And for Christmas, I got a Urinary Tract Infection... (Sunday, Dec 28)

So, I had a real multi-cultural Christmas lined up, before Father Christmas showed up with his own agenda that is. The plan was to spend most of the day at the orphanage with the kids. They’d bought five chickens, the full array of the Ugandan staple foods, and a ton of sodas. I’ve been wanting to see how they prepare a chicken from being live and walking around at breakfast time, to dead on my plate for lunch. It was going to just be a day to let the kids loose a little bit, and it promised to be a fun day. Then in the evening, I’d been invited to a Christmas party at the Uganda Pioneer’s Association, an organization that coordinates volunteers from other countries working in the Kampala area. The most represented nation at UPA is, ... any guesses? ... Japan! Haha, yep, seems like they’re everywhere here, about half of the UPA’s volunteers are Japanese and there are another couple more working the area that aren’t with UPA. Others I’ve met have come from Korea, Ireland, and Germany. So yea, it was looking like the most culturally diverse Christmas I’d ever celebrated.

But on Tuesday afternoon, I got my first bad headache; figuring that it was just from dehydration or sunstroke or something, I popped a couple of Ibuprofen, and all was good. Wednesday, I got another headache, but worse; I figured the same as the day before, and just popped a couple more Ibuprofen. Christmas eve, I couldn’t sleep, ran a fever of one-oh-two, had a headache that was worse than ever, woke up several times in cold sweats, and basically, felt like I was dying. I lay in bed most of the morning, popping more Ibuprofens (doctors encourage this in the military, actually), naively thinking that I could sleep away (or at least wait out, because I hurt too much to sleep) the ill feelings. Well, Christmas afternoon rolls around, and I’m tired and exhausted of feeling like I’m gonna die, and of just, well, feeling tired and exhausted. Julia, another volunteer who doesn’t stay at the orphanage, looks up my symptoms and concludes that I’ve probably got the M-word (yup, malaria), and that I should probably go to see a doc.

Fast forward 30 min and I’ve dragged myself out of bed and been assigned two guardians, whose ages added up are barely more than mine alone. Destination: International Health Services, one of two health centres that tourist books recommend for foreigners to get medical treatment. The sign on the IHS door states that they are open 7 days a week, 362 days a year; unfortunately, Christmas wasn’t one of those days. Fast forward another 30 min as we’re just pulling into International Hospital Kampala, two teenage boys, with their disorientated, frail, pale-faced Chinese friend (yours truly) in tow. I get seen by a doctor without much of a wait, not before I manage to puke in the sink of the reception room of course. He confirms that I have the symptoms of malaria and that they’d need to carry through with blood and urine tests. Oh, he says, and your temperature is too high so we’ll give you a shot to lower it. Now, I’d received a ton of shots in my life prior to this point, however, never had any of them been injected via the bum. Well, I can scratch that one off the ‘try everything once’ list, and you can bet that I’ll avoid that one again if I can help it. So there I was, a terrible pounding headache, high fever, not far removed from a memorable puking demonstration in front of a sizable audience, and to add insult to injury, my butt was sore as well. Forward again to an hour later. Results are back, I don’t have malaria (phew!), but I do have a urinary tract infection. I’m not even really sure what that is, but all I really needed to hear was that a few anti-biotic pills and a couple of days and I’d be up and running again. Oh, and the shot to the butt did kick in after a bit and it did make me feel a lot better. And after spending Boxing Day sick in bed and feeling worse than ever, I started getting better and was back on my feet, for most of the day anyway, on Saturday.

Bottom line, it was an interesting Christmas, not quite what I had anticipated to happen, but oh well, at least I don’t have malaria, right?

And to those of you who may be worried, malaria isn’t actually as bad as I think we, from western countries, make it out to be. It’s actually quite common for Ugandans to come down with malaria, rest for a day or two, and then be right back at it again. Me and the other ACTS interns have concluded that African malaria to them must be equivalent to the Western flu to us. The scarier thought is that most common type of malaria that foreigners catch is celebral malaria, where it goes straight to the brain. AND, ok, I’m gonna stop now... =)

Christmas, African Style. (Saturday, Dec 27)

So the Sunday before Christmas, I went to KPC (http://kpcministries.org/) for church. It's the largest church in Uganda, with a combined congregation of over 20,000 (I don’t remember where exactly I heard this from though) and has services that are quite western styled, not a huge surprise given that the senior pastor and his wife are Canadians. If any of you have heard of the Watoto Children’s Choir (I hadn’t heard of them before, but what do I know? Apparently, they’re quite well-known and I think they make annual trips to the Canada, the US, and Europe), the choir is one of KPC’s many ministries. It also seems like all the expats in the Kampala area congregate there for service; in fact, KPC is probably the highest concentration of expats that I’ve seen anywhere in the country thus far!

Anyway, as you can see from the picture, KPC puts on quite a Christmas production. It’s a inspiring presentation, utilizing the several hundred strong KPC choir, the angelic Watoto Children’s Choir, an awesome acappella group, some gutsy break dancers, lots of ballerina dancers (I haven’t yet learned to appreciate them as much as the others), and a really, really good live band. So here I was, sitting in a church in East Africa, and it’s like Christmas came and hit me in the face. You see, I’d just gotten off for Christmas break a few days earlier and, outside of Kampala, there really isn’t much sign of Christmas to be found. I followed up the presentation by rushing back to Another Hope to help prepare for their Christmas Party, the largest event of the year for the kids. In the end, it was one of the best days that I’ve had in Uganda thus far, and (or maybe because) I got a pretty big dose of Christmas all at once to make up for the lack of Christmas that I’d had up to that point.

Oh yea, and me and the volunteers got to bring the older kids to see the KPC Christmas presentation which was pretty cool for them because I don’t think they’d ever seen a performance of that magnitude before, and pretty cool for us volunteers to watch the expressions of joy on the kids faces, just priceless.

Yona's a Real Man (Saturday, Dec 13)

*This one’s really old, I know; for some reason, it never got posted. I also need to find a pic of him that I can post with this blog...

So as we were trekking up yet another mountain last week, it suddenly dawned on me that Yona is a real man, in both the world’s, and more importantly, God’s, eyes. And, due to a lack of motivation to write in proper paragraph format at the moment, here are ten reasons why, in point form:

1. He drives a motorcycle. Who would argue that that isn’t manly?

2. He’s kind of big. While not necessarily a desirable trait in Canada, many places in the world (Ugandan included) still regard this as an indication of affluence.

3. He has eight children (just one wife, don’t worry). Again, not necessarily a goal that many aim to achieve in the Western world, but it’s definitely viewed as a mark of success in Uganda.

4. He works for the Diocese, making him a fulltime ministry worker, and a man of God.

5. He’s pasturing a church outside of his job with the Diocese, again, man of God.

6. People we pass by while hiking in the mountains ask him to stop and pray for their family members. Yup, definite sign of a man of faith.

7. He drives a Corolla. And while that in itself is not impressive, what is is the fact that he can drive it on roads that I’m apprehensive of even taking our 4WD pick-up truck on.

8. He can pretty much match me step for step as we climb mountains, did I mention that he’s like 50?!

9. He’s seen people killed, and has encountered rebel forces on several occasions while doing work for the diocese. It’s all in a day’s work, as he would humbly put it.

10. He eats all meals with his hands. While even Asaph has switched to forks because me and Mike usually use them, Yona’s stayed true to his colours. No sir, no utensils for him!

Please Sir, I want some more (Monday/Tuesday, Dec 22/23)

So, volunteers who stay here at the orphanage obviously eat here as well. Unfortunately for me and my larger than typical appetite, that means a steep learning curve in subsisting on measurably smaller portions than I am used to. Even back at camp where we have a limited selection of food, we can at least take as much as we want. Here at the orphanage, there is little difference in the amount of food dished out to me, or Gift, the two year old toddler sitting next to me. So yes, I can now relate to Oliver Twist just a tad bit more, though I can’t even begin to think that I can understand what he (if Oliver was a real person as opposed to a famous fictional character) experienced. The thirty odd kids at Another Hope, on the other hand, know all too well what it must be like, their lives have pretty much been taken out of the pages of the book.

I’ve been here for about four days now, and I can optimistically say that I now know all of the kids’ names. Sometimes, this requires a lucky guess (possibly preceded by a less lucky guess), or even a peek at the name that is written on the hem of their school uniforms (which they wear even though it’s “summer” break because many of them just don’t have much else to wear). So, here is a little about each of the children as I’ve gathered so far. I wish that I could post a picture of each of them as well, but lack of internet connection serves as an effective deterrent to that desire, not to mention that I don’t actually have a picture of all of them... or any of them actually. (haha, as per usual, I’ll try and get pictures from the other volunteers.) But you can see the profiles, complete with mug shot-like photos, of each child or just read more about the orphanage at Another Hope’s website, anotherhope.org.

* * * * *

Halima (pronounced Ha-lee-ma): at eighteen, she and Hellen are the oldest kids at Another Hope and her responsibilities clearly show that seniority. With Ruth, the Orphanage founder and director, often gone for extended periods of times (not to mention that she’s leaving today for the US for two months to complete some research for her master’s degree), Halima is unofficially the mother figure in the orphanage. I can’t say how impressed I am by her maturity, not to mention her ability to manage a house of thirty other kids. From cooking to cleaning, to making crafts to raise money for food, to administering medicine to the kids, to managing the money that comes into the orphanage, she does it all. Yea, this really makes her sound like Superwoman, but in many senses of that word, that description isn’t all that far off from the truth. Oh yea, and she’s a got a pretty decent voice as well, only suppressed by the fact that she’s usually too busy with other duties to let loose.

Hellen: unofficially the second in command to Halima at the orphanage, she manages and does much of the same things as Halima. They are the last ones in bed at night, and one of them needs to be up no later than 5:30 each morning to prepare the charcoal needed to cook breakfast. The viability of this orphanage very much hinges on these two young women.

Namutebi: sixteen years old and following close in the paths off the two older girls, Namutebi is also a talented actress as demonstrated during Sunday’s Christmas Party, where she starred in the skit as well as served as the Another Hope children’s spokesman for any speeches or announcements.

Wasswa and Kato: these twin fifteen year olds are the oldest boys at Another Hope and they, like the senior girls, bear much of the responsibility and duties around the orphanage. We put up a little fence to separate the pit latrines from the kitchen on Saturday, which was a great chance to get to know them a little better. Whereas these boys would be enjoying life in the middle of their adolescent years in most any other setting, here at Another Hope, they have larger roles to play as the senior males, especially to the younger kids. When I first met them, their young age did show, but seeing them in action with the kids just demands all the respect that I can give to these guys.

Allen (Ellen?): A little bit bratty, like any other twelve year old, and a huge tomboy (when she’s not working, you’ll always find her in the yard, dress tucked up around her waist, playing a violent version of piggy in the middle). Her true colours really came out in her numerous solos during the kids’ presentations at yesterday’s Christmas party, and she, for some reason, always seems to be the one responsible for dishing out food for everyone. Either way, she’s impressed me as much as any of the kids, and that’s saying a LOT.

Natasha: One of the few that I haven’t really had a chance to get to know, she’s one of the more girly girls here. You can most always find a smile on her face, and often a giggle to go with it. But put a wet rag in her hand and it’s all business, as I see her cleaning the floors everyday.

Peter: One of three kids at Another Hope who are HIV positive, he is the next oldest boy after the twins. At fourteen, he’s a bit rebellious, as is normal for his age, but he’s also willing to let down his tough guy face once he’s warmed up a bit (took about a day with me). Me and Hitomi (a Japanese girl who also volunteers at Another Hope) took seven of the older kids to the KPC Christmas Presentation today and Peter held my hand pretty much whenever we were walking on the streets. (This is a sign of friendship in the African culture, btw, not like in Canada. I’ve written about it in another blog that I still need to post...)

Matovu: He’s only eleven, but definitely the jock among the group! He plays a pretty similar role to Peter, and to a lesser extent, the twins. He’s also the self proclaimed mixer for the posho, which is pretty labour intensive work, and learned how to properly throw a nice spiral with a (American) football in about, well, two tries today. When Allen got sick and puked after dinner yesterday, he was there to wipe up the mess, no questions asked. So props to him for that, though I’m sure that any of the older ones would’ve done the same.

Leticia: She was easy to remember from the first day because of her outgoing personality. At 11, she’s still pretty small, probably from malnutrition if I was to guess, but yea, her personality is larger than most. At the Christmas party she taught me a bunch of the Ugandan cultural dances, which she got a lot of amusement out of, probably cause I can imagine that I looked pretty ridiculous trying to copy her.

Rebecca: She’s a little more feminine, and a lot quieter, than her other twelve year old counterpart, Allen. Similar to a couple other kids here, I sense a certain sadness in her, and you probably don’t have to look far to be able to guess why. I did teach her to play Connect Four today, which is as much interaction as I’ve had with her to date.

Kato: Ninety percent of the time when somebody tries to jump on me, it’s him. He’s ten, and kinda floats between the three oldest guys and the younger ones. And for some reason, you can usually pick him out because he doesn’t seem to like wearing shirts.

Ronald: Read Kato. He’s just eight, but like all the guys who are old enough to talk, he right in there with the duties and chores. A real hard worker that likes to climb on me when Kato isn’t already there. Similar to Rebecca, he’s got a permanent aura of sadness around him, and it hurts to think of what kind of an upbringing he had to create this effect.

Lillian: I remember her because she always wears a thin elastic thing as a headband around her head. She’s just seven but I almost get her mixed up with Leticia sometimes, probably because of Leticia’s small build. She’s super friendly but, unfortunately, she doesn’t speak much English so it’s kind of hard to communicate with her.

Alice: Similar to Lillian except for her ears (they seem to stick out more than usual), she’s also one of the most personable children here. She was one of the most friendly right from the time I walked through the gates, and she’s incredibly generous. She’s given me some of the fried cassava that she bought this morning when I asked what she was eating, and then one of her candies in the afternoon when I walked by her, (candies are not exactly easy to come by, nor did she have many of them to begin with). I felt a little guilty to take all this, but I think I may have hurt her feelings when I turned down her second offer of more cassava (I explained that I didn’t want to take all her food but that didn’t solve the hurt look on her face) which is why I took the candy she offered in the afternoon. (Side note: I think this is a cultural thing that I need to get used to because I remember Asaph being very confused when I turned down a soda he set at the table when I was at his place. Sodas aren’t cheap and are considered somewhat of a treat, which is why I didn’t want to take it; in hindsight though, I think I did more worse than good by not taking the soda.) haha, I just noticed that I used the word ‘soda’ instead of ‘pop’; as you might have guessed, Ugandans call them sodas and have no idea what you’re talking about if you ask for a ‘pop’.

Paul: Hmmm, what can I say about Paul? Well, I think he’s one of the most difficult to identify. I often need two, possibly three stabs to identify him still. He’s like a combination of Ronald, Kato, and Bob and Moses (two of the younger boys). I worked with him and Kato this morning on some simple math exercises (the kids love the chance to read or write and are eager to do math whenever I offer).

Jacky: She’s similar to Leticia in that they’re both pretty small for their age, but have larger than normal personalities. I’m told that she was quite reserved when she and her brother arrived at Another Hope about three months ago, probably due to the fact that she was abused by her stepmother at home; she’s opened up quite nicely since her arrival here though. Allen is a bit slow and Jacky’s taken it upon herself to always pay a little extra attention to him to help him out, not bad for a little eight year old girl.

Ruth: Super cute and friendly girl, kind of a mix between Jacky and Rebecca. Ummm... and that’s all I can think of at the moment...

Bob: Bob, Bob, Bob. I got his name wrong the first few times, and since then, I always guess Bob when I’m not which of the guys I’m talking to. Anyway, he’s friendly, like all the kids, and I remember him cause he’s not afraid to ask me for help when it comes time to fetching water. Oh, and he loves to come up and latch/hang onto my arm.

Moses: A star on the dance floor, as exemplified during the Christmas party presentations. He’s got a goofy smile on his face most all the time which helps to identify him from the others. He and Bob are both seven, but, as is typical at Another Hope, act far beyond their young ages.

Gloria: She just arrived at the orphanage a couple of weeks ago, and probably speaks the least English out of all the kids, save the ones who are too young to talk. She’s a little bit of a trouble maker, always seeming to be stirring up trouble with someone or another, but she’s also the first one to take my dish and wipe the table after meal times.

Teddy: Another trouble maker, this eight year old always has a mischievous look on her face. I first remembered her because she wore her dress down around her waist, but she can be as adorable as any of the kids, when she wants. I describe her as a younger version of Allen, mainly because they do actually look alike.

James: Haha, yep, another trouble-maker, he’s like a female version of Gloria, and also speaks very limited English. The youngest of the guys that can speak, he takes his share of wrath from the older guys because of his mischievous nature. Also, he has no gripes about coming up and latching onto me, right after I scold him for doing something or another wrong.

Enock: I just picture walking into the guys room around ten this morning, and he’s the only one still asleep, oblivious to the world (and all the cleaning) around him. He’s the biggest of all the young kids but is still a bit of a crybaby. He’s super cute though, which is probably how he can get away with it. I just found him and Anisha washing each other outside in the dirty wash water that one of the kids left after doing their laundry. But, they are still probably a lot cleaner than before they washed.

Sandra: A younger version of teddy, Sandra is often the cause of a crying Fridah or Anisha. A definite tomboy, she loves getting rough with the other kids, which makes her a source of endless apprehension to the volunteers and older kids. She’ll also turn right around and ask for you to hold her or read her a book even immediately after you’ve disciplined her for making one of the young ones cry.

Allan: He’s six, the younger brother of Jacky, and was probably also abused by his stepmother. Me and the other volunteers are pretty sure that he has a condition of some kind, but he’s never officially be diagnosed with anything (though I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t seen a doctor in quite awhile). He’s always smiling and it’s hard not to smile right back at him. The last few days have been unusually busy, with the Christmas party, the departure of Ronny and Else (two Belgium volunteers), my arrival, and the departure today of Ruth, the orphanage’s director and it’s taken a toll on lil’ Allan. According to Julia, a volunteer from the States, he’s been quieter and more clingy than usual, but hopefully that’ll fix itself as things begin to calm down again.

Mercy: She’s as cute as any, but also a handful when she chooses to be. Between her and Sandra, there aren’t too many quiet moments; but when she comes over just to lean on your lap, or gives you one of her big toothy smiles, it’s impossible not to just love on her. I also called her “Massi” for the first two days because that’s what it sounds like when everyone calls her, and it wasn’t until I went over a list of children that didn’t have a Massi, but did have a Mercy that I put two and two together.

Fridah: Little Fridah maybe the cutest baby at Another Hope; unfortunately, that means that she’s also been spoiled a bit too much by the volunteers. She does get it tough from Sandra and Mercy sometimes, but other times she brings it upon herself. Probably cries the most out of anyone, but at the end of the day, I still love her! Most of the time that I read her a book, she falls asleep in my arms before I even get halfway through.

Anisha: I think she’s two, and is cute as can be. She’s HIV positive, and hates going to the doctors because of the many tests that they put her through. She’ll always look at you with her big eyes, and try to copy whatever facial expression you make. And whenever you hold out your hand, she’ll give you whatever she’s got in hers, expecting that you give it right back to her of course. She hasn’t quite mastered the art of walking yet and her stutter steps/stumbles often end up with her on the ground. But, usually just when she looks like she’s gonna cry, she’ll laugh it off instead and continue on her wobbly way.

Gift: Or Gift-eeee as everyone calls him. He’s the baby of all the babies at Another Hope, and as such, gets treated as so. His disproportionately big head and gap toothed smile both add to his appeal. He’ll always look at you and if you laugh, he’ll toss his head back and laugh as heartily as his little lungs will allow for, and he’ll keep doing it for as long as you’re willing to laugh with him. He’s also not very good at holding food in his hands yet, but he doesn’t seem to mind picking it up on the floor and continue eating as if nothing ever happened. And, out of all the babies, he’s got the biggest appetite. You’ll often find him stumbling over to the dining table with empty bowl in one hand, the other hand braced to catch himself should he fall (quite often occurrence when you’re two years old), looking for one of the older kids to yield to his pitiful looks and give him one more mouthful of posho.

(Late Addition) Faith: So I don’t know where she was hiding, or where I was looking, because I totally didn’t notice her for the first few days. Hence the reason she wasn’t included in the original post, because I didn’t know she existed. I think it might have been because Natasha, Faith, and Rebecca are all a little quieter, around the same age, and kinda look the same too. After a week and a half, I now know better, all three of them are quite different, but in the beginning, they all gave off similar appearances (which means that I was probably calling Faith either Natasha or Rebecca for the first week...). Anyway, of the three, Faith is actually loudest!

* * * * *

Well, this definitely turned out to be much longer than I’d expected. But if nothing else, it was a good exercise in memory for me as I tried to pull up everything worth noting for each child that I’ve learned or experienced in the past few days. If you made it this far, ummm... you need to find something more interesting to do over Christmas break? haha, no, if you made it this far, thanks for taking the time to listen (read) to my ramblings (sounds better if I call them experiences, actually). It’s encouraging to get the comments/emails/etc. from you, and it really makes home not feel so far away. Once again, I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to reply to emails over this break, the kids are doing a pretty good job of completely wearing me down each day so don’t hold your breath anyway. Oh yea, and MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE, WITH MUCH LOVE FROM UGANDA!

Another day, Another Hope

So, work’s been a little hectic the past couple of weeks with Christmas break looming and a ton of work left to be done. (translation: my excuse for the lack of updates over the past week or two)

Anyway, as of last week, I still didn’t have any Christmas plans other than the Congo. I did, however, know that I wanted to serve with some organization or ministry during my time off. And, ever since my trip to the God’s Littlest Angels orphanage in Haiti last summer, I’ve had a desire to return to work in another orphanage. Thankfully, (but not really, in the larger scheme of things) Uganda has quite a number of orphanages, due in part to the high prevalence of diseases, the large number of the poor and starving, and the numerous (and still raging in some areas of Uganda) conflicts that have plagued this country since its independence over fifty years ago.

Anyway, long story short, I’m now at Another Hope Children’s Ministry, a small orphanage with about thirty children. I arrived yesterday afternoon and it’s been pretty much non-stop action from that point on. It’s been a little chaotic, with Ruth, the director and founder, gone from the organization the past few days. Some of the volunteers have just left, probably in order to make it home for Christmas, and the kids just got of school and are on holidays until February (their version of summer break for us Canadians). But I’m really glad that God’s led me here, as there’s a definite need for additional helping hands, or just helping hands at all. I’ve been totally drained by the kids today so I need to end off here before my eyes force themselves closed for good. But I’ll definitely try and write more about the orphanage as soon as I can. The kids are sooo cute, and there’s so much happening!

This will be the first Christmas that I’ve spent without family and friends (other than the thirty kids that I’m quickly falling in love with, of course). And while I’m the farthest I’ve ever been from everything I’ve ever known, I’m pretty excited for all the things that are sure to happen in the next two weeks! So, until my next blog, (and just in case it happens to be after the 25th) have a fantastic Christmas everyone, wherever you may be!

Edit: So I just got out of the Christmas Sunday Service at KPC (Kampala Pentacostal Church) and I've gotta say that the service really brought me back to the heart of what this time of the year is really about. I'm in a rush to get back to the orphanage to help set up for their Christmas Party so I'll write more about it next chance it get! Haha, on second thought, I don't know if I will have either the time or energy to blog at all, given the day that I had yesterday! Ummm... and that goes for emails as well, to those of you who I owe them to, sorry!

A Day in the Life of the Roving Team (Pictorial Edition)

So, me and Mike took the ACTS modem roving with us after the girls left it at Canada House at the end of last OFF. It's a pretty cool little gadget that's similar to the Roger's portable internet thing. Anyway, Tim, our kind regional director, decided that rather than taking it back, he'd work it into the budget to get another one for the girls. Meaning that we now have more internet access than ever! It ain't great (probably similar to dial-up), but it's just one of those things that you learn to appreciate so much more in Africa! Haha, right up there with flushing toilets!... ANYway...

The beginning of most days means driving to the source that we need to investigate; but no, it's not the river we’re driving across unfortunately.


Our posse, we normally accumulate a following wherever we go. A couple in the bunch are usually local leaders who are actually showing us the sites, the rest, though, are just along for the ride. (this also means that our lunch for three is now split to make lunch for ten…)


It seems like most sources have been strategically placed on the other side/in the middle of a swamp, jungle, or banana plantation.


One of the sources in the Bwesumbu Parish that we'll be using.


The source for the project that ACTS is currently constructing at Nyarukera.


The source in the Kaswa Parish that we'll also be putting a proposal together for.


The Pauline source, which looked promising upon first discovery, but ended up having a deceiving small flow, as well as E. Coli, so we can't put a project in that community.


Digging our way out of Kaswa. We'd camped there overnight, hoping that it wouldn't rain because it's a tough enough drive when the roads are dry. Well, it rained continuously ALL night… so we needed the help of the locals to dig/push/pull/give moral support to find our way out.


Analyzing the water samples after the 24 hr incubation period, the Ugandan in the picture (other than Asaph in the background) is Yona, the diocesan water engineer and an incredibly dedicated and hardworking man.


We spend a lot of time driving to and from places, it’s usually how we start, and end, each day. Notice the incubator in Mike's lap, that’s what happens if we happen to be on the move before the 24 hr incubation period of the previous sample isn’t done yet. Keeping the incubator steady enough that the samples won't spill while driving on Ugandan roads is pretty much an impossible task though.


And of course, a beautiful sunset to finish off the day.

Who am I? (Hypothetical question, don’t answer)

Anyway, so everyone knows Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, but apparently, Asaph tells me that Ugandans often ask if I’m the brother of Ji-Sung Park. Now, I wonder how many of you know who he is, because, until Asaph told me, I had never heard of him. As you’ve already probably gathered from the picture, Park’s a soccer player. And maybe it’s just that I don’t normally follow soccer, because Park’s apparently quite well known (Ugandans and Time Magazine both seem to think so anyway). Anyway, I thought it was pretty funny, because even Asaph thinks that we look alike. He’s mentioned it a couple times that, “When they see you, they must think Park has been here!” And when I ask him why, the casual response is “Don’t you think you resemble him? I think!”

Now, the most common thing I get called here is ‘Muzungu,’ which basically means white man. Running a close second is ‘Muchina’ (Chinese), and once in a while, a confused Ugandan will call me ‘Muhindi’ (Indian). Yona, often introduces me as a Bukonjo, which is the type of people in the Kasese area, while some on the ACTS construction crew affectionately call me a Runyankole, the type of people in the Mbarara area. So, you can imagine that I have reason for somewhat of an identity crisis. To make matters worse, I went to two Chinese restaurants when I was in Kampala a couple of weekends ago because I needed to get my fix of Chinese food after going more than three months without. At the first place, I tried to order in Cantonese (just cause I figured that I could), but the waitresses spoke Mandarin, so I had to revert back to English. The next day, I tried out a different restaurant, where the waiter, a Ugandan man, kindly informed me that I was not Chinese. He told me that, “You can eat at a Chinese restaurant, but you are not a Chinese, I know Chinese and you don’t look like them. You are a Japanese.”

So, let’s just run through the list again shall we? Some people call me a white man; others, Chinese; still others, Indian. I wasn’t able to use Chinese to order at a Chinese restaurant, and a waiter at another Chinese restaurant helpfully explained to me why I could not be Chinese. Many Ugandans apparently think that I most resemble a famous Korean soccer player, while others insist that I am from their native land of Uganda. In Canada, some might call me a banana: yellow on the outside, white on the inside. But what do they call someone who is, as the Sunday school song puts it, “Red and Yellow, Black and White?”

Contact Info!

Last month sometime, me and Mike decided to make business cards for ourselves and Asaph. We figured that it would save us from having to write out our contact info everytime we met someone new, which happens numerous times daily as we move from community to community, searching for potential sources. We also figured that it would make us look more professional (read: cool). So, using a little Paint and a little Picasa, here’s what we came up with, my first business card ever!

For those of you who have requested my mailing address, it’s on the card, as is my phone number if you have any inkling to call Africa!

Called to stay.

So, I won’t be going to the Congo, for now anyway. I found out yesterday that Samaritan’s Purse will be shutting down their operations in the DRC, at least until January, due to insufficient personnel on the ground. The direct implication to myself is that the decision whether to leave ACTS in Uganda and join Samaritan’s Purse in the Congo is no longer an issue, which is somewhat of a relief to many of you, and to the staff at ACTS as well. In the larger scheme of things, Samaritan’s Purse’s decision to suspend operations has less positive effects. It means that the people in the Buganga IDP Camp, who have been benefiting from the water and sanitation program over the past month, will now be forced to revert back to relying upon unsafe water from unprotected and untreated sources. The biggest hope for them is that another NGO will have the ability to pick up and continue the work that Samaritan’s Purse has started there. So that is a continuing prayer request, for these people, and the thousands others who have yet to be reached by any NGO. You can read more about the work that Samaritan's Purse was doing on Patrick's blog, http://cochranestravels.blogspot.com/.

People waiting for food handouts in the Congo. (pulled off Pat's Blog)

I thank you for the prayers and concerns as I was struggling with this decision. This issue was definitely the most difficult decision that I’d been faced with in Africa, and even probably a long time before that. It definitely sucks to see that the work that Pat and John began will not be continued, at least without a month long lull. At the same time, I am glad that I will be able to complete the work with ACTS that I had begun thus far. It's ironic, one of my friends wrote the following to me last week before the Samaritan's Purse came knocking but I only just read the email after I found out that I wouldn't be going, "God's plan for you is with ACTS right now. That's your part of the body... Maybe there will be a time and a place in the future for you to play a different part of the Christian body, but right now, you are where He has called you to be."

In other news, we returned to Kasese on Sunday night, (yes, again), to check out one final potential source as well as to have a wrap up meeting with the Bishop and other members of the South Rwenzori Diocese. The meeting was this morning and proved to be a sound reminder to me of the reason that I was called here. I still have some questions and concerns with regard to some of ACTS’ decisions, but, to see the passion that these men have for helping their communities and their neighbours, I couldn’t help but be a little more excited by the work that I am doing, the small part that I can help play to aid in their efforts.

Oh yes, and the source that we saw yesterday, there was quite a good amount of water. More importantly, most of the samples came back clean, meaning that we have a good source with which we can design and put forth another project proposal. So it seems that we won’t be wrapping up our work in Kasese just yet.

Christmas in the Congo?

Well, a lot has happened in the past week or two. However, there is one pressing issue that has just come up, that takes precedent over everything else, and for I can truly use your prayers.

I have been requested by the Samaritan’s Purse, through EMI staff, to serve as a sort of water/sanitation program manager in one of the IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) Camps in Northern Congo, nearest the town of Goma.

Patrick, one of the EMI staff I worked with last summer in the Canadian office, is currently serving in that camp, with the goal of spreading to other areas, helping to install water treatment systems to provide clean water to these victims of the renewed fighting in the region. I had emailed him, asking whether there was anything that I, being so close to the region, could do to assist. Well, my name has been forwarded through the EMI ladder and into the hands of the Samaritan’s Purse management who are trying to find personnel to serve in this area of increasing need.

As of the most up to date situation (which changes several times a day), I would possibly team up with an intern from the EMI East Africa office in Kampala who has some overseas experience with water sanitation. Being junior engineers, Samaritan’s Purse would ask us just to maintain the current infrastructure rather than expand, which may be, and probably is, out of our realm of ability.

However, the issue is that ACTS has a policy that its personnel are not permitted to travel to so called “No Go” zones, even on their own time such as during Christmas holidays. Thus, I may be faced with the decision of ending my contract early with ACTS in order to assist in this mission. Personally, I believe that the situation in the Congo is far more pressing and in dire need of personnel. At the moment, there is no team yet scheduled to succeed Patrick’s team when they leave on Tuesday and unless, Samaritan’s Purse is able to confirm some workers to man their projects, they may be forced to shut the operation down, at least until after Christmas. On the other hand, I’ve made a commitment to ACTS and I’d hate to break those obligations.

Another factor, is the fact that the situation in the region is continually changing. And thus, even the work in the IDP camps can change at any moment. The underlying message in all of my correspondence has been, prepare to go, but be ready for anything to happen. So, I’m in a bit of a dilemma right now. I want to go, but I also feel obligated to stay.

I just received the first email asking for me to fill the position last night, so everything’s come up so quickly that my head’s in a bit of a blur. I don’t want to do anything on impulse or make too brash of a decision, however, the situation also requires a prompt response. And so, I would ask that you pray for the staff at EMI as they consider whether or not to make an exception to allow me to go serve with Samaritan’s Purse, with the Samaritan’s Purse and EMI staff as they try to plot and decide their plan of action, for myself as I try to choose between two very difficult choices, and for the Congolese people, who continue to suffer, and who will be the most greatly impacted by the decisions that are about to be made.

Run and not grow weary. Pt I

Well, this past Sunday, I attempted to run the Kampala half-marathon. It was a little bit of a last minute thing that four of the interns signed up for, and needless to say, we didn’t really train much for it. Prior to the race, I think the longest I’d ever run in my life was about 13km last summer and in Uganda, the farthest that I’d managed to run was eight and a half. So going into the race, we figured that it’d would be interesting, and painful.

The run started at 7am, and we were supposed to show up at 6am to pick up our race numbers and an electronic chip that would accurately measure each runner’s times (I was pretty impressed with this little thing!). This meant waking up at 5:20 in order to have time shower quickly (more to wake myself up than anything else), and eat a quick breakfast before leaving the guesthouse at 5:40. This year, there were over 10,000 people registered to run in the event, the largest turnout in the five year history of the Kampala Marathon. This is the first half-marathon, or even the first organized race (outside of school events) that I’d ever run in, and it was a great experience. We all ended up finishing with relatively close together, though we lost Mike within the first ten minutes after he stopped to pee. The winner of the half marathon finished in an hour and three minutes, less than half the time that we clocked … and that’s all I’ll say about our speed…=p Oh well, it gives us something to shoot for next time around.

I took a sweet picture on Naomi’s camera that I’ll post when I get if from her, in the meantime, here’s a generic picture of the marathon. Edit: Posted at top, the sweetest ad ever!

Oh yea, pretty cool thing that happened at the race, or rather, before the race, (as we were lining up in the nearby coffee shop for a quick last minute restroom stop), I ran into the entire staff from the EMI East Africa office! Out of the nearly 11,000 people that must have been milling about just before the race, I can’t believe that I was able to run into, and recognize them (especially since I’d never actually met any of them before, I’d just seen a couple of the staff before at last year’s EMI Conference of Hope)! Anyway, I’m hoping to get the chance to visit their office sometime soon, maybe even next weekend.

Also on Sunday morning, but on a more somber note, Bern and Nancy left to fly back to Vancouver. Bern, our senior engineer, had been on his way to Canada House from camp on Friday afternoon to meet me and Mike to review the designs that we’d put together when he felt something wrong with his eye. He went to an eye doctor right away, who diagnosed it as a detached retina. After a second diagnosis with a more experienced doctor, it was determined that one of his eyes was in the first stages of a detached retina. So, after some serious deliberation with the doctors here in Uganda and back home in Canada, Bern and Nancy decided that it was best that they return to Canada to carry out any required treatment. If surgery is needed, there is a standard six week recovery period which Bern may be able to do in Uganda (to be decided when they cross that bridge) and if not, Bern and Nancy could be back in Uganda in a couple of weeks. However, in the meantime, please pray for them as they deal with this unexpected and potentially serious issue. On a positive note, it was very encouraging to see the capacity of the Ugandan medical staff here as they very competently and efficiently helped Bern and Nancy through the diagnosis and decision making stage. Much is said about the state of the health care services and personnel here in Uganda, most of it not very flattering; however, Bern and Nancy were impressed by the level of service that they received. The main reason that they had to return to Canada was because the doctor who has the knowledge to complete the necessary procedure is out of the country until Friday, and it would be best for Bern to receive further attention as soon as possible.

Farewell, Kasese. Pt II

As of last Friday, we are moving back to the Ankole Diocese in search of new projects. The move from Kasese back to Mbarara marks the halfway point in the work that we are aiming to complete in Uganda, as well as the midpoint of our time in Uganda. We have spent the better part of the past two months in Kasese, part of the South Rwenzori Diocese, completing project proposals for communities in that district.

One first completed proposal for the Bwesumbu source has been sent off to the ACTS office back in Canada to be reviewed. Aside from a few possible minor changes here and there, we don’t expect to work on that project much more. Kaswa is the next completed proposal, it has a lower yield and smaller target population, and thus, will be paired up with the Kyrumba proposal to form a full CIDA sized project. I’m currently still working on the design for the Kyrumba line, and once that is complete, will be sending that with the Kaswa proposal off to the Canadian office for review.

Peter, the ridiculously talented cook at the Agape Guesthouse. He honestly made dinner the highlight of each day! (the fact that we often didn't eat lunch might also have had something to with that as well...)

Other projects that we have worked on but have been put on hold for the time being for different reasons are: Kahindangoma (no vehicle access to within three hours of the source, making it extremely difficult and costly to build), Kaswenge (source located too low in the valley and will require pumping, possibly using solar power, to make the system work), and Kinyamagana (repairing existing GFS pipeline, something that ACTS has not done before, but would benefit over thirty thousand people if completed).

Oh yes, we have been staying at the Agape Guesthouse in Kasese during the bulk of our time there. There is also a woman from Florida named Mimi who has lived there for the past three years, she deals with the computers and other technology around the diocese. Anyway, we’ve slowly developed a rapport with her over the past couple of months, and this month, in her monthly newsletter that she sends to supporters back in North America, she wrote about ACTS and Asaph, me, and Mike. Not all of the information presented is entirely accurate, but it’s difficult trying to explain what it is exactly that we do and it’s clear that some of it is lost in translation as you maybe able to tell if you read the letter. It’s posted on her website at http://www.saint-peters.net/mamamimi, under journals.

While looking for Mimi’s site, I also wandered across a blog written by a couple of Americans, John and Katherine, who I’ve had a number of chances to hang out with over the past couple of months. Like myself, they just graduated this spring, arrived in Uganda this fall, and plan on working in Uganda for six months. Unlike me, Katherine is a English major and if you check out their blog, you’ll realize that she has a much more refined and elegant ability to write than I. A lot of their experiences are likely quite similar to mine and thus, their blog may help provide a clearer picture of the Uganda, from the perspective of some North Americans. Also, if you’re looking for more reading material, Katherine is able to keep up a much more steady blog than I can. And their web address is http://www.espressosoft.com/katherineandjohn/.

Kids... =D

Agandi!


We spotted him, or rather, he spotted us, during our first day at Canada House.


Just outside of one of the churches we attended.


Alive, the camp cook's son. He just entered the 'Terrible Two' stage and isn't always this cheerful anymore...


Follow the leader!


Love the facial expression.


More great facial expressions...





Kikagate refugee camp


He's just cute.


Probably on his way to fetch water for his family.


And finally, the first canuck fan i've met in africa! I doubt he even knows what hockey is, though. =P

Hope

The past couple of days since I visited the Kikagate Refugee Camp, I’ve kind of been stuck in a sober, disheartened mood . The situation I saw seemed so desperate, the people so destitute, and the world so oblivious.

I was still harbouring these sentiments at the end of the OFF, as we left to return to Kasese to complete the work that we’d been doing last month. As we passed through Queen Elizabeth National Park, we saw elephants, many of them in fact. And as I was admiring the elegance and beauty of these enormous creatures, I was reminded of God, who created the elephants, and me, and the people in the refugee camp.

A short time later, as we were approaching Kasese, I saw a rainbow in the sky. It was pretty cool because I could see both ends of the rainbow (unfortunately, as you can tell by the picture, my camera wouldn’t let me take a picture wide enough to capture the whole thing). Anyway, I was just reminded of Noah and the covenant that God made with him after the flood. I looked the passage up and God says in Genesis Chapter 9, “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

It was a great reminder of God’s commitment to us, his children, as well as a great reassurance to me that, despite what appeared to be such a hopeless situation in the refugee camp, God hadn’t forgotten about those people. He knows about them and even more, he cares for them and he’s got a plan for them too. And while it still hurts to think about the suffering that these people endure, it is encouraging to remember that even when it seems like the world has turned its back on these people, God will always be there for them. And that’s worth more than anything else that anybody or organization can provide.

One Busy (read: Crazy) Week... Pt. I

It’s been just over a week since I last posted, but so much has happened since then that I’m not sure where to start. Briefly, Tim and Richard came up to Kasese to view the potential projects that we have identified, Chris returned to Canada until January, I visited a refugee camp and then stayed at Asaph’s house. Oh yea, our truck got a very much needed tuneup/overhaul that included a new clutch... As well, the DRC, just a few hours west of where I am working, has erupted into violence, and thousands of Congolese refugees have already fled into Uganda, across the same border that I crossed just a short month ago... so I forewarn you now that this may be quite a lengthy post. Hopefully, I’ll be able to break it up into a few portions for ease of reading.

On Monday, Tim, ACTS’ In-country Director, and Richard, the ACTS construction team foreman, drove out to Kasese with the goal of reviewing and prioritizing the potential projects. We based the decisions on the potential benefit to the community (in comparison to their current situation), expected community involvement and support for a project, accessibility of area (for transportation and construction purposes), and the overall feasibility of a project. In short, Kahindangoma, the three hour hike from the road to the source (re: Oct. 21 blog), was deemed unfeasible, at least until the community is able to extend the road closer to the source. Similarly, Kyrumba was relegated to the bottom of the list because of the accessibility problem as well (re: Oct. 23 blog). We will be focusing on the remaining three potential projects this upcoming month. Oh yes, as a result of these projects, we will be staying in the Kasese area for at least the following month.

Wednesday, we headed back to Mbarara with Tim and Richard for our month end break. But me and Mike first had to attend a District Council coordination meeting on Thursday morning, as the representatives for ACTS. In hindsight, most of the items discussed during the meeting were not actually relevant to ACTS; however, we were invited by the district and thus, had an obligation to attend. It was not all for waste, though, as the highlight of the meeting came at the end when we each received a 14,000 Ug Sh meal and travel allowance for our attendance. Needless to say, I won’t mind if I’m asked to attend the next meeting as well! Also Thursday morning, Chris left to return to Canada. He found out earlier in the week that his grandfather had been diagnosed with stomach cancer and is already in the late stages of the process. Thus, Chris made the difficult decision to leave Uganda in order to spend some time with his grandfather while he can, but will be returning in mid January. This means that our intern group is now down to five girls and two guys, and Andrea will also be heading home soon following the completion of her three month co-op term as water quality officer. So please pray for Chris and his family, that they would be able to cherish the time that they still have together with his grandfather.

Nowhere to go, no place to call home... Pt.II

Friday morning, most of us parted ways on our OFF. I headed off to visit a refugee camp in Kikagate, about an hour south of Mbarara, on the border with Tanzania. Two ACTS interns had done some work there in 2006-2007 and I wanted to see if I could also help out as well. Asaph lives about halfway between Mbarara and Kikagate and he offered to meet me and show me the camp since he had been there before.

Ellie, a former ACTS worker who is now the Information and Communications Technician for the UN in Uganda, also offered to come along when I told him where I was going. On a side note, Ellie is a genius when it comes to electronics; he designed a radio transmitter from a calculator circuitboard, and this is without being formerly educated! More importantly, from the few times that I had met Ellie previously, it is clear that he is an incredibly humble and selfless person. He often comes back to help ACTS when we have electrical problems that no one else seems capable of fixing; hence, how I've had the chance to meet him several times before. Anyway, he rode his bike eight kilometers to meet me and Asaph, remarking that if we were willing to come from afar to help these people, it was the least he could do to accompany us.

I must apologize for the perhaps incoherency or rambling in my writing; my thoughts and feelings are still very much in a jumble, as I think is obvious from the tangents that I’ve already taken. As you might have already noticed, this blog is also is a little less... happy… than most other posts. But I think this is what is on my heart right now and it's more appropriate given the nature of the topic. ANYWAY, honestly, I’m not sure what I had expected when I decided to visit the camp; however, I don’t think I was mentally prepared for what I did see. So, as I’ve now learned, the people in the camp are not officially refugees but rather, “returnees”. This is despite the fact that the sign at the camp entrance, which was constructed by the Prime Minister’s office, states that it is a refugee camp. The situation is complicated but in short, and from my limited understanding, most of the “returnees” are originally from Rwanda but fled to Tanzania during the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. About four years ago, the Tanzanian government evicted them from the camps where they had been staying. However, due to fears of retribution and other safety concerns, these people came across the border to Uganda instead of returning back to Rwanda. And because they did not come directly from Rwanda, they cannot be given refugee status, which means that the UNHRC is not responsible of ensuring the welfare of these people.

It seems that these people have essentially fallen through the cracks, victims of our bureaucratic and legalistic society. When these people first arrived in Uganda, the district designated a portion of land for them; however, the local government does not permit them to cultivate the land, even though it is otherwise vacant and unused. Thus, the people have no sustainable source of food; as a result, they go into the Kikagate village each day hoping to find work so that they’ll be able to return home with food to feed their families. The UNHRC dropped off some basic supplies last February, and the Samaritan’s Purse did the same this April. However, other than these extremely sparsely spaced visits, these people receive no other support.

It is difficult to grasp the conditions in which these people are living. Most of the houses, if you can even call them that, are incredibly small mud and stick huts “covered” with the mostly tattered remains of what used to be a tarp. A small 8x12 foot structure could be home to a family of six, or bigger. Most of the children, and adults even, wore old, tattered clothes and when they stood near to me, the number of flies that would accompany them would be nearly unbearable, a sign that they don’t bathe often which isn’t surprising given the level of health and sanitation awareness they have received to date, that is, none.

At this point, I honestly don’t know what to do, I’m not sure what I can do, to help these people. There is no question that the need is there, and it is great, however, I am restricted in many ways: legally, mobility, financially, even politically. Apparently, the funding for our internships is contingent on following strict guidelines that go along the lines of working solely on ACTS related projects. That restricts me from doing anything outside of the month end break. In truth, I am feeling quite disillusioned by the failures of the international community, local government, and NGO’s to help these people. I came to Uganda for the reason that I wanted to use the skills that I have to help people, and although I realize that the work that I am doing with ACTS is benefiting some people, it’s tough to see that the people who are most in need being neglected. Anyway, before I do anything, if I can do anything, I’d first like to find out more information about these people and the camp. I have searched for more information on the internet, but due to connection and information availability constraints, I haven’t had much luck in finding much. So if anyone has the time and ability to look for more information about these people, I’d be most grateful if you could pass it on to me as I would like to know more about history of this camp and the background of these people.

Asaph, the Family Man Pt.III

Friday night, we stayed overnight in a small hotel in the Kikagate village and ate dinner at one of the two restaurants. The meals came to just 700 Ug Shillings (less than 50 cents CDN) each, a record low for a meal in Uganda for me. However, the next morning we had a hearty breakfast of matooke and geenut sauce at the same restaurant for 500 shillings (about 33 cents CDN). We returned to the refugee camp after breakfast to ask the chairman some questions that I had, and to take pictures of the conditions in the camp that I hope to send to Samaritan’s Purse, who visited the camp in April and brought some basic supplies and who I hope will be able to return with more basic supplies once they see the need. Anyway, after Kikagate, I had planned to meet up with Mike at Bushara Island, a small getaway place that ACTS had helped to establish in the past. I wasn’t feeling quite up for it though after seeing the poverty in the camp, and I also wanted to head back to Mbarara to check out the Sunday morning worship at the university campus church in town. Since I was going in the same direction, Asaph asked if I’d like to stop by his place. Obviously, you can’t turn down an offer, especially in the Ugandan culture; plus, I was thrilled to be able to visit and meet his family, and see what a true Ugandan home is like.

And I definitely was not disappointed as Asaph was a great host! I met his mother and stepmother, his two brothers and their families, his many nieces and nephews, and of course, his own wife and son. Asaph’s only twenty four, but it is quite normal, expected almost, for men in Uganda to get married quite young (and even younger for the Ugandan women). So Asaph’s already been married for two years and he has a son, Owen, who’s one and a half years old. Before I met his family, it was kind of difficult for me and Mike to picture Asaph, being so young, with a family back at his home; when I arrived at his place though, it was almost like he was a new man. Owen was pretty much glued to Asaph the entire time I was there, and it was like a game, a losing battle really, to see if anyone could pry Owen from his dad.

Asaph just finished his house a couple of months ago so it’s still quite basic and bare. It is customary here to build the basic house first, and add to it as you save up more money. There are designated spaces for windows included in the original construction, and once Asaph saves up enough money, he’ll just cut out that portion of the wall and replace it with a window frame. The floors are also dirt, for now, with the goal of eventually pouring cement floors. Nevertheless, I already really liked the house, it has a very open concept and the roof is supported by cross beams and A-frames, similar to the design of some cottages or cabins. It had a high ceiling, probably twenty feet high at the peak, which Asaph explained would keep the hot air higher up and thus, the house cooler. And while Asaph was apologetic that he didn’t yet have any couches or other furniture aside from beds in his house, I assured him that it really wasn’t a big deal. Instead, I explained to him that in Canada, it is not often that for a twenty four year old to already have his/her own house, not to mention a wife and son as well. He found that strange, even though we’ve also already explained that the majority of people in Canada don’t get married until they’re in their late twenties. haha… I often refer to Mike, for instance, who is thirty one and isn’t married yet. Most Ugandans find that quite strange but it’s just one of the many little things that make Africa, well, Africa.

So Asaph lives in a relatively rural area; in fact, the only transportation to and from the tiny trading centre nearest his house is via boda (motorbike), as there are no other forms of public transport that will venture up that road. And I’ve found that the more rural the area, the more types of fruits, vegetables and other plants you’ll come across. Some of the ones that come to mind right now that I saw in my one day at Asaph’s are lemons, oranges, ginger, sugar cane, yams, and beans. These are, of course, in addition to the more commonly found coffee, mango, banana, matooke, passionfruit, and pineapple plants. I know there were more that I can’t remember at the moment, but I think you get the picture! =p Anyway, I had a really great time at Asaph’s; it was really cool just to sit down with his family to share a meal in a completely Ugandan environment. I also ended up staying the night at his place and had to get up uber early the next morning to get back to Mbarara in time for church. But that’s another story…

Too Close for Comfort. Pt.IV

As many of you know (probably better than I do in fact because of the limited access I have to the internet, and the outside world), there has been an outbreak of violence in the eastern region of the Congo, near the borders of Rwanda and Uganda. There has been almost continual war and political instability in that region since the DRC gained it’s independence about fifty years ago. To put it into perspective, a BBC article I read stated that this continual war “has killed more people than any other conflict since World War II.” There have been improvement in recent years, however, and there had been hopes that it would continue in that progressive direction. The DRC is still home to the largest UN Peacekeeping force in the world, many of which are based in Goma, currently, one of the main areas of conflict.

As you might recall, I visited Rwanda just last month, where I stayed for two nights in Gisenyi, a town that borders the DRC border. From Gisenyi, you can easily see, and even walk to, Goma. Chris took this picture from the beach in Gisenyi, and while it was the birds in the foreground that he was focusing on, I’m posting this picture because of the buildings in the background, which are part of the town of Goma. On a side note, the strange looking rocks that the birds are perched upon are actually lava, from a volcanic explosion that just happened in Goma in the past decade or so I believe. So the name Goma may sound familiar because of that tragic event. Anyway, you can see that I was literally just a stone’s throw from Goma. In fact, one of the guys that I met while I was in Gisenyi (re: Oct 6 Blog) attended school in Goma because school fees were cheaper there and that was what his parents were able to afford. I hope that he has not been caught up in the most recent conflicts.

In another strange coincidence, on the bus leaving Gisenyi, I met a former RMC grad who is currently serving with MONUC, the UN peacekeeping force in Goma. According to the latest news that I have heard, rebel forces have been in combat with UN forces and are on the brink of overrunning the city. The New Vision, the daily Ugandan newspaper, has reported that over six thousand Congolese refugees have fled across the Congo-Uganda border towards the town of Kisoro. In response, Ugandan soldiers have been deployed into that area to help stabilize the increasingly chaotic situation, and to inhibit any fighting from entering the country. Tim, our in country director, called us on Saturday morning to ask about our whereabouts and to warn us not to travel to that region because of these recent events. The border where these thousands of refugees are entering Uganda is the same one that we crossed just a month ago on our way back from Rwanda; we even stopped for lunch in Kisoro on our journey home.

It is definitely sobering to realize how close these events are happening to me, both in reference to time and location. It’s also a strong reminder that regions here in East Africa can still be very much unstable, and have the potential to abruptly change for the worse. Unfortunately, reversing the damage is a much slower process.

On a completed unrelated tangent, I’ve probably eaten over a hundred crickets in the last couple of days. We’d heard that crickets and ants are common snacks here in Uganda but it wasn’t until Mike happened to spot them just outside the market on Monday that we had the chance to try them out. It was just the seven of us interns, and not knowing the proper way to prepare the crickets, we just fried them (some of which have still been alive) in a frying pan with a bit of oil and salt. It turns out that that’s exactly how Ugandans do it, as we brought some back with us (yes, we… mainly I, like them so much that we had to get them again) to Kasese and Peter, the guesthouse’s super pro cook, just fried them as we had done. They’re not a bad snack, and they’re really cheap; you can buy a bag with a couple hundred of them for about a buck!

A Day in the Life of the Roving Team (Tuesday, Oct 21)

0620 – Cell phone alarm goes off, time to wake up.

0630 – Cell phone alarm goes off, again. Actually wake up.

0640 – Breakfast, (eat as much as we can because we don’t know the next time we’ll be eating again.)

0700 – Pack our bags/the truck with everything that we’ll need for the day.

0720 – Leave the guesthouse for the day and pick up Yona, the Diocese Water Engineer, from the Kagando Hospital Entrance.

0800 – Reach the farthest possible point accessible by car and set out on foot.

0830 – Meet the Local Chairman of the village, part ways with Mike. He goes with the chairman to map out the schools and churches in the community while me and Asaph go to investigate the sources. We’ll switch roles tomorrow.

0855 – Reach Buzira Primary School, draw a crowd/following, as is typical with most kids we see. Get my pencil sharpened with a razor blade because the school does not have a functioning pencil sharpener.

1000 – See a fruit that I’ve never seen before. Ask Yona if it is edible only to turn around to see the guy behind me already eating one. Apparently, it’s wild, but edible. I eat five, they’re good.

1100 – Over three hours and just short of a 1000m higher than where we set out on foot, reach our first source of the day, the source of the Kabungi stream. However, it’s barely a trickle so we take the measurements just because we walked all that way to see it, but don’t bother with a sample because there isn’t enough flow to use.

1120 – Reach another source of the same stream a few hundred metres downhill. The flow still isn’t enough to really make it project worthy, but it is more than the first source so we take a sample.

1245 – Reach the source of the Kahindangoma stream. Clear the area and dig back until we find where the water originates from. Flow measures over three litres per second; this is good news, but less than Yona had measured on a previous visit.

1400 – Re-measure the flow about a hundred metres downstream to see if there is a great difference, which would indicate that there may be another eye somewhere upstream. The flow is about five lps, which is enough to warrant further investigation if our design requires more than the three lps we have already measured. Break out the banana pancakes (small Ugandan pastries that resemble bite-size pancakes, and are also our “lunch”). Share with the seven other guys that have joined us at various points of our journey so we each get just two pancakes. Start our trek back down the mountain.

1515 – Pass by the house of one of the men who are accompanying us. He goes into his garden to get some more wild fruits, as well as some passion fruits. I eat another five of the wild fruits, at least, and a handful of passion fruits too.

1600 – Meet back up with Mike on the trail on the way to the truck, and share successes/failures/other interesting facts (like the wild fruit) that happened that day.

1630 – Reach the truck, (after two months, this has been ingrained in us as being one of the most welcome sights, especially after a long day of walking like today) and drive back home. This picture's actually taken from one of the ridges we climbed in Kyrumba, about 1000 metres above where we parked the truck. I thought it was pretty cool that we could still see it from the top.

1700 – Drop off Yona at the hospital and return to the guesthouse. Greetings and pleasantries with the staff, standard Ugandan procedure with everyone you meet.

1730 – Glorious shower (cold water only though, but still glorious).

1800 – John and Katherine, a young couple from Florida who are working here for six months and who we met last week at the Kasese guesthouse, stop by.

1805 – I teach John how to eat the wild fruit, it’s his first time. He likens it to an unripe raspberry (I don’t think he liked it very much). Because of John’s reaction, Katherine’s too wary to try it herself.

1900 – Stomach can’t wait for dinner any longer; it’s been twelve hours since breakfast, our last meal. Drink a cup of tea to sooth the hunger pangs.

1930 – Dinner, my favourite time of the day! Dinner tonight consists of macaroni (our spaghetti), Irish Potatoes, Dodo (our spinach), Goat (the most common meat here in Uganda) stew, and bananas.

2000 – Download GPS data for the day and call Yona to arrange tomorrow’s schedule (which will be going back to Kyrumba, re:October 17 Blog, and once again, I’m driving…)The picture is of one of the little obstacles (I mean, rivers), that we came across along the only road into Kyrumba.

2030 – Go to the hospital canteen to buy more banana pancakes for tomorrow’s lunch.

2100 – Asaph goes to bed, too tired even to practice typing (we’re trying to teach him some basics to use a computer and most recently, he’s been learning to type).

2115 – Hear a weird buzzing noise (last night, we found a three inch long cockroach looking insect, so now we’re paranoid), Asaph gets up to investigate (me and Mike aren’t willing to do anything), it turns out be a small ladybug-like insect that’s capable of making noise far beyond its size.

2200 – Me and Mike pass out, content that we stayed awake all the way until 10pm.

2400-000 – A new day begins, we’ll start afresh, with the same goals, but for a different location.

*Obviously, everyday isn’t as long, or as hard as today was, but I think that today was a pretty good summary of a lot of what we do on a regular basis. Some would call it work, others, maybe something worse; but a lot of the time when I’m up in the hills, staring at the backdrop of the immense Rift Valley, the towering Rwenzori Mountains, or one of the Great Lakes (of Africa, that is), I can’t help but consider myself very blessed to be able to be doing what it is I’m doing.

On another, completely unrelated note and for no apparent reason other than to more accurately describe what this blog is about, I’ll be changing my blog address to wesinuganda.blogspot.com. So please use that address in the future.