Site Visit

My site visit to Kachumbala couldn't have gone any better. I met my adviser (Rose), counterpart (Peter), and two of the priests (Father Paul and Father Joseph), who all work and live at the worksite in Kachumbala. Kachumbala Mission Dispensary is an NGO founded by missionaries whose aim is to provide clinical and health services to the people of Kachumbala. While it's still unclear exactly what my role will be, I will likely be working at the health clinic (HC II) and at the primary and secondary schools in Kachumbala, teaching english, writing, and math to students.

Observations:

1. My house consists of two bedrooms, a toilet, and a bathing area. It still needs some work. The ceiling needs repair, window screens need to be installed, and the house needs to be cleaned (some staff are currently living there). Ruth told me that she would have it ready for when I move in on Friday 10/22. Furthermore, I do not have a kitchen because I do not have to cook for myself. Stephen, the chef, cooks for the staff (e.g. priests). I still want to do some cooking, though, once I move to site.

2. The people of Kachumbala were really interested in who the 'mzungu' was moving into their village. My first three months at site are particularly important for me to integrate into the community, assess community needs, and become comfortable living on my own.

3. Due to the daily morning Mass (the church is next to my house), I will have the privilege of waking up to the sounds of church music every morning. This is far better than the rooster crows I hear every morning in Wakiso.

4. My site is in a fantastic location! Not only am I 20 minutes from Mbale, but also just a short distance from Kumi, Sororti, Mt. Elgon National Park, and Sipi Falls.

5. I foresee two major challenges once I move to site. One is a lack of privacy - my house is situated right next to my worksite - from which I am accustomed to in the States. Second is educating local people about the Peace Corps' grassroots, community-assets approach. For example, Ruth told me that when Ugandans see a white person, they assume that he or she will instantaneously give them things/better their livelihoods/etc. This could not be more different from Peace Corps' capacity-building, sustainable approach of utilizing community resources and empowering local community members.

6. Eastern Uganda is beautiful. Kachumbala is unique in that it not only is surrounded by mountains, but also it has a multitude of distinctive rock formations (volcanic?).

7. It is increasingly apparent how overcrowdedness in the schools and the lack of teachers significantly affect educational learning in Uganda. The primary school in Kachumbala has about 900 students with only 12 teachers, the secondary school about 700 students with only 9 teachers.

There's only 1 week left until we move out of our home-stays. It will be bitter-sweet, but it is time to move on. Let the countdown for swear-in (10/21) begin.