Holiday Break

School is out for two weeks – and I realized this is the only break teachers have for the entire year!  (Because classes are on a rotating basis.)  And in typical Ugandan fashion, the plans for Christmas came together at the very last minute, giving me only 1 day to get ready.  I have decided to take advantage of the time off from school and travel to the southwest region of Uganda to visit the PCVs there.  About 20 people from my training group are getting together for Christmas - we’re going to have our own lunch menu prepared at a local restaurant on Christmas Day.  I’ll be staying at hotel (with electricity and hot water - pretty swanky) in a town called Rukungiri, which is near Mbarara (the closest ‘big’ city).  Since it is a 2-day journey from Arua to Rukungiri (and then another 2 days back), I decided to make it worthwhile and go on a safari at Queen Elizabeth National Park!!!  My friend Tomas (who works at Ugandan Safaris) put together the complete itinerary of 2 ½ days and 2 nights.  It’s going to be an awesome African Christmas!!!

For New Year’s, I’ll be back in Arua.  (The nursing school resumes classes on January 2^nd.)  I hear New Year’s is just as crazy in Arua as it is anywhere else in the world: people in the streets, fireworks over the golf course, music, partying, etc.  So I’ll meet up with the West Nile PCVs to celebrate!

I’m not taking my computer with me on the southwest trip (so no more blogs or emails for 2 weeks) but I’ll be sure to post lots of pictures in January!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Christmas Poem

Hi again – I just have to share this poem with everyone!  My Aunt Lynn wrote it and posted it in the comment section of my blog – but it’s so amazingly thoughtful and creative that it deserves it’s own blog entry.  I love you Lynn!

Christmas Poem, by Lynn Bergstrom

T’was the night before Christmas
And, Laura, my niece
Was living in Africa
Bringing the peace.

Over mountains and oceans
She traveled so far
To Kampala, then Arua
Without even a car.

She left her belongings
And her family behind
In search of a treasure
She was sure she would find.

And when she arrived
In the country so new
She was a little bit nervous
But knew what to do.

She held her head high
And went on with her plan
To learn all she could
About this new land.

The food and the language
And the culture was different
But the people were friendly
As on her journey she went.

She learned Lugbara
The language they speak
And lived under a roof
That sometimes did leak.

She boiled lots of water
So that she could eat
Lots of fresh fruits and veggies
But not any meat.

She bathed with a bucket
For clean, hot water she grieved
But she had a toilet inside
For which her aunt was relieved. :)

There were spiders and snakes
She slept under a net
And the goats on the front porch
She will never forget.

The monkeys on the roof
Kept her up through the night
And her bout with Giardia
Gave her a fright.

But she never lost faith
In her reason for going
And her desire to help others
Kept growing and growing.

She taught them about AIDS
And computers and more
And helped the school organize
The data they stored.

Her skills were so needed
By everyone there
That they gave her great projects
And showed her they cared.

Her knowledge was vast
And her smile was bright
And the people she met
Thought she was a delight.

She knew she was achieving
Her goals and her dream
And her fellow peace makers
Were her family and team.

And back at home
Her family was there
Watching in amazement
With love and with care.

Laura is a woman
We would all say
Who is strong and inspiring
In so many ways.

She went far away
To help others in need
She gave them her gifts
And their souls she did feed.

So as Christmas day came
And she was not in sight
We said Merry Christmas to Laura
May YOU be blessed tonight!

December Update

It’s been a while since I wrote a lengthy blog post.  Here’s what’s been going on with me:

Work

·      I’ve been teaching about 3 or 4 days a week (2-4 hours a day).  Research and lesson planning take up a lot of my time.  I’m also working on random projects that Sister Anne assigns me (e.g. creating a school brochure for visitors and potential new students).

·      Last Monday, I attended a School Management Committee meeting with Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau.  I finally learned some details about the school’s challenges and goals, - now I have a clear picture of the many administrative tasks Kuluva needs help with.  The school staff is having 2 more meetings about it next week, so those projects will be starting soon too.

·      In addition to my work at Kuluva, I have to write & submit reports to the Peace Corps about my job/site – and, of course, I procrastinated until the week they were due.

·      Now, I’ve got a stack of papers to grade this weekend . . . I have officially turned into my parents.  (Ha ha!  Love you Mom & Dad.)

Around the House

·      The power cord to my computer is on the fritz.  I think I need to limit my computer time (and not go on the internet everyday).  Blogs and emails may be fewer and farther between.

·      The dry season has arrived in Uganda – which means water is starting to run out.  The plumber can usually fix something with the pressure and the pump, but it takes him 3-4 days to respond to my phone calls (so no water for those 3-4 days).  Thankfully, I have a giant stash of Wet Wipes that will help get me through.

·      Amviko is still helping out.  We’re in a good routine of one day a week – I’m just not messy enough for her to be full-time.  Plus, I enjoy cooking for myself.  I’m trying out different recipes from the Peace Corps Cookbook that past PCVs created with local/seasonal foods.  Favorite recipe so far: Basque Style Green Beans

·      And I bought a bike!  It’s a used Schwinn in good condition.  It has several gears (to help me get through the hills near Kuluva) and I added a few extra accessories: a bell, mudguards, and a basket.  The Peace Corps provided me with a helmet, bike lock, and bike pump.  I’m set!  Now instead of a 6-mile walk (like I had during training), I’m doing a 12-mile bike ride to Arua 2-3 times a week.

Social Life 

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been so focused on work that I started to feel somewhat isolated from other PCVs.  I decided that if I have the afternoon off from teaching, I’m going to ride my bike to town and visit the other volunteers.  I’ve got to keep my mental health in check!  (And it’s a nice workout too!)  A couple of weeks ago I went out with George and Brady for drinks (sodas); then last weekend I met George, Betty, Chen, and Latoya at the Ethiopian restaurant for lunch; and on Wednesday Marcy and I went to Sherry’s house to use her (conventional) oven and bake Christmas cookies!  We put on some Christmas cd’s and baked 5 different kinds of cookies: ginger cookies, snickerdoodle, peanut butter, lace cookies, and Viennese Crescents.  (The crescents were no good and didn’t bake – I think the recipe in the Peace Corps cookbook is off.)  And since we were there, Sherry let us take advantage of her hot shower!  It was so nice to completely wash off the layer of sunscreen and dirt.  :)

People Pictures

I posted a lot of pictures on Facebook - but it occurred to me that not everyone who reads my blog is on Facebook.  And, as Mom pointed out, there are not many people pictures on my blog.  So here are some pics from training and from site.

The West Nile Peace Corps Group

Sitting in front: Me, Robert (Lugbara teacher), Tiffany, George, Brady

Standing in back: Walter (Lugbara teacher), Tom, Marcy, Anne (Peace Corps staff), Betty
*But Tiffany had her site changed and she's now in a different region.

Party after the Swearing In Ceremony.
(Howard, Holly, me, and Allison)

 Me, Katie, and Jenna

Amos, Sister Anne, and one of the local counsel members
at the Set 6 Graduation Ceremony

Two of my students - Sylvia and Neema

More to come!  I take my camera with me to school everyday (now that I'm a familiar face around the hospital/school compound) and I've got some travel plans over the next couple of months (Peace Corps conferences).

Holidays in Arua

 

 (This is NOT my house!)

Christmas is quickly approaching and it’s hitting me pretty hard just how much I miss my family.  I’ve have always spent the holidays with family, whether it was Thanksgiving in Denver or Christmas in Chicago.  I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself in Uganda last week for Thanksgiving.  Yeah sure, some of the PCVs were organizing events in different cities.  But I guess I prefer a more traditional holiday celebration – not a Thanksgiving Day booze cruise on the Nile River . . . that sounds more like the 4^th of July to me.  

(*I’m reminded of the 4^th of July boat parade at Pigeon Lake . . . especially since it’s 80+ degrees here right now.  Ha ha.)  Anyway-

It turns out there is a good number of Americans living in the Arua area doing missionary work.  Marcy and Tom Macaulay (PCVs from my training group) met them through their church and bible study group.  Since Ugandans don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, the Americans in the area get together every year for a traditional holiday dinner – Marcy sent me the invite, after our original Peace Corps group dinner plans fell through.

Sherry Meyer, one of the missionaries, hosts the dinner every year because she has one of the nicest houses in Uganda.  It’s huge.  And she has all of the wonderful modern appliances that you have back in the states (i.e. dishwasher, oven, washer/dryer, etc.).  And she also has all of the fun little appliances, like a drip coffee maker and an ice cream maker!  So I was able to eat ice cream in Africa last week!  Amazing.

I had such a great time meeting new people and talking about the cultural adjustment, difficulties with Lugbara, cooking local foods, etc.  There were a couple of people who just arrived a few weeks ago but most of the group has been living in Uganda for 10+ years.  (Sherry has been here since 1991.)  I feel much more comfortable about the area now and have some great resources for answering my questions about transportation, traveling, food, or whatever.  :)

Towards the end of dinner, we were all invited back to Sherry’s for her annual Christmas party/dinner (which includes a tree-lighting ceremony, Christmas carols, and more ice cream!!).  I’m not sure what the other PCVs are planning but I know where to go for my holidays in Arua.

  

 

Q & A

I received some emails with a bunch of questions, and I decided instead of just responding back to that one person, I’ll do the occasional Q & A blog because maybe you all would like to know the answers too.  :)  So here we go.

What are Ugandan people like?  What is their view of Americans?

It’s a difficult question to answer, because it varies by region/tribe.  During training in Wakiso, the people saw us ‘Muzungus’ (white people) as 'money.'  We noticed that during our first week in town, the prices went up in almost all of the stores.  Random people would even walk up to us on the street and say, “You give me money.” 

I cannot say that I felt welcome there.  People would mock us, glare at us, and occasionally try to hit us with a boda-boda (motorcycle taxi).  (*Obviously this was not everybody – my homestay family was fantastic.  This was just a general feeling when walking around town.)  But then I also understand that we were the 6^th group of Peace Corps Volunteers to stay in Wakiso and not work on development there.  The people are kind of fed up that the Peace Corps will come for training but won't stay to help.

Now I'm in Arua and it’s completely different.  I can feel a stronger sense of community here – more interacting and helping each other.  At the hospital/school compound, it’s the norm to say “Hello, how are you?” to everyone you pass and shake hands frequently with the people you know.  Even in Arua town, I feel more accepted – on the street I get called “Sister” instead of “Muzungu.”

And the few Lugbara phrases I know go a long way in bridging the cultures.  When I go to local market stands to buy eggs or veggies, I greet the women with "Mi ngoni?"  They laugh hysterically and say "AH!  You are speaking Lugbara!!!"  I may not know much, but the effort is very much appreciated.

*I feel I will revisit this question later in my service too.

What is the religion of the people in your area?  Do you go to church with them? 

The major religions are Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim.  My school is Catholic and there are prayers every morning from 8:00am-8:30am.  I went a few times while I was staying with Sister Anne but haven’t really gone since then.  It’s difficult to go to the Ugandan church services on Sundays because it’s all in Lugbara.  But the other PCVs in the area have invited me to their bible study group and I think I might check it out.  I feel like I’m missing out on something by not being a part of the religious community here.  It’s a BIG part of their lives.

Why does the power go out so much in Uganda?

I’ve asked this question myself and never really got a definite answer . . . so I Googled it.  “Uganda faces power cuts lasting 12 hours daily due to government's failure to pay power subsidies amounting to Ush200 billion (US$76.9 million).” 

What kind of meals do you make for yourself?

As I wrote in the last blog entry, meals are kind of difficult.  So far I’ve eaten: scrambled eggs and omelets, sautéed greens, boiled sweet potatoes, French toast w/ honey (no maple syrup in Uganda), peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, spaghetti w/ some not-so-great sauce, and fruit (apples, bananas, pineapple, avocado, tomato slices, and mango season should be coming soon!)  I bought some rice but just haven’t cooked it yet.  I’ve also been living off of the wonderful American food I received in my care packages – instant oatmeal, granola bars, protein bars, trail mix, and cookies.  :)

What do you do at night?

After school, I’ll cook a little something and go on the internet/computer, read, or journal.  My neighbor Jimmy has been coming over a lot to use the internet and he’ll stay and visit for a couple of hours.  The sun sets between 6:30pm-7:00pm and I’m usually in bed by 8:30pm.  But before bed, I have to boil enough water for a hot bucket bath and drinking water the next day.  (I have a giant thermos to keep the bathing water hot.)  And I desperately need to start a yoga routine after school.  These hardwood chairs are killing my back!

Do you think you'd like a Kindle?  Do you have enough reading material?  What can you get there?

So far, I have not experienced the boredom that other PCVs have blogged about.  Maybe it’s because I have electricity and internet pretty much all day.  But on the rare occasion when the power does go out, reading is the #1 activity.  Right now, I don’t need a Kindle.  I brought a few books and Mom is sending a few more.  That should keep me busy for a while.  But the so-called Peace Corps Library is a joke – there’s nothing good there.  And, it’s in Kampala (8 hours away), which I’m not allowed to go to unless I have special permission.  But I hear that there is frequent book trading among the volunteers – I guess that’s where all the good books are.

Have you used your duct tape for anything yet?

Yes.  The first time was to patch a hole in the mosquito net over my bed in Banana Village.  The second time was a few weeks ago . . . I needed it to fix my house – here’s the story.  I woke up one Saturday morning to find a massive ant infestation all over my living room, bathroom, and kitchen.  They were everywhere – on the floors and on the walls.  (My house is less than perfect, with huge cracks in the walls, termite damage, and major gaps between the outside doors and the floors.)  As I was spraying Doom and sweeping ants out of my house, there were just so many that they started crawling up my legs and biting me.  It was a rough morning.  Eventually, I got rid of them all and tried to think of how to fix the cracks/holes in my walls.  There’s no Home Depot in Uganda and looking for some kind of sealant is futile.  Then I remembered my duct tape!!!  (Yes Dad, duct tape is holding my house together.  Ha ha.)  I have silver streams of duct tape on the walls in my kitchen to keep the ants out . . . and it works like a charm.

After I posted pictures of my "critters," a family member requested a picture of the spiders.  I sent one picture back in an email, but here’s a few more for everyone to see!  Ha ha.

This is one of the big, freaky African spiders I’ve been talking about.  Ick.

This gem is of a spider killing a cockroach.  I was washing my face before bed one night and wiped the soap from eyes to see this hanging right above my head.  I felt the need to capture the moment.

Ok, this one is a spider at a zoo in Uganda.  Nevertheless, it’s free-roaming and freakin’ HUGE!

Amviko

This morning I started writing a blog all about my (slow-going) cultural integration in the village of Kuluva.  But today is special and I’m changing my topic.  Yes, it’s my birthday, but also I have a new friend, Amviko.  Well, ok . . . she’s the woman I hired to help clean my house . . . let me explain.  :)

Within the first two days of arriving at Kuluva, Sister Anne told me I should think about hiring some help for around the house.  I wasn’t really interested – after all, I’ve been living by myself for almost 10 years and I’m a pretty clean person.  Then Dr. Anne told me that there is a woman who has been cleaning my house for years and now that I have moved in, she is out of work.  (Ouch – guilt trip.)  This issue was brought up several times each week by Sister Anne and Dr. Anne, reiterating that I will be working 5 days a week, and therefore will be too tired to clean or cook when I get home.  *I should also mention that having house-help is the way of life here.  When the plumber came to fix my sink, he was shocked that I hadn’t hired anyone yet.  I told Sister Anne and Dr. Anne that I’d try living on my own first and decide later about hiring someone. 

Well it’s four weeks later now and I’m doing ok with the cleaning (or maybe I just don’t care how dirty my floors are).  I’ve accepted my roommates – the spiders and lizards – and hoped we could live peacefully together.  The cooking, however, is my biggest issue.  I have no time to cook and my food is spoiling faster than I can eat it.  During my one-hour lunch break I have to: buy the food from the local market stands, go home, wash it, prep it, cook it, eat it, and clean up.  One hour is not enough time.  I usually just end up eating scrambled eggs with tomato slices and then run back to school.  For dinner, I pick whichever vegetable is not too moldy and cook it . . . somehow.  All of my recipes from home are useless because the ingredients are not available and/or I don’t have an oven, toaster, or microwave.  I am not starving by any means – I consume plenty of apples, tomatoes, eggs, and bread – but I have absolutely NO Ugandan cooking skills.

So, I decided to hire some help.  I met with Amviko on Saturday to talk about what kind of help I needed and what days she should come over.  We decided on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00am-noon just for cleaning and washing, no cooking . . . yet. 

Today she was her first day and I went home at lunch to see the house.  Can I just say, WOW.  I don’t know how she did it but ALL OF THE SPIDERS ARE GONE!!!!!!!  And I do see the difference now in having a clean floor.  And the house just seemed brighter and smelled better.  And my stinky sweatshirt is clean and hanging on the line outside.  Life is good.  :)

Amviko keeps mentioning that she wants to cook for me (she needs the work and the $$$.)  She can cook anything – if I want rice and leafy greens, then she’ll make it.  If I want beans and eggplant, then she’ll make that.  She also said she can bake bread and cakes (from scratch) over a charcoal stove.  (Oh my gosh!)  And she said she could go town and do some of my shopping at the market.  This is especially appealing since I don’t have a bike yet, Paul the school driver isn’t always available, and the Peace Corps doesn’t allow me to ride boda-bodas (motorcycle taxis).  It would be a HUGE help to have someone pick up things at the market for me.

So I will adapt to the Ugandan lifestyle of having help around the house.  And I will contribute to the Ugandan economy by giving Amviko a job.

When I signed up for the Peace Corps, I did not imagine that I’d have a cell phone, internet, electricity, running water, and house-help!

P.S. Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday cards!  It was a nice little birthday celebration.  :)  Thank you.

My Career at Kuluva

Now that I’m settling into my site, I’m getting a better idea of what my workdays will be like.  Sister Anne gave me a modified job description that she made after my visit in September.  (I gave her my resume during my site visit, so the work could be more specific to my knowledge and experience.)   Well now my job title includes: Data Officer, School Administrative Assistant, and teacher for the social psychology and computer training courses.

So basically, what I’ll be doing is creating databases to track student records and school financial records (because everything is handwritten in binders right now); writing quarterly school reports and summaries; project and proposal writing for community outreach; creating school brochures; analyzing the school’s strategic plan; and teaching classes.  And if I have free time, the Kuluva Hospital would like me to help with their Health Management Information System (kind of the same thing I was doing at CDPHE).  My workload is full!

My schedule follows the school hours:

Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm

Morning tea break 10:30am-11:00am (Uganda was a British colony until 1962, so they still have morning and evening tea times!)

Lunch 1:00pm-2:00pm

The nursing school has four sets of students on rotating class schedules (or tracks) – so there is no summer vacation.  I’m okay with that because I’m not sure what I would do with an entire summer off.  (*The Peace Corps is my official employer and provides two vacation days per month that are accrued.  So even if the school has summers off, I would not be allowed to leave my site unless I used my Peace Corps vacation days.  It’s kind of messed up . . . but irrelevant.)  And for those of you who don’t know, I am saving all of my vacation days during my first year so that I can fly back to the states for Scott & Kailey’s wedding next year!!

Anyway, the teaching staff had a meeting on Tuesday about the next student set, who start school on November 21^st.  My social psychology class will be Tuesday mornings 8:30-10:30, and the computer class is tentatively scheduled for Thursday afternoons.  (We’re still working on the teaching schedule.)

Overall, I’m pretty happy with my job description.  (It’s slightly odd to be in Africa working on a computer for most of the day.)  But since I don’t have a medical or clinical background, I wouldn’t be very helpful teaching nursing classes or doing field visits.  And I still get to coordinate community outreaches for the students, so I can contribute to the local public health that way.  There are also several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Arua that I can work with for secondary projects.

And the staff at the school are all fantastic.  :)  They’re just the nicest, friendliest group of people.  Look at the note they printed for me when I arrived!  :)

I’ll write more about them later – after I take their photos!

Adjusting to Life in Africa

I’ve been at site for almost 2 weeks now and I’m still adjusting – mentally.  I think that training was SO busy and stressful that I never really experienced the culture shock.  It’s hitting me with full force now that I’m on my own.  During my first week in Arua, I battled several illnesses (diarrhea, fever, head cold/cough, etc.).  My body was physically exhausted from life and desperately needed a week of rest - and I’m adapting to a new diet . . . again.  The food in training (Kampala) was different than the food I’m eating in the West Nile region.  There are different crops and different methods of preparation and my gut needs to be slowly introduced to everything.  (I am EXTREMELY grateful for the care packages of American food to help ease the transition!!!)

 Thankfully, I have electricity and running water to keep me somewhat sane.  The power has not gone out once yet – in Wakiso it was out for days!  The water situation is a little stressful – I have to boil water (& let it cool) to drink or cook.  I also have to wash all of my fruits and vegetables with clean water.  I am constantly boiling water when I’m at the house and I have numerous kettles, pitchers, and water bottles scattered in my kitchen that are used in the boiling/cooling rotation.  It’s a routine that I will eventually get used to.  Even though I have running water and a shower, there is no hot water heater.  And I prefer a hot bucket bath to a cold shower . . . at least for now.  Maybe during the dry/hot season, a cold shower will feel pretty good.

Another part of the culture shock is the number of critters that I share my house with.  Spiders are everywhere.  And I’m talkin’ HUGE African spiders.  I’ve come to accept that I can’t kill them all (most of them live in my ceiling) but if they are on my furniture or come near my clothes/shoes, they’re dead.  I have my designated spider-killing flip flops and a can of Doom Spray on hand.  Also good for killing ants and cockroaches.

 Lizards are also living in my ceiling.  I don’t mind them so much (because they eat mosquitoes and flies), but I still jump when they skittishly run up the walls.  And I hear them crawling in the ceiling . . . creepy.

Yesterday was a special day when I found my first snake in my house.  I didn’t freak out too much – I trapped it under a bucket lid and decided to let it go in the morning.  Unfortunately, the snake escaped during the night and I have NO idea where it is.  I can only hope that it found its way back outside.  (I’m still nervous about going back into the spare bedroom!)

There is also A LOT of noise outside – it sounds like someone pounding on my neighbor’s door.  Sister Anne laughed and said, “It’s just the monkeys on the roof!”  Sure enough, I see the monkeys in my trees all the time.  Here's one on my front porch this morning!

And last weekend during a rainstorm, there was some other commotion on my front porch.  When I looked, I saw 4 goats huddled on my porch trying to stay out of the rain.

Someday, this will all be normal to me.  :)

Swearing In Ceremony (and the Giardia Experience)

 

We did it!  We were sworn in as official Peace Corps Volunteers on October 13, 2011.  The ceremony was held at the private home of the Deputy Ambassador of the US Embassy.  After 10 long weeks of training and 3 whirlwind days in Kampala, we had one night to celebrate and say our good-byes.  It's too bad that I missed sending off my friends because I was so sick.

I won't go into too many details about giardia but here are the symptoms: frequent diarrhea, fever, SEVERE stomach cramps, nausea/vomiting, etc.  Basically, your GI tract throws a fit.  Knowing that I was leaving for Arua the next day, I called the Peace Corps Medical Office on Friday night and got the medication.  Unfortunately, I couldn't take it until the nurse was SURE that I had giardia, and not some other GI issue.  So I had to suffer for 3 days while traveling to Arua, trying to clean my house, buying things at the market, and starting work at Kuluva School of Nursing.  Thankfully, my supervisor, Sister Anne, is absolutely wonderful and let me stay at her house over the weekend and is giving me as much time as I need to recover.

I am still working on settling into my house and unpacking, so I'll write more about that when I finish.  Now that Peace Corps Training is over, I should have more free time to blog, upload pictures, email, and hopefully Skype!  :)

Shit.

I got diarrhea on Swearing In Day.  I guess it's a rite of passage to become a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Finals Week

The past couple weeks of training have been pretty hectic.  Between a 4-day field trip, 2 final presentations, a language simulation day, and the final Language Proficiency Interview, I haven't had much time on the computer.  The good news is that I'm more confident now about going to my site because the field visit and strategic plan presentations gave me a VERY clear picture of what my 2-year service will look like.  As for Lugbara, I think I have a 50/50 shot of passing the interview.  I find out my grade next week.  If I don't pass, then the Peace Corps will provide a tutor and I will have another proficiency interview in 3 months.  No big deal.  :)

Today we were supposed to have a "Thank You" party for our host families - unfortunately, it has been postponed.  I received a text from the Peace Corps Country Director that there is a high security threat.  I believe it has to do with the fact that day is the African Football (Soccer) Finals and Uganda is playing against Kenya - and the game is in Kampala.  Crazy soccer hooligans.  :)

So, the party will be rescheduled to ???  And this week is our final week in Kampala for the Swearing In Ceremony.  I think there is a very good chance that our schedule will be rearranged depending on what's happening in the city.  Peace Corps event schedules are the ultimate test of patience and flexibility.

Health Check-Up

I’m heading into Week 8 (out of 10) of Peace Corps Training.  My past blog entries have covered all of the big news (site announcements & visits) – and now I’m just finishing up my classes and studying for the proficiency tests.

But I figured I could give you an update on my health, since that is also a big part of the experience.

I have not had any stomach problems or diarrheal disease . . . yet.  I’m one of the lucky ones.  But one of the PCVs in the West Nile region told me that I will definitely get Giardia at least once during my service.  (*Giardia, also referred to as Traveler's Diarrhea, is a parasite that lives inside the intestines of infected humans or other animals. Individuals become infected through ingesting or coming into contact with contaminated food, soil, or water.)  My host family provides plenty of boiled water for me and we are given bottled water at the training center.  And because I don’t eat meat, I think I’ve avoided some bacterial issues there too.

I have, however, been suffering from a few head colds.  (A cold?!?!  In Africa?!?! What?!?!)  Yes, as soon as the kids went back to school, the germs started to spread.  And due to lack of hand washing in Africa, everyone gets sick.  My head cold has now turned into some kind of bronchitis, and I don’t expect to get rid of it until I leave Wakiso.  I walk 6 miles a day on dusty roads, inhaling the diesel exhaust fumes/smoke from every vehicle that passes.  I come home to the toxicity of the bug spray that my host family uses to kill the flies & cockroaches (but the vermin are somehow always still around).

I take my weekly dose of Mefloquine to prevent malaria.  This is the medication which side effects include hair loss, moodiness, hallucinogenic dreams, and in extreme cases, psychosis.  I’m happy to report that I have not had any night terrors.  :)  Some trainees have experienced the vivid bad dreams and were allowed to switch to a different malaria prophylaxis (which has other wonderful side effects).  But the medical office starts us out on Mefloquine because it is the one that works the best against malaria.

My overall health is good.  I’ve blogged about the food before and that still hasn’t changed.  I eat a lot of starches and limited vegetables each day.  I did ask my host family for apples (which are expensive and usually just a special treat) and they have been giving me an apple as part of my breakfast almost every day.  Protein is no problem for a vegetarian in Uganda.  I eat eggs a lot, beans, groundnuts (Ugandan peanuts), peanut butter, and soya (soy protein powder).

I try to sleep at least 8 hours a night (I go to bed between 8:30pm-9:30pm and get up at 5:30 am).  But there are always strange sounds in the night: a pack of stray dogs fighting, rain pounding on the iron roof sheet, motorcycles passing, very loud birds outside my window at 3:30am, etc.  Earplugs are essential for a good night’s sleep.

If you couldn’t tell from my other blog entries, my mental health is great!  I’m still so excited to be doing this.  But I’ll admit that there have been ups & downs during training – it’s an exhausting 10-week schedule, with little time for relaxation.  And some days my brain just does not comprehend Lugbara.  For those rough days, I have my iPod (Simon & Garfunkel are currently playing), my internet modem (Brad Pitt said what?!?!), and the local convenient store that sells Snickers.  YES!!!

Arua Town, Kuluva School of Nursing, and My House

When I signed up for the Peace Corps, I knew without a doubt that it was my life path – a calling, if you will.  Everything in my life aligned perfectly to give me this opportunity.   And when I heard that I was being placed in the West Nile region, I was nervous and concerned – mostly because I was headed into the unknown and the current PCVs have a tendency to exaggerate their stories a bit.  But I knew in my heart I was going there for a reason.

After spending a week in Arua and at my site, I can assure you that it is the PERFECT place for me!!!  I’ve been talking to other trainees around the country and it sounds to me that Arua is one of the nicest, cleanest cities in Uganda.  It’s a lovely small town with paved roads, tall trees, and enough stores to buy everything I need.  The Kuluva School of Nursing is very successful and I can't wait to start working there.  The staff was so welcoming and friendly – I immediately fit in.  And my house has 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen, with electricity and running water (shower & toilet!).  I feel that I am the happiest Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda.  :)

Here is the breakdown to answer all of your questions:

Arua Town

• The 8-hour bus ride is a straight shot from Kampala on a paved road the entire way.  (I heard horror stories from other volunteers going to the southwest region and driving along rocky/dirt roads, buses breaking down, and driving on the edge of steep cliffs.  Aaaa!)
• Arua is a small town with approximately 55,000 residents.
• The town is very clean and well maintained – we met the mayor and he told us about the “beautification program” he started in an effort to improve the city.  He’s done a fantastic job, and I’m definitely going to volunteer during clean-up week in October!
• There are several supermarkets (for when I need some chocolate) and also the LARGE outdoor vendor market, where I can practice my bargaining skills in Lugabara.  Ha ha.
• Last weekend we discovered the best restaurants in town: good Ugandan food, an Ethiopian restaurant, an Indian restaurant, and, of course, a hotel that serves American food (burgers & pizza).

Kuluva School of Comprehensive Nursing

• Kuluva is a tiny village outside of Arua.  There is not much there – just a few market stands.
• My site is actually 6 miles from Arua Town and there’s no public transportation.  So I’m going to get a bike asap.  It’s going to be a good workout going to town, but there are also shops all along the main road; so I won’t have to do the full 6 miles there & back every time I need to buy something.
• The Kuluva School of Nursing was established in 1985 and is a nonprofit institution owned by the Church of Uganda, Madi and West Nile Diocese. 
• The hospital compound is 80 acres and contains the hospital (which is numerous small buildings/wards), the nursing school (about 10 small buildings) and all of the staff houses.  So my neighbors are the other teachers and my supervisor.

• My supervisor, Anne, is a kind & generous Ugandan woman, who is always smiling.  I think she is in her late 50’s and is well respected in the community.
• My counterpart, also named Anne, is from England and has been living in Uganda (with her husband) since 2007.  She is doing missionary work, as a teacher, and will be staying until 2013 – same as me.  I believe she is also in her 50’s and doesn’t speak a word of Lugbara.  *English is the main language in the school and in town.
• After getting a tour and speaking to both Anne’s, we decided that I would be best suited teaching social psychology (I minored in sociology), management communication (my BA is in communication), computer/technology, and I can also do some lectures in palliative care with my massage therapy background!  And because I have several years experience in government office work, Anne (my supervisor) is excited that I can help with school administration office work.  I think this is my dream job!

My House

• As I said before, it’s a 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom house.  But remember – these are Uganda standards.  There are no closets; the floors are concrete; the shower is just a showerhead over a drain in the bathroom floor; there is no refrigerator or appliances.  But by Ugandan standards, it’s a nice house and I’m so happy!  (Pictures will be posted after I’m settled in.)
• I do have electricity and water . . . most of the time.  There is no place in Uganda that has power & water 24/7.  The hospital compound generates it’s own hydroelectric power from the dam nearby.  But during the dry seasons (twice a year), the water at the dam is low and the power fails.  And I will have to carry jugs of water from the borehole to my house.  It’s just the way of life.
• The internet modem I bought for my computer will work at my house . . . most of the time.  It’s not 100% reliable and Skyping may be difficult.  I will try to find the spot with the best reception.
• The house is in a wooded area on the top of a hill and the view from my front porch overlooks the Congo.  AMAZING!

 

I feel so fortunate to have great living conditions and a wonderful job.  And as for the West Nile region, I get the best of both worlds – a house in a quiet rural setting and access to town is just a bike ride away.  :)  I love it.

P.S. This is one of my neighbors!

I'm in Africa.

Up until this week, my only exposure of Uganda has been Kampala (the capital) and Wakiso (the small town where training is).  It’s been an urban experience full of traffic, pollution, and crowds.  The 8-hour bus ride to Arua was the first time I got out of the Kampala district and saw the rest of the country.

Uganda’s countryside is stunning.  I watched the landscape change from the populated districts to lush, green forests; then to rolling hills; then to tall grasslands across the horizon.  This country is absolutely beautiful.  We crossed over Karuma Falls and caught a glimpse of the raging waters.  And then, as we approached the Nile River, we saw a group of elephants grazing on the prairie.  And that’s when I truly realized that I’m in Africa.

SITE ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

 

(Me and the country director for Peace Corps Uganda)

 

When I got my Peace Corps invitation back in June, my assignment said ‘Community Health – HIV/AIDS Prevention.’  Well, it turns out that’s not quite right.  HIV education is definitely a big part of public health in Uganda, but there are 4 other major sections: malaria prevention, nutrition, water sanitation, and health management information systems.  So . . .

My official job with the Peace Corps is a Health Instructor at the Kuluva School of Nursing!!!  The nursing school is part of Kuluva Hospital, which is about 4 ½ miles outside of Arua.  After talking to my program manager, I found out that they’re looking for someone to teach technical/computer skills in the healthcare setting, as well as organizational/structure skills.  How perfect is that?!?!  :)  I AM SO EXCITED!!!  (And yes, if they have computers, then they have electricity!)

My group is leaving tomorrow to go to Arua – it’s an all-day bus ride.  We’ll be there for one week – I’ll get to tour the nursing school/hospital and hopefully see my house!

Homestay

I’m sure you are all wondering about the host family that I live with.  Well, for those of you who haven’t talked to my mom, here’s the info:

I live with a family of 5: Goodwin (husband/father), Agnes (wife/mother), Lillian (19 year old daughter), Zippola (12 year old daughter), and Obed (7 year old son).  They are very accommodating and are familiar with this experience – they hosted a Peace Corps Trainee last year (Ryan).  And everything I do, they compare it to Ryan – it’s kind of funny.  But my family really likes me because I don’t go out drinking . . . like Ryan did.  (They don’t drink alcohol either.)  So they are very pleased when I stay in and study.  Goodwin also likes the fact I want to watch the news and see what’s happening in the world.  (They have cable tv! . . . well, when the electricity is working, which is 5-6 hours a day, usually during the morning.)

Anyway, Goodwin is a delivery driver and drives all over Uganda (I think he delivers cosmetics or something to stores).  He leaves at 5:00am and comes home around 8:30 pm.  Agnes does not work – she stays at home with the house girl, Helen.  They cook and clean all day – remember: everything is done by hand!  Lillian is going to vocational school for fashion design.  I talk with her a lot – her English is excellent.  Goodwin speaks English very well, and then the rest of the family can speak simple English.  Zippola and Obed just started the fall semester of school.  They are very energetic and fight each other occasionally.

My bedroom is next to Zippola and Obed’s (they share) and everyone else is on the other side of the house.  There is a bathing room inside (basically a concrete room with a drain), but the pit latrines are outside (like an outhouse).  The entire property is a compound, with locking doors on the outside gates.  Helen, the house girl, has her own room in the compound and Goodwin just finished adding another room, so he can rent it out.  There is also a cooking room, which has several charcoal fire pits.

I’m very happy with my homestay.  They provided me with a desk & chair and a rack to hang my clothes.  (There are 2 steps that go down into my room, so that’s why the pictures have a downward angle to them.)  They give me hot water every day for bathing and a lantern for when the power goes out.   My family is very tolerant of my vegetarianism (meat is expensive anyway) . . . although my grazing-style eating habits confuse them.  Ha ha.  But we’re getting along just fine.  :)