So much as happened in the few days since I last wrote.
2 Major Events - I went rafting on the Nile River last weekend and I have traveled North to Lira to work with the Children of Hope Uganda.
Rafting was amazing - there is no other word to describe it. I went with Lior and two other Israeli (Brit Olam) volunteers who have been working in Kampala. The first day was lazy and relaxing. We arrived at Adrift lodge and went to town for a bit. We ate an American style lunch and visited the craft shops. It was very touristy, but pleasent. Two out of every three Muzungu (white person) that we saw had a little African baby which was strange at first and then became part of the atmosphere. I think there may be a large orphanage/adoption agency close by. I was thinking about connecting Esther and her Income Generating Craft Projects to some of the shops there. It seems like a good market where she might be able to sell for a decent African price and avoid the shipping charges to the US and Canada for some products.
When we returned to the lodge we hung around the bar/restaurant that was an open wooden patio build off the side of a cliff that dropped into the Nile. It was a beautiful view. I just sat there forever remembering my 3rd grade class learning about the river and not being able to internalize the fact I was standing right above it. Also, I have been chasing monkeys at the school the whole time I have been in Uganda so I could take some photos and they were everywhere. I got some good shots early the next morning. The people who were around Adrift were an interesting international mix. There was a middle age guy from California with en expensive digital Canon who told me he only took up photography for this trip to Uganda and said he didn't like water sports. I saw some of his photos later. I was amused by the theory of traveling to Uganda for pleasure and just picking up photography as a hobby with $3,000 of brand new equipment. To each their own.
We ate there at the bar and my three compodres retired early. I drifted back to the bar because I was restless. I met a very interesting young woman who was from the Netherlands, was raised in a communist family until she was in her teens and currently lives in Kampala. I liked her - white girl/black dreads, liberal with an African go with the flow mentality. There was a man she knew who was an engineer, but is also interested in working with the government in controlling emissions - something desperately needed. I also met some of the rafting guides. Bob was from northern Cali and Geofrey was Kampala born and raised. They showed the video of that days rafting trip. It had great editing for a one day production and pumped me up for the Sunday adventure. The video guy was a light skinned blonde guy with a surfer walk from Zimbabwe. I tried the incredibly popular Zappa candy colored licorice flavored liquor and headed to bed after things both died down and some people started losing their ability to stand up.
I woke up to the sound of monkeys scampering across the dorm roof and couldn't fall back asleep due to excitement. It was great 10 rapids. A few 3s, but mostly 4s nad 5s. Of 10 we flipped 7 and I fell out 8 times. The first one was scary because we really didn't know what was happening, but Geofrey was a great guide and took care of all of us. I went in a separate raft than the people I came with because I wanted it to be crazy and I promised Geofrey I would be in his raft the previous night. I had a helmet and life vest that may have been designed for some one a bit larger than me. It all floated up and tilted down and I felt like a turtle that couldn't escape my shell. Surprisingly I never felt that adrenaline build up in the pit of my stomach that I expected as we approached rapid areas and heard the rush of the water. I was at peace with the power of it all. It was almost calming to me to know that river could have taken us all out with out a second thought - it was a balance to the poverty, suffering and pollution we see all around us. That ability to reclaim and heal. There was alot of downtime too for swimming and lounging. "Enjoy the Nile" and "Very Sweet" as our guide kept repeating. I could do that forever and be a happy woman.
We headed back to Kampala after some well deserved Nile Beers and Lior and I had another "Lauren's last day Chinese dinner" because I was still there and you can't plan anything in Uganda.
Esther and her husband Solomon met me in Namulanda on Monday evening and we shared a meal with Zeevic and Lior at a restaurant attached to the internet cafe. As Solomon accurately stated - menus in Uganda are just for decoration. They had a 7 page menu and about 3 things they were serving. Zeevic was really interested in Income Generating Projects and crafts that the Children of Hope are working in and maybe expanding projects with them. He might come visit us in Lira in the next few weeks. He also talked about his experience with AIDs care with Solomon who is currently working and going to school for Environmental Health. It was a nice night that ended with pineapple.
The treck to Lira was long and sweaty, but not as bad as I had anticipated due to the paved road that goes north that was not here on my last visit. 8 Hours it took from Mbale to Lira in 2007 - now twice the distance Kampala - Lira took about 5 1/2. The day started with a 2 1/2 ride (should have been 30 minutes) to Kampala which unloaded every one (including Solomon) except Estehr and myself and then continued to drive. An hour later we found him wondering with a dead cell phone. We finally made it to Lira around 6 where I checked into an expensive hotel where I will stay until Esther's house is more complete - hopefully I will move in with her and her family tonight. Each room has it's own bathroom and tv (although it only gets 1 1/2 stations I watched 20 minutes of a bootleg version of Wall E on their local channel this morning as I waited for Esther). It will be an extreme change as Esther and Solomon don't have electricity or running water in the house. Solomon is very concerned that I will not adapt well, but after visiting the house "in the village" last night I think it will be just fine.
There were chickens and turkeys set to be donated to caregivers as IGP on Saturday mulling around, I played soccer with Calvin (their 6 year old son), neighbor kids were over and people were around cooking and cleaning the pile of multicolored plastic dishware behind the house. It will be nice to be in a home, learn how they cook, learn some language and hang out with the kids.
Yesterday I visited one of the schools where 12 COH students attended. Some were former child soldiers, most were from Barylonyo (an Internally Displaced Person Camp that I visited 2 years ago that sustained one of the most horrific massacres in the LRA conflict). I interviewed some, but they were shy, quiet, stone faced, and having just recently entered the program not comfortable with English. I took some photos, but will do more work with them this weekend when I bring paper, colored pencils and watercolors for them to create one drawing/painting/writing that expresses their life before they were sponsored with the COH and what it like now. I want to do this with as many of the beneficiaries as possible and display them when I get home.
I was informed that on Saturday there will be a big event where some of the caregivers will get their IGP animal - pig, chicken, or turkey. I get to hand them over because some of the donation money I sent from Amnesty International at Case and from the sale of my photographs has paid for the animals. How ironic the vegan buying pigs to give for pork. It's no factory farm though and the statistics have showed good return with the farming initiative.
The IGP have only begun in the past year, but the hope is to be sustainable enough for the families to not need outside funding for food and school fees so that new children can be admitted to the program. I have been thinking of new products they can make to sell. Combining the paper mache that Zeevic does, the tourist/international market and the rolled paper bead making I have been thinking about photo frames made from discarded cardboard, covered in paper mache and painted with some of the paper beads stitched on for decoration (something mostly flat and light to ship overseas and also pencil holders made from used plastic bottles, covered in paper mache and painted with the paper beads stitched around the top for decoration. Those can be shipped with necklaces in them to avoid unused space in shipping. These are things that I have not seen in the craft stores here and think they might prove to be good tourist gifts as well as something that could be sold abroad.
As I am learning more of what is going on here, I am reevaluating what I can do in 6 weeks that will best serve the program. I am excited to be here and feel more like I am in Uganda. These 10 weeks seem to have been split up well between projects and I feel that I have a holistic trip incorporating as many aspects of life here as I can.
Until I write again-
peace,
Lauren
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