Blog Update!

Here is another large post for you all to read. It takes much less time for me to put several entries in one blog post rather than posted them all separate. Also, check out the original post of pictures we did because we added some pictures to the original picture post with captions this time….

I’ve just finished my second full day of creating and editing documents for MACRO. Travis has gone to the islands with 16 MACRO members to talk about HIV/AIDS, hand out supplies, and be with the islanders for 4 days. I am staying in Mukono to work on many internal and external documents that MACRO needs to move forward and grow successfully.
A small part of me wanted to go with the group. Initially I was to go with Travis to another island for 3 days and then he was to go to more islands for 5-6 days. I decided to only go the first journey because the total time of the visits would have taken me away from Tiffany for almost half our trip here. Our help is always needed in so many places here, and we love serving, but I know that when I look back on this trip, I want there to be many shared experiences and memories for Tiff and I. Long story short, the trips were changed and this one trip was picked for Travis to go to with his members. I opted out because of the reasons above and because my time spent on the documents will help MACRO more than if I were to go. After Travis gets back on Thursday I will only have 3-4 days of time left so the more time I have for these documents, the better!
Speaking of 3-4 days, time sure has seemed to speed up around here. Compared to our first week feeling like a whole month, now the time when we leave seems to be approaching quickly. We have some plans for our last weekend and last few days before we leave. Otherwise, we’ll just be spending time in Mukono each night with Esther and the girls until we leave.

Digesting
~This next bit is some reflection on African culture as we’ve experienced it so far. I want to ask that if you don’t have time to read the whole thing, just wait to read it until you do have time for it. Also, I want to stress that the reflections below are based on our limited African experience in Uganda, specifically the Mukono District. Any generalizations or assumptions about African people are based solely on our experience and we would never apply them to all African people in the world. We do not mean to offend anyone; our reflections and feeling only show what our experience has been like here and should be taken in that context.~

Over the last week we have spent more time in Kampala (the capital city) as well as a small village and a town called Jinja. Jinja is at the source of the Nile River and almost feels like a small town in the Midwest of the U.S. There are nice houses and cleaner streets than we are used to, and it is very quiet. After taking in the sights and sounds of each city, we have had mixed feelings and responses to the problems and poverty in Uganda. I think we feel confused, angry, frustrated, and somewhat helpless. Here’s some insight: Kampala has started to remind us a lot of a very familiar developed city: Seattle. What I mean by that is that Kampala is a thriving city with all the normal characteristics a city has. There are nice tall buildings that lots of people work in. There is also a nice mall with cinemas, a food court, and nice shops. There is some order to the traffic and streets and there are sewers and waste management. We’ve also noticed that there are some very rich people in Kampala that drive nice cars, shop at the nice mall and golf at the golf course in town. What we also see are homeless people on the streets that are begging for money. We see other people that are just making it by selling newspapers or other goods in markets.
If you hop on a packed taxi and go 5 minutes out of town, things are very different. Much like the standard of living may be lower in suburbs of Seattle like the Rainier Valley (a stretch for an example), the suburbs (villages) of Kampala need help to. The difference however is that the problems here are so much more serious: poverty, HIV/AIDS, kids that can’t go to school because they don’t have school fees; really bad schools; easily preventable diseases, and much more.
Our confusion, anger, frustration, and helplessness comes out of the fact that the government here doesn’t seem to work for the greater good. The money that comes from things like the G8 meetings usually doesn’t make an impact to these villages outside the city because of corruption in the government or poor planning when using the funds. Just the other day I read in the local paper that the Member’s of Parliament (MP’s) voted to give themselves a raise and better pension despite the fact that they still hadn’t voted on a raise in salary for the teachers that they have been talking about for much longer. Then to top it off, the head of education called the bank the next week and put a stop on all of the teacher’s checks because the department was having some “financial troubles.” All the teachers that tried to cash their checks were told that the checks were no good.
I think the main reason it is hard to comprehend the problems over here is because of the seriousness of them. I know that in America, we have teachers that are underpaid and schools that aren’t up to par. The same problems exist here, but just on a larger and deeper scale. I feel like if Uganda was serious about being a developing country and moving forward, the government would do a better job with funds they receive and work harder to reach out and build the smaller villages.

At the same time of us feeling this way, Tiffany and I were in a village the other day with Travis talking about HIV/AIDS and basic hygiene when an issue over men’s and women’s roles came up that we’ve heard before. In Africa the popular way (or African Tradition if you will) is that the women most of the time do pretty much everything. Getting water, taking care of the kids, feeding everyone, keeping the house running, the list goes on and on. The role of the man is to go out and earn money for the family. (In the deep villages the men also pride themselves with multiple wives and many many kids.) This setup of men’s and women’s roles may sound like it would work but based on our experience the men in these relationships are often unfaithful and lazy. If I were to look out the front windows of our apt here at any given time of the day, I will generally see a handful of men sitting around doing nothing, while the women are all at home cleaning, cooking, and watching over the kids. Also, if I walk down the main street in Mukono past many of the small shops, generally women are the ones that are running the business. Working with Travis, I have met many men of great integrity who are hard workers and care about seeing the community grow and develop. Too often though I feel like the majority of men, if working are doing an easy job like driving a taxi or motorcycle while the women are doing the majority of the hard work that keeps families healthy and the community growing. In the small villages the men do work very hard on their farms to provide, but they often have too many children to support then their crops will provide.

I feel like for Africa to make the leap from a developing country it doesn’t need money, but it needs men and women that have integrity and will use the resources that Africa has to build it up and not take it down through greed, corruption, and laziness.

Wow, that was a mouthful and has probably left you feeling a little sad and negative about Africa. Let me finish this entry with this however: The people in Uganda are beautiful, wonderful, and full of heart. We have never met a nicer community of people than those in the Mukono district. We have not lost any hope in Africa even after the above reflections; rather we now understand better what Africa needs and how we and others are called to help. Africa is beautiful and its people are too. Our prayer is that one day the spectrum of people from rich politicians all the way down to the poor village farmer will make poverty, HIV/AIDS, and other harsh ways of life a thing of the past. We pray that people like us from all over the world would continue to come to Africa to learn about it and share knowledge and experiences that will help it develop and that as nations send money and aid that they make sure they follow up on how the aid is being used. There is so much beauty in Africa despite the troubling things we see, and we hope you can see that beauty also.

Thank you for taking the time to read this long entry, I hope it gave you a better understanding of the problems in Uganda (and other countries in Africa) and reminded you that despite the problems it still is a place of beautiful and precious people. If you have any questions or comments, do please post them.

Chris

Murchison Falls expedition
Chris and I decided to take a three day trip with Red Chilli Hideaway to a serene location in west Uganda, Murchison Falls. It was one of the best valued trips we could find that included a variety of adventures. Let me start with the Sunday (July 10th) before. Chris and I headed to Kampala to check the city out a little more. We had a day of Western food, which is a nice change to the (also great!) local food. But the thing with all of the posho, matooke, potatoes, and rice is that they are all carbohydrates and just fill you up, and start to taste the same. I will miss Esther’s cooking though. Anyways, we went to Kampala and had coffee (good coffee!!!) at Café Pap, which looks like it is straight from the top of Queen Anne or something, not quite hip enough for Capitol Hill. There is even wireless internet and. . . western toilets and running water!!! After we had coffee and muffins we went to visit Kampala Pentecostal Church, a thriving place of worship in the heart of the city. There are four Sunday services along with over one thousand weekly home groups (Cell groups). We waited outside with hundreds of people to get into the large building. When we were inside we felt at home. The singing and presentation was spectacular. A large mural of a waterfall covered the main wall, which was complete with a projector screen for notes and announcements. All of the choir was in traditional African garb, but they were singing songs we were familiar with (Matt Redman would be proud). There were maybe about ten white people there in all, out of over a thousand at one service, this includes the pastor and his wife. They are from America, and at a young age the pastor’s family went to Kenya to pastor a church. The pastor of this church had been so for the whole 21 years that it has existed, and it seems to be working extremely well. At first we had to get over the fact that we came to a church in Africa just to hear an American speak, but God spoke through him. Also, most of you know that we had been attending a small church at home, and we missed the larger corporate gatherings: we were refreshed.
Okay, so after leaving KPC we found our way to the markets and then to Mama Mia’s Pizzeria. I have been craving cheese since I have been here. I love cheese, so it has been difficult without my daily intake. Chris is feeling this way with ice cream. This pizza was great! It wasn’t Pagliacci’s or Zeeks, but it was our first taste of cheese in awhile, so it was fabulous. At this point Chris and I were overwhelmed by the day of “luxury” we were having, when just earlier we were in the village living much differently. (Chris has written some reflection on this which is heartfelt and insightful.)
So, then we decided to take a mutatu (taxi) to the Red Chilli hostel where we would stay the night before we head off to the falls. We got off on the wrong exit and the boda boda drivers did not know where to go. So we had a twenty minute long boda boda ride around the outskirts of Kampala, in which I was freaking out the whole time. Chris and I took separate bodas since we had our luggage for the trip, and I was convinced that they were going to either split us up or leave us somewhere and take our stuff. On the contrary, they stopped and asked for directions, drove safely, and were very nice. When we arrived at Red Chilli we felt like we were somewhere else. It is a hostel that attracts long-term travelers, peace corps members, and basically, white folk. We actually watched the news coverage on the London bombings and had hot showers. We met several people from the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
The next morning we left on our 6 hour van ride to the other side of Uganda. It was fun. In our group of 8 was a couple from Australia, a couple originally from New Zealand that have been living in London for the past 5 years, and two girls from Israel (they have some incredible stories). All of the other people were traveling through several African countries and hitting all the National Parks and main events. Needless to say, our experience in Africa is much different than theirs. It was good to share perspectives and stories.
We arrived at the Falls and took a short hike up to the top of where the Nile streams down into Lake Albert. We were able to get up close and even misted by the mighty river. After this we went to the campsite, took showers, and ate dinner. The next morning at 6:45 am we left for our safari or game drive. There we saw antelopes, giraffes, spotted hyenas, African buffalo, gorgeous birds, and my personal favorite—elephants! We saw a herd of about thirty of them going down to the water from a distance. After the drive we went on a boat ride to the Falls. There we saw many hippos and crocodiles, and some of the elephant stragglers at the water still. There is nothing like seeing these animals in their natural habitat (not the Woodland Park Zoo). It is glorious to see the grace of the giraffes running, the harmony of the hippos moving, and the enormity of the elephants. We feel privileged to have had this experience. And that wasn’t it. The next morning we took a trek in a forest reserve to see chimpanzees! They were playing up in the trees. Chris almost got peed on, and they kept throwing the passion fruits down from the trees. They are fabulous. At once they will all make these loud noises and bang on the trees as a competition between the males. At times we feared that a chimp would just jump down on us from above. Overall, our trip to Murchison Falls was spectacular.

My days at school
Nalusse Primary School is such a joy to be part of this month. I am treated so kindly by the teachers, headmistress, and director. Josephine, the director of the school, is constantly bringing me avocados from her tree at home and mangoes from the market. She’ll bring them in to the classroom and cut them up for me at lunch. She also buys me Cokes once in awhile and different snacks for break, like chapati (a greasy flat bread}, samosa (fried dough with peas or meat inside), or something else that is fried but I don’t know how to spell. (I’m not exactly losing weight on the trip.) I take turns in paying for the snacks too, which they are so thankful for and surprised by. Josephine has invited me to her home before I go, but has warned me thoroughly that it will not be as nice of conditions as I am used to. I reassure her that I will love visiting her home. It is difficult to listen to the way America is put up on such a pedestal in the eyes of Ugandans. When I complimented Teacher Ndagire Mary on her shoes (which were very nice, but dusty, like everything else here) she insisted that my flip-flops were much nicer than her business shoes. Many of the people have the idea that everything we have is just so much better, that life is so much better. I will agree with them that some things are better, like health care and some living conditions. But I always mention the rich community here that takes care of one another.
Teacher Mary’s son Davis is getting used to me as the first white person he has ever seen. He sits on my lap now and touches my hands and face, and pees on me once in awhile. =) The students are a complete joy. They are so obedient and helpful! The children are constantly doing chores and helping the teachers. I brought in a map of the world today. No one could point out Africa, or Uganda though. By the end of class they could. I taught them that they were part of three countries that make up East Africa (Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania); what countries surround Uganda; that they have one of the biggest lakes in the world; and that the Nile River begins in Uganda and goes up through Sudan and Egypt to the Mediterranean. They also learned why we wash clothes and what we use to wash clothes, and that where Teacher Acker is from they use machines, not hands. (more on this later)
Teacher Ndagire Mary has become a good friend of mine. She is twenty eight years old and has two children, as well as a girl who is 14 that she calls her daughter and lives with her. Her husband is an engineer and works a couple hours away. He comes home at the end of the month to see them; I met him today. This is fairly normal for a husband and wife to live this way. Thankfully, Mary has her own PO Box in Kampala, so we can correspond. Most people here do not have access to mail. The girl who she calls daughter, Damalie, will be pen pals with Teghan. When I get home I will be sending pencil sharpeners (since they use dull razor blades), new pencils, rulers, and maps. Teacher Mary is also in awe of my Bible with my name engraved on the front, so I would like to get her name engraved on a Bible and send it to her.
I just met a few more students this week, because students can not come to school if they can’t pay their school fees. It is so hard to know this. It is not a lot of American money, but here it is so much. I wish I could sponsor all of these kids. For now, I am supporting some of their parents’ shops and just loving them. At least they are all in the same boat, I guess. (If anyone is interested in sponsoring a child, I know many that would be grateful for this. School fees start at about 75,000 shillings a year, which is about $45. For more info just email me: foremt@spu.edu). I am hoping to keep Nalusse Success Primary School as a contact school for my future students. I see future pen pals and educational experiences.

Washing clothes, etc.
Yesterday I was washing our underwear and Nantale and Nakalema walked into the wash room. They started laughing at my “technique” or lack thereof. I was holding my hands the wrong way. It was amazing to see such young girls just start washing without hesitation, so rigorously and rapidly. They knew what they were doing! They rinsed them and rung them out for me, and loved helping. This is such a treasure here: the children are helpful and disciplined. Every night after dinner the two girls help Esther bring everything into the kitchen and clean up the table. It is bizarre and wonderful to see such willful obedience from children of a young age.

African name/Western name
You will notice that each person we have met has an African name and a non-African name: Nantale Caroline, Nakalema Christine, Ndagire Mary, etc. The first name is chosen depending on the clan that you are part of. There are many different clans tat you can be born into, all named after animals. Esther is part of the Antelope Clan. Each clan has a set of African names that people our named, then a western name is chosen. I was trying to learn the African names of my students, and have not been very successful since Teacher Mary calls them, most of the time, by their other name. The tradition is that each volunteer leaves here with an African name given to them, so we’ll let you know soon what ours is.

Please pray for Esther. She is sick again with Malaria. She just had it before we came a month ago, and now has it again. Malaria is common here, but very serious. Most people will go to the clinic and get a series of injections, which Esther did. But they must not be too effective since it is already back in her system (Jason would probably know more about this). She instead is taking a series of pills for five days in the evening. But her work requires full strength and health.
I was just in saying goodnight to Esther and talking about the mat that she is finishing up. She has been working on it for quite some time in her spare time, and it is a full area rug, probably about 8 x 5 feet. I asked her how much she will sell it for; she said 5000 shillings is a good price. You guys, this is less than three dollars US. It is so amazing to me that something that takes so much time and effort is worth so little. In village life though, 5000 is no small amount. I told you already that Esther makes 50,000 shillings a month.

Please pray for Travis’s trip to the islands with MACRO. Pray for safety, open hearts and minds, and God’s will to be done. May God’s vision for these people be clear to those that want to help where they see needed.

Please pray for Nantale and Nakalema’s mom. She has a sore on her foot that causes her whole leg pain. Because of this it is taking her longer to cook and work. I noticed today at school that Nakalema did not have lunch, and she said her mom wasn’t feeling well. I know that the girls are very hungry at night; their mom does not make much selling mats here in Mukono. Thankfully, the girls’ schooling is being sponsored by some past volunteers. And they eat dinner here every night. I have been giving them food or money for food at school. These girls are so precious to us. I am tearing up at the thought of leaving them. And just recently Nantale has started calling me “my Tiffany” and “mama Tiffany.” It is adorable. She would have so much fun with Delaney (my niece).

Please pray for us. We have just 10 days left in Africa. It has not gone by too quickly; it feels as though we have been here longer than a month. Each day is filled with so many rich experiences and people that it is overwhelming. We are both feeling ready to come home though. To be physically clean and comfortable, and be able to eat balanced meals with raw vegetables. And I’ll admit sometimes I lay in bed at night thinking about nachos and a diet coke. But we will miss the relationships that have been developing and the community here. Africa will always hold a special place in our heart and in our prayers.