March 26, 2014

            Happy DEAR Day! Today was Uganda’s first National DEAR Day. PCVs across Uganda at primary schools, secondary schools, and PTCs all took part in DEAR Day activities. In case you don’t know, DEAR stands for Drop Everything And Read. I know schools in America participate in DEAR Day, so in order to promote literacy across schools in Uganda, a DEAR Day was arranged, even supported by the Ugandan Ministry of Education. Activities were to begin at 11 am and for at least a half hour everyone was supposed to do nothing but read. I tried the best I could with my school. None of the teachers, besides my principal, wanted to participate in it. Usually on Wednesdays the kids go to mass in the morning and then clean the compound pretty much until lunchtime and maybe have classes in the afternoon. It took a lot for me to convince my principal to not have the kids clean in the morning so we could do this. The girls had gone back to the girls’ school to clean, so it was just the boys! Thank goodness for Taylor. Since I’m still new to this teaching thing, DEAR Day was scary for me and I didn’t exactly know what to do. There aren’t enough books at my school to give one to every kid, nor could they read them anyway if there were, so we decided to read one book to the whole group. I read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Taylor did a comprehension activity and then we played a game! Some people did some really big, great things for DEAR Day and I try not to compare myself to them, but sometimes it’s hard. Regardless, what we did worked for me and my school and the kids really enjoyed themselves! I even gave out a certificate and prize to the best DEAR Dayer. I can’t wait to get enough books that next year each student will have his/her own book to read during DEAR Day. By that time next year I really want the students and teachers to understand why reading is so important. Growing up, every single night before bed I would read. First it started with my parents reading to me and then me on my own. By middle school I was getting in trouble for reading during class. I want these kids to have the opportunity to love reading as much as I do. The teachers at my school really want to implement library (aka reading) times throughout the week, but no one wants to take the initiative to change the timetable or be the teacher for it. We’ll see what happens next term. Anyway, I think DEAR Day was a great start for what’s to come at school!

March 3, 2014

It’s already been a crazy five weeks at site. We arrived late afternoon on January 24^th, stopping on the way to get food and a few household necessities we didn’t get in Kampala as well as packages from home that had arrived for us (which made us very happyJ). Although school hadn’t started yet, we were so busy that first week. We had to deep clean the house and we walked the hour and a half to town almost every day that week to finish getting everything we needed for the house. I’m the worst at bargaining, so I’ve been leaving that up to Taylor. Many of them are very neglectful to reduce the price on whatever we’re trying to buy. They see our skin color so they think we have money and decide to jack up the price on us. What’s strange is when we refuse to pay above a certain price they still refuse to reduce for us. Like don’t you want our business, dude? Well anyway, I’m bad at being stern about how much we should pay and half the time I just want to give in, so I’m glad she’s here to stick it to ‘em. We bought hot plates, but were told once we got to site we will have to pay an electricity bill so decided to cook the big stuff on a sigiri. It’s like a really small charcoal grill that takes us hours to light and cook anything. We’ll be investing in a gas stove eventually because once school starts this will just be too much. Our home has potential for running water instead – we have a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and bathing area with a spout. Unfortunately right now the water is not on and the toilet it also broken. I have no problem using a latrine, I did it all through homestay, but fetching water is the worst. Full jerry cans are super heavy and we have to go a decent way. It was a pretty intense week, but we made it! I don’t think I could have done it without Taylor, though! Although there was a lot to do once we moved in, there was also a lot of down time (and we were tired!) so I’ve been watching 30 Rock and am about halfway through the series and it’s hilarious. Just a little side note I wanted to throw out.

The first weekend after getting to site, we took our first trip to Masaka – it’s our closest “city” so it has Muzungu stuff. It was good timing, too, because the education group ahead of us was having their mid-service training there so we stayed at the same hotel and got to hang out with them. It was our first time traveling in a taxi so we finally got to experience what everyone always talks about. There were about two people to every seat, plus babies and a chicken. It was crazy to us this first time, but I’m sure eventually it will seem very normal. Anyway, another volunteer in health had arranged a fun weekend for us! She took us to a restaurant that does a buffet every Friday and it was delicious! I didn’t care what kind of food it was as long as it wasn’t local food. I don’t dislike local food, but I dislike eating the same thing every day. There are twelve of us ‘new volunteers’ in the Central regions and six of us specifically right around Masaka. It was really great to meet and get to know older volunteers who are around us. Later that night we enjoyed ourselves at the discotheque; it was a blast! Masaka is less than an hour from us so it’s great to know that there’s a place to get away from the village.

School started February 3^rd. And by school started I mean the doors were officially open and a few students and teachers showed up to sit around all day. I’m at an all boys school, but my principal has mentioned to me that they are going to merge with the girls school that’s up the dirt path. The first two weeks, though, were a hot mess, which we did have fair warning about from older PCVs. Luckily my Luganda is fresh because the boys barely know any English. I’d sit in their class for most of the day with them and they’d have maybe one or two teachers come in to do a lesson. I’d try to teach because they kept saying they wanted to learn, but it was really hard for them to understand me. Once we merged with the girls school, things picked up and teachers started teaching (sort of). I was put on the time table for a literacy class three days a week, which I’m really excited about so it gives me something to do! I’ve realized that the girls are much farther ahead than the boys, so I think it’s going to be hard for me to get them on the same level. But I’m staying positive!

The boys playing soccer! I mean, football.

On February 21^st, my school took a field trip. I was told they’re taking some kids (who could afford to pay) to a circus and so I of course wanted to go to that! I walked with the kids into town to arrive at the “circus” that held six animals, a swing ride (which looked like it was about to fall down), and face painting. It was great (sarcasm). I mean the kids loved it, but I could feel my skin burning from the sun and was getting sick of being stared at. But it’s all about the experience, right?

So now let me get into more serious things for the next paragraph or two. February 23^rd we traveled to Mbarara for an HIV/AIDS workshop. We were mostly excited to get to travel out of our region and stay at a nice hotel with a pool and, more importantly, hot showers! We got to swim, drink, meet other volunteers, and enjoy everyone’s company for a few days. What I didn’t realize was the misconceptions Ugandans face in regards to HIV/AIDS. The older volunteers brought a Ugandan colleague to attend the training with them, so we got to hear a lot from them, which really opened my eyes to how serious this epidemic is here. They know what HIV/AIDS is in generic terms, but they’re told so many lies and myths and they never learn the real truth. How are they expected to protect themselves if they don’t know the truth about the disease? It was so shocking and saddening to me to hear some of the things these Ugandans said. At first I just couldn’t believe the ignorance and was frustrated, but I had to step back and tell myself that it’s not their fault they grow up learning the wrong thing or being told lies and for the ones it most negatively impacts it’s not like they have access to Google and can figure things out for themselves. So even though I grew up with sex ed and learning about HIV/AIDS, I turned my frustration into motivation to bring HIV/AIDS awareness to my students and my village.

Got tested for HIV/AIDS! Don't worry, we're negative.

Completion of HIV/AIDS training comes with a certificate!

During our time at the workshop, the president of Uganda signed an anti-homosexuality bill. It had been in talk for a while, but just officially got signed. I thought he wouldn’t do it for fear of losing Western aide, but he actually could give a crap about our aide. I know in America gay marriage isn’t legal in every state and I know that there are some people very opposed to homosexuality, but it’s not illegal! I don’t know all the details yet, but I believe the old bill stated death penalty for homosexuals; it’s been revised, but still states potential life imprisonment. I mean these people can’t even voice support for homosexuality without imprisonment. It’s an awful regression on human rights. For this reason, I will never support a church or missionary work again. Granted not all is bad, but the majority of it is and this bill shows just that because it all came from the influence of these people. They come into a country pushing beliefs on a vulnerable set of people who then adopt these beliefs and trust in every word the church says. They think “God” will help them, instead of having the motivation to go and help themselves. This country has a million things to fix first – the education systems, the roads and transportation system, the corrupt cops and city officials, should I continue? – before they should be dictating who should love who. And that’s my say on that.

After the workshop we came home for a day and half to recoup and do laundry before heading to Entebbe for Central Welcome Weekend! Whenever a new group comes in, each region will have a welcome weekend so that everyone in the region can meet and get to know each other and have fun, of course! The weekend was awesooooome. Entebbe is beautiful and I loved every second of it. The hostel was pretty much taken over by Peace Corps. We went to a delicious restaurant the first night (man, non-local food is always so good; I miss every single food back home) and then explored the nightlife. We actually ran into a host brother from our homestay time in Luweero! He goes to university in Entebbe and found us at the bar. He's a good dude so it was cool to see him again. Saturday a PCV friend and I spent the day walking around Entebbe and did some shopping. A group of us got Ethiopian food for dinner. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had been told it’s really good so wanted to try it. Turns out I actually thought it was really disgusting, but I’m not one to say no to something new so at least I tried it! They have this weird bread that you dip into whatever you order and I liked the meat sauce thingy, but I couldn’t get into the bread. I think if it was like sourdough or some really good fluffy bread I really would have enjoyed it much more. But, hey, some people love it, so to each his own!

January 23, 2014

It’s official! I’m a Peace Corps Volunteer! It took seventy days of training, but we made. Unfortunately, we lost a few on the way. Those first three months we were considered trainees, but now after swearing in we can take on the title of volunteer. Training was a tough road, but I’m excited for the next step of my journey! I learned how to teach, I learned Luganda (shout out to Dan and Herbert for being the best language trainers around!), and I learned, somewhat, how to survive in Uganda. This past week we’ve all been back together, which has been great! We were with each other step by step for over two months and have been separated in our language groups for the past month, so it’s been so great to be back together with everyone! There’s a club close by the conference center, and let’s just say we’ve utilized it to its fullest to celebrate together. But first let me back track…

            On the 17^th we had our language exam called the LPI, or language proficiency interview. Peace Corps requires you to pass your language at a certain level, OR ELSE. Just kidding. But really, we’re supposed to be good enough at our language to be considered ‘intermediate low’ in regards to help with integration and whatnot. So we meet early at school and I’m freaking out. It comes to be my turn and I leave thinking I’ve done a pretty decent job. Taylor and I head into town afterwards to grab a few things for the day’s activities. While in town I get a call saying I need to come back to the school. I come to find out that my exam was, unfortunately, not recorded. They have to record and keep all the exams as proof, I guess? I’m not really sure. Anyway, I had to take it again. I had tests, especially anything oral. Make that a 10-20 minute conversation all in Luganda and you got my anxiety all through the roof. After the first time, it felt like a huge weight was off my shoulders, but it definitely helped me be more confident going into it again. I don’t think I did as well, but I wasn’t as nervous. Regardless, it’s over with.  We celebrated our long month of language training and finishing of the LPI with a pool day that afternoon! One of our language trainers found a pool nearby, and by nearby I mean an hour trek down a dusty dirt road. Finally we reached Nimrod Hotel, yes that is the name, and spent a fantastic day sunbathing and swimming. It was just what was needed!

On our last day of homestay, January 18th, we held a party at the school for all the families.  To prepare, both boys and girls had ordered matching kitenge outfits – girls got dresses and boys got tunics. We arrived at the school early so we could get pictures of our group in our sweet outfits and our creative minds came up with a different picture for each month of the year. Shout out to Marvin, our creative lead and photographer. Check it out:

January: Model Pose
"Hot as ballsack." 

February: Girls vs. Guys
"Girls can also do it."

March: Stump Pic
"Got wood?"

April: Borehole
"Too much nfuufu and not enough amazzi."

May: Prom Pose
"Virginity is healthy."

June: Boyband/Inception
"Uganda love us."

July: Swimsuit Pose
"When you're in a picle, you'd rather be in a pineapple."

August: Giardia
"One of Christopher Columbus' friends probably died of Giardia."

September: Back to Ssomero
"You were a nun!?"

October: Asleep in Class
"We have so many activities planned for today."

November: Together
"Wamu."

December: The Last Supper
"Funa ku kitereevu kyaffe!"

            After the photoshoot the families started arriving. We had a powerpoint with pictures of all the families, played games, did an “American dance aka ‘The Cha Cha Slide’ (it’s pretty lame we don’t have anything cooler than that), had a few little speeches, and then a big, nice lunch. Each family was named and brought to the front and given a certificate. They all really enjoyed and I hope we were able to make them feel special!

           

         


           The past week included Supervisor’s Workshop prior to swearing in. The conference was to include what our role as a volunteer is, what their role as a supervisor is, and how we can work together to increase academic performance, literacy rate, and improve the school environment. My supervisor showed up for the last day, so. . . that was awesome. Hopefully that’s not a reflection on what it’s going to be like once we get to school.

             We also got to shop around Kampala a bit for things for our home and I’m so super excited to move in, to have our own place and stop living out of a bag. Taylor and I also decided to get pedicures while in Kampala, and it was one fantastic decision. You’d be surprised (or maybe not) how dirty and callous-y your feet get here. Even after you bathe your feet are still dirty. So a pedicure, in my opinion, was a fabulous decision, and we looked good for swearing in.

The actual swearing in process was pretty cool. On January 22nd, we traveled to the US Ambassador’s house, which by the way is huge and decorated beautifully; also, an incredibly beautiful bathroom that I would probably be content living in. Everyone involved in our training from our trainers, Ugandan and American, to our drivers were there, which helped make it feel so special. Some speeches were made and then our country director (who’s fantastic) read our names and we swore in as volunteers. Afterwards they brought out food, like real food – spicy chicken with ranch, spring rolls, BROWNIES, and more. It. Was. Delicious.

           

Well, it’s off to Biikira for us! Wish me luck!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

            The last couple days have been pretty interesting. Sometimes I’ll run around town by myself, but most days I meet up with Steve and we run around the field. He usually laps me at some point because I’m still getting back into running, BUT that wasn’t the case on Friday. Finally I kept my pace and he didn’t lap me. Might not seem that significant, but I’m taking that as an accomplishment for me.

            Yesterday was our cooking day. We all met up at Matt’s homestay house, because it was the biggest and nicest (IT EVEN HAD A TOILET), and cooked with his family and our language trainers. And good for me, he’s only a few houses down from mine. Since we’ll be on our own soon, the point was to get acclimated to things like the market and sigiris (spelling?). Sigiris are what many Ugandans use to cook instead of a stove; they can fit one pot and use charcoal. Marvin, our resident chef, was in charge of organizing and delegating. The day before we visited the market to get all the ingredients and then met early Saturday to start cooking! I pretty much did preparation stuff – chopping different veggies. We wanted to make an American-style meal and I must say, it turned out pretty well! I help my homestay mom cook sometimes, but I’ll admit, she does most of the work. It’s nice having someone cook for you, but I definitely miss being able to decide what I want, when I want it, and how I want it cooked. Not meant to take away from how fantastic my mom is! I didn’t really do any cooking on Saturday, I stirred and taste-tested some beans if that counts, but it was nice to have had a say in what was going to be cooked. After we ate, we just hung out and played some games for a while. It was nice to be all together in a relaxing atmosphere, eat good food, and have fun.