Friday, February 27, 2009

New routines

Since returning from the Christmas break, there have been a lot of changes to my schedule, all of which I find quite exhilarating. Praise God for providing some great opportunities to continuing learning and serving Him. Here’s a rundown of my new typical week for this second half of my trip:

Mondays and Wednesdays: I go for the full day to for an internship at World Vision, at the area development project based in Kyabakuza (a 1000shilling boda ride from Masaka). So far, I am spending most time just observing and learning about the extensive programs and procedures World Vision utilizes to improve the lives of over 4,000 kids in the area, not to mention their families and communities. I’m really enjoying starting each work day with a staff devotion time- it has a nice way of putting things in perspective!

I’m also enjoying the opportunity to get out to some of the more rural areas. Last Monday I got to go out with one of the child sponsorship assistants to follow up with 8 kids who had received special gifts from their sponsors. We went to take pictures of the kids with everything they purchased so that we could report back to the sponsor. Usually the purchases included things like books, shoes, school uniforms, and some kind of small income generating project (piglets, cows, etc.) Seeing the impact it has on the ground, I definitely recommend you consider becoming a sponsor!

Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays: I split my time between church and Buddukiro. At church, I’m part of a team that is reviewing how we can restructure MPC’s community/mercy ministry projects so that they are more organized and have maximum impact. There are four main areas of ministry:
- Prison ministry;
- Assistance to orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC), and persons affected by HIV/AIDS;
- Assistance to the elderly and widows; and
- ‘Special initiatives’, which includes emergency assistance and start up capital so individuals who are struggling can become self-sustaining.

So far, we’ve designed a structure for a new church coordinating department, developed strategies for recruiting volunteers and mobilizing funds, and started raising awareness in the church through a ‘special Sunday’ where we highlighted some of the needs, and ways people could get involved. I’ll write about all these exciting developments in more detail in a later post…

At Buddukiro, I’m wrapping up my involvement with my project to set up self help groups for caregivers of OVC in Ssenyange. I’ll write more about that later too! Going forward, I’d like to continue to serve as a resource person as the staff carries the project forward, and as they prepare to implement a couple of other new projects there. In the evenings, I have a lot of fun visiting folks around the neighborhood for tea, hangout time, and Luganda lessons (with Jenipher and Mukiibi, Brock and Hagar, and Fred).

Saturdays - This is my day to take care of houseworky stuff. Man, after 3-4 hours of hand washing and cleaning, I feel pretty beat. I can’t imagine doing that every day like most ladies here do, and for multiple family members! Saturday is also a ‘fun’ day to hang out with friends and cook Muzungu food.

Sundays –
Church in the morning, then usually some kind of training or workshop with my groups in Ssenyange through early evening. Usually a tiring but satisfying day.

All in all, I am very happy indeed, because I feel like all of the above constitutes time well spent!!!

A visit from muganda wange (my sister!)

I had such a great time with Mark and Lisa when they came to volunteer in Uganda for the month of January. They were staying just a couple hours away, so we were able to visit back and forth quite a bit. They did a great job of getting adjusted, using their gifts and talents to contribute, and finding humor in daily life. Here’s a few pics:

Me with my stash- a special delivery from Santa (mom and dad), and friends. BTW, I polished that chocolate off within a week.








Lisa and Mark at the entrance to the hospital where he was working. Lisa was able to get involved in some cool ministry at a local church.









Lisa and Mark look over photos with Jenipher during a visit to my host family.










It’s my turn to be nurse as Mark examines all the kids at a home for orphans that is just down the street from my new place. He and Lisa were able to stop in there on there way back to the airport at the invitation of Lisandro, a Peace Corps volunteer friend of mine.










Lisa and Mark, what a blessing you guys were to me during your visit- thanks for everything!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Adventures in real estate


Since my time with FSD is finished at the end of January, I have been looking for a room to rent after moving out of the host family. I decided that I wanted to stay around the neighborhood, since this is where all my ‘peeps’ are! My first question was, “How does this work here?” I don’t have access to any classified ads, and they certainly don’t seem to have Craigslist, Masaka. Should I just go knocking on people’s gates to see if they have an extra room in their compound?

Very fortunately for me, Buddukiro’s accountant, Sarah, has a brother named David, who happened to stop in to the center one day, and who happens to be very well-connected in the neighborhood since he grew up there! (Thanks Lord for the hookup!) He is one of five siblings that I now know in that family because two of the brothers are in my cell group!

Here’s a few of the stops we made along the way to finding my new home away from home. The main qualities I was looking for coming out of the host family experience? Quiet, privacy, and independence!

Wishing it didn’t have a well -
The first place I looked was at the room Brock and Hagar didn’t take. It’s literally almost right across the street from Jenipher, down a dirt path toward the wetlands area. Though pretty, and quite private, it is rather claustrophobic, and with the tap out of commission, I’d have to lug water from the well down the path. XXX

Wide open spaces…(too wide and too open)!
- This place is on one of the main dirt pathways up the hill from Jenipher. The lady was willing to rent me the two connected rooms for just 40,000shillings/mo (about $20), and even throw in a bed! Unfortunately, it was a bit run down, and completely open to the street. Given the crowd of curious kids that gathered at the door and windows just during the few minutes of my visit, it was clear that this place would not do! XXX

In excess of my decibel limit - At 30,000, very cheap. Within a gated compound (safe) and a water tap nearby. However, the room was very small and dark, nestled within a narrow alleyway between other tenants. Also, the place came with a soundtrack of Luganda radio and screaming kids that I thought I could do without. XXX

Ooh, that would have been perfect… -
if were only 10,000shillings less! I fell in love with this place as soon as we passed through the private alley way and out into the pleasant, open, and equally private courtyard. There were a number of two-room apartments all in a row, and the one I looked at was brand new and bright and sunny, with all the details finished nicely. Unfortunately, it felt like a lot of space for just me and my few possessions, and at 50,000 the price was a little steep. Somehow couldn’t get this one out of my mind though, even as I continued to look at others… XXX

Way too big, aka just right? –
Just as I was about to sign on to one of the simple 30,000/month rooms, David came back with an offer that was too good to refuse. There was a compound right next to him where the house was sitting empty because they were having trouble finding a buyer. For just 40,000, they were willing to rent me the whole house, including running water and indoor toilet (amenities that seem to be unheard of in the neighborhood.) Just as I was fearing it would be scary to be all by myself, Amie, the international program coordinator from FSD contacted me because she was in need of a place too! We would be the only ones in the compound, which meant no prying eyes to laugh at our awkward muzungu attempts at housekeeping.
DING DING DING! THIS IS THE ONE WE CHOSE, AND WENT AHEAD TO PUT DOWN THE DEPOSIT AND DRAWING UP THE HANDWRITTEN AGREEMENT.

***BONUS -
Here’s some of the items on my must-have list- I’ve put the dollar values in just for fun so you can see the cost of setting up a household in Uganda! (The sad thing is these prices seem high to me by this point!):
1 large and 1 small jerry can – $2.50 and $1.50 respectively
2 basins- one for bathing and washing, one for dishes - $2.00 each
1 small mattress - $15
1 set of sheets - $5
3 lesus (cloths) to serve as curtains - $1.50 each
1 woven banana leaf mat to put under mattress - $0.75
1 colored woven mat to serve as a ‘couch’ for visitors $5.00
Clothes line for hanging clothes, laundry, and mosquito net- about $1.00
2-4 coffee cups, plates, spoons- about $5.00
1-2 pots – about $2-3.00 each
Paraffin cook stove ($4.00)
A place call my own – PRICELESS!

** Update- just a couple days after I paid the rent and signed the agreement (handwritten in English dictated by me!), the transformer blew, landing the whole neighborhood, including ‘my’ house, without power. David says with the customer service ethic of the power company, this is a problem that could take up to the full three months to rectify! So, Amie and I had to decide whether to go for the other 'perfect' two room place that had been on my mind.

This raised an interesting question- given the choice, which do I value more, privacy, or electricity? Electricity won, and so we moved into our two room palace! It didn’t even need to be 10,000 shillings less, because with Amie splitting the cost, it’s now 20,000 less. We’ve been there about a week so far, and are both pretty delighted by how cute it is. More to follow on the adventures of independent living!

Holiday Party at Buddukiro


On December 19, we brought the kids from Nyendo and Masaka together for a holiday party. A good time was had by all! Some of the highlights:

- The kids drew some holiday pictures to decorate the drop in center(see below).
- They also prepared a song and skit about being safe while on the streets.
- There was a talk with the agency nurse Justine on safety and HIV/AIDS prevention.
- They were also encouraged to plan for their futures as 2009 approaches, rather than just thinking about day to day life on the street.
- There were prizes for some of the boys, such as most punctual, most clean, most helpful.
- We all drank soda, ate meat, and enjoyed some holiday sweets.

**Many thanks to the supporter whose donation helped to make this party possible!

Hakuna Matata part deux: Mombasa and Lamu


Here’s a few pics from our trip to the coast. So this is what this side of the Indian Ocean looks like!



This is looking out from Mombasa. It was an interesting town- very different vibe from Nairobi, and much more hot and humid, with lots of cool colonial architecture. On our way out of Mombasa at the end of the trip, we enjoyed some AMAZING pizza and ice cream. There was also a street kid that went a little ballistic on us when we wouldn’t give him money- going on and on about how Kenya is his country, not ours, and how he would beat us if we ever returned to that neighborhood. No problem kiddo- I doubt I will ever again be in that section of Mombasa!






Lamu Island is a World heritage site. It has really narrow winding alleys, no cars but lots of donkeys and donkey droppings, and lots of ladies in muslim garb. In fact, Hagar and I were the only ladies on the boat ride over not wearing it! Here’s a few pics, including one of donkey races for the occasion of muslim new year!







I also stuck in one bonus pic with my good friend Karen, who we got to see while she was visiting from DC (her family is in Nairobi.) Kenya was definitely kind to us, and we arrived back in Uganda refreshed and ready to greet 2009!

Hakuna Matata in Kenya!

Over Christmas, Brock, Hagar and I toured around Kenya. It took about 13 hours by Akamba bus to go from Kampala to Nairobi. With the right book and sufficient snacks, not at all a bad time!

One tricky part was the border crossing though. Akamba is basically obsessed with being on time, which is mostly a good thing. However, we pulled up to the customs office, and the driver said, "10 minutes." 10 minutes for a full busload of people to exit Uganda, run way down the road to the Kenyan border office, get visas, and reboard?! Brock and I were running behind, and literally just stepped back on the bus as it pulled away. I think they did actually leave someone behind!

Right over the border, we could immediately see a lot of differences between Kenya and Uganda, including that it is much drier, and there are much fewer trucks full of matooke going by! We arrived in Nairobi around 9pm after seeing some beautiful countryside. We were a bit lost at first, and nervous since even the guidebook calls the city, "Nairobbery." However, it didn't take long before things just all started to fall in place amazingly easily! We found a nice guesthouse, and Dorcas, who works there, was able to immediately arrange a three day safari for us at a good price.

Here’s a few pics from our trip to Kenya, ‘wild things’ safari segment, including the ‘big five’ of the game park! More to follow on the trip to the coast.

Leopard - One of the 'big five.' We were so lucky our driver got a hot tip on the first day of the safari, and we sped over in time to see him lounging in the tree. They are very rare to see!

Lion - Another of the big five. We got to see several of these guys, always looking very chill. It must be nice to be at the top f the food chain!








Elephants and Rhino (baby ones!)
- On our last day in Kenya we visited an elephant orphanage where baby and adolescent elephants stay until they are old enough to fend for themselves in one of the parks. Their trainers do everything they can to mimic parent-child relations between elephants, including actually take turns sleeping where they sleep. Because elephants have good memories, they said that if they are a bit older when they are orphaned, they go through a long grieving process similar to what we go through! We also finally got to see a two-week old adorable baby rhino (the last of the 'big five'! He was found alone, and because he was born blind and would therefore be unable to defend himself in the wild, he will likely hang out at the orphanage for quite some time!










The Masai
- us Muzungus dancing with some of the Masai villagers. They have found a very lucrative market for their very distinctive culture among safari goers!

Besides these guys we saw: ostriches, crested cranes, lots of hippos, lots of elephants and zebras, antelopey things, buffaloes, wildebeasts, and many varieties of birds.