Friday, December 31, 2010
Queen Elizabeth National Park
A couple days after Christmas I was still in Kasese visiting with friends. We decided to take a trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park to go on a boat safari. The trip was amazing into the park – the scenery was breathtaking and for the first time I felt like I was in a place that was like how I envisioned Africa to be – very Lion King –ish. On the way into the park we saw an elephant and I got about 20 feet away from it as it crossed the road. The animal was elegant – graceful, but powerful. It was an amazing experience to get that close to one of my most favorite animals not being at the zoo. Once we got on the boat to go on the safari we saw a plethora of animals that I have never seen in the wild before. Below are some pictures from my adventure. Hopefully sometime in the next two years I will be able to get back there to go on a true game drive – knock something else off my bucket list!
My First African Christmas
So this Christmas was very different then any Christmas I have ever had before: no snow, no cold, no Christmas lights on houses in the neighborhood or my home, no sugar cookies and no holiday inspired coffee drinks. However, one thing was the same – being with people you care about and who care the same in return (which is the most important and fulfilling part). Luckily this part of the holidays I was able to have here in Uganda.
I went to Kasese, which is western Uganda, for Christmas this year and stayed at my friend Jason’s house along with eight other PCV’s. I arrived on Christmas Eve to some of my closest friends in country there already! We had dinner at a hotel in town that gave a beautiful view of the Rwenzori Mountains that separate Uganda from the Congo. That night we all had a blast catching up and making new holiday memories together.
The next day was Christmas! We had a big brunch to start the day and the rest of the day pretty much revolved around eating too ha! Jason had a Christmas tree in his work space so that was nice to have up during the festivities!
We went to lunch at Jason’s supervisor’s home in Kasese. It was wonderful to see how open and hospitable his supervisor’s family was to all of us – it was a kind gesture on their part. Their house was decorated Ugandan style for Christmas with a fake tree filled with balloon ornaments.
After lunch we came back to Jason’s house and had a great afternoon game of Yankee Swap. Most people at the celebration hadn’t played Yankee Swap before so I’m assuming it’s mostly a New England game (unless you’ve seen that episode of The Office – someone always goes above the price limit!). There were some great gifts under the tree (on PCV Uganda standards): JIF Peanut Butter, a map of East Africa, mac n’ cheese, illegally downloaded movies, wooden spoons, kitchen towels and of course alcohol. I was lucky enough to end up with the wooden spoons and kitchen towels! Very much appreciated and needed.
That night we went to a buffet dinner at the nice hotel in town and got to have turkey for the first time being in country. It was pretty tough, but yummy! We all had a wonderful night at dinner and to end the night all went back to Jason’s to play some kosher games for the whole family :)
After lunch we came back to Jason’s house and had a great afternoon game of Yankee Swap. Most people at the celebration hadn’t played Yankee Swap before so I’m assuming it’s mostly a New England game (unless you’ve seen that episode of The Office – someone always goes above the price limit!). There were some great gifts under the tree (on PCV Uganda standards): JIF Peanut Butter, a map of East Africa, mac n’ cheese, illegally downloaded movies, wooden spoons, kitchen towels and of course alcohol. I was lucky enough to end up with the wooden spoons and kitchen towels! Very much appreciated and needed.
That night we went to a buffet dinner at the nice hotel in town and got to have turkey for the first time being in country. It was pretty tough, but yummy! We all had a wonderful night at dinner and to end the night all went back to Jason’s to play some kosher games for the whole family :)
Holiday Break 2010
So Uganda has the system of taking two weeks off from doing most things during the holiday season. To my benefit my work follows this systemas well. I was granted two weeks off while the Youth Center was closed for the holiday season. It has been the first time since high school that I have had a break from school/work and had to figure out what to do with my time. It was an uplifting and amazing feeling to know that I could just have fun for two weeks and not have to worry about assignments, work or getting anything on my to-do list done.
The beginning of my holiday break I decided to spend in Jijna. Jinja is only a 40-minute taxi ride from me so it was definitely time to take more advantage of that! I went camping at Nile River Explorers (NRE), which is the rafting company that I did the Rhino Race with. They have beautiful facilities and a beautiful view of Bujagali Falls.
Bujagali Falls
After a night of good food, drink and camping I woke up the next morning to a day filled with one big first: I was going to ride a horse. Now I have always wanted to ride a horse, but just have never made an opportunity to do so. I would also say, as I have gotten older the idea of riding a horse have seemed scarier and scarier, but I decided to tackle the fear and just do it! The people at Nile River Horseback Riding were wonderful to me. They knew it was my first time and took care to make sure I was comfortable on my horse, knew the commands and was set for my two hours of adventure. I rode an Ethiopian Pony named Domino and though he was very good to me I think he was a tad bit irritated throughout the ride because all I was comfortable doing was walking him.
The horseback riding took place on Kigali Falls, which is the opposite side of the Nile River from where I camped at NRE. The ride was beautiful – it started by riding through the villages and nature around the Nile. It was great to ride, get to know our guide and to talk with the locals with the minimal survival conversational Luganda that I know. The end of the ride was along the Nile River itself. The breathtaking views I will never forget and it was fun to watch the people starting their rafting adventure, the fisherman fishing and kayakers play boating in the water down below. It was an amazing two hours that I will definitely want to repeat again while I’m here and perhaps even start trying to get better at riding when I get back home!
The horseback riding took place on Kigali Falls, which is the opposite side of the Nile River from where I camped at NRE. The ride was beautiful – it started by riding through the villages and nature around the Nile. It was great to ride, get to know our guide and to talk with the locals with the minimal survival conversational Luganda that I know. The end of the ride was along the Nile River itself. The breathtaking views I will never forget and it was fun to watch the people starting their rafting adventure, the fisherman fishing and kayakers play boating in the water down below. It was an amazing two hours that I will definitely want to repeat again while I’m here and perhaps even start trying to get better at riding when I get back home!
Two Places at Once
So I have been in two different States at once and two different countries at once so why not be in two different hemispheres at once too?
Mystery Disease Found
So sadly my hopes and dreams were not realized when the mystery disease spreading through northern Uganda was found. Now I'm not saying I wanted a disease here in the first place, but to be here when possibly new bacteria (as they were thinking) was being discovered would have been amazing. That being said, they figured out what the sickness in the north was - yellow fever. Now they know the treatment course and people should be staying healthy. I'm vaccinated so for those of you who were worried at home everything here is dandy! Just one more reason to really use my mosquito net and avoid trashy horror movies like Skeeter.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Holiday Tournament: Mweso (8.12.2010)
The second day of the YC Holiday Tournament was the board game Mweso. This is a very popular game all over Uganda and is called by different names in the different language areas. It is a game of speed and math – I haven’t quite caught on to all of the ins and outs of the game, but the staff at the YC has said that they are going to teach me which I’m excited about. Below is a hyperlink to the rules of Mweso so you can see just how it is played/how complex of a game it is:
http://www.gamesmuseum.uwaterloo.ca/Archives/Mancala%20Articles/Uganda/index.html
There were about 20 youths signed up to participate in the tournament. The games were played to the best of 3. The tournament drew a huge crowd and the people in the audience started to pick their favorites and cheer for them. I was in the office at the beginning of the tournament and I heard shouting and cheering and thought that they were watching a replay of a football match from the other day, but no – they were competing.
Josh, my counterpart, spoke to the crowd about HIV/AIDS prevention methods before the start of the tournament. He then proceeded to join the tournament and ended up winning! Congrats to my wonderful counterpart!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Breakfast at Tiffany's
I have always admired the spirit of Audrey Hepburn through out her career and life. She always amazed me with her strength, poise and beauty in everything she did. The love of her is something that I share with my mother and in a recent email correspondence with my Mom she shared this poem by Audrey with me. I had heard it a long time ago, but forgot how simply sublime it truly is. She wrote this poem when asked by the media to share her beauty tips and in fact her answer was read at her funeral years later due to the effect it had on women at the time. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!
Beauty Tips by Audrey Hepburn
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed.
Never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Did You Know Dinosaurs Aren’t Extinct?
These storks are huge and their poop will take the paint off your car, their eggs are poisonous if you consume them and they like to mate on the Youth Center lawn. They are out of control - plus they are super duper loud!
Bring Out Your Dead! Bring Out Your Dead!
Sorry to make light of this issue by using a Monty Python Quote, but humor is always the best medicine and come on - everyone loves a little Search for the Holy Grail in their life!
As of November 26th it has been found that there was thought to be a new strain of Ebola or an Ebola like virus circulating in northern Uganda. On October 16th the disease was confirmed in Gulu and it has now spread to other northern districts in Uganda. Right now the numbers of infected persons are at 38 with a death rate of 25%. The Ministry of Health and other world health organizations say that preliminary tests have ruled out Ebola, Typhoid and several other diseases. The mystery virus symptom's are complaints severe headache and dizziness, which eventually give way to diarrhea and vomiting.
Here is an article about the disease spread:
http://www.allafrica.com/stories/201012020195.html
And it finally made the national news:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11932559
Though it is looking like plague, the researchers are still not sure what the mystery disease is. I will keep you all updated if they find out more.
Please know that I am safe, happy and healthy right now here in Kayunga. If this virus turns out to spread or things get worse please know I am being taken care of very well and Peace Corps, the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Government. Also know that if this starts to spread I might head for the hills like brave Sir Robyn!
Subsequently, I found this funny blog entry the same day before I found out about the Ebola/Plague/Mystery disease outbreak. It is pretty funny so enjoy!
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/02/boyfriend-doesnt-have-ebola-probably.html
As of November 26th it has been found that there was thought to be a new strain of Ebola or an Ebola like virus circulating in northern Uganda. On October 16th the disease was confirmed in Gulu and it has now spread to other northern districts in Uganda. Right now the numbers of infected persons are at 38 with a death rate of 25%. The Ministry of Health and other world health organizations say that preliminary tests have ruled out Ebola, Typhoid and several other diseases. The mystery virus symptom's are complaints severe headache and dizziness, which eventually give way to diarrhea and vomiting.
Here is an article about the disease spread:
http://www.allafrica.com/stories/201012020195.html
And it finally made the national news:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11932559
Though it is looking like plague, the researchers are still not sure what the mystery disease is. I will keep you all updated if they find out more.
Please know that I am safe, happy and healthy right now here in Kayunga. If this virus turns out to spread or things get worse please know I am being taken care of very well and Peace Corps, the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Government. Also know that if this starts to spread I might head for the hills like brave Sir Robyn!
Subsequently, I found this funny blog entry the same day before I found out about the Ebola/Plague/Mystery disease outbreak. It is pretty funny so enjoy!
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/02/boyfriend-doesnt-have-ebola-probably.html
Holiday Tournament: Pool (06.12.2010)
So today was the start of our bi-annual holiday tournament. There are six different events that we put on for the community: pool, table tennis, mewso (a traditional African board game), netball, volleyball and football. The first four will be played in December before we break for Holiday and the last two will be played in January. Now the goal of the Holiday Tournament games is not just to give the youth of Kayunga a safe, competitive and fun environment during their holiday break from school, but to also educate them on issues surrounding HIV/AIDs. Each tournament day there is a different message that is brought across to the youth: lessening HIV/AIDS stigma, discordance, male medical circumcision, drug adherence and the ABC’s (abstinence, being faithful and circumcision) are shared every tournament day. Through the messages about HIV/AIDS we hope to empower youth to make smart decisions in their life regarding their health and mental well being along with having an extremely fun time playing sports.
Monday was our pool tournament and we had a great turn out – 22 participants from the Kayunga area came to play in the tournament. Before starting the games my counterpart Josh talked with them about the stigma of HIV/AIDS in the community and how to protect your-self against acquiring HIV. After his discussion the participants watched a video on HIV: The Silent Epidemic which from what I could tell was a highly informational video – it was all in Luganda so I could only pick pieces here and there, but I had one of my staff help me understand. After the video Josh answered questions and the tournament began.
The games were the best of three and by the end of the day (or night because we didn’t finish till 7:30pm/8:00pm) a winner was crowned.
One of the Youth Center staff won the first prize: their very own pool cue kit and a MUWRP Champion t-shirt. Over all it seemed to be a wonderful experience for the youth and hopefully I will see most of their faces back here during Holiday.
Monday was our pool tournament and we had a great turn out – 22 participants from the Kayunga area came to play in the tournament. Before starting the games my counterpart Josh talked with them about the stigma of HIV/AIDS in the community and how to protect your-self against acquiring HIV. After his discussion the participants watched a video on HIV: The Silent Epidemic which from what I could tell was a highly informational video – it was all in Luganda so I could only pick pieces here and there, but I had one of my staff help me understand. After the video Josh answered questions and the tournament began.
The games were the best of three and by the end of the day (or night because we didn’t finish till 7:30pm/8:00pm) a winner was crowned.
One of the Youth Center staff won the first prize: their very own pool cue kit and a MUWRP Champion t-shirt. Over all it seemed to be a wonderful experience for the youth and hopefully I will see most of their faces back here during Holiday.
Just Another Day in Paradise (04.12.2010)
So this past weekend I went to Jinja to celebrate my friend Nick’s birthday with some other PCV’s from my class. We had a blast spending time together, catching up and going out that night. We had Nick’s birthday dinner at The Source Café and then spent the rest of the night at the casino and dance club in town. It was a much needed weekend vacation after a long week at work!
Jinja is a gorgeous part of Uganda. Though I have not traveled to every part of this magnificent country I would probably have to say that Jinja is my favorite so far. It is the source of the Nile river with beautiful scenery, lush papyrus beds and flowers everywhere. Another nice thing about Jinja in my opinion is that all the locals are used to seeing ‘muzungus’ or white people because it is so touristy in places. That being said, because Jinja can be so touristy people forget the poverty that is in Jinja.
I learned this past weekend that there are approximately 100 children who live on the streets in Jinja. Most are between 11 and 15 years old and originate from Jinja itself or other districts in Eastern Uganda. The reasons why children take to the streets are complicated, varied and always case-specific. A major cause is poverty and sadly, children frequently come to the streets to avoid being mistreated by a relative. Although violence towards children from both parents is widespread, it is particularly common that stepmothers are the perpetrators. Therefore divorce; separation and the death of a parent are often significant contributing factors to children taking to the streets. Contrary to the widespread belief that street children make a living through begging, stealing and eating garbage, research shows that almost half of children living on the street in Jinja earn money through carrying out domestic duties for individuals and companies. A significant number also receive a small wage for collecting and recycling scrap metal. Research by a non-profit in Jinja shows that just over 1 in 10 children beg who live on the streets. Tourists play a significant role in keeping children on the streets in Jinja, as they are enticed by cash handouts.
It was eye opening to learn about this even though I basically see it everywhere I go in Uganda. At times you can become sensitized to what is around you and forget what is actually there.
Happy Frappy
Despite all the wonderful information I have been learning, the fun I have been having with my co-workers and new family here in country, the things I have been accomplishing at my job and the relationships I have been building in the work place while in Uganda for the past four months there have definitely been some rough patches along the way (which is to be expected). I do not necessarily like expressing these trials and tribulations, but I am finding that at times it makes them more overwhelming when I do not. I have started journaling to work through some of the hard days I have here in country, but it is the days like today that make me want to push through and keep on working hard for my organization. I came to work today to find everyone at the Youth Center on task and preparing for the day. They had CNN on the television so not only did I get to watch the news, which hardly ever happens for me anymore because I typically read online or listen to the BBC on the radio at home, but I got to have my morning coffee while doing so. This was one of the first semi-normal feelings I have had in a while here in Kayunga. Next I found the fence that got approval to be fixed/built again being worked on by the contractors and was told it will be done in time for our massive community Holiday Party on Friday. The day kept on moving to finish on a positive note and actually felt like everyone here at the Youth Center contributed to a productive work day which is not always how I feel on my walk home from work.
I am coming to find that it is the small goals that are accomplished and the little triumphs whether it is replacing a light bulb in my house, building a relationship with one more staff member at the Youth Center or learning how to make cookies using a Dutch-oven is what is important day to day. I know it might sound trivial, but during those hard days it is those little things that help you push through as well as support from family and friends. I know all of you at home have been there for me whether I have known it or not and I want you all to know that I am very thankful for your thoughts and support. Thank you for that.
I am coming to find that it is the small goals that are accomplished and the little triumphs whether it is replacing a light bulb in my house, building a relationship with one more staff member at the Youth Center or learning how to make cookies using a Dutch-oven is what is important day to day. I know it might sound trivial, but during those hard days it is those little things that help you push through as well as support from family and friends. I know all of you at home have been there for me whether I have known it or not and I want you all to know that I am very thankful for your thoughts and support. Thank you for that.
World AIDS Day 2010 – Are you circumcised? (01.12.2010)
So this past World AIDS Day was probably the most interesting I have had yet. My work here at the Youth Center is part of a larger MUWRP and PEPFAR initiative so the variety of work I could do on this day was basically up to my choosing. So what did I choose to do instead of going on prevention outreach with my staff you might ask? Well I chose to spend a good portion of the day in the Medical Male Circumcision Clinic (MMC) at Kayunga Hospital which is a stone throw away from the Youth Center.
Every day my staff is at MMC to do intake evaluations, HIV testing and counseling as well as for data collection. In 2008 PEPFAR launched an initiative in Uganda to start a circumcision clinic here in the Kayunga Hospital. Statistics show (and to be honest I’m not sure if I completely believe this yet) that a male who is circumcised is 50% less likely to harbor and contract the virus. I totally believe the harboring part just because the virus has a less hospitable environment to try and survive on, but I’m not sure about the contracting part because I feel that if there is not proper education along with procedure then it is a waste of time and money. However, that is why I love what they are doing at the Kayunga Hospital with my staff: they are not only educating, but testing and counseling along with the procedure. Plus the procedure only costs $29 USD per person to complete! Cost effective and life changing. The procedure can be done on any male from 12 years of age (with parent permission) onward and takes about half an hour. By 2015, if support for circumcision from the Obama administration doesn't waver, my boss estimates that upwards of 40,000 HIV infections will be averted in Uganda per year with this procedure and proper supporting education.
I got to spend the day helping collect data from the procedures, learning what exactly the procedure entails and assisting the surgeons with getting more sterile equipment and sutures. It was an interesting procedure to watch and not at all what I was expecting. I won’t go into details here, but you can always ask directly :).
With that being said MUWRP MMC project just got a new addition to the already growing family: a MMC mobile theater truck!
This truck was bought by PEPFAR to go up to the fishing villages in the northern Kayunga District to help better serve that area. The fishing villages have one of the highest infection rates in the country and they are all so hard working that they either do not have the time or the means to travel down to Kayunga Hospital to get the circumcision procedure preformed. This truck is meant to better serve their communities and will be utilized a lot!
This truck is amazing. It was made by an engineering company out of South Africa and just delivered to MUWRP a couple of days before World AIDS Day. The truck will be parked at the Youth Center until it’s official ‘unveiling’ on January 21st at a ceremony in Kampala. Everyone here is very proud of the MMC Mobile Until and rightfully so: the truck has two operating theaters inside, is complete with storage facilities, A/C and a water tank that can be refilled from an attachment nozzle to a local near by bore hole and then sanitized while in the tank. It comes with tents, tables and chairs to be set up outside the van while doing intake evaluations, HIV/AIDS testing and counseling and post-op education and rest.
It is exciting to be a part of this area of HIV prevention. I am very excited to be able to travel doing prevention outreach to the fishing villages while promoting MMC.
My First Month (or so) of Work
Well my first month as a Peace Corps Volunteer on the job was nothing like it was supposed to be. The first three months of your ‘working’ Peace Corps experience are supposed to be spent putting your house together, integrating in your community, practicing your local language, spending some time at work getting to know your employer, but not actually working and mostly spending a lot of time hanging out by yourself. However, that is nothing how my first month at Kayunga District Youth Center has panned out.
As I have said before I am the Youth Center Coordinator for Makerere University Walter Reed Project (Walter Reed is based out of Washington D.C.). Since my job is a part of a bigger organization we receive funding from Walter Reed and PEPFAR. That being said I have a structured job that has funding with a staff that are dedicated and hard working (to an American standard) which is almost unheard of in the PCV community here in Uganda.
My direct boss, his name is Mark, is an ex-PCV (he served in Ghana in the late 1970’s) who has schooling as an epidemiologist and has spent the last 10 or more years living and working in Africa. He has been nothing but supportive of me since coming into my job which I have been so grateful for. I have two counterparts (which is a Peace Corps term and are otherwise known as co-workers) named Cathy and Josh. Both of them were volunteers when the Youth Center opened in 2006. They are both amazing people with a great work ethic, understanding of the community and wonderful and perseverant life stories. I have started to really build relationships with both of them and I feel so lucky and blessed to have them in my life here in Uganda.
My typical day is I’m up by 6:45 am to get ready for work and to be to work between 7:45 am and 8:00 am. While at work I help maintain the goings on at the Youth Center, work on logistical and monetary requisitions for supplies for testing and counseling as well as any programs we have going on at the time. Also I am in charge of making sure all the programs of the Youth Center are running well: House2House Program where my staff goes into the villages of Kayunga District and does direct counseling and testing, Routine Counseling and Testing at the local hospital, Prevention outreaches to the local communities, Prevention outreaches to people in the community who are HIV +, a 3 in 1 Project that focuses on educating children in local schools about health issues that they are interested in learning about and then turning their knowledge into either a musical, drama or visual art performance and any other functions that go on at the Youth Center. I have been learning the ropes about all of these projects and starting to have pretty much everything wrapped under my belt. My boss Mark told me I was going to get thrown right into the fire and boy was he right!
[Picture Above: Staff going to on the House2House Program in the morning to do HIV testing and counseling in the community all day! We have finished five out of the seven Parishes in Kayunga District - the program is almost complete!]
Despite all the business that my job requires of me I have been excited to start new projects at the Youth Center. I did what the Peace Corps calls a ‘Need Assessment’ with the YC staff to find out how they would like to see the YC improve and boy they didn’t hold back! I got so many good ideas from them that I just had to starts some additional projects:
There were things that needed to be fixed around the YC:
• The fence around the YC needed to be fixed desperately. It actually has been fixed and now the perimeter around the center is nicely secure.
• The roof needs to be fixed, but because we just fixed the floor this will have to wait till next year, but my boss agreed to it!
• The walls are all being re-painted over Holiday Break to give the YC a nice new lift in the new year.
• MUWRP has four Land Rovers that are washed and parked here over night. When the cars are washed the water runs onto the soccer pitch that the youth use at night for their games making it soggy and sometimes to slippery to play. On behave of my counterparts I got permission and funding to build a soak pit which is a cement slab that the cars can be washed on that is slanted so the water collectively runs down into a water pit and is soaked into the ground.
• The pool table and table tennis surfaces all got fixed and a major improvement before the Holiday Tournament.
• The staff said that they wanted to be more up to date with HIV/AIDS information and learn more about certain counseling and health issues. The group of staff that told me this was the ones that I was at the HIV/AIDS Testing and Counseling Trainers of Trainers conference so since it was a small group I started an article group with them. I give them a new article on a topic of their choosing every week and then the following week we meet to discuss what they have read and learned.
• On top of that they said that they just wanted to have the ability to read more. From this recommendation I looked at the library and decided to try and expand it. I have started a book drive back home with my Father as the point person and also acquired a 20 pound book donation from Book AID of health and counseling books. So far it has been a very fruitful experience and I hope more books keep coming in.
• Once the library is expanded I am going to start a reading program with the staff similar to a reading program I had in middle school called Accelerated Reader. The staff will read a book of their liking and then write a once page summary. Upon completing the summary they will get a certain number of points for reading the book. At the end of the month the employee with the most points will get a prize.
• I got my boss to agree (after three years of saying no) to get a safe water dispenser here at the YC for the staff to have access too. It is a very nice one too! It has a hot water option and a cooling option. We are receiving two 18 L jugs a week for consumption.
• I got the main office to agree to let my staff have access to the computer at the YC. It is something that I think would be good for them so they can make their own email addresses, stay updated in the news and also improve their computer skills. I have to still sit down with my counterparts to figure out the rules and contracts that this will take, but by the new year the staff will be able to get on the computer here for the first time.
• I helped (and learned from my counterpart) organize the Holiday Tournament for this year and getting the prizes – some of which the winners are getting live goats!
• And though I am absolutely excited about my book drive and hopefully how successful it will be the biggest thing I am excited about is (drum roll please….) that I submitted a proposal for funding of building a basketball court at the YC and it got approved! Next January or February when the contractor is available they are going to start construction of the court and it should only take one month to complete! Once it is done I’m going to start a men’s league, women’s league and clinic days to teach the youth about the game. While all three of these things are going on we are going to use the opportunity to teach the community more about HIV/AIDS and do preventative outreach through the empowering game of basketball.
So despite the lack of a typical Peace Corps first three months experience I would not trade my job, co-workers or intensity of my work I would not change it for anything! And though I am tired at the end of every week I still find time to do most of my Peace Corps assignments and have great help from my staff and wonderful counterparts.
As I have said before I am the Youth Center Coordinator for Makerere University Walter Reed Project (Walter Reed is based out of Washington D.C.). Since my job is a part of a bigger organization we receive funding from Walter Reed and PEPFAR. That being said I have a structured job that has funding with a staff that are dedicated and hard working (to an American standard) which is almost unheard of in the PCV community here in Uganda.
My direct boss, his name is Mark, is an ex-PCV (he served in Ghana in the late 1970’s) who has schooling as an epidemiologist and has spent the last 10 or more years living and working in Africa. He has been nothing but supportive of me since coming into my job which I have been so grateful for. I have two counterparts (which is a Peace Corps term and are otherwise known as co-workers) named Cathy and Josh. Both of them were volunteers when the Youth Center opened in 2006. They are both amazing people with a great work ethic, understanding of the community and wonderful and perseverant life stories. I have started to really build relationships with both of them and I feel so lucky and blessed to have them in my life here in Uganda.
My typical day is I’m up by 6:45 am to get ready for work and to be to work between 7:45 am and 8:00 am. While at work I help maintain the goings on at the Youth Center, work on logistical and monetary requisitions for supplies for testing and counseling as well as any programs we have going on at the time. Also I am in charge of making sure all the programs of the Youth Center are running well: House2House Program where my staff goes into the villages of Kayunga District and does direct counseling and testing, Routine Counseling and Testing at the local hospital, Prevention outreaches to the local communities, Prevention outreaches to people in the community who are HIV +, a 3 in 1 Project that focuses on educating children in local schools about health issues that they are interested in learning about and then turning their knowledge into either a musical, drama or visual art performance and any other functions that go on at the Youth Center. I have been learning the ropes about all of these projects and starting to have pretty much everything wrapped under my belt. My boss Mark told me I was going to get thrown right into the fire and boy was he right!
[Picture Above: Staff going to on the House2House Program in the morning to do HIV testing and counseling in the community all day! We have finished five out of the seven Parishes in Kayunga District - the program is almost complete!]
Despite all the business that my job requires of me I have been excited to start new projects at the Youth Center. I did what the Peace Corps calls a ‘Need Assessment’ with the YC staff to find out how they would like to see the YC improve and boy they didn’t hold back! I got so many good ideas from them that I just had to starts some additional projects:
There were things that needed to be fixed around the YC:
• The fence around the YC needed to be fixed desperately. It actually has been fixed and now the perimeter around the center is nicely secure.
• The roof needs to be fixed, but because we just fixed the floor this will have to wait till next year, but my boss agreed to it!
• The walls are all being re-painted over Holiday Break to give the YC a nice new lift in the new year.
• MUWRP has four Land Rovers that are washed and parked here over night. When the cars are washed the water runs onto the soccer pitch that the youth use at night for their games making it soggy and sometimes to slippery to play. On behave of my counterparts I got permission and funding to build a soak pit which is a cement slab that the cars can be washed on that is slanted so the water collectively runs down into a water pit and is soaked into the ground.
• The pool table and table tennis surfaces all got fixed and a major improvement before the Holiday Tournament.
• The staff said that they wanted to be more up to date with HIV/AIDS information and learn more about certain counseling and health issues. The group of staff that told me this was the ones that I was at the HIV/AIDS Testing and Counseling Trainers of Trainers conference so since it was a small group I started an article group with them. I give them a new article on a topic of their choosing every week and then the following week we meet to discuss what they have read and learned.
• On top of that they said that they just wanted to have the ability to read more. From this recommendation I looked at the library and decided to try and expand it. I have started a book drive back home with my Father as the point person and also acquired a 20 pound book donation from Book AID of health and counseling books. So far it has been a very fruitful experience and I hope more books keep coming in.
• Once the library is expanded I am going to start a reading program with the staff similar to a reading program I had in middle school called Accelerated Reader. The staff will read a book of their liking and then write a once page summary. Upon completing the summary they will get a certain number of points for reading the book. At the end of the month the employee with the most points will get a prize.
• I got my boss to agree (after three years of saying no) to get a safe water dispenser here at the YC for the staff to have access too. It is a very nice one too! It has a hot water option and a cooling option. We are receiving two 18 L jugs a week for consumption.
• I got the main office to agree to let my staff have access to the computer at the YC. It is something that I think would be good for them so they can make their own email addresses, stay updated in the news and also improve their computer skills. I have to still sit down with my counterparts to figure out the rules and contracts that this will take, but by the new year the staff will be able to get on the computer here for the first time.
• I helped (and learned from my counterpart) organize the Holiday Tournament for this year and getting the prizes – some of which the winners are getting live goats!
• And though I am absolutely excited about my book drive and hopefully how successful it will be the biggest thing I am excited about is (drum roll please….) that I submitted a proposal for funding of building a basketball court at the YC and it got approved! Next January or February when the contractor is available they are going to start construction of the court and it should only take one month to complete! Once it is done I’m going to start a men’s league, women’s league and clinic days to teach the youth about the game. While all three of these things are going on we are going to use the opportunity to teach the community more about HIV/AIDS and do preventative outreach through the empowering game of basketball.
So despite the lack of a typical Peace Corps first three months experience I would not trade my job, co-workers or intensity of my work I would not change it for anything! And though I am tired at the end of every week I still find time to do most of my Peace Corps assignments and have great help from my staff and wonderful counterparts.
First Thanksgiving in Africa (27.11.2010)
Thanksgiving is the time to be thankful and feel blessed for the family and friends that you have in your life. After this holiday I not only am grateful for my wonderful family and friends back home, but also for my new family here in Africa. The holidays are always a special time and most of us here in Uganda were apprehensive about what the holiday season was going to be like being away from home. I myself was a little nervous about how I would feel not working all day on Thanksgiving at my father’s restaurant and being around family and friends during the weekend. However, I would say with the all the company I had at my house over the holiday weekend I was ever happy (just to throw some Ugandan English at you)!
On the actual day of Thanksgiving I met two of my friends in Kampala for lunch and to catch up. I have been so busy at work over the past month that I haven’t really been able to keep up with what everyone was doing. It was really nice to see them even for a short while and it made the holiday day pass by quickly. They went on to celebrate at one of our friend’s house in Entebbe while I traveled back to Kayunga because I had to work the next day.
On Friday everyone came to my house. I and the other Peace Corps volunteer that lives a football field away from me and works for MUWRP as well, Evan, were hosting everyone. Over the course of the weekend I had four people staying at my house while Evan and his wonderful girlfriend were at his. We all just hung out at my house on Friday and spent time catching up. We were fortunate to be given the most delicious pumpkin pie by the owner of I <3 New York Kitchen which is a pizza place in Kampala. We dined on Velveeta macaroni and cheese (we were the epitome of class) for dinner and had a great evening.
On Saturday we cooked all day and finally celebrated Thanksgiving as a group! In the morning my girlfriend Britt and I went to my work to help out with washing the tents that we use while in the field to do testing and counseling. After we finished that (which took a lot longer then I thought it would) I and Bryce went to the market to get all the fruits and vegetables to do the cooking with. Britt, Alexi, Evan and Maggie went to town and bought the two chickens that we had for dinner. The only catch here in Africa is that the chickens you buy to have for dinner are still alive! You have to do everything literally from scratch: you have to kill the chicken, drain the blood from the chicken, soak the chicken in hot water so the feathers come off easily, pluck the feathers out, and cut off the chicken’s feet and then cleaned the chicken. Then you can start to prepare your dinner the way we receive it in the grocery store back home.
Evan and Maggie were in charge of cooking the chickens and they did a fabulous job! They went to the hotel down the street and after the hotel charged them (10,000 shillings!) to use their oven they cooked a BBQ chicken and an herb-wine crusted chicken to perfection. While they were doing that everyone at my house were cooking away. Through the course of the day we made a delicious pumpkin nutmeg soup that we topped with cranberry sauce, homemade stuffing made with delicious bagel chips, garlic mashed potatoes, a vegetable medley, delicious guacamole and chapatti, brown rice and rolls. It was an impressive spread for the two burner gas stove top that I have to cook with. For dessert we had fresh fruit with passion fruit syrup on top!
However I would say the best part of the evening was the surprise that Evan and Maggie made for all of us: a new Thanksgiving tradition known as the “Indestructible Turkey Piñata”! We all went out in the back of my compound and all took turns swinging at the turkey which was duly named “Hermie”. My counterpart, Josh, and his fiancée Susan came for Thanksgiving dinner and loved the concept of a piñata. I do think it is going to be a tradition for the subsequent Thanksgivings and perhaps even holidays here in Uganda.
To finish off a wonderful holiday the next day we all went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 the next day! The movie was fabulous and I can’t wait till next July when the final installment comes out! I had people at my house till the following Tuesday and we had a great Italian dinner night finished off with homemade bread and a pineapple upside down cake!
On the actual day of Thanksgiving I met two of my friends in Kampala for lunch and to catch up. I have been so busy at work over the past month that I haven’t really been able to keep up with what everyone was doing. It was really nice to see them even for a short while and it made the holiday day pass by quickly. They went on to celebrate at one of our friend’s house in Entebbe while I traveled back to Kayunga because I had to work the next day.
On Friday everyone came to my house. I and the other Peace Corps volunteer that lives a football field away from me and works for MUWRP as well, Evan, were hosting everyone. Over the course of the weekend I had four people staying at my house while Evan and his wonderful girlfriend were at his. We all just hung out at my house on Friday and spent time catching up. We were fortunate to be given the most delicious pumpkin pie by the owner of I <3 New York Kitchen which is a pizza place in Kampala. We dined on Velveeta macaroni and cheese (we were the epitome of class) for dinner and had a great evening.
On Saturday we cooked all day and finally celebrated Thanksgiving as a group! In the morning my girlfriend Britt and I went to my work to help out with washing the tents that we use while in the field to do testing and counseling. After we finished that (which took a lot longer then I thought it would) I and Bryce went to the market to get all the fruits and vegetables to do the cooking with. Britt, Alexi, Evan and Maggie went to town and bought the two chickens that we had for dinner. The only catch here in Africa is that the chickens you buy to have for dinner are still alive! You have to do everything literally from scratch: you have to kill the chicken, drain the blood from the chicken, soak the chicken in hot water so the feathers come off easily, pluck the feathers out, and cut off the chicken’s feet and then cleaned the chicken. Then you can start to prepare your dinner the way we receive it in the grocery store back home.
Evan and Maggie were in charge of cooking the chickens and they did a fabulous job! They went to the hotel down the street and after the hotel charged them (10,000 shillings!) to use their oven they cooked a BBQ chicken and an herb-wine crusted chicken to perfection. While they were doing that everyone at my house were cooking away. Through the course of the day we made a delicious pumpkin nutmeg soup that we topped with cranberry sauce, homemade stuffing made with delicious bagel chips, garlic mashed potatoes, a vegetable medley, delicious guacamole and chapatti, brown rice and rolls. It was an impressive spread for the two burner gas stove top that I have to cook with. For dessert we had fresh fruit with passion fruit syrup on top!
However I would say the best part of the evening was the surprise that Evan and Maggie made for all of us: a new Thanksgiving tradition known as the “Indestructible Turkey Piñata”! We all went out in the back of my compound and all took turns swinging at the turkey which was duly named “Hermie”. My counterpart, Josh, and his fiancée Susan came for Thanksgiving dinner and loved the concept of a piñata. I do think it is going to be a tradition for the subsequent Thanksgivings and perhaps even holidays here in Uganda.
To finish off a wonderful holiday the next day we all went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 the next day! The movie was fabulous and I can’t wait till next July when the final installment comes out! I had people at my house till the following Tuesday and we had a great Italian dinner night finished off with homemade bread and a pineapple upside down cake!
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