For everyone who has been anxiously waiting to find a new blog post on our travels in Uganda, we are happy to say that we finally have wireless internet!
It has been over a week since we have arrived in Uganda and our experience to date has been incredible. We want to catch you up on where we have been, who we have been talking with, and what we are learning along the way. Also, while our pictures can only offer you a small glimpse of what we are experiencing here, make sure to check them out under Flickr Photos (on the right side of the page).
Friday, June 18th
We arrived in Entebbe in the evening and were welcomed at the airport by Bernard, one of the many helpful staff members at Green Valley Guest House. Once we arrived to the guesthouse, we all needed a beer to relax from the long flights and quickly fell asleep, anxious to explore Uganda in the daylight.
Saturday, June 19th
Monkeys, Lions, Spiders…oh my! We made the short walk over to the Wildlife Education Center and visited the shore of Lake Victoria. While this day was reserved for catching up on rest from the flights, we also managed to make time to check out the sights in Entebbe, witnessed a parade in the streets, and enjoyed Chinese food, yes, Chinese food, at 4 Turkeys.
Sunday, June 20th
There is apparently a saying that you bring good luck if you bring rain, so leave it to visitors from Portland to bring a tropical thunderstorms at the tail end of the rainy season. Once things dried up, we packed up and moved on to Kampala.
While in Kampala, we stocked up on tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, custard apple, and passion fruit at the produce market. The tropical fruit in Portland will never be able to stand up to the fruit in Uganda.
We also visited Kireka Home for children with special education needs. The experience was surreal for many of us and was the point at which reality kicked in that we were in a developing country and there are organizations providing amazing services that simply do not have enough resources. Despite the lack in funding however, the children at Kireka happy and well cared for.
Monday, June 21st
This morning we had a meeting with TASO – an organization dedicated to supporting the HIV/ AIDS community around the Jinja area. Their message was powerful and inspiring and offered us the rare chance to hear from people with HIV/ AIDS about their struggles and success with the virus and also learn more about the support they are receiving through the programs offered by TASO. Their organization is making great strides in HIV/ AIDS health care, prevention, education, and social support. We also visited Soft Power Health which is focused on many health issues with a special emphasis on malaria and family planning.
Tuesday, June 22nd
The day’s theme for Tuesday was Natural Resource Protection and Management. Not only did we check out the new Bujagali dam being built on the Nile, but we looked good doing it sporting hard hats and bright orange vests. In the afternoon, we walked through the Mabira Forest and ooohed and awed over the wide variety of butterflies, skyscraper tall fig trees, and exotic insects.
Ashley: Today the theme was “Jinja: Natural Resource Protection and Management,” with Jess and me as day leaders. We began by meeting with Moses, the District Environmental Officer. He gave us a detailed talk about his role and what he does. It included many functions such as sensitization campaign, regulation enforcement, writing quarterly reports toward the Environmental Impact Assessment, and capacity building for environmental committees. Because my particular interest is in Waste Management and Recycling, I was definitely enthralled in all he had to tell us about. After our brief meeting, we hopped in the van and got to tour the Bugajigali Moses alongside. Because I live so close to Eagle Creek out passed Multnomah Falls, I’ve grown up looking out at the viewpoint across from Bonneville Dam. Both were built as projects to create jobs through the well as the Works Process Administration (WPA) after WWI emerging from the New Deal. The lookout point at Eagle Creek was so citizens could observe the project as it was being constructed. Often I’ve wondered what the process looked like as it was going up. Touring Bugajigali Dam was really an extraordinary experience. I was even hopeful and inspired for Hanni, as she is an engineering student.
Because the admission cost was too much to see the Source of the Nile Historical Site, I was pleasantly surprised with our tour of the new (under a year old) recycling facility. Because the city was trying to reclaim an 20 acre open dump, they have a small staff of 47 workers, 20 on site who sort through the old dump as well as the incoming trash trucks turning the organics waste into resalable compost, and separated then hand-washing the plastics for resale. I think both Moses and I shared the excitement to talk with someone else who was greatly interested in waste management. I was interested in learning that the leeched water from the rubbish was collected down the hill and then reused on the composting process as well as rainwater catchment water. When I get home, I cant wait to correspond more with Moses to talk about how they overcome their local challenges to increase waste management for the district.
Wednesday, June 23rd
It is amazing how some people are able to take a small concept like making beads from paper and turn it into a life-changing and community empowering program, such as Bead for Life has done. We met with Devon from Bead for Life on Wednesday morning and then had the chance to meet with Peace Corps Uganda in the afternoon.
Thursday, June 24th
Between our meeting at the U.S. Embassy with a representative from U.S.A.I.D. and our conversation with Judy Adoko of LEMU, who spoke with us on land rights and land policy in Uganda, we all were reminded of how complex certain issues can be and many of us ended our day with more questions than answers. Both meetings offered us a small glimpse into how certain programs or policies can impact people for better – or worse, and how very important it is to do your research and get the full story before a development policy or program gets implemented.
The students also made a special visit to the Nakasero Market to check out used clothing, appliances, luggage and trinkets galore. This market is not for the faint at heart, but is worth a trip to just for the bartering experience and people watching.
Ashley: Today the theme was “Understanding Official Development Aid and Land Policy Reform.” Our first stop was the US Embassy. I gotta hand it to Ellen for making this happen, because what a valuable experience it was! Christian Smith, Program Manager for USAID and John Dunn, Department of Public Affairs Officer presented on their activities and goals in Uganda. They focused on their 4 goals: 1. promote democracy/good governance, 2. enhance peace and security, 3. improve the well being of Uganda, and 4. encourage economic reform and market growth. If at ever someone told me I didn’t know everything, today I was reminded of how much I have to learn! The US Embassy is deeply involved in Ugandan politics aiming to fight corruption and fill in government gaps. They are involved in activities such as capacity building of civil society, building responsiveness of local governments, and infrastructure building of Northern Ugandan roads, schools, hospitals, internet and power lines, and much more. Our group asked important questions such as whether the US Embassy keeps track of all American NGO’s working in Uganda (they don’t), and the affects of Chinese presence aimed at development (they view it as a positive form of aid to fill in the gaps the US does not invest in).
In the afternoon we met with the organization LEMU to speak with Judy, the Program Coordinator. It arose because of the challenges concerning complicated Land Use laws that made ownership of land challenging for women, and ineffective/convoluted land use administration. LEMU has been involved in research, court dealings, and sensitization of Land Use rights. They have challenged discrepancies between State Laws and Customary Laws and made local language translation guides to understanding the complicated system. The organization was a fascinating example of well informed community organizing done right, because they invest so much time to their research.
Friday, June 25th
Friday morning we met with Moses, a professor Makerere University, who is demonstrating that you can do a lot of good if you make use of overlooked local resources. Through over twenty years of experience, Moses has managed to develop a successful brick making business that uses local clay and concrete mix, that has also quickly grown into the development of a variety of products using the bricks that are greatly improving the lives of many people.
After lunch, we visited the Uganda Museum to learn about the history of the Pearl of Africa and then to Sanyu Babies, an orphanage that cares for children under the age of three.
Saturday, June 26th
On the road again. We traveled across central Uganda to the west from Kampala to Fort Portal. Before we hit the road, we visited the only Bahai Temple in Africa. The temple may be the most peaceful place in the bustling city of Kampala and is surrounded by a beautifully landscaped garden, overlooking most of the city.
The road from Kampala was lined with small market stands filled with everything from produce to velvet couches. As we moved further west, the sights from our van shifted to lush green fields planted with tea, sugar cane, and corn.
We arrived in Fort Portal in the early evening and were delighted to offload our bags at Ruwenzori View Guesthouse. One thing that is for sure, no one is going to lose weight on this trip. Dinner at Ruwenzori View that night was a three course whirlwind of comfort foods made with local produce and meats. We all went to bed fat and satisfied, listening to the sounds of the crickets and rain.
Sunday, June 27th
While some of us rested and explored the village of Fort Portal, others made the hike to check out the Amabere Waterfall. Sunday was also welcome day of relaxation and reflection for the group…and, maybe a little watching of the World Cup.
