Workshops and Conferences

The first of many conferences I went to was our MST (mid-service training). It was held in Mukono (outside of Kampala) at a decent hotel, it had a shower! It was a short conference (1.5 days) but it was really nice to see everyone in my PC class and catch up with the people who live far away from me. We just went over a few details about our last year (like grant due dates, travel policy, etc.) and a security update. I have only had my phone stolen in a very awful situation that I know I should have been more careful, so the security awareness lecture didn't really include me and I got in trouble many times for not paying attention. It was like middle school all over again (-:

The next week I had a 3 day medical check up in Kampala. It didn't really NEED 3 days, but with travel time they give you 3 days. Mostly, the check up consists of a physical with blood and stool tests, and a dental cleaning. For the medical part we go to the PC medical officer who works at the PC office. We have 2 PCMOs and they are awesome. They are both registered nurses, one from England and one from Germany. I don't think I will have better health care again because they are available 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week by phone. The only problem is that if we want to see them we have to go to Kampala. The dental appointment is by one of two PC approved dentists who work in Kampala. The man I went to was great-very intelligent, had a clean and sufficient office. I luckily didn't have any cavities (most PCVs do, we don't know why...), but he said that my gums are receding because I brush too hard. Ha, oh muscles...

After that week, I went to Kampala for a week of a Life Skills Workshop. Not to teach me life skills (like how to communicate, about self-esteem, saying no to drugs and sex, etc.), but we were trained in how to teach life skills to various groups (for me primary school kids, so many of the activities are too mature for them). That workshop was actually really nice because I attended with a small class that arrived in Uganda after I did. My class did this workshop last year when I was leaving for home for Christmas vacation. I was able to get to know this class and being a smaller class (only 12 of them) we were fairly time efficient. My counterpart also attended and I am good friends with her so it was nice for her to get to know the other PCVs also.

The AVC (all volunteer conference) was at the same place as the life skills training and began the same day that the training ended. It was at this large hotel/hostel on the outskirts of Kampala. The actual hotel wasn't very nice, most of the showers didn't work and my room was facing the 'restaurant' and they chose to blare music all night every night, no matter if we complained. However, it was close to the city and we went out a few times. This conference was mostly intended for all the volunteers (my class, the smaller later class, and the large new class that is a year after my class) to get to know each other. There were almost 100 of us, 50 being the new class. Needless to say, I only met about half of the 'newbies'. The technical reason for us to be there is to review a type of grant reporting, security issues, and update PC committees.

The other workshops I went to I actually facilitated with my CCT (coordinating center tutor-my counterpart). The workshops or seminars were: reviewing the implementation of the thematic curriculum and a week long workshop (each day a different sub zone) on generic teaching method (basically child-centered learning methods). Then tomorrow we are doing a joint seminar on financial and material budgeting with general school improvement. This one of main parts of my job-to conduct seminars and workshops. It is not something that I particularly enjoy, am skilled at, or do well, but I still have to do. It has made me a much better public speaker, even though because of my 'accent' and language usage Ugandans don't always understand me. Like I will say something and seeing black faces I have my CCT repeat, almost verbatim, what I say and then you see nods of agreement or some kind of sign of acknowledgment. These workshops are also a bit frustrating because people come late (as in 1.5 hours late at least) and expect food or travel expenses. We train and give information for free-in America businesses have to pay a lot of money to attend trainings or workshops. But here these schools don't have money and these teachers don't want to come, they are told to by their headteachers so they see it as an inconvenience. They also have to leave their classes because people refuse to come to seminars on the weekends. Anyways, this is the 1 of 2 ways here that I am able to 'teach' because although I work at a primary school I don't have daily or weekly lessons with kids. Actually, I have only taught children once, it was a P4 class and I taught them how to bake on a charcoal stove.