As Per Request

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...

"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

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...

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..??

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

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

- 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.