Dispatches from the Field

I have been at my site for nearly three weeks now, and to say "hit the ground running" is an understatement. I work with an organization that helps network, train, and develop about 60 small village groups. The groups are mostly farmer groups wanting training on basic farming techniques, composting, animal husbandry, etc. It helps that Uganda is naturally a virtual organically certified country, based primarily on the high quality of soil and growing conditions, and the fact that farmers cannot afford pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, even if they were available. I have been learning as much as I can about farming (pineapple, cassava, soy beans, normal beans, banana, chickens, goats, and pigs. I truely believe that when I return to America, I would be able to be a successful small farmer. (And Bruce/Nancy - and ideas with pineapple or bananas would be helpful!)

My first three weeks have gone something like this:
Meet with a village group (at least one/day) in the field. The furthest group was about 16 miles, reached by bicycle on dirt roads, paths, and through marshes. When the sun is out it practically burns your exposed skin, and seeing as it is rainy season, a torrential downpour can blow in within a few minutes, making the road/path/swamp that much more inaccessable.

The group meetings generally last about 2 hours. The chairman of the group tells about the group, sometimes they sing or welcome you with a dance. Then you're in the hot seat - you have to explain who you are, what you are going to do, and how you're going to do it. I usually go over some basic principals: 1) I don't bring money and can't get you money. 2) I will help research and network for information to improve your projects. 3) I will only help you on projects you are interested in doing. I try to challenge their thinking and brainstorm with them, but inevitablly they always come back to "We need money to do that." Well, how are you going to make that money?

I think the most frustrating thing so far has been dealing with the (poor) level of education. Students here are taught to read and write - not how to critically think. That has been a big wall so far that I'm trying to work around.

And work continues: I am working on a business plan for a solar drying operation, jam and syrup project, and learning how to keep bees and process honey. In two weeks the Uganda State Minister for Children and Youth Affairs will be visiting, and we are hard at work planning for the visit and developing demonstrations in solar drying and chicken husbandry. Hard at work because mainly I don't have a solar dryer built yet, but need a finished food product in two weeks!

My thoughts are a bit scattered today, the board of my organization is having a meeting with me and I'm multitasking... I couldn't get the camera to work on this computer, but I promise to post a few photos next time!