Not yet a Bugandan

So the other day I had a bit of a reality check when I went to a primary school that I am working with. I went to have a meeting with the headteacher and a few other teachers that are helping to organize and write a grant for an income generating project that I'm doing with them. The gist of the project involves creating a tree nursery and having at least one batch of tree seedlings sold while I'm here. As a form of advertising they want to have a traditional Ugandan ceremony with all local political, religious, and academic leaders come to hear speeches and eat food. Well this ceremony will cost about a quarter of the entire project. Part of the grant includes a required contribution from the school and I try to fudge this requirement as much as possible. Not lie, but there are some things that wouldn't be considered or given much thought as a financial concern because the students can help-like with cleaning or fetching water, etc. These small actions are a contribution, so for this ceremony I asked of the parents of the children could give a little bit of food that they farmed so they wouldn't have to give money. All of the sudden they started laughing and I asked what is so funny. They told me that these people can't feed themselves, the kids eat once a day, etc so there is no way they can give food for this ceremony. I felt so ridiculous, it was like when Marie Antoinette was told her people didn't have enough money to make bread and she replied 'let them eat cake'. Til that point I had actually thought that I had come so far in assimilating into the Ugandan culture. I guess I will learn humility and new things about myself everyday.

I died? What?

So I was called the other day by my brother because apparently someone was spreading the rumor that I died while here in Uganda. Yeah, not so funny... I thank those that were concerned for my safety and actually called my brother to confirm this piece of ridiculous news but no worries, I'm just fine and actually doing better than fine, I am really enjoying myself here. I'm getting work done and I'm still able to travel a lot; like I'm going to Kigale, Rwanda for a weekend soon to see the genocide museum and to go to Lake Kivu!

Update?

I thought I would write almost like journal entry this time. So I’m back in my village today, getting ready for my environmental educators’ meeting when the headteacher at my primary school knocks on my door. Apparently through a non-profit organization, Opportunity Education, my school was given a TV and DVD player to show kids educational videos that they gave them. Maybe because my school actually has electricity it was chosen to receive this equipment? I don’t want to be pessimistic because it’s a great program that gives many schools modern equipment as well as motivation to teach, but that money that bought the TV could have gone to other much more useful things that would be utilized much more. But it was a nice little ceremony with short and sweet speeches and I was able to talk with the executive director of the organization-an Irish immigrant who lives in California while not going to third world countries to deliver televisions. This is another image of a missionary or passing through white person who gives something to the school without understanding the impact. They are better than some of the other religious organizations because they have an Ugandan staff that is responsible for monitoring the schools to make sure they use the DVDs with the students as well as being there as a technician when the equipment has problems. Also, it seems like the missionaries are overly well-meaning, like they are so into helping people and thinking they are making them happy that they don’t see the big picture and just seem so completely foreign-not even considering skin color. It is like they think bringing a little equipment will change the school, not knowing most of the sports equipment and books are stored and they students barely get to see them. Again, I don’t want to be pessimistic, but I think of myself more as realistic. But I had a great time taking photos and talking with a fellow American.

PS I just received a package I sent myself: apparently I love beef jerky! It’s not a slim jim, I know I don’t like those, but it’s real jerky. Crazy…

Different View

This past week I went and visited 2 other volunteers, Tessa and Stephanie. Tessa lives the way I aspire to: simple, clean and organized. She took her two room crap hole, painted it and added furniture and African crafts so that it is really cute-again, what I have tried to do but I think Tessa has done a great job and I’m going to use it as inspiration to work on my house. I think I stopped after the first 6 months trying to make my house nicer because I knew that it’s such a temporary living situation that I don’t want to put TOO much money or time into it, especially now since I’ll only have it for one more year. Another thing I notice when visiting Tessa is how amazing she is with kids. It took me over 9 months for my neighbor’s kids to stop crying when they see me.

Then I visited Stephanie in Luweero. She lives in a convent in this super sweet house that is bigger and more luxurious than my last 2 apartments in the states. She also has a baby that she takes care of in the convent that was born in the first month we were at site. This uber-cute baby is what makes Stephanie tick; they make each other so happy. We had a really good time and I think Stephanie has a really good thing going because she has work that she really enjoys there and has her baby and nuns.

I also went to dinner at my homestay while I was in Luweero. It’s funny how different I see the house and my family, even Uganda in general. I feel like I understand them so much better, like the things I didn’t like about my homestay father is just because I didn’t like nor understand the facial expressions, body language, and overall general characteristics of most Ugandan men. At dinner I got along very well with my homestay parents and the girls barely spoke to me-opposite of how it was when I lived there. Also, when I lived in Luweero I thought it was so depressing, dirty, and just awful. I see it now much more as a normal, larger Ugandan village; even though a bit more dirty, it also has many things to buy there that aren’t available in my village.