What Uganda Do?: November 2012

Monday, November 19, 2012

Little Libraries reaches Iganga

On Saturday, November 17th, I was at Maggie's site in Iganga for our final delivery. I traveled to on the Thursday before. It's about a 45 minute taxi ride, no problem. Quick and comfortable. This particular taxi was really taking its time, picking up anyone going anywhere on the way to Mbale (which is a distance). There was a lot of loading and unloading passengers. When I boarded, I was the fourth passenger in a row made for three, but I scrunched up accordingly (a technique at which I'm now an expert). There was a four-year-old boy, clean scrubbed and decked out in a three-piece suit (ADORABLE). Because children are the equivalent of luggage on public transport, he was standing, holding on the the bar thing that separates the passengers in the back from the driver. I assumed he was with the man squished up to the left of me, but to my surprise, he got out at the next stop, leaving the boy behind. "Is this your kid?" I asked to the woman next to me, as I got back in.

"No, I think the mother is somewhere in back." Strange, I thought. I would want to sit with my kid. Maybe she was carrying some big things...
The journey continued. People got out at Maga Maga, the market, the next market, the steps, the place next to the cow, Musita, the big tree, the next road there, just there, just there there, and Bulanga. When we reached Bulanga, a woman ran up who looked familiar, with her purple kitende top and red scarf headwrap. In fact, she had gotten off about 20 minutes ago at the Bulanga stage. Her eyes darted around frantically inside our taxi. "Emma!" she cried, arms outstretched. (Emma is a common male name here, short for Emmanuel).

"Momma!" the boy cried, making his way out the door. This means that Momma Emma disembarked at Bulanga, looked around as the taxi drove off and realized that her kid wasn't with her. She must have taken a motorcycle taxi to chase the taxi she had just left behind, in hopes of finding the right one. Our taxi was going to Mbale! That's over 40 miles away. The other passengers in the taxi, including myself, shared a strange laugh of both amazement (that she tracked down her kid) and relief. Despite them all speaking Lusoga, I could at least laugh along.

And so, with that, I reached Iganga. The rest, pictures! :

"Show me those clean hands!"

"Musekaku!" (Moo-say-ka-kuu) Smile please!

SO HAPPY!

High five anybody?

Mingle, mingle...

Walugogo Primary School pupils
waiting eagerly to paint

Pupils at Bishop Willis Demonstration school learning
about how we put books away.

Maggie reading with a buddy

Mary reading

TEAMWORK!

Monday, November 12, 2012

This is what I do when I can't sleep....

...I write. I guess. I don't have much experience with insomnia. Here's to new hobbies!

I’ve learnt a lot in Uganda. I’m certain that I gained more knowledge and insight than that I’ve inculcated. I believe that this knowledge came through a mix of things I experienced, things I heard, things I read and, strangely enough, things I obtained from movies and TV shows.   Perhaps the actual watching of movies (or full TV series) starts as just a past time, especially when I’m feeling America-sick, but some bits and pieces can tie in to my other experiences and learnings here so well. Below are some quotes that have really had an impact on me:

“Look, I didn’t invent the world, so don’t hate me, but, no one likes an angry woman.” -Friday Night Lights

    Not only do people not like angry women, they especially don’t like listening to angry women. Want to be heard? Don’t raise your voice or point your finger. Do take a deep breath and evaluate the best way to respond. Uganda gives me plenty to get angry about, but I remind myself that wearing my frustration on the outside won’t make anything easier. This quote goes hand-in-hand with my new mantra, obviously taken from the famous British propaganda poster in 1939, Keep calm and carry on. A life philosophy couldn’t have been better put.

“This is America--pick a job, then become the person that does it.” --Mad Men

    This quote reminds me our limitless opportunities in America. We don’t have to decide in high school which courses to take in order to qualify for a program at the University. We can reinvent ourselves several times over our lifetime. This isn’t so true in Uganda--it seems you have to decide by the time you’re sixteen if you’re a lover of science or literature, then you have to find a career path that aligns. I realize that I was born into a land of opportunity, and I am now determined to take advantage of that fact.

“This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.” --Fight Club

    Life is short, and how short we never know exactly, until it’s over. Be proud of what you do and who you are, and enjoy yourself along the way.

    “The brave do not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all.” --mentioned in The Princess Diaries

    Something that’s fantastic about many Ugandans is that they live like there’s no tomorrow. They especially party like it’s their last one. While this could be perceived as also limiting, especially in the financial sense, it does accomplish something; just as anywhere in the world, death or tragedy could be just around the corner, but if you’re trying to anticipate it, you will not have made any good memories.

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” --Annie

    Peace Corps can be a crap shoot. Maybe you get a great site with an inspiring community and develop an awesome support network. Or maybe you face corruption and obstacles everyday, accompanied by a community full of skeptical, close-minded individuals. Luckily, I got the former, and just thinking about saying goodbye makes me tear up. Saying goodbye to America was easy, cause I knew I was going back. Saying goodbye to Uganda is tough because it may be forever.

“All right. Now, all you gotta remember is that everything will be okay.” --127 Hours

    “Okay” is a relative term. Even if things aren’t ideal, they’re at least okay. In the end of this movie, the main character has one less limb. But things were still okay. “...everything will be okay.” I tell myself this daily.

It's three thirty AM and I can't sleep. Everything will be okay...keep calm and carry on...

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Wanyange book delivery with multicolored hands

Sorting out the books the night
before

Divine Hope Primary School, checking out the new reads

Today was intense! We delivered many books and painted many hands. Sorry this blog doesn't follow a very logical order. My power is out so I'm not going to waste time perfecting it! ENJOY!