ps.

Here's a link to an article from last month's edition of the Innovative magazine. It was written by Chris Town, the senior engineer from Urban Systems who was just in Uganda in January to review the projects that ACTS is completing with the help of his company's sponsorship. Due to the large size of the file and the slow internet connections in Africa, I haven't actually been able to open and thus, read the article myself, but I've heard that it gives a good summary of the projects that ACTS does. If you read it, maybe you can confirm or correct me on that!
http://www.apeg.bc.ca/resource/innovation/archive/2009/2009janfeb.pdf

And rather than adding onto this blog, which I'd like to keep directed to the work I've done with ACTS, here's a different blog that I'll be updating during my travels eastandwes.blogspot.com.

The Road Ahead... (Sunday, Feb 15)

So, I'm really completely done with ACTS now. Our contracts officially end today, so I guess technically I've still got a few hours to go. But in all other aspects though, I'd totally done. Exit Report is written and submitted, all engineerings documents have been filed away for next year's team, and I've left Canada House for the final time under the ACTS banner.

And with that, I think this will be my final post on this blog, regarding my work with ACTS anyway. I look forward to seeing all of you again, and also the the cooler weather on the West Coast (hopefully, but just wishful thinking probably, some of all that snow will still be around), along with fast internet, Chinese food, English Church services, playing and watching hockey, reading the news in the morning, the list continues... But my plan is not to return home just yet because I don't know when I'll have the privilege to return to Africa again. So I'll be taking this chance to travel and see a bit more of the East African region. With one of my high school friends, we're hoping to bus around the Lake Victoria region, taking in the sights, and experiencing the culture of the Rwandan, Tanzanian, and Kenyan people. I'm not sure whether I'll have the ability to blog often, but I'll try and update as we move across the region if you'd like to keep up with our travels. Other than that, my return is set for April 20th so for those of you in the Vancity area, I hope to see you soon after that, and for those of you from elsewhere, I don't know when I'll be able to make it to your respective places, but you're always welcome to come visit in Van!

So, once again, I sincerely thank you for the overwhelming support that I received from all of you over the past few months. I've had a great time and a lot of that I attribute being oft encouraged by your support, which came in so many different channels. It really was a pleasure to have been able to share and partner with you in my work with ACTS.

And among the many things I've learned in Uganda is a new method for repairing glasses...


Signing off from Uganda,

Wes

And this ACT’S coming to a close! (Tuesday, Feb. 10)

Sorry, bad pun. =D We’ve just returned from Bushara Island this afternoon, where we’ve been for the past three days, doing our final debriefing sessions. So, officially, we’re now done. We’ve said our goodbyes to the Ugandan crew, we’ve left camp for the final time, and now, we’ve concluded our debriefs too. I still need to do some more handover work with Chris, who needs to follow up on some of the work that we started, and I also need to complete my exit report; but, once those are complete, and it shouldn’t take more than a couple of days I hope, I’ll be done done. Following that, I hope to return to Another Hope orphanage for another week, and sometime next week, to meet up with Kevin, from the eMi Canada office in Calgary, who is currently leading a design team near Kampala.

I don’t think of myself as being sentimental. Alright, maybe a little… =p I just find it difficult to grasp that this is really over. ACTS, GFS projects, climbing hills and testing water, driving inconceivably bad roads, the list could easily extend for awhile. For sure, I look forward to no more excel spreadsheets for the next little while; I definitely look forward to going back to Another Hope and seeing the kids again; I look forward to traveling some and seeing more of East Africa; and then, but not too much yet, I look forward to returning home. Still, I can’t help but look back on the past five months and wish that it wasn’t already over.

Certainly, it hasn’t always been a blast; there have definitely been a fair share of ups and downs, disappointments, frustrations, and a ton of anticlimaxes (read: over one hundred sources investigated, less than a tenth suitable for GFS consideration). As we discussed and examined in our debrief sessions, there is, and always will be, much room for improvement. Yet, there’s no doubt that this has been a wonderful experience in most regards. I know that I have learned a great deal, many things which I may not realize for awhile, or maybe, ever. But I recognize that I’ve been changed by the work that I’ve done, by the culture that I’ve been immersed in, and by the people that I’ve met.

Who would’ve thought that someone of Chinese heritage, born and raised in Canada, and having grown up in the big cities, could be so comfortable working and living in the rural communities of Southwestern Uganda, near the heart (or at least the centre) of that foreign and mysterious place we call Africa? This region where Runyankole is the language of choice; where the majority of people haven’t completed secondary school; where boiled bananas and mashed maize is the be all and end all of their diets. Well, newsflash, one, it really isn’t all that different, or as different as one might expect anyway, and two, it couldn’t have been done without all the support that I’ve received from home. I’ve said it before but I need to say it again. Your emails, cards, letters, phone calls, and of course, prayers, are very much appreciated. The support, care and encouragement that I received made the work lighter, the problems insignificant, and the disappointments slight. So, to you, who, just by reading this, are testifying to the care that has been undeservedly granted to me, thank you once again. Webale munonga!

Season’s over for Roving Team 2008 (Thursday, Feb 05)

In the past two days, we wrapped up the search for sources in the Isingiro and Ibanda districts, exhausting the rest of the potential sources that the two district offices had given to us. Yesterday was our final field day, and it pretty decent one, kinda... Asaph, the other half of reduced roving team, was back from the OFF and we managed to see three sources, none of which were suitable for a GFS, but at least they characterized an accurate depiction of the majority of the sources that we’ve investigated. One had too little flow, one was too low in the valley for gravity to bring anywhere, and the last was a protected spring that was no longer functioning. Haha, yep, fitting end to the tale of this roving team.

We spent today at Canada House, going over all of the documents that we’ve managed to collect over the past few months. District project proposals, community project requests, maps, population data, health and sanitation surveys, water quality test results, we perused over them for the final time, sorting the useful from the useless, throwing out a few, categorizing some, reorganizing others. So now, hopefully, next year’s roving team will have an easier time trying to pick up from where we’ve left off. The best help they have though, above al the organizing and labeling that we’ve attempted to do, is Asaph, the constant on this roving team, and those to follow. It’s been a pretty banner year for Asaph as well, he was one of the crew who ACTS put through driving school this past summer, and he’s now been driving for a good five months I think. (haha, as you might imagine with any new driver, there can be some nervous moments, when we’re rounding a corner a little too fast, or passing a vehicle a little too close, or stalling on a hill; but overall, Asaph’s probably driving considerably better than I was after just five months on the road, and on Ugandan roads, no less!) He’s also got a second child on the way, due in March, or possibly even this month the doctors tell him. We’ve now got Asaph using the GPS like a pro, and he’s even been training the other Ugandans on it, and he’s now typing at a blazing forty characters per minute, thanks to the MaxType freeware program, (haha, yea, that one will take some more time and practice). So, it’s been a good five months and a pleasure working with Asaph and Mike. Best of luck to next year’s roving team, but no worries, you’re in good hands.

Hello, Goodbye (Wednesday, Feb 4)

Well, it’s February, that’s the final confirmation that our time’s really, so quickly, coming to a close. Count, three days left of work. Two, actually, since this workday’s over, and really, just one and a half days because Saturday’s a half day. Then, we'll be heading to Lake Bunyoni, billed by the Lonely Planet as the most beautiful lake in Uganda, for three days at one of the camps that was also an ACTS project a few years ago. Three days of debriefing and wrapping up and, that’ll be it. Our contracts with ACTS officially end on the fifteenth, but, as far as we know, we’re completely done once debrief is over, less than a week from today. Crazy…

And the past week’s been just that as well, crazy. After everyone over the age of 25 had left Kasese, it was back to work as normal, except not really normal at all. It was the first time that I’d been roving without either Mike, who returned home two weeks ago, or Asaph, who was home for the monthly OFF. It was just me and Chris, who was along for the ride to get a better grasp of the process of developing a design and project proposal. He’ll also be here until May and will hopefully have the chance to tie up some of the loose ends that I just haven’t had the time to do myself. Yona, crucial piece to the roving team’s success, was not able to accompany us either because his youngest son was sick in the hospital with a serious bout of malaria (he’s since left the hospital and is recovering well). Add on the fact that, despite it officially being the dry season, it rained for three days straight, and we weren’t able to get as much done as we’d hoped for. Nevertheless, we are a respectable step closer to completing the Bughendero design, and hopefully, Chris is now well equipped enough to finish it off without too much difficulty. So, we left Kasese Saturday morning, probably for the final time for me. We first came to Kasese to do a quick one day survey for a small project back in September and proceeded to spend the majority of the following three months there. It was a lot longer than the one month that we’d originally allocated, and not surprisingly, leaving Kasese was a little harder too.

So, many thanks, to Mimi, for having us, I believe the longest stay that she’s had to deal with, and for making sure that there’s always hot water for the shower in the evenings; to Peter, for your unceasingly delicious cooking that was waiting for us no matter what time we got home; to the Bowers, for opening up your place to check email and just to chill whenever work found us near Kagando; to Yona, without whom we might still be wandering the hills looking for a project; and to the rest of the South Rwenzori Diocese team, for your hospitality, for your interest in our work, for your warm encouragement and exceeding gratefulness, and, haha, even for your unexpected appearances at the guesthouse, just to say hello. =D

Second last week! (Sunday, Jan 25 & Tuesday, Jan 27)

Well, as expected, these last few weeks have been hectic thus far. Saturday morning, Mike caught the bus to Kampala, where he flew out from Sunday morning. To quote Timone from Lion King, “our trio’s down to two”; the trio being the roving team, of course. It’s difficult to realize how close I am to the end of my time with ACTS and Mike’s departure is a definite confirmation that yes, five months has already passed. For the majority of our time here, he’s been the person I’ve been working most closely with so things are sure to be a little different without him around. However, Chris, the other engineering intern, may be joining us for some roving in the next few weeks and he’d be a welcome addition to our team. But it's been a good time working with Mike, regardless of the fact that he’s kind of a workaholic (which makes me work a little longer and harder out of guilt), and when he’s not working, he’s blogging, (which also reminds me to get on the computer and update as well), and he talks in his sleep (a little disturbing at first, but I’ve learned to tune it out now). Haha, but it’s been a pretty memorable five months, and a lot of that has been from our various roving team experiences. We’ve hiked many a hill, seen a good chunk of southwestern Uganda, met a ton of people, survived some harrowing roads (I mean, “roads”), and even managed to do some work as well!

Working as a team, not work related, but nevertheless, working as a team. (We’re actually hooking up Edward, one of the construction team foremen, for his first, and probably last, ever ride on a zipline, the first thing we engineers constructed in Uganda! =D)

Anyway, on Saturday morning, I joined David, the director of ACTS, and Tim, the regional director of ACTS, on to meet with the Ibanda District Chairperson and the District Water Officer to discuss the possibility, and perhaps, the details of how we could collaborate on a proposed massive 4 billion shilling project within their district. Unfortunately, ACTS is too restricted by the CIDA project criteria to be able do this project with CIDA funding and neither ACTS nor the Ibanda district has the financial capability to be able to complete the project without CIDA, or other outside funding. So, much of our past week’s work on the Nsasi project has been rendered of no use which is a definitely more than a little disappointing.

Today, after church, a convoy of three trucks left for Kasese to review the proposed projects that me, Mike and Asaph have been working on for the past few months. Within this convoy were five engineers - Bern, who will probably be the engineer in charge of the construction of these projects; Chris, who will be staying in country until the end of April and thus, needs to be briefed on the projects in case any changes need to be made after I’ve left; Chris Town, a senior engineer from Urban systems who is coming to review how Urban Systems funding is being and will be spent by ACTS; and Jono, a more junior engineer who is coming to help alongside Chris Town. Also coming to see the projects are Richard (foreman of the Ugandan construction team); Asaph (the other half of the roving team); David (the ACTS director); and Jayna (Jono’s wife, and a photographer who is documenting the work on the ACTS projects of past, present and future). After we’d arrived and ate a delicious meal prepared by the one and only Peter from the Agape Guesthouse, we all went over to the Bishop’s house for a little meet and greet meeting. For most of the details about the projects, I have been looked to for the answers, particularly now that Mike, the other half of the design team, has left for Canada. So, needless to say, I’ve felt a little bit of pressure to be able to provide the answers and details that people are asking about. But it’s also nice to have some more experienced engineers around (yes, once again, I find myself the youngest and least experienced among this group) to ask for advice from and to review our work to ensure that it does indeed make sense before ACTS goes ahead and constructs it.

And as I continue this now, it’s Tuesday night and everyone but me and Chris, the other engineering intern, have left Kasese. The last two days have been hectic, but at the same time, totally worthwhile and even encouraging; now that the senior engineers have seen the project designs, sources and the proposed pipeline route as well as chosen a suitable location for our camp, it’s like we have really finalized the decision to go ahead with the project if and when CIDA approves the proposal. So, this is it, this is as close to fruition as the project will reach during my time in Uganda, (we don’t expect to hear back from CIDA about the Bwesumbu project, our first proposal, for another six months.) But we’ve taken these projects as far as they can go, for now, and I’ll take a definite sense of accomplishment from that. No time to linger on those thoughts though, as me and Chris will be trying to follow up on the work that the roving team began on the Bughendero source, and hopefully complete a design for that proposal in the next few days. Optimistic? For sure, but optimism is what the roving team has worked on for the past five months, and that's not gonna change this late in the game!

So, the construction crew began construction on the new Nyarugyera project this past week. The first step, to dig back and expose the source for protection. The small hole in the ground is that source, and will soon be supplying water to about ten thousand people, crazyyy!

So, this is Africa!

As my experiences and understanding of the African (Ugandan, in particular) culture, people, and habits increase, there are certain things that I have noticed that are just, well, more different than others. So I’ve made a list, clearly not exhaustive, of things that wouldn’t go over well in Canada, but are just part of the normal, everyday life here in rural Uganda.

Edit: as I started writing, I kept coming up with more and more so I’ll cap it at ten for now, and add to them when I have nothing else more interesting to write about.

1. Throwing any garbage you have out the window of your moving car, on the street as you walk by, even on the floor of a restaurant you’re eating in. More commonly known as pollution, it is illegal in Canada and is generally viewed as socially unacceptable; however, it’s the norm in Uganda. Me and Mike have tried to explain it to Asaph, but he just laughs and continues to do it. He even points out how weird it is when he sees me put an empty wrapper or other garbage in my backpack or pants pocket rather than just throw it on the ground. And no, frustratingly, there aren’t any garbage cans in Uganda where we can throw our garbage. But why would there be? No one would use them anyway.

2. Electricity, or lack thereof. Yup, it seems that no matter where I go, there’ll be power outages. That is, assuming there is power in that place to lose. In camp we operate (or sometimes, don’t operate) on solar power, meaning that if it’s cloudy, there’s no power. In Mbarara, we amusingly watch the voltage meter on the power bar fluctuate between 220 volts (the norm here) to 110 volts to less. And sometimes, the power just goes out completely. At the orphanage in Kampala, the capital city, and the biggest, most populous, most developed city in the country, the power goes out on a regular basis, several times a week, and often for extended periods of time. Kasese? The same thing. In fact, at one point, the power was so intermittent that we actually decided to bring our incubator into the diocese hospital (has its own independent source electricity) in order to ensure that our water samples were being tested properly.

3. Bargaining, for everything (well, almost everything, anyway). Yup, from food to clothes to internet to hair cuts to bus fares, you can usually barter for what you’ll pay for. I imagine that this one’s not entirely all that uncommon though, especially if you’ve traveled in pretty much any country outside of Europe, North America, and Australia. It’s awesome having Asaph around with me most of the time cause he knows how much everything’s actually worth and basically watches my back so I don’t get ripped off.

4. You, come! So this phrase seems to be the typical Ugandan request when you want something, usually, but not restricted to, a restaurant setting. Yes, while Ugandans are generally viewed as a very polite and kind people, things like P’s & Q’s just don’t have the same significance here. In Runyankole, for instance, the local language in the part of Uganda where I am working, there is no word for please or sorry… Other common variations of this phrase include ‘You, buy!’ and ‘You, take!’

5. Using your horn, a lot. Next to your pedals and steering wheel, the horn is the next most used instrument when driving on Ugandan roads. It has quite the range of uses, many of which are not construed as being rude or impolite. As Asaph puts it, most of the time the car honking at you is just to say hi; other times, it’s a heads-up that they’re coming up to pass you or to let you know something’s coming up ahead; or perhaps, that you’re in his lane (pretty common and normal here). How do you know which one he means? Asaph says, just guess.... I’m not even going to try and explain how they use their turn signals or headlights.

6. Public Transport. Ie. 25 People in one vehicle with you. What’s so unusual about that? Well, the fact that there are only 14 seats in the minivan. I really love that painted on the door of each vehicle is the phrase, “licensed to carry 14 passengers.” Similarly, you won’t often find a passenger vehicle without at least three in the front and four in the back. It’s the beauty of capitalism I guess, working at it’s greatest efficiency possible. One van loads up with as many people as possible, and then takes off. It’s a lot cheaper than public transport back home, (the typical fare I pay here is usually between 500-1000 USh, about 33-67 cents CDN) and it runs more cost effectively, with absolutely no drain on society or taxpayers. You pay for exactly what you get. The only downside to this, it often makes for a somewhat uncomfortable ride.

7. A hole in the ground instead of a flushing toilet. This is one of the things that makes me most grateful to be a guy. I’m still not an accomplished squatter yet, but I think my legs just aren’t made to bend into that position. Anyway, thankfully, most everywhere I’ve been has had toilets when I’ve needed them, but it’s always a bit of a guessing game otherwise.

8. Wearing the same outfit for days (or even weeks) on end. And no deodorant. Haha, no joke, the roving team (Me, Mike, and Asaph) kind of have designated a certain portion of our wardrobe to be working clothes. This is necessary because we often get quite muddy and dirty as we conquer the various Ugandan hills in search of water. And I got tired of having nothing clean to wear if I changed everyday. So, I’ve got one pair of pants that I wear five days a week, sometimes six if we’re out in the field on Saturday, and if I’m feeling clean, I’ll switch shirts halfway through the week. About deodorant, scents attract bugs, so au naturale is the way to go!

9. Eating the same thing for days on end. I found that Ugandans are not the most adventurous people, particularly when it comes to food. At camp, we have rice, matooke, posho, millet, and beans, maybe some Irish potatoes or sweet potatoes, but that’s about the extent of the menu. And that’s the menu day in and day out, almost without fail. When we long for something western and make something from back home, Mike’s made Guacamole, Nancy’s made Hummus, the girls tried their best to make donuts. Each time, the Ugandans will try a bit, just enough to appear polite, and then go back to their more traditional foods. I guess they’ve grown accustomed to only eating these limited foods, and are most comfortable with them. We, on the other hand, are often encouraged to try different things, so in a sense, we’re accustomed to eating the unaccustomed.

And last but definitely not least,

10. Guys holding hands…with other guys.
This awesome picture was snapped by Chris of Bern, the senior engineer, and Gordon, one of the construction crew.

While it is the norm in Canada for guys and girls to hold hands, that isn’t the case in Uganda; rather, it is generally frowned upon for a guy to hold hands with a girl. However, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with two guys holding hands. This is even more surprising given the fact that homosexuality is still illegal in this country. Yet, and I am not exaggerating in the least, you can see guys holding hands on pretty much every street corner in any typical Ugandan town. And while some of you won’t believe this, and it was definitely one of the more difficult things to adjust to in terms of Ugandan Culture, I can now hold hands with a guy without too much distain or discomfort. No, it’s definitely not a normal feeling still, nor do I ever think or hope it will be, but I think I can do it well enough now that the person holding my hand can’t sense my discomfort. It’s just a sign of friendship right? If anything, I should be flattered… Don’t worry though guys, this is one part of the Ugandan culture that I definitely won’t be bringing back with me!

Homecoming! (Wednesday, Jan 21)

No, I don’t mean Canada, yet. But since Saturday, we’ve been back in camp, the place we called home during our first month in Uganda. It’s the first time the roving team had been back to camp since wayyy back in September and I’d definitely forgotten about some of the harder aspects of camp life. At camp, electricity is directly proportional to how sunny it is, peanut butter is a rare and highly sought after commodity, the drums begin beating at 0630 each morning, and washing is done via the classic bath-a-la-sponge. After our fourth night back, I’m really counting my blessings of the luxuries that I’ve taken for granted while working in other areas of southwestern Uganda over the past few months. And I’m also much more sympathetic of the girls, who have been in camp for pretty much their entire time in Uganda. I really do like matooke, rice, and g-nut sauce, but if I don’t know how much I’d still enjoy it if I had to eat it twice a day, everyday. Even more respect goes out to Bern and Nancy, who are retired from their engineering and teaching careers and could easily to be relaxing somewhere nice and comfortable, but have instead chosen to come to Uganda for six months and live in a camp with no running water, intermittent electricity and the same food day in and day out. Even more, they were here last year and decided to come back again this year to help out with this year’s batch of interns as well as the current water project. Bern is the senior engineer on the ground, and Nancy is in charge of the child sponsorship program; additionally, they are the official camp bosses that we turn to when we need advice or authorization about anything. So many thanks and appreciation goes to them for all of their assistance and knowledge and above all, their commitment and willingness to continue serving the Ugandan people.

This is camp! (well, the old camp in Kinyamafura anyway. We've just moved camps to our new project site in Nyarugera, but for the most part, the camp is pretty similar.)

Over the past week, we’ve been working on a source near camp (it’s about an hour’s drive away but at least it’s in the same district as the project we’re currently working on in the Nyarugyera Parish). We’ve pretty much gathered all the information and met with all the community leaders that we need to and will probably be heading back to Mbarara and Canada House (and a warm shower!) tomorrow. Being at camp is definitely refreshing though, we get to see the rest of the Ugandan crew as well as spend some time with the other interns; this time might also be our final time in camp since we have just over two weeks left of work before our once seemingly long five and a half months of work will so quickly come to a close.

In other news, a group of fourteen new arrivals from Canada just came to camp on Tuesday afternoon. The group includes David, the director of ACTS, and his wife, two nursing students, a family of six, two engineers from Urban Systems (an engineering consulting company) and the wife of one of the engineers, and Chris, the engineering intern who originally came with our team in September but returned home for a few months after his grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. The family of six, as well as David and his wife, left the same afternoon for a different ACTS project, where they will be working during their time here. The rest of the group has stayed in camp though, so there’s been a bit of excitement with a new group of faces around. Every tent is occupied, the office is bustling, and overall, the camp’s just been a little livelier.

Urban Systems is one of ACTS’ bigger private donors and the two engineers are here on behalf of Urban to see the projects that their company is helping to fund. With me and Mike being in camp this week along with the arrival of the two Urban engineers and the return of Chris, the number of engineers in camp has multiplied sixfold! It’s nice to have the more experienced engineers from Urban Systems on hand so that me and Mike can ask questions that we’ve had with some of our project proposals as well as get some verification about the overall designs. We’ll also all be going to Kasese, (yes, again) next week, in order to show them the sites of the proposed projects. One of the engineers has also worked with Kevin from eMi Canada, who I worked with in Calgary and was my project leader in Haiti last summer. What’s more, Kevin’s next project trip, which is coming up in a couple of weeks, is to, where else, but Uganda! Haha, sometimes this gigantic world just doesn’t really seem that big after all!


One prayer request that's come up is for Charles, one of the construction crew members, and among the most nicest and personable of an overall friendly bunch! But he and his family are going through a bit of a trying time right now and could use a little extra prayer. Over Christmas, his wife had a miscarriage, and just this past week, one of his daughters was bit by a dog. Charles went home for yesterday to take her to the hospital but they didn't have any rabies vaccinations available. The doctor has gone to Kampala to get some and Charles hopes that he'll be back by Saturday so that his daughter can get the shots then.

and a couple of pics from camp, way back in September...
Trying to learn to carry things the African way! I'll be sticking with my backpack though... =p

Our first engineering task in Uganda was to build a zipline in camp! It was our first weekend in camp and we think that the Ugandans thought we were crazy, but Edward and a few of them managed the courage to try it out in the end!

In the rainy season, it can really rain...

And more rain....


Finally, this is one of the skills I've learned here in Uganda. It's called slacklining, and Chris actually brought it with him from Canada. Just a couple of carabiners and some webbing, but it's a lotta fun (especially once you get the hang of it) and it's an awesome workout too. Oh, and some Ugandans are uncannily good at it!

Crunch Time! (Thursday, Jan 08)

Just a random picture of a guy, his boda, and his morning delivery of eggs... haha, this is Africa!

Back at ACTS, January’s going to be a hectic month as we struggle to complete all of our work before our time here ends. It really is crazy to realize that we have just over a month left out of our nearly six month work term in Uganda. January is essentially our last month of work; although we are not officially finished until the middle of February, all but three of those days are allocated for either travel or debriefings. I can say that for everyone on our team, crunch time has arrived, and will likely continue until our very last working day.

For the roving team, our mandate from the higher-ups was to find and submit six project proposals during our time here. And while we knew from the start that it was a lofty, if not impossible, goal to aim for, we were still hoping to get as close that number as we could. Well, we’ve got two completed thus far with another identified and to be designed. However, even with that last one, it is still only three, half of the magic number that we’re aiming for. But we’ve been able to hit the ground running in our two days back thus far. We somehow managed to meet with the extremely-busy-and-difficult-to-track-down water engineers for three different districts yesterday, and yet another different one today. From these meetings, we’ve already seen several promising sources. Now, it’s still a lot of work before each of these sources becomes a full blown project design and proposal; however, it’s definitely an encouraging and promising beginning to this last month of work. So, a prayer request would definitely that everyone on our team would be able to finish strong and really make a good push to the end, that we’d have the energy and motivation to make that extra effort. And with that, I hope, for all of us, that we would be able to see some tangible results for our efforts.

Finally, in my reflections in the new year, I was again reminded of all the support that I continue to receive from many of you. So A SINCERE THANKS TO YOU for the prayers, the emails, and the letters (I received three all at once today!). It really is a great encouragement to know that I can always share my work, my experiences, my prayers and concerns to receptive ears and open hearts, thank you.

Another Hope, another home away from home (Wednesday, Jan 7)

Happy new year everyone! I’ve also since left the Another Hope orphanage and its thirty five awesome kids and returned back to Mbarara, and to work, probably the same as many of you. As I settle back into the routine of my work, I can’t help but miss the kids, their smiling faces, even their greasy fingers after meals, their seemingly constantly running noses, and their dirty uniforms after playing in the dirt….the list goes on. I was definitely blessed to have been able to spend the past two weeks with all the kids at Another Hope and, as I promised them, I’ll be back to visit again before I leave Uganda.

On Saturday night, my last night at the orphanage, they had a sort of farewell party/send off for me. The kids sang songs, they gave a few speeches of thanks, recalling some of their favourite memories during my stay with them, and they prayed for me, as they always do for departing volunteers. It was humbling to see the gratefulness that the kids had for my efforts during my short stay with them. Yea, I tried my best to help them with math, or English, or sports, or to do simple repair jobs around the house. But really, it didn’t equate to the gratitude that the kids and staff showed for me.

Also, as I got to know each child better, I also learned more about their stories, their histories that brought each of them to Another Hope. And frankly, it hurts to think about the pain and suffering that many of these kids have already experienced, things that I’ll never be able to fully understand, things that I wish that no one would ever need to witness, let alone endure. For several of the kids, this means having to deliberately block out their histories because I just don’t know if I’d be able to treat them the same otherwise. I can’t write all their stories here, but you can ask me if you want to know.

Even now that the kids are at Another Hope and have a better home, a better diet, a better education, and overall, a better life, they still deserve more. Or, maybe, the rest of us just deserve less. Sometimes I wonder how God chose for some of us to receive all the blessings that these kids can only long for, and I feel ashamed at all the things that I take for granted. To give you an idea of how little is enough, the monthly budget for the orphanage, minus rent and school fees, is 400,000 Ugandan shillings. Translation: it costs less than 250 Canadian dollars to provide for these thirty five kids for one month, that’s less than twenty five cents per child per day. Moreover, the orphanage offers more than many of these kids have ever had, more food, more blessings, more love. How much do you, as a family or even as an individual, spend each month? Humbling, isn’t it? I really pray that we could truly learn to be content with less, and to be more generous with what we do have; I know it’s cliché, but when you see the way these children live, you realize that it’s more than just a catch phrase, it’s real.

And for all I’ve written about these kids, I haven’t had the chance to post any pictures of these beloved kids. So, here are some pictures of life at Another Hope. Just can’t get enough of the smiling faces, the funny poses, or just the deer-caught-in-the-headlights expressions. ...And the internet's cutting in and out right now so I'll post the pics up whenever I get a better connection.

And pictures!

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.