From the first days of the second part of my overland trip from Cape Town to Cairo:
Day 1: left Kampala at 6PM and arrived in Nairobi, Kenya at around 8 the next morning.
Day 2: Caught a taxi out of "Nairobbery" to Isiolo via Nanyuki (where, in the shadow of Mt. Kenya I demonstrated my water purifier to 15 men and one psycho woman who kept shouting, "I love you Jesus" while simultaneously covering her face with streaks of charcoal like a jungle warrior, offering sex and blowing me kisses). Isiolo = sketch-as-hell. Caught a private 4x4 out of there headed to Moyale leaving at night to avoid daytime banditry in the north. Paused from 1-4AM for the drivers stomach problems.
Day 3: Watched the sun rise, a red orb right out of the earth, just after one of our fellow passengers laid out his prayer rug and sang into a westerly wind in the baron Kenyan landscape. Magic. This is what I came for. Made Moyale, the border town by lunch and stayed the night. Prevailing Islamic influence, half the town is Somali, the rest... not. Another world, finally.
Day 4: Caught a 6am bus out of town. Bus ride was hellish (seats designed by a pious midget, i.e. not fit for an atheist giant... knees and back = fucked). Stayed in Aswa.
Day 5: Yesterday. Made Addis! Part of my journal entry from yesterday: Dirty streets. Foul. "You!! You!!"-s shouted at us from everywhere. While a man grabbed my wrist, asked for the time over and over despite my repeating "No watch!! Not a watch!" another guy spit on Brian and went to wipe it off focusing far too much attention on the wallet area. Sketch as hell. Left them in the dust and nearly ran head-long into a gnarly looking homeless guy, pants dropped to the floor, stinking to high heaven and doing the happy-dance in front of five police officers who, for money, couldn't have cared less. After finding the hotel, we trekked off to Addis Ababa restaurant which looked too rich for our pockets but dazzled us with the incredibly delicious and inexpensive food, tej (a honey-wine (meade?) that had us buzzing and euphoric by the evenings end. On the way home, I felt a tug on on my bag and quickly turned around o find a thief still attached to the zipper. I whipped around and cuffed him square across the face. *WHAM!!* And down he went. Looking down on him and pointing I said, "Don't fucking do that!", turned and walked away. No protests from he or the surrounding crowd. I returned to the hotel with a buzz - part tej, part mind-blowing food, part adrenaline, part coffee (ethiopian crack), and part thrill of this life in general.
Off to the walled city of Harar in two days. Back to Addis and then off to Lalibela and the Eth. Highlands to pet the Planet Earth badass cliff-dwelling baboons. Sudan is almost definitely out due to them (a.) sucking and (b.) George Clooney telling them a bit too publicly that they suck.
Will likely fly to Cairo which'll save us travel days and give us more time to explore Eth., Egypt, Israel and Jordan.
More to come!!
Thanks for reading!
I love you all (but especially you, Michelle!)
Devon.
P.S. If you haven't already read The Diary of Anne Frank, read it. Damnit the world lost a beautiful mind with that girls passing. Huge bummer.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Kony 2012 Video
**NOTE** I wrote a week ago, and then the power went out. And then it went out again. And again. Thus, I gave up posting my thoughts until today.
At this point, the Kony 2012 video is probably a thing of the long-lost-past in the rest of the world (rendering my post irrelevant), but here in Uganda it remains a hot topic. In short, the government is angry. In a radio report I heard yesterday members of parliament were discussing the issue. Long story short, the video makes Uganda look like a war-zone and frightens would-be tourists away thereby hurting the economy. My point: when the news stories fall out of the main CNN, FOX, BBC, REUTERS, NYTIMES, ABC, etc... headlines, American's often think, "Hey, everything worked out!" But often, it didn't, as is the case here.
**END NOTE**
Last week a video was released by an NGO in Uganda called Invisible Children (IC). The video went viral on YouTube, and if I understand correctly, there has been a sudden avalanche of support from the American people who want to donate money to IC which would enable them to put more pressure on the US government to increase the US military efforts currently under way to capture Kony.
But you probably already know that.
A few days ago, a friend suggested the following in her facebook status (paraphrased): Before you buy into the hype and jump on the bandwagon, a more critical inspection of Invisible Children is in order. She then suggested that there are many other charities in Africa that are worthy of donations and that the public should look into them. Finally, she asked me, based on my experiences in Uganda, to comment. Never one opposed to voicing an opinion, I jumped at the opportunity.
What lies ahead of you should you continue reading?
(a.) Thoughts on the IC - Kony 2012 video
(b.) What does IC do?
(c.) More thoughts on the video
(d.) Thoughts on aid in Uganda (which are applicable to aid in general)
(e.) “Devon, I want to help. How can I help?”
(a.) Thoughts on the IC - Kony 2012 video
Before I left home, I watched a film called "GO" about IC bringing twelve students from the USA to Uganda to see where the money they raised for the "Schools for Schools" program was going. With a solid narration, an awesome soundtrack and creative videography - not to mention key-words including Child Soldiers, War, Joseph Kony, War-Ravaged, HIV/AIDS and Poverty sprinkled liberally throughout - the movie was incredibly moving, leaving some of the people I showed it to speechless and others in tears.
What was I thinking post-“GO” as I boarded a plane for Uganda?
“Holy shit. Half of the country I am moving to is at war!!!”
Like so many other misconceptions I had about my future service, I could not have been further from the truth, and it was Invisible Children that had happily lead me astray.
Uganda has (many) problems, but right now, war isn't one of them.
Is there a war in Northern Uganda? No.
Do villages in the north reflect the devastation of the war? As far as I’ve seen in my travels, villages in the north look about the same as villages in the south, east, or west: Lots of mud huts and houses, and the buildings that are falling in on themselves do so because they are not maintained.
Are their child-soldiers roaming around killing innocent northerners? Absolutely not.
[Note: It warrants mention, however, that there are Ex-child soldiers that are being reintegrated into society. As you can imagine, they are in need of serious counseling to overcome all that they have seen and participated in.]
Are there men lurking in the nighttime shadows of Gulu trying to abduct children into the Lord’s Resistance Army’s ranks? No, no, no.
Therein lies Invisible Children’s dirty little secret:
There are no more INVISIBLE CHILDREN in Uganda.
Is Joseph Kony in Uganda? No. He left years ago. He is now in the Democratic Republic of Congo (or so it has been reported).
[Note: That doesn’t mean he isn’t a bad man who is still doing bad things. But should the USA continue to go after all bad men who do bad things? Our government’s world-police mentality it is one of the things for which I catch the most flack for when I announce that I am from America (which is getting scarier and scarier to do, by the way…).
“Why did you kill (Person)?!”
“Why are you fighting in (Place)?”
“All you want in America is (Thing… typically OIL).”
I’ve heard them all and more time and again.]
[Another Note: What Northern Uganda lacks in guerilla warriors and horror, it makes up for in idle people, again, like much of Uganda. With all the atrocities of the war, NGOs rushed to Gulu and other northern cities to begin doling out food, money, etc... to victims. After years of taking, people began to see that if they sat around long enough, a white land-cruiser would pass by offering handouts. The more miserable they looked, the more terrible their story, the more access to aid they got.
A nasty downward spiral ensued.
Case in point: A school is overcrowded, and a new building is desperately needed. What should be done is for the village to get together, pool their resources and begin building. What actually happens is that the village puts up with the overcrowding until IC or another NGO comes along and offers to pick up the tab.]
What do I think about the Kony 2012 video?
It’s 30-minute lie that has made part of Uganda look like hell and has thus done damage to the Ugandan people. IC is using fear-mongering, playing to an audience eager to be indignant.
In my opinion, the video should be completely disregarded.
But forget my opinion: What do the Ugandan’s think?
Every Ugandan I know was angry when they found out that the US had sent soldiers here to assist in the tracking down of Kony (Well, almost all. I did meet one soldier who was happy to receive our weapons and the instruction on how to use them. But in terms of getting out into the field and using them, he was confident that the Ugandan military could work without the US advisers). Why? Because they all think that the real reason the soldiers came here was to gather intelligence about the oil reserves discovered in the North West.
I was peppered with more questions:
“Why would the US send soldiers to Uganda to track Kony when he has gone to Congo?”
“Where was America when there was actually war here?”
Good points!
The Ugandan take on the IC Kony 2012 video: OUTRAGE.
This about sums it up: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/uganda/9131469/Joseph-Kony-2012-growing-outrage-in-Uganda-over-film.html
(b.) What does IC do?
What does IC do? They build schools. Are they nice? Yes, very. My buddy works at an IC-funded complex that makes me drool. Solar power, a beautiful library, incredible classrooms, a nice science lab... BUT it is ranked almost DEAD LAST out of the nearly 1200 Ugandan schools receiving "Universal Secondary Education (USE)"-funds by the Ugandan government.
Buildings don't make a school; teachers do. A good teacher conducting class under a mango tree does more for Uganda than a bad teacher in a shiny classroom.
So what does IC really do? They build buildings.
Where does the money that should have been ear-marked by the government to build that school go? No one knows.
In the end, IC is like any other NGO. They need money to continue doing what they think is "good." Unfortunately, whether or not they are actually helping or hindering Uganda’s development process doesn't factor into the equation so long as those running the company, the volunteers and aid-workers get their monthly pay-check.
(c.) More thoughts on the video
What shocks the hell out of me is the extensive publicity that IC has gotten out of the video. Think about it: A small-time guerilla leader who years ago terrified the northern region of Uganda now has a YouTube video with 70 MILLION-plus views!!!
Is there a single video about any present-day lunatic than can claim as much airtime?
And frankly, I can’t understand how people outraged about Kony today but haven’t batted an eyelash over:
(1.) The atrocities (mass murders, gang-rapes and pillaging) happening every day in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(2.) The goons that run around Zimbabwe doing Mugabe’s dirty deeds (i.e. killing anyone that even resembles opposition), or Mugabe and all his violence and bad governance in general
(3.) The genocide that has gone on for decades in The Sudan
(4.) Every corrupt government on this continent that continues to keep their people in the dirt
Or elsewhere:
(1.) A ruthless and unstable dictator in North Korea
(2.) Iran developing nuclear power
(3.) The Israel/Middle-East conflict
Or… perhaps most importantly, as from it stems - has stemmed and will stem - boundless suffering around the world:
(1.) People who worship some higher power but call it by different names refuse to stop killing each other because they have FAITH that everyone in their club is right and everyone else is wrong
Why did the Kony video go viral?
Because Invisible Children knows how to SELL!
They canvas the streets, produce videos and hurl their propaganda all over the internet in such a way that creates massive resonance among their audience.
If only they sold something worth buying… Just imagine the positive effect they could have on other pressing world issues by invigorating the American public, uniting them in a cause and focusing their energies towards positive action!
“Hey, IC! Please make your next video about Global Warming. But please do not release it on Al Gore’s birthday. Thanks.”
(d.) Thoughts on aid in Uganda (which are applicable to aid in general)
In the last two years, my opinion of aid in Uganda – which I now believe can be applied to Africa and even developing countries in general – has changed dramatically. When I first arrived, I was of the mindset that Uganda could use all the help it could get from the developed world to grow and become developed itself. The solution: Money, people and resources.
Today I’m of the mindset that Uganda has, in abundance, its own money, people and resources to shape-up and join the “developed world” (whatever the hell that means: Constant access to ridiculously inexpensive cheese? Fifteen-thousand different types of T.V. dinners? A population with a70 + % overweight/obesity rate?), and that is the last thing NGOs and the representatives of the government want the first-world Givers to find out.
Outsiders have been throwing money around here for far too long. The Government shirks responsibilities because outside donors pick up the slack. The divide between rich – who are buying luxury jets - and poor - who lack access to clean water - is appalling and growing. HIV/AIDS is on the rise once again, as people believe Anti-Retrovirals are a cure - research shows that a patient on a consistent regiment of ARVs will live as long as the average man/woman not suffering from HIV - and thus the fear of the virus is gone.
I've conducted teaching seminars at primary teacher's colleges and secondary schools here and asked the question "Who in this room fears HIV/AIDS?" to rooms filled with hundreds of students and not one of them raised their hands.
Hmm... not the answer you might expect.
Thus, I can no longer subscribe to the “give all that you can”-mindset because I’ve seen that the resulting mentality on the receiving end is “take all you can get.”
The surest way to ensure that I child never grows up is to foster a feeling of complete dependency. The same is true of developing nations.
Unfortunately, the biggest donors (USAID, UN, CHINA, WHO) are more politically motivated. Quid pro quo – “We’ll give you X-billion dollars if you fight so-and-so and let us keep a military outpost within your border.” If we don’t offer it, someone else that we’re competing with will, and then we lose our bargaining chip.
Ugh.
So... I recognize that foreign aid will not soon disappear. The question then becomes: What kind of aid should we give?
(e.) “Devon, I want to help. How can I help?”
What’s that you say? You want to help a developing country but you no longer want to send money to Invisible Children, Save the Children, Christ for Children, Mohammad for Munchkins, Buddha for Babies, Prophets for Progeny, etc…?
Pack your bags, and go there!! The greatest resource we can offer to countries in need is our people.
Blend in as best you can, and teach about yourself and our cultures back home. Be a role model. Inspire. Walk with the locals, sit with them, and learn their language and their culture. Laugh with them. Cry with them. Get angry with them. Feel what it is to be an outsider, to be gawked at, to be pointed and shouted at, laughed at, grabbed, poked, and petted. Hole up in your room, and feel the loneliness fully. But trudge on. Make a foothold. Plant the seed of trust, and when it begins to grow introduce solutions not to the problems that you see in the lives of your new community but what they see as problems.
There are plenty of programs that you can join (Peace Corps, Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO), Engineers/Doctors without borders, etc…) that can get you on track to an experience you’ll never forget.
If you can’t go abroad, find a volunteer in the field and ask them how you can help. A Peace Corps Volunteer can do more in a small community with a one-hundred dollar donation than an NGO can do with one-thousand or a corrupt government can do with one-million. www.PeaceCorpsJournals.com would be a great place to start that search.
Most importantly, educate yourselves on issues abroad. Take the “Kony 2012”-esque videos with a grain of salt. Diversify your news providers. And go read more about the good/evil sides of foreign aid (Check into “End of Poverty,” “White Man’s Burden,” “Dead Aid,” and, one of the most eye-opening books I’ve ever read, “The Road to Hell: The ravaging effects of foreign aid and international charity.”)... see if that aid-money you wanted to send might not be better invested into your own country.
Thanks for reading!
I love you all (but especially you, Michelle!)
Devon.
At this point, the Kony 2012 video is probably a thing of the long-lost-past in the rest of the world (rendering my post irrelevant), but here in Uganda it remains a hot topic. In short, the government is angry. In a radio report I heard yesterday members of parliament were discussing the issue. Long story short, the video makes Uganda look like a war-zone and frightens would-be tourists away thereby hurting the economy. My point: when the news stories fall out of the main CNN, FOX, BBC, REUTERS, NYTIMES, ABC, etc... headlines, American's often think, "Hey, everything worked out!" But often, it didn't, as is the case here.
**END NOTE**
Last week a video was released by an NGO in Uganda called Invisible Children (IC). The video went viral on YouTube, and if I understand correctly, there has been a sudden avalanche of support from the American people who want to donate money to IC which would enable them to put more pressure on the US government to increase the US military efforts currently under way to capture Kony.
But you probably already know that.
A few days ago, a friend suggested the following in her facebook status (paraphrased): Before you buy into the hype and jump on the bandwagon, a more critical inspection of Invisible Children is in order. She then suggested that there are many other charities in Africa that are worthy of donations and that the public should look into them. Finally, she asked me, based on my experiences in Uganda, to comment. Never one opposed to voicing an opinion, I jumped at the opportunity.
What lies ahead of you should you continue reading?
(a.) Thoughts on the IC - Kony 2012 video
(b.) What does IC do?
(c.) More thoughts on the video
(d.) Thoughts on aid in Uganda (which are applicable to aid in general)
(e.) “Devon, I want to help. How can I help?”
(a.) Thoughts on the IC - Kony 2012 video
Before I left home, I watched a film called "GO" about IC bringing twelve students from the USA to Uganda to see where the money they raised for the "Schools for Schools" program was going. With a solid narration, an awesome soundtrack and creative videography - not to mention key-words including Child Soldiers, War, Joseph Kony, War-Ravaged, HIV/AIDS and Poverty sprinkled liberally throughout - the movie was incredibly moving, leaving some of the people I showed it to speechless and others in tears.
What was I thinking post-“GO” as I boarded a plane for Uganda?
“Holy shit. Half of the country I am moving to is at war!!!”
Like so many other misconceptions I had about my future service, I could not have been further from the truth, and it was Invisible Children that had happily lead me astray.
Uganda has (many) problems, but right now, war isn't one of them.
Is there a war in Northern Uganda? No.
Do villages in the north reflect the devastation of the war? As far as I’ve seen in my travels, villages in the north look about the same as villages in the south, east, or west: Lots of mud huts and houses, and the buildings that are falling in on themselves do so because they are not maintained.
Are their child-soldiers roaming around killing innocent northerners? Absolutely not.
[Note: It warrants mention, however, that there are Ex-child soldiers that are being reintegrated into society. As you can imagine, they are in need of serious counseling to overcome all that they have seen and participated in.]
Are there men lurking in the nighttime shadows of Gulu trying to abduct children into the Lord’s Resistance Army’s ranks? No, no, no.
Therein lies Invisible Children’s dirty little secret:
There are no more INVISIBLE CHILDREN in Uganda.
Is Joseph Kony in Uganda? No. He left years ago. He is now in the Democratic Republic of Congo (or so it has been reported).
[Note: That doesn’t mean he isn’t a bad man who is still doing bad things. But should the USA continue to go after all bad men who do bad things? Our government’s world-police mentality it is one of the things for which I catch the most flack for when I announce that I am from America (which is getting scarier and scarier to do, by the way…).
“Why did you kill (Person)?!”
“Why are you fighting in (Place)?”
“All you want in America is (Thing… typically OIL).”
I’ve heard them all and more time and again.]
[Another Note: What Northern Uganda lacks in guerilla warriors and horror, it makes up for in idle people, again, like much of Uganda. With all the atrocities of the war, NGOs rushed to Gulu and other northern cities to begin doling out food, money, etc... to victims. After years of taking, people began to see that if they sat around long enough, a white land-cruiser would pass by offering handouts. The more miserable they looked, the more terrible their story, the more access to aid they got.
A nasty downward spiral ensued.
Case in point: A school is overcrowded, and a new building is desperately needed. What should be done is for the village to get together, pool their resources and begin building. What actually happens is that the village puts up with the overcrowding until IC or another NGO comes along and offers to pick up the tab.]
What do I think about the Kony 2012 video?
It’s 30-minute lie that has made part of Uganda look like hell and has thus done damage to the Ugandan people. IC is using fear-mongering, playing to an audience eager to be indignant.
In my opinion, the video should be completely disregarded.
But forget my opinion: What do the Ugandan’s think?
Every Ugandan I know was angry when they found out that the US had sent soldiers here to assist in the tracking down of Kony (Well, almost all. I did meet one soldier who was happy to receive our weapons and the instruction on how to use them. But in terms of getting out into the field and using them, he was confident that the Ugandan military could work without the US advisers). Why? Because they all think that the real reason the soldiers came here was to gather intelligence about the oil reserves discovered in the North West.
I was peppered with more questions:
“Why would the US send soldiers to Uganda to track Kony when he has gone to Congo?”
“Where was America when there was actually war here?”
Good points!
The Ugandan take on the IC Kony 2012 video: OUTRAGE.
This about sums it up: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/uganda/9131469/Joseph-Kony-2012-growing-outrage-in-Uganda-over-film.html
(b.) What does IC do?
What does IC do? They build schools. Are they nice? Yes, very. My buddy works at an IC-funded complex that makes me drool. Solar power, a beautiful library, incredible classrooms, a nice science lab... BUT it is ranked almost DEAD LAST out of the nearly 1200 Ugandan schools receiving "Universal Secondary Education (USE)"-funds by the Ugandan government.
Buildings don't make a school; teachers do. A good teacher conducting class under a mango tree does more for Uganda than a bad teacher in a shiny classroom.
So what does IC really do? They build buildings.
Where does the money that should have been ear-marked by the government to build that school go? No one knows.
In the end, IC is like any other NGO. They need money to continue doing what they think is "good." Unfortunately, whether or not they are actually helping or hindering Uganda’s development process doesn't factor into the equation so long as those running the company, the volunteers and aid-workers get their monthly pay-check.
(c.) More thoughts on the video
What shocks the hell out of me is the extensive publicity that IC has gotten out of the video. Think about it: A small-time guerilla leader who years ago terrified the northern region of Uganda now has a YouTube video with 70 MILLION-plus views!!!
Is there a single video about any present-day lunatic than can claim as much airtime?
And frankly, I can’t understand how people outraged about Kony today but haven’t batted an eyelash over:
(1.) The atrocities (mass murders, gang-rapes and pillaging) happening every day in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(2.) The goons that run around Zimbabwe doing Mugabe’s dirty deeds (i.e. killing anyone that even resembles opposition), or Mugabe and all his violence and bad governance in general
(3.) The genocide that has gone on for decades in The Sudan
(4.) Every corrupt government on this continent that continues to keep their people in the dirt
Or elsewhere:
(1.) A ruthless and unstable dictator in North Korea
(2.) Iran developing nuclear power
(3.) The Israel/Middle-East conflict
Or… perhaps most importantly, as from it stems - has stemmed and will stem - boundless suffering around the world:
(1.) People who worship some higher power but call it by different names refuse to stop killing each other because they have FAITH that everyone in their club is right and everyone else is wrong
Why did the Kony video go viral?
Because Invisible Children knows how to SELL!
They canvas the streets, produce videos and hurl their propaganda all over the internet in such a way that creates massive resonance among their audience.
If only they sold something worth buying… Just imagine the positive effect they could have on other pressing world issues by invigorating the American public, uniting them in a cause and focusing their energies towards positive action!
“Hey, IC! Please make your next video about Global Warming. But please do not release it on Al Gore’s birthday. Thanks.”
(d.) Thoughts on aid in Uganda (which are applicable to aid in general)
In the last two years, my opinion of aid in Uganda – which I now believe can be applied to Africa and even developing countries in general – has changed dramatically. When I first arrived, I was of the mindset that Uganda could use all the help it could get from the developed world to grow and become developed itself. The solution: Money, people and resources.
Today I’m of the mindset that Uganda has, in abundance, its own money, people and resources to shape-up and join the “developed world” (whatever the hell that means: Constant access to ridiculously inexpensive cheese? Fifteen-thousand different types of T.V. dinners? A population with a70 + % overweight/obesity rate?), and that is the last thing NGOs and the representatives of the government want the first-world Givers to find out.
Outsiders have been throwing money around here for far too long. The Government shirks responsibilities because outside donors pick up the slack. The divide between rich – who are buying luxury jets - and poor - who lack access to clean water - is appalling and growing. HIV/AIDS is on the rise once again, as people believe Anti-Retrovirals are a cure - research shows that a patient on a consistent regiment of ARVs will live as long as the average man/woman not suffering from HIV - and thus the fear of the virus is gone.
I've conducted teaching seminars at primary teacher's colleges and secondary schools here and asked the question "Who in this room fears HIV/AIDS?" to rooms filled with hundreds of students and not one of them raised their hands.
Hmm... not the answer you might expect.
Thus, I can no longer subscribe to the “give all that you can”-mindset because I’ve seen that the resulting mentality on the receiving end is “take all you can get.”
The surest way to ensure that I child never grows up is to foster a feeling of complete dependency. The same is true of developing nations.
Unfortunately, the biggest donors (USAID, UN, CHINA, WHO) are more politically motivated. Quid pro quo – “We’ll give you X-billion dollars if you fight so-and-so and let us keep a military outpost within your border.” If we don’t offer it, someone else that we’re competing with will, and then we lose our bargaining chip.
Ugh.
So... I recognize that foreign aid will not soon disappear. The question then becomes: What kind of aid should we give?
(e.) “Devon, I want to help. How can I help?”
What’s that you say? You want to help a developing country but you no longer want to send money to Invisible Children, Save the Children, Christ for Children, Mohammad for Munchkins, Buddha for Babies, Prophets for Progeny, etc…?
Pack your bags, and go there!! The greatest resource we can offer to countries in need is our people.
Blend in as best you can, and teach about yourself and our cultures back home. Be a role model. Inspire. Walk with the locals, sit with them, and learn their language and their culture. Laugh with them. Cry with them. Get angry with them. Feel what it is to be an outsider, to be gawked at, to be pointed and shouted at, laughed at, grabbed, poked, and petted. Hole up in your room, and feel the loneliness fully. But trudge on. Make a foothold. Plant the seed of trust, and when it begins to grow introduce solutions not to the problems that you see in the lives of your new community but what they see as problems.
There are plenty of programs that you can join (Peace Corps, Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO), Engineers/Doctors without borders, etc…) that can get you on track to an experience you’ll never forget.
If you can’t go abroad, find a volunteer in the field and ask them how you can help. A Peace Corps Volunteer can do more in a small community with a one-hundred dollar donation than an NGO can do with one-thousand or a corrupt government can do with one-million. www.PeaceCorpsJournals.com would be a great place to start that search.
Most importantly, educate yourselves on issues abroad. Take the “Kony 2012”-esque videos with a grain of salt. Diversify your news providers. And go read more about the good/evil sides of foreign aid (Check into “End of Poverty,” “White Man’s Burden,” “Dead Aid,” and, one of the most eye-opening books I’ve ever read, “The Road to Hell: The ravaging effects of foreign aid and international charity.”)... see if that aid-money you wanted to send might not be better invested into your own country.
Thanks for reading!
I love you all (but especially you, Michelle!)
Devon.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
COS Conference
Hello, and welcome back!
ABSURD!!!
Wow... where to begin? In my last post, I detailed the first days on my overland trip that too me through 10 countries plus Uganda. As I am still in Peace Corps and therefore in a position where I can get kicked OUT of Peace Corps, I cannot go into all the details of the trip. However, I am dead set on publishing an itinerary of my adventures, as, disregarding all the once in a life-time experiences I had to pay a pretty-penny for, the trip was incredibly affordable and very easy (in terms of the road being beautifully smooth and paved, the people being friendly and welcoming etc...). And, my god... the pictures. I've already posted pictures through Capetown on my Facebook page, and I'll post the rest from Capetown onward to Uganda once I get home and have more time and bandwidth.
Here's a quick list of things I did on the trip:
Bungee jumped off the bridge connecting Zambia and Zimbabwe (a couple weeks later, that same cord snapped when I young woman jumped off... she lived... and if I had been home, Michelle would have killed me...)
Four-wheeled and Skydived (like dirt-bikes but with four wheels) in the dunes of Swakopmund, Namibia. Skydiving is probably the coolest thing I've ever done... and I'm honestly thinking of getting certified so I can dive solo.
Watched the sun rise and hiked around Namib-Naukluft State Park in Namibia, possible the most beautiful desert environment I've ever seen (and I am VERY fond of the SW in the US).
Climbed, in a day, Devils Peak, Table Mountain and Lion's Head in Capetown, South Africa and drank beers and good wine while watching the sun set over the Atlantic.
Pony Trekked, got pummeled by malaria for the first time (Ugh...) and hiked around Sani Pass, Lesotho, the most beautiful mountainous region of our entire adventure (and possibly in my life, for that matter).
Got PADI certified (i.e. I'm a registered open-water SCUBA diver) in Tofo, Mozambique, where every picture is a postcard.
Snorkeled and boated around Vilankulos, Mozambique.
Snorkeled and Kayaked in Lake Malawi... home to the most diverse collection of fish of anywhere on the planet.
And, the rest, aside from a brief stay with some snorkeling and some hilariously-tippy-canoing in Nkhata Bay, Malawi, was just travel, getting our asses back to site on time.
Again, pictures to come, but probably not until months from now. I'm busy.
On to the point of the post: COS Conference.
COS stands for CLOSE OF SERVICE.
That's right, folks. I'm damn near finished with two years of service. Soon, now actually, I'm packing up my bags and planning for the second stage of my Capetown-Cairo trip which will ultimate terminate in Tel Aviv, Israel at the end of May. From there, I'll fly back to the US for my best friends wedding (a great movie, by the way) and begin the first days of the rest of my life. In the middle of march, I'll leave Kyenjojo for Kampala. There, I'll do three days of medical and paper-work nonsense, and then I'll be, um... kicked into the pool of 200,000 + Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) that have served since March 1st, 1961.
ABSURD!!!
The conference lasted two days. We talked about things we’d miss, things we wouldn't, what we were doing next, admin stuff, and in the end, we got give feedback about the good, bad and ugly about PC-Uganda from training onward to our Country Director (boss)... and by feedback, I mean verbal ravaging (this is not the place to talk about the BAD in PC, but my thoughts will be revealed when I am safely out of the axe...).
On day two, the last thing we did was all join in a circle, arms around each others shoulders, and we all expressed something we wanted the group to know. I’d been feeling emotions welling all day, but I just my hangover playing tricks on me (we drank pretty heavily each night).Well, I was third or so in line, and when it got to me, everything just spilled over. I looked to my left at Ashley, and was met with a “Don’t… if you do, I will…”
But I just couldn’t help it...
I choked up on my first words and had to turn away, my head resting on my close friend Elizabeth's head until I could catch a breath (I found out later that my tears eventually rolled down her nose like an Olympic ski-jumper, qualifying me as the most EXTREME cry-baby in the group). Back to everyone, look around, and I somehow got out, “It’s been an honor…” before breaking down again.
When I could speak, but not for long, I squeaked out, “It feels like my whole world is being turned upside down…”
Feeling a bit depressurized, I added on, “I just can’t BELIEVE that I was the first one!!!” to which everyone erupted into laughter (we'd had a bet about who would be the first to break down... the money was on one of the small, cute girls in the group. Oops!).
Everyone had something beautiful to say, and by the end there were very few dry eyes among us.
Things wrapped up that evening with after-dinner speeches and a slideshow documenting our two years together.
I lack the words to explain what it feels like to say goodbye to a family like this... I lack the motivation, at this time, to even try. For me, it is all so surreal. I believe it is nearly finished. I've accepted that. And still, I am a bit numb. Perhaps, in the time remaining I'll be able to write something up that better catches my turbulent emotions... but don't hold your breath. Instead, ask me about seeing a slide-show that I'll put together about the experience. Only with music and pictures can something so priceless be captured.
Oh! My small travel guitar that accompanied me to Uganda is now a MASTERPIECE! I brought it to COS, and I had everyone sign it. My instructions were, "You know, sign it, do whatever, just remember there are a lot of people, so keep it smaller..." The result? Well... see for yourself:
BEAUTIFUL!! Now, I just need a professional luthier to coat the surface with a thin layer of varnish to prevent any smudging from happening in the future.
It's time for me to run for the hills. I do hope to post a few more times before I leave the country, so stay tuned.
Thanks for reading.
I love you all (but especially you, Michelle!)
Devon.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
HELLO FROM NAMIBIA!!!
All,
I'm writing to you from the ridiculous town of Swakopmund, Namibia. We arrived here yesterday after 24+ hours of travel from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. After finding our place to camp, we scheduled our first adventure: Quad-Biking (Four wheelers) in the Namib Dessert right outside town. INCREDIBLE! We did it this morning, and I am sold on the bikes. Very cool.
In other news: I jumped off a bridge the other day, literally. The bridge connecting Vic-Falls Zimbabwe to Zambia has bungee jumping, so we bought a huge package where we did a zip-line, a swing over the gorge and a bungee jump for 155 bucks. HOLY SHIT. Greatest rides of my life.
5
4
3
2
1
BUNGEE!!!!
And then you fall 111 meters into the depths.
We hung around Zim for a few days and got screwed out of a bus ride to Namib, but we got everything figured out.
Note: Zimbabwe is a FANTASTIC country with beautiful people... some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. We're all discovering just how bad Uganda has it by making these comparisons to each country we travel to. Botswana, Zim (Vic Falls, really... obviously not the whole country), and Namibia look just like America. It's truly unbelievable how progressed these places are.
Alright, times up. Just wanted to check in. We're having a blast. Almost went sky diving today, but they were booked. We're headed to Nakuluft State Park tomorrow then down to Capetown in a few days. It just keeps getting better and better.
Thanks for checking in!
I love you all (but especially you, Michelle!)
Devon
I'm writing to you from the ridiculous town of Swakopmund, Namibia. We arrived here yesterday after 24+ hours of travel from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. After finding our place to camp, we scheduled our first adventure: Quad-Biking (Four wheelers) in the Namib Dessert right outside town. INCREDIBLE! We did it this morning, and I am sold on the bikes. Very cool.
In other news: I jumped off a bridge the other day, literally. The bridge connecting Vic-Falls Zimbabwe to Zambia has bungee jumping, so we bought a huge package where we did a zip-line, a swing over the gorge and a bungee jump for 155 bucks. HOLY SHIT. Greatest rides of my life.
5
4
3
2
1
BUNGEE!!!!
And then you fall 111 meters into the depths.
We hung around Zim for a few days and got screwed out of a bus ride to Namib, but we got everything figured out.
Note: Zimbabwe is a FANTASTIC country with beautiful people... some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. We're all discovering just how bad Uganda has it by making these comparisons to each country we travel to. Botswana, Zim (Vic Falls, really... obviously not the whole country), and Namibia look just like America. It's truly unbelievable how progressed these places are.
Alright, times up. Just wanted to check in. We're having a blast. Almost went sky diving today, but they were booked. We're headed to Nakuluft State Park tomorrow then down to Capetown in a few days. It just keeps getting better and better.
Thanks for checking in!
I love you all (but especially you, Michelle!)
Devon
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Overland: Day 1-3 - Greetings from Botswana!
First thing's first: You can reach me via my MTN cell number (785954285).
Next, here is the summary of the trip thus far.
Day 1: We flew from Entebbe at 6:30 on Monday morning after spending the night with our friend Rob from the CDC. AWESOME guy! He hooked us up with great beer, BBQ pork and, um, more great beer before we all crashed WAY too late for the early flight.
Entebbe is a very nice airport, and we were through customs quickly. Our flights were VERY strange in that in order to get to Jo-burg, we had to fly first to Nairobi, Kenya, wait two hours, board another plane for Kigali, Rwanda, wait 45 minutes and finally board the final plane to Jo-burg, South Africa.
I got HORRIFICALLY ill on the way to Nairobi! Not a good way to start a trip... I was having heat waves crash over me, I was sweating profusely from time to time, my head was hurting and my mind was spinning. I know what you might be thinking: Malaria. Me too. But, thankfully, I don't believe it was anything more than motion-sickness. I puked a bit on the plane to Kigali (I FINALLY GOT TO USE A BARF BAG!!!!!!), puked a lot more in Kigali (they were offering me a doctor... sweeties!) and crashed on the final plane to SA waking in the middle feeling relatively stable and ravenously hungry. The fog cleared over the next two hours, and by the time I landed, I was bright, sunny and stoked to have just finished a small bottle of Concha y Torro Cabernet. For those who have never flown with them, Rwandair is FANTASTIC!
Jo-burg: Dave had a friend in the city who met us at the airport. Gaven. Freakin' incredible human being! He drove us to his place in South Jo-burg where we showered, unpacked and met his wife before heading out to dinner. Tasty food, good beers, great company. The night ended with a long, deep sleep. The perfect end to a strange first day.
Day 2: We rose early, had some granola and yogurt and headed to the airport. After a brief goodbye with Gaven, we went through the issues with money exchange (FOREX at the airport is criminal), and getting Dave squared away with his money issues (he brought no money... only a stanbic card... and STANDARD does not take STANBIC, so he was in trouble). Once that was worked out, Natalie and I got in touch with the Bus-man who gave us some brilliant, though horrifically convoluted directions from the airport to the downtown where we would be able to catch our bus to Bulawayo (our original plan was to go straight to Zimbabwe and then transfer there onto something that takes us to Victoria Falls). Long story short, he along with everyone else freaked the living hell out of us about Jo-burg. Let me explain:
Jo-burg is VERY VERY VERY dangerous. We were told this by every single person we met. "Jo-burg is DANGEROUS. BE VERY CAREFUL!" We heard stories about people getting jumped in broad daylight, jumped in stores, alley's, streets, everywhere... my god. And the city is HUGE! So we were on high alert passing through town. On the surface, it looks amazing... like Kampala might look after another 100 years. Smooth roads, big nice buildings, ordered streets. Perfect. But always in the background, that fear of getting jumped. So we got our business done with the busses ASAP... which took quite some time.
We ended up catching a but to Gabarone, getting there late at night, realizing we had nowhere NEAR enough money to stay in such a nice place and hopped immediately on another bus Francistown.
Day3: After a strange ride (hallucinations from lack of sleep), we pulled into Francistown at around 4 am and left to the bus park to catch another bus to Kasane in the northernmost corner of Botswana. After some tea and fried bread, we caught that bus and somewhere around 6 hours later we arrived.
My god, I have run away typing again... As of now, we are finished with 18 hours of travel in the last 24 hours, and we are about 70km shy of Victoria Falls. We'll be there tomorrow jumping off of the bridge with buyngee cords on our feet! YEAH!!! Then, we'll likely stay around another day before heading into Namibia and continuing onward.
So! I am safe and loving life. South Africa and Botswana look a lot like America... EXACTLY like America, actually. It's freaky. There is just that damn underlying fear. Ugh. And then there are the prices... if we were coming straight from Jobs in the states, we'd have a much easier time buying the necessities (beer, beer, a place to set a tent, beer and... oh, food). Unfortunately, everything here is two-times more expensive than the states, so we're pinching pennies.
But we're making it.
Life is good. I'm doing GREAT. This is already one of the greatest adventures I've been on, and I am only a tenth of the way through :)
I'm off... I just shut down an internet cafe with this post.
Thanks for reading!
I love you all (but especially you, Michelle!)
Devon.
P.S. Next update, I expect, will come from Namibia!
Next, here is the summary of the trip thus far.
Day 1: We flew from Entebbe at 6:30 on Monday morning after spending the night with our friend Rob from the CDC. AWESOME guy! He hooked us up with great beer, BBQ pork and, um, more great beer before we all crashed WAY too late for the early flight.
Entebbe is a very nice airport, and we were through customs quickly. Our flights were VERY strange in that in order to get to Jo-burg, we had to fly first to Nairobi, Kenya, wait two hours, board another plane for Kigali, Rwanda, wait 45 minutes and finally board the final plane to Jo-burg, South Africa.
I got HORRIFICALLY ill on the way to Nairobi! Not a good way to start a trip... I was having heat waves crash over me, I was sweating profusely from time to time, my head was hurting and my mind was spinning. I know what you might be thinking: Malaria. Me too. But, thankfully, I don't believe it was anything more than motion-sickness. I puked a bit on the plane to Kigali (I FINALLY GOT TO USE A BARF BAG!!!!!!), puked a lot more in Kigali (they were offering me a doctor... sweeties!) and crashed on the final plane to SA waking in the middle feeling relatively stable and ravenously hungry. The fog cleared over the next two hours, and by the time I landed, I was bright, sunny and stoked to have just finished a small bottle of Concha y Torro Cabernet. For those who have never flown with them, Rwandair is FANTASTIC!
Jo-burg: Dave had a friend in the city who met us at the airport. Gaven. Freakin' incredible human being! He drove us to his place in South Jo-burg where we showered, unpacked and met his wife before heading out to dinner. Tasty food, good beers, great company. The night ended with a long, deep sleep. The perfect end to a strange first day.
Day 2: We rose early, had some granola and yogurt and headed to the airport. After a brief goodbye with Gaven, we went through the issues with money exchange (FOREX at the airport is criminal), and getting Dave squared away with his money issues (he brought no money... only a stanbic card... and STANDARD does not take STANBIC, so he was in trouble). Once that was worked out, Natalie and I got in touch with the Bus-man who gave us some brilliant, though horrifically convoluted directions from the airport to the downtown where we would be able to catch our bus to Bulawayo (our original plan was to go straight to Zimbabwe and then transfer there onto something that takes us to Victoria Falls). Long story short, he along with everyone else freaked the living hell out of us about Jo-burg. Let me explain:
Jo-burg is VERY VERY VERY dangerous. We were told this by every single person we met. "Jo-burg is DANGEROUS. BE VERY CAREFUL!" We heard stories about people getting jumped in broad daylight, jumped in stores, alley's, streets, everywhere... my god. And the city is HUGE! So we were on high alert passing through town. On the surface, it looks amazing... like Kampala might look after another 100 years. Smooth roads, big nice buildings, ordered streets. Perfect. But always in the background, that fear of getting jumped. So we got our business done with the busses ASAP... which took quite some time.
We ended up catching a but to Gabarone, getting there late at night, realizing we had nowhere NEAR enough money to stay in such a nice place and hopped immediately on another bus Francistown.
Day3: After a strange ride (hallucinations from lack of sleep), we pulled into Francistown at around 4 am and left to the bus park to catch another bus to Kasane in the northernmost corner of Botswana. After some tea and fried bread, we caught that bus and somewhere around 6 hours later we arrived.
My god, I have run away typing again... As of now, we are finished with 18 hours of travel in the last 24 hours, and we are about 70km shy of Victoria Falls. We'll be there tomorrow jumping off of the bridge with buyngee cords on our feet! YEAH!!! Then, we'll likely stay around another day before heading into Namibia and continuing onward.
So! I am safe and loving life. South Africa and Botswana look a lot like America... EXACTLY like America, actually. It's freaky. There is just that damn underlying fear. Ugh. And then there are the prices... if we were coming straight from Jobs in the states, we'd have a much easier time buying the necessities (beer, beer, a place to set a tent, beer and... oh, food). Unfortunately, everything here is two-times more expensive than the states, so we're pinching pennies.
But we're making it.
Life is good. I'm doing GREAT. This is already one of the greatest adventures I've been on, and I am only a tenth of the way through :)
I'm off... I just shut down an internet cafe with this post.
Thanks for reading!
I love you all (but especially you, Michelle!)
Devon.
P.S. Next update, I expect, will come from Namibia!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
November Update
Hi Everyone.
I'm really sorry for the long delay since my last post. I've traveled a good bit recently (to South Western Uganda to put on a Sex-Ed presentation and celebrate the arrival of some newly graduated PCVs, and then again to the SW for what turned into one of the most glorious Thanksgiving celebrations of my life!).
For T-day this year, 8 or 9 of us met up in Ibanda, and everyone got fantastically fat on multiple pies, stuffing balls, green-been casserole, CHEEEEESE, and god knows what else... whiskey for sure... and... oh yeah, a Turkey! By 10 in the evening, we were actually quite sick and regretting our gluttony. Looking back, it as totally worth it.
Let me just say: I hate killing things. I've done it so rarely in my life. Bugs? Yeah, daily. They are basically micro-machines. But real, warm blooded beings? Tough work, that. I did it. This year, I hung our turkey up by his feet from a tree, tied his wings back (so they wouldn't beat my face in), tore some feathers off his neck to expose the skin, grabbed a WICKED sharp Henckel knife and made the cut. It took about three seconds (everyone was very impressed by this), and if I understand the technique used on Polyface Farm in Virginia, the upside down position fills the fowl's head with blood, puts them into a comatose state and keeps the pain to a minimum.
It was definitely an experience. I shook for a while afterwards as we stripped it, gutted it and then put it into a large dutch oven we had fashioned using the large hole filled with coals.
I'll say this: The turkey was a sorry site after a night in which he was nearly eaten by a wild dog. But after several hours of slow cooking with a basting every half hour, he was beautiful brown and fully edible. He was one of the most delicious turkeys we've ever had.
Onward:
The school term is OVER!!!! Well, the classes and testing is finished. Now, we are focusing on filling in report cards. I put together a digital report card system based on one that someone else had done in the PC office... mine is A LOT better. Overall, it has been one of the most ridiculously complicated experiences I've ever had using MS Office and Excel. I'll save the details of the grading systems here for another post... at least I hope to get to that at some point... for now, let me say that it's been a beast of a project. Now, with the program complete, I am trying to get the teachers to use it. I am starting small using it only for the A-level classes first as they have only 80 or so students. The goal is to slowly integrate it into the lower level classes (first in S4, then in S3, etc...) until the entire school is using the program in about a year. As of now, I've got a few teachers literally giggling with excitement over how much time can be saved with the program, and their enthusiasm is spilling over onto the other teachers. The ball is rolling! We'll see how far it goes.
My S6 students are FINISHED WITH SCHOOL!!!! That's right: Moses, Ivan, Mugisa and Suzie (and Leonard, though he transferred at the beginning of the year), are now finished with their UNEB national exams and are thus finished with their secondary education! I met them over the last few days, and they greeted me with enormous smiles on their faces, their relief obvious. Now they just wait for their results, and when those arrive they can begin applying for universities!
I am happy to report that after taking the tests for the classes I taught, they came out smiling and saying, "It wasn't so bad! We did well Mastah!" I'm Happy. Relieved. Thrilled really. Sure, I don't know the scores, but if their attitudes towards the tests are any indication of their scores, they did quite well! (On the flip side, everyone that came out of the tests for the papers I did NOT teach had only "It was VERY hard" to say about it). We'll know the results in February. Until then, my fingers are crossed.
The school term ends officially on Friday, so that gives us tomorrow to finish the report cards. We've got a meeting at 1 and a staff party that should be a great finish. We'll likely all get together at a local hotel, grab a beer and eat some fried goat. Unfortunately, this lines up with a visit by the US Ambassador to Uganda. He'll be in a neighboring village with my Country Director and a few PCVs. It was requested that all in the area attend, but frankly, as busy as we are here, I just can't make it... further, even if I could I think I'd rather pause to celebrate an interesting year with the staff than sit around discussing the ups and downs of development with bureaucrats.
Up next:
As always, I am racked by a guilty conscience over not posting enough (stupid Catholic baptism at birth!). I've actually had a picture post ready since October, but I've put it off and put it off. Well, no longer. I'll post it tomorrow for you. So check back.
For the holidays, I am leaving the country! Yep. December 5th starts my Capetown to Cairo over-land adventure! I'm flying down with 3 friends to Jo-burg, and we'll then follow hit the following places:
Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia (bungee jumping at Vic Falls... naked, if at all possible), Namibia (dune buggying in the Namib Desert), South Africa (again) (Capetown, Roben Island, Beaches, Table Mountain), Lesotho (horseback riding, hiking), South Africa (again), Swaziland (chillin), Mozambique(getting SCUBA certified), Malawi (Scuba and Snorkel in Lake Malawi), Tanzania, Zanzibar, Tanzania and then we'll finally return to Uganda!
The only girl on the trip, Natalie, is hopping off in Capetown and heading to Zanzibar for Christmas, but just as she leaves, we're all meeting up with none other than MR. DAVID FICKE!! Mr. Ficke will accompany us for the remainder of the journey, and he'll be stopping in Uganda to see my site, live with me for a spell, help out at my school and then explore the land. Yes. Uganda is about to become a happier place.
That's as far into the future as I care to look... I leave this Monday, and I get screaming excited thinking about it. We'll have video and cameras to document everything, and I hope to drop updates here and there at various internet cafe's throughout the country, so stay tuned.
That about gets you up to speed. Sorry for a total lack of pictures in this post, but again, check back tomorrow and you won't be let down.
Thanks for checking in.
I love you all (but especially you, Michelle!)
Devon.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
My Women's Group
Warning: This post will not do justice to the beauty that is this women's group. They are the strongest, most hard working, dedicated, beautiful group of women I have EVER seen, and I almost feel like I am doing them a disservice by not putting up a SERIOUS, well thought out post. But ALAS: Time is not my friend (that, and the power in Kyenjojo has been scream-inducing chaotic recently, so better to get the post up than to have everything cut out right in the middle...).
A quick overview: I met this group through Moses, my friend who started a small NGO called UTOPIA along with a group of neighbors in the village of Kyongera (pronounced: "Chone-gera"). Before I even met them, the women had a savings scheme in which they pooled their money every week or two that they all met and one lucky women would get a loan on medicine or a business related expense. She would then pay it back at a later date. Since meeting them, I've introduced the concept of a Village Savings and Loan Association, and their savings has increased from around 60 thousand shillings to around 750 thousand! They are ON IT.
In addition to the concepts they borrowed from the savings and loan setup, they also get together to make arts and crafts. When my Dad and sister Catherine came to Uganda, we all got together for a big day-o-fun, and when Dad and Cat left Uganda, they had a large supply of baskets, necklaces and other craft work from this group. So: If you are interested in getting a piece of BEAUTIFUL Ugandan craft-work and you are fortunate enough to know my father, contact him and, if available, he can show you what he's got [In fact, the women are holding each piece that they made and sent with my Dad! So you'll actually know the women (somehow) who made your craft!]. We're in the process of setting up a supply line where the women ship more products to us by Air-Mail, we sell it in The States, and 100% of the proceeds (less shipping) goes back to the women.
Ok, without further ado... the women of the Kyongera women's group. (Note: I intend to interview all the women, but at the time I only have three. I've included excerpts from the interviews (quite short), put them more into a statement form and attached them to the pictures).
Beatrice Mbabazi, “Adyeeri”
[This is Moses' mother!] My name is Beatrice Mbabazi, and my empaako [nickname] is “Adyeri” [Pronounced: Aw-dyeh-ree]. I am 42 years old, and I have eight children.
Education is very important to me. I completed Primary 2 [The US equivalent of 1st grade], and there are many things I would be doing today if I had a better education. It is very important that my children receive one.
To help support my family, I used to make money by making crafts such as sweaters and baskets. If I have a surplus of food from digging, I will also sell that. When the yield is poor, it is only for the family. I can earn ten-thousand shillings [bout 3.33 USD] in a month. This money is not enough. There are times when I get sick and must use the money for sick affairs [hospital bills], and what I had intended for the money to go to is diverted to the sickness.
When it doesn't go towards medical expenses, I spend the money I earn on materials for arts and crafts for the women’s group. I also buy scholastic materials for my kids, and some of the money is a contribution for school fees.
It is the lack of income generating activities that is preventing the development of Uganda today. If we have something to do [i.e. work], we can do these things and make money. And by hard work we can have a better life. There are some jobs in Uganda, but often they are only for educated people. That means that uneducated people don’t get jobs or are paid very little.
With the money made by selling my baskets in The United States, I hope to invest in making a clinic so that that money goes on generating. Or I would buy a certain place or area where we can continue making crafts so that we can act as an example to others so that they too make crafts, sell them and make an income for themselves.
The final interview question: "Tell me about the happiest moment in your life."
Her answer: What made me happiest in life was when I got a home and got married, [Baptist, her husband, clarifies here: “That is a home,” he says, “when a man and a woman get married. It is a home, not a house.”] and had children. In the future, I want peace and a source of income so that my home stands.
Maurene Tusiime, "Abwooli"
Edrona Kabahindi, "Atwooki"
[Didn't get the name...]
Mary Balyebwoha, "Akiiki"
Beatrice Tibanjurra, "Amooti"
Victoria Timbigamba, "Abwooli"
Violet Banura, "Ateenyi"
My name is Violet Banura, my empaako is “Ateenyi”, and I am 20 years old. I have one parent, my dad who is a peasant farmer, and my mother is dead. I also have one brother and five sisters.
[When I asked about her occupation, I got this response]:
[Baptist says: “That is a completely dead question for her, she is finding it hard for her to answer.” He said this after Violet answered, “Tinsubura.” which in Rutooro means, “I am not able.”]
“Oli mulimi?” I ask (You are a farmer?). “Ehhh.” (Yes.) “Olima ki?” (What do you grow?) “Ebitakuuli, ebijimba, ebilaaya…” (Sweet potatoes, beans and irish potatoes.) “Nootunda ebijumaa?” (Do you sell those vegetables?) “Tintunda.” (I don’t sell them) [meaning she is a subsistence farmer.]
I am helping Uganda's development by digging and making crafts. I will consider myself developed when I buy a cow. For now, my goals are to continue raising my babies [in addition to her three children, she is also raising a child of her deceased sister. The father wasn't taking care of the child and neither was her (Violet's) dad. So Violet took the child into her house to raise it.]
The final interview question: "Tell me about the happiest moment in your life."
Her answer: Having the babies were the happiest moments in my life.
Consolant Kirungi, "Atwooki"
Stanley Rubaire, "Apuuli"
Clophas Kasangaki, "Ateenyi"
Oliver Kakulilemu, "Abwooli"
Anna Akimugabo, "Abwooli"
Sylvia Natugonza, "Adyeeri"
My name is Sylvia Natugonza, and my empaako is "Adyeri". I am thirteen years old, and I am in Primary 7 [the US equivalent of 6th grade]. I have five sisters and two brothers.
The problem in Uganda today is there is not enough education. When I am not in school, I like to make crafts to sell. With the money I earn from the crafts sold in The United States, I will create progress in my life. With it, I will buy more material for crafts and will make them over the holidays.
The final interview question: "Tell me about the happiest moment in your life."
Her answer: [Before giving her answer, I must state this: After hearing the question and giving it POSSIBLY two seconds of thought, her face erupted into a brilliant smile… the girl was literally beaming, and she gave me this answer.] The day when you came with Catherine and your Dad… that was the happiest day of my life.
The most beautiful women I've ever met.
Thanks for reading!
I love you all (but especially you, Michelle!)
Devon.
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