Just Peachy in Uganda

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this website are entirely my own and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.

8/2/13: We had an open house for the new Peace Corps building in Kampala today. They coordinated it with a welcome ceremony for the new Global Health Service Partnership volunteers. The GHSP is a new program collaborating with Peace Corps to bring in doctors and nurses to work in schools and hospitals. It’s a great program and they actually are able to do “hands-on” training with the students. We had volunteers from all the groups in country at the open house showing what we have been doing for the last year. It was a very nice program and included the U.S. Ambassador and other important people.

8/21/13: The school Principal and I visited the Bunyoro King to officially request his presence at the school’s first graduation ceremony. The King is a big supporter of youth education and helped to push for construction of the school, the first undergraduate nursing school in this region. I knelt and fumbled through some Runyoro greetings. Some staff told me that the King does not smile, but that is not true.

8/23/13: Graduation started off with a parade through town of over 300 of the nursing students and a marching band. Around 11:30, amid drums and marching, the king arrived and was seated under his own tent. Minutes later the celebration was underway with a processional of VIPs, the principal, and tutors. Flags were raised, anthems were sung, and speeches were given by the Minister of Health, a member of parliament, the principal, and the Council Chairman. The Graduands (British spelling) were recognized and the Minister of Health conferred upon them certificates and they recited the nurse’s oath. In between speeches they had cultural dances. The King closed the ceremony with a nice speech. The cake was cut and food served around 5 pm. Staff continued the party at a local hotel and the students stayed up all night dancing at the school. I crashed around 11 pm after a truly successful day. Congratulations to the school and its first group of graduands!

9/6/13: I have been participating in National Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) for the last week. These camps (BUILD for the boys and GLOW for the girls) are funded through Peace Corps grants and are one of the most effective youth programs the volunteers organize. It is a time for boys and girls to get out of their villages, learn to share with others, build capacity through activities, classes, and team building, and learn various life skills. The counselors do a fantastic job watching over their charges day and night (about 10 girls per 1 PC volunteer and 1 Ugandan volunteer). That takes a lot of patience which I don’t have so I was a member of staff and a co-director of activities.

10/15/13: My children came to visit for 10 days and we had a great time. I am not going to go into details but it was a true Uganda experience from getting stuck in the mud and having a tractor pull us out to the tour van breaking down to visiting the Pygmy Batwa in the Impenetrable Forest. We had a great time.

11/23/13: We completed construction on two 30,000 liter water tanks at the school. The bricks are slightly curved and are pressed using a combination of cement, river sand, and water. These are environmentally friendlier than local bricks which use forest trees and are fired. We were able to add gutters to two of the buildings for rainwater harvesting. A good sustainable project, this is very big coup for the school and something they have been wishing for since the school started. The students and staff alike are very appreciative and feel it will help the school demonstrate its ability to provide for the students. Here are some comments from staff and students:

"For us in the kitchen it will be reduce shortage of water. Our work will run smoothly and decrease expense of buying water. Meals should not be delayed because we now have water." (Chef)

"Cleanliness/Hygiene it is most vital. It has put the school a step ahead as in development. One of the best achievements. Won’t spend the nights without showering. Will eat on time. We won’t have to move long distances for water. Better sanitation for the dormitory rooms, laundry, and ourselves." (students)

12/21/13:

Kristina invited me to a Christmas party with her organization on Ngamba Island. She works with a Chimp organization that provides sanctuary for homeless and abused chimps and educates the public on chimpanzee culture. Although she does not work on the island, they had their Christmas party there where they rehabilitate the chimps. We were able to witness a couple of feedings. They were feeding them mangoes, bananas, and carrots. Kristina said they get their protein from eggs. So allow me to explain a couple of the pictures. The 2 birds are Crested Cranes and the National Bird of Uganda. The yellow birds are Weaver birds and as you can see they enter their nests upside down. The male builds the nest and if the female does not find it worthy she will not mate. It was way cool. Hopefully you get the gist.

12/29/13: Both Thanksgiving and Christmas are celebrated here. Although Thanksgiving is an American Holiday, Ugandans have adapted it simply as a day to be thankful. The people here love parties and I think it is a good time for family and friends to get together for company and good food. Christmas Day often starts with Church and then a big lunch with family. Most of those I asked do not share presents, but are very happy with socializing.

I hosted the new Peace Corps trainees at my house for Christmas. Along with a couple of volunteers from my group, we shared meals, presents, and company. We lost electricity, ran out of water, found worms in our zucchini, played games, and told stories. All in all, a great Christmas.

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