I arrived in London last night and leave for the States in 3 hours from now (L.A. and then Portland). By the time I realized that my flight leaves in the morning and not at night, it was late in London and I decided to call it a night and not take the train into the city. That means my whole London experience is relegated to Heathrow and the adjoining Park Inn Hotel. Oh yeah, the Duty Free shops, too.
My husband said that people have been asking him what I was doing in Uganda with AFC. What project I was working on. Sherie and I were working on documenting the AFC program. By this, we were putting together scrapbooks of children at the various AFC centers and creating a video of the program. The scrapbooks were in shape to leave with the AFC staff for completion and we have the materials for the video and will complete it when we connect in the States and then send it back to AFC. At some point, Jolly will be coming back to the States and she will use the video to explain to folks what AFC does and what more it can do.
AFC is in need of funding to provide additional schools and clinics for vulnerable children and to support family restoration. There are no school buses. Children walk. There is no free education. Education is tuition-based. Without AFC, many children would receive no education at all. Many children would continue to be malnourished and in dire health. Thanks to Jolly and her staff, AFC is helping thousands of children and Sherie and I had the privilege of helping to tell their story.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Leaving Uganda -- Monday Morning
It is Monday morning and I am at the Entebbe Airport waiting for my flight to Heathrow to board. I have made many friends in Uganda and they will all be going with me in my heart.
Let me take a moment to share my weekend with you. On Saturday we had a lovely reunion with friends from Holt International when they arrived in Uganda. Shortly afterward, Jolly took me to the women's prison. I teased that she was going to leave me there, but we were going to a going away party for a friend of her's. The next day (yesterday), we drove to Jinja for Halima's graduation party. It was a wonderful party that was mixed Muslim and Christian; quite colorful. It was the perfect way to say good-bye to Uganda.
Family, fellow Oregonians and SNW, I will be home before you know it. I hope to be in the office on Friday, depending upon jetlag. Matt/Mike, please let Mom know I'll call her as soon as I arrive. Jack, Brian and Peter, I can't wait to see you all.
Let me take a moment to share my weekend with you. On Saturday we had a lovely reunion with friends from Holt International when they arrived in Uganda. Shortly afterward, Jolly took me to the women's prison. I teased that she was going to leave me there, but we were going to a going away party for a friend of her's. The next day (yesterday), we drove to Jinja for Halima's graduation party. It was a wonderful party that was mixed Muslim and Christian; quite colorful. It was the perfect way to say good-bye to Uganda.
Family, fellow Oregonians and SNW, I will be home before you know it. I hope to be in the office on Friday, depending upon jetlag. Matt/Mike, please let Mom know I'll call her as soon as I arrive. Jack, Brian and Peter, I can't wait to see you all.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Last Day in AFC Office
Today is my last day in the Action for Children office. I will miss the people in the office, their smiles, their amazing hospitality and the friendship they have given me in my month here. I have not finished all of the work I came to do, but will be able to send them a finished product as soon as I am able to enlist my son's help in putting together the final touches.
It is raining today, which is reminding me of home. I guess this is fitting as I'll be there in 5 days.
It is raining today, which is reminding me of home. I guess this is fitting as I'll be there in 5 days.
Gulu - February 5th
Another night of little sleep. The African Cup frivolities went on all night and into the wee hours this morning. It is not the first time I haven’t slept while in Uganda and for some reason I don’t mind much. The room, which definitely wasn’t European standard, was quite comfortable. Water is only turned on when the hotel feels there will be a need for it so that it doesn’t get wasted.
Water is a precious item in Africa since there are only one or two rainy seasons. Rain from roofs is captured in large tanks and then used throughout homes. When these tanks, which may be metal cans, plastic tanks or sealed concrete, run dry, a tanker may be called to refill the tanks. Villages get water from either a local pump or nearby streams. It is common to see children and women carrying plastic water jugs on their heads.
We went to two community centers that are sponsored by CARE today. Both centers were located in relocation camps. I heard more today about soldiers from Sudan surrounding villages during the night and kidnapping anyone who could serve as a soldier and killing the rest. Those kidnapped were set on a forced march during the night carrying heavy loads of provisions. The lucky ones are those who escaped and are in the relocation camps.
The children we saw in the camps all have big smiles. That is the good news. They also have extended stomachs (worms or malnutrition) and tatters for clothes. I wanted to take them all to a shower and then let them jump into a swimming pool for relief from the intense heat.
Water is a precious item in Africa since there are only one or two rainy seasons. Rain from roofs is captured in large tanks and then used throughout homes. When these tanks, which may be metal cans, plastic tanks or sealed concrete, run dry, a tanker may be called to refill the tanks. Villages get water from either a local pump or nearby streams. It is common to see children and women carrying plastic water jugs on their heads.
We went to two community centers that are sponsored by CARE today. Both centers were located in relocation camps. I heard more today about soldiers from Sudan surrounding villages during the night and kidnapping anyone who could serve as a soldier and killing the rest. Those kidnapped were set on a forced march during the night carrying heavy loads of provisions. The lucky ones are those who escaped and are in the relocation camps.
The children we saw in the camps all have big smiles. That is the good news. They also have extended stomachs (worms or malnutrition) and tatters for clothes. I wanted to take them all to a shower and then let them jump into a swimming pool for relief from the intense heat.
Trip to Gulu - February 4th
It’s Monday, which means back to work. I join Lydia and James for a trip north to Gulu. We leave the office about 11 and arrive in Gulu at 6 p.m. The road has many potholes in it, so driving is quite slow at times.
A week ago, we went to the source of the Nile River. Today we cross a branch of the Nile River that feeds into Prince Albert Lake. This part of the Nile is wild. We see falls in the distance and the number of boulders in the river make this a rafter’s dream or nightmare, depending upon experience. It is too fast and wild for me, that’s for sure. On the other side of the river, we are greeted by baboons in the road and toss roasted cassava to them.
Closer to Gulu, we see many relocation camps for families displaced by the 20-year war in the north. Round huts with grass roofs are crowded together with little space in between. There are multiple camps and the roofs go on and on. Although the war is over, only some families have moved back to their villages. Some have split their families so that part goes back to re-establish their homes and will come back for the rest of their families, others may go away during the day to work and return at night if their village is close enough. Others fear the war is not settled and choose to stay. Still others have lived in the camps for up to 21 years and no longer know their home village and choose to stay.
We finally reach Gulu and check into a hotel that Lydia has stayed at before because it is clean and quite. Well, generally. Tonight is the African Cup soccer game, so the bar is packed and noisy. Good fun.
A week ago, we went to the source of the Nile River. Today we cross a branch of the Nile River that feeds into Prince Albert Lake. This part of the Nile is wild. We see falls in the distance and the number of boulders in the river make this a rafter’s dream or nightmare, depending upon experience. It is too fast and wild for me, that’s for sure. On the other side of the river, we are greeted by baboons in the road and toss roasted cassava to them.
Closer to Gulu, we see many relocation camps for families displaced by the 20-year war in the north. Round huts with grass roofs are crowded together with little space in between. There are multiple camps and the roofs go on and on. Although the war is over, only some families have moved back to their villages. Some have split their families so that part goes back to re-establish their homes and will come back for the rest of their families, others may go away during the day to work and return at night if their village is close enough. Others fear the war is not settled and choose to stay. Still others have lived in the camps for up to 21 years and no longer know their home village and choose to stay.
We finally reach Gulu and check into a hotel that Lydia has stayed at before because it is clean and quite. Well, generally. Tonight is the African Cup soccer game, so the bar is packed and noisy. Good fun.
Miriam's Graduation - February 3rd
Today is Miriam’s graduation party. Since I am staying with the Nyekos, Miriam’s aunt and uncle, I get to watch the day unfold. We have breakfast with Miriam, her mother, father, the Nyekos and another uncle. After breakfast is church. Church starts at 9, but we arrive around 10:30, in time for a couple of the songs (I love the drums the most), the sermon and rest of the service, which ends a little after 1:00. Jolly and didn’t have time earlier in the week, so we take time for a shopping trip for graduation presents and return home in time for the party.
The party is a mid-day party. I’ve been told that sometimes people don’t even say what time a party starts, other than mid-day or evening, because people arrive when they are ready. In this case, people start arriving at 3 p.m. and continue arriving until after 7 p.m. There were many speeches, a buffet dinner of matoke (plantains steamed in banana leaves), two types of rice, chicken, beef in broth, shredded cabbage salad with tomatoes, a cooked shredded cabbage and peanut sauce, more speeches, fruit salad, Miriam’s speech, then the cake cutting and distribution to each guest by Miriam, followed by a dance procession where each party gave presents to Miriam. It was beautiful and touching.
The party is a mid-day party. I’ve been told that sometimes people don’t even say what time a party starts, other than mid-day or evening, because people arrive when they are ready. In this case, people start arriving at 3 p.m. and continue arriving until after 7 p.m. There were many speeches, a buffet dinner of matoke (plantains steamed in banana leaves), two types of rice, chicken, beef in broth, shredded cabbage salad with tomatoes, a cooked shredded cabbage and peanut sauce, more speeches, fruit salad, Miriam’s speech, then the cake cutting and distribution to each guest by Miriam, followed by a dance procession where each party gave presents to Miriam. It was beautiful and touching.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Masulita Tour
What an incredible day! I joined 5 AFC staff for a tour of community learning centers around Masulita. Our first stop was the first AFC center in Masulita where we had helped to make bricks (see picture of drying bricks) on our second day in Uganda. The community members were busily making more bricks, clearing the grounds and fixing plaster since school starts in 4 days. Interviews for a new teacher were this afternoon back in Kampala.
Our second stop was at a home of a young couple with their 5 children. They were busy making bricks in their front yard and the children were excited to get a ride in the AFC truck, short as it was.
In the center of Masulita, we stopped to get water. The boda-boda drivers (motorcycle taxis) were teasing our staff person who works there to buy them lunch to celebrate that she brought friends with her to Masulita, especially a white one. Everywhere Sherie and I would go, we would hear, "Hello, White Person!" This is not said as a slur, but as a recognition, or greeting. Now that Sherie is gone, I am hearing, "Hello, Madame White Person!" In some of the villages we went through today, this greeting was changed to "Hello, China!" Some of the children cry when they see me because they have not been exposed to many caucasians. I try hard not to scare them.
We stopped at one center that is in the process of being built (picture of round hut with grass roof). Children have so far to walk to go to school that local communities are banning together to build facilities. The gentleman in the white shirt has been working on the buildings and doesn't even have children who will be attending. Chris (red shirt) is the teacher and as we would drive to a school site, the children would cry, "Master!" to him. It was endearing.
Another site we visited is the home of a woman who had an extra building that she is donating for use as a school. After interviewing potential teachers, a retired teacher in the village said she would teach instead and the children love her. On top of this generousity, the community is joining together to make things to sell, such as the lady making strips to weave into a grass mat (picture), to improve the school.
The final picture is not of our trip today, but of one of the 3 AFC staff members who graduated this week. This is a picture of Halima modeling her graduation cap and gown. Halima is the first person in her family to graduate from college; a huge accomplishment. Miriam and Vanessa also graduated and we are all proud of all three of them!
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