of our nights just sitting around talking about what diseases and fungus people have. (What do you expect, we don't have a tv or radio) It seems as though someone has something new each day. You do put up with soooooooo much more here than you ever would at home. We often have a big laugh at things that are so normal here that we would freak out about at home. I should make a list.
My girls day on Saturday was good. I bought each one of them a new outfit. They were so happy. I know that that one outfit will be worn for many years. They total cost for 4 new outfits, $90. And they were nice too. After shopping I took them to an American food joint. I thought they would be excited to be treated to something other than posho and beans. Plus this place is really expensive by Ugandan standards. When we got there they didn't even know what to order. I think it may be because they didn't know what most of it was. They settled on chicken and fries. I, of course, ordered pasta. While eating I could tell they didn't really know what to make of the food. They liked the french fries but weren't sold on the chicken because it was deep fried. I let them try my pasta and they loved it! When I told them it was made with cheese they couldn't believe it! (P.S. There is no cheese here:( ) At the end of the meal I ordered a huge piece of chocolate cake for all of us. They really liked that. So that meal was pretty much my only big meal in a few days.
After lunch we went back to Mukono to see about buying the sewing machine for one of the teachers. She had negotiated a good price but the owner wasn't there for her to pick it up. I think she got it yesterday but because I haven't been at school the last 2 days I'm not sure if she has it. The other teacher took me to her house (more like tiny room) that she is building to rent out for extra income. The shell of it is built out of bricks but there are holes in it everywhere. She told me that it has been sitting like this for 3 years because she doesn't have the money to plaster it. I haven't told her yet, but I am going to give her the money to do that. I know she will be so happy.
The other 2 teachers wanted to start raising chickens. I was told that they only cost 60 cents per chicken so I thought, great lets do this. Stupid me did not think of all the extra things you need to raise chickens. I assumed we would buy some chickens and some feed and be on our way. (in my defense there are a lot of chickens wondering free here) I came to find out that you also need to get them vaccinated, you need to buy bedding, you need to have them debeaked (don't ask) and so on and so on. In the end we realized that it was going to be too expensive to do the chicken idea. I told them how much money I was willing to give them and that they would have to come up with another idea. One of them suggested getting a calf because you just set them free in the bush and there is no other expense for you. Every once and awhile they come back pregnant and now you have a calf to sell. It seemed pretty good, so we might do that one.
Outside side of that, nothing much going on. I only have 2 days left of school and I have a lot to do with the kids, so I hope I am feeling up to it tomorrow.
I'll try to write once more before I leave on Fri.
Now I have had migraine headaches for most of my life, but this was a whole new experience. I really thought I was going to die, and at some point wished I would. At least back at home if you are sick you have some kind of energy from the food that you have eaten, but here it's not like that. Because I hadn't been eating I was so weak I couldn't do anything but lay there. The only thing that helped was having a mini fan blowing cold air in my face (thanks mom) After 5 hours of laying there and had to pee so bad I finally managed to get up and go to the toilet. Yet another fun experience. I swear those stairs are going to be the death of me:) Finally in the evening my pills started to kick in and I could move around and eat a little. Today and I feeling a bit better but definitely not 100%. I think it will be awhile before I feel great.
Outside of out that sickness I have recently learned that most of us volunteers get worms while here. I have been advised before I leave to get dewormed. I also found out that most of our beds and our couches have fleas. In fact we spend most of our nights just sitting around talking about what diseases and fungus people have. (What do you expect, we don't have a tv or radio) It seems as though someone has something new each day. You do put up with soooooooo much more here than you ever would at home. We often have a big laugh at things that are so normal here that we would freak out about at home. I should make a list.
My girls day on Saturday was good. I bought each one of them a new outfit. They were so happy. I know that that one outfit will be worn for many years. They total cost for 4 new outfits, $90. And they were nice too. After shopping I took them to an American food joint. I thought they would be excited to be treated to something other than posho and beans. Plus this place is really expensive by Ugandan standards. When we got there they didn't even know what to order. I think it may be because they didn't know what most of it was. They settled on chicken and fries. I, of course, ordered pasta. While eating I could tell they didn't really know what to make of the food. They liked the french fries but weren't sold on the chicken because it was deep fried. I let them try my pasta and they loved it! When I told them it was made with cheese they couldn't believe it! (P.S. There is no cheese here:( ) At the end of the meal I ordered a huge piece of chocolate cake for all of us. They really liked that. So that meal was pretty much my only big meal in a few days.
After lunch we went back to Mukono to see about buying the sewing machine for one of the teachers. She had negotiated a good price but the owner wasn't there for her to pick it up. I think she got it yesterday but because I haven't been at school the last 2 days I'm not sure if she has it. The other teacher took me to her house (more like tiny room) that she is building to rent out for extra income. The shell of it is built out of bricks but there are holes in it everywhere. She told me that it has been sitting like this for 3 years because she doesn't have the money to plaster it. I haven't told her yet, but I am going to give her the money to do that. I know she will be so happy.
The other 2 teachers wanted to start raising chickens. I was told that they only cost 60 cents per chicken so I thought, great lets do this. Stupid me did not think of all the extra things you need to raise chickens. I assumed we would buy some chickens and some feed and be on our way. (in my defense there are a lot of chickens wondering free here) I came to find out that you also need to get them vaccinated, you need to buy bedding, you need to have them debeaked (don't ask) and so on and so on. In the end we realized that it was going to be too expensive to do the chicken idea. I told them how much money I was willing to give them and that they would have to come up with another idea. One of them suggested getting a calf because you just set them free in the bush and there is no other expense for you. Every once and awhile they come back pregnant and now you have a calf to sell. It seemed pretty good, so we might do that one.
Outside side of that, nothing much going on. I only have 2 days left of school and I have a lot to do with the kids, so I hope I am feeling up to it tomorrow.
I'll try to write once more before I leave on Fri.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Main attraction at the zoo
So I am into my final week here in Uganda. It's really starting to make me sad. Every time I think of leaving these kids I tear up. Especially since I have really got to know them this past week. Some of them are really close with me and are always around. Last night I decided to walk some of them home and I found out today that because of that, I was the talk of the town. Apparently lots of people saw me walking the kids home and came to the school today and told the teacher that they saw "your mzungu" They were really excited that I was walking in their area with their kids. It was nice to hear.
I think I told you about when I gave the soccer ball to the kids and what happened. Well they have been loving it ever since. I have given them a jump rope and a ball and now they can't wait to play. Before they would just sit in the classroom and never go outside. There isn't much room for play but just giving them simple things like that makes all the difference. Anyway, they boys were playing soccer and two of them ran into each other. I didn't think much of it until I notice that one of my students was bleeding from his head. I asked him to come over so I could see. There was blood running down his face. He had cracked his head open on the top. Back home he probably would have needed a stitch or two, but here they didn't even have any bandages. They were just going to wash it with some dirty soap and water. I ran home and got some alcohol pads and some bandages. They were so thankful and excited. After we fixed him all up I gave him some extra alcohol pads and some florescent band-aids for him to put on the next day. He was happy. Oh and this kid didn't even flinch with we put the alcohol on his wound. Even I was jumping because I knew it would hurt, but he didn't move. The kids here are really tough. I don't think it is acceptable for them to cry. When they ran into each other, one kid started to cry and the head mistress started yelling at them about why are they crying. It was strange.
Last night I went to my directors house for dinner. I have my first taste of meat here in Uganda. It was chicken that was so hard and rubbery I could barely eat it. I did my best and left the remainder that I couldn't even rip off the bone. The other ladies all managed to clean their bones down to nothing. They laughed at me. Whatever. After dinner we had a nice talk, just the female teachers and I. I asked about each of them and what their lives were like. It was nice to get to know them more. We also talked about caning in school. My school is really bad for beating the kids (or caning) The male teachers will whip them with all the strength they have. We aren't talking about love taps here. I can actually here the kids getting whipped from across the school yard. Some times I look in and see a teacher going to town on them. It is hard to watch. They also pinch their cheeks so hard that they can pick them off the ground. Not good. Anyway, I expressed to the director and head mistress that I thought it was a bit too much.
So unlike the male teachers the female teachers have NEVER asked me for anything. When I asked them what they would like all of them answered something for their kids. After asking them again what they would want for themselves they all gave me great answers. The male teachers have been asking me to take them out for drinks and to buy them shoes, the female teachers wanted me to help them buy sewing machines so that they could earn extra money for their family. Just goes to prove once again who the smarter gender is;) I was so moved with all their stories that I invited them to go to Kampala with me tomorrow. I am going to use the remainder of the money to buy a sewing machine and to help these teachers out so that they can live better lives. After all most of them make not even $90 a month and they live in shacks with no electricity. Today I gave 2 of them wind up flashlights so that they wouldn't have to buy batteries since they have no electricity. They were so excited. One of them hugged me and started jumping around praying for all good things for me and my family. It was really moving how such a small token can change someones live. I can't wait to see their reactions tomorrow when I take them shopping. YEAH!!!!
Today was our big tour day. We went to the zoo and to the airport. The kids were so crazy this morning. They told me that they didn't sleep all night. My favorite student pulled me aside to tell me that his mother left with his family to go to a village. When I asked him who was taking care of him he said no one. My heart sank. After the tour I had a teacher talk to him to find out what was really going on. I took him home tonight and made sure someone was there. The mother had arranged for a neighbor lady to look after him. Still, I thought it was strange that she just packed up and left him behind. I also got word that one of my student's mother is in the hospital. Her father is not around so it is just her (8 years old) her brother and one older sister. The oldest one in the house is 12 years old. I can't believe this. They are fending for themselves. I am going to her house next week to make sure they are ok. This is so messed up.
Ok, back to the tour. When the bus rounded the corner to pick us up the kids went absolutely crazy. They were jumping and screaming. Most of them have never been on a big bus so they were really excited. Myself, I was thinking "how are we going to fit 100 kids on this bus" As with everything in Africa, we managed. Each row had 2 seats on either side and one fold out seat for the isle. We fit 9 or 10 people per row. Good times! Once on board there was a crowd of people from the town gathered around the bus to wish us a good trip. Everyone was waving and smiling. Again, the smallest things are major here. After we left the school yard the kids started singing. It was such a great feeling.
At the zoo I was greeted by the administer and told that because I was not from Uganda that I would have to pay 10 000 shilling, whereas the teachers would only have to pay 3000 shilling. It is like that every where here, mzungu's pay 3 times what locals would pay. Oh well. Once we got inside it was smooth sailing. The kids were on really good behavior and were having a good time. I was really excited because there were monkey's everywhere just running around. There was one that was eating a lolly pop. So cute. (I got it on video) While touring the zoo other schools would be following us. They would round the corner and start running to see an animal, but when they saw me they just froze. They were equally excited to see a mzungu. They were just stare at first and them wave and say hi. This happened every where. I felt like the main attraction.
After seeing all the animals we went down to the beach or lake Victoria (the second largest lake in the world) The kids were in stunned. I guess I wasn't expecting that from them since they live pretty close to it. I think it may have been their favorite part of the zoo. Some of them paid 30 cents to be taken out on this crappy boat. They were thrilled. None of them have ever been on the water. Again, another great moment. The rest of us just sat on the beach and watched the water.
After the zoo we sat on the side of the road and had lunch. Yes we brought lunch from school. They kids were treated to meat (chicken and stew) plus rice and soda. For them that was a HUGE treat. The meat was bad and really fatty but they enjoyed every bit of it.
After lunch we headed to the airport. I had assumed that we would be going on a tour of the inside, but the school had failed to reserve in advance so we weren't allowed inside. I gave a run down of what happens in an airport from the outside. We didn't even get to see a big plane take off or land. I think they were a bit upset by that. We did see some parked planes and they went crazy for that. Again I caught that on tape.
So that's it for my big day. I am coming down with a cold so I am going home to rest so that tomorrow I can show the girls a good time. After all when I asked them what they do for fun all of them said they never have any fun. It is all work and sleep. Believe me, they weren't kidding. They don't get to go out, they have no money for anything. Tomorrow should be nice.
I'll try to write again in a few days.
I think I told you about when I gave the soccer ball to the kids and what happened. Well they have been loving it ever since. I have given them a jump rope and a ball and now they can't wait to play. Before they would just sit in the classroom and never go outside. There isn't much room for play but just giving them simple things like that makes all the difference. Anyway, they boys were playing soccer and two of them ran into each other. I didn't think much of it until I notice that one of my students was bleeding from his head. I asked him to come over so I could see. There was blood running down his face. He had cracked his head open on the top. Back home he probably would have needed a stitch or two, but here they didn't even have any bandages. They were just going to wash it with some dirty soap and water. I ran home and got some alcohol pads and some bandages. They were so thankful and excited. After we fixed him all up I gave him some extra alcohol pads and some florescent band-aids for him to put on the next day. He was happy. Oh and this kid didn't even flinch with we put the alcohol on his wound. Even I was jumping because I knew it would hurt, but he didn't move. The kids here are really tough. I don't think it is acceptable for them to cry. When they ran into each other, one kid started to cry and the head mistress started yelling at them about why are they crying. It was strange.
Last night I went to my directors house for dinner. I have my first taste of meat here in Uganda. It was chicken that was so hard and rubbery I could barely eat it. I did my best and left the remainder that I couldn't even rip off the bone. The other ladies all managed to clean their bones down to nothing. They laughed at me. Whatever. After dinner we had a nice talk, just the female teachers and I. I asked about each of them and what their lives were like. It was nice to get to know them more. We also talked about caning in school. My school is really bad for beating the kids (or caning) The male teachers will whip them with all the strength they have. We aren't talking about love taps here. I can actually here the kids getting whipped from across the school yard. Some times I look in and see a teacher going to town on them. It is hard to watch. They also pinch their cheeks so hard that they can pick them off the ground. Not good. Anyway, I expressed to the director and head mistress that I thought it was a bit too much.
So unlike the male teachers the female teachers have NEVER asked me for anything. When I asked them what they would like all of them answered something for their kids. After asking them again what they would want for themselves they all gave me great answers. The male teachers have been asking me to take them out for drinks and to buy them shoes, the female teachers wanted me to help them buy sewing machines so that they could earn extra money for their family. Just goes to prove once again who the smarter gender is;) I was so moved with all their stories that I invited them to go to Kampala with me tomorrow. I am going to use the remainder of the money to buy a sewing machine and to help these teachers out so that they can live better lives. After all most of them make not even $90 a month and they live in shacks with no electricity. Today I gave 2 of them wind up flashlights so that they wouldn't have to buy batteries since they have no electricity. They were so excited. One of them hugged me and started jumping around praying for all good things for me and my family. It was really moving how such a small token can change someones live. I can't wait to see their reactions tomorrow when I take them shopping. YEAH!!!!
Today was our big tour day. We went to the zoo and to the airport. The kids were so crazy this morning. They told me that they didn't sleep all night. My favorite student pulled me aside to tell me that his mother left with his family to go to a village. When I asked him who was taking care of him he said no one. My heart sank. After the tour I had a teacher talk to him to find out what was really going on. I took him home tonight and made sure someone was there. The mother had arranged for a neighbor lady to look after him. Still, I thought it was strange that she just packed up and left him behind. I also got word that one of my student's mother is in the hospital. Her father is not around so it is just her (8 years old) her brother and one older sister. The oldest one in the house is 12 years old. I can't believe this. They are fending for themselves. I am going to her house next week to make sure they are ok. This is so messed up.
Ok, back to the tour. When the bus rounded the corner to pick us up the kids went absolutely crazy. They were jumping and screaming. Most of them have never been on a big bus so they were really excited. Myself, I was thinking "how are we going to fit 100 kids on this bus" As with everything in Africa, we managed. Each row had 2 seats on either side and one fold out seat for the isle. We fit 9 or 10 people per row. Good times! Once on board there was a crowd of people from the town gathered around the bus to wish us a good trip. Everyone was waving and smiling. Again, the smallest things are major here. After we left the school yard the kids started singing. It was such a great feeling.
At the zoo I was greeted by the administer and told that because I was not from Uganda that I would have to pay 10 000 shilling, whereas the teachers would only have to pay 3000 shilling. It is like that every where here, mzungu's pay 3 times what locals would pay. Oh well. Once we got inside it was smooth sailing. The kids were on really good behavior and were having a good time. I was really excited because there were monkey's everywhere just running around. There was one that was eating a lolly pop. So cute. (I got it on video) While touring the zoo other schools would be following us. They would round the corner and start running to see an animal, but when they saw me they just froze. They were equally excited to see a mzungu. They were just stare at first and them wave and say hi. This happened every where. I felt like the main attraction.
After seeing all the animals we went down to the beach or lake Victoria (the second largest lake in the world) The kids were in stunned. I guess I wasn't expecting that from them since they live pretty close to it. I think it may have been their favorite part of the zoo. Some of them paid 30 cents to be taken out on this crappy boat. They were thrilled. None of them have ever been on the water. Again, another great moment. The rest of us just sat on the beach and watched the water.
After the zoo we sat on the side of the road and had lunch. Yes we brought lunch from school. They kids were treated to meat (chicken and stew) plus rice and soda. For them that was a HUGE treat. The meat was bad and really fatty but they enjoyed every bit of it.
After lunch we headed to the airport. I had assumed that we would be going on a tour of the inside, but the school had failed to reserve in advance so we weren't allowed inside. I gave a run down of what happens in an airport from the outside. We didn't even get to see a big plane take off or land. I think they were a bit upset by that. We did see some parked planes and they went crazy for that. Again I caught that on tape.
So that's it for my big day. I am coming down with a cold so I am going home to rest so that tomorrow I can show the girls a good time. After all when I asked them what they do for fun all of them said they never have any fun. It is all work and sleep. Believe me, they weren't kidding. They don't get to go out, they have no money for anything. Tomorrow should be nice.
I'll try to write again in a few days.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The Money
So today was my first day back as school after having a few days off. I have to admit I really missed the kids and realized just how hard it is going to be for me to leave them. All of them have asked to come back to Canada with me. For this whole trip I have been excited about coming home to share my stories with you all but now that the end is coming I am starting to feel sad. Today I was standing at school and finally had "the click" It finally sunk in that I am fulfilling one of my life dreams. I am in Africa working with children. I teared up a bit. I guess I got so wrapped up in how hard it is to live here and everything I have been going through that I didn't really appreciate it all. I hope to enjoy my last few days here to the fullest.
Ok, time for the update on the donation money. For those of you who were getting concerned (mother) about if the money was being spent, I assure you it is all gone. I was saving the larger donations to the end of my trip because I wanted to make sure I had the money for the small stuff. Yesterday I was taken to a new project in a village close to my town. I was amazed at what this lady was doing. She had started up a day center for kids in the area who couldn't afford to go to school. Keep in mind that school here is free but you have to be able to afford the uniform, exercise books, and pens and pencils. Total cost around $10. A lot of these kids are orphans or have only 1 parent who can not afford to pay for them. This lady operates out of the smallest space I have ever scene. She currently has 75 students and is working out of 3 10x10 rooms. Each room is divided by a movable chalkboard and is then split into 2 classrooms. There are no dividing walls so each side can hear the other.
I was brought over there to see about a donation. The lady is currently renting and the landlord is trying to kick her out. She is wanting to buy a plot of land down the road that already has a house on it. So we went to check it out. The total cost for the land and the house is $7000. Some past volunteers have raised a couple thousand for it and I have contributed some money for the down payment. We are hoping that it will go through by the time I leave, but lets be realistic, this is Africa. Things take a lot longer here. Anyway, I really feel strongly that this is a great project to contribute to. The lady is truly all about the kids, unlike most school owners here. It is very corrupt and a lot of the school directors keep the money. This lady is an angel and has done so much for kids that would otherwise never have a chance to learn. They would be on the street all day and would not get fed. So a part of the money went to that. I am also trying to arrange for that school to get a simple uniform. In all the schools here you have to wear uniforms, and believe me the kids take great pride in them. This school has nothing and the kids don't feel like they really belong because they don't have a uniform. So I am trying to arrange to have 100 uniforms made for them to wear during the day. Not only will it cloth the kids but it will also create much needed jobs for some women in the community. It's a win win!
I am also paying for my school to continue serving lunch to ALL the students for 1 year. Keep in mind that this meal is the only meal some of these kids get in a day. It's really sad. But at least now they are getting something.
I have also been buying books, toys, and supplies for my school. Oh and the wall that was built in the classroom was completed this weekend. It is definitely not up to North American standards but they are soooo happy about it. When I first saw it I thought "WTF" it didn't look so good, but trust me when I say they are loving it. All they had before was some sticks dividing the room. All the students came to thank me for it.
As far as the rent on the office space goes, it is still being worked out. We are waiting for the lady to find a new place. That may happen after I leave, but a least they will have a proper office.
Today I brought a soccer (football) to the school for the kids to play with. It was CRAZY. As soon as I came around the corner they started freaking out. Once I dropped the ball they all jumped on it and on each other. I have to pry them off one another. Every time I would set it down again they would do the same thing. There were like 30 kids all piled on top of this ball. Eventually I got them to start kicking it around. THEY LOVED IT! I think I will purchase a few more toys for outside activity, it seems to be going over very well.
Well that's the break down of the money. It is being well spent and is doing a lot of good things. Thank you to everyone who donated.
Jenn
Ok, time for the update on the donation money. For those of you who were getting concerned (mother) about if the money was being spent, I assure you it is all gone. I was saving the larger donations to the end of my trip because I wanted to make sure I had the money for the small stuff. Yesterday I was taken to a new project in a village close to my town. I was amazed at what this lady was doing. She had started up a day center for kids in the area who couldn't afford to go to school. Keep in mind that school here is free but you have to be able to afford the uniform, exercise books, and pens and pencils. Total cost around $10. A lot of these kids are orphans or have only 1 parent who can not afford to pay for them. This lady operates out of the smallest space I have ever scene. She currently has 75 students and is working out of 3 10x10 rooms. Each room is divided by a movable chalkboard and is then split into 2 classrooms. There are no dividing walls so each side can hear the other.
I was brought over there to see about a donation. The lady is currently renting and the landlord is trying to kick her out. She is wanting to buy a plot of land down the road that already has a house on it. So we went to check it out. The total cost for the land and the house is $7000. Some past volunteers have raised a couple thousand for it and I have contributed some money for the down payment. We are hoping that it will go through by the time I leave, but lets be realistic, this is Africa. Things take a lot longer here. Anyway, I really feel strongly that this is a great project to contribute to. The lady is truly all about the kids, unlike most school owners here. It is very corrupt and a lot of the school directors keep the money. This lady is an angel and has done so much for kids that would otherwise never have a chance to learn. They would be on the street all day and would not get fed. So a part of the money went to that. I am also trying to arrange for that school to get a simple uniform. In all the schools here you have to wear uniforms, and believe me the kids take great pride in them. This school has nothing and the kids don't feel like they really belong because they don't have a uniform. So I am trying to arrange to have 100 uniforms made for them to wear during the day. Not only will it cloth the kids but it will also create much needed jobs for some women in the community. It's a win win!
I am also paying for my school to continue serving lunch to ALL the students for 1 year. Keep in mind that this meal is the only meal some of these kids get in a day. It's really sad. But at least now they are getting something.
I have also been buying books, toys, and supplies for my school. Oh and the wall that was built in the classroom was completed this weekend. It is definitely not up to North American standards but they are soooo happy about it. When I first saw it I thought "WTF" it didn't look so good, but trust me when I say they are loving it. All they had before was some sticks dividing the room. All the students came to thank me for it.
As far as the rent on the office space goes, it is still being worked out. We are waiting for the lady to find a new place. That may happen after I leave, but a least they will have a proper office.
Today I brought a soccer (football) to the school for the kids to play with. It was CRAZY. As soon as I came around the corner they started freaking out. Once I dropped the ball they all jumped on it and on each other. I have to pry them off one another. Every time I would set it down again they would do the same thing. There were like 30 kids all piled on top of this ball. Eventually I got them to start kicking it around. THEY LOVED IT! I think I will purchase a few more toys for outside activity, it seems to be going over very well.
Well that's the break down of the money. It is being well spent and is doing a lot of good things. Thank you to everyone who donated.
Jenn
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Return from the North
Ok so I am back in Kampala from from my trip up north and am kissing the ground. Where to start..........
Friday morning we left Mukono at 6:30 am in the dark to head to Kampala. Once in Kampala we waited for our bus at the station. We stood there for about 45 min with all the drunks who were still sleeping on the street within all the trash. (and believe me it is DIRTY here) Some of them were still drinking Gin from their little plastic bags. The 7 hour bus ride to Arua was fine. We tried to sleep but the road was too bumpy. The fun part was that every couple of hours the bus would pull over to the side of the road and all these people would swarm the side of the bus trying to sell you things through the window. Keep in mind this is a large greyhound like bus so the people have meat on a long stick that they shove in the window at you. Others sell maize (like corn), peanuts (tiny and still soft), casava (little potatoes) water, and chickens (yes, live chickens). I really liked that part because it was kind of fun to pick your snack.
Once in Arua we were greeted by Ambers contact up there. He took us to his brothers compound. They have a main house and a guest house. The guest house is almost bigger than the main house and is completely empty except for 2 single beds. They did have running (cold) water and a western toilet (that didn't flush). The funny part was that both Craig and Amber had eaten some bad food and both had the runs. It was pretty funny because we couldn't flush the toilet so they both just had to keep taking turns filling it.
Amber and I stayed at the guest house and Craig stayed at the hotel across the street. We ate dinner in the main house and got to finally watch a little TV. That was nice.
The next morning Craig and I left (again so early it was dark) to catch our bus to Gulu. During the bus ride we pulled over on the side of the road so that everyone could buy some food and go to the toilet (the bush) I forgot to mention that one the way to Arua we stopped to go pee. I did it in the trees with people all over the place. It wasn't so bad because I managed to hide myself. However this time I was not so lucky. First of all we had to pay 100 shillings to use the "toilet" Once I went in all it was, was a tiny space with bamboo on 2 sides and the ground had large stones on it. Here I am in a room with about 10 other women squatting peeing together facing each other. I have never been so embarrassed. None of them cared but I tried not to look at anyone. Here in Africa you pee where you can:)
This time we took a 3 hour big bus to Karuma where we were supposed to catch another bus to Gulu. However, when we got to Karuma they said the buses weren't coming until later in the day so we should catch a Mutatu (the small van taxis). With reluctance we decided to do that so that we could get there sooner. We paid out Mzungu price (way over what we should have) and got in the taxi. Here's were things get fun. The taxi was almost full so we thought we would leave right away. No such luck. We sat there for over an hour waiting to fill the last 2 seats. (I stress 2 seats, you'll know why in a minute) While we waited our van was surrounded by a family of baboons. That was fun to watch but the big male ones look scary. Everyone is starting to get angry at this point and are yelling at the conductor. Finally he comes back to the car with a family of 7 or 8 people. When he looked into the car to see where they would fit I yelled at him and told him that we would not fit another person in the back seat with us. Reluctantly he agreed and let us stay the way we were. The people in the front however, were not so lucky. Yes we managed to pile that entire family into our already full van. The top was loaded up with luggage and bicycles and we were jammed in there. I think there were 24 people or so. I couldn't see everyone.
Once we drove out of Karuma we didn't even get 5 km and were pulled over by the police. Of course the driver got in trouble and was told to remove some people. After a brief conversation and an exchange of some money we were on our way again, all 24 of us. Got to love crooked cops!
So we arrive in Gulu and I have to use the washroom again. This time Craig and I decide to use a public toilet. Again we pay 100 shillings and go inside. Let me tell you, this was the most fowl place I have ever been in. The smell was terrible, and don't even get me started on what was on the floor or the walls!!! I came out and immediately cleaned my hands with purel and wipes. Gross!
What you need to understand next is that we had no set plan as to what to do or where to go when we got to Gulu. We were just told by other volunteers to ask a boda boda to take us to Invisible Children and that they could direct us. So we hoped on a boda boda and they took us to the office. When we asked the guy at the gate if anyone could help us he said no one was there. He invited us is and tried to help us as best he could but he really didn't know much. However, just as we were leaving a white lady came in and asked if she could help us. She gave us info on the IDP camps and where to go. She also gave us the name of a good hotel in town.
After leaving the office we went to the hotel to check in so that we could leave our bags. To our surprise the hotel was fully booked. Luckily we found a place to stay across the street. It didn't look so good from the outside but we were so happy once we saw the rooms. Lets see........... all the things I have been missing the past few weeks. Running (luke warm) water, a shower, a large bed, no cockroaches, electricity, and even a TV! Plus I could walk around in my bare feet and not get dirty. I thought I had died and went to heaven. This hotel was considered a fancy expensive hotel by Ugandian standards and we only paid $24 per night. (we wanted to treat ourselves!)
After dropping off our bags we decided to try and get something to eat before we went to the camp. When we asked the guy at the front desk where the supermarket was, or where we could buy food, he looked at us puzzled and said there was nothing like that in Gulu. We walked around town for a bit to see if we could find anything but he was right, there was no food in Gulu. You could make photocopies, buy a fan, have your hair done, fix your car, but not buy food. We gave up our search and took a boda boda straight to the camp.
Upon arrival we were told that we must ask for the LC1 leader. So that's what what we did. At first no one knew where he was, until we ran into these old guys sitting around drinking. One of them was REALLY drunk and came up to us and started dancing all crazy. Finally one of them took us to the leader. He was reluctant at first to show us around and wanted to know our intentions. After we assured him that we just wanted to see, he gave us a tour. As expected, the camp was filthy. There was feeces everywhere and it smelled so bad. The houses (huts) were very tiny round shacks with grass roofs. I asked how many people stayed in one house and he said over 6 people in a house, depending on how large your family is. You have to understand that in Uganda children are considered to be wealth, so everyone has A LOT of them. There are children everywhere. Oh and men are allowed to have multiple wives to that just leads to more children.
Anyway, as soon as we started our tour we were surrounded by kids all wanting to hold our hand. A lot of them didn't have clothes and where just running around naked. Some had a t-shirt and others were fully dressed. The little girls who's hand I was holding was quiet sick and kept coughing all over me. (yes I cleansed afterwards) At the end of our tour the leader showed us where the women make the bracelets for Invisible Children. I was really excited because I had purchased 5 of them over the internet back at home. Here in this brick building women and young girls sit all day, from sun up to sun down, making bracelets. I asked if I could buy one from them direct because it hadn't been dyed black yet. They sold me one and I am wearing it proudly. I have a bracelet direct from the source that no one else has. Yeah!!!! When leaving the camp the leader asked if I wanted to buy his rooster, but I politely declined.
After we left the camp we went back to town in search for food again. After a few hours we managed to fine a small store that we bough dry cereal, pringles, a chocolate bar and some pop. That was our dinner. We went back to the hotel and enjoyed every last minute of our luxury accommodations.
We got up a 5 am the next morning to catch our buses back. I was coming back to Kampala and Craig was going back to Arua to meet up with Amber. We caught the same bus to Karuma and then Craig went on a different bus, which left me alone for the last 4 hours of the trip. The reason I was kissing the ground once I arrived is because I am sure I was on the death bus. The driver was crazy!!!! Not only were we driving a least 130 km/h on a back 1/2 paved road but he also kept dodging in and out of traffic. There were points where we were at a 45 degree angle and I thought for sure the bus was going to fall over. Other times we were in a ditch driving in the grass and trees. There are no words that can express how scared I was. I actually gasped out loud a few times.
Once I was alone on the bus I put on my Ipod so no one would bother me. Of course I got some guy who wanted to chat. I told him no and just kept to myself. As we started to move he invited his friend to come sit on the armrest. So now I am squeezed into my window seat while he leans on me the whole trip. The bus was so packed, all the seats were full and people were standing in the isle for the whole 4 hours. It was bad! Oh, and on top of that the lady behind me brought a rooster with her who was under my seat. Periodically he would start to crow and be all loud. Then at one of the road side stops the guy in front of me bought a live chicken out the window. After full inspection, he decided it was ok and set it down in the isle. Once we arrived to Kampala everyone was getting off the bus and the guy with the chicken is yelling "my chicken, my chicken" he asked me to pick it up, but there was no way I was going to.
So now I am here in Kampala writing you about the weekend while it is fresh in my mind. I am off to find food because as we all know now, Gulu is a crap town with nothing it it. I'm starving!
Friday morning we left Mukono at 6:30 am in the dark to head to Kampala. Once in Kampala we waited for our bus at the station. We stood there for about 45 min with all the drunks who were still sleeping on the street within all the trash. (and believe me it is DIRTY here) Some of them were still drinking Gin from their little plastic bags. The 7 hour bus ride to Arua was fine. We tried to sleep but the road was too bumpy. The fun part was that every couple of hours the bus would pull over to the side of the road and all these people would swarm the side of the bus trying to sell you things through the window. Keep in mind this is a large greyhound like bus so the people have meat on a long stick that they shove in the window at you. Others sell maize (like corn), peanuts (tiny and still soft), casava (little potatoes) water, and chickens (yes, live chickens). I really liked that part because it was kind of fun to pick your snack.
Once in Arua we were greeted by Ambers contact up there. He took us to his brothers compound. They have a main house and a guest house. The guest house is almost bigger than the main house and is completely empty except for 2 single beds. They did have running (cold) water and a western toilet (that didn't flush). The funny part was that both Craig and Amber had eaten some bad food and both had the runs. It was pretty funny because we couldn't flush the toilet so they both just had to keep taking turns filling it.
Amber and I stayed at the guest house and Craig stayed at the hotel across the street. We ate dinner in the main house and got to finally watch a little TV. That was nice.
The next morning Craig and I left (again so early it was dark) to catch our bus to Gulu. During the bus ride we pulled over on the side of the road so that everyone could buy some food and go to the toilet (the bush) I forgot to mention that one the way to Arua we stopped to go pee. I did it in the trees with people all over the place. It wasn't so bad because I managed to hide myself. However this time I was not so lucky. First of all we had to pay 100 shillings to use the "toilet" Once I went in all it was, was a tiny space with bamboo on 2 sides and the ground had large stones on it. Here I am in a room with about 10 other women squatting peeing together facing each other. I have never been so embarrassed. None of them cared but I tried not to look at anyone. Here in Africa you pee where you can:)
This time we took a 3 hour big bus to Karuma where we were supposed to catch another bus to Gulu. However, when we got to Karuma they said the buses weren't coming until later in the day so we should catch a Mutatu (the small van taxis). With reluctance we decided to do that so that we could get there sooner. We paid out Mzungu price (way over what we should have) and got in the taxi. Here's were things get fun. The taxi was almost full so we thought we would leave right away. No such luck. We sat there for over an hour waiting to fill the last 2 seats. (I stress 2 seats, you'll know why in a minute) While we waited our van was surrounded by a family of baboons. That was fun to watch but the big male ones look scary. Everyone is starting to get angry at this point and are yelling at the conductor. Finally he comes back to the car with a family of 7 or 8 people. When he looked into the car to see where they would fit I yelled at him and told him that we would not fit another person in the back seat with us. Reluctantly he agreed and let us stay the way we were. The people in the front however, were not so lucky. Yes we managed to pile that entire family into our already full van. The top was loaded up with luggage and bicycles and we were jammed in there. I think there were 24 people or so. I couldn't see everyone.
Once we drove out of Karuma we didn't even get 5 km and were pulled over by the police. Of course the driver got in trouble and was told to remove some people. After a brief conversation and an exchange of some money we were on our way again, all 24 of us. Got to love crooked cops!
So we arrive in Gulu and I have to use the washroom again. This time Craig and I decide to use a public toilet. Again we pay 100 shillings and go inside. Let me tell you, this was the most fowl place I have ever been in. The smell was terrible, and don't even get me started on what was on the floor or the walls!!! I came out and immediately cleaned my hands with purel and wipes. Gross!
What you need to understand next is that we had no set plan as to what to do or where to go when we got to Gulu. We were just told by other volunteers to ask a boda boda to take us to Invisible Children and that they could direct us. So we hoped on a boda boda and they took us to the office. When we asked the guy at the gate if anyone could help us he said no one was there. He invited us is and tried to help us as best he could but he really didn't know much. However, just as we were leaving a white lady came in and asked if she could help us. She gave us info on the IDP camps and where to go. She also gave us the name of a good hotel in town.
After leaving the office we went to the hotel to check in so that we could leave our bags. To our surprise the hotel was fully booked. Luckily we found a place to stay across the street. It didn't look so good from the outside but we were so happy once we saw the rooms. Lets see........... all the things I have been missing the past few weeks. Running (luke warm) water, a shower, a large bed, no cockroaches, electricity, and even a TV! Plus I could walk around in my bare feet and not get dirty. I thought I had died and went to heaven. This hotel was considered a fancy expensive hotel by Ugandian standards and we only paid $24 per night. (we wanted to treat ourselves!)
After dropping off our bags we decided to try and get something to eat before we went to the camp. When we asked the guy at the front desk where the supermarket was, or where we could buy food, he looked at us puzzled and said there was nothing like that in Gulu. We walked around town for a bit to see if we could find anything but he was right, there was no food in Gulu. You could make photocopies, buy a fan, have your hair done, fix your car, but not buy food. We gave up our search and took a boda boda straight to the camp.
Upon arrival we were told that we must ask for the LC1 leader. So that's what what we did. At first no one knew where he was, until we ran into these old guys sitting around drinking. One of them was REALLY drunk and came up to us and started dancing all crazy. Finally one of them took us to the leader. He was reluctant at first to show us around and wanted to know our intentions. After we assured him that we just wanted to see, he gave us a tour. As expected, the camp was filthy. There was feeces everywhere and it smelled so bad. The houses (huts) were very tiny round shacks with grass roofs. I asked how many people stayed in one house and he said over 6 people in a house, depending on how large your family is. You have to understand that in Uganda children are considered to be wealth, so everyone has A LOT of them. There are children everywhere. Oh and men are allowed to have multiple wives to that just leads to more children.
Anyway, as soon as we started our tour we were surrounded by kids all wanting to hold our hand. A lot of them didn't have clothes and where just running around naked. Some had a t-shirt and others were fully dressed. The little girls who's hand I was holding was quiet sick and kept coughing all over me. (yes I cleansed afterwards) At the end of our tour the leader showed us where the women make the bracelets for Invisible Children. I was really excited because I had purchased 5 of them over the internet back at home. Here in this brick building women and young girls sit all day, from sun up to sun down, making bracelets. I asked if I could buy one from them direct because it hadn't been dyed black yet. They sold me one and I am wearing it proudly. I have a bracelet direct from the source that no one else has. Yeah!!!! When leaving the camp the leader asked if I wanted to buy his rooster, but I politely declined.
After we left the camp we went back to town in search for food again. After a few hours we managed to fine a small store that we bough dry cereal, pringles, a chocolate bar and some pop. That was our dinner. We went back to the hotel and enjoyed every last minute of our luxury accommodations.
We got up a 5 am the next morning to catch our buses back. I was coming back to Kampala and Craig was going back to Arua to meet up with Amber. We caught the same bus to Karuma and then Craig went on a different bus, which left me alone for the last 4 hours of the trip. The reason I was kissing the ground once I arrived is because I am sure I was on the death bus. The driver was crazy!!!! Not only were we driving a least 130 km/h on a back 1/2 paved road but he also kept dodging in and out of traffic. There were points where we were at a 45 degree angle and I thought for sure the bus was going to fall over. Other times we were in a ditch driving in the grass and trees. There are no words that can express how scared I was. I actually gasped out loud a few times.
Once I was alone on the bus I put on my Ipod so no one would bother me. Of course I got some guy who wanted to chat. I told him no and just kept to myself. As we started to move he invited his friend to come sit on the armrest. So now I am squeezed into my window seat while he leans on me the whole trip. The bus was so packed, all the seats were full and people were standing in the isle for the whole 4 hours. It was bad! Oh, and on top of that the lady behind me brought a rooster with her who was under my seat. Periodically he would start to crow and be all loud. Then at one of the road side stops the guy in front of me bought a live chicken out the window. After full inspection, he decided it was ok and set it down in the isle. Once we arrived to Kampala everyone was getting off the bus and the guy with the chicken is yelling "my chicken, my chicken" he asked me to pick it up, but there was no way I was going to.
So now I am here in Kampala writing you about the weekend while it is fresh in my mind. I am off to find food because as we all know now, Gulu is a crap town with nothing it it. I'm starving!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
trip up north, back on!
So I am leaving tomorrow afternoon to go up north! The girls I was originally supposed to go with canceled on me, so now I am going with anther girl and a guy. It is better that way. Both of them have been up north and I feel safer going with a guy. We are going to Arua first and then onto Gulu. It is my hope to visit 1 or 2 IDP camps while there. We will be returning on Monday.
So I had my first break down yesterday. Yes I cried:) I was feeling sick because I hadn't eaten all day and I couldn't find any food. Yes a white person in Africa with a ton of money who can't find food. As I mentioned in a previous blog the grocery stores here don't sell much food so I went to one of the only restaurants in my town. Everything I ordered they were out of, so I got fed up and just left. I never ended up getting any food. Trust me, if you miss a meal or 2 here it takes a big toll on your body. I am already weak from lack of food so not having any for a day beat me up bad. I woke up with a screaming headache and I am soooo weak. I finally made it into Kampala to have a pizza. I am going to try to stuff myself full today because I am not sure what the food situation will be like up north.
It seems like all the volunteers are getting sick. It's usually from bad food. A few of them have had violent episodes of throwing up and some diarrhea. Glad I haven't had that yet!
In yesterday's entry I forgot to tell you about my bad trip back from Kampala one night. I went into town because some of the volunteers were playing in a band. I didn't want to go but felt I should be supportive. Because I am really the only volunteers with a heavy work load no one understood that I needed to get back to get my work done. Needless to say they all wanted to stay so I had to go home alone. Kampala is about 45 min away from Mukono, and you have to take a taxi to get there. So I left the club and took a scooter (boda boda) to the taxi park. When the driver asked me which taxi park I didn't know and just took a guess. On the way there I asked him if there would be any taxi's going to Mukono from that park. He didn't know. Once we got to the park he asked another driver in Lugandan if there were any taxi's going to Mukono. He said no. I had a feeling that the boda driver was just trying to get more money out of me so I went to check for myself. Here's another mental picture for you. The taxi park is HUGE and has no lights so I couldn't see anything. Plus I have come to the conclusion that the moon does not shine in Africa. When it's dark here, it's DARK. Anyway, here I am alone clutching my purse asking people if they could tell me where to go to get a taxi to Mukono. After many tries someone found me one. There was no conductor in the taxi so I wasn't 100% sure that I was even on the right one. After sitting inside for about 15 min waiting for it to fill up (and watching various bugs crawl around me) we took off. At first we were heading in the right direction but then they went off onto some back road. Again, I use the word road loosely. We were bouncing around and driving through holes like crazy. (the drivers here all drive the fastest the vehicle will go, no matter what the road conditions are like, scary!!!) I started texting my roommates to tell them I had no idea where I was. After about 1/2 and hour we came onto the main road again. I was never so happy. I made it home safe and sound but a little scared.
So yesterday I went to this HUGE outdoor local market. There is no way I could ever possibly fully explain this place but I will try. First of all it is probably over 1000 little shops. They aren't really shops but 5x5 lots with no walls where people lay out their stuff on the ground in piles, then they lay on top of them and yell and grab at you. The floor is mud and has random sticks on it to keep you from falling in a hole. You constantly have to balance yourself on the sticks to stay standing. The isles are only 1 to 2 people wide so you are always running into people. Everything is dirty and everyone is grabbing you. As soon as they see a white person they grab your hand or arm and try to pull you over to their location. Then they sift through their huge mound of stuff. There is so much to look at you don't know where to look. This market sells everything. You can buy clothes, shoes, jewelry, food, sports stuff, and live animals. At some point I saw a guy with probably 30 chickens tied upside down to his bicycle which he was trying to sell. The chickens were going crazy! I also saw this very large African lady sitting on these large bags of flower. She was covered in white powder and had her head wrapped in a scarf. It was really cool to see. Because they want to show as much stuff as possible the people lay on top of everything all day long.
Now, lets talk about prices here. Everything is sooooo cheap. I can buy a pair of good name brand (Puma) running shoes for $14 and they are good quality. Jeans are between $7 and $14. For me to get to Kampala in a taxi (40min to 1 hour) is $1. I am definitely going back to the market to see what else I can buy.
I think that's pretty much it for now. I will email again once I return from the north.
So I had my first break down yesterday. Yes I cried:) I was feeling sick because I hadn't eaten all day and I couldn't find any food. Yes a white person in Africa with a ton of money who can't find food. As I mentioned in a previous blog the grocery stores here don't sell much food so I went to one of the only restaurants in my town. Everything I ordered they were out of, so I got fed up and just left. I never ended up getting any food. Trust me, if you miss a meal or 2 here it takes a big toll on your body. I am already weak from lack of food so not having any for a day beat me up bad. I woke up with a screaming headache and I am soooo weak. I finally made it into Kampala to have a pizza. I am going to try to stuff myself full today because I am not sure what the food situation will be like up north.
It seems like all the volunteers are getting sick. It's usually from bad food. A few of them have had violent episodes of throwing up and some diarrhea. Glad I haven't had that yet!
In yesterday's entry I forgot to tell you about my bad trip back from Kampala one night. I went into town because some of the volunteers were playing in a band. I didn't want to go but felt I should be supportive. Because I am really the only volunteers with a heavy work load no one understood that I needed to get back to get my work done. Needless to say they all wanted to stay so I had to go home alone. Kampala is about 45 min away from Mukono, and you have to take a taxi to get there. So I left the club and took a scooter (boda boda) to the taxi park. When the driver asked me which taxi park I didn't know and just took a guess. On the way there I asked him if there would be any taxi's going to Mukono from that park. He didn't know. Once we got to the park he asked another driver in Lugandan if there were any taxi's going to Mukono. He said no. I had a feeling that the boda driver was just trying to get more money out of me so I went to check for myself. Here's another mental picture for you. The taxi park is HUGE and has no lights so I couldn't see anything. Plus I have come to the conclusion that the moon does not shine in Africa. When it's dark here, it's DARK. Anyway, here I am alone clutching my purse asking people if they could tell me where to go to get a taxi to Mukono. After many tries someone found me one. There was no conductor in the taxi so I wasn't 100% sure that I was even on the right one. After sitting inside for about 15 min waiting for it to fill up (and watching various bugs crawl around me) we took off. At first we were heading in the right direction but then they went off onto some back road. Again, I use the word road loosely. We were bouncing around and driving through holes like crazy. (the drivers here all drive the fastest the vehicle will go, no matter what the road conditions are like, scary!!!) I started texting my roommates to tell them I had no idea where I was. After about 1/2 and hour we came onto the main road again. I was never so happy. I made it home safe and sound but a little scared.
So yesterday I went to this HUGE outdoor local market. There is no way I could ever possibly fully explain this place but I will try. First of all it is probably over 1000 little shops. They aren't really shops but 5x5 lots with no walls where people lay out their stuff on the ground in piles, then they lay on top of them and yell and grab at you. The floor is mud and has random sticks on it to keep you from falling in a hole. You constantly have to balance yourself on the sticks to stay standing. The isles are only 1 to 2 people wide so you are always running into people. Everything is dirty and everyone is grabbing you. As soon as they see a white person they grab your hand or arm and try to pull you over to their location. Then they sift through their huge mound of stuff. There is so much to look at you don't know where to look. This market sells everything. You can buy clothes, shoes, jewelry, food, sports stuff, and live animals. At some point I saw a guy with probably 30 chickens tied upside down to his bicycle which he was trying to sell. The chickens were going crazy! I also saw this very large African lady sitting on these large bags of flower. She was covered in white powder and had her head wrapped in a scarf. It was really cool to see. Because they want to show as much stuff as possible the people lay on top of everything all day long.
Now, lets talk about prices here. Everything is sooooo cheap. I can buy a pair of good name brand (Puma) running shoes for $14 and they are good quality. Jeans are between $7 and $14. For me to get to Kampala in a taxi (40min to 1 hour) is $1. I am definitely going back to the market to see what else I can buy.
I think that's pretty much it for now. I will email again once I return from the north.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
3rd world education
I sure hope all of you who read this blog are enjoying it, but it is a pain in the butt to find time to write it, let alone a proper internet connection. We've have had a lot of power outages and the internet has been down a lot, that is why I have not written much.
So I realized that I have not told you much about my actual teaching. I am teaching P4 here which stands for Primary 4. I was told that it was equal to grade 4 in Canada but it's not even close. I would say more like grad 2 or some things grade 3 at best. The kids are still reading very simple books. A few lines on a page in large text. Their English is much better than most of the other schools the other volunteers work at but they lack in other areas. For the next 2 days they are doing mid terms. I just gave them their English exam this morning and will mark it tonight. I think they will do ok. However, tomorrow is their Science exam and I don't think they will do so good. I gave them a quick test on Friday and most of them got something like 3 out of 18. Not good. It make me feel like I am failing as a teacher. I'll keep trying though.
As I mentioned before I am having each kid write a journal entry a day. It was hard for them at first, but now they are getting into it. One boy asked my brothers name and now each day he writes to Chad. It is sooooo cute. He is excited for me to show it to Chad when I come home.
We finished making the masks yesterday and that was a HUGE hit. I took pictures of them all. All the other teachers have asked if we would do a performance in them. Everyone at the school is very excited.
Now for the money update. I think I told you that I have paid a years rent so that the school can have a proper office. We thought that we would get it next week but there looks to be complications. (that's Africa) The lady who is living there doesn't have a place to go, so we have to wait for her to find another place before we can move in. It may be a few months. I will try to take pictures of the space though, so you can see it. I have also paid to have a dividing wall put up between two classrooms. That should be built this weekend. Again I will take photos for you.
Today I have agreed to pay for all my P4 students to go on a tour. They have all been asking me to pay for it because only 2 of them can afford to go. It is only $250 dollars so I agreed to pay for them all. We are going on next Friday to see the airport and a safari. None of the kids have seen big animals nor an airplane. It should be good to get their reactions.
Today I am off to a HUGE market in Kampala. I've been told that it is sooo big that you need a guide or you will get lost. I have asked a teacher at my school to come with me. I can't wait to see what they have there! We were supposed to leave to go up north on Friday but I am unsure if we are going now. It is only 3 girls and they other girls are trying to back out. I am disappointed because that was one thing that I really wanted to do. I am still working on them.
Sorry but I have to cut this one short. I have to get back to school. I will try to write in a couple days if I don't go up North.
So I realized that I have not told you much about my actual teaching. I am teaching P4 here which stands for Primary 4. I was told that it was equal to grade 4 in Canada but it's not even close. I would say more like grad 2 or some things grade 3 at best. The kids are still reading very simple books. A few lines on a page in large text. Their English is much better than most of the other schools the other volunteers work at but they lack in other areas. For the next 2 days they are doing mid terms. I just gave them their English exam this morning and will mark it tonight. I think they will do ok. However, tomorrow is their Science exam and I don't think they will do so good. I gave them a quick test on Friday and most of them got something like 3 out of 18. Not good. It make me feel like I am failing as a teacher. I'll keep trying though.
As I mentioned before I am having each kid write a journal entry a day. It was hard for them at first, but now they are getting into it. One boy asked my brothers name and now each day he writes to Chad. It is sooooo cute. He is excited for me to show it to Chad when I come home.
We finished making the masks yesterday and that was a HUGE hit. I took pictures of them all. All the other teachers have asked if we would do a performance in them. Everyone at the school is very excited.
Now for the money update. I think I told you that I have paid a years rent so that the school can have a proper office. We thought that we would get it next week but there looks to be complications. (that's Africa) The lady who is living there doesn't have a place to go, so we have to wait for her to find another place before we can move in. It may be a few months. I will try to take pictures of the space though, so you can see it. I have also paid to have a dividing wall put up between two classrooms. That should be built this weekend. Again I will take photos for you.
Today I have agreed to pay for all my P4 students to go on a tour. They have all been asking me to pay for it because only 2 of them can afford to go. It is only $250 dollars so I agreed to pay for them all. We are going on next Friday to see the airport and a safari. None of the kids have seen big animals nor an airplane. It should be good to get their reactions.
Today I am off to a HUGE market in Kampala. I've been told that it is sooo big that you need a guide or you will get lost. I have asked a teacher at my school to come with me. I can't wait to see what they have there! We were supposed to leave to go up north on Friday but I am unsure if we are going now. It is only 3 girls and they other girls are trying to back out. I am disappointed because that was one thing that I really wanted to do. I am still working on them.
Sorry but I have to cut this one short. I have to get back to school. I will try to write in a couple days if I don't go up North.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Frustration
So many little things happen here in one day it's hard to remember them all let alone write about them days later. The power was out for the past 3 days and the internet was down. It came up for a few hours yesterday so I tried to get online but after 2 hours and no success I went home frustrated. So I decided to take a trip to Kampala today so that I could get a reliable internet service.
Things are a bit primitive here especially with no power. Having to bath, eat, use the washroom and do lesson plans in the dark is difficult. Because I have a much more demanding schedule than the other volunteers I spend pretty much all of my day either at school or doing homework and lesson plans. They all can't believe how much work I have.
Now onto the stories. I have been having my kids write journals everyday. Most of the kids don't know how to think outside of the box here so they don't know what to write. The school system is really bad here. Basically the teachers read from the text book, copy it onto the board and the kids write it down. There is no creativity. Shame. So when I ask them to do something outside of that they need a lot of encouragement and guidance. Hence the writing in the journals have been a struggle. In the journals, most of the kids ask me to buy them things. Most of them ask me to take them to Canada. Then the ask my parents names my brothers name and how old I am. When I tell them almost 31 they don't believe me. They ask me where my white hair is. Because the life expectancy is so low here people my age are considered to be old. On the up side most of the kids thought I was 21 or 22. Even the other volunteers couldn't believe that I was 31, they all thought mid 20's. Apparently I shouldn't wear makeup or do my hair more often:)
Anyway, back to the journals. I had a student tell me that his parents are dead and that he lives with his is sister. He told me that he won't be coming back to school because they can not afford to pay for his school fees. Another 2 students of mine had the same problem where their families could not afford to send them to school. Needless to say I paid for all three to stay for another term. For all 3 of them it only cost me around $80. When the parents heard what I had done they came to the school to thank me. They were so happy. As harsh as it may sound I had to make sure that all of them understood that the money was only going to be given for 1 term and that they would have to pay after that. The reason I had to do that is because the people here think that once a white person has given money they continue to do so forever. In other words, after I left those families would think that I have given money to the school and that the school was keeping it from them. You have to make things very clear here.
I have also purchased a school uniform for one of my students. She was very grateful. Almost every day the kids ask me if I will pay for them to go on tour. Apparently the school is trying to take the kids to the airport to see the planes. Then from there they will go to the zoo. Out of 125 students I think only a handful can afford to go. I will ask how much it is per student and see if I can send my whole class. None of them have seen a plane. Most of them have never been further than 1 hour away from their home. Sad.
With the donated money I have decided to give my school a proper office. Right now the office is the back of the nursery class room. Picture this. 80 kids, a teacher, a desk, a bookshelf all in a 10x10 room. My school is VERY small and they are running out of space. So we have negotiated with the landlord of the complex to rent out the last remaining room. On Monday I am going to give him 1 years rent for the room. It was a grand total of $200 for the year. They are soooo happy. I am also arranging to do some work on the other classrooms. They need a proper dividing wall between 2 of the rooms. We found out this week that the school was almost shut down because they needed to make some changes. I of course agreed to help. I am shocked at how little things cost here.
So thank you everyone who donated to this trip. The money is going a long way and is helping many kids. I have also made friends with the bankers because I am going in there so often to exchange money. They are trying to each me new Lugandan words, but it is not going so well. It is still nice to have made some friends.
Today I am in Kampala and am here to buy more books for the school. Now that they have a proper office space for them to store the books, it is my hope that by the time I am done they will have enough books for every grade level to read something. That will last a long time here. the school is very poor and can use any help they can get.
Because the school is so small the kids don't really have anywhere to get exercise. The teachers here are very lazy and just do the minimum amount of work needed. So when we do have a break I take the kids outside and have them run. The first day I told them to run to the corner but when I said go they just kept on running. I have no idea where they went but it was far away. The other teachers just looked at me and said "they'll be back" I also try to chase around the nursery kids. They are so small and do not speak any English but they love the attention. It is absolutely crazy when I bring out my camera. They all go nuts!
My male teachers at the school are starting to creep me out. They keep coming into my classroom and just looking at me. One of them won't leave me alone. Everyday they ask me when we are going to go out clubbing. I of course don't want to so I keep dodging the question. Plus in Uganda I would be expected to pay for them if we go out. Forget that! Everyday they ask me to come sit and eat with them. I just tell them that I am going to play with the kids.
Ok now for the sad stories. 2 of the other volunteers heard from their students that the director of their school is raping the girls there. That is the second school this week where we have heard about the girls getting raped. It is sad to say but the men here are really bad! It is also a rumor here that the white man started AIDS and that if you have sex with a baby you will be cured. Crazy! Some of the volunteers teach sex ed classes and give talks about AIDS. It is unbelievable the questions these kids ask. And I stress KIDS! They are so small. One of the volunteers showed me a picture of a 5 year old who had syphilis. It was all over her head and the flies were attacking her. She has also had Malaria 3 times this month. Crazy. It is such a struggle to just live here.
Now back to some vanity. Seriously I can not stand to even look at myself anymore. It is impossible to get clean here and to smell nice. I have given up hope on my skin, as it seems to just be getting worse, and let's not talk about my hair. WOW! I so desperately want to feel normal again:(
As far as the food goes. I honestly don't know how people survive here. Most of my kids eat only once or maybe twice, if they are lucky, a day. And when they do eat it is posho and beans. There is little or no nutrition in that. I am being fed 3 times a day and have no energy. The food has no taste and you are given very little. I'm not kidding when I say it is a struggle to just walk up three flights of stairs. I had to go to a western hotel the other day just to feed myself properly so that I would have some energy. I was sick for a couple days, but I am feeling much better now. When I go to the grocery store, and all they had was water, bread, some apples, peanut butter, jam, juice, coffee, yogart, and some crackers. They rest of the store is random supplies. I can't even buy food here! It is so rare to get meat as well. I haven't had any meat in 2 weeks. I'm so hungry and all I can ever think about is food. I honestly don't know how they do it.
Tomorrow I am off to Jinja. It is where the source to the Nile river is, so I am excited to see that. I may stay overnight, but am unsure. On Sunday we are going to a traditional dance in Seeta. That should be good as well. Next weekend I am going up north with 3 other volunteers. I can't wait. We are going to one of the largest IDP camps in East Africa. There are 1 million people there and 1000 kids die a day from starvation. I am sure that one will be an eye opener.
There are a million other things to tell you but I am running out of time here and I need to go eat something. Provided the internet is up in Mukono I will write again soon.
Jenn
Things are a bit primitive here especially with no power. Having to bath, eat, use the washroom and do lesson plans in the dark is difficult. Because I have a much more demanding schedule than the other volunteers I spend pretty much all of my day either at school or doing homework and lesson plans. They all can't believe how much work I have.
Now onto the stories. I have been having my kids write journals everyday. Most of the kids don't know how to think outside of the box here so they don't know what to write. The school system is really bad here. Basically the teachers read from the text book, copy it onto the board and the kids write it down. There is no creativity. Shame. So when I ask them to do something outside of that they need a lot of encouragement and guidance. Hence the writing in the journals have been a struggle. In the journals, most of the kids ask me to buy them things. Most of them ask me to take them to Canada. Then the ask my parents names my brothers name and how old I am. When I tell them almost 31 they don't believe me. They ask me where my white hair is. Because the life expectancy is so low here people my age are considered to be old. On the up side most of the kids thought I was 21 or 22. Even the other volunteers couldn't believe that I was 31, they all thought mid 20's. Apparently I shouldn't wear makeup or do my hair more often:)
Anyway, back to the journals. I had a student tell me that his parents are dead and that he lives with his is sister. He told me that he won't be coming back to school because they can not afford to pay for his school fees. Another 2 students of mine had the same problem where their families could not afford to send them to school. Needless to say I paid for all three to stay for another term. For all 3 of them it only cost me around $80. When the parents heard what I had done they came to the school to thank me. They were so happy. As harsh as it may sound I had to make sure that all of them understood that the money was only going to be given for 1 term and that they would have to pay after that. The reason I had to do that is because the people here think that once a white person has given money they continue to do so forever. In other words, after I left those families would think that I have given money to the school and that the school was keeping it from them. You have to make things very clear here.
I have also purchased a school uniform for one of my students. She was very grateful. Almost every day the kids ask me if I will pay for them to go on tour. Apparently the school is trying to take the kids to the airport to see the planes. Then from there they will go to the zoo. Out of 125 students I think only a handful can afford to go. I will ask how much it is per student and see if I can send my whole class. None of them have seen a plane. Most of them have never been further than 1 hour away from their home. Sad.
With the donated money I have decided to give my school a proper office. Right now the office is the back of the nursery class room. Picture this. 80 kids, a teacher, a desk, a bookshelf all in a 10x10 room. My school is VERY small and they are running out of space. So we have negotiated with the landlord of the complex to rent out the last remaining room. On Monday I am going to give him 1 years rent for the room. It was a grand total of $200 for the year. They are soooo happy. I am also arranging to do some work on the other classrooms. They need a proper dividing wall between 2 of the rooms. We found out this week that the school was almost shut down because they needed to make some changes. I of course agreed to help. I am shocked at how little things cost here.
So thank you everyone who donated to this trip. The money is going a long way and is helping many kids. I have also made friends with the bankers because I am going in there so often to exchange money. They are trying to each me new Lugandan words, but it is not going so well. It is still nice to have made some friends.
Today I am in Kampala and am here to buy more books for the school. Now that they have a proper office space for them to store the books, it is my hope that by the time I am done they will have enough books for every grade level to read something. That will last a long time here. the school is very poor and can use any help they can get.
Because the school is so small the kids don't really have anywhere to get exercise. The teachers here are very lazy and just do the minimum amount of work needed. So when we do have a break I take the kids outside and have them run. The first day I told them to run to the corner but when I said go they just kept on running. I have no idea where they went but it was far away. The other teachers just looked at me and said "they'll be back" I also try to chase around the nursery kids. They are so small and do not speak any English but they love the attention. It is absolutely crazy when I bring out my camera. They all go nuts!
My male teachers at the school are starting to creep me out. They keep coming into my classroom and just looking at me. One of them won't leave me alone. Everyday they ask me when we are going to go out clubbing. I of course don't want to so I keep dodging the question. Plus in Uganda I would be expected to pay for them if we go out. Forget that! Everyday they ask me to come sit and eat with them. I just tell them that I am going to play with the kids.
Ok now for the sad stories. 2 of the other volunteers heard from their students that the director of their school is raping the girls there. That is the second school this week where we have heard about the girls getting raped. It is sad to say but the men here are really bad! It is also a rumor here that the white man started AIDS and that if you have sex with a baby you will be cured. Crazy! Some of the volunteers teach sex ed classes and give talks about AIDS. It is unbelievable the questions these kids ask. And I stress KIDS! They are so small. One of the volunteers showed me a picture of a 5 year old who had syphilis. It was all over her head and the flies were attacking her. She has also had Malaria 3 times this month. Crazy. It is such a struggle to just live here.
Now back to some vanity. Seriously I can not stand to even look at myself anymore. It is impossible to get clean here and to smell nice. I have given up hope on my skin, as it seems to just be getting worse, and let's not talk about my hair. WOW! I so desperately want to feel normal again:(
As far as the food goes. I honestly don't know how people survive here. Most of my kids eat only once or maybe twice, if they are lucky, a day. And when they do eat it is posho and beans. There is little or no nutrition in that. I am being fed 3 times a day and have no energy. The food has no taste and you are given very little. I'm not kidding when I say it is a struggle to just walk up three flights of stairs. I had to go to a western hotel the other day just to feed myself properly so that I would have some energy. I was sick for a couple days, but I am feeling much better now. When I go to the grocery store, and all they had was water, bread, some apples, peanut butter, jam, juice, coffee, yogart, and some crackers. They rest of the store is random supplies. I can't even buy food here! It is so rare to get meat as well. I haven't had any meat in 2 weeks. I'm so hungry and all I can ever think about is food. I honestly don't know how they do it.
Tomorrow I am off to Jinja. It is where the source to the Nile river is, so I am excited to see that. I may stay overnight, but am unsure. On Sunday we are going to a traditional dance in Seeta. That should be good as well. Next weekend I am going up north with 3 other volunteers. I can't wait. We are going to one of the largest IDP camps in East Africa. There are 1 million people there and 1000 kids die a day from starvation. I am sure that one will be an eye opener.
There are a million other things to tell you but I am running out of time here and I need to go eat something. Provided the internet is up in Mukono I will write again soon.
Jenn
Monday, July 7, 2008
The REAL Uganda
Sorry it's been a couple of days since I last posted anything. The power has been out and the internet has been down. Not sure where I left off but I will write about my weekend.
Saturday I went to Kampala and bought some new books for my students with the donation money. I bought 62 new books which I gave to the school today and they were soooooo excited. It made me feel really good. While in Kampala I decided to treat myself to a little western food. Probably not a good idea. My body had become used to the food here so after eating I got an upset stomach. Yes envision me using those nasty toilets:) Good times! The trip to Kampala takes about an hour by Mutatu (taxi) They are small VW like vans that hold a ton of people. I'll tell you more about those later.
After Kampala I went to a local pool and had a swim. I was told they have showers there so I was excited. The showers were cold water and were filthy. There were bugs everywhere. NASTY! But at least I got a bit of a tan and got to wash my hair.
Yesterday I went out to a very far away village with my room mate. It took us 2 Mutatu (taxi) rides and a boda boda (Scooter) Now here in Uganda, most women wear skirts so you can't ride a boda boda like a man, you have so sit side saddle. Ok imagine this, me sitting sideways on a motorcycle and I am not allowed to hang onto the driver. I can only hang onto the seat. Plus there really are no road rules here. People drive where they want and how fast they want. We were on these old dirt roads (again I use the word road loosely) It was like 4 wheel driving, I was scared to death.
Now lets get to the Mutatu rides. In a van where in North America we would fit a maximum of 12 people, we managed to be in one with 27 people and another with 25. I was dying. Not only were we over crowed but the drivers were driving crazy fast. I was sure we were going to die. Once we got to the village it was great. The people there never see white people so they were so excited. We had a huge lunch (not good but big) and then took an 1 1/2 hour walk. We walked through some really remote villages where I am sure we were the first white people these people have ever seen. They would come running out of their houses and yelling Mzungu Mzungu (White person) The kids would follow us for a long ways. I stopped to take a picture of some of them. When I tried to show it to them they didn't get it. Because they don't have mirrors here I am sure they have never seen themselves. Once I took a picture with them and showed it to them they freaked out because they saw me in it. It was great! I loved being in the village and hope to go back. One of the teachers there is hoping to buy some land to build an orphanage on and some crop to feed the children. The land is only $800 so I was thinking of using some of the donated money towards that. He has done great things with the children in that area.
The most exciting news is that I got my Ugandan name while on my trip. It is Nansubuga! It is from the Mumba tribe that has something to do with fish. The reason I got that one is because they guy who gave it to me apparently liked me so he gave me the female version of his name (Nsubuga). So we jokingly say that I now have a Ugandan husband. The whole thing was silly but fun.
I am sure I have a million other things to write about but I have to get back to school. I am feeling sick today but I am trying to fight through it as today is my first art class and the kids are sooooo excited about it.
I will write more soon
Jenn
Saturday I went to Kampala and bought some new books for my students with the donation money. I bought 62 new books which I gave to the school today and they were soooooo excited. It made me feel really good. While in Kampala I decided to treat myself to a little western food. Probably not a good idea. My body had become used to the food here so after eating I got an upset stomach. Yes envision me using those nasty toilets:) Good times! The trip to Kampala takes about an hour by Mutatu (taxi) They are small VW like vans that hold a ton of people. I'll tell you more about those later.
After Kampala I went to a local pool and had a swim. I was told they have showers there so I was excited. The showers were cold water and were filthy. There were bugs everywhere. NASTY! But at least I got a bit of a tan and got to wash my hair.
Yesterday I went out to a very far away village with my room mate. It took us 2 Mutatu (taxi) rides and a boda boda (Scooter) Now here in Uganda, most women wear skirts so you can't ride a boda boda like a man, you have so sit side saddle. Ok imagine this, me sitting sideways on a motorcycle and I am not allowed to hang onto the driver. I can only hang onto the seat. Plus there really are no road rules here. People drive where they want and how fast they want. We were on these old dirt roads (again I use the word road loosely) It was like 4 wheel driving, I was scared to death.
Now lets get to the Mutatu rides. In a van where in North America we would fit a maximum of 12 people, we managed to be in one with 27 people and another with 25. I was dying. Not only were we over crowed but the drivers were driving crazy fast. I was sure we were going to die. Once we got to the village it was great. The people there never see white people so they were so excited. We had a huge lunch (not good but big) and then took an 1 1/2 hour walk. We walked through some really remote villages where I am sure we were the first white people these people have ever seen. They would come running out of their houses and yelling Mzungu Mzungu (White person) The kids would follow us for a long ways. I stopped to take a picture of some of them. When I tried to show it to them they didn't get it. Because they don't have mirrors here I am sure they have never seen themselves. Once I took a picture with them and showed it to them they freaked out because they saw me in it. It was great! I loved being in the village and hope to go back. One of the teachers there is hoping to buy some land to build an orphanage on and some crop to feed the children. The land is only $800 so I was thinking of using some of the donated money towards that. He has done great things with the children in that area.
The most exciting news is that I got my Ugandan name while on my trip. It is Nansubuga! It is from the Mumba tribe that has something to do with fish. The reason I got that one is because they guy who gave it to me apparently liked me so he gave me the female version of his name (Nsubuga). So we jokingly say that I now have a Ugandan husband. The whole thing was silly but fun.
I am sure I have a million other things to write about but I have to get back to school. I am feeling sick today but I am trying to fight through it as today is my first art class and the kids are sooooo excited about it.
I will write more soon
Jenn
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The first day!!!!!
hmmmmmmm where to start?
Today was great!! I was really nervous about starting teaching but I got into it really fast. There was no other teacher there to assist me so I just had to jump into it. I tried to tell them about me and to ask them some questions but all they ever said was yes. Cute. Oh and when I entered the room they greeted me with "good morning teacher Muzungu" Which literally translated means good morning teacher white person. So funny! They are now calling me just teacher or teacher Jennifer. Apparently I was told my last name would be to difficult for them. How much harder can Mack be. Oh well.
After talking to all the volunteers I am the one with the biggest teaching schedule. Most of the volunteers work only a few hours in the morning and that is it, plus they get Friday's off. I am there some days from 8:20 to 4:40. I teach 4 or 5 classes a day. On the up side my school is just a few steps away from the house. In fact I can see it from our balcony. So when I have a break I can come home and see everyone.
Aside from teaching I had the kids do name tags for themselves so that I could call them by name. They had a lot of fun with that. I gave them colored pencils and each kid got to chose a sticker. When I pulled out the stickers they went crazy. For some strange reason most of them wanted the St Patrick day stickers. Not sure if it was because they were the biggest or if they just liked them. Regardless the name tags turned out great. I can now read everyones names.
The school only has 15 very small books that the children must share for reading. They have all read them a 100 times, so I thought I would introduce something new. I brought in a kids encyclopedia so that they could choose a topic and read from it. I think it was a bit over their heads so I had to stop that and resort back to the other books. This weekend I hope to go to Kampala to buy everyone their own book. They are so cheap and all the kids will freak out. I was told that most of them have never held their own book in their hands, so I would like to do that for them.
In the afternoon I showed them the video of my apartment and my work. I was trying to explain how tall 15 stories is but I don't know if they got it. Plus I tried to explain an elevator but that went right over their heads. They asked me who lives in the apartment with me and when I told them it was just me they couldn't believe it. It was so big for just one person. They seemed most interested in my cat. Who knew.
The kids want me to teach them a song but I told them I can't sing. They said that later they will teach me a song and maybe a dance. That should be interesting.
So all in all the day was great. I am excited to get back to them tomorrow.
Back to the rest of the stuff. I got a small infection on my finger. Funny how fast it turned to an infection. It is impossible to stay clean here. I had to pop it open and get the puss out before I put some cream on it and a band-aid.
The food situation has not improved but I did find a local dish that is filling me up. It's basically fried dough. Hey, it's something.
Some volunteers and I are planning on taking a safari in a couple weeks. That should be fun. I think next weekend we are going to head up North. Apparently most of the people have left the IDP camps and have gone home. Great for them, but sad for me. I wanted to see them. Don't worry to much about safety because I am going with a volunteer who has contacts up there.
Well, it's about to pour rain here so I better get back. I also need to take a cold shower (or bucket as we call it here)
To sum everything up, I am past being nervous and upset and have moved onto pure joy. They people are amazing the county is amazing and I am having a great time. I can tell you however that I am already looking forward to coming home to a warm shower, real toilets and cheese. mmmmmmmmm. Oh and to all of you;)
Bye for now
Jenn
Today was great!! I was really nervous about starting teaching but I got into it really fast. There was no other teacher there to assist me so I just had to jump into it. I tried to tell them about me and to ask them some questions but all they ever said was yes. Cute. Oh and when I entered the room they greeted me with "good morning teacher Muzungu" Which literally translated means good morning teacher white person. So funny! They are now calling me just teacher or teacher Jennifer. Apparently I was told my last name would be to difficult for them. How much harder can Mack be. Oh well.
After talking to all the volunteers I am the one with the biggest teaching schedule. Most of the volunteers work only a few hours in the morning and that is it, plus they get Friday's off. I am there some days from 8:20 to 4:40. I teach 4 or 5 classes a day. On the up side my school is just a few steps away from the house. In fact I can see it from our balcony. So when I have a break I can come home and see everyone.
Aside from teaching I had the kids do name tags for themselves so that I could call them by name. They had a lot of fun with that. I gave them colored pencils and each kid got to chose a sticker. When I pulled out the stickers they went crazy. For some strange reason most of them wanted the St Patrick day stickers. Not sure if it was because they were the biggest or if they just liked them. Regardless the name tags turned out great. I can now read everyones names.
The school only has 15 very small books that the children must share for reading. They have all read them a 100 times, so I thought I would introduce something new. I brought in a kids encyclopedia so that they could choose a topic and read from it. I think it was a bit over their heads so I had to stop that and resort back to the other books. This weekend I hope to go to Kampala to buy everyone their own book. They are so cheap and all the kids will freak out. I was told that most of them have never held their own book in their hands, so I would like to do that for them.
In the afternoon I showed them the video of my apartment and my work. I was trying to explain how tall 15 stories is but I don't know if they got it. Plus I tried to explain an elevator but that went right over their heads. They asked me who lives in the apartment with me and when I told them it was just me they couldn't believe it. It was so big for just one person. They seemed most interested in my cat. Who knew.
The kids want me to teach them a song but I told them I can't sing. They said that later they will teach me a song and maybe a dance. That should be interesting.
So all in all the day was great. I am excited to get back to them tomorrow.
Back to the rest of the stuff. I got a small infection on my finger. Funny how fast it turned to an infection. It is impossible to stay clean here. I had to pop it open and get the puss out before I put some cream on it and a band-aid.
The food situation has not improved but I did find a local dish that is filling me up. It's basically fried dough. Hey, it's something.
Some volunteers and I are planning on taking a safari in a couple weeks. That should be fun. I think next weekend we are going to head up North. Apparently most of the people have left the IDP camps and have gone home. Great for them, but sad for me. I wanted to see them. Don't worry to much about safety because I am going with a volunteer who has contacts up there.
Well, it's about to pour rain here so I better get back. I also need to take a cold shower (or bucket as we call it here)
To sum everything up, I am past being nervous and upset and have moved onto pure joy. They people are amazing the county is amazing and I am having a great time. I can tell you however that I am already looking forward to coming home to a warm shower, real toilets and cheese. mmmmmmmmm. Oh and to all of you;)
Bye for now
Jenn
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Oooops!
First let me start off by saying I screwed up on the phone number in the last entry. If you want to call or text me the number is 011-256-773-711142.
So I am feeling much better today. After writing yesterday I ended up having a great afternoon and evening. It was really nice to hear the all the other volunteers had went through the same thing I was going through.
I had a hard time falling asleep last night but once I did fall asleep I slept all night. I didn't even get up once to go to the bathroom. YEAH!!!!!!! This morning I took a walk off the beaten path and ventured into the back roads (if you could even call them roads) I happened to pass by my school. They were playing outside and all the kids were yelling. They are so small! So cute. I can't wait to meet them this afternoon.
Well walking, I got to see some real Ugandan poverty. It was sad. Torn clothes broken down houses, yet the people were still happy. They were yelling Muzungu at me which means white person. Some would come running out to meet me. I loved it!
Once I got past the shock off the living conditions (although I will never get over the toilets) I was able to see the beauty of this place. While sitting on my balcony yesterday a taxi drove by with about 15 people in it and a whole bunch of live chickens strapped to the ceiling. That was went I laughed out loud and said "wow, I'm really in Africa" It was a great moment.
I'm trying my best to take photos and video but it is considered to be rude to take photos of people here unless you ask. Even then, most of them want to run inside and change into their best clothes before you take their picture. People really like to look their best here.
Oh, here's a good one. So I learned that almost every volunteer here catches some sort of fungal infection or something of that nature. So far one guy has ring worm, the other guy has a fungal rash, one girl got hit by a car and broke her arm, some have foot infections, and a couple have passed out. Oh and I heard yesterday that a lot of the kids her have head fungus. They actually grow these spores or mushroom like things on their heads. Gross! I will have to watch out for that one.
Well I have to head back so that I can get ready to go to my school this afternoon. Wish me luck!
Jenn
So I am feeling much better today. After writing yesterday I ended up having a great afternoon and evening. It was really nice to hear the all the other volunteers had went through the same thing I was going through.
I had a hard time falling asleep last night but once I did fall asleep I slept all night. I didn't even get up once to go to the bathroom. YEAH!!!!!!! This morning I took a walk off the beaten path and ventured into the back roads (if you could even call them roads) I happened to pass by my school. They were playing outside and all the kids were yelling. They are so small! So cute. I can't wait to meet them this afternoon.
Well walking, I got to see some real Ugandan poverty. It was sad. Torn clothes broken down houses, yet the people were still happy. They were yelling Muzungu at me which means white person. Some would come running out to meet me. I loved it!
Once I got past the shock off the living conditions (although I will never get over the toilets) I was able to see the beauty of this place. While sitting on my balcony yesterday a taxi drove by with about 15 people in it and a whole bunch of live chickens strapped to the ceiling. That was went I laughed out loud and said "wow, I'm really in Africa" It was a great moment.
I'm trying my best to take photos and video but it is considered to be rude to take photos of people here unless you ask. Even then, most of them want to run inside and change into their best clothes before you take their picture. People really like to look their best here.
Oh, here's a good one. So I learned that almost every volunteer here catches some sort of fungal infection or something of that nature. So far one guy has ring worm, the other guy has a fungal rash, one girl got hit by a car and broke her arm, some have foot infections, and a couple have passed out. Oh and I heard yesterday that a lot of the kids her have head fungus. They actually grow these spores or mushroom like things on their heads. Gross! I will have to watch out for that one.
Well I have to head back so that I can get ready to go to my school this afternoon. Wish me luck!
Jenn
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Uganda Arrival
So I'm finally here in Uganda! To be honest I am having a harder time then I thought I would. Leslie says that usually the older volunteers have a bit harder time then the young ones. That's because most of the volunteers here are between 18-24 and are young and careless, and just glad to be away from home. I arrived yesterday and was a bit more surprised than I thought I would be with the living conditions. It is much smaller than I thought. I am sharing a room with 2 other girls both of who are very nice. The good news it that I got my own single bed. No bunk bed for me! Yeah. Since I only got 2 hours of sleep the night before in Dubai I thought I would just sleep when I got here. Surprisingly I wasn't that tired. I finally fell asleep at around 10pm. I woke up in the night for a few hours but then slept until 8 am.
Today is the first day where I wasn't sick from the malaria pills. My body must be getting used to them. Thank God for that because I don't know what I would have done if I was sick every morning.
I also got my tour of Mukono today. It is basically 1 strip of road. The road is a major road that runs all the way through Uganda and into Kenya. It is very loud and of course our bedroom window is right off it and there is no glass or screen. Good thing I wear ear plugs at night.
Ok, back to the house.... So we have to bucket shower every day. Which basically consists of pouring cold water into a basin and then splashing it up onto your body. Soap up and then dump some more on you. It sucks! The worst part is the toilets. I know we all laughed about them when I was at home and we were looking at pictures, but trust me there is nothing to laugh about! First of all there is waste everywhere and they sink. Then you have the spiders and other random bugs that live in there. But that's not the worst part. I can handle them in the day, but at night it is a whole other story. Apparently cockroaches live in the hole. At night they come out and sit on the floor. So not only do I have to walk down 3 flights of stairs in the dark with a head lamp but then once I reach the toilet I have to open the door and see these 2 inch cockroaches on the floor. And I am expected to squat with them around me. Not good! You know me and the bugs.
I haven't been able to stop sweating since I got here. You would be surprised at how hot it is under a mosquito net. I look a mess because I am sweating like a crazy person and my skin has completely broke out. Good times!
As far as the food goes. There isn't much to tell. Last night I had a scoop of rice some peas and green beans and a piece of avocado. This morning it was 2 mini banana's and an end piece of bread. Leslie says that most volunteers gain weight when they are here, but I don't see how that is possible.
Ok, now that I have ranted on about all the bad stuff, lets move onto the good stuff. From what I've seen, the Ugandan people are lovely. They are all very nice. Yes you get looked at a ton because you are white but it is cute. People wave at you and want to talk to you. The other volunteers are very nice as well.
Tomorrow I get to go to my school in the afternoon to meet my students and head mistress. I start the following day. I am very nervous about it but excited. Everyone keeps talking about how great the kids are and how much they enjoy what they are doing, so I am looking forward to that part.
OH! I forgot the most important part. I will have a cell phone tonight. One of the volunteers who is leaving today gave me hers. For you to call me you need to dial 001-256-773-711142. I will have it tonight at around 5pm this time. You can also text me with the same number. You might want to check to see your rates for texting but it is relatively cheap for me to do.
Well that's it in a nutshell. I guess I just needed to vent. It's hard here, but I think I just need to get used to it. We'll see in a couple of days.
Jenn
Today is the first day where I wasn't sick from the malaria pills. My body must be getting used to them. Thank God for that because I don't know what I would have done if I was sick every morning.
I also got my tour of Mukono today. It is basically 1 strip of road. The road is a major road that runs all the way through Uganda and into Kenya. It is very loud and of course our bedroom window is right off it and there is no glass or screen. Good thing I wear ear plugs at night.
Ok, back to the house.... So we have to bucket shower every day. Which basically consists of pouring cold water into a basin and then splashing it up onto your body. Soap up and then dump some more on you. It sucks! The worst part is the toilets. I know we all laughed about them when I was at home and we were looking at pictures, but trust me there is nothing to laugh about! First of all there is waste everywhere and they sink. Then you have the spiders and other random bugs that live in there. But that's not the worst part. I can handle them in the day, but at night it is a whole other story. Apparently cockroaches live in the hole. At night they come out and sit on the floor. So not only do I have to walk down 3 flights of stairs in the dark with a head lamp but then once I reach the toilet I have to open the door and see these 2 inch cockroaches on the floor. And I am expected to squat with them around me. Not good! You know me and the bugs.
I haven't been able to stop sweating since I got here. You would be surprised at how hot it is under a mosquito net. I look a mess because I am sweating like a crazy person and my skin has completely broke out. Good times!
As far as the food goes. There isn't much to tell. Last night I had a scoop of rice some peas and green beans and a piece of avocado. This morning it was 2 mini banana's and an end piece of bread. Leslie says that most volunteers gain weight when they are here, but I don't see how that is possible.
Ok, now that I have ranted on about all the bad stuff, lets move onto the good stuff. From what I've seen, the Ugandan people are lovely. They are all very nice. Yes you get looked at a ton because you are white but it is cute. People wave at you and want to talk to you. The other volunteers are very nice as well.
Tomorrow I get to go to my school in the afternoon to meet my students and head mistress. I start the following day. I am very nervous about it but excited. Everyone keeps talking about how great the kids are and how much they enjoy what they are doing, so I am looking forward to that part.
OH! I forgot the most important part. I will have a cell phone tonight. One of the volunteers who is leaving today gave me hers. For you to call me you need to dial 001-256-773-711142. I will have it tonight at around 5pm this time. You can also text me with the same number. You might want to check to see your rates for texting but it is relatively cheap for me to do.
Well that's it in a nutshell. I guess I just needed to vent. It's hard here, but I think I just need to get used to it. We'll see in a couple of days.
Jenn
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