Yesterday, I met up with Patrick in the Kampala taxi park and we jumped onto a mutatu. After an hour and a half ride, we arrived in our destination- Mitala Maria. I think/hope that some of this got lost in translation, but Patrick told me that Ugandans believe this road to Mitala Maria is the path that brought AIDS to Uganda. Either way, all of the children I met lost their parents to AIDS and their personal status is unknown because there is no money to get them to a hospital for testing. We spent the day visiting some households that RUHU supports financially- and by support I mean 2 or 3 dollars when it can be spared. The households all have a fairly similar story; parents pass away, leaving all the children in the care of the grandparents. Most women in the area have taken in children unrelated to them as well. The primary caretakers of these households are too old to work (many are 70 and upwards, usually women) and the children are too young to help with farming. The women do what they can, but there are too many days where the children go without eating.
One woman in particular lived in a 2 room hut with walls of clay and takes care of 8 children. This past year all three of her children have died of AIDS leaving her with no money and mouths to feed. This woman should have been devastated, outraged, worried about her future, but instead she greeted me with a hug and danced with me. She laughed hysterically when I sat on the floor with her as opposed to the provided bench. When I asked how she finds the courage to take care of so many children, she stated matter-of-factly that there was no one else to do it and she knew she had to. She is known to the kids as Jaja (grandmother) and she laughed and danced with me again as I bade her goodbye, saying "Weeraba Jaja!!".
RUHU goes out to Mitala Maria weekly to meet with the grandmothers and orphaned children, holding counseling sessions and seminars about varying topics. The meetings are held on straw mats in a shady spot under a tree on the property of a jaja who takes care of eleven children. The primary focus of the talks when the kids are in attendance is living positively with HIV, talking about how to remain happy and healthy. More than anything else, these meetings are a way to keep the community united in their battle against HIV/AIDS
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
up with hope
I am proud to say that in the three days I have been looking, I have found 6 CBO's that are seeking interns and are truly making an impact in their community. All of the sites are going to be considered for the interns next year, but one made a lasting impression on me. It is also the site at which I am going to work at for the remainder of my summer.
The organization is called Raising Up Hope for Uganda (RUHU), and it was founded by a young man named Patrick. Patrick was orphaned as a child, and for years survived on the streets of Kampala with his sister and others like him. As a teen he met an American woman, who was inspired by his story and leased an apartment in Kampala for Patrick and his sister. When he was about sixteen he came across an infant tied up in a sack left to die in a pile of garbage. He felt that this child deserved a chance to live no matter the personal sacrifice on his part. He legally adopted the little girl, thus beginning RUHU. By the time he was 17 years old there were 10 street children living in his apartment. In order to get more children into a safe home Patrick made a huge sacrifice- he turned down the chance at attending university in the US. He asked his sponsor to take the money she would spend on his plane ticket and fees and write a check. He took this money and bought a house on the outskirts of Kampala to house all of his children. In Bulenga, the town in which the orphanage is located, he is affectionately known by all of the villagers as "Uncle Patrick". To even an outsider it is apparent that he is revered in his community for the diference he has made.
RUHU functions primarily as an orpanage, but there are many other ways in which the organization contrubutes to the community. Next week I am going to experience this firsthand, but from what I am told the founding members go out into the Kampala slums to bring new orpans and at risk children to stay at RUHU. They also go out to a region of Uganda that has a very high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, and they assist in families who are taking care of orphans. Finally, the orphanage serves as a home schooling site for the children living there. The organization does not have the funding to send the 40 children to school, so two young men are teaching six classes a day. Did I mention that all of the people leading RUHU are all 19 and 20 years old? RUHU is desparate for help, but they are doing some awe-inspiring work. In addition to housing around 40 orphans and vulnerable children, Patrick works with relatives of the children to find them a long term home. Through counseling and persistence, eventually many of the orphans are taken into the homes of Aunts, Uncle, and Grandparents. By finding a permanent home for the children, space is opened up for others in need.
Finding organizations like RUHU makes me wish I had more time in this country to get to know the wonderful people that are making a difference, and assist them in their endeavours. If you get the chance please take a look at their website: http://raisinguphope.wetpaint.com/
As the Ugandans say, "Nice Time!!"
The organization is called Raising Up Hope for Uganda (RUHU), and it was founded by a young man named Patrick. Patrick was orphaned as a child, and for years survived on the streets of Kampala with his sister and others like him. As a teen he met an American woman, who was inspired by his story and leased an apartment in Kampala for Patrick and his sister. When he was about sixteen he came across an infant tied up in a sack left to die in a pile of garbage. He felt that this child deserved a chance to live no matter the personal sacrifice on his part. He legally adopted the little girl, thus beginning RUHU. By the time he was 17 years old there were 10 street children living in his apartment. In order to get more children into a safe home Patrick made a huge sacrifice- he turned down the chance at attending university in the US. He asked his sponsor to take the money she would spend on his plane ticket and fees and write a check. He took this money and bought a house on the outskirts of Kampala to house all of his children. In Bulenga, the town in which the orphanage is located, he is affectionately known by all of the villagers as "Uncle Patrick". To even an outsider it is apparent that he is revered in his community for the diference he has made.
RUHU functions primarily as an orpanage, but there are many other ways in which the organization contrubutes to the community. Next week I am going to experience this firsthand, but from what I am told the founding members go out into the Kampala slums to bring new orpans and at risk children to stay at RUHU. They also go out to a region of Uganda that has a very high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, and they assist in families who are taking care of orphans. Finally, the orphanage serves as a home schooling site for the children living there. The organization does not have the funding to send the 40 children to school, so two young men are teaching six classes a day. Did I mention that all of the people leading RUHU are all 19 and 20 years old? RUHU is desparate for help, but they are doing some awe-inspiring work. In addition to housing around 40 orphans and vulnerable children, Patrick works with relatives of the children to find them a long term home. Through counseling and persistence, eventually many of the orphans are taken into the homes of Aunts, Uncle, and Grandparents. By finding a permanent home for the children, space is opened up for others in need.
Finding organizations like RUHU makes me wish I had more time in this country to get to know the wonderful people that are making a difference, and assist them in their endeavours. If you get the chance please take a look at their website: http://raisinguphope.wetpaint.com/
As the Ugandans say, "Nice Time!!"
Monday, July 13, 2009
New Beginnings?
So I am finally living in a place that has fast enough internet to post a picture.. This is a picture of my friend Allen and I on top of one of the hills in Kasese. However when you are climbing one of them, it feels more like a mountain.
Since the last time I have posted, I have dropped my organization and relocated to Kampala. There were a lot of issues, and they came to a tipping point at which I could not stay any longer. After visiting the other interns and seeing just how much my site was lacking, I decided to go to Kampala for the last few weeks in an attempt to salvage my summer. It is now my goal to search for great CBO's that are seeking interns. I still want to work with an organization while I am here but I feel that if nothing else it would be great to establish a new site for future interns.
This past weekend all of the interns got together and went white water rafting in Jinja. It was the most exciting trip of the summer! We traveled something like 56 km with our trusty guide Moses (which I thought was a very appropriate name for a Nile guide). On the second day we went down 5 rapids, three of which were grade 5. We were able to "surf" on the last rapid, which involves rowing directly into the rapid and maneuvering the raft in such a way that the rapid catches you and it feels as if you are on a surfboard!. Well it feels this way for about 5 seconds and then the raft flips over and everyone is swept down the river- which is the fun part. We rafted with one safety boat and three safety kayakers, and at lunch time we tied our rafts together and shared a lunch while floating downstream. That night we hung out with the guides, who were a very interesting bunch.
A few of us decided to hang around Jinja until the next day so that we could take a boat ride to the source of the Nile at sunset. It was incredibly beautiful- I will post pictures soon. The next morning we caught mutatus back to Mukono district where our friends are staying, and spent the night there. I had a meeting with Uncle John the next morning- the former director of Kyetume CBHC and a very sweet man. This brings me back to where I am now-Kampala.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
In the Jungle the Mighty Jungle,,,
Hello Everyone!
I am currently staying in a hostel in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Seth and I have been traveling for the past few days and although we had planned to trek back to Kasese today, we cannot bring ourselves to do it. The six hour bus ride is very hot, bumpy and crowded and we have spent most of this morning traveling on small crowded mutatus to get to the capital. We have decided to break up our travel and enjoy Kampala for a little while! In the past week we have traveled to Murchison Falls, where we went on safari. While in the park we saw elephants, warthogs, giraffes, antelope, hippos, crocodiles, lions, and much more. We also took a boat ride down the nile river, where we spotted many hippos and took pictures in front of the falls. Following our trip we went to Mukono district for a dinner with one of the organizations that AGRADU works with. The food was wonderful, and we liked the place so much we decided to stay for a day and see the city! After staying in Kyetume for a few days we went down to Katosi, which is a small fishing village in Mukono District. We visited the two girls who are working there, and they showed us around town. We went to Rhea's english class, fed monkeys on Monkey Hill, and took a boat ride with a local fisherman out on Lake Victoria! It was great to see the girls, and totally worth the bouncy rides on the mutatus to get there (mutatus are rickety vans that serve as taxis and ugandans load 20 or more people on them) It has been really interesting to see the other interns CBO's and where they are living. It is also just nice to hang out together, it is a bit of a reminder of home!
So now, Seth and I are relaxing for the day and updating our blogs. Tomorrow we are back to Kasese, and we plan to go to the local schools to begin teaching or tutoring in whatever subjects are needed. One difficulty we have faced in Uganda is that although there are programs for us to work on, they rarely fill our day. In order to take full advantage of my time here I am going to help out in the schools as much as possible in the next few weeks. I am also working with a secondary school on a health program, and with another local organization that supports children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Many of the children have HIV themselves, and they are often teased in school for it and tend to drop out. The organization aims to counsel the children, give them ARV's, pay their school fees, and push them to get an education. I have also recently begun working with the Rwenzori Empowerment Center, an organization that is doing a lot of good work in the area. The organization has an orphanage for street children, a training center for women to learn how to sew and make a living, and a microfinance program. R.E.C. also pays for landmine victims to travel to proper hospitals and get prosthetic limbs. I am constantly impressed by how many people are working hard to improve lives in this country. I am also surprised at just how kind Ugandans are, and how willing they are to help out whatever the situation.
I suppose that is everything that has been happening for the past few weeks, I am having a great time but also looking forward to getting home. As the weeks progress its funny how much more often the interns talk about foods we miss when we are all together. I will try to post some pictures, but Ugandan internet is quite different than the speeds we are used to.
Megan
Friday, June 12, 2009
Under African Skies
We have been unable to post until this point as we have been out on the farm for the beginning of the week, and the internet has been unavailable until recently. There are many things to catch up on!
Perhaps the best place to start is the bus ride out to Kasese. Seth and I caught a cab at 5:30 am to the bus park and upon arrival I couldn't help thinking that it was little more than a mob of people in a dirt lot. Before the car stopped people were opening the doors of the cab and taking out our luggage. John has warned us to keep an eye out for people who tend to run off with bags, so Seth and I sprinted to opposite sides of the bus to ensure nothing was stolen. Finally, after quite a bit of struggle we made it onto the bus and we were off. Although a bumpy six hour ride, the road through Mbarara offers some of the most spectacular views of Uganda that I have seen thus far. While riding through the foothills of the Rwenzoris the road passes by Lake Africa. Our friend Isaac was kind enough to explain the lake to us once in Kasese- he told us that the lake was shaped by volcanic lava, and it is a perfect replica of the African continent. In addition, the water source that feeds the Lake runs out the top in the same place as the Nile Delta. The bus passes right by what would be the border of South Africa and Mozambique!
According to all of the guide books Kasese is a hot and dusty town that isn't worth making a stop for on the way to Fort Portal. Although undeniably hot and dusty, I have enjoyed my time in town. Much to my surprise there are a lot of other mzungus around, and when I spot them I almost get the urge to point and yell "mzungu!". The phenomenon must be contagious. Everyone in the CETRUD office is wonderful and has been very helpful in showing us the local markets and restaurants around town. Our stay at the CETRUD garden was luxurious when compared to everyone else- running water, electricity, fans, showers, three meals a day, even air conditioning (for one night). However we made up for it quickly during our stay on the farm. During our three days we learned a lot about the day to day operations of the farm, and the pace at which things happen in rural areas. We also learned that it is possible to survive without running water electricity. The CETRUD farm provides food to local markets and hotels in Kasese, and prides itself on being a teaching farm. Training programs about nutritious farming, produce yield enhancement, and other topics are held for community members. One of the most inspiring programs CETRUD offers is the Caretakers Program, in which proceeds from the farm are used to support over 200 children orphaned and families affected by HIV/AIDS. The money pays for school fees and provides scholastic materials for those who could not otherwise afford school. Despite doing so much good in their community, CETRUD suffers in the sense that the CBO desires to do more than there is funding for. In my time here I hope to find more grant funding for the community so that they can continue to make a difference.
Perhaps the best place to start is the bus ride out to Kasese. Seth and I caught a cab at 5:30 am to the bus park and upon arrival I couldn't help thinking that it was little more than a mob of people in a dirt lot. Before the car stopped people were opening the doors of the cab and taking out our luggage. John has warned us to keep an eye out for people who tend to run off with bags, so Seth and I sprinted to opposite sides of the bus to ensure nothing was stolen. Finally, after quite a bit of struggle we made it onto the bus and we were off. Although a bumpy six hour ride, the road through Mbarara offers some of the most spectacular views of Uganda that I have seen thus far. While riding through the foothills of the Rwenzoris the road passes by Lake Africa. Our friend Isaac was kind enough to explain the lake to us once in Kasese- he told us that the lake was shaped by volcanic lava, and it is a perfect replica of the African continent. In addition, the water source that feeds the Lake runs out the top in the same place as the Nile Delta. The bus passes right by what would be the border of South Africa and Mozambique!
According to all of the guide books Kasese is a hot and dusty town that isn't worth making a stop for on the way to Fort Portal. Although undeniably hot and dusty, I have enjoyed my time in town. Much to my surprise there are a lot of other mzungus around, and when I spot them I almost get the urge to point and yell "mzungu!". The phenomenon must be contagious. Everyone in the CETRUD office is wonderful and has been very helpful in showing us the local markets and restaurants around town. Our stay at the CETRUD garden was luxurious when compared to everyone else- running water, electricity, fans, showers, three meals a day, even air conditioning (for one night). However we made up for it quickly during our stay on the farm. During our three days we learned a lot about the day to day operations of the farm, and the pace at which things happen in rural areas. We also learned that it is possible to survive without running water electricity. The CETRUD farm provides food to local markets and hotels in Kasese, and prides itself on being a teaching farm. Training programs about nutritious farming, produce yield enhancement, and other topics are held for community members. One of the most inspiring programs CETRUD offers is the Caretakers Program, in which proceeds from the farm are used to support over 200 children orphaned and families affected by HIV/AIDS. The money pays for school fees and provides scholastic materials for those who could not otherwise afford school. Despite doing so much good in their community, CETRUD suffers in the sense that the CBO desires to do more than there is funding for. In my time here I hope to find more grant funding for the community so that they can continue to make a difference.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Welcome to Kasese
I have arrived in Kasese yesterday, the small town where I will be spending the rest of my summer. Kasese is a small town that serves as the base for the surrounding farming communities, and is located in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains. I will post pictures when I get the chance, but this is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. We are about a mile away from Queen Elizabeth National Park, which Godfrey (the organization director) showed us when we first arrived. He drove us to Lake George and we bought fish from the community who live in the park in homes provided by the government. Absolutely breathtaking views, and on our drive to the hotel we saw gazelle about 20 feet away from the car- our own safari on the first day!
The hotel that I am currently staying at is nicer than my apartment now- there's a shower and toilet which is pretty ritzy here. The hotel is in a gated compound and has a wonderful garden full of all kinds of exciting tropical plants, which I have been asked to identify and make labels for. The owner of the hotel is interested in the agrotourism industry so many people visit him to learn more about East African plants.
The hotel is expensive, so I am going to be staying in town at a motel or on the organizations farm in a place called Karusandara. There are fewer amenities, but hey I am in a third world country. People are surprised to see Seth and I walking around, many of the Ugandans in the rural town have never seen a white person before. The most amazed are children, who will follow us around if we are "footing" about town pointing and shouting "mzungu!" which means foreigner. It is hard to get used to it! We have a program outlined for us so that we get to see a bit of everything that is done here at CETRUD, which is a ton. One week will be spent on community training, one on a poultry project, one on HIV/AIDS etc. I do feel like all of these things will meld together in our time here. CETRUD really does some amazing things with the community and I am looking forward to getting started. In the mean time I am adjusting to the heat and the food, and learning some of the local languages.
The hotel that I am currently staying at is nicer than my apartment now- there's a shower and toilet which is pretty ritzy here. The hotel is in a gated compound and has a wonderful garden full of all kinds of exciting tropical plants, which I have been asked to identify and make labels for. The owner of the hotel is interested in the agrotourism industry so many people visit him to learn more about East African plants.
The hotel is expensive, so I am going to be staying in town at a motel or on the organizations farm in a place called Karusandara. There are fewer amenities, but hey I am in a third world country. People are surprised to see Seth and I walking around, many of the Ugandans in the rural town have never seen a white person before. The most amazed are children, who will follow us around if we are "footing" about town pointing and shouting "mzungu!" which means foreigner. It is hard to get used to it! We have a program outlined for us so that we get to see a bit of everything that is done here at CETRUD, which is a ton. One week will be spent on community training, one on a poultry project, one on HIV/AIDS etc. I do feel like all of these things will meld together in our time here. CETRUD really does some amazing things with the community and I am looking forward to getting started. In the mean time I am adjusting to the heat and the food, and learning some of the local languages.
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