The Chronicles of my Journey as a Peace Corps "Mzungu"

A List of Numbers, part II

2012-01-28T03:48:00.009-05:00

Here is a continuation from my first post back in September 2010 of my numeric experiences, reflections, and predictions to date.

164 - Number of days I have remaining until my COS conference in July (as of the date of this blog post)

8 - Number of jerry cans of water I use at site every week

0 - Number of cases of malaria

49% - My odds for a Patriots Super Bowl victory this Sunday night in Indianapolis

92 - Number of games I project the Red Sox to win this upcoming season

UGX560,000 - Number of Ugandan schillings my organization apparently owes Umeme (Uganda's electrical company) before we get our power reconnected

25% - My odds for the power being reconnected before I leave Uganda in September-October 2012

96 - Current number of students in my Senior 4 English class, the 1st term starting this week

3 - Number of computer cables I have replaced over the past year because of the daily power outages and dimming of power

As often as possible - Number of nights I fantasize over the home-cooked meals (tacos, hens, potroast and latkahs) I miss and long for back home

7 - Most number of passengers jammed into a car taxi - intended to seat 3-4 persons - i've experienced firsthand

$327 - Number of $'s I make per month as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda

3 - Number of dental crowns i've needed in Uganda

478,969,230,856 - Number of mosquitoes in Kachumbala, more than anywhere else in Uganda

108 - Approximate number of miles I walked in Egypt

Everyday - Number of times I have pondered my unknown future once I leave Uganda

24,000+ - Number of books expected to arrive in Uganda later this year for library establishment

1 - Number of times it has rained in Kachumbala over the past three weeks (it is currently in the dry season)

Every Sunday - Number of times I have been asked by Sunday mass-goers why I don't pray in the Catholic Church

4 - Number of times this week a Ugandan excused work not getting done/things being delayed by telling me "This is Africa"

6 - Number of hours of my computer's battery life, if not watching videos

4 - Number of hours of my computer's battery life, if watching videos

2 - Number of cats currently making the Mission their home

0 - Number of times, after asking a Ugandan how his/her day is going, the initial response is something other than "I am fine," "I am fair," "I am okay," or "I am somehow fine"

18 - Number of pounds I have lost in Uganda to date

9 - Average number of hours I sleep per night at site

5+ - Number of times I am likely to have edited this blog post

Land of the Pharaohs

2012-01-12T06:37:00.011-05:00

This past Christmas and New Year, I was fortunate enough to go on a second trip of a lifetime, to pharaonic and ancient Egypt. Despite the exaggerated news reports of ongoing protests and violence in Cairo, fellow PCV Gary Goodman and I still decided to venture out on our planned trip, excited to visit Egypt at such a monumental time in its history. Most other would-be vacationers to Egypt, however, decided to stay home.

Fortunate for us? There were no lines at any of the sites. Buses of tour groups were few and far between. Prices everywhere and for everything dropped considerably (this is Egypt's peak season for tourism). We were upgraded to a 2-bedroom, 13-story penthouse overlooking the Cairo Nile for free.

Unfortunate for business? The streets were eerily quiet, the hotels were often empty, and the sites were infrequently visited, all rid of tourists.

We also lucked out weather-wise. Contrary to Uganda, Egypt has hot-cold seasons, with scorching hot temperatures during the summer months and cooler temperatures during the winter months. Therefore, it made traveling with two large packs much more bearable, and a nice respite away from site.

Huge thanks to my parents for enabling me financially to go on a trip I will surely never forget!

TRIP HIGHLIGHT

Hiking off the beaten trail from the Valley of the Kings to the Temple of Hatshepsut alongside a 300m cliff face, providing us with an aerial view of the temple, the surrounding lunar-like landscape, and of the Nile River/East Bank of Luxor.

TRIP HIGHS

1) Waking up at 3:00AM for a 3 hour drive to see the Great Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel.
2) Even though the Tourist Police advised us not to ride the main cabin train (that the locals ride) from Aswan to Luxor, we chose to do so anyway, thus getting more of a real cultural experience and being in better position to interact with the local people.
3) Walking through the Great Hypostyle Hall - comprising 134 stone pillars and covering more than 5,000 sq meters - at the Temples of Karnak.
4) Admiring the tombs at the Valley of the Kings and at the Tombs of the Nobles.
5) Getting lost in the streets and marketplaces of Islamic Cairo.
6) Despite our initial mishap, climbing to the top of inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu.
7) Seeing the Royal Mummy Room - housing the remains of some of ancient Egypt's most illustrious pharaohs (Ramses II, Ramses III, Ramses V, Seti I, Tuthmosis IV) and queens - at the Egyptian Museum.
8) Seeing King Tutankhamun's golden death mask, two sarcophagi, and lion throne at the Egyptian Museum.
9) Egyptian hospitality: with the exception of a few verbal altercations, the Egyptians we encountered could not have been more hospitable and welcoming.

TRIP LOWS

1) The persistent hassling, touts, and scams right outside the sites and alongside the Nile Corniche. While the hassling undoubtedly results from people just trying to make a living for themselves and provide for their families, it makes the trip far less enjoyable when a felucca owner or a horse carriage driver follows you for 5 minutes, repeatedly offering you "the best price" for a ride, only to charge you double for it later.
2) Based solely on the areas we stayed in Aswan and Cairo, we were not able to find many sit-down (needed after a long day of walking) local eateries. Our options were limited to street food, fast food, or expensive restaurants to which most tourists flock.
3) Getting lost in a rough neighborhood of Aswan.
4) We had difficulty communicating with Egyptians who did not speak English, in asking for directions and negotiating prices. Learning only to speak basic greetings in Arabic can only take you so far.
5) Tacky souveniers sold to tourists, the majority of which are made and imported from China.
6) Being denied initial entry to climb inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu because we were issued the wrong admissions tickets.

TRIP OBSERVATIONS

1) The generational mix/contradiction of the traditional and the modern. For example, it was not uncommon to see young Egyptian girls wear traditional headdresses, with modern American-branded jeans, all while eating traditional Egyptian food sold at McDonalds.
2) The 5 calls to prayer - projected over a loudspeaker at sunrise, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and at night - are an incredibly personal and sacred daily custom.
3) Rightfully or not, crossing pedestrians do not have the right-of-way when navigating through Cairo's traffic/streets. Egyptians also like to honk their horns a lot, ALL THE TIME, not necessarily because it's needed but rather just to be heard.
4) Egyptians are very proud of their national heritage, culture, and of their capital city.
5) Egyptians are as crazed and passionate about football as Ugandans.
6) Egypt may be an Islamic country in North Africa, but it continues to rapidly develop and "Americanize" faster than just about any other African nation.
7) The general consensus amongst the Egyptians I talked to is that they supported the revolution to overthrow Mubarak and the Egyptian government, but currently they do not support the ongoing protests to oust the military leaders from power, in large part, because of how they've drastically affected Egypt's tourism, and simultaneously, their businesses.
8) Outside of the major mall, very few women appear to work in the service sector (waiting tables, driving taxis, selling goods, working in shops). This leads me to believe that Egypt is still very much a male-dominated society.
9) While the New Year is certainly celebrated in Egypt, it is not the all-out, drunken revelry that ensues every New Years Eve in the U.S.
10) Smoking "sheesha" (a tobacco water pipe) at an "ahwa" (a traditional coffeehouse) and playing backgammon/checkers are everyday favorite hobbies, and seemingly a great way to pass the time.
11) If you're ever planning a future trip to Egypt, be sure to bring lots of small change (coins, small notes) with you. People will inevitably demand "baksheesh" (tips) for anything from opening a door to taking you inside a closed tomb. For the majority of people, "baksheesh" is relied upon to supplement low wages. It's just the way of life in Egypt.
12) Because of the Islamic faith, alcohol in Egypt is not widely served outside of restaurants and bars.
13) Yes, you can really buy belly dancing costumes, Nubian viagra, Sudanese swords, and gold/silver in the marketplace.
14) The Pyramids are far grander, the Sphinx ("the Father of Terror") smaller, than I initially imagined. What I really didn't imagine was for both to be located right in the center of Giza, instead of isolated somewhere in the Egyptian desert.

Ugandan internet doesn't want to let me upload any pictures of the trip on the blog, but feel free to check out the album on facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=21502030.

Pre-Egypt Work @ Site

2011-12-12T01:55:00.004-05:00

WORLD AIDS DAY

World Aids Day, observed this year on Thursday, December 1, is dedicated to the purpose of raising awareness on the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). To promote HIV/AIDS awareness in Kachumbala, I led a joint Family Planning-STD prevention session with my women's group. I had previously asked the women - and the two men representing their wives - to bring their respective partners to the session, in attempt to generate much-needed dialogue and discussion on the topic.

Nine men showed up to the session. It was the best thing that could have happened!

A family planning discussion soon turned into a heated debate over the legitimacy of the current gender roles in Uganda, a taboo subject matter seldom discussed. I was particularly glad to see several of the women, who are typically fairly reserved in the group, strongly argue for and defend their rights. As an outside observer, it was also interesting to listen to some of the back-and-forth dialogue - from what I could understand in Ateso - between the women and their husbands.

Not only is it my hope that World Aids Day further promoted awareness on HIV/AIDS prevention in Kachumbala, but also that the group's women and men can begin to openly discuss taboo issues such as the current gender roles/hierarchy in Uganda.

RAINCATCHER'S VISIT TO KACHUMBALA

This past weekend, Martha (Raincatcher's Project Coordinator of Africa) and Dennis visited the Mission to assess the potential suitability for rainwater harvesting. I gave them a brief tour of the village, introduced them to the headmasters at Kongunga Primary School and Kongunga Secondary School, and took lots of pictures of the Mission's buildings/roofs (the schools, the Catholic Church, the Parish House, the Dispensary). Although it has not yet been determined nor finalized, it is looking like both the primary and secondary school, the Catholic Church, and the Parish House will each recieve their own rainwater harvesting tank (fundraised and materials/labor supplied locally by Raincatcher), and the Dispensary will have their malfunctioning rainwater tank fully repaired. This would greatly benefit the community because it 1) Provides additional water sources from which community members can fetch their water, 2) Eases the daily strain on the lone borehole, a result of it being largely overused, and 3) Significantly reduces the amount of rainwater that is wasted everyday during the wet season.

On behalf of my village, the school headmasters, the Mission priests, and everybody else from Kachumbala, I look forward to my continued partnership with Raincatcher over the next year. Huge thanks to Raincatcher for the 10 additional Sawyer water filters and the Doritos (an awesome reminder of home)!

"LIBRARIES FOR LIFE - PEACE CORPS UGANDA" UPDATE

Within the past week, "More than Pages - Uganda," another library project in Uganda on the Books for Africa donation page, expressed interest in merging with "Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda."

Assuming both projects combine their efforts, how does this affect everything moving forward?

For starters, the $ that "More than Pages - Uganda" fundraised will essentially be transferred over to "Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda." Thus, we will have reached our target goal! Not only will this expedite the shipment and arrival of the books from the U.S. to Kampala (than initially expected), but it also enables me to now primarily focus on the pre-establishment tasks of the library, for instance training the soon-to-be-appointed librarian in library management; fundraising enough $ to buy heavy-duty steel windows, bookshelves, and chairs locally (the secondary school is contributing the tables); and preparing the designated library room for the books' arrival.

Within the next month, I plan to further develop the project design/action plan, and clarify a number of logistical issues with the headmaster and librarian:

* When (days/hours) will the library be open?
* What are the librarian's designated tasks?
* What rules will students be expected to adhere to inside the library?
* What will the physical design of the library look like? For example, where will the nonfiction books be shelved? How many bookshelves (length? width? height?) are able to fit alongside the room's back wall? How many tables will be available for student use inside the library? Where will the librarian's desk be located?
* How will all the library's books be cataloged?
* What will be the policy for students/teachers checking out and returning books? Will there be an associated cost?
* What will be the fine for lost or damaged books?
* How will all funds collected from library fines be safeguarded?
* How will all the books inside the library be safeguarded?
* What is the most effective way to open and introduce the library to the general student body? To teach students how to reference information, and use books for research?
* When/how often will teachers be allowed to utilize the library for their classes?
* What is the most effective way to go about starting an afterschool reading club?
* Who will monitor, both in the short-term and in the long-term, that the library is achieving its intended objectives?
* How will the library remain sustainable for the long-term?
* How will the community outside the school (if applicable) be involved in the project?

Thanks again for all your contributions and donations! This project wouldn't have been possible otherwise.

Wishing everybody a Happy Hanukah, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

A Final Plea

2011-11-24T05:42:00.003-05:00

With the holiday season rapidly approaching, what better way to make a meaningful impact in the lives of Ugandan children than to contribute to the "Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda" project.

Partnering with Books for Africa (BfA), the project aims to build libraries in selected schools throughout Uganda. By supplying schools with textbooks, workbooks, novels, reference books, school supplies, and other resources, we (two other Peace Corps volunteers, children's author Jean Ready, and myself) hope to encourage a culture of reading that is fun yet educational. Books spark intellectual curiosity, encourage kids to think critically and creatively, and put a powerful face to words.

Unfortunately, the majority of schools in Uganda - including the schools participating in this project - have a very limited supply (if any) of books. Many of my students have never before opened a textbook or novel, or learned how to use a book's index or table of contents.

This is where we need your help. In order to have the donated books, supplied by BfA, shipped to Kampala, Uganda, we need to clear the books from port by first paying the shipping charges (approximately $14,000) and port/clearance charges (approximately $2,000), in addition to the costs needed to rent out space to sort through the books, and to deliver the books via truck to the beneficiary schools.

If you find yourself in position to donate to "Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda", please visit Books for Africa's donation page (https://www.booksforafrica.org/donate/to-project.html), scroll down to the Uganda subheading, and click on the said project link.

Any sum that you are able to contribute is greatly appreciated, and will go a long way to building new libraries, with about 4,000 books in each, in selected schools around Uganda!

It Was Only A Matter of Time

2011-11-18T10:35:00.004-05:00

Today, I was traveling from Mbale to Kampala for my upcoming midservice medical checkup. Proud of myself for waking up at 5:00AM, I managed to catch the 7:30AM Elgon Flyer bus. I secured a seat in the back, hoping to slyly hide the vacant seat directly next to me.

For those who are unfamiliar with Ugandan transportation, it is rare, almost unheard of, to secure a seat on a bus, car taxi, or matatu without at least one person sitting next to/on top of you. For example, it is the norm to be jammed five people on a seat intended to sit two people. Because bus companies understandably want to maximize their profit on any given journey by filling up every available seat, customer satisfaction/comfort is essentially disregarded. No sweat, right?

Waiting quietly in the back for the bus to leave for Kampala, I thought I had outsmarted the bus conducter. One minute before departure, I was sadly mistaken. "You sit next to the muzunugu," I hear from the conducter, directed at a woman with a baby (not more than a few months old) in-hand. I immediately curse my luck. Sitting next to a presumably crying baby is not how I want to spend the next four hours of my day.

To my surprise, the baby was remarkably well-behaved and cryless, so much that I managed to fall asleep. All was going fine until, two hours later after passing Jinja town, I am suddenly awoken to "Bllaahhhhh." Initially confused by the sound, I wake up to my shirt and pants covered in vomit. It takes me 2-3 seconds to actually realize what just happened. With the mother profusely apologizing "I am sorry" and hundreds of eyes staring at me, wondering from where the nauseating smell and sound originated, I embarrassingly begin to clean/wash my shirt with my water. The conducter then comes over to ask if I am doing okay. Outwardly, I say, "I am fine." Inwardly, I am passing much of the blame on him.

The irony of it all? The mother and her baby proceed to get off the bus in Lugazi town (not in Kampala), not even 20 minutes after my shower of baby vomit. A prime example of bad timing at its finest.

The morals of the story? In Uganda, to expect the unexpected. To embrace everything, even the gross things, as they come because they may never come again stateside. And to perhaps sleep in and catch the 8:30AM Elgon Flyer bus to Kampala instead.

It was bound to happen. It was only a matter of time.

The World Map Project at Kongunga Primary School

2011-11-14T01:49:00.003-05:00

Thanks to the students and teachers of Kongunga Primary School for their hard work and dedication on this project. Next up: the World Map Project at Kongunga Secondary School!

Midservice

2011-11-10T04:01:00.006-05:00

My apologies for my several week absence from updating the blog.

Two weeks ago was my midservice conference in Masaka, with all 44 volunteers from my training group. It was great to reconnect with my fellow PCV's, some of whom I haven't seen since IST back in January. A training group's midservice conference signifies the halfway point in their two years of service. The purpose of the conference is to share successes, challenges, and frustrations; pool resources; and to develop a new workplan and monthly project goals.

Midservice is also the time to really do soul-searching and begin to question what is next for me? What the heck do I want to do after service? What options are available? Do I want to extend my service in-country or in another country? Do I want to consider a Peace Corps Response assignment that has more defined project objectives, and is more tailored to one's skills, interests, and experiences? Do I return stateside, and try my luck in the uninspiring job market? I've already decided not to extend in Uganda because my work situation is anything but ideal; also, I want to see something new. More likely than not, I will return stateside following post-COS travel unless I find a Peace Corps Response assignment that is an ideal fit.

The most reflective part of the conference for me was when we were all frankly asked Why are you still here? What is keeping you from leaving early and going back to the U.S.? My answer is a combination of:
- The full support I have recieved from family and friends back home
- The great relationships I have formed with people in my village
- Several of my projects that are now on the upswing
- My stubborness/self-pride and refusal to quit anything I start
- My satisfaction at being able to communicate in the local dialect
- My loving, biting, tick-carrying dog
- The realization that Uganda really has become a second home for me

We also had a Halloween party (I was too lazy to make a costume) and trivia night, as well as superlatives which were given out to everybody. My superlative, predictably, was "Most likely to get mango flies, nairobi eye, and have his computer stolen all in the same week." Yes, these all did happen to me. No, these all didn't happen within a week.

Despite some nasty reactions (nausea, diahrrea, fever) we all had to the flu shots Peace Corps was mandated to give us (three days of diahrrea, no sweat), midservice was incredibly fulfilling, and motivated me to continue on in my second year of service.

You Know You're A Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda When...

2011-10-14T07:09:00.004-04:00

* Reading a good book or watching goats graze is considered a “productive day.”
* You stare at foreign tourists as much as the local people do.
* You have to tell people to arrive for a 10:00AM meeting at 9:00AM for the meeting to start on time.
* You yourself begin to not keep time.
* You are awoken to the sounds of crowing roosters, crying goats, barking dogs, singing from morning mass, or children knocking on your door every morning.
* You want to strangle, maybe literally, the crowing roosters or crying goats every morning.
* Pooping in a bucket may be your only option at night.
* People regularly try to cheat you by charging you double or triple the price for any good or service.
* A taxi ride that should take 30 minutes to arrive at your destination actually takes 3 hours.
* Riding on a road full of potholes feels like just another ride on any given day.
* Walking down the street, children shout "muzungu” at you, but when you walk towards them, they run away either laughing or screaming in terror.
* Bucket bathing actually feels like a normal thing to do in the morning.
* Buying a soda for 1,500 UGX, or roughly $.60, is considered a luxury.
* You're using public transport; if your lap is empty, there is always room for more people.
* Coco Finger, Bebe Cool, Radio & Weasel, and Juliana are part of your everyday playlist.
* Rice, beans, and pringles are part of your everyday diet.
* Spiders are no longer your enemy, but rather your ally in the constant fight against bugs (mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, mango flies, Nairobi ants).
* 4 hours is considered to be a long work day.
* You distinguish between your Peace Corps family, your American family, and your Ugandan homestay family.
* 100+ pairs of eyeballs are staring at you at all times.
* You can’t order salad at any restaurant because the water may not be clean.
* Every song in a dance club sounds exactly the same.
* You have to sit in a specific way at a specific place in your house if you want to get internet.
* You have to ask the waitress 5 times to bring you the bill.
* You repeatedly have to air dry your clothes due to the sudden, afternoon rain showers.
* Your electronics die because of the constant dimming and “on-and-off” fluctuation in power.
* You see firsthand the damaging effects of how foreign aid perpetuates dependency, often goes into the wrong hands, and does not eliminate long-term need.
* You see firsthand the innocence, youthfulness, and enthusiasm of children despite the difficult circumstances in which they are often living.
* Yes, your neighbor really does have 18 children.
* 9 out of every 10 times, when you ask a child how he/she is doing, he/she will respond with, “I am fine.”
* The school you teach at is challenged daily with teacher absenteeism, student absenteeism, ineffective teaching, lack of student interest in learning, and a major lack of resources.
* You are often awoken to the sounds of buzzing mosquitoes hungry for your blood flying right outside your mosquito net.
* You enjoy the rare but surprisingly large selection of western food in Kampala.
* The combination of No running water + A flushing toilet + Laziness begins to really irritate your sense of smell after some time.
* You actually look forward to the completely random but vivid dreams that result from your malarial medication.
* Your headlamp becomes your best friend at site.
* President Obama, religion, and European premier league football are everyday conversation topics.
* Waiting typically takes up half your day.
* You learn to laugh at yourself and at the little things in life.
* You’ve made babies cry on multiple occasions because of the color of your skin exterior.
* MTN’s network reception as your phone carrier is not, in actuality, “Everywhere You Go.”
* You grow to really, really like Mexican soaps.
* You grow to really, really like Indian food.
* You feel incredibly fortunate to be living in “the Pearl of Africa” for two years.

Two New Projects and an Update

2011-10-06T05:27:00.003-04:00

The World Map Project

The World Map Project is an initiative created by Peace Corps volunteer Barbara Jo White (Dominican Republic, 1987-1989). Simply put, the project involves drawing and painting a map of the world on any flat surface (e.g. the wall of a school building) using the Grid Method (transferring information from pre-gridded map sheets onto the flat surface) or the Projection Method (using an overhead projector and a single world map transparency). In addition to a number of fantastic Peace Corps Uganda World Map Projects that have recently been completed, I plan to do one at Kongunga Primary School using the Projection Method in the next couple of weeks.

Why the World Map Project?
* It's relatively easy and simple for anybody to complete.
* It teaches students about geography and the world around them.
* It can be drawn and painted anywhere (school walls, classrooms, community buildings, libraries, etc).
* It instills pride, accomplishment, and teamwork.

To read more about the initiative, visit:
http://multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/library/R0088_worldmapproject.pdf
http://www.theworldmapproject.com/

Women's Group

Yesterday was the first meeting of the Women's Group I am continuing at the Mission; the group, of not more than 20 women, was initially started by a previous volunteer (not Peace Corps) and co-led by Betty. The purpose of the group is to discuss health-related issues; issues of gender, diversity, and self-respect; and any other issues that the members, perhaps, don't feel comfortable sharing with their husbands or families. I hope to empower the women in the group by providing them with a safe place to talk about issues that concern their everyday livelihoods. The group will meet every Tuesday at 2:00PM.

Update on the Composition Writing Assignment...

Written about in a previous post, I am primarily teaching composition writing in my Senior 3 English class this term. Each week, my students have been responding to composition writing topics in their journals; in turn, Atim Christine (my teaching counterpart) and I have been giving weekly feedback/constructive criticism/suggestions for areas of improvement. To be honest, while some students' writing has noticeably improved from week to week, I anticipate this to be a slow and gradual process. For many of my students, for instance, this is the first time they are being asked to use critical thinking, write with description, include an introduction and conclusion in their writing, and explain more than just listing points with, "Because of the following reasons..." If I can teach them to move past their natural inclination to just list without describing "why?" or "how?" and write more freely, openly, and sincerely, the assignment won't be all for naught. Only time will tell...

A New Cat at the Mission?

2011-10-06T04:53:00.004-04:00

A few days ago, a baby kitten randomly wandered into the grounds of the Mission. It couldn't have been more than a few weeks old. We have no idea who the kitten belongs to (or if he/she will retrieve it) or where it came from, but rumor has it that it may be the pet of a shopowner in town. Naturally, with a new pet at the Mission to garner our affection, this perked the interest and attention, and perhaps a little jealously, of Fugoso. The two have already had a few run-ins, much to the excitement and amusement of the neighborhood kids.

The Concept of Waiting

2011-10-06T04:09:00.005-04:00

If there's one thing that I have not yet rightfully adjusted to or embraced in Uganda, it's the act of waiting. Waiting for things to happen. Waiting for people to show up to meetings. Waiting for students to show up to class. Waiting for food to be delivered. Waiting for the internet to work. Waiting for the power to return. Waiting for matatus (van taxis) to leave the taxi park. Waiting for promises to be kept. Waiting for lines at the ATM to move. Believe me, I've tried waiting, and I've been forced to wait. But it's simply not in my DNA. I'm a go-getter. I like getting things done. I selfishly like the satisfaction of a job well done. If I just wait or sit around, I personally feel like I'm being unproductive. Therefore, living in a host culture in which waiting is common, if not the norm, has deeply challenged my "get it done" mentality. Waiting is a habit I may never embrace nor understand while in Uganda, but I still have to accept it, because indeed, it's the way of life here.

British/Uganglish-American English Translations

2011-09-20T23:51:00.006-04:00

You know that you've been living in Uganda a while when you naturally start asking your neighbor "Are you picking me?" or claiming to a friend "Ah, you are deceiving me" as part of your everyday vocabulary. The following are either British sayings spoken in Uganda or Ugandan adaptations of British English that I have repeatedly heard since arriving in-country. Some sayings are widely spoken throughout Uganda; others are uniquely spoken primarily in my village.

BRITISH ENGLISH/UGANGLISH:
(a) Sweets
(b) Chips
(c) Crisps
(d) Biscuits
(e) Torch
(f) Rubbish
(g) Football
(h) Trousers
(i) Videos
(j) "Are you picking me?"
(k) "Extend"
(l) "Why do you fear talking to me?"
(m) "You are deceiving"
(n) "I will ring her"
(o) "You look fat"
(p) "You've been lost"
(q) "I am fair"
(r) "Mind the dog"

AMERICAN ENGLISH:
(a) Candy
(b) French fries
(c) Chips
(d) Cookies
(e) Light
(f) Trash
(g) Soccer
(h) Pants
(i) Movies/TV shows
(j) "Are you understanding me?
(k) "Move over"
(l) "Why are you afraid to talk to me?"
(m) "You are lying"
(n) "I will call her"
(o) "You look healthy/strong"
(p) "You've been gone/away"
(q) "I am okay"
(r) "Avoid/be aware of the dog"

Travel Fever

2011-09-15T06:50:00.006-04:00

What are the benefits of roughing it for two years of service as a Peace Corps volunteer in a developing country?

1. The opportunity to make a significant impact in the lives of others.
2. The opportunity for cultural exchange and understanding.
3. The opportunity to learn and become fluent in another language.
4. The opportunity for introspection, soul searching, and to truly learn about oneself.
5. The tangible benefits of deferred student loans, readjustment allowance (about $7,400), accrued vacation days during service (2 vacation days per month of service), and medical, dental, and health insurance.
6. The opportunity to travel after service.

This post concerns the last of the six. Yes, I know it's still relatively early into my service. Without a doubt, I'm going to miss waking up to the sounds of dog barks, goat cries, knocking children pleading for candy, and singing from morning mass every morning, greeting every person that I walk past with "yoga noi," being the only muzungu in my village, getting asked at least five times a day for money, and maintaining a much healthier diet than I do in the States. I'm going to miss the utterly ridiculous but comical stereotypes Ugandans maintain about Americans, the quirks of Ugandan culture that I still have yet to understand, and the opportunity to speak a language other than my native dialect "reasonably" well. But admittedly, one year into my Peace Corps service at site, I'm already salivating over the opportunity and options available to me for post-COS (completion of service) travel.

Those who know me best know my passion for traveling. For me, planning a trip and the anticipation of the trip are as fun as the trip itself. I love the challenge of immersing in another culture. I love the challenge of having to converse with locals in a language that I don't understand. I love venturing into the unknown. I love touring bustling cities, beautiful landscapes, iconic landmarks, historical monuments, and world heritage sites. For me, as confirmed on my trip last month to Zambia and Kenya, traveling is one of my biggest passions.

Even better, at each training group's COS conference, Peace Corps offers volunteers a cash in-lieu option in place of a plane ticket home (a refund of the value of the plane ticket). Peace Corps also gives volunteers 1/3 of their readjustment allowance, about $2,000, two weeks before they leave their country of service. So I could possibly have about $4,000+ that I can use for travel after service.

I've very briefly started planning my post-COS trip. It looks something like this:

Uganda to Egypt (Cairo, the Nile River, Luxor)
Egypt to Israel (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea)
Israel to Turkey (Istanbul)
Turkey to India (Delhi, Jaipur, Agra)
India to Thailand (Bangkok)
Thailand to Cambodia (Siem Reap/Angkor)
Cambodia to U.S.A.

This itenerary is very much in the planning stages, and likely to be altered. Any travel ideas or feedback are welcome and certainly appreciated.

A Repaired Borehole and Filtered Water for All

2011-09-15T04:24:00.013-04:00

It has been a busy couple of weeks since returning from Kenya and bidding farewell to my parents.

My first order of business was trying to get the borehole adjacent to the health clinic repaired so that people in the village wouldn't have to carry dirty water long distances (2km each way to and from the well, the only water source in the immediate area) anymore. When I first arrived at site, I was informed that both a district health team from Bukedea and a mechanic from Kampala previously tried to fix the borehole, but they were unsuccessful in their attempts. The borehole was therefore presumed "dead," and left untouched.

Flashback to August 3, the afternoon before I flew out of Uganda to meet my parents in Johannesburg. Upon arrival at the hotel in Entebbe, I met Jack Rose and Martha McBride, as well as Dennis, from Raincatcher and Water 4 Everyone. The team traveled from the U.S. to Uganda, dedicated to the sole purpose of bringing clean and safe drinking water to all, to distribute and train community members how to use Sawyer water filters. After demonstrating to me firsthand the brilliance of the filter - within seconds, it purified dirty, brown water crystal clear - Jack and Martha gave me a filter to bring back to the health clinic and to the people of Kachumbala.

It then occurred to me that if I could get the borehole fixed, people could literally fetch a cup or jerry can of borehole water, and walk, not even 50 feet, to the clinic to filter it.

Fast forward to August 18, when I arrived back at site. After a week of repeated calls and "when can you come?" texts, I finally was able to get a certified mechanic from Bukedea to come with his team to assess the repairs needed to fix the borehole. It turned out that one cracked pipe was the only problem. One cracked pipe that caused a primary water source for hundreds of people to malfunction for 10+ months.

8 hours later? A repaired borehole that was fully funded (90,000 UGX, $35-$40) by the community.

This past Friday, Dennis from Raincatcher and I held a training session on how to use the Sawyer water filter, cleaning water straight from the newly-repaired borehole. The highlight for me was at the end of the training, when one person commented, "I have never seen water so clear before." One filter was given to the health clinic, another to Kongunga Secondary School (the school I teach at), two others to training attendees from villages within the Kachumbala subcounty, as well as a Nike soccer ball to my S3 English class.

Thanks to Jack, Martha, Dennis, and everybody else at Raincatcher for bringing clean water to Kachumbala!

One Lucky Muzungu

2011-08-23T08:13:00.013-04:00

The title says it all.

For the past 2 1/2 weeks, I was fortunate enough to go on the trip of a lifetime with my parents, having been reunited for the first time in over a year. We saw one of the world's coolest and most impressive natural wonders. We rode on elephants. We flew in a hot air balloon. We witnessed several thousand wildebeests and zebra cross the Mara River. We saw "the Big 5" and many other animals. We saw lions feast on their wildebeest prey. Twice. It was everything I expected and more.

TRIP'S HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Riding on the 4,500 pound elephant, Sondela.
2. Crossing the crust of Victoria Falls, "the smoke that thunders," by foot, inching within feet of the 300 ft. drop below.
3. Observing a lion-buffalo standoff in the Masai Mara.
4. Witnessing thousands of stampeding wildebeests and zebra cross the Mara River, in the path of hungry crocodiles.
5. Seeing "the Big 5," multiple times, and an abundance of other animals - some that I never knew existed - in the Masai Mara.
6. Flying in a hot air balloon over the Masai Mara.
7. Looking out on and admiring the massiveness of Mt. Kilamanjaro, Africa's tallest point.

TRIP'S HIGH:
1. Spending two incredible weeks with my parents.

TRIP'S LOWS:
1. My "passport is lost" scare and other travel issues at Wilson Airport in Nairobi.
2. A visit to a local village in one of the parks that I (I cannot speak on behalf of my parents) found to be overpriced, uncomfortable, and unauthentic.
3. The dust at Amboseli National Park.
4. Mom and Dad getting sick midway through the trip.
5. Nearly missing my flight from Nairobi back to Entebbe.

TRIP'S 1ST and 2ND INSTANCES OF REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK:
1. Having not been out of the country this past year, I was simply excited just to be in transit. Needless to say, boarding the aircraft at Entebbe Airport heading to Johannesburg, for the first time, was a huge culture shock, and felt "new," different, and unfamiliar.
2. Even more unfamiliar were the endless options presented to me at Johannesburg Airport: all the restaurants at the food court (I ate Subway); all the Duty Free shops, bookstores, newstands, and forex bureaus; and all the amenities (flushing toilets, sufficient supply of toilet paper, hot water) of a modern bathroom.

TRIP'S GRAPHIC NATURE MOMENT:
1. It's one thing to read about or watch on TV lions attack and feast on their prey; it's another thing to watch it live. We weren't fortunate enough (or unfortunate enough, depending on your take) to witness a kill, but twice we watched families of lions graphically eat their dead, wildebeest prey. At first, I was awestruck, simply because I was unprepared for it. Yet I couldn't avert my eyes from watching them feast. It's certainly not something one would see everyday.

TRIP'S PICTURES:

Below are some of my pictures of the trip. The rest are posted on facebook.

Victoria Falls and Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Zambia

The Samburu National Reserve, Kenya

The Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Advice to Current and Future PCV's

2011-07-26T15:37:00.002-04:00

I recently came across this post - taken from an article - on another volunteer's blog. I can't speak personally for other volunteers in-country, but I know that I can personally relate to and reflect upon a number of these points, which serve as a good reminder as to how PCV's can be most effective in their respective communities.

When you’re thinking of ETing on a hot Tuesday morning when the borehole is broken and your supervisor is drunk, keep in mind the following…

(taken from 25 Tips for Peace Corps Volunteers by Kathy Gau and Lyle Jaffe)

* If you want to change the world, change yourself. You cannot effectively contribute toward growth unless you are growing yourself. If you want to grow, drop your ego. Learn to identify when your ego is in play and develop strategies to quell it.

* Use this experience to learn about yourself. This is the most important lesson. Try to remember it.

* Development is disruptive. It implies changes in power relationships that result in uncertainty and loss. Few people willingly give up power unless they can see there will be gain. Most poor people cannot afford to change radically. It takes a huge amount of energy (physical and emotional) for average rural folk to maintain daily life, let alone try to break out of the poverty cycle.

* Do not expect a smooth ride. Do not expect people to go out of their way to listen to you. People had a life before you came. They will continue to have a life after you leave.

* You will not see tangible, measurable results in 2 years anywhere close to what you hope or expect. The saying that "what takes a day in USA takes a week in Africa, what takes a week in USA takes a month in Africa, what takes a month in USA takes 1 year in Africa" is close to true for reasons that you have no control over. So after your first month on the job, when you are still in USA mode, write down what you would like to achieve in 2 months time. This now becomes your 2-year work goal.

* Don't want it more then they want it (or, don't show them how bad you want it to work). Find other ways to deal with your personal and professional frustrations regarding the work ethic, the what could/should/can be in the face of serious problems. You are but one step in a very long journey to address these problems. Concentrate on doing your step well and having fun.

* There is no "us and them". Human beings are the same everywhere. Could you do it if it were you in their shoes? Don’t think for a moment that because you live in a hut and don’t make much money that you are in their shoes.

* It doesn’t matter how right you think you are. If you haven’t developed a working relationship with someone, or if you don’t approach your suggestion with the most sincere humility, you will not convey your message effectively. Think: do you want to be right or be effective?

* Learn how to yield effectively to win. Their life is not about your principles. Neither is mine or anybody else’s. Try to understand why people do what they do and then don’t judge. Work the problem with them, and your emotions with you.

* What you experience is a sliver of time and space. Be careful not to generalize beyond this.

* Pay attention to the way you feel when you spend time judging. If it feels bad, if you feel worse, then don’t do it. It isn’t pretty to watch people sit around doing the “these people syndrome”. If you find yourself doing it, it’s a sure sign that you have something to work out within yourself. Find it and work it out.

* Do not think for a minute that your attitude towards people is unfelt. Everyone feels when they are being put down. Make people feel that they have grown in your presence.

* Over a 2 year period, your task is really to teach. It might take 3 steps or it might take 21 steps. There is nothing right or wrong about the number of steps so do not judge as this is the same as saying "I have no hope that you can learn.”

* Understand that your frustration is about you. It is about a diminishing sense of self-importance. Where else do your expectations regarding tangible achievements within your own timeframe come from? No one gets it right the first time or the second time. You need to constantly go back to the drawing board and revisit your starting point and your methods.

* Do not give up and do not give in. Unfortunately, the process of development cannot be shortened. Respect that those you work with drew the short straw, appreciate that you did not. For now, your anguish, guilt, and questions about this will just distract from the task at hand and are really rather self-indulging, if you think about it.

* Be a positive role model in your personal life, someone that young folk can aspire to become like. “Walk your talk.”

* Peace Corps is first and foremost a cultural exchange program. You will learn more than you will give. Be prepared to change your understandings. You can only balance the formula if you change both sides of the equation.

Slow Days...Rapid Weeks and Months

2011-07-21T10:27:00.014-04:00

A New Pet at the Mission

His name is Fugoso, named after the dog on the Phillipenese soap, Marimar, on Ugandan TV. He currently is 7-weeks old, just received his rabies vaccine and tick/flea repellant shampoo (there was a flea outbreak at my site), likes to bite (we're trying to train him not to), and inadvertantly scares away all of the curious children passing by at the end of each schoolday. As long as I see that he will be well-cared for and looked after at the Mission - in Uganda, pets are often ill-treated, neglected, and malnourished - I do not plan to bring him back to the States. Pictures of Fugoso are on facebook.

Nearly August?

PCV's often remark on how slow the days go by, but on how fast the weeks and months fly by. Nearing almost a year in-country, I have found this to incredibly indicative of my time in Uganda. I've found that the days seem to prolong because I've been constantly thinking in the short-term and employing a one-day-at-a-time mentality. What health topic will I teach at the dispensary today? What food do I need to buy in Mbale today? What day should I wash my clothes? Furthermore, days seem to lag because there is little work and because people generally remain within the confines of their home/area around their compound. Reoccurring boredom sets in. Communication with other PCV's and the outside world remain difficult. Before you know it, 3 weeks...5 weeks...4 months pass, and you wonder incredulously where/how the elapsed time went/could have gone. For me, I still can't believe that it's nearly August, nearing the end of summer (in U.S. seasons), and nearly 9 served months at site.

A Reoccurring Frustration

Since returning to site from my awesome vacation with Julie and Fiery in late June, I've had a great couple of weeks. One reoccurring frustration I've been having, however, is the amount of time (days, weeks, months even) it often takes for a simple task to get done in Uganda, notably when I'm being lied to about it. For example, it took the veterinarian in my district 8 days, and probably 12 phone calls, to come to Kachumbala to administer the rabies shot to Fugoso. The veterinarian told me he would come to Kachumbala the day after I initially called him, not a week later. Rightfully, this pissed me off. I confronted him about his lateness. His reply? "Well, I'm here now." Don't get me wrong, I don't mind waiting a week for my dog to receive his rabies vaccine. I understand that the veterinarian had plenty of patients and work elsewhere. I understand that I'm living in a culture that has more of a it-can-wait attitude than a let's-get-it-done-now attitude. What I don't understand, however, is being straight-up lied to (no remorse), multiple times (this is the third instance of being deceived this month), either just to appease me or to avoid confrontation. I will never understand this.

Health Group Update

My Health Group at the dispensary has been going well the past couple of weeks. With the assistance of Emma and Betsy, both new staff, sessions on Typhoid Fever, Cholera, STD's, and Cancer were taught to varying numbers of patients. To the staff, the group has become something they've taken ownership in. Still, I'm not sure whether the group is empowering attendees to utilize and implement the skills/knowledge they learn, or if they're even understanding the information at all. Before every session concludes, for instance, we briefly review the information that was taught. Only a few of the attendees (those whom, typically, were the ones participating) raise their hand, while everybody else just keep quiet. When Emma, Betsy, or I ask if there are any questions, or if they understood the material, the attendees often just dismiss the question by saying, "No, I understand," but we can tell otherwise. I never previously understood why my high school teachers and college professors became so frustrated when students didn't ask questions/raise their hands/participate in their classes. Did my students understand what I was teaching them? Do I need to reteach or review the material? Were they even paying attention? Now, I understand their frustration firsthand.

Begging

Every time I travel to Kampala, I feel like I am in two seperate worlds, simultaneously. Upon arrival to Uganda's capital city, I am reminded by some of its wealth (estates, big houses) and western luxuries (three-story malls, a movie theater, expensive restaurants, luxurious hotels), until I quickly see firsthand its extreme levels of poverty and homelessness. Indeed, the economic disparity between the wealthy elite and the working class/the poor is staggering. To me, the widespread frequency of begging, children as young as 5-years old, often barefoot in ripped clothing, is particularly bothersome. On a personal level, even more bothersome is just how desensitized I've become to begging in Kampala. Begging is very common, but I rarely, if ever, stop to give money, nor do I ever think twice to stop; giving money is not why I came to Uganda. It's ironic that I was sensitized about many issues by Peace Corps staff my first two months in-country as a PC trainee, but now that I'm a PC volunteer almost at the 1-year mark, I've become somewhat desensitized to many commonplace things such as begging.

That's all for now. Only 12 days until I leave for Zambia-Kenya with Mom and Dad!

A University Graduation...Ugandan-Style!

2011-07-09T07:52:00.002-04:00

On Friday, July 1st, I attended Rose's (my old supervisor) graduation from Ugandan Christian University (UCU) - she recieved her Bachelor's degree in Social Work and Social Administration - with her sister, Allen. Not only was I excited to attend her graduation to celebrate her academic accomplishment, but also to compare, in general terms, how university graduations in Uganda (UCU) compare to those in the United States (Clark University). In many respects, other than being only one of three muzungus at a graduation in which thousands of people were present, UCU's ceremony compared similarily to a graduation ceremony at Clark. Both graduations were conducted entirely in English; the traditional, graduation attire of the cap and gown were worn by graduates at both; and both consisted of hundreds of proud family members, relatives, and friends in attendance. Nevertheless, there were many distinguishable differences:

Graduation at Ugandan Christian University in Uganda:
(a) Grading scale out of 5.0.
(b) Graduating honors: First-class (4.6-5.0), Second-class (4.0-4.59)
(c) The majority of pictures - graduates in their caps and gowns posing with family and friends - were taken BEFORE the graduation so that photographers/picture vendors had enough time to process, print, and return the pictures to the graduates upon the conclusion of the ceremony.
(d) Photography and cameras were not allowed at the ceremony due to the potential terrorist/bomb threat.
(e) The ceremony commenced two hours late past its anticipated start time, yet it still managed to end on time (four hour ceremony).
(f) The ceremony started with a procession/march of only university faculty. Graduates were already seated.
(g) No student speaker
(h) The guest speaker focused his speech largely around religion, and encouraged graduates to follow and adhere to the teachings of Christ.
(i) Graduates sat on the opposite side and directly facing their family/friends during the ceremony.
(j) Master's/Graduate students were divided by department, and recieved their diplomas (as their names were called out) as a collective group. Bachelor's students also were divided by department, and recieved their diplomas (as their names were called out) as a collective group.

Graduation at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.A.:
(a) Grading scale out of 4.0.
(b) Latin honors of graduates: Summa Cum Laude (3.7-4.0), Magna Cum Laude (3.5-3.69), Cum Laude (3.25-3.49).
(c) Pictures were taken both BEFORE and AFTER the graduation ceremony. As far as I can remember, there were no individual photographers/picture vendors at the ceremony offering to take, process, and print graduation pictures. Family and friends merely took the pictures themselves.
(d) Photography and cameras were allowed, and pictures of graduates recieving their diplomas were taken throughout the ceremony.
(e) The ceremony commenced right on time, yet it still managed to conclude far longer than its anticipated end time (four hour ceremony).
(f) The ceremony started with a procession/march of all professors and graduating students. Graduates were not initially seated.
(g) One student speaker
(h) The guest speaker focused his speech around civic engagement, volunteerism, and global awareness, and encouraged graduates to be role model citizens in their communities.
(i) Graduates sat in front of and facing in the same direction as their family/friends during the ceremony.
(j) Master's/Graduate students were divided by department, but they recieved their diplomas (as their names were called out) one-by-one. Bachelor's students were NOT divided by department, but rather grouped as one class, and they recieved their diplomas (as their names were called out) one-by-one.

I particularly enjoyed watching just how proud parents were of their children as they recieved their diplomas. Some parents clapped, others cried out joyfully, some even yelled remarks such as, "My child, be grateful to your dear parents on this day," translated by Allen for me in English (from Luganda).

Congratulations again to Rose on her academic accomplishment!

In other news...

* To wish Father Paul well on his three-week trip to Germany, we had a five-hour dance party at the Mission on Thursday night, dancing to local Ateso music, popular Ugandan music, and American dance beats. Everybody had a good laugh, either because I was surprisingly good or pathetically dreadful, when I started dancing Ateso-style. Note: as a group, Ugandans are far better dancers than Americans. It was, hands-down, one of the the best and most enjoyable nights I've had in Uganda.

* Last Sunday after morning mass, using Father Okurut's projector and my computer, I attempted to show Hotel Rwanda and War Dance to a congregation of 300 people. All went as planned...until the power went off one hour into Hotel Rwanda. We waited five minutes for the power to come back. It did not. Everybody proceeded to leave. Five minutes later, as I predictably expected, the power came back. This Sunday, with power n'all, I hope to finish Hotel Rwanda, hold a discussion about it, and show War Dance. Yet with the power constantly fluctuating on-and-off everyday this month, this may be asking too much.

* I could not be more pleased with the progress of my Health Group at the Dispensary. After Rose's departure, I was admittedly concerned that the group would fall apart, either that patients wouldn't show up or that other staff wouldn't take ownership in the group. I am happy to admit that I could not have been more wrong. While I was away on my trip with Julie and Fiery, sessions on Terbuculosis (TB) and Rabies, that I had prepared beforehand, were taught to groups of 35 and 40 people, respectively. This past Thursday, Emma and I led a session on Typhoid to a group of 20 patients. This coming week, I've prepared sessions on Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD's) and Cholera. I'm still deciding whether to reteach sessions already covered (malaria prevention, water sanitation, personal hygiene, family planning, mental health/wellness) or continue to introduce new topics. My vision is that by the time I leave site in October 2012, I will have prepared, typed, and compiled 40 health topics/sessions into a manual for the staff at the Dispensary to use long after I leave.

* I was psyched when I found out last Wednesday that the secondary school at which I teach recently recieved 11 brand-new computers from the government. Indeed, teachers at the school have been waiting for and expecting these computers for months, but I half-believed that the computers would never come. Come the beginning of Term 3 (September), after the room is cleaned and restored, I hope to begin teaching computer classes - during break, lunch, or after school - on Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), serfing the Internet (if available), and keyboard typing. Keep you posted.

* Yesterday, my organization acquired a new pet, a mut pup whose new Ateso name I still can't pronounce. Right now, the pup seems to be in overall good health; I am currently in the process of getting it a rabies shot.

That's all for now. Hope everybody had a good 4th!

Julie and Fiery Came To Uganda

2011-06-26T13:30:00.017-04:00

Having not seen them for almost a year, Julie and Fiery visited Uganda this past week. Their visit was unfortunately short but incredibly enjoyable.

After meeting them at Entebbe Airport and spending the night at WhiteCrest's guest lodge, we, accompanied by our driver Abby, traveled through the Equator and six subsequent hours on a scenic drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park in the southwestern region of Uganda. Before we even arrived at Mweya Safari Lodge – our lodging the next two days – we saw elephants (one that wanted to fight us!), monkeys, buffalo, and water bucks. It was an exciting entrance into the park.

Living in the village the past ten months, staying overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge felt completely unfamiliar, bathing in hot, shower water; eating quality, delicious meat; lounging poolside; and enjoying rare luxuries.

On Monday, we went on a morning game drive, spotting elephants, lions, the Ugandan crane (the country’s national bird), among other animals. That afternoon, we took a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, catching sightings of crocodiles, lizards, cave buffalo, hippos, and a plethora of different bird species.

We then left Queen Elizabeth National Park Tuesday morning to trek with the chimps at Kibale National Forest. On the drive to Kibale National Forest, not only did we meet Ugandan musician Aziz Azion in Fort Portal, we also ran into families of baboons and monkeys along the road. After arriving at the Chimp’s Nest, our lodging for the night, we went on an evening nature walk, spotting elephant footprints, two tree houses, and multitudes of butterflies, birds, and various types of monkeys.

The following morning, we trekked with the chimps. Chimp trekking was, hands down, one of the coolest and most memorable experiences of my life, coming within feet of these primates and observing their behaviors, mannerisms, and calls (to other chimps). Julie, Fiery, and I were fortunate enough to have our own, guided trek – we weren’t able to make the morning trek, but we were able to leave before the afternoon trek – thus, the chimps were not as fearful of our small group and spent the majority of time on the ground.

The next day, we journeyed 10 hours across country to my site in Kachumbala. I enjoyed sharing my Peace Corps life with Julie and Fiery, and putting a visual face to my words. I took them around Kachumbala, showing them the Mission, the dispensary, the primary/secondary school (we were followed by groups of primary school children pleading for us to take their picture), the trading center, and my room and bathroom; introduced them to my Ugandan friends, students, and work colleagues; climbed a large rock mound/hill – one of many leftover volcanic formations scattered around Kachumbala – directly behind the Mission; ate and drank local Ugandan food (atap/millet bread, emaido/ground nuts, ajon/local brew); and lunched with Rose in Mbale.

Overall, we had a fantastic trip, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more (well, maybe another week). It was both personally- and culturally-rewarding to have some of my muzungu family come to Uganda to meet my Teso family. I’m already counting down the days until I leave for Livingstone, Zambia to see Victoria Falls, and Kenya for animal safaris at the Masai Mara National Refuge and Amboseli National Park, both during the great, annual migration, with Mom and Dad next month.

Here are some of the pictures I took; the complete album is on facebook.

The Equator:

Queen Elizabeth National Park:

Kibale National Forest/Chimp's Nest:

Truths

2011-06-11T07:45:00.004-04:00

I have not once seriously considered "ETing" (early terminating) from Peace Corps Uganda.

My 9-months of service in Uganda have only reconfirmed my future desire to live and settle down in an urban environment.

I have yet to learn anything new about myself that I had not previously known.

When it’s all said and done, I believe that I will have better accomplished Peace Corps goals #2 and #3 than Peace Corps goal #1.

Strangely enough, I sometimes feel that I get along better with Ugandans (my host culture) than I do with Americans (my own culture).

I do not support my host culture’s culturally-engrained attitude that women are responsible for the majority, if not all, of the household work (cleaning, cooking, washing, taking care of the children).

It’s been unintentional, and equally impressive, how my weight has fluctuated in-country. Despite losing a ton of weight during PST (first 2 ½ months), I am happy to report that my weight has now leveled off at site to, about, 155 pounds.

I am excited to see if/how my Health Group empowers Ugandan women to start standing up for their rights, and Ugandan men to start endorsing women’s rights (perhaps redefining the division of labor).

If there’s one thing I have yet to embrace in Uganda, it’s the quality of transportation. I never will.

I believe that I will return to the States next year as a more patient, laidback individual.

I still have no idea what I truly want to do with my life. For the last two years of college, Peace Corps service was my primary and fallback options. Once my Peace Corps service concludes, however, I will have nothing to fall back on. At some point, I am going to have to make these life-important decisions. For this reason alone, returning to the States is both equally frightening and exciting.

Nearing almost a year in-country, the biggest moral dilemma I’ve been grappling with is whether or not to give. “Giving” contradicts Peace Corps’ model of empowering and mobilizing community members to generate sustainable, capacity-building development - giving perpetuates dependency on foreign aid/resources - yet when I’m living in a community in which I have so much more than everybody else, my moral conscience often gets the better of me to give back. While, as of now, I view “giving” as situational, it is one in which I will surely continue to struggle with on a daily basis.

I am excited to introduce Movie at the Mission, starting this Sunday after mass. Using Father Okurut’s projecter, a different movie (action, horror, educational/historical, comedy, romance, drama, fantasy) will be shown each week for community members to enjoy. Not only is it a fun (and hopefully educational) activity for youth and other attendees, but also it is a weekly income-generating opportunity for vendors to sell chapattis, cassava, somosas, water, and other goods to members in the community. The only hiccup I foresee is that our ability to show a movie each week is largely dependent on there being power (never a given) and the quality of the weather (certainly never a given).

I am constantly amazed at the human body’s ability to adapt to new, different, and unfamiliar situations and circumstances.

Recent events over the past few weeks have really opened my eyes to my naiveté about Ugandan culture, in particular to events that have happened at my site recently.

Technological luxuries such as the IPad, the IPhone/the ITouch/the Android, Nintendo gaming systems, air conditioning/heating systems, and big-screen televisions all seem incredibly foreign right now.

Thanks to the deliciousness of Narali’s Restaurant in Mbale, I have a newfound appreciation for Indian food.

It is mindboggling that the majority of people in my village live on less than $1 per day. It makes me feel very grateful and fortunate for what I have.

No pressure, but I truly believe that come our COS conference in July 2012, all 45 PCV’s, who boarded planes together from Philadelphia to Johannesburg and
Johannesburg to Entebbe back in August 2010, will still be around to complete our service as an entire group.

I can't even fathom what it will be like to return to the States, after a two-year absence. To put it in perspective, if I live until I'm 80, that's 1/40th of my life away from the family, friends, culture, and life I know best. That's crazy.

For Better or For Worse

2011-06-02T10:24:00.005-04:00

For better or for worse...a lot has happened since my last post a few days ago.

For starters, my supervisor is being "transferred," essentially fired, for reasons known or unknown to me. Because I don't have full knowledge behind the reasons for Rose's transfer, and for the sake of maintaining objectivity and confidentiality, I will not state my own beliefs behind the situation. I will say, however, that I, in addition to the majority of the staff at the Dispensary, will greatly miss the leadership, enthusiasm, and energy Rose brought to the job. Personally, I will also miss her friendship.

Graduating with her 3rd university degree in July, this transfer, at which she is refusing to go/job-searching elsewhere, is definitively better for her in the long-term. She is certainly qualified for a more challenging, higher-paying work position. Before she leaves Kachumbala, I plan to help her search for jobs online; make a CV/resume; and hone her skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. I wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.

I also had my first 2 Health group sessions this week. I could not have been more pleased with how they turned out. First and foremost, believe it or not, both sessions started on time! That's right, the attendees arrived, or were waiting for the group to start, at 10:30. This is not very common in Uganda.

About 10 patients (all women) showed up for the session on Malaria Prevention on Tuesday, and 20 patients (18 women, 2 men) participated in the session on Water Sanitation on Thursday. With the help of two nurses, one of whom translated in Ateso, both sessions generated a lot of discussion, Q&A, and follow-up questions on other topics. Today's session on Water Sanitation, for instance, provoked follow-up questions on malaria prevention (Will I get malaria if mosquitoes fly in my treated water?), personal hygiene/cleanliness (How often should I clean my jerry can? Is it safe for my 10 children to drink from the same cup), and healthy cooking/food preparation practices (Do I always need to wash my vegetables with treated water?). A number of different ways to purify water were discussed, including boiling water (for at least a minute); using a water filter, iodine tablets, or WaterGuard; and utilizing the sun using a clear, plastic bottle (placed in direct sunlight for 24 hours, not in direct sunlight for 48 hours).

One of the male attendees even invited me to his village deep in Kachumbala to give future health talks to the community. I gladly accepted.

Because Father Okurut and Father Paul are advertising the Health group to the Sunday morning mass congregations, I do anticipate more community members attending in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

For those in Uganda: Happy Martyrs' Day
For those in the U.S.: Happy Memorial Day (belated)

2 1/2 weeks in counting...until my sister and Fiery arrive in Uganda!

Second(ary) to None

2011-05-30T04:08:00.005-04:00

Despite still not having a primary project/assignment/objective at my organization, I have pursued a number of secondary activities, some of which I believe will ensure long-term sustainability in the community and all of which I hope will build people's capacities to improve and positively benefit their livelihoods.

Leading a Health Group at the Dispensary: Every Tuesday and Thursday, Rose and I will be leading a Health Group, coteaching patients about 9 different health topics: 1) Malaria prevention, 2) Water sanitation/purification, 3) Personal hygiene/handwashing, 4) Mental health/wellness, 5) Family planning, 6) Healthy eating/nutrition and lifestyle, 7) HIV/AIDS prevention, 8) Incoming-generating activities (IGA's), and 9) The "role" of motherhood. My goal for the group is not just to teach/give the information to the attendees, but also to provoke critical thinking, Q&A, and discussion. For example, if I were leading a session on Malaria prevention, I may first ask questions such as: What is malaria? How is malaria transmitted? How can malaria be prevented? If you do get malaria, what is the first thing that you should do? To make the project sustainable, nurses at the Dispensary are taking turns leading sessions with Rose and I. Not only does this increase their comfort level at talking about health issues to larger audiences, but also it encourages an exchange of learning across multiple parties. The nurses can teach a health topic to the patients, for instance, that I know nothing about, and vice-versa, or the attendees can surely teach new things to the leaders. I am excited to see if/how the group empowers community members to make positive changes in their own lives.

Coteaching S3 English and Geography: After a month hiatus, school just restarted last week. Since I cotaught the S3 students at the end of 1st term, I chose to remain teaching S3 English and Geography, two days and one day per week respectively. As I wrote in a previous post, I am not necessarily introducing new material to the students, but rather serving as a teacher's aid/student mentor; creating weekly worksheets to provoke critical thinking and Q&A; bringing in maps, pictures, and other teaching resources to class to enhance the quality of learning; answering questions about the class topics taught/American culture (I never get a shortage of questions); and hopefully serving as a good male role model to the students. Personally, it's been culturally enriching interacting with the students, both on a teacher- and a friend-level, on a daily basis, and has made me grateful for the school resources - computers, a library full of books, school supplies, sporting fields/equipment, and a cafeteria - I enjoyed (well, not always the cafeteria food) in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college.

Promoting Little League Baseball to Ugandan Youth: A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Boys 12-13 years-old camp at Uganda Little League Baseball (an NGO) near Mpigi Town. The goal of the NGO is to promote baseball and softball to Ugandan youth. Amazed by the players' talent and ability, some of whom were just introduced to baseball weeks before, I became highly enthused to promote baseball and softball to the youth in Kachumbala. Ultimately, I'd like to form a team to compete against other teams that attended the camp (from Lugazi, Jinja, Soroti, and Kampala) in the region. First off, using Father Okurut's projector, I plan to introduce the sport to youth by showing a baseball/softball movie. Any movie ideas?

Volunteering at an Orphanage: Last month, I visited an orphanage with the hope of volunteering there weekly. I chose not to volunteer at that particular orphanage because the fit wasn't right, but I'm still hoping to find an orphanage (not religiously-affiliated) in the area at which I can volunteer once or twice per week.

Repairing the Community Borehole: As I wrote in a previous blog post, the community borehole, on the Kachumbala Mission side, has not been working since I arrived at site. With no tap water, residents are forced to walk 1-2km to fetch water from a community well, lugging a full jerry can on their way back home. Before arriving in Kachumbala, workers from Kampala apparently tried to repair the borehole, but were unsuccessful in their attempts. Currently, I am trying to get the team to come back to Kachumbala to determine whether the borehole can realistically be repaired or if a new one needs to be dug. Regardless of the option, it will cost money. As such, I am trying to mobilize a few community members to take ownership of the project by spearheading the request for donations from the rest of the community.

"Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda": As soon as I'm done finalizing which volunteers will participate in the "Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda" book project, I will send out more information about the project via email, and how you can contribute to the project's cause (the link is https://www.booksforafrica.org/donate/to-project.html, under the Uganda subheading). Ultimately, the project not only aims to build libraries in community schools, but also to train preidentified teachers in library management, to teach students how to use a book's index and table of contents (the majority of my students have never used a textbook before), and to create an afterschool reading club to encourage reading as a fun yet educational leisure activity.

As always, thanks for reading. Congratz to my Bruins for advancing to the Stanley Cup!!

Miracles Do Happen

2011-05-20T04:14:00.008-04:00

"This could not be happening to me, again."

This was my first thought as I was breathlessly running down Jinja road in downtown Kampala, chasing after the matatu in which I had left my wallet (it fell out of my pants' pocket). To no avail, the matatu did not stop. I tried to get the matatu's license plate number, but it was a good 50-60ft in front of me. My vision was blurred. There was no hope. Everything in my wallet (passport excluded), including my credit cards, Peace Corps ID, and driver's license, was likely gone for good. It's a terrible, deflating, stomach-churning feeling when you realize 20 seconds too late that you are missing your wallet, then only to watch the matatu (in which you left your wallet) drive away in the distance with no intention of stopping.

I frantically called my parents (2PM my time, 7AM their time) to immediately cancel my credit cards, and then Peace Corps to let them know of the incident. It wasn't until Sunday night, the same day, that I got a call from Peace Corps staff, informing me that all my credit cards, Peace Corps ID, and driver's license were found, literally, on the side of Jinja road, and turned in to the police by a good samaritan. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. These kinds of miracles don't happen, especially not to me...in Uganda.

Because I was moneyless, Peace Corps picked me up early the next morning from my Kampala hotel, and drove me to the Jinja Road Police Station, where all of my lost possessions seemingly were located. Sure enough, 5 minutes later, visible to my relieved, overjoyed eyes, nearly everything that I'd lost was indeed found.

According to police reports, a passenger found my wallet inside the matatu, and proceeded to steal the money inside (100,000 UGX, roughly $40) and the wallet itself but threw everything else outside the window, onto the side of Jinja road. A good samaritan, returning from morning prayers, found the cards and turned them over to the police.

Other than swearing in as an official Peace Corps volunteer, I earnestly can't think of a time where I've been more relieved in my 9 months in-country.

What have I learned from the experience?
* To never again wear athletic pants, while simulatenously carrying my wallet and phone, when using Ugandan transportation (or any mode of transportation for that matter).
* To be more consciously aware and protective of my belongings.
* There are good samaritans everywhere, regardless of the country, state, city, or village.
* Miracles do happen.

Little League Baseball in Uganda

2011-05-14T17:37:00.006-04:00

"There are 2 million orphaned children in Uganda, 45% due to Aids. Many work in the streets to survive. Baseball has given these children hope, a chance to have a dream!"

This past week, I had the privledge of working at the 12-13 years-old boys camp organized by the Uganda Little League Baseball NGO in Uganda. The mission of the NGO is to promote, build, and expand the game of baseball in Uganda, as well as eventually in adjoining African nations, so that the sport can be self-sustaining and achieve its long-term objectives. In a country crazed about football (American soccer), baseball introduces Ugandan youth to an alternative sport, provides them the opportunity to develop their skills, and encourages important concepts such as teamwork, sportsmanship, and hard work.

Upon arriving at the camp, I had no idea what to expect. Do youth really play baseball in Uganda? How much exposure have Ugandan youth had to the sport? Realistically, can baseball even be played when there is limited funding for equipment (gloves, helmits, balls, bats, uniforms, cleats), playing space (baseball diamond/field), and travel (to compete in international competitions). Most importantly, how can baseball become a self-sustaining sport in Uganda?

About 6 teams (12 players on each) throughout Uganda participated in the camp. As soon as I began watching the players compete in drills, batting and pitching sessions, and mock games, I was blown away by their talent and enthusiasm for the sport. My role was to help coach/give advice to the players, score the games, interact with the players, and simply serve as a good role model. Considering I have never played baseball myself, I did not play in any of the games, but my years of reading and memorizing the daily sports page and box scores, and watching games on TV certainly served me well. I also had the opportunity of working with and teaching baseball to Jackie, a female coach who will be leading one of the girls Little League camps in June. All in all it was a great week!

I hope to continue working with Uganda Little League Baseball in the coming months.

LINKS

* To read about how Uganda Little League Baseball was started.

http://ugandalittleleaguebaseball.org/History.htm

* To read the organization's blog written by Jay Shapiro, a fellow Clarkie (what a small world!), about Uganda's Little League team competing in Poland in 2010 against Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Dubai, and South Africa for the right to advance to the Little League World Series in the U.S.

http://myquaintandquietlife.tumblr.com/page/2

* To watch the 4 minute clip "Opposite Field" chronicling the 2010 Ugandan team playing in Little League World Series in Poland, and serving as the basis for a potential future documentary on baseball in Uganda.

http://ugandalittleleaguebaseball.org/Videos/index.htm

PHOTOS

I cannot take credit for taking these photos (they are fellow PCV Colin's) of the 12-13 years-old boys camp.

Peace Corps Goals 2 and 3

2011-05-03T08:43:00.006-04:00

In 1961, President JFK established the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship through three underlying core goals:

Goal 1 To help the people of interested countries meet their needs for trained men and women.
Goal 2 To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
Goal 3 To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

While Goal 1 deals more with the work carried out at site (assessment of communal needs; sustainable, capacity-building development), Goals 2 and 3 underscore a different vision: the promotion of bicultural exchange, sharing, and understanding between the volunteer/his or her culture and the culture of the community served.

My first several months in-country and first few months at site, I was admittedly fixated on Goal 1. Immediately after carrying out needs assessments of my community, I had my workplan planned out in my head; I sought for tangible results. I've learned over time, however, that some of the best work I can accomplish while in Uganda are not tangible, the things that can't necessarily be touched or felt. Hence Goals 2 and 3.

This blog, while subjective because it provides a glimpse of Ugandan culture through only one lens, is intended to, in part, achieve Goal 3.

Blogging aside, how else can Goals 2 and 3 be accomplished in the next 17 months?

* By pairing my S3 English and Geography class (equivalent of 10th/11th grade) with a middle school class (similar in reading level) in the U.S. to create a "pen-pal"/postcard exchange of communication back and forth. I was psyched when a number of my students asked for American "pen-pals." What better way to promote bicultural exchange, sharing, and understanding than from the students themselves!

* By continuing to share my Peace Corps experiences with American friends and family back home through email, phone, and mail correspondences, as well as through pictures.

* By hopefully serving as a good ambassador of the United States.

Since Peace Corps' 50th Anniversary was celebrated last month, I am ending this post with Barack Obama's 2007 call to "double" the number of Peace Corps volunteers serving abroad, and ultimately, to mirror JFK's vision of world peace and friendship:

"To restore America's standing, I will call on our greatest resource - not our bombs, guns, or dollars - I will call upon our people. We will double the size of the Peace Corps by its 50th anniversary in 2011. And we'll reach out to other nations to engage their young people in similar programs, so that we work side by side to take on the common challenges that confront all humanity...."

"You've Been Lost"

2011-04-20T05:08:00.005-04:00

"Lost?"

A word that has a multitude of meanings. According to my online dictionary, the adjective "lost" has 9 different definitions.

(1) "No longer possessed or retained"
(2) "No longer to be found"
(3) "Having gone astray or missed the way; bewildered as to place or direction"
(4) "Not used to good purpose, as opportunities, time, or labor; wasted"
(5) "Being something that someone has failed to win"
(6) "Ending in or attended with defeat"
(7) "Destroyed or ruined"
(8) "Preoccupied; rapt"
(9) "Distracted; distraught; desperate; hopeless"

What does this have to do with Peace Corps or living in Uganda? Stemming from definition #2, I am constantly told, "Apollo, where have you been? You've been lost," everytime I've returned to Kachumbala from a weekend or weeklong trip, had to stay indoors to complete work on my computer, or ventured somewhere else for the day. Perceiving the word's apparent negative connotation, it initially angered me to be repeatedly told, "You've been lost." Have I really gone astray or become preoccupied? Have I "lost" my way?

Eventually, being able to no longer contain my mixed feelings of resentment and curiousity, I asked my supervisor what it meant to be "lost." She immediately started to laugh. Ah cultural misconceptions! I was informed that being "lost" is temporarily no longer being seen, being missed, not being in a place for a certain period of time. Does it mean that I have "lost" my way? No. Is it intended as an insult? No. It simply is a polite way of saying, "I have not seen you in a while."

Now, when I'm told, "You've been lost," I just laugh and acknowledge my "lost" presence. I am leaving Kachumbala on Friday to celebrate Easter at another volunteer's site, to promote World Malaria Day, and subsequently to Kampala for a few days. Upon my return to site, I am fully prepared to hear the 3 words I've grown so accustomed to. "You've been lost."

Powerless No More!

2011-04-16T04:36:00.009-04:00

"Power → Powerless → Power"

As a result of last month's hail storm, which consequently knocked down poles, trees, and buildings, the power in Kachumbala has been off for the past month. Until Tuesday. Umeme, the electrical company in the eastern region of Uganda, was responsible for coming to Kachumbala to assess the level of damage, ordering the needed supplies from Kampala, and fixing the power outage. I fully understand that this process should have taken a few days, maybe even 1-2 weeks. But a whole month to fix one poll? What happens when the power goes out? Food spoils. Mosquitoes bite. Cooking, cleaning, and washing become more difficult with limited access to a light source at night. Purifying/boiling water becomes more challenging. Internet use - my computer has a 4 hour battery life in one charge - becomes infrequent.

The good of living without power for a month? I've become more grateful for the reliable power I enjoy back in the States. I don't have to watch my 2-10 baseball team underachieve. I've really enjoyed reading books lately (I finished reading "Waiter Rant" and "First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria"; I'm now reading "There is No Me Without You"). I've had more time to reprioritize and reflect. As always, just like all situations I've faced living in Uganda, the good come with the bad.

"Peace Corps' Visit"

Shiphrah (Peace Corps Uganda's Community Health Program Manager) and Laura (a 3rd-year PCV) visited the sites of several Community Health volunteers in my training group this week. They came to Kachumbala on Wednesday. First and foremost, it was strange not being the only mzungu in town, if only for 3 hours. It's hard to really put the feeling into words, but when you are living as a foreigner in another country, you can't help but get a little boost of excitement when you see another mzungu. I'm starting to understand what it may feel like for groups of individuals who immigrate to the United States in search of a better life. Anyway, not only was it great seeing familiar faces to show them around Kachumbala and to put a face to my stories and words, but also it was nice to have a sounding board to whom I could discuss my projects and achievements and vent about my frustrations and challenges, and get some in-country perspective from people who were visiting Kachumbala and my organization for the first time.

"An Unexpected Joy"

I can unequivocally claim that my most unexpected joy 8 months in-country has been speaking the Ateso language. One of the best things about living in a village setting is that I'm forced to give up my natural inclination to speak English, and instead try conversing in the local language. I can't tell you how beneficial it's been learning, practicing, and speaking Ateso on a daily basis to the people in my community. It has bridged the cultural gap considerably. I'm often asked how long I've been living in Uganda, to which yesterday I replied, "About 8 months," to which the woman replied, "Wow, you are picking up the language fast." I don't think it's a matter of how well or not I speak the language, but rather that I'm just trying to speak the language at all. Traveling to Mbale once a week, where Luganda is more widely spoken, I still sometimes mix up my Luganda with my Ateso, but I've become better as separating the two. Onward to becoming fluent in Ateso in the next 1 1/2 years!

"The Arrival of Books"

A few months ago, I applied for textbooks and workbooks from the U.S.-based organization, Darien. Applying for these books (20 pound weight limit) was not connected with my "Libraries for Life" project (see link below), but just to provide some teaching resources to teachers to enhance their quality of teaching and the quality of student learning at the secondary school. Well, the books arrived in Mbale on Friday! Because the term just ended - the Ugandan school system runs on trimesters - and school doesn't restart for a month, I won't be delivering the books to the school for several weeks. But I'm excited to see how the books are utilized by the teachers in the coming months.

On a sidenote, if you are interested and find yourself in position to donate to the "Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda 2011" project, continued by several PCV's this year to build school libraries in their respective communities, please visit the link: http://www.booksforafrica.org/donate/to-project.html, and click on the project link under the subheading "Uganda." Thank you in advance for any sum of money you are able to contribute to the project's cause!

You've Been Challenged

2011-04-08T07:37:00.003-04:00

Initially created by a PCV serving in Mongolia, the Peace Corps Challenge challenges one to live as a Peace Corps volunteer would. The purpose of the project is to give those living stateside/in the western world a taste of what life is like in the Peace Corps in developing countries. In no way is it indicative of any one PCV's experience; the project merely challenges the participant to experience a different way of living for a week, and to live outside of one's comfort zone. I've included the rules for the Challenge adapted by PCV's in Kenya below, as it most logically mirrors the realities of living in Uganda. I encourage you to take on the Challenge, and report back to me your thoughts. Enjoy!

The Challenge: Kenyan Rules

For one week, you are asked to give up some of the everyday conveniences that we PCV's and our communities do without. The levels are arranged from more common to less common living conditions of PCV's in Kenya while also taking into account the difficulty of completing the challenge in the U.S. So while none of us here have a car, it ranks quite high in the challenge as it is much more difficult to do without one in the States. Kenya is known for its beautiful safaris in which you can spot the “The Big Five” animals, for which we’ve named our levels (they are in order of rareness in the Masai Mara).

First, decide which month you want to participate. The first week of the month you choose (the 1st-7th) will be when you need to forgo certain items.

Next, look through the list below and decide which one of the five levels of difficulty you want to take on, and which items you will abstain from (although your items may come from multiple difficulty levels, you are only trying to complete one level...the most difficult you think you can manage).

Finally, let us know that you’ve taken up the challenge by completing the Accept the Challenge section of the general “Live Like a PCV” at Live Like A PCV.

Lion: Difficulty Level I
(choose two)

- Forgo the use of the microwave.
- No checks, no debit cards, or no credit cards all week. Cash only.
- No washing machine or dish washers - plus you must attempt laundry by hand once.
- Cook dinner by candlelight.
- Keep a journal or write a handwritten letter to a friend about your experiences this week.

Buffalo: Difficulty Level II
(choose two, plus one item from Level I)

- No television - you can, however, listen to the radio and read local newspapers.
- Baths or showers are allowed only every other day - you can wash yourself at the sink with a cloth as much as you want.
- No fast food- or restaurant-eating - this includes no coffee joints, bars, and delivery services.
- Internet use only every other day - you can use the internet for your job, but you're on the honor system here.
- Start and finish a book this week.
- Buy your fruits and vegetables for the week locally.
- Wild Animals! You can't leave your yard between 7:30 PM and 6:30 AM unless you're accompanied by 3 or more people.

Elephant: Difficulty Level III
(choose two, plus one item from Level II or two items from Level I)

- You can use your toilet but you must manually fill the tank or do a bucket flush (turn off the water to the toilet.)
- Lack of temperature control - no heater or air conditioner in your house/car.
- Greet everyone you know with a handshake and genuine questions about their family, home, and health.
- You can only use one burner on your stove (no oven).
- Ration your water to only 10 gallons a day for cooking, drinking, bathing, and washing clothes.
- Teach someone the 4 ways that HIV is transmitted.

Leopard: Difficulty Level IV
(choose two, plus one item from Level III, or two items from Level II, or three items from Level I)

- Reduced living space - you may only use your living room, bathroom, and kitchen.
- Bathe only once this week - you may wash yourself with a cloth at the sink everyday.
- No driving - you can use public transport, a bicycle, or simply walk.
- Internet only once this week - again, you can use it for your work only.
- Power outage - throw a 6-sided dice everyday to determine how many hours you will be without power between the hours of 5:00pm -11:00pm (turn off your power breakers).

Rhino: Difficulty Level V
(choose one item from each Level)

- No running water in your house - you must fetch it from somewhere else (e.g. a neighbor’s house).
- No English for the entire week - you can speak English only at work.
- No toilet use in your house - you must go somewhere else or improvise.
- No refrigerator use.
- Spend the whole weekend in one room of your house - using no electricity, you are allowed 3 books and 1 full battery life of your computer (no recharging).

Questions for Reflection:
* How did you find the Challenge? Difficult or easier than you anticipated?
* What surprised you about most about participating in the Challenge?
* What did the Challenge teach you about how people in developing countries live?

A Quote for Thought

2011-04-07T04:57:00.002-04:00

Quoted from a volunteer's account of her Peace Corps experience in Ecuador, as well as her experience living in northern (Arua) Uganda for 3 years:

"How different it all was from the life of push-button ease and an antiseptic technology that I had left behind. It struck me then, for the first time, that life in America was the aberration. The life that played out below me - barefoot and soily, among animals, in a forced intimacy with the earth - this was how most of the people on this planet lived. With its stark existence and uncomfortable realities, this was the world that I was going to have to learn to be at home in if I wanted to survive the Peace Corps."

Work Updates

2011-03-29T12:58:00.012-04:00

"A Finalized Budget"

Mentioned in previous posts, my primary project is to help fundraise for the construction of a maternity and child's ward adjecent to the dispensary. Over the past couple of days, the projected budget for the project was finalized, factoring in the expenses for the required materials for site clearence/excavation; the construction of the building's ceilings, walls, windows, doors, and internal/external finishings; and for labor and the transport of materials, supplies, and equipment to the work site (a majority of which has to be purchased in Mbale 20 minutes away). As it stands now, the projected cost of the building estimates at 96 million Ugandan schillings, or roughly $40,000. If you'd like me to forward you the excel spreadsheet of the projected budget, please let me know.

Our next step is to begin sensitizing the community through public outreaches and meetings with community/religious leaders, as well as reaching out to potential donors in the area. In the next couple of months, I also hope to train community members in proposal/grant writing. While I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll be able to fundraise the projected amount in the next 1 1/2 years, I hope to inspire people to take ownership in the project themselves, for instance developing their own strategies for reaching the target sum.

"The Benefits of Worksheets"

Although I've been co-teaching S3 English 3 days a week and S3 Geography 1 day a week, I view my role is more as a teacher's aide/mentor. In particular, I'm trying not to overstep my boundaries and be the "primary teacher." As soon as the lesson ends for the day, for instance, teachers tend to abruptly leave their class and head back to the teacher's quarters. I stay behind to help the students with their work or to answer any questions. I consider myself to be more useful this way than by introducing new material.

One of the main problems with the Ugandan schooling system is that students are generally not encouraged nor challenged to think critically, asking why something is the way it is. For the first few weeks, I merely observed students copying the material off the board, not necessarily understanding what was being taught or asking questions. To counter this problem, I've decided to write weekly worksheets/practice exercises that not only check for comprehension, but also provoke critical thinking and creativity. Last week, I put the notion of worksheets to the test, and it worked wonders. It was like night and day. A good majority of the class participated in the exercises; students seemed to be more actively engaged in the material and enthused for learning. Its success was confirmed when my co-teacher asked me after the lesson if I could produce more worksheets the following week. I gladly accepted.

I was also excited last Friday when a couple of students asked me if they could have "pen-pals" from the United States. I'm not sure about the feasibiity of "pen-pals" due to the poor mailing system in-country, but I'm still trying to organize some form of letter/postcard exchange with a middle school or high school class back home. The benefits of cross-cultural learning is tremendous, and certainly aligns with two of Peace Corps' core goals.

"Libraries for Life"

Described in an earlier blog post, my "Libraries for Life" secondary project is now in full swing. Partnering with Books for Africa (BfA) and working with fellow PCV Linda Baum, the project aims to instill an educational yet fun culture of reading by building libraries constituting 22,000 donated books (provided by BfA) in two preidentified schools.

In preparation for the arrival of the 22,000 books in-country later this year, I'm trying to ready the classroom-turned-in-library by getting workers to paint the room's walls; install iron bar windows; and secure tables, bookshelves, and chairs, hopefully of which will be donated by a carpenter in town.

All that stands between the books' arrival into port (Kampala) and delivering the books to the schools is $15,000 ($12,700 shipping charges, $2,000 port/clearence charges) that needs to be fundraised. If you are interested in donating to the cause, please be on the lookout for the "Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda 2011" project group page on facebook (I will create this soon), as well as the donation page linked from the Books for Africa website (I will send this out soon).

Here is more detailed information about our project:

Project Title: Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda 2011
Project Objectives:
(1) To fight poverty through reading
(2) To enhance the quality of teaching of the teachers and the quality of learning of the students by providing them with textbooks, reading materials, novels, and other resources
(3) To train preidentified teachers in library management so that the libaries can be sustainable, long-term, and achieve their intended purposes
Who Will Benefit: The students and teachers at Kogunga High Secondary School in Kachumbala, as well as at another primary or secondary school in Soroti.
Where Donations Will Go: All donations will go to clearing and paying for the shipping/port charges upon the books' arrival in-country.
Contact Information: bkobick@gmail.com, lindabaum@msn.com

Thank you in advance for any sum of money you are able to donate!

"Also..."

I am interested in setting up either a weekly youth group that promotes integrity, teamwork, and companionship through sports, games, and other recreational activities, or a girls empowerment group that allows them to openly discuss issues, challenges, or problems they are currently facing in their lives (I would co-lead this group with my supervisor for the presence of a female figure). Hopefully, I am able to start one of these groups soon.

"Events on the Horizon"

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 1st - Peace Corps' 50th Anniversary Celebration
April 19th - Celebrating Passover in Mbale, as well as my mother's birthday in spirit!
April 24th - Celebrating Easter at a fellow PCV's site
April 26th - Promoting World Malaria Day at a fellow PCV's site with guest speakers, educational activities, games/contests, a dance party, and a mosquito net distribution.

Top '#' Lists

2011-03-29T08:50:00.016-04:00

To acknowledge and reflect upon my first 6 months at site and 8 months in-country, I've decided to create "top lists" of everything: my experiences, my longings and desires, my "only in Uganda" moments, among other things. These lists are not ranked in any particular order, but just what first popped into my head. Hope you enjoy.

TOP 7 THINGS I WISH I PACKED
(1) Kindle - A great, mobile alternative to paperbacks.
(2) External harddrive - I regret my decision to not bring this.
(3) Netbook - If I had known my ex-computer was going to get stolen, I would have left the Mac at home in place of a Netbook.
(4) Athletic pants - See my post about Ugandan children staring and requesting that I give them my leg hair on the football field.
(5) Batteries - I thought that I brought enough AA's, AAA's, and D's to last a year. I ran out within 2 months. You can never have enough batteries in Uganda.
(6) Soccer cleats - Self-explanatory.
(7) Camping pack - Mobile and easy-to-carry; great for weekend trips.

TOP 5 THINGS I WISH I LEFT HOME
(1) Travel-size mattress pad - It's been used once in-country, took up a lot of space, and could have been replaced with more useful things.
(2) The Peace Corps invitation packet - It hasn't been used once since I left the States.
(3) My ex-Mac computer - See #3 from the list above.
(4) 1 duffel bag - Painstakingly difficult to transport, even with rolling wheels. I insisted on taking 2 duffels; my parents thought otherwise. I was clearly wrong.
(5) Solar shower - I haven't used it once. Bucket baths are simpler and more time-efficient.

TOP 5 THINGS I USE MOST FREQUENTLY
(1) Headlight - Essential!
(2) Travel-size clock/alarm clock - I use it every morning to wake up. Plus, it still works fine despite dropping it on the ground repeatedly. Thanks Brookstone.
(3) Belts - Belts are a "daily must" if I'm to keep my now-oversized pants on my waist.
(4) Travel-size pillow - The pillow that Peace Corps gave us was flat and unsleepable. My small, travel-size pillow is far superior.
(5) Doom spray - Effectively controls the cockroaches, ants, and other critters that like to run rampant and sneak under my door and into my room. It's a good thing you can buy this stuff in-country.

TOP 6 THINGS I MISS FROM HOME
(1) Friends and family - Their love, support, and companionship.
(2) Home-cooked meals - The pungent smells of tacos, potato pancakes, and hens permeating my nostrils.
(3) My car - The smooth easy driving of my Scion XB. Just ask my mother.
(4) Snow - Snow or weather below 40 degrees.
(5) Reliable power and running water - Not essential, but it would be nice to have.
(6) Boston sports - Predictable response, eh?

TOP 10 FEATURES OF AMERICAN CULTURE/SOCIETY THAT NOW SEEM FOREIGN TO ME
(1) Fast-food restaurants
(2) Movie theaters
(3) Paved, dirtless roads without potholes
(4) Flushing toilets
(5) Highways/roads in which drivers adhere to the speed limit and drive inside their lane
(6) Air conditioning
(7) Hot and cold seasons
(8) Democratic elections rid of vote rigging
(9) High-speed internet
(10) Jewish temples

TOP 4 STEREOTYPES/CULTURAL ASSUMPTIONS I'VE RECEIVED AS A MZUNGU (VERBATIM)
(1) "You are rich, and have money."
(2) "You can't play football."
(3) "You must be from Norway because you are tall, have white skin, and wear warm clothes."
(4) "Didn't you bring mzungu women for us to marry?"

TOP 5 UGANDAN FOODS
(1) Chapatti - Flat, pancake-like bread made of flour and water.
(2) Groundnuts - Uganda's version of peanuts
(3) Atap - Millet bread eaten in the eastern region of Uganda
(4) Jackfruit - Best fruit in Uganda
(5) Passion fruit juice - Tastes similar to orange juice

TOP 5 UGANDAN WORDS
(1) Epikipik (eh-pic-ee-pic) - "Boda boda" in Ateso
(2) Asepulia (ah-seh-poo-lee-ah) - "Sauce pan" in Ateso
(3) Mpola mpola (ehm-poh-la-poh-la) - "Slow, slow" in Luganda
(4) Toto (toh-toh) - "Mother" in Ateso
(5) Yoga (Yo-gah) - "Hello" in Ateso

TOP 4 DESIRED PLACES OF TRAVEL IN UGANDA
(1) Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to see the mountain gorillas.
(2) Queen Elizabeth National Park to see the elephants, hippos, buffaloes, waterbucks, crocodiles, and abundance of other animals.
(3) Murchison Falls to see, well, the Falls.
(4) Mt. Elgon National Park to climb Mt. Elgon and look out at the views of Kenya in the distance.

TOP 6 DESIRED PLACES OF TRAVEL OUTSIDE UGANDA
(1) Egypt, despite recent political events, to see the Great Pyramids, the Sphynx, and the Nile River.
(2) India to see the Taj Mahal and where Bollywood originated.
(3) South Africa to see one of Africa's most prosperous countries.
(4) Turkey to see the Hagia Sophia, the Grand Bazaar, and Asia/Europe simultaneously.
(5) New Zealand to see where Lord of the Rings was filmed.
(6) Fiji to experience paradise.

TOP 8 NEW EXPERIENCES
(1) Sleeping under a mosquito net every night.
(2) Rafting the Nile River and flipping over twice from Class II and Class III rapids.
(3) Living with no power or running water for 1 1/2 weeks (and counting).
(4) Being welcomed by children at an orphanage home with a remarkable dance and instrumental performance.
(5) Co-teaching English to 80+ secondary school students.
(6) Experiencing my first Ugandan wedding and baptism.
(7) Speaking 2 minutes of Ateso to a Catholic Church congregation of over 600 people. Eruptions of laughter and applause ensued.
(8) Slowly but surely becoming fluent in a Ugandan language.

TOP 5 "ONLY IN UGANDA" MOMENTS
(1) Crowding 20 people in a matatu meant to seat 15 people.
(2) Inadvertantly causing babies to cry because of my terrifying physical appearence.
(3) Jokingly asking the Ugandan driver of a matatu, who was wearing a 2007 Red Sox championship t-shirt, if he pawked the cah in Hawvid Yawd. His reply? "Only in Boston, sir."
(4) Being asked by a Ugandan man if I would take his 2 wives to America in exchange for 5 cows or 10 goats.
(5) Torrential rain pouring 1 minute, the sun revealing itself the next, only for it to start pouring again 2 minutes later.

TOP 4 THINGS I'VE LEARNED FIRSTHAND
(1) Don't sweat the small stuff.
(2) The true value of water.
(3) I have the ability to make a much more positive impact in other people's lives than I previously thought.
(4) I want a career/job that requires international travel, or that will enable me to live abroad.

TOP 2 POST-PEACE CORPS UGANDA OPTIONS
(1) Peace Corps Response - Working in another developing country for 6-12 months with a more specific job description and defined role.
(2) Making the inevitable decision of what I want to do with my life by either heading back to graduate school and pursuing a more career-tailored degree, or testing my luck in the job market and beginning to apply for jobs.

I look forward to what the next 1 1/2 years have in store. As always, thanks for reading!

The Faces of Kachumbala

2011-03-20T10:48:00.010-04:00

Betty posing for the camera.

My neighbor. I often play soccer with him when he comes home from school.

My counterpart, Fr. Okurut, after Sunday mass.

My favorite shopowner, Cyrus, with his son. His shop is where I buy my bread, beans, rice, and drinks.

Fr. Paul, Fr. Okurut, and Silver drinking their nightly ajon. Personally, I prefer beer.

Flo cooking up something tasty.

S3's (equivalent of 10th/11th grade) Emma and Julius. I teach these guys English and Geography.

My supervisor, Rose, with Zefara, a nurse at the dispensary.

Silver. Hands down the best chef in Kachumbala.

When I was walking back from the market, I ran into these guys. Once they saw my camera, they insisted that I take a picture of them until I got it right. This was the 3rd attempt.

My self-proclaimed, Ugandan "toto"/mother (in the middle) in Kachumbala.

Ugandan children hanging out by the borehole, which hasn't been working for several months.

Ugandan children riding a bike. Especially in the villages, bikes are a common mode of transportation.

A Ugandan child playing after Sunday mass.

The Challenges of Development Work in Uganda

2011-03-11T09:00:00.008-05:00

Listed below are challenges I have encountered and observed as a development worker in Uganda. I cannot claim if these challenges are indicative of all development workers'/PCV's experiences in Uganda or throughout Africa. Rather, they are just what I have experienced firsthand 5-months in at site. Note how the challenges are all interrelated.

The Issue of Motivation: Cultural differences! One significant difference between American and Ugandan culture that I've observed lies in the area of motivation. Most of the people I have met are well aware of the challenges that afflict their livelihoods, but they do not always employ positive changes/solutions to overcome such challenges. In my experiences thus far, for example, it is more the norm for people to show up to meetings, trainings, demonstrations, or public outreaches late or even not at all. There needs to be motivation if effective development work is to take place.

The Issue of Community Mobilization/Ownership: Mobilizing community members to act on their own behalf has been my greatest challenge as a development worker. My supervisor recently told me that there needs to be an attitude shift from "What you can give me" to "What I can do for myself," whereby people take ownership of their problems/potential solutions if they are to improve their livelihoods. My role as a Peace Corps volunteer is not to provide, but to facilitate the development of this ownership. Now, when I hear, "Mzungu, give me money," I simply ask, "What can you give yourself, first?"

The Issue of Sustainability: Peace Corps' approach of sustainability may not seem viable in a country where 35% of the population live below the poverty line. Long-term, development work can be particularly challenging with the short-term orientations of many Ugandans. Long-term saving/family planning for a child's university tuition 10 years down the road, for instance, is understandably not a well-practiced concept in Uganda.

The Issue of Urgency: Coming to Africa, I knew that development work took a lot longer in Uganda than it did in the States, but I was admittedly ill-prepared for just how long. For my primary project, for instance, I am training the staff in my organization to fundraise for the construction of a maternity and child wing adjacent to the clinic. I asked the builder to make a projected budget for the building so that we can set a target goal for our fundraising efforts. It's been three weeks now, and the projected budget is still a work in progress. I fully understand that one cannot compare the rate at which things get accomplished in Uganda to that in the States, but development work lags behind in-country as a result.

The Issue of Resources: Shortages of resources (financial, educational, medical, etc) greatly challenge development work in Uganda. How can children effectively learn/teachers effectively teach if there are no textbooks or workbooks in the classroom? How can people be tested for malaria if there is not sufficient medical equipment in the health clinic?

These are some of the challenges that I've faced as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda.

The Madness of March

2011-03-11T07:24:00.011-05:00

Those who know me best know that my favorite time of year is in early spring. "Why?"

The changing of the seasons from winter to spring?
Daylight savings (setting clocks forward - gets darker later)?
St. Patrick's Day?
Spring training and the anticipation of the upcoming baseball season?

No. Early spring is my favorite time of year because of a collegiate, nation-wide sporting competition that puts 'bracketology' at the forefront of every likeminded fan's mind.

Who will be the first #1 seed to go down? Which 'sleeper team' will make the Final Four? Who will win the national championship? What will be the "perfect bracket"?

These are all questions I tackle as I listen to ESPN college basketball analysts make their predictions, do my online research, and fill, refill, double-refill, and triple-refill my backet until I am satisfied. On average, I probably go through 5-6 backets every year re-perfecting my bracket. In actuality, I just shoot myself in the foot. Do I ever trust my first instincts? Never. I always question why I have Kentucky beating Duke or Purdue beating Florida. It is an obsession for me. But this second-guessing is also why I love March Madness so much. I love the unpredictability, the parity, and the suspense of the tournament, when any team can make a magical, Final Four run like George Mason did in 2006. Do I drive myself crazy with my second-guessing? Absolutely. Will I continue to do so, year in and year out? You betcha.

The Value of H2O

2011-02-22T05:02:00.004-05:00

Living without running water from the tap for the past two weeks or a functioning borehole (since I've been at site) has given me a new appreciation for the clean, readily available water I enjoyed and took for granted stateside. Residents have to walk 2km each day to the community well just to retrieve a gerrycan of water. To cook their food. To drink. To bathe. To launder their clothing. To clean. I am fortunate because my organization hires a worker to retrieve enough water for everybody at site, so I don't have to make the daily hike.

Nevertheless, living on a limited water supply has guiltily reminded me that while there is a dearth of clean, accessible water in Uganda, thousands and thousands of gallons of water are simultaneously wasted everyday in the States. I was certainly guilty of contributing to this. For one, I am considering just continuing to bucket bathe after the conclusion of my service. Or at least take shorter showers.

How else can we limit our water usage? By using less toilet paper, thus flushing less. By not aimlessly leaving the water on at innopportune times. By using the dishwasher sparingly/"as-needed". By preventing water pollution. By educating other people about water wastage.

Let's all make a concerted effort to, at the very least, be cognizant of our water usage, and if possible, limit our water consumption.

Just a thought.

My ABC's of Uganda

2011-02-18T08:02:00.004-05:00

'A'jon – A type of local beer brewed from finger millet in the eastern and northern regions of Uganda

'B'ucket baths – Uganda's water-saving version of showering

'C'ities (top 10 most populous): Kampala > Kira > Gulu > Lira > Mbale > Jinja > Nansana > Mbarara > Entebbe > Masaka

'D'VD bootlegs – A booming industry (and popular purchase amongst PCV’s) in Uganda

'E'lection challenges – Corruption, bribery, voter rigging, no cap on # of Presidential terms served

'F'arming – A main source of income for most Ugandans

'G'errycans – Used to carry and transport water

'H'idden Passion – A Mexican soap; Ugandans’ and PCV’s favorite televised show; kept me sane during PST

'I'di Imin – Uganda has come a long way since his reign of power in the 1970’s

'J'ackfruit – Best fruit in Uganda!

'K'enya – Uganda’s eastern neighboring country

'L'ethargy of Ugandans showing up to community meetings on time

'M'atoke – The starch, staple food of Uganda's Buganda region; tasteless

'N'RM- National Resistance Movement; Musevini’s party

'O'bama fandom

'P'remier League Football – Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool

'Q'ualms? Not about coming to Uganda!

'R'afting class IV and class V rapids on the Nile is Uganda’s adventure sport!

'S'hort-/Long-term Orientation – Living in Africa firsthand, one can immediately see the cultural differences in orientation between Uganda (e.g. “What happens tomorrow?”) and the United States (e.g. “What happens after I graduate from college?”)

'T'ransportation – Matatus, car taxis, bicycles, buses, boda boda motorcycles

'U'gandan music – Bebe Cool, Coco Finger, Radio & Weasel, Eddy Kenzo, Juliana

'V'SLA’s – Village Savings Loan Associations

'W'aterfalls aplenty – Sipi Falls, Murchison Falls, Bujagali Falls

'X'-rays from the Ugandan sun during the dry season is killer!

'Y'outh – full of energy, enthusiasm, curiosity, and laughter

'Z'ealous, friendly, and hospitable villagers in Kachumbala

As Per Request

2011-02-17T03:03:00.012-05:00

As per request, here are more photos of my worksite, organization's compound, and the nearby primary/secondary school at which I'll be teaching in Kachumbala.

The front door to my room

My organization's compound

Used for outdoor prayer

The Catholic Church at Kachumbala Mission Dispensary

The front door of the Catholic Church

Kachumbala Mission Dispensary (Health Clinic II/parish level)

The beginning construction of a secondary maternity building adjacent to the dispensary. Fundraising for this construction will be one of my primary projects.

The primary school

The football field next to the primary school

Ugandan children requesting that I take a picture of them

The secondary school

More Ugandan children posing for the camera

The community borehole (a primary source of [nonpurified] water)

And more Ugandan children...

My leg hair is not for sale. Now go play football...

2011-02-12T06:22:00.009-05:00

"Don't Steal on Super Bowl Monday in Uganda"

Last Monday, a group of PCV's met in Iganga to watch the Super Bowl. Watching American football, commercial-free, for the first time this season was very surreal. I momentarily forgot that I was in Africa. It was not until half-time that I remembered where exactly I was. While leaving the cafe to pick up some drinks at the nearby supermarket, this guy, attempting to steal from a store, was brutally beaten up by a mob of people (store owner, police, passerbyers), blood gushing out of his mouth and lip, in broad daylight. What disturbed me wasn't as much the severity of how this guy was beaten up, but rather how nonchalantly everybody else supported his beatdown (no attempted intervention). The guy eventually escaped from the mob, but was arrested by Iganga police. The lesson of the story? Don't steal in Uganda!

"Wait, What? You Want My Leg Hair?"

This is a conversation I had with a kid the other day at the football field, translated verbatim.

Kid: "You know what makes you different from me?"
Me: "No, what?"
Kid: "You have hair; I don't."
Me: "But that's only in appearence."
Kid: "Can I have some of your hair?"
Me: "No."
Kid: "But you have a lot of it (pointing to my leg hair), and I don't have any."
Me: "My leg hair is not for sale. Now go play football."

You never know what stange, hair-raising conversations you can have with kids in Uganda. I just take it all with a grain of salt.

"My Mzungu Costume"

A few days ago, I made two, 9-month old babies cry hysterically because my 'mzungu costume' scared them. I also took this with a grain of salt. Oh the joys of living in Africa.

"Book Aid/Darien"

On Wednesday, I attended the staff meeting at the local secondary school. Running on Ugandan time, I showed up at 11:00AM for the 10:00AM meeting expecting to be right on time, yet the meeting didn't start until 12:30PM. I introduced Life Skills to the teachers/headmaster and expressed my interest in teaching English and Geography. During the meeting, I heard many of the teachers lament to one another about how they didn't have quality teaching materials (textbooks, other reading materials) to teach their students. Instantly, a lightbulb went off in my head! Why not try to garner donated textbooks for the school as a secondary project, using Book Aid/Darien? Would the project be sustainable? No. But is there need? Absolutely. Book Aid/Darien is an American-based organization that works specifically with Peace Corps volunteers to collect and ship donated books to schools in third-world countries. At the meeting, I asked the teachers to compile a list of books they'd ideally want for their classes (in hopes of enhancing their teaching and student learning). Although a book shipment to Uganda (from the U.S.) can take anywhere from 2-8 months, I'm hoping it arrives and the books be distributed in time for the next school year.

"Standfast Shinanigans"

All PCV's in Uganda are now offically on "standfast" due to the upcoming Presidential election next Thursday. "Standfast" basically means that PCV's have to remain within the vicinity of their sites until told otherwise. Assuming that I am not consolidated, here is a running list of tasks I plan to do at site to pass the time.

- Start outlining a projected 2011 budget with my supervisor.
- Type out and send a request for donated books to Book Aid/Darien.
- Sit in on some secondary classes to get a better feel for how they are taught, and to get some ideas for things I can teach (on English/Geography).
- Read the Life Skills manual in its entirety.
- Teach Silver (my chef) to cook some basic American recipes from the Peace Corps cookbook.
- READ - I am currently reading 'The Waiter Rant' by Steve Dublanica. Next in line are 'Nine Hills to Nambonkaha' by Sarah Erdman and 'There is No Me Without You' by Melissa Fay Greene.

"Cow in the Bathroom..."

In light of my old toilet seat breaking, I just purchased a new toilet seat of, yes, a cow. Although costly, I think it adds comedy and flavor to my bathroom.

"No Move After All"

Despite all my bickering about unfinished housing, I've decided to live permanently in the parish guest house I've been staying in. I am living comfortably (1 room/bathroom, power most of the time, running water), and have no major reason to move.

That's all for now, folks. Take care everybody, and thanks for reading!

Back at site

2011-01-29T07:44:00.010-05:00

Equipped with more knowledge about organizational/project planning and development from Peace Corps, in-service training and great memories and laughs with other PCV's from rafting the Nile, I returned to site on Tuesday burnt to a crisp. Training was far better than I expected it to be. It was refreshing to see 44 other familiar faces, some of whom I haven't seen for three months. Amazingly, my training group still has a 100% retention rate, setting a Peace Corps record for training groups in Uganda. Ted, our PC Country Director, informed us that no group, to his knowledge, has ever had a 100% rentention rate for the duration of the full two years. I really think our group has the potential to be the first! The new group of PCV's arrive in Uganda on February 11th.

As of writing this blog post, I am meeting with my supervisor and counterpart on Monday to outline and develop a workplan. Along with my supervisor, I will be leading Life Skills sessions in the nearby primary and secondary schools in Kachumbala every week. Life Skills is "a comprehensive, behavior change approach that concentrates on the development of the skills needed for life" (communication, decision-making, thinking, managing emotions, assertiveness, self-esteem building, resisting peer pressure, and relationship skills). Instead of merely going into classrooms and teaching Life Skills to youth, I am thinking of creating an afterschool, Life Skills club. To make the project sustainable, my supervisor and I will first train the schools' teachers in Life Skills so that 'they' can teach it to their students. Ultimately, the goal is for Life Skills to be a long-standing program taught regularly in the academic curriculumm long after I leave. I still hope to teach English and grammar/editing/writing in the schools as a secondary project.

My other major project in the foreseeable future is to help Kachumbala Mission Dispensary with organizational development. I recently found out that my organization had no documented budget for 2010, and currently no projected budget for 2011 (record-keeping is poor in Uganda). As an organization, we can't even begin to fundraise (to donors) for potential projects until we have a projected 2011 budget that stipulates where/how much money is coming in monthly, our projected expenses, and where we will spend our money (staff pay, drugs, medical supplies, building maintainance, etc). Second, due to poor staff retention at the health clinic, I hope to create an incentive plan for the workers. The best way to do this is to simply talk to them (about their needs/wants/issues). Finances aside, what would make their work more enjoyable? A fellow PCV came up with the good idea of introducing an 'employee of the month' contest/program to increase staff motivation. Any other ideas?

In other news:

Presidential elections in Uganda are in three weeks (February 18th). All PCV's are on standfast starting Feb. 11, meaning that we have to remain within the vicinity of our sites. For good reason, we are not allowed in Kampala.

I am looking forward to watching (yes!) the Super Bowl in Iganga, if only a day late. Go Pack.

I am amused when I hear just how much the East Coast is getting plummeted with snow. The dry, 70-degree Ugandan weather could not be more different right about now.

My bad...

2011-01-19T06:26:00.006-05:00

Peace Corps service is all about embracing new experiences. Here is a running list of the bad (new) experiences, some from my owndoing, that have challenged me, deflated my spirits, and utterly grossed me out. Upon the conclusion of my Peace Corps service (October 2012), I can look back on them all and laugh. Nothing else can provide me with such fascinating, challenging, self-reflecting experiences as the Peace Corps.

1. I dropped my cell phone in a 10 ft. pit latrine. I had hopes of digging it out through whatever means possible. However, this was not meant to be. To the best of my knowledge, the light on my cell phone is still shining bright in the pit.

2. While visiting Sipi Falls near Mbale with other PCV's, I dropped my camera in, well, Sipi Falls. Luckily, my stupidity did not fry my camera. Unluckily, I had to pay $60,000 Ugandan schillings to fix it.

3. My Mac computer got stolen on a bus traveling from Kampala to Mbale. The thief snatched the computer from my pack. I was not aware that it was stolen until I arrived back at site. Mbale police were notified, but I'm 99% certain my computer is long gone. Thanks to my parents, I bought a new computer in Kampala, switching to HP and back to PC.

4. Due to the Ugandan diet/lack of variety, I had nausea and vomiting for a week. It was not a pleasant experience.

5. Last week, I got 3 mango flies on my left leg. A mango fly that had landed on my clothes laid 3 eggs on one pair of pants, attaching and entering my skin (once worn). The eggs/maggots were eventually extracted from my leg. This also was not a pleasant experience.

6. Three weeks ago, I got Nairobi Eye on my left eye. I was bitten by a beetle ant on my eye while I was sleeping. A day later, my left eye had extreme sunburn, skin irritation, and roughened/pasted skin. Until my eye was fully healed, Ugandan children were utterly terrified of me. "Ahh, look at the mzungu..."

In spite of all these experiences, I still have a very positive outlook on why I am here, my reasons for joining the Peace Corps, and the potential for great work at site in the upcoming 20 months. I cannot wait to see what the future holds. Bring on the mango flies!!!

Homestay Family 2.0 or Homestay Family 'not' 2.0...that is the Question..??

2010-12-25T04:58:00.003-05:00

It is dangerous to join the Peace Corps with preconceived notions or expectations. Yet when one seemingly puts on hold his or her life for two years to serve a greater good, to abandon current luxuries and comforts in search of a greater purpose, to challenge him- or herself physically, mentally, and interpersonally, it is impossible not to start thinking ahead about the future and formulating assumptions about what one's Peace Corps experience may or may not be like.

(Before embarking on my two-year service to Uganda) I was certainly guilty of this.

One of my preconceived notions stemmed from the literature, narratives, and the first-hand accounts I read from prior Peace Corps volunteers about their experiences. Quintessentially, I imagined living in a grass-thatched house in a remote area, having to fend entirely for myself. I imagined having to 'toughen' it out. I imagined unwesternized customs in Uganda's capital city of Kampala. Most notably, I imagined living a quiet, independent lifestyle.

My "imaginations" could not have been further from the truth, hence Peace Corps's advice to come to Uganda without any preconceived notions or expectations.

Living more than two full months at site, my lack of independence and the semblance of a second homestay family (2.0) have most surprised me. Those who have read my previous blog posts know that I lived with a homestay family for my first 2 1/2 months in Uganda. I anticipated living solely on my own thereafter. I could not have been more wrong. The staff (Priests, workers, chef, friends of the organization) at Kachumbala Mission Dispensary not only eat, drink, and work together, but also live together. Instead of eating dinner by myself, for instance, I eat in a sitting room/common area with eight other people talking boisterously, watching T.V., and drinking "ajon" (local brew). Perhaps this shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, given Ugandans' familial and collectivistic tendencies.

It's as if I gained a second homestay family. What I lack in independence I gain in social and familial support. This is neither a good nor a bad thing; it's just 'different' from what I imagined four months back.

A Long-Overdue Post

2010-12-12T01:58:00.005-05:00

The title says it all.

I apologize that it has been nearly 1 1/2 months since my last blog post. Intermittent electricity, poor network coverage, among other things, have made it difficult to update my blog as much as I would like.

A lot has happened since my last post. I have officially been at site for more than 1 1/2 months. Whereas time seemed to move at a snail-like pace during training, it has seemingly flown by at site.

What have I been doing for the past 1 1/2 months? I have been meeting community leaders, officials, and residents in Kachumbala; observing and learning about the different issues that affect Kachumbala residents the most and the services that Kachumbala Mission Dispensary (my organization) provides them; brainstorming ideas for projects that I can implement once I start working in mid-January; playing soccer daily with the neighborhood kids; going to Church every Sunday; traveling to Mbale and Kampala; and celebrating the holiday season with fellow Peace Corps volunteers.

In all honesty, however, work has been slow and at times frustrating. I don't think my organization really knows what they want me to do yet. All I know is that I'll be teaching about malaria (prevention/treatment), typhoid, hygiene/health, nutrition, and english/math, and leading a number of life skills sessions. Also, I hope to volunteer at a local orphanage, school, or children's outreach organization.

There has been no progress whatsoever on my house. Father Joseph, who has been traveling in America since I've been at site and is responsible for the finances/the construction and repair of my house, is returning to Kachumbala on Wednesday. I hope that I will be able to move in before my 6-month, in-service training in mid-January.

RANDOM

- I have experienced many 'firsts' while in Uganda. These include:
* Sleeping under a bed net
* Dropping my phone in a 10 ft. pit latrine
* Taking Mefloquine so that I don't get malaria, thus having 'vivid dreams' as a result
* Experiencing rapid weight loss in such a short period of time
* Eating food such as jack fruit, atap (millet bread), matoke, and posho
* Drinking ajon (the local brewery in Eastern Uganda) and passion fruit juice
* Accidentally leaving my camera in an Indian restaurant, but being fortunate enough to retrieve it a month later
* Feeling that I can speak another language, besides English or Spanish, with confidence
* Being the 'guest of honor' at a Ugandan wedding
* Witnessing a Ugandan baptism
* Being referred to as 'mzungu', or white person, everyday
* Being given the tribal name 'Apollo', meaning development in Ateso
* Having to cram in a 20-person taxi intended to hold 14 people
* Living without electricity for five consecutive days
* Purifying my water so that it is safe to drink
* Listening to President Musevini campaign to thousands of people 300 ft. from my site

- I am appalled at how poorly animals, in particular dogs, are treated in Uganda. Last week, I had to tell kids to stop throwing rocks at a helpless dog. One of the kids replied, "Why? We are having fun."

- For the past week, I've been having symptoms of nausea, fatigue, and lack of appetite. Thinking that I contracted Guardia, Worms, or had food/water contamination, I went to the Peace Corps Medical Office (PCMO) in Kampala for treatment. It turns out that eating pizza, steak, and chicken in Kampala was the only real treatment I needed.

- I am still viewed by many people in my community as a funding source instead of a volunteer.

- Even though I am a continent and ocean away, I am still keeping up with my Boston sports. I was extremely pleased to see on ESPN's webpage that the Sox traded for Adrian Gonzalez and signed Carl Crawford. For me, some things will just never change.

- Market days in Kachumbala are on Tuesday and Saturday. You can buy pretty much anything you want for cheap.

- I am celebrating Christmas in Wakiso with my homestay family. It will be great to see them all again.

With that, I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year. I am celebrating with you all in spirit.

Until next time,
Bryan

Observations

2010-10-30T14:47:00.005-04:00

- I am constantly amazed at the number of people that can cram into a matatu (Ugandan taxi van). I've rode in a 14-seat matatu that was able to cram 20 people. If you come to Uganda and ride in a matatu, be prepared to sacrifice your comfort.

- Conversely, I am constantly unamazed by the meat sold in Uganda. If eating fat is your thing, come here. But I am unable to stomach it.

- I am debating whether or not to get a dog. Is the companionship and security that a dog provides worth all the costs and care? We shall see...

- My house will not be ready until December...at the earliest. It is a good thing that Peace Corps training taught me how to be flexible and patient.

- I am seeing first-hand just how vital learning the local language is to community integration.

- Despite wearing long pants and bug repellant, mosquitoes are biting me. A LOT.

- I am grateful for the invention of the belt due to, in large part, all the weight that I've lost in the first 3 months.

- Being called "fat" in Uganda is actually a compliment, meaning 'good physique' or 'healthy'.

- When Ugandans ask me where I am from in America, and I tell them Northern Virginia near Washington D.C., it is assumed that I am either related to or friends with President Obama.

- Hidden Passion, a Mexican soap that airs at night on NTV, is my replacement for the American shows/sports that I am unable to watch in Uganda.

- Living in Uganda is like experiencing two separate worlds. Uganda's rural countryside has some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen, yet its cities' streets are filled with trash.

- If you are a football fan living in Uganda, you will either root for Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, or Liverpool.

- Driving (not that I would know) or riding as a passenger in Uganda are experiences in their own. There is no such thing as give-and-take. Speed limits, if any, are not really adhered to. Boda Boda (motorcycle taxis) accidents are one of the highest causes of death in Uganda behind malaria.

- I mentioned this in one of my previous posts, but it bears repeating: Ugandan women are some of the most hard-working, resourceful people I have ever met.

My Last Week of Training & First Week at Site

2010-10-27T03:29:00.006-04:00

Here is a summary of my past two weeks - last week of training and first week at site.

Friday, October 15th: We were tested on how proficiently we learned our target language over the past 8 weeks. My Final LPI (Language Proficiency Index), taped for 30 minutes, consisted of a series of questions asked in Ateso about greetings, food, market/shopping/costs, and travel to our future site visit. In order to pass, the Peace Corps requires volunteers to score an "Intermediate Low", which is what I scored, meaning that I don't have to test my language proficiency again at the three-month, in-service training in Kampala. I still plan on hiring a tutor in Ateso so that I can become fluent in the language.

Saturday, October 16th: We had our homestay thank you event at RACO, which consisted of performances (dances, songs, skits, introductions) by each of the language groups, speeches by a couple of the volunteers, and lots of food. All of the homestay families attended, including my homestay mother (Ms. Betty), sister (Joan), and brother (David). It was a great conclusion to the end of training.

Sunday, October 17th: I packed up all my stuff, thanked my homestay family for their gracious hospitality, and bid farewell. It was bitter-sweet to say goodbye not only to our families, but also to the town of Wakiso. The town and residents of Wakiso have been incredibly welcoming to the 45 'mzungus' that moved in 8 weeks ago.

Monday, October 18th-Wednesday, October 20th: Volunteers and our site supervisors/counterparts met at the Rider Hotel near Kampala for a series of workshops on community integration, the expectations/responsibilities of volunteers and supervisors/counterparts, foreseeable issues and challenges, and safety & security training. On Tuesday, we visited the U.S. embassy. A number of the embassy officials who spoke with us were not only Peace Corps alumni, but also Foreign Service Officers. Hearing them talk about their work sparked a new career interest for me. The Foreign Service exam is ostensibly the most difficult exam to pass, but still a career in international relations (e.g. working at an embassy) or global marketing and living overseas are things I see myself doing in the future.

Thursday, October 21st: Our swear-in ceremony was today! Before we were sworn in as official Peace Corps volunteers, it started to downpour. Since Ugandans believe that rain is a sign of good things to come, it can be argued that it rained at an opportune time. All 45 Peace Corps trainees who boarded a plane together from Philadelphia in August were sworn in together as volunteers. We all stuck through the 2 1/2 months of training, and are now moving on to positive, sustainable work and development in our respective communities. Here's a facebook link about our swear-in ceremony: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=233040&id=110634980913&fbid=440904650913&ref=mf.

Friday, October 22nd: I bid farewell to my fellow Peace Corps volunteers, and traveled to site to Kachumbala.

Saturday, October 23rd: I played soccer with secondary school kids in the village. It was evident just how out of shape I am.

Sunday, October 24th: To begin integrating into the community, I attended services at the Catholic Church next to my house. Father Paul, one of my work colleagues, delivered the sermon. My language skills were immediately tested when he called me up in front of the congregation of 500 people and asked me to introduce myself in Ateso. This is the translation of what I said.

Yoga Kere! (Hello all)
Ekirori ka Bryan, kede bukosi America. (My name is Bryan, and I am from America)
Arai eong eswaman atitai kede erionget lo Peace Corps. (I am a male volunteer working for the Peace Corps organization)
Alosi eong esisianakin aila kede aijar najokan, kede amusugun kede aimar toma osomero ko Kachumbala. (I will be teaching
good health and hygiene, and english and math in schools in Kachumbala)
Eyalama awunyun. (Happy to see you)

Members of the congregation found it hysterical that a mzungu could speak their local language. Afterward, I accompanied Father Paul to the nearby village of Chodong, where I witnessed my first Ugandan wedding and baptism. Ugandan weddings are very different from American weddings. Hundreds of people (the whole village) were crowded together in a small town meeting/conference center building. It was a very joyous occasion, with villagers singing and playing local instruments throughout the ceremony. I definitely got the Ugandan, cultural experience. Pictures are on facebook.

Monday, October 25th-Tuesday, October 26th: My supervisor, Rose, introduced me to a number of government, health, and religious officials in Kuchumbala, Bukedea, Sororti, and other surrounding communities.

Closing Thoughts:

1. I have yet to move into my house because it is still being worked on. I am told that it should be ready within two weeks. In the meantime, I am living in the guesthouse at my site.

2. In addition to the food, the constant, unwanted attention has been challenging. I clearly am the spectacle, the gossip, and the center of attention in my community. I sometimes feel like I am Harry Potter. Instead of being judged for my scar, I am judged on the basis of the color of my skin. However, I am fully aware that when a 'white person' moves into a small, Ugandan village, it is as much an adjustment for the white person as it is for the residents of that village. I am hopeful that as I integrate more into the community, the stares and cultural judgments (Americans are rich) will diminish.

3. I feel very fortunate to have such a great supervisor. To say that Rose is knowledgeable, resourceful, overprotective, and on-top-of-things would be an understatement.

4. I finally got a mailbox in Mbale. My mailing address is now:

Bryan Kobick
P.O. Box 1274
Mbale, Uganda

Hopefully, I will now figure out how to mail letters back to the States from the Post Office in Mbale.

Until next time,
Bryan

Site Visit

2010-10-10T08:45:00.006-04:00

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.

Drum roll, please.....

2010-10-02T05:00:00.003-04:00

We finally received our site announcements today, what we've been working towards for 7 weeks. Here is my assignment for the next two years:

Organization Name: Kachumbala Mission Dispensary

Location: Kachumbala in the Bukedea district (eastern Uganda), about 20 minutes from Mbale

Vision: For a healthy and prosperous community

Mission: To provide clinical and other health services to the people of Kachumbala

Goals: To reduce poverty by preventing sickness, mitigating the spread of disease, and helping to treat the sick

Job Description:

1. To make weekly work plans with my counterpart
2. To reach out to 3 sub-counties of Kachumbala, Kolir, and Kidongole in the Bukedea district
3. To attend staff meetings
4. To visit organized communities and schools in the community to conduct health meetings/trainings
5. To conduct training for community health workers
6. To conduct capacity building activities for the staff

I could not be more excited about this placement. We visit our site placements next week! Since I am so close to Mbale, it appears that I will have electricity, internet, and various means of transport. I will know more after next week.

In other news, we presented our self-exploration projects to our trainers on Friday. Becca and I presented on mental health awareness and advocacy. Our project is to plan, develop, and introduce a mental health awareness week in primary and secondary schools. Mental illness is an incredibly stigmatized issue here in Uganda, so there is great need for education and awareness. The week would include sessions on stigma, labeling/diversity, bullying, resource mobilization, income generating activities, and practical knowledge about the mental health field/mental illnesses. We received praise for the project proposal; I think it's a feasible project to implement once we're at site.

Also huge thanks to my family! It took a long time, but I finally received your packages. It is great to have some semblance of home which I can share with my home-stay family and fellow PCV's.

Immersion Week & Miscellaneous

2010-09-22T05:25:00.003-04:00

As other PCT's can attest to, it's unreal that training is more than halfway over. It seems like yesterday that 45 Americans flew 24 hours from Phili-Johannesburg-Entebbe. Now that immersion week is in our rear-view mirror, things are really starting to pick up. We are expected to begin fluently speaking our respective languages. We are also in the midst of planning and developing sustainable, self-exploration projects that will be presented to our trainers next week. We receive our official site placements next Thursday; I could end up anywhere as far southeast as Busia, as North as Gulu, or anywhere in-between (Sororti, Tororo, etc). The following week, we visit our sites to begin integrating into the community, scope out our new homes, visit our work sites, and get a feel for what our next two years will be like. These are exciting times for PCT's in Uganda!

Immersion week was everything I expected and more. It was great to finally do something practical, in the field, and away from the training site. Along with Becca, I visited Laura out west in the village of Kakabura, about an hour east of Fort Portal. Laura works at the Miryanta Orphanage Home. Not only did we meet and talk with the orphans, but within an hour of our arrival, they performed a 2-hour dance/song show for us. It earnestly was one of the most incredible things I have ever experienced. Becca and I also sat in on a staff meeting, visited a local health clinic, cooked pizza, and met up with other PCT's in Fort Portal for a pool party/clubbing. It was hands down the best week I've had here in Uganda! Pictures are on facebook.

MISCELLANEOUS:

1. As a result of Mefloquin, anti-malarial pills we have to take every week, I am starting to experience some of the medication's side-effects, for instance having 'vivid dreams' (most volunteers experience this). Coming from somebody who rarely remembers his dreams, I view Mefloquin as just something else that I have to adapt to as part of the Peace Corps experience.

2. If there's one thing that has not yet won me over in Uganda, it's the food. I have, at times, found myself craving American food. It's not that I dislike Ugandan food (except for matooke and posho), but rather that I need some variation in my diet.

3. I've been more-than-ready to move to site since week 2 of training. I think most trainees would agree with me on this.

4. I'm still trying to ascertain the best way to send mail out to the states. There is a local post office here in Wakiso, but I don't think it mails internationally. All PCT's who have mailed things out have done so from Kampala.

5. If you would like to send me something, here is a brief list of things I could use (thanks in advance!):
- AA/AAA/D batteries
- Pictures to hang up at site
- Maps (you can never have too many) to hang up at site
- Sports/news magazines
- Drink mix (lemonade, gatorade, fruit punch)
- Snack food
- Shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, bar soap

6. I have officially given up on the Red Sox chances of making the playoffs. Yes, I have been following. No, I am not distraught....yet.

More updates to come soon.

-Bryan

A List of Numbers

2010-09-07T10:24:00.002-04:00

After reflecting upon my first four weeks in Uganda, I realized that I have been thinking more and more in terms of numbers. Here is a running list of my numeric experiences to date.

Number of bananas I eat per day: 3

Number of times I hear "See you, mzungu" per week: At least 40

Number of times I say "Webale" (thank you) in Lugandan: At least 30

Number of hours I sleep per night: 6

Number of days I have slept past 8:00AM: 2

Number of mornings I have awoken to the sounds of a rooster: Every morning since I have been in Uganda

Number of pounds (estimated) I have lost so far: 5

Number of miles I walk per day (to/from the training site): 4

Number of days it took me to use up all of the data on my internet modem: 1

Number of Manchester United soccer games I have watched: 2

Number of local Ugandan beers I have tasted: 3

Number of dinners I have eaten at least one starch food: Every dinner since I have been in Uganda

Number of days I play soccer per week: 3

Number of new languages in which I can understand a basic conversation: 2 (Lugandan, Ateso)

Number of times I have been to church with my host family: 1

Number of days I am grateful to be living in Uganda: Every day since I have been here

Number of seconds I have regretted joining the Peace Corps: 0

Bryan the "mzungu"

2010-08-21T06:11:00.004-04:00

Hello from Uganda!

I apologize that it has taken me this long to post, but I haven't had any Internet connection since I've been here (except for a visit to the internet cafe). I do get electricity from my homestay, but I have not yet figured out how to go about accessing the Internet.

To say my Peace Corps experience thus far has been exceptional would be an understatement. I am having the time of my life. Language training is, at times, very stressful, but Ugandans are some of the most welcoming people I have ever met. I am currently living in the village of Kisimbiri in the town of Wakiso with my homestay family. I have a homestay mother, sister, two brothers, aunt, and a housegirl. They are awesome! They live in a house compound with their own vegetable garden and animals (goat, rooster, hen, chickens). I am grateful for everything they have provided me, and how they have seemingly welcomed me into their family.

To best understand Peace Corps training, here is generally what our daily schedule looks like:

6:30AM-8:00AM - Wakeup, bathe, eat breakfast, walk 2-3KM to the training site
8:00AM-10:00AM - Language training
10:00AM-10:30AM - Morning tea
10:30AM-12:30PM - Technical training
12:30PM-1:30PM - Lunch
1:30PM-3:30PM - Technical training
3:30PM-4:00PM - Afternoon tea
4:00PM-5:00PM - Language training
5:00PM-11:00PM - Walk back to homestay, eat dinner, play soccer with homestay brothers/sister, go to the bar, study
11:00PM - Bed

Technical training has ranged from sessions on diversity and safety/security to sessions on cultural integration and banking. I, along with six other volunteers, am learning the Ateso language, spoken in eastern Uganda. Eastern Uganda is where I will be placed to work for the next two years. We do not recieve our official site placements until late September.

Observations:
1. I have gained a newfound respect for the meaning of hard work. Ugandans are some of the hardest working people I've ever met.
2. President Obama, religion, and soccer are three popular things to talk about in Uganda.
3. I have been referred to as a "mzungu" (white person) at least fifty times, but I've learned to embrace it.
4. Despite tasting and liking many new foods (ovacado, pumpkin, goat meat, black beans, cabbage), eating the same food everyday has been my biggest challenge to date.
5. I have never liked pineapple as much as I do now.
6. I have already made the time-effective decision to hire someone to help me cook/clean.
7. One thing that I do not miss is Washington D.C.'s humidity. Let the 70's/80's weather in Uganda continue...
8. Learning the Ateso language will be more challenging than I previously imagined.
9. Kampala is like no capital city I have ever been to before.
10. The 2011 Presidential Election is incredibly important to Ugandans!
11. Due to the stress of Peace Corps training, time has seemed to move at a much slower pace.
12. I plan to go to church with my host family at least once (hopefully more).
13. I feel incredibly fortunate to serve in a country with such great people and potential for growth, and to be a small part of the Peace Corps Uganda team.

Things that have surprised me:
1. The British influence is still widely prevalent in Uganda (language, British football).
2. Peace Corps volunteers are treated like heroes amongst the people of Wakiso.
3. How quickly I have adjusted to the Ugandan culture, integrated into the community, bonded with my host family, and DO NOT miss the technological comforts back home.
4. The Ateso and Lugandan languages are similar to Spanish in many respects (emphasis on certain vowels, pronunciations).
5. The mosquitoes haven't been bad...yet. Malaria is still a significant issue of concern.
6. Ugandans, at least our homestay families, watch a lot of television, primarily Mexican soap operas and the local news.
7. Ugandans have very different eating habits than Americans. Not only is it their norm to eat dinner at the earliest 8:00PM, but also they eat much larger portions of food. Members of my host family eat nearly triple what I eat.
8. I have perfected the art of bucket bathing, despite the electricity constantly going on and off in the morning.

Friends and family: I miss you all, and am thinking of all of you!

Staging

2010-08-09T21:33:00.002-04:00

Day 1: Staging is complete!

There are 45 volunteers in the Peace Corps Uganda group. We have an incredibly diverse group of volunteers coming from all walks of life. I have never met a group of people more enthusiastic and passionate about global volunteerism and service. Staging entailed outlining the Peace Corps mission and expectations, our anxieties and aspirations, and what we should expect in our first week of service.

It's both intimidating and exciting that my Peace Corps experience is finally coming to fruition, finally a reality. It's been a long time coming since I filled out my Peace Corps application in September 2009.

We leave our hotel in Philly at 2:30AM Tuesday morning. As such, I do not plan on sleeping tonight; hopefully, I'll be able to get some sleep on our 15 hour flight to Johannesburg.

Family and friends: I'd like to again thank you all for your support ane encouragement. I wouldn't be here without you.

Until next time...

Letter to Families

2010-07-29T01:49:00.002-04:00

July 14, 2010

Dear Families,

Greetings from the Uganda Desk in Washington, D.C. It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family member to Peace Corps. During the past year we have received many requests from Volunteers and family members alike regarding travel plans, sending money, relaying messages and mail, etc. As we are unable to involve ourselves in the personal arrangements of Volunteers, we would like to offer you advice and assistance in advance by providing specific examples of situations and how we suggest they be handled.

Irregular Communication:

The mail service in Uganda is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. Thus, it is important to be patient. It can take three to four weeks for mail coming from Uganda to arrive in the United States via the Ugandan postal system. From a Volunteer's post, mail might take 1-2 months to reach the United States. Sometimes mail is hand carried to the States by a traveler and then mailed through the US postal system. This leg of the trip can take another several weeks, as it is also dependent on the frequency of travelers to the U.S.

We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer family member to give an estimate of how long it takes for him/her to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. Also, try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he/she has missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes--otherwise they may be found on the wall of the local post office!

Volunteers often enjoy telling their "war" stories when they write home. Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc. While the subject matter is good reading material, it is often misinterpreted on the home front. Please do not assume that if your family member has been ill that he or she has been unattended. Peace Corps has three Medical Officers on staff in Uganda. Through regular contact, they monitor the health of the Volunteers. In the event of a serious illness, the Volunteer comes to Kampala and is cared for by our medical staff. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Uganda, he/she will be medically evacuated to Kenya, South Africa or the United States, depending on the medical care required. Fortunately, these are rare circumstances and our Medical Officers are superb!

If, for some reason, your communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for three months, you should contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at Peace Corps Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470. OSS will then contact the Peace Corps Director and ask her/him to check up on the Volunteer. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call OSS immediately so that the Volunteer will be informed as soon as possible.

Email Access and Telephone Calls:

E-mail access is very limited in some areas and sometimes non existent. Volunteers may have email access as little as one a month, or even once every two months.

The telephone system in Uganda is relatively good. Service to the United States is somewhat reliable, phones exist in larger towns, and Volunteers can often plan to be at a phone on a certain date to receive calls from home. This usually works, but there are also innumerable factors that can make the best-laid plans fall apart. Once your Volunteer is in-country, he or she can update you on telephone availability and provide you with his or her specific contact information and logistics.

The Uganda Desk calls the Peace Corps office in Kampala once every two weeks. However, these calls are reserved for business only and we cannot relay personal messages over the phone. All communication between family members and the Volunteer must be done via international mail, or via communication arranged between PCV and family via personal phones, e-mail and the like.

Sending mail during Pre Service Training (PST):

Your name, Peace Corps Trainee
P.O. Box 29348
Kampala, Uganda

Mail after PST should be sent to each individual Volunteer’s PO Box at his or her assigned site, which he or she should communicate to you after settling in to his or her assigned site.

Sending packages:

Both parents and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to the possible theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to try to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. Once a Volunteer has sworn in and has been placed at their site, they should forward you their mailing address at their new site. Please do not continue to send packages/mail to the above address after Pre-service Training.

We recommend that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently. Sending airplane tickets and/or cash is not recommended.

Several services such as DHL, FedEx, UPS do operate in Uganda, but can be very expensive. Certain airlines will allow you to buy a pre-paid ticket in the States; they will telex their Nairobi office to have the ticket ready. Unfortunately, this system is not always reliable. Several European carriers fly to Kampala. Please call the airline of your choice for more information. You could also send tickets via mail services as mentioned previously. However, Peace Corps will assume no liability in the event of a lost/stolen airline ticket.

Trying to send cash or checks is very risky and is discouraged. If your Volunteer family member requests money from you, it is his/her responsibility to arrange for its receipt. There is Western Union service available in Kampala, although there are many charges involved in the sending and exchange of money. Bear in mind that Volunteers will be aware of people visiting the States and can request that they call the Volunteers' families when they arrive in the States should airline tickets or cash need to be sent back to Uganda.

We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda. We understand how frustrating communication difficulties can be when your family member is overseas. and we appreciate your using this information as a guide. Please feel free to contact us at the Uganda Desk in Washington, D.C. if you have any further questions. Our phone number is 1-800-424-8580, ext. 2324 or locally, 202-692-2324/202-692-2324.

Sincerely,

Julie Bohn, Desk Officer, Ext. 2324

Less than two weeks and counting...

2010-07-27T20:23:00.005-04:00

With less than two weeks before I leave for staging (pre-departure orientation August 9) in Philly, these last couple weeks will be spent hanging with friends and family, buying last-minute essentials, preparing myself mentally, and enjoying luxuries such as home-cooked meals (my cooking doesn't come close) and a reliable internet connection.

Since I received my invitation to serve in Uganda in late-May, my life has seemingly moved at a whirl-wind pace. I left my job - residential counselor at the Bridge of Central MA - on July 15; leaving was incredibly bitter-sweet. Despite only working there for little more than a year, I formed close relationships with both the Oberlin Street clients and staff. I considered them to be my "second family" if you will.

To the Oberlin Street staff, it was a pleasure working alongside and getting to know each of you. I could not have asked for a better group of people to learn from, laugh with, speak Spanish to (Que pasa mi mija Maria), and have my lunch food scrutinized over (you know who you are).

To the Oberlin Street clients, thank you for letting me in on your lives. I will never forget your quirks, our daily conversations, and our trips driving around Worcester. You are inspirational people, and I can earnestly say that you all made a tremendous impact on my life. I give you this last piece of advice:

Whether it be your goal to earn your GED, reunite with your daughter, obtain your driver's permit, or quit smoking for good, NEVER give up on your dreams, your short-/long-term goals, and on your path toward recovery.

Here is my staging info. The following is my mailing address for the NEXT THREE MONTHS. Once I am sworn in as a Peace Corps volunteer in October, my address will change. I will let you know the new address when I get it.

Bryan Kobick, PCT
P.O. Box 29348
Kampala, Uganda

Any mail is greatly appreciated. If you want to send me something, consider using a padded envelope instead of a box. The Ugandan mail system can be corrupt, so padded envelope packages are less likely to be tampered with than boxes. It also helps if you write "Air Mail" or "Par Avion" on the envelope, and address me as "Father Bryan Kobick" and draw religious symbols on the package. No, I am not converting religions. No, I do not plan to come back to the States as a priest. Packages that look religiously sacred are, again, less likely to be tampered with than boxes. Finally, please be aware that it can take anywhere from 1-3 months for mail to arrive in Uganda. So anything you send me in January may not arrive until March, and vice-versa.

Until then, less than two weeks and counting...

Inspirational Quote

2010-06-24T19:08:00.006-04:00

Upon driving to work a few days ago, this quote was displayed on a billboard.

"No person was ever honored for what they received. Honor has been the reward for what they gave."
- Calvin Coolidge

I would think that most volunteers would not identify 'honor' as their primary motivation for joining the Peace Corps. Our motivations for applying, interviewing, and enduring the year-long, medically-intensive process vary: helping those less fortunate, personal growth, the opportunity to immerse oneself in an entirely different culture, and the opportunity to travel.

The quote, however, had me thinking about the reciprocal relationship between PCV's and in-country locals. Volunteers serve - work in education, agriculture, business, health, or community development - their respective communities, while reciprocally, conversing and learning from in-country locals provides PCV's with an enriching, cultural experience.

Just a thought.

Aspiration Statement

2010-06-07T17:07:00.003-04:00

Peace Corps invitees are required to submit an aspiration statement describing their strategies for working effectively with host country partners, strategies for adapting to a new culture, skills and knowledge they hope to gain during pre-service training, and how Peace Corps service will influence their personal and professional aspirations. Here is mine:

A. What professional attributes do you plan to use, and what aspirations do you hope to fulfill, during your Peace Corps service?

Stemming from courses that I took in the Masters of Public Administration (MPA) program at Clark University, I plan to bring leadership, managerial, and organizational skills to the NGO I work for. Furthermore, I will bring cultural sensitivity and open-mindedness to integrate with Ugandan locals, patience and a sincere willingness to learn the country’s official and local languages, and problem solving and motivational skills to encourage locals to volunteer and learn about significant issues that affect their livelihoods.

During my Peace Corps service, I aspire to utilize the knowledge and skills that I learned in my graduate, public administration program to benefit the NGO I work for and the Ugandan community I live in. On a personal level, I hope to expand my knowledge of the Ugandan culture, gain the respect and trust of the Ugandan locals, truly make a lasting impact in the community I serve, personally grow as an individual, and ascertain if NGO/nonprofit work is the career path I wish to pursue after Peace Corps service.

B. What are your strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet their expressed needs?

Getting the opportunity to work and live with host country partners (HCP’s) and Ugandan locals was one of my primary motivations for joining the Peace Corps. In order to work effectively with host country partners to meet their expressed needs, I will begin my service with an open mind, an eager readiness, and patience to overcome cultural and linguistic differences; adjust according to the interests, values, and needs of the HCP’s; and work collaboratively with the HCP’s to provide long-term sustainability (improved development and health) to the community I serve.

C. What are your strategies for adapting to a new culture with respect to your own cultural background?

I believe that I am prepared to put aside my American culture to fully adapt to and immerse myself in the Ugandan culture. Not only is it important to begin Peace Corps service as an observer, but also to enter with cultural sensitivity and awareness. For example, adaquately learning to speak the local language, adhering to the Ugandan diet, and living according to the Ugandan lifestyle are all necessary for cultural integration and acceptance in the community, which will enable me to build relationships and gain the respect and trust of the locals. Nevertheless, I still hope to share (and commendably represent) facets of American culture with in-country locals.

D. What skills and knowledge do you hope to gain during pre-service training to best serve your future community and project?

During pre-service training, I hope to gain knowledge about nongovernmental organizations that will enable me to effectively serve my NGO and promote sustainable development in the community. For example, I would benefit from learning strategies on how to recruit volunteers, and educate locals about the importance of mitigating the spread of HIV/AIDS and maintaining proper and sanitary health standards. I also hope to gain the necessary language skills so that I can become fluent in the local language to communicate with HCP’s and in-country locals. Finally, I hope to enhance my cooking skills by learning how to prepare local dishes and cook independently on my own.

E. How do you think Peace Corps service will influence your personal and professional aspirations after your service ends?

Peace Corps service will greatly influence my personal and professional aspirations. On a professional level, it will afford me clarity of my career aspirations by helping me determine if NGO/nonprofit public service work is a suitable career path. On a personal level, it will increase my self-confidence, provide a great sense of self-fulfillment and gratification, and open my eyes to a new culture. Without question Peace Corps service will challenge me physically, mentally, socially, and my moral beliefs (egalitarianism, democratic government, support of animal rights). However, I am prepared and excited to embrace all that the Peace Corps experience has to offer.

Moving Forward

2010-06-02T19:43:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my first official blog post! When I leave for Uganda, I will try to keep this blog as up-to-date as possible. I may not have much, if any, Internet service once I'm there. I've read journals from Returning Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) that Internet service in Uganda is severely limited. The exception is if I live and work for a NGO in Uganda's capital city of Kampala.

I unexpectedly received my official invitation from the Peace Corps last Friday. I say unexpectedly because I wasn't anticipating the invitation to be mailed to my home address in Virginia, but rather to my school address in Massachusetts. While my initial state of euphoria has worn off since last Friday, I couldn't be more stoked to serve as a NGO Development volunteer in Uganda! I don't receive my work placement until the end of the three-month training (October 20), but I think my work will entail mitigating the spread of HIV/Aids through public education and awareness, promoting proper sanitation and clean water usage, improving the health and livelihoods of the Ugandan people, and promoting income-generating, sustainable, and community development activities. Also, I've read about volunteers who have conducted secondary projects such as running soccer camps for children, introducing Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to youth, and planting gardens throughout their respective communities. I couldn't be more excited for August 9 to arrive!

Yet with my excitement comes anxiety and a number of challenges. I don't think it's hit me yet that I'm moving from a country that I've lived in all my life to a country to which I'm completely unfamiliar. Learning and adapting to the Ugandan culture, language, and livelihood will undoubtedly challenge me mentally, physically, and socially. No contact with family or friends will also be challenging. And I better learn to cook for myself Ugandan-style; I foresee no opportunity for take-out or microwavable food.

I guess, then, that the saying stands true: "Serving as a Peace Corps volunteer is the toughest job you'll ever love."