That Old Familiar Feeling

It has been a lot more troubling than I had previously thought the keep this blog updated as much as I can, and there has been some difficulties the past month that I’ve come across, and ill later get to that.

A lot has happened over the past month since my last post, and ill try my best to explain everything without writing a best selling novel. A week after my last post, myself, 4 of my fellow colleagues, our internship coordinator and our friend Yasin had traveled to Kabale (Ka-ball-eh) district for our one week vacation on Lake Bunyoni.. We had stayed on ‘Bushara’ island and it was so nice and peaceful. As much as I love and enjoy Jinja town, it was delightful to get away from urban life and experience the natural, artistic landscape of Uganda’s southwest countryside. We had stayed there for 4 days 3 nights. Kabale district is not like any other Ugandan district, the first being that it is the coldest place in Uganda, and for the first time I had to wear a sweater since I left Canada! Definitely the second and most recognizable feature of Kabale district would be the natural landscape itself. So green, un-touched and natural, it’s definitely a place I’d like to go back to in the near future.

The time of our vacation could not have been better for myself, as during that time I was going through a not so happy time. Maybe it might have been a combination of sorts, or maybe it was just inevitable that a first time international traveler goes through. Over the course of roughly a week, everything felt completely against me, nothing ever seemed to cheer me up. Shortly after I had gotten back from vacation, everything slowly started to go back to normal for myself. I don’t look at that week, as a desolate time, but the aftermath of it seemed to have positive effects. The only explanation I have for such a feeling was that it had to have been a transitional phase of sorts. Leaving behind who I was in Canada, and starting a new life here that I will bring back to Canada. It’s not going to be an easy task to get back to my “normal life” that I left behind in Canada; I can feel inside that I’m not the same person who I was when I left and I believe that its not going to be easy to understand that.

Just recently at work we had a one-day camp full of games and activities for the youth who live in the village of Namulasa, also the location of my office. It took a lot of work to get this organized to make it happen, and it was well worth it. To see the youth having fun, enjoying themselves was well worth all the work that had gone into it. The village I work in is no bigger then a couple city blocks, but is inhabited by a lot of people. Working here I have got to know a lot of the youth that live here. Working with the youth here is actually a lot of fun, there is never a day when someone is mad, sad or just feeling down. Everybody is always so cheerful, and that alone makes it rewarding to work these people.

With less than a week left, it’s kind of an odd feeling, simply because since the time I had been accepted, 4 months felt like a long time. Four months in Africa sounded unreal. Now that the clocks ticking until our departure home, it’s sort have really hit me in the face. However I don’t really tend to think about home or leaving usually until the day before. I just enjoy everyday that it is, I’m here to enjoy and work in Africa, and I’m not here to think about or miss home. Home, Friends and family will always be there and they’re not going anywhere. I’ve seen home, I grew up there, which is exactly why I love Africa so much. Everything is so different, so new to me. It’s definitely going to be worth it coming back on my own in the not so distant future.

Not to long ago I was asked why I don’t keep in contact at home that often, to myself 1 phone call home a week seems to be plenty. I do not Skype, nor do I phone home more than once or twice a week. Although phoning home is great and comforting, I only have so much time here in Uganda, which is why I try to enjoy every minute that it is. Why spend so much time communicating back home when I could be doing something else, I’m in Africa! My family is definitely going to be at home when I arrive, which means I have all the time in the world to tell them all about my journey here. Enjoy what you have with what time you got.

Most importantly this trip has definitely opened my eyes. I wasn’t lucky at all getting this internship, my hard work and past involvement with social justice is what got me in here, and goes for show that with hard work and patience, the reward may be great, and I definitely enjoyed this internship. Hard work and commitment to something I desire can and will get me places, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store next for myself. Could be anything, but we’ll see.

Till next time everyone

-Peace

A Not so Endless Journey

Never did I expect that this journey would already be reaching the halfway point. During our pre-departure training we were told that we would all, more than likely to experience culture shock. Looking back at all my notes from the workshops in Victoria before we departed it seems that I haven’t experienced culture shock, nor do I show any symptoms. However, the simple thought that we are at the halfway point is a really a dejecting thought in the back of my mind. Lately I’ve been playing tug-of-war with myself in my head, one side is excited to go back home, have that little sense of nostalgia and just tell everybody that is interested in my excursion here. Now the other side simply does not want to leave Uganda. As I well explained in my other post, there is so much to do here, which is a major contributing factor. As much as a miss home, I’ve already seen it all. My be-loving parents raised me and always said that this world is much bigger then our little valley, but it’s also contradicting at the same time because the world is bigger than Uganda. I got a feeling that I’m going to be doing a lot of traveling in what I have in my youthful years. Of coarse what better way to see the world when you’re young and adventuress.

I believe that my mind likes to wander too much, and often in my spare time I’m usually at a café, thinking about anything. So are so many options for myself at this time in my life that it’s no wonder that the majority of the time I just anticipate on what I Could do, and what I Can do. I hope that makes sense. But knowing that this a great experience for a 19 year old stepping out into reality of life, I often don’t know what I could do with this kind of experience. Many, many options I have thought about, but none not so related to this kind of work. I do have another two months here, plenty of time to really hunker down and plan out a future of many options. For now it’s a matter of focusing on my work, and doing the best job I can.

Speaking of work, what a joy it has been, sorry if I keep anybody on their toes, but I will have a full post on what I do, where I work, and what kind of projects I’m currently involved and working on. But work is another subject that often crosses my mind here and there. Because Uganda is a developing country, and seeing for myself that poverty is on a biblical scale, it almost feels like a sense of helpfulness, uselessness, and sometimes really makes me think that is all the work here really worth it? The reason I bring this up is because for the most part, of coarse it’s a good contribution, sometimes even a major one. Giving an individual an opportunity, even if it’s as simple as teaching them basic computer lessons, or hosting a soccer game once a week, shows that there are chances in life, that someone just has to make the effort to pursuit it. There always has to be an opposition, at the same time, doing all my work at WomenFirst, then going home, or on the weekend when I see poverty in Jinja town or near my residence, it shows that no matter how much work I do, it seems that I’m not helping on a very big scale. I just half to remember that every little bit helps and contributes.

Keeping in mind that not only has it almost been 2 months, I also have another 2 months here. So, is the glass half full or half empty? Nearly being at the halfway point, I’ve really forgotten how far away home really is, and what it’s like, aside from the rain year round of coarse. In no time everyone, I’ll be home from my globetrotting journey. I'm just really grateful at this point that my parents and education have armed me to the teeth with the knowledge and mental capacity to take care of myself when in doubt, esspecially over seas. But anyhow, Till next time everyone.

-Peace

Uganda is my journey- Not my destination

Morning, evening, salutation to all when you have taken the time to have a gander what ever the time may be. As per present we 10 interns have just passed the one-month mark here in amazing Africa. Rest assured that I am having the up-most time of my life I’ve had the 19 years my presence has been here on Earth. There is so much that I can tell, explain, and show that a blog is a simple way that I can release everything. Here and there in my spare time I like to jot down some notes, personal feelings, what I can see, feel, hear, smell and is often a great tool I use when it comes down to writing a little article for all to read. When I first arrived in Uganda I had the pleasure meeting our Ugandan resource person. Of coarse at first, thinking that this man named Yasin was just simply going to be a supervisor of ours. Fast forward a month, Yasin has become much more then a simple resource person, he has become my friend, my mentor a brother I never had (I have 4 sisters leaving me the only guy aside from my father in my house back in Canada). Few times a week he likes to pop by our guest-house, check up on us, how’s work, anything troubling you these days? Little stuff like that is enough to comfort me and make me forget about how far and how much I miss my home halfway across the world.

As for other things among my new temporary life here in Uganda, I absolutely love it! Now why a lot of people like to ask me? Jinja the last few weeks has felt like home to me. I’ve been to Kampala and Mosaka when I first rolled into Africa. Kampala is the capital of Uganda, and you might guess that it is a busy city? Well quite simply yes, thousands of people everywhere at all times, traffic is absolute anarchy. Mosaka on the other hand is quite the opposite, small little town, not to much there other then a few restaurants and many, many little corner stores. Jinja is quite literally the best of both worlds (No I just didn’t quote Hannah Montana’s theme song). Jinja is the second largest city center next to Kampala, and largest tourist destination in Uganda. I imagine everyone is eager to hear about the local people, and I will get to that soon. But because Jinja is the largest tourist destination, and because of that there are a lot of Mazuunga’s here. Hold on, “Mazuunga”? A Mazuunga is a term that ALL Ugandans use to refer to a foreigner and at first I thought it had meant white man and believe me I didn’t like it until I found out its true meaning. As I was saying that Jinja is the largest tourist destination there is so much to do here for everyone. All the restaurants, activities and local destinations, there is a lot to explore here.

The people here are never as I imagined it back home. When I’m engaged in conversation with a random local, I get asked 3 questions. “How are you?” “How is life?” and “Do you like Uganda?”. I will tend to give the same 3 answers most of the time. All the time I would definitely say that I always see a local smiling, and if they’re not smiling, they’re sleeping. I’ve come to be-friend a local guy named Peter, maybe in his early 20’s who makes “Rolex’s” for a living. Now before the thought pops in your minds that why would a third world country man be selling Rolex’s on the street? Because it’s not the cheap watch you buy at Wal Mart. A Rolex is a chipat’e (kind of like a tortilla wrap made from simple dough) and some eggs mixed with a variety of veggies. I like my rolex to have carrots, green peppers, onion, cabbage and tomatoes with a pinch of salt. The vendor then cracks the eggs in a cup, mix the veggies, beat with a fork and pour the contents on a iron cast plate with a convex shape. Sounds easy, but I remember my first omelette I made some years ago and eventually turned into scrambled eggs. But after pouring the egg mix, they flip it, cook it some more and then take it off putting it on top of the chipat’e then rolling it up hence the name “Rolex”. Quite delicious satisfying and cheap, around 1500 to 2000 schillings(which is roughly 80 to 90 cents Canadian).

Lately I’ve felt a sense of comfort here, and I have thought about it many times that I would later return here to Jinja in the not too distant future. There is so much to do and explore here that it gives me lots of opportunities to do in my spare time. My favorite activity to do is to go to a café, sip on a cola and read the paper catch up on current events. Normally back home I’d be sipping on a relaxing cup of the finest coffee. I refuse to drink the coffee here because the first cup I tried, I was given a cup of hot water, and fast dissolving coffee powder. Thanks to my father’s fine grind he likes to buy back home, my coffee standards are rather high, so I will pass on a cup of Joe until my return home. Due to the number amount of tourist restaurants here, I have a wealth of choice of where I would like to get some fine chow. So far my favorite place for breakfast/lunch is either the café “Flavors” or “Ozzies”, excellent burgers and sandwiches. As for dinner, slam dunk I like the Chinese restaurant “Ling Lings”. Some of the finest food I have tried here. Funny because it isn’t local food, that doesn’t go for say that I do like local food, it just rather gets repetitive at times.

First few weeks I was here there were a couple of demonstrations put on by the local people here, both violent ones. Don’t worry folks I’m safe and my guest house is more of a fortress then anything. As much as I would love to witness such an event I do half to put my personal safety first and the last thing I want is to be is locked up. Always I’m avoiding such activities that might get me, and to quote my hero Che Guevara in any “bureaucratic nightmares”. I guess some would say I am a little adventuress to some extent. I’m definitely missing a lot here but no concern, explaining everything is more of a process then anything. Lots more to come on my journey in Uganda.

Living at home is pretty basic. I have a bed, kitchen, bathroom. House also has a dining room and living room. I’m more happy then anything that the guest house I’m staying in does not have a TV, I can watch all the t.v. I want when ever I want back home, but I can’t explore Jinja when ever I want. The only real program I watch on tv here is if there’s a English soccer game, or “Football” on. Since soccer is in my blood, I take the time here and there to watch a game at a café or restaurant if I am there during the time it is on. But soccer here is very big, not many people I run into who don’t watch the sport. Speaking of the subject, when I was in Isalo village, a rural village in eastern Uganda, I had the opportunity to watch the local boys play a game of soccer, and let me tell you that these guys were the most phenomenal players I have ever seen play in my 12 years I played the sport. They were playing on nothing more then a field that was mostly dead grass, rocks and holes while playing barefoot, but they looked like they were having the time of their lives. These rural kids, had the greatest ball handling skills, shooting capabilities, and their defense was nothing short of solid. This goes to show that even something as small and fun as soccer, can make a persons day really happy and joyful to them.

Everyone knows that they’ve found a place for them when that place makes them feel at home, and I’m so grateful that I have been given this opportunity to do work here. Hats off to everyone who gave me support that I needed to get to where I am today, couldn’t have done it without all of you! But what I have found the funniest to myself is how I blow peoples minds away when they find out I’m only 19, people always have a laugh, then ask me again, which I give the same reply. I don’t get it, do I look older? Act older? What ever the reason is it might be a good thing. Time for lunch, not to sure what I can get my hands on at the moment, I got a feeling it might be more coconut cookies and water, yumm, no shortage of those around here. So, carry on with your day, thanks for reading!

PS- Any questions, feel free to leave a comment or question, I’d love to do a question and answer for anybody that is curious about Uganda. See you till next time.

Peace

Kony 2012- A Development Workers Thoughts

Before I get to my amazing journey here in Jinja, I really need to clear my head about the atrocities of this Kony 2012 that has besieged the world from Jason Russel, a man who used to somewhat be respected for his Invisible Children campaign some years ago. But with his new viral video that indeed got viral, was a success, and a failure, both big ones. To keep it short and simple, the basic point of Russels “Documentary” is conformist, and it is almost disgusting to think that Russel could fool every man, women and collage student (who I think he was aiming at in this video) into thinking that this is the way to help a developing country, by westernizing it! Fight violence with violence? Dismiss the complicated steps and social revise and make an ideology mass suited with having potentially millions of people well un-aware of the consequences raise their fist in support?

Being a former social justice student and TA, I’m well enlightened with the fact this video should clearly be subtitled, "How not to change to world”, and with a description and disclaimer citing that all this is simply mass propaganda, id like to see who would follow the fight in this campaign. Having an abhorrent feeling watching the first ten minutes of Russels video, take away the first 8 minutes in the beginning and what do you got? Something your surely to dislike and really question that this is, and maybe the absolute wrong way to approach and help those who really need help. Watching this video while I am here Uganda, I literally slapped my laptop closed and went for a walk into Jinja town when Russel states that this video isn’t for him or Jacob, its For Us!? Are you joking? April 1^st isn’t for a month, and even if, why not even mention that the Kony 2012 campaign is for the invisible children? Very ironic and gross, and actually gets me worked up about it.

Westernizing an African campaign shows that Russel uses propaganda in the western world by Americanizing something to get the attention of the lazy patriotic American government.

But back to the first 8 minutes of the film. Gavin, or Gabin, don’t even remember the poor kids name (Russles son), but you don’t raise your son telling him and the world that he was raised in a complicated and an annihilate world. My father raised me to be my own man, to be myself, and live my life no matter what this world throws at my face, I was raised no fool, and this Kony 2012 does not fool me at all. But I could see in the beginning of the clip that it tries to make one emotional, all the happy and sad clips, and then getting to his point was a wrong way to make an approach on such a serious matter that really does terrorize the lives of many people that the LRA have affected here in Uganda. But somebody with a lack of inspiration and lots of money, it doesn’t surprise me that this has become the outcome.

Lastly, though this may sound like a revolting post, remember that it is just my thoughts on such a matter that has impacted this world in such a quick amount time and that a lot of people have really not giving it a thought on what could have been a better way. This could have been the verge of something that really had true potential. This post is a little long, so everybody expect a post on the time of my life here in Uganda in the coming days!

PS, nice fancy camera and CGI shots Jason, how much did that cost and where’d the money come from? Where could have it gone? Hypocrisy at its embarrassingly best.

Peace till next time.

My apologies for not using this blog since my internship started over a month ago. So how are things since I came to Victoria? To quote my friend Ashley, it has all been life changing, so many workshops and sessions from jan.15 to present day. It has all paid off so well, and Videa did a fantastic job on ensuring our knowledge about our destination that was soon to come. Being in Africa, i expected that I would be shocked, surprised and maybe a little scared. Since being here, it seems to be a process to myself to fully understand that I am here, I will be living like some locals. I have been here in Jinja town for over a week now, and it is a comfortable town to settle in for, for my four month internship. It is quite nice here, but it is also difficult at times. My stipend is comfortable one to live on, but seeing some of the local people hungry and sometimes asking for money is a hard thing to ignore. But it's my work here at WomenFirst Uganda, that maybe the start of new development amongst the many other organisations here. It is those little things in life that can really start a ripple effect for a wealth of new good things to come. Many more updates to come on this Journey.

See you Soon

hey