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| Yummy chickens - the Ugandan turkey alternative |
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| The Thanksgiving piñata: Sherman! |
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| Bye bye Sherman! |
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thanksgiving 2011
This year marked my second Thanksgiving in Uganda. For both celebrations, I was lucky enough to have good group of friends to share the holiday with. This year we enjoyed chicken, mashed and scalloped potatoes, spicy pumpkin soup, carrots, homemade applesauce, and cheese (yes, just a block of cheese - and it was delicious!). Then for dessert we had spice cake and oreos! After eating, we continued the party by walloping a Thanksgiving turkey piñata full of "sweeties." So much fun!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Ebola and cholera and typhoid! Oh my!
Uganda is a hotspot for all sorts of fun tropical diseases. When I was studying about rare, un-heard-of diseases in school, almost all of them seem to have been found in Uganda at some point. I've definitely found this to be true since I've lived here: in the past 15 months, Uganda has seen outbreaks of ebola, typhoid, anthrax, yellow fever, and anthrax. And that's not even including the "normal" tropical diseases like malaria, schistosomiasis, and trachoma. Oh, what a dream for a public health student :)
(fyi: no PCVs have yet contracted any of these diseases in Uganda. We are all ok!)
Friday, November 4, 2011
Midservice!!
Last week my training group met in Masaka to have our midservice conference. Since we've all be at site for a year now, we got a chance to get together, reconnect, and share successes and frustrations from the past year. It was really great to see everyone! Here is our group - all 45 of use (it's pretty unusual to have an intact group make it all the way to the one year mark!):
The serious "work talk" was coupled by some fun activities as well: a movie showing of Volunteers (a Tom Hanks film from the 80s making fun of the Peace Corps), a trivia night, a Halloween party, and class superlatives. Yes indeed, two people in our group took the time to make a superlative for everyone in our group, including (in true Ugandan fashion) certificates! Mine was "most likely to be asked to sing the national anthem at the superbowl." I think this was more related to my being (with about a minute of notice) asked to sing the national anthem at out homestay thank you party and swearing in ceremony early on, rather than any actual talent on my part, but it was still sweet! Some of the other superlatives included best bikini bod (won by a woman in the 55+ crowd who rocks), most likely to always have taco seasoning in her bag, and most likely to bring HIV education to the Hobbit shire. We have a very interesting group :)
During the conference we were also supposed to make an action plan for our last year at site. Unfortunately, I will (hopefully) be moving sites soon, so it was difficult for me to take away future plans and hopes for the coming year. I'm trying to stay optimistic that things will work out for the best, but honestly the idea of moving at this point in my service is really daunting. Not only do I have to go through the stress of actually packing and moving, but I have to start from scratch with a community. I have to get to know my neighbors, my colleagues, and my market women. I have to learn where to buy my groceries and how to get around. It's been stressing me out! I'll update more when I have more details about where I'm going, but for now the only thing that's certain on my agenda for the next year is to finally finish my master's paper! Wish me luck!
ttfn :)
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| CHED August 2010 one year in :) |
The serious "work talk" was coupled by some fun activities as well: a movie showing of Volunteers (a Tom Hanks film from the 80s making fun of the Peace Corps), a trivia night, a Halloween party, and class superlatives. Yes indeed, two people in our group took the time to make a superlative for everyone in our group, including (in true Ugandan fashion) certificates! Mine was "most likely to be asked to sing the national anthem at the superbowl." I think this was more related to my being (with about a minute of notice) asked to sing the national anthem at out homestay thank you party and swearing in ceremony early on, rather than any actual talent on my part, but it was still sweet! Some of the other superlatives included best bikini bod (won by a woman in the 55+ crowd who rocks), most likely to always have taco seasoning in her bag, and most likely to bring HIV education to the Hobbit shire. We have a very interesting group :)
During the conference we were also supposed to make an action plan for our last year at site. Unfortunately, I will (hopefully) be moving sites soon, so it was difficult for me to take away future plans and hopes for the coming year. I'm trying to stay optimistic that things will work out for the best, but honestly the idea of moving at this point in my service is really daunting. Not only do I have to go through the stress of actually packing and moving, but I have to start from scratch with a community. I have to get to know my neighbors, my colleagues, and my market women. I have to learn where to buy my groceries and how to get around. It's been stressing me out! I'll update more when I have more details about where I'm going, but for now the only thing that's certain on my agenda for the next year is to finally finish my master's paper! Wish me luck!
ttfn :)
Monday, October 31, 2011
Peace Camp 2011
At the end of August, I worked with about 20 PCVs to run a Peace Camp in Gulu for youth that have been affected by the war and LRA. For those you who aren't aware of the situation, here is little background:
The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is a rebel group that has operated in Uganda, Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Led by Joseph Kony, the LRA began a guerilla war in northern Uganda in 1986 with the intention of overthrowing the government. The LRA routinely recruited and kidnapped children in the north to use as child soldiers in the campaign. About 90% of the LRA troops were abducted as children. Although active fighting has ceased since 2006 (the LRA is still active in other countries), the physical, emotional, and psychological affects of the war still permeate the culture in northern Uganda. There are still about 1 million people living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, unable to return to their homes.
Peace Camp brought together 80 youth aged 15-19 from four tribes most affected by the conflict in the north: Acholi, Langi, Iteso, and Alur. Being from the southeast of Uganda, I had learned little about the LRA and the conflict other than what I learned from training and my own research. I could not truly understand the impact or the tribal distinctions until I witnessed the interactions among the campers. The campers were placed into camper groups of 10, and each group included a mixture of the 4 tribes, in an effort to encourage understanding and forgiveness between them. The conflict has long been thought of as a war waged by the Acholi and has often had undertones of Acholi nationalism, leaving many of the people of other tribes resentful and angry towards the Acholi as a tribe, so it was important to address this issue throughout the week.
I was a counselor for one of the camper groups, and did my best to foster a safe and comfortable environment for my campers to share and come to terms with their experiences. These people are truly amazing and strong individuals who have overcome horrendous obstacles in their life. For example, I will share an anonymous story of a camper from their camp application. This boy was forced by the LRA to kill his mother with a machete, being told that if he didn't, both of them would be killed. After being freed from the LRA and returning to his village, he was hoping for support by his neighbors and friends for what he had to go through. Instead, all he received was harsh judgement by people who refused to understand how he could have committed such an act, even under pain of death. This young man demonstrated the amazing strength needed to accept his past and seek help from others. He attended Peace Camp seeking skills to forgive and accept the perpetrators of his hellish past, and he plans to return to his village and teach others the skills he has learned. This is just one story, but I have so much admiration for all the camp participants and all the survivors of the LRA's terror.
My group came up with their name themselves: the Black Africans. At first, the wanted to be the Black Americans, but I politely vetoed that idea. All week, I had to get my group's attention by yelling BLACK AFRICANS!! Very strange!
A conflict resolution group from Gulu called Breakdancers for Peace helped open the camp:
A participatory theatre group from Kampala called Rafiki theater performed about domestic violence and allowed campers to play the roles of the characters and act out alternative solutions to the conflicts.
During the week, we traveled to the Recreation Project, a ropes course established in Gulu by trained psychologists to create a fun and hands-on environment for people to overcome their fears and learn about the importance of teamwork.
My group had to work as a team to re-arrange themselves on this log in alphabetical order without falling off!
Each tribe performed a traditional dance from their culture for the rest of the camp and for their own tribal leaders. The campers really got into the performances and were really proud to teach their peers about their culture.
Our brand new Peace Corps country director even came to visit!
Each evening, we had nightly rituals to wrap up the experiences of the day.
Each camper was assigned a peace friend, and they made an art project for their friend with a peace message. Campers also sought out their peace friends to do something nice for them during the week.
At the end of the camp, each group performed about what they learned about peace throughout the week. My group performed some songs and a skit about forgiveness.
Most importantly, campers had fun! Here's a camper showing off her dance skills to one of the PCVs who organized the camp:
For those of you who are interested in learning more about the conflict in northern Uganda, I recommend that you watch War Dance, a documentary that showcases stories from students in a refugee camp in northern Uganda and their journey to the National Music Competition. There, for the first time, they got to, demonstrate to the rest of the country the tribal culture of the Acholi people. It is a really powerful movie. We showed it to the campers the first night at camp, and though it was difficult for some participants to watch, they said it was empowering to hear others' stories and watch them succeed in Kampala.
ttfn! :)
The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is a rebel group that has operated in Uganda, Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Led by Joseph Kony, the LRA began a guerilla war in northern Uganda in 1986 with the intention of overthrowing the government. The LRA routinely recruited and kidnapped children in the north to use as child soldiers in the campaign. About 90% of the LRA troops were abducted as children. Although active fighting has ceased since 2006 (the LRA is still active in other countries), the physical, emotional, and psychological affects of the war still permeate the culture in northern Uganda. There are still about 1 million people living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, unable to return to their homes.
Peace Camp brought together 80 youth aged 15-19 from four tribes most affected by the conflict in the north: Acholi, Langi, Iteso, and Alur. Being from the southeast of Uganda, I had learned little about the LRA and the conflict other than what I learned from training and my own research. I could not truly understand the impact or the tribal distinctions until I witnessed the interactions among the campers. The campers were placed into camper groups of 10, and each group included a mixture of the 4 tribes, in an effort to encourage understanding and forgiveness between them. The conflict has long been thought of as a war waged by the Acholi and has often had undertones of Acholi nationalism, leaving many of the people of other tribes resentful and angry towards the Acholi as a tribe, so it was important to address this issue throughout the week.
I was a counselor for one of the camper groups, and did my best to foster a safe and comfortable environment for my campers to share and come to terms with their experiences. These people are truly amazing and strong individuals who have overcome horrendous obstacles in their life. For example, I will share an anonymous story of a camper from their camp application. This boy was forced by the LRA to kill his mother with a machete, being told that if he didn't, both of them would be killed. After being freed from the LRA and returning to his village, he was hoping for support by his neighbors and friends for what he had to go through. Instead, all he received was harsh judgement by people who refused to understand how he could have committed such an act, even under pain of death. This young man demonstrated the amazing strength needed to accept his past and seek help from others. He attended Peace Camp seeking skills to forgive and accept the perpetrators of his hellish past, and he plans to return to his village and teach others the skills he has learned. This is just one story, but I have so much admiration for all the camp participants and all the survivors of the LRA's terror.
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| Peace Camp 2011 |
My group came up with their name themselves: the Black Africans. At first, the wanted to be the Black Americans, but I politely vetoed that idea. All week, I had to get my group's attention by yelling BLACK AFRICANS!! Very strange!
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| Our first group meeting of the Black Africans. |
A conflict resolution group from Gulu called Breakdancers for Peace helped open the camp:
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| Breakdancers for Peace |
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| My group! |
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| Our morning assembly - it felt like a real "camp!" |
A participatory theatre group from Kampala called Rafiki theater performed about domestic violence and allowed campers to play the roles of the characters and act out alternative solutions to the conflicts.
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| Rafiki theatre |
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| Enjoying some down time |
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| A meeting of the Black Africans! |
During the week, we traveled to the Recreation Project, a ropes course established in Gulu by trained psychologists to create a fun and hands-on environment for people to overcome their fears and learn about the importance of teamwork.
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| All of us learning about the importance of teamwork |
My group had to work as a team to re-arrange themselves on this log in alphabetical order without falling off!
The culminating experience at the Recreation Project was the zip line. As most of you know, I'm afraid of heights, but after seeing my courageous campers tackle this fear, and after receiving so much support and encouragement from them, I had to give it a try! As I was flying through the air, my campers were running along side me on the ground so that they could great me at the end, hug me, and tell me how proud they were of me. Pretty fabulous :)
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| Getting ready to jump off! |
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| Flying! |
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| The Black Africans! |
Each tribe performed a traditional dance from their culture for the rest of the camp and for their own tribal leaders. The campers really got into the performances and were really proud to teach their peers about their culture.
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| The Peace Camp staff joined by our new Peace Corps country director! |
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| Each camper signed a Peace Camp banner |
Each evening, we had nightly rituals to wrap up the experiences of the day.
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| A candlelight remembrance ceremony |
Each camper was assigned a peace friend, and they made an art project for their friend with a peace message. Campers also sought out their peace friends to do something nice for them during the week.
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| Peace messages made by campers |
At the end of the camp, each group performed about what they learned about peace throughout the week. My group performed some songs and a skit about forgiveness.
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| Singing |
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| Performing a skit |
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| Campers planted trees and created a Peace Garden |
Most importantly, campers had fun! Here's a camper showing off her dance skills to one of the PCVs who organized the camp:
For those of you who are interested in learning more about the conflict in northern Uganda, I recommend that you watch War Dance, a documentary that showcases stories from students in a refugee camp in northern Uganda and their journey to the National Music Competition. There, for the first time, they got to, demonstrate to the rest of the country the tribal culture of the Acholi people. It is a really powerful movie. We showed it to the campers the first night at camp, and though it was difficult for some participants to watch, they said it was empowering to hear others' stories and watch them succeed in Kampala.
ttfn! :)
Friday, October 21, 2011
Apparently if shit hits the fan, we can COS now...
Exactly one year ago today I, along with 44 other, amazing people, swore in as Peace Corps Volunteers. I posted back in August that we've been in Uganda for a year, but this milestone means that we've completed half of our two years of service (Peace Corps doesn't count those 2.5 months of training as "service"). This time next year, I will (hopefully) be an RPCV! It also means that if crazy stuff happens in the country (we are still banned from Kampala...), and we get evacuated, we can technically still close our service (COS) and be an RPCV (highly unlikely though)!
It's easy to look back on the past year and feel disappointed. By American standards, PCVs don't accomplish a lot of tasks or complete a lot of projects in a year. However, I think it's important to take a look at the past year and commemorate the good. Here's some exciting things I've done this past year:
It's easy to look back on the past year and feel disappointed. By American standards, PCVs don't accomplish a lot of tasks or complete a lot of projects in a year. However, I think it's important to take a look at the past year and commemorate the good. Here's some exciting things I've done this past year:
- Wore a traditional Ugandan gomez at an introduction (a pre-wedding ceremony). No I never posted a picture of this because the gomez was bright orange and slightly hideous.
- Spent my first Christmas abroad with my awesome friend Lisa!
- Leaned to collect and prepare the materials for and sew a traditional Ugandan mat. Pictures to come, if I ever finish it!
- Rafted the Nile River
- Learned to make yeast bread
- Learned to test for malaria, vaccinate babies, and palpate a fetus
- Helped with a mass, door-to-door polio vaccination campaign
- Lived through my first African election
- Attempted to teach my health center about good record keeping
- Helped paint a mural with some kids at the Uganda PC 50th anniversary service event
- Helped Soft Power Health sell about 600 mosquito nets to people in my community
- Taught some kids about HIV/life skills
- Mostly answered a lot of kids random questions about any and all things
- Crossed the equator by land
- Visited Rwanda and Kenya
- Wrote and received funding through my first-ever grant
- Saw the last two Harry Potter movies at Uganda's one and only theater (ok, the same theater opened a second branch a block away from the first branch, but it's really all one theater)
- Found good fajitas and pad thai in Jinja!
- Learned about the LRA and the war up north from some powerfully strong Ugandan youth
- Ate at the first KFC in east Africa
- Went on my first safari
- Got schistosomiasis
- Spent two birthdays in Uganda
- Helped ensure quality control during an injury research study in Iganga by training field workers and reviewing their work
- Found and purchased 300 towels in one go. They take up a lot more space than you would think.
- Somehow come to terms with the fact that I will probably need to move sites in the next few months (details to come)
- Made some great friends, both fellow PCVs and Ugandans
- Read 63 books (and counting...)
It's been a good year
ttfn :)
Saturday, October 15, 2011
I've been in Africa for over a year, so it's about time I go on a safari!
So things have been pretty busy the past month or so. At the end of August, I was a counselor at Peace Camp in northern Uganda, a camp organized by other PCVs for youth affected by the war. I'll post more details on that later.
I also spent several says back in Wakiso to help run some sessions at pre-service training for the new group of 46 health and economic development volunteers. I taught them about the (flawed) health management information systems used in health centers in the country and about malaria, including all the fun we had at World Malaria!
We also had a Peace Corps Uganda all-volunteer conference, where (almost) all of the PCVs in the country get together to talk about project ideas and what's going well at everyone's site.
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| Here we are! The fabulous Peace Corps Uganda group! |
After the conference, 4 other PCVs and I went on a wonderful Kenyan adventure! We went to the Masai Mara and went on the most amazing safari ever. We saw over 50 lions, 4 cheetahs, a leopard, and countless giraffes, elephants, zebras, and wildebeest. We were there for the annual wildebeest migration, the largest migration in the world. We got to see them crossing the river, and even got to see a crocodile attack a wildebeest and a zebra! All animals pictures our courtesy of my wonderful photographer/friend Britt Larson!
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| The Kenyan Kitties! |
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| In our safari car! |
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| Cuddling :) |
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| Just waking up from a nap! |
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| So cute! I wanted to take one home! |
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| This guy was so scare climbing down the tree! |
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| Yummy wildebeest |
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| Just some playing :) |
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| Male lion taking a snooze |
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| Some cheetahs resting after a meal |
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| Cheetah! |
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| Leopard! |
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| The migration - so many wildebeests! |
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| River crossing |
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| Croc attacking a zebra! |
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| Croc attacking a wildebeest! |
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| Giraffes are so cool! |
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| Elephant with baby |
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| Zebras and wildebeest just hanging out |
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| Baby zebra! |
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| Hyena! |
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| Cute - also = food |
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| We called this guy "gaga" after his resemblance to Lady Gaga |
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| Cool bird we nicknamed sherbet bird! |
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| The Mara during the day |
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| The Mara at sunset! |
Next posts will detail Peace Camp and my current adventure: preparing material to teach 3,500 girls how to make reusable menstrual pads!
ttfn :)
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