Happy Christmas

First off, Happy Christmas! I am spending the holidays in Hoima, a regional centre near Lake Albert (and the epicentre for the oil discoveries), with my host family from Wakiso. They are from here, so the day has been filled with meeting relatives in this huge family (I think there are 20 grandchildren...?). The patriarch is a retired Anglican bishop, my host-dad's dad. Aside from the nearly 4-hour church service, we have basically been eating all day (and praying, singing carols, reciting Bible verses, and then eating more). It's much more family-oriented than in America, and no presents were exchanged. Everyone has been very welcoming and friendly and have made me feel a part of the family. There is also no shortage of children to chase around. That said, I've been very homesick the last few days thinking mainly of what everyone at home is doing. I miss my friends and my family, and knowing that the first time I see my nephew he'll be walking/talking puts the whole "two-year commitment" into perspective. This is Christmas 1. One down, one to go.

I'm staying in the hotel the family operates and am very much enjoying the hot water, toilet, and queen bed. There's also a pool. All said it's been a nice vacation. I leave Sunday or Monday to head back to my site where I'm still busy with my pineapple project. It's strange how much I've learned about pineapple... I talked to one of the family members at dinner tonight who wants to put in pineapple for about 20 minutes.

Here's my Christmas photo:

O Holy Might

Internet connectivity has lately been a main source of my consternation.
Yes, you cannot rely too much on internet here, but even in the larger metropoli
of Kamwenge and Fort Portal (both boasting paved or graveled roads, running water, and
electricity), the internet has of late been as spotty as a Dalmatian. I
finally found out the reason: they are updating the lines into Fort Portal,
updating to broadband. At least it's for a positive reason, though the
chain gang has been hand-digging the ditch through town for the past two
weeks, and since this is Uganda, there is no guarantee of when a connection
will be permanently restored. Until then, I will continue to chase this
powerful and elusive Internet, hoping to find it during a flicker of its
short life.

Last week I met a priest at our local parish who had asked to meet me
because he had learned though his sources that I knew German. Every
subsequent day last week was spent at the parish (they cook good food!)
where I tutored Father Silver and, to a lesser extent, Father John, in
German. Father Silver is trying to "priest abroad" next summer in Germany and needs help practicing, and since he said the parish is now my home-away
-from-village-home, I am obliging. It's nice to spend time with people much
like myself - bored, lots of free time, sexually frustrated. Although, at dinner
one night they asked me to say grace. My religious background is admittedly
small, my recent religious occurrences being spontaneous prayers to any -
ALL - Gods while riding in the local taxis.

We stood around the table behind our chairs, the food steaming in front of
us. "Mathayo, would you like to say prayers tonight?" My immediate come-
back was: "You're a priest, you get paid to pray, you do it," but instead I
hesitantly said okay. I wish there were a video camera because in my mind's
eye it was like something out of an awkward Christopher Guest movie: "Thank
you very much for the wonderful food in front of us, and thank you for
inviting me to enjoy it with you. I appreciate your kindness and hospitality."
No Gods, no heavenly fathers, no in Jesus' names. Luckily my audience
wasn't too critical.

Both Fathers and I spent one day last week traveling toward Kasese (about a 2 hour ride) to celebrate a group of pre-nuns becoming current-nuns. Aside from being the only white guy there (I'm used to it), I was almost the only one without either a white collar or a white dress/hat combo. It was like a graduation ceremony, long and boring, and there wasn't enough room in the church so I ended up just sitting in the car reading. After, in good Ugandan tradition, there was a buffet of local food, and instead of eating with the commoners, I was ushered by some head-nun into the religious dinning section to consume my blessed matooke and cassava with the area's most pious. By the time I got my food the only place to sit was next to this guy whose robes were black (instead of white), and who wore a red yamica. I sat down and introduced myself. "I'm the Bishop," was his reply. Aim high, Matt, aim high. At least now I can say that I've had lunch with a Bishop, though curiously the entire time I was more focused on not spilling food on his robes, as is my usual propensity when I eat, instead of our conversation. I couldn't imagine hand-washing those!

Father Silver and I are working on starting a youth garden at the parish,
teaching youths nutrition, farming, and cooking healthier food. I'm quickly becoming a farmer, and I foresee more awkward situations for my agnostic self in the coming future.

Our solar drying project is quickly coming to fruition (pardon the intended
pun). We are giving a project proposal to our local Member of Parliament
tomorrow, and a co-worker, Sam, and I are busy this week working in the
field visiting pineapple farms. It provides a good opportunity to meet more of the locals and I find I am most happy here when I'm working directly with The People. Though, the distances we have to bike are a bit of a hassle (yesterday was about 40km - 25mi). The only saving grace is the beautiful countryside. We are hoping to begin full-scale solar drying pineapple in January/February, the height of both the dry and pineapple seasons.

Looking at the calendar ahead:
Mid-January I have a week of further language training with my language
group. The week after is an in-service training outside of Kampala, at a
nice hotel with a pool and luke-warm showers. I'm excited. There is also
an R-Kelly concert in Kampala and Evander Holifield is fighting at Mandela
Stadium.

Development

Development - the act or process of developing; growth; progress.

That is a pretty ambiguous definition of development, or perhaps you need to further define it according to what precisely you are doing, and what your goals are. Many buzz-words get tossed around in development work (my favourite being "capacity building"), including the word "development" itself. A lot of money is pumped into this country by governments around the world for the sake of development (in 2008 30% of Uganda's GDP was foreign aid, tough down from 50% in 2005), but what I think we aren't talking enough about is an end-goal: development to what? I get comments in the village apologizing about the poor quality of roads and citing the fact they aren't developed. I tell them it's okay, it's a gravel road, don't apologize for it. Are we trying to develop so that everyone has two cars and a lawn mower? I hope not. I don't want Uganda, and other developing countries, to be like the West. I don't want them to lose their culture and way of life (indeed, if every Ugandan drove a car I'd be running for my life).

Good education, responsible citizenry, and entrepreneurship are some of the key things I'm trying to focus on for "development" because they are seriously lacking here. The education in primary schools is so rigorous, they're learning math and sciences in 4th grade we don't learn until high school. They are excellent at spouting out facts, but ask them a question that applies the information and they're stumped. Improved education, focusing on independent thinking, is greatly needed.

My friend Dave and I have been talking about development, and he proposed three key things needed: 1) Transportation, 2) Communication, and 3) Access to Money. Let's briefly look at each as they apply here in Uganda (briefly because I can talk a lot about them, and I think my internet time is running low):

Transportation
Most of the major roads in Uganda are murram/gravel. The rural villages are only reached by washed-out dirt roads and cow paths, full of ruts, puddles, mud, etc. The way to increase efficiency, commerce, and education is by better maintaining major and minor roads.

Communication
Cell phones have been a blessing. Telecommunications otherwise would not exist. Everyone has a cell phone, and prices are getting cheaper as competition increases. In addition to being able to speak with family and friends, farmers can now access market information, and news can travel quickly (remember the riots in September?).

Access to Money
Big banks only exist in the big cities - if the rural situation is going to improve, the villagers need capital. This has been answered by village savings and loan schemes, and SACCOs (Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations), both informal local ways to save and access money.

Development here is obviously happening, and I think focusing on some of these issues and, dare I say, capacity building, is what we're focusing on and what we should continue to pursue. The locals may envision a Western house and a car, but we need to be focusing on developing their potential as people do be able to achieve for themselves, which is a completely different blog topic that I will probably discuss later.

Some photos for those who like to see me out being productive:



<-- Here I am with a village group.












<-- A village woman from a group. Note the cell phone - ie communication, even in poverty situations.

















<-- Dave and I, looking like the schmucks we are, during our meeting with Fruits of the Nile in Jinja.











<-- Bujagali Falls on the Nile. Yes, I know they aren't really "falls," but it's a giant river and this is where the rafting trips put in. The rapids are class III-V.

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!

Big City Boy with Big City Dreams

Today is our free day in Kampala, and probably the last time I'll be able to communicate to the world until I find settle in to my new site, find a place with internet, and have time to travel the 40km to get there from home.

I found a great internet cafe called Panorama Coffee Shop, located on the 9th floor in Kampala's largest skyscraper (the building has a staggering 14 floors). As promised with its name, it has a nice panorama of the city and free wireless! Now if I only had a hot shower and a clean shave, I'd basically be a millionaire.

I realize I haven't espoused too much on my host family. Tonight is my last night at home, and they're starting to miss me. My mom asked me what I wanted for dinner (pork and chips!) and they cooked especially for me. (It's strange how I'm starting to develop comfort foods here.) They are also insisting I come back for Christmas, and I told them I would at least stop by and say hi.

<-- This is part of my family and I last Saturday after our homestay thank-you lunch. Millie is the mom, who works in Kampala as some sort of farm supply trader. Esther is 10 and is in elementary school. She is very studious and gets excellent marks in school. Finally there is Elsie, my 3-year-old sister who keeps me sane by enabling me to act like a, well, 3-year-old when I need. Not pictured is Justus, my host dad, who was away at work, and Enook, my 13-year-old brother who was at boarding school.

Site Announcements!

"Peace Corps is a two-year camping trip during Lent."
-MJ, our 70-year-old volunteer who already served in Malawi.

Training is quickly winding down. Last week we had the trainee talent show where volunteers performed juggling acts, a ballet routine, break dancing, and I did a short stand-up bit (what do you call a deer with no eyes? No-eyed deer). On Thursday we have our Language Proficiency Interview, which I am by no means ready for. And next Tuesday we move out of our homestays for Kampala and then to our sites.

...Which brings me to my next point -- Our sites.

Site announcements were held today, with the Assistant Peace Corps Director (APCD) announcing one-by-one where everyone in our group of 42 was going. So, where will I be spending the next two years of my life? In Kamwenge district, in the mid-west of Uganda, near Queen Elizabeth National Park. The details are a bit general, but basically I think I'll be working with a local organization that works with local groups to develop projects and programs that promote health, education, and income. They also have a radio broadcast, which I think I'll be participating in! (Since college I have wanted to try my hand in radio but never took the initiative to try it out.)

For my living situation, my two sheets of information say "No Electricity," and "Well/Spring Water." I am "5+ km to the nearest town," and will have "No Internet Access." Living in rural Africa - Am I crazy? No, after all, this is what I signed up for!

My APCD was enthusiastic about my organization and the people I will be working with. She met with them on two drop-in occasions, each for about 4 hours. The only draw back so far is that she mentioned the latrine was "getting full..." But, she reassured, Peace Corps would come dig me a new one if I needed.

Phew.

So, next week it is off to Kampala, then swearing in on Thursday!


This photo is me during my stand-up routine at the talent show. If you look closely, Zach in the red shirt is almost laughing.

The PCV Visit

This week my language group went to Masindi district in the Mid-West. The goal was to experience the general routine and living conditions of current volunteers, and to immerse ourselves in our language (mine is called Runyoro-Rutoro, a Bantu language related to Swahili). The bus ride from Kampala to Masindi took around 3 hours, and while there were no chickens on the bus, we did make a stop about half-way in on the side of the road for a pee-break (which is why, ahem, women here wear skirts). The bus did play a NAZI concentration camp movie from the 60s with Alan Arkin, though it was dubbed into Luganda by one guy saying everyone's lines while the background noise is muted, a very common practice with movies here. And yes, it was bootleg.

My group of 4 stayed with 2 volunteers currently serving in the area. We had 2-hour language lessons in the morning, then managed to do several local activities, like meeting the LC1 (equivelant of the mayor), touring a nun-run health clinic (90% of their patients come in with malaria, and it costs about $1.25 - $10 to treat each case), toured a girls school, and met with the leader of a local microfinance NGO.

We also had to go to the market each day to both practice our language, and buy food for dinner. Dave is an excellent cook, so we made tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, chili and corn bread, roasted peanuts, and sauteed green beans. Food was one of the highlights!

Also, on Friday morning, Will and I woke up at 5:30 and made our way up a hill. It took an hour, and considering that 6-foot tall elephant grass and biting ants were the worst encounters, it was well worth the adventure. (Oh, I also learned that some of Will's people back in the states have found this and have been reading this, so hello to you!).

A Day in the Life

Many people mentioned that they enjoy seeing photos... of me... in Africa. So, here is a brief "Day in the Life of Matt the PCT" of my life generally for the past four weeks:

Each morning, I wake up at 6:30, eat a breakfast usually of either white or pink porridge, bread, and instant coffee, then bike the 4 kilometers from my house to our training site. Most of this ride is downhill. Here is me on my Peace Corps standard issue Dunlop 12 speed, sporting a sleek opelescent helemet.

Language is from 8am - 12noon. My class has four members: me, Lauren, Dave, and Will. Here, our instructor is instructing us in our language hut:

After language we have tea for a well-deserved half-hour. Afterwards we have a tech session. On this particular day we were learning how to garden and compost. I can be seen dutifuly taking notes on proper dung rotation:

I even try my hand at digging our community garden:

Training is exhausting, and sometimes it's difficult to keep up with all the gossip. So, afterwards we usually get together to decompress and find out details of peoples' lives: We also play with the local kids, like this day when we got together with a current PCV and played soccer games. I played with the 3-year-olds because it best fit my age-group. Here, Sandi and Nicol stand in while I take a picture of the fun:
Finally, after a long day's work, I get to come home to my host family, usually watch a really bad Brazilian soap dubbed into English, eat my dinner, then crawl under my mosquito net and lay down to a long sleep full of mefloquin-induced dreams:

Trying to Get Photos Uploaded

I'm in Kampala today with a group of other PCTs and we found a nice internet cafe with seemingly fast internet - so I can finally put up a few pictures!

<-- This is a view of the town we're currently in doing training. This is one of the main streets that I bike down everyday to and from training.

---> Yesterday in our language group we had to cook a meal. We chose to make burritos (as we have been craving Mexican), so adapting that to Ugandan cooking methods was interesting. I've never usen a portable charcoal grill before, but it worked and the food was delicious! For the tortilla we made Uganda chapati, which is a fried dough... amazing!

<--- After making food yesterday, we all met up at an outdoor bar for some pool and unwinding. Beer here is cheap - 2000 shillings for a bottle (about $1). It's no wonder Uganda has one of the highester alcoholism rates in the world, and is a major factor in development work.

<<-- Hopefully this video works - I took it two weeks ago on our way through Kampala. It hopefully shows some of the insanity of the road here. This road is a main highway. The basic rule of the road is the bigger cars have the right-of-way.

Greetings from Wakiso!

Just a glimpse of village life on my short walk to the internet cafe this morning:
On the one-lane dusty dirt road, I had to move way over to the left-hand side to allow a small herd of cattle (with giant horns) pass. I said hello to the cattle driver.

A storm was kicking up, blowing dust everywhere, conjuring images of a dust storm blowing through an old town in the wild west. There are storm gutters on each side of the road going through town, about 3 feet deep and 2.5 feet wide. Wooden planks and small logs strewn over the ravine make the crossing hastle-free. But in town, just 20 or 30 feet from the main intersection, someone was burning their garbage in the ditch, sending grey smoke through town. Also, a few grazing goats slid down into the ditch and got stuck at another spot.

This morning was my first attempt at doing the laundry in the developing world. It wasn't too bad, but I feel like a smuck when I have to tell them we usually use machines to do it. "A machine for everything" was the reponse. Then I put some clothes up on a line to dry, and the grandmother came out and told me I was doing it wrong (well, I only understood what she was saying when she took my clothes down and hung them up differently). Inside-out to dry... I'll remember that for next time. I think I will save some money and hire someone to do my laundry when I get to my site - it's a lot of effort! And I haven't even ironed them yet (everything has to be ironed - when air-drying they can get a parasite so you have to iron to kill it).

Yesterday we finished our first full week of training at a training centre in the Wakiso district outside of Kampala. A lot has happened in the past week, so I'll try to summarize chronologically.
First, on Monday, we departed our initial training site in Leweeza and came to the training site here (which will be our permanant home for the next few months). We met up with our host families and were taken to our new homes! My familiy is generally bit wealthier (the father has a doctorate in fisheries, and the monther has an agricultural business in Kampala). By "wealthier," I mean that we usually have electricity, and we have running water. Still, there is no shower, and it's a continual effort to master the bucket bath. I haven't tried my hand at cooking on a propane stove yet, and my mother said that she will teach me how to do laundry this weekend (yet, in a bucket, after boiling the water).

Class itself has centered on language learning (roughly 2-4 hours/day, and I'm in the Runyoro/Runtoro group, which is in Mid-Western Uganda near Lake Albert on the Congo border, which means that is where I'll be going!). We also got some shots (Hep, Yellow Fever, Rabies), learned about diarrhea and other illnesses and how not to get them, did some team building work, and are learning about the Ugandan government, health, and education systems.
I was called today by PC Headquarters and they want to change my assignment because apparantly they were having difficulties finding water & sanitation placements. So, now I'm an economic development volunteer, and next week we begin business classes which will be interesting because the only business class I took was personal finance... and got a C.

The internet is sparce in this village, and slow is an understatement. It literally took 4 minutes to load the main GMail page, so if I don't get a personal email out to you, please don't hold that against me. I'll try stop in one or two times a week to give periodic updates, and some insight on training and culture.