Thursday, December 29, 2011
A note on Kwanzaa...
Kwanzaa is a celebration that was made up in America in the '60's. We do not celebrate Kwanzaa in Uganda.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Holiday Oh Holiday, and the Best One of the Year!....
My plans for Christmas weren’t much like the plans I usually make, as to be expected. The plans were: go out Christmas Eve until daylight, then church, then eat and relax all day. We ended up not going out (which is OK--I was feeling grandma lazy), went to church for three hours, ate with the pastor (duck, YUM!) and drank for the rest of the afternoon. The plans were to also go out Christmas night, but Immy and I were feeling the effects of the coffee-flavored Waragi packets that we had been sucking down all day, so we called it a night. Her sisters, however, did go out and we didn’t see them again until six the next morning. Bravo! As a Christmas gift to the family, I bought a chicken (whom I named, dressed up with a ribbon and bonded with during the ride to Immaculate’s home. I’m sure she’s been slotted for New Years Day dinner...I’ll miss you Henrietta...) PICTURES:
Since I’ve been back, I’ve been sprucing up my place and re-arranging. I made room for my sofa (so now my guests have a cushier place to sit than my blue garden chairs) and a bookcase that is on the way. After visiting Liz’s place in Lira, and realizing that her two rooms are the same as mine, I decided that I wasn’t utilizing my room properly. (Webele oku-inspriation, Liz!)
I’ve been meaning to dive right back into work and start lesson planning, but I tend to find other things that fill my days before I get down to it. In other words, I’m procrastinating. That said, as I was weeding my walkway and trimming my bushes, I noticed my neighbors were running to see what was happening at the trading center. A lot of excited words in Lusoga were exchanged, and there was some laughter. I had to ask what was going on. Turns out some guys dressed up like people from the electric company and were somehow stealing wires. Well, the Wanyange folk put the kibosh on that--luckily police were called before anyone was burned alive. One suspected thief was caught, and the other two escaped.
And lastly, it’s the dry season. I think. It hasn’t rained in like, a week so I’m assuming this is really it. It’s hot. It’s not hot like Wisconsin in the summer (especially this past one, 112? Sorry guys,) but it’s just hot. All. The. Time. There’s no air conditioning in buildings or taxis (or my house) so it’s like there’s no escape. I think the heat is giving me weird dreams. But, as we say sometimes, TIWA (This is what? Africa). So I’ve switched from using my blanket to sleeping near naked and waking in a pool of my own sweat. And yes, I could buy a fan (and surprisingly power has been stable for a week, so it would be a worthwhile purchase) but because I splurged on the sofa and the bookcase in progress, I think I have to wait until next month for another big purchase.
Post Script--for all of you who are sending me super exciting gifts, they have not yet arrived. But no worries! Things are just going mpola mpola and I’m sure that Kampala was hit hard by Christmas gifts from everywhere in the world to the expats serving here. They’re coming, and I’ll tell you when I get them! (Thanks in advance!)
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| Henrietta, flaunting her fabulous feathers one last time... |
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| Immy and her Mama getting down |
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| Immaculate and I--I was clearly ready for this photo.... |
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| Immaculates father (in chair) and one of Immy's aunties |
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| Me, enjoying chapatti and duck, while Irene, the eldest daughter, looks on |
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| Immy DJed while Irene led the neighbor kids in a dance |
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| I came home to this one day and just thought it was too adorable; Shamila, hanging out in the laundry, while her Mama looks on |
Since I’ve been back, I’ve been sprucing up my place and re-arranging. I made room for my sofa (so now my guests have a cushier place to sit than my blue garden chairs) and a bookcase that is on the way. After visiting Liz’s place in Lira, and realizing that her two rooms are the same as mine, I decided that I wasn’t utilizing my room properly. (Webele oku-inspriation, Liz!)
I’ve been meaning to dive right back into work and start lesson planning, but I tend to find other things that fill my days before I get down to it. In other words, I’m procrastinating. That said, as I was weeding my walkway and trimming my bushes, I noticed my neighbors were running to see what was happening at the trading center. A lot of excited words in Lusoga were exchanged, and there was some laughter. I had to ask what was going on. Turns out some guys dressed up like people from the electric company and were somehow stealing wires. Well, the Wanyange folk put the kibosh on that--luckily police were called before anyone was burned alive. One suspected thief was caught, and the other two escaped.
And lastly, it’s the dry season. I think. It hasn’t rained in like, a week so I’m assuming this is really it. It’s hot. It’s not hot like Wisconsin in the summer (especially this past one, 112? Sorry guys,) but it’s just hot. All. The. Time. There’s no air conditioning in buildings or taxis (or my house) so it’s like there’s no escape. I think the heat is giving me weird dreams. But, as we say sometimes, TIWA (This is what? Africa). So I’ve switched from using my blanket to sleeping near naked and waking in a pool of my own sweat. And yes, I could buy a fan (and surprisingly power has been stable for a week, so it would be a worthwhile purchase) but because I splurged on the sofa and the bookcase in progress, I think I have to wait until next month for another big purchase.
Post Script--for all of you who are sending me super exciting gifts, they have not yet arrived. But no worries! Things are just going mpola mpola and I’m sure that Kampala was hit hard by Christmas gifts from everywhere in the world to the expats serving here. They’re coming, and I’ll tell you when I get them! (Thanks in advance!)
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Camp GLOW 2011
I’ve just returned from probably the closest thing I’ll get to an American Christmas celebration in Uganda. Thanks to Maggie for hosting us in Iganga! There were excellent eats and company, very fun! We’ll see how the Uganda Christmas celebration compares...
I’ve also returned from Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World), Uganda. It took place December 4-10 in Entebbe at St. Theresa Girls School. To see pictures from camp, check it out at their website here!
My experience as a counselor was so enjoyable, I didn’t think about e-mails, text messages, work plans or projects all week. Although I was technically working 24 hours a day, it didn’t feel much like “work” at all. This is mostly owed to all of the co-directors who did months of planning so that things would run smoothly. Because I was so busy, I didn’t take a single picture, but we had three fantastic photographers running around, taking snaps of nearly every moment.
I worked with my ever-awesome counterpart Immaculate as my co-counselor. It was great to work with her--she phrased things in a way that the girls really took the information to heart. Also, she led some great discussions in small groups, bringing up cultural contexts, which to apply new knowledge, that I hadn’t thought about. It was so meaningful to have a strong, well-spoken, female, Ugandan counselor (and role model) because it’s who these girls can really relate to. When they hear me talk, at the back of their minds they’re thinking, “Yeah but you’re American. You grew up in America where the culture is different and where you’ve had different opportunities in which to succeed.” When Immy spoke with them, I hope they were thinking more of, “Wow, she’s really great! She’s unlike other Ugandan women we know. She’s self-confident, kind, active and caring. She’s made it in our school system, in a Ugandan culture and continues to achieve her goals. She can do it, so--so can I!” At the end of the week, this was somewhat confirmed when Jacinta said, “You two are like no other women I’ve ever met. The way you talk to us and treat us...I’m really going to miss you (both).” I almost cried.
We had ten girls in our group, all fantastic young ladies. Three of our girls came from a school for the blind in Soroti. They were upbeat and smiling all week, which kept me smiling. Ketty, with partial vision but a very full vocabulary, represented the ladies during a play, which was presented at Camp BUILD. The Rafiki theatre group travels around Uganda and puts on plays depicting several situations that are very real in the homes of many of these kids-- domestic violence. At one point, one of the presenters asked the ladies what they would do in a certain situation of a married woman who was being abused--what would they say to that man? Our Ketty got up there and very deliberately told the actor her mind--with much support and applause from all of the ladies at Camp GLOW.
Doreen also came from Soroti, and is completely visually impaired, but fully able in every other way. She was a hoot all week, and kept the whole group laughing. On movie night, some counselors kept asking the group, “Can you see? Can everyone see?” and she was just having a fit laughing. As probably one of the best listeners in our group, I noticed that she’s good at memorizing things quickly. We played a game called “Big Booty,” which is somewhat like “Concentration,” the hand-clapping game. In this game, you have to respond to your number in a beat, and if you’re off beat, the group shifts numbers and you move to the end. Every time we played this game, she never once missed the beat, always responding in time. I was also impressed by her insight on things--I got to hear a lot of what she had to say when I stepped in as her scribe for the week. At school she writes with a braille typewriter, but until a mobile braille typewriter is created, she can’t really write on the go. I’m hoping that she took all of her notes, recorded by me, back to school where she could transcribe them into braille. Working with her this week showed me that your attitude towards life really determines the outcome of your experience. Doreen went into everything with a great attitude, and I think she got a lot of positive experiences out of it. I will remember this, and check my attitude before embarking on my future projects. Or even entering the classroom. I don’t want to speak for Immaculate, but from what I saw, I think she learned a lot both working as a counselor and working with the girls with visual impairments.
All of our girls were great in their own way. We had Oliva, a P6 student, whom I discovered on the first day is a champion day dreamer and an overall space cadet. It became the running joke that when we were collecting to move as a group, that we had to check specifically for Oliva. It was in good fun though, and she would laugh along with us. Imagine my surprise when, during our much needed tutorial kickball game, it was Oliva who caught a ball and knew in a split second to throw it to home base to get out the other team’s runner. I was so impressed and proud! Her daydreaming isn’t all that bad--what would life be without the dreamers?
Out most outspoken girl was Jacinta. She was never afraid to give an answer or opinion. Later in the week, at lunch, Immy was asking the girls something about sharing ideas, being open with their fathers. It was revealed then that Jacinta’s father had left, and she lives alone with her mother. I believe that may be a reason why she wasn’t afraid to stand up because she comes from a house where women make all the decisions. I see her as being resilient, and growing positively from maybe non-ideal situations.
I can’t wait to do Camp GLOW again next year, and meet another batch of Uganda’s young ladies!
I’ve also returned from Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World), Uganda. It took place December 4-10 in Entebbe at St. Theresa Girls School. To see pictures from camp, check it out at their website here!
My experience as a counselor was so enjoyable, I didn’t think about e-mails, text messages, work plans or projects all week. Although I was technically working 24 hours a day, it didn’t feel much like “work” at all. This is mostly owed to all of the co-directors who did months of planning so that things would run smoothly. Because I was so busy, I didn’t take a single picture, but we had three fantastic photographers running around, taking snaps of nearly every moment.
I worked with my ever-awesome counterpart Immaculate as my co-counselor. It was great to work with her--she phrased things in a way that the girls really took the information to heart. Also, she led some great discussions in small groups, bringing up cultural contexts, which to apply new knowledge, that I hadn’t thought about. It was so meaningful to have a strong, well-spoken, female, Ugandan counselor (and role model) because it’s who these girls can really relate to. When they hear me talk, at the back of their minds they’re thinking, “Yeah but you’re American. You grew up in America where the culture is different and where you’ve had different opportunities in which to succeed.” When Immy spoke with them, I hope they were thinking more of, “Wow, she’s really great! She’s unlike other Ugandan women we know. She’s self-confident, kind, active and caring. She’s made it in our school system, in a Ugandan culture and continues to achieve her goals. She can do it, so--so can I!” At the end of the week, this was somewhat confirmed when Jacinta said, “You two are like no other women I’ve ever met. The way you talk to us and treat us...I’m really going to miss you (both).” I almost cried.
We had ten girls in our group, all fantastic young ladies. Three of our girls came from a school for the blind in Soroti. They were upbeat and smiling all week, which kept me smiling. Ketty, with partial vision but a very full vocabulary, represented the ladies during a play, which was presented at Camp BUILD. The Rafiki theatre group travels around Uganda and puts on plays depicting several situations that are very real in the homes of many of these kids-- domestic violence. At one point, one of the presenters asked the ladies what they would do in a certain situation of a married woman who was being abused--what would they say to that man? Our Ketty got up there and very deliberately told the actor her mind--with much support and applause from all of the ladies at Camp GLOW.
Doreen also came from Soroti, and is completely visually impaired, but fully able in every other way. She was a hoot all week, and kept the whole group laughing. On movie night, some counselors kept asking the group, “Can you see? Can everyone see?” and she was just having a fit laughing. As probably one of the best listeners in our group, I noticed that she’s good at memorizing things quickly. We played a game called “Big Booty,” which is somewhat like “Concentration,” the hand-clapping game. In this game, you have to respond to your number in a beat, and if you’re off beat, the group shifts numbers and you move to the end. Every time we played this game, she never once missed the beat, always responding in time. I was also impressed by her insight on things--I got to hear a lot of what she had to say when I stepped in as her scribe for the week. At school she writes with a braille typewriter, but until a mobile braille typewriter is created, she can’t really write on the go. I’m hoping that she took all of her notes, recorded by me, back to school where she could transcribe them into braille. Working with her this week showed me that your attitude towards life really determines the outcome of your experience. Doreen went into everything with a great attitude, and I think she got a lot of positive experiences out of it. I will remember this, and check my attitude before embarking on my future projects. Or even entering the classroom. I don’t want to speak for Immaculate, but from what I saw, I think she learned a lot both working as a counselor and working with the girls with visual impairments.
All of our girls were great in their own way. We had Oliva, a P6 student, whom I discovered on the first day is a champion day dreamer and an overall space cadet. It became the running joke that when we were collecting to move as a group, that we had to check specifically for Oliva. It was in good fun though, and she would laugh along with us. Imagine my surprise when, during our much needed tutorial kickball game, it was Oliva who caught a ball and knew in a split second to throw it to home base to get out the other team’s runner. I was so impressed and proud! Her daydreaming isn’t all that bad--what would life be without the dreamers?
Out most outspoken girl was Jacinta. She was never afraid to give an answer or opinion. Later in the week, at lunch, Immy was asking the girls something about sharing ideas, being open with their fathers. It was revealed then that Jacinta’s father had left, and she lives alone with her mother. I believe that may be a reason why she wasn’t afraid to stand up because she comes from a house where women make all the decisions. I see her as being resilient, and growing positively from maybe non-ideal situations.
I can’t wait to do Camp GLOW again next year, and meet another batch of Uganda’s young ladies!
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