For the rural home stays, we traveled to the Soroti district. The people there are members of the Teso tribe, while the people where I am at the university are from the Buganda tribe. The Teso people speak a different language, have different customs, and eat different food. The family I stayed with had 6 children the youngest was 15 but was at boarding school. Primarily, I spent my time with Toto (mom), Papa, Tata (grandmother), and two nephews. My Toto was a housewife and my Papa was a lecturer at the nearby university. Their homestead was comprised of 8 huts. (I am hesitant to use that term “hut” because they are really houses. The huts are circular structures cemented with cow dung and the roof is made out of thatched straw. However, they are in the middle of constructing a Western style house.) Each hut has a different purpose. One hut was the kitchen. Another was used to hold all the possessions. There was one that was more like a cabana and was the sitting area. Each person in the family had a hut, for example, Toto and Papa had a hut and the sons and the daughters had their respective huts. I spent my days shadowing Toto as I watched her in fascination. The amount of worked it took to do everything was overwhelming. The whole day revolved around food; either Toto was gathering food, preparing foodstuffs, cooking food, getting utensils/fire ready to cook/eat food, or eating food. I was frustrated because I wanted to help but I couldn’t really do much; I was completely incompetent. I primarily washed dishes and swept, but I still managed to do those chores wrong to some degree. I spent a lot of my time just sitting. We were warned about this but I refused to bring a book or isolate myself in my hut because I really wanted to engage in the culture. My day generally looked like this:
• 6:50 - They consistently woke me up at this time, which really amused me since they don’t use clocks.
• 8:30-10:30 – Toto and I went out into the garden, which really looked like a field, to pick sweet potatoes. I tried to use the hoe to dig them up but I kept cutting the sweet potatoes in half, so I was demoted to gathering the potatoes and putting them in the sack.
• 10:30-11 – Peeled sweet potatoes for tea time.
• 11-11:30 – Ate breakfast and washed dishes.
• 11:30-12 – I sat alone in the sitting room.
• 12-1:30 – Toto and I drank tea and ate sweet potatoes. Their sweet potatoes are so delicious; they are very sweet and white in color. The Teso people do not use utensils to eat their food so everything was eaten with our hands. It was easy to get used to but it was hard for me to touch the hot food! Tea time was my favorite time; Toto and I really engaged in great conversations about poverty, education, and other issues.
• 1:30-2 – We took a nap on the straw mats outside.
• 2-3:30 – Toto would prepare lunch and I would shell ground nuts. Ground nuts are essentially peanuts. They are an essential food used in sauces.
• 3:30/4 – Lunch
• 4-7 – I would make myself busy with either shelling more ground nuts, sweeping, doing dishes, but most times I would just sit. I did A LOT of thinking over my week.
• 7-8 – Evening tea time. Papa, the two nephews, and I gathered around the radio and had evening tea with usually more sweet potatoes. During this time there was a slight switch in my social role. Throughout my week I had been very confused on my social role as a part of the family because I was treated like a woman during the day, but in the evening I was treated like a man. I always sat and talked with the men while the women sat on the straw mat separated from the men.
• 8-10:30 – Dinner was never served at consistent times, but during this time I would bathe. After I was finished, we would eat dinner. Then I would go straight to bed.
I did not mention that throughout the day were many visitors. It was so great to witness the hospitality toward visitors. A person never left without being fed or offered water. Their generosity is something that I truly admired and wish to emulate in my life.
The week overall was wonderful. However, it was extremely challenging. The consistent alone, quiet time was very overwhelming and I was happy for the week to be over.
My time here in Uganda has probed so much self-reflection. When I thought I couldn’t go any further, rural home stays just brought me to another level. And we are now reading the book Compassion, which is proving to be quite challenging as well. There are so many things that I am learning about myself. My core values are being transformed and new values are emerging. I’m even more confused about the purpose of life than I think I have ever been. However, I have fallen deeper in love with Christ and I am in awe of God’s daily wonders. I wish I could articulate the emotions and thoughts I am experiencing but I am at a lack of words. Even though I am being so stretched I am overall incredibly at peace. It is evident that I am supposed to be here in Uganda right now.
I’ll blog soon.
Love,
Kristen
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
I eat bananas voluntarily, I’ve given up on makeup, and I have a tan (well, according to my standards)!
I apologize profusely for not updating my blog in a couple of weeks. It’s not that I haven’t been thinking of you. It’s just that so much has been going on, the shock of living in Uganda is wearing off and living here is becoming normal, and I have been personally reflecting on many things and well it’s personal and I don’t really want to post it on the internet. So bear with me while I try to bring you up to date.
Well, I have continued to deepen my friendships with the Ugandans and Americans alike. Through Christ I have been accepted and welcomed by the Christian community on campus. I am invited to different prayer meetings, which has been so exciting and revealing. I am slowly comprehending the vastness and diversity of the body of Christ. The five of us girls that live in Sabiti Hall, apart from the rest of the Americans, have really developed a strong sisterhood. We have adopted the African way of communal living and share everything: clothes, food, medicine, money, etc. everything short of deodorant, razors, and toothbrushes. We have never experienced this sense of communal living before and we are all buzzing with contentment in how freeing sharing is. We unanimously agree that it will be difficult to go back to living individually in the United States. I hope that I can continue living in this fashion.
I find myself quite busy with a pretty full class schedule, extra curricular activities, and socializing. School is relatively easy; there is just a lot of reading. All of my classes thematically overlap and I am gaining a better perspective on the African worldview. To be honest, I’m most occupied with socializing, which is something I’ve never really experienced before because I am usually always busy with schoolwork. I’m realizing how important relationships are and no matter how independent I might be it is always better to have friends around. My days are truly filled with laughter, smiles, memories, and new adventures. I prayed for just one really good friend but God has provided so many great friends; I feel truly blessed.
I have started my service project. I am serving at a blind school called Salama. A conversation with the headmaster was extremely eye-opening as he explained how marginalized blind children are. He said that if a parent of a blind child was asked how many kids they have, they would answer “I have four kids, and one blind child.” The blind children are not even considered children! I’m not exactly sure to what capacity I will be helping the school, but I am hoping to work with the children in their classes. One of the directors said that I could possibly teach a class, so we’ll see. (The girls and I serving at Salama might be fundraising for the school. There are in desperate need for funds. I will keep you posted.) On Fridays, we help with gardening. Last Friday, we started to clear the garden to begin planting. There was about ten of us clearing the land with a hoe. Within an hour, my precious middle-class American white hands blistered and oozed, meanwhile a 60-something year old man never took a break. Besides the children, I think the most memorable part of my time at Salama will be the journey there. It’s about at 40 minute drive. Ten minutes of the drive is on the paved road, the rest is a dirt road. To say the road is bumpy is an understatement; it is like a roller coaster. Though it is terrifying, there is something so exciting and adventurous about is. I now look forward to drive as it provokes reflection. Below is the list of things that I see on my way there and back:
Absent eyes.
Weathered faces.
Beaming smiles.
Attractive faces.
Braless women.
Naked children.
Bumpy roads.
Exotic beauty.
Breathtaking creation.
This past weekend I went to a wedding. We had quite an adventure getting to the wedding. First, we waited two hours for the driver. Second, we had to pack in 8 passengers into a 4 passenger car… you figure that one out. We ended up missing the ceremony, and we got lost on our way to the reception. However, the reception totally made our strenuous travels worth it. It was an elaborate reception with over 500 guests. There was a wide selection of food and beverages and everything tasted great. The couple getting married was of Rwandan decent. (Historically, Rwanda is a tribe and didn’t become a state until later.) So, there were Rwandan tribal dancers that ushered the couple into the tent, and danced and sang throughout the evening. It was really cool to see, except no one else seemed to be as enthralled.
Next Friday, we leave for rural home stays. We’re going to a village called Seroti, which is about 5 hours away. It should be really interesting. I’m not exactly sure what to expect, but I’m sure it will be an experience. For my birthday, we will be at a resort in Seepi (spelling?) Falls. I think there is a waterfall and we’ll do some hiking. I think that will be nice a way to celebrate my 21st.
The food is kind of growing on me. Rice and beans everyday - it gets really boring. We usually go to a stand outside the campus gates and get something to eat. I forget if I mentioned the rolex in a previous blog, but it is a staple street food. It is two fried eggs with cabbage and sometimes onion and tomato wrapped in a chapatti. In my tour guide book, it describes the rolex as “exactly the sort of street food your mother warned you against eating in Africa.” It’s quite delicious and I’m doing just fine (I don’t know about my heart though), so I will continue to eat it. Whenever we get a chance to go into Kampala, we seek good restaurants. My friends and I went to Sam’s Restaurant, which was a gold-mind! We all shared cheesy garlic bread. I ordered a salad, a steak, mashed potatoes, and steamed veggies. I cleaned my plate; it was delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. One of our friends in the dorm told us about a good Mexican place in Kampala; I’m pretty sure that will be our next restaurant excursion.
I don’t know what else to say so I will stop. I would try to upload pictures but the internet is painstakingly slow and I don’t really want to wait 3 hours for pictures to load. Maybe if the internet is fast one day I will try.
I’ll blog soon.
Love,
Kristen
Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
Well, I have continued to deepen my friendships with the Ugandans and Americans alike. Through Christ I have been accepted and welcomed by the Christian community on campus. I am invited to different prayer meetings, which has been so exciting and revealing. I am slowly comprehending the vastness and diversity of the body of Christ. The five of us girls that live in Sabiti Hall, apart from the rest of the Americans, have really developed a strong sisterhood. We have adopted the African way of communal living and share everything: clothes, food, medicine, money, etc. everything short of deodorant, razors, and toothbrushes. We have never experienced this sense of communal living before and we are all buzzing with contentment in how freeing sharing is. We unanimously agree that it will be difficult to go back to living individually in the United States. I hope that I can continue living in this fashion.
I find myself quite busy with a pretty full class schedule, extra curricular activities, and socializing. School is relatively easy; there is just a lot of reading. All of my classes thematically overlap and I am gaining a better perspective on the African worldview. To be honest, I’m most occupied with socializing, which is something I’ve never really experienced before because I am usually always busy with schoolwork. I’m realizing how important relationships are and no matter how independent I might be it is always better to have friends around. My days are truly filled with laughter, smiles, memories, and new adventures. I prayed for just one really good friend but God has provided so many great friends; I feel truly blessed.
I have started my service project. I am serving at a blind school called Salama. A conversation with the headmaster was extremely eye-opening as he explained how marginalized blind children are. He said that if a parent of a blind child was asked how many kids they have, they would answer “I have four kids, and one blind child.” The blind children are not even considered children! I’m not exactly sure to what capacity I will be helping the school, but I am hoping to work with the children in their classes. One of the directors said that I could possibly teach a class, so we’ll see. (The girls and I serving at Salama might be fundraising for the school. There are in desperate need for funds. I will keep you posted.) On Fridays, we help with gardening. Last Friday, we started to clear the garden to begin planting. There was about ten of us clearing the land with a hoe. Within an hour, my precious middle-class American white hands blistered and oozed, meanwhile a 60-something year old man never took a break. Besides the children, I think the most memorable part of my time at Salama will be the journey there. It’s about at 40 minute drive. Ten minutes of the drive is on the paved road, the rest is a dirt road. To say the road is bumpy is an understatement; it is like a roller coaster. Though it is terrifying, there is something so exciting and adventurous about is. I now look forward to drive as it provokes reflection. Below is the list of things that I see on my way there and back:
Absent eyes.
Weathered faces.
Beaming smiles.
Attractive faces.
Braless women.
Naked children.
Bumpy roads.
Exotic beauty.
Breathtaking creation.
This past weekend I went to a wedding. We had quite an adventure getting to the wedding. First, we waited two hours for the driver. Second, we had to pack in 8 passengers into a 4 passenger car… you figure that one out. We ended up missing the ceremony, and we got lost on our way to the reception. However, the reception totally made our strenuous travels worth it. It was an elaborate reception with over 500 guests. There was a wide selection of food and beverages and everything tasted great. The couple getting married was of Rwandan decent. (Historically, Rwanda is a tribe and didn’t become a state until later.) So, there were Rwandan tribal dancers that ushered the couple into the tent, and danced and sang throughout the evening. It was really cool to see, except no one else seemed to be as enthralled.
Next Friday, we leave for rural home stays. We’re going to a village called Seroti, which is about 5 hours away. It should be really interesting. I’m not exactly sure what to expect, but I’m sure it will be an experience. For my birthday, we will be at a resort in Seepi (spelling?) Falls. I think there is a waterfall and we’ll do some hiking. I think that will be nice a way to celebrate my 21st.
The food is kind of growing on me. Rice and beans everyday - it gets really boring. We usually go to a stand outside the campus gates and get something to eat. I forget if I mentioned the rolex in a previous blog, but it is a staple street food. It is two fried eggs with cabbage and sometimes onion and tomato wrapped in a chapatti. In my tour guide book, it describes the rolex as “exactly the sort of street food your mother warned you against eating in Africa.” It’s quite delicious and I’m doing just fine (I don’t know about my heart though), so I will continue to eat it. Whenever we get a chance to go into Kampala, we seek good restaurants. My friends and I went to Sam’s Restaurant, which was a gold-mind! We all shared cheesy garlic bread. I ordered a salad, a steak, mashed potatoes, and steamed veggies. I cleaned my plate; it was delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. One of our friends in the dorm told us about a good Mexican place in Kampala; I’m pretty sure that will be our next restaurant excursion.
I don’t know what else to say so I will stop. I would try to upload pictures but the internet is painstakingly slow and I don’t really want to wait 3 hours for pictures to load. Maybe if the internet is fast one day I will try.
I’ll blog soon.
Love,
Kristen
Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
Sunday, February 1, 2009
I saw Ghandi!!!
This weekend was absolutely marvelous. I spent the weekend in Jinja on a retreat with the USP students and the Honours College Ugandan students. We ate great food, relaxed by Lake Victoria, swam in the pool, played card games, and really got to know each other better. I took a boat ride to the source of the Nile, which was pretty unimpressive on the surface, all you see is bubbling water, but apparently if you looked underneath the water you will see what was once a waterfall. The neat thing about the area is that some of Ghandi's ashes were spread there.
I am really feeling at home here. Things are becoming not so different and I'm getting used to Ugandan living, though the food could always improve. I am making more friends both Ugandan and American and it's so awesome to hear all their different stories. I have a sneaking feeling though that time will go by so fast. So, I'm really trying to be in each moment. Unfortunately, I'm also here to do schoolwork, which I have to keep reminding myself. I would much rather be making memories than writing a 6 page paper on East African history (I'm supposed to be doing that right now). But all the students are in the same boat so I'm hoping once I get some structure to my life here it will be easier to do my studies.
Below is a reflection paper that I had to write for one of my classes. I'd thought that I would share it with you.
Prior to coming to Uganda and even prior to my home stay I maintained two primary stereotypes. First, I believed that all Africans live in destitute conditions. Second, I believed that sanitation and hygiene are lacking from African daily life. Through my experience at my home stay my preconceived notions have been challenged and validated.
A child in a government camp from the documentary “War Dance” articulated African poverty well “not everyone in Africa lives this way.” The images of shanty towns, forlorn children, etc. saturate the Western view of Africa. While there is undoubtedly severe poverty in African, it does not permeate every village in Africa. The people of Mukono, for example, enjoy a comfortable life. However, if I were back in the United States viewing their lifestyle including simple daily chores like bathing, sweeping, or cooking, I would have been deeply disturbed by their apparent poverty. Now having personally lived in an African village, I realize that Africans simply have a different way of doing things. It is neither wrong nor right, it is just different. For Americans, we view our life as “normal;” we can not imagine life without our modern conveniences and pity the people of the world who do not have same technology. Conversely, Africans who have not experienced living with modern conveniences can not imagine the American “normal” lifestyle.
Furthermore, the idea of economic classes existing in Africa never entered my thoughts prior to coming here. I had always viewed Africa with no middle class, just the rich and the really poor. From speaking with other USE students, I have noticed that each family is in varying economic classes just like the United States. For example, my family had meat three times while I was there, but another family had not eaten meat for five years due to the cost until their host student made them hamburgers. The USE students living across the road from me stayed with an affluent family. The family enjoys a widescreen TV, three cars, a house girl, and a personal manicurist that comes to their house to do their nails. What is even more surprising is that both parents are teachers. As I have come to learn, teachers and preachers are well-paying, prestigious jobs, which drastically contrasts from the United States.
The sanitization and hygiene in Africa has surprised me both positively and negatively. First, it was pleasing to learn that Ugandans prize personal cleanliness and bathe up to twice or three times a day. However, cleanliness, in my opinion, stops there. I struggled a lot with sanitization on my home stay. Dishes were cleaned in cold dirty water, gnats hovered and ants crawled around the food, mice frequently visited the sitting room, dirty rags were used repeatedly to wash and dry dishes and used for messes, children didn’t wash their hands before or after they ate and became sticky messy instantaneously after bathing, garbage and food built up on the sitting room floor during meals and throughout the day and was left to be cleaned up after the meal or in the morning, and the list goes on. The lack of sanitization is blatant to me, but I am learning in my Health and Wholeness class that proper cleanliness isn’t taught in primary or secondary school; the Health and Wholeness course at UCU is the first formal hygiene and sanitization education many Ugandans receive.
Needless to say, my experience on my home stay has been revealing and enlightening in so many ways. I have learned that Africans are more than capable of making a comfortable living. Their way of life is different from the American way, but it is not wrong. This observation convicts me to question the presence of Westerners that insist Africans must become westernized. There are numerous benefits to technology, but by forcing Africans to adopt Western ways demeans their way of life, which as I have mentioned is neither necessary nor appropriate. However, I have gained a much greater appreciation for health professionals that educate and set up institutions to promote hygiene and sanitization. I believe that proper education is the building block for a bright future. Something as basic as proper cleanliness can save thousands of lives and ensure the health of the future generations, which can ultimately lead to development.
I'll blog soon.
Love,
Kristen
I am really feeling at home here. Things are becoming not so different and I'm getting used to Ugandan living, though the food could always improve. I am making more friends both Ugandan and American and it's so awesome to hear all their different stories. I have a sneaking feeling though that time will go by so fast. So, I'm really trying to be in each moment. Unfortunately, I'm also here to do schoolwork, which I have to keep reminding myself. I would much rather be making memories than writing a 6 page paper on East African history (I'm supposed to be doing that right now). But all the students are in the same boat so I'm hoping once I get some structure to my life here it will be easier to do my studies.
Below is a reflection paper that I had to write for one of my classes. I'd thought that I would share it with you.
Prior to coming to Uganda and even prior to my home stay I maintained two primary stereotypes. First, I believed that all Africans live in destitute conditions. Second, I believed that sanitation and hygiene are lacking from African daily life. Through my experience at my home stay my preconceived notions have been challenged and validated.
A child in a government camp from the documentary “War Dance” articulated African poverty well “not everyone in Africa lives this way.” The images of shanty towns, forlorn children, etc. saturate the Western view of Africa. While there is undoubtedly severe poverty in African, it does not permeate every village in Africa. The people of Mukono, for example, enjoy a comfortable life. However, if I were back in the United States viewing their lifestyle including simple daily chores like bathing, sweeping, or cooking, I would have been deeply disturbed by their apparent poverty. Now having personally lived in an African village, I realize that Africans simply have a different way of doing things. It is neither wrong nor right, it is just different. For Americans, we view our life as “normal;” we can not imagine life without our modern conveniences and pity the people of the world who do not have same technology. Conversely, Africans who have not experienced living with modern conveniences can not imagine the American “normal” lifestyle.
Furthermore, the idea of economic classes existing in Africa never entered my thoughts prior to coming here. I had always viewed Africa with no middle class, just the rich and the really poor. From speaking with other USE students, I have noticed that each family is in varying economic classes just like the United States. For example, my family had meat three times while I was there, but another family had not eaten meat for five years due to the cost until their host student made them hamburgers. The USE students living across the road from me stayed with an affluent family. The family enjoys a widescreen TV, three cars, a house girl, and a personal manicurist that comes to their house to do their nails. What is even more surprising is that both parents are teachers. As I have come to learn, teachers and preachers are well-paying, prestigious jobs, which drastically contrasts from the United States.
The sanitization and hygiene in Africa has surprised me both positively and negatively. First, it was pleasing to learn that Ugandans prize personal cleanliness and bathe up to twice or three times a day. However, cleanliness, in my opinion, stops there. I struggled a lot with sanitization on my home stay. Dishes were cleaned in cold dirty water, gnats hovered and ants crawled around the food, mice frequently visited the sitting room, dirty rags were used repeatedly to wash and dry dishes and used for messes, children didn’t wash their hands before or after they ate and became sticky messy instantaneously after bathing, garbage and food built up on the sitting room floor during meals and throughout the day and was left to be cleaned up after the meal or in the morning, and the list goes on. The lack of sanitization is blatant to me, but I am learning in my Health and Wholeness class that proper cleanliness isn’t taught in primary or secondary school; the Health and Wholeness course at UCU is the first formal hygiene and sanitization education many Ugandans receive.
Needless to say, my experience on my home stay has been revealing and enlightening in so many ways. I have learned that Africans are more than capable of making a comfortable living. Their way of life is different from the American way, but it is not wrong. This observation convicts me to question the presence of Westerners that insist Africans must become westernized. There are numerous benefits to technology, but by forcing Africans to adopt Western ways demeans their way of life, which as I have mentioned is neither necessary nor appropriate. However, I have gained a much greater appreciation for health professionals that educate and set up institutions to promote hygiene and sanitization. I believe that proper education is the building block for a bright future. Something as basic as proper cleanliness can save thousands of lives and ensure the health of the future generations, which can ultimately lead to development.
I'll blog soon.
Love,
Kristen
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Back in my day we walked 40 minutes to school in all types of weather... and it was up hill both ways!!
It has been less than 10 days since my last blog and oh boy there is so much to recap!!! So bear with me and I hope this makes sense.
First of all the internet is very fickle, so I'm lucky to get on once a week.
Alright where to begin....
This week is the first week of the Mukono home stays. I am paired with another USP student; it's nice to share laughs together, get freaked out about the cockroaches in the toilet, and to keep each other company on the 40 minute walk to school. The family is young with a mother, an aunt, a 11 yr old daughter, 9 yr old son, 5 yr old son, a 2 1/2 yr old son, and a 1 1/2 yr old niece. (The father has been living in London for the past 2 1/2 years. I think the plan is to eventually move everyone there. I have talked to him a couple of times on the phone). Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to engage in conversations about certain issues due to the language barrier. The mom and the aunt can speak a little English; the relationship I have with them is built on laughter, mainly from saying or doing stupid things. The daughter can speak it better but an 11 year old only knows so much. However, I have been learning a lot purely by observing. There is a lot but just to list a few: sanitation, upbringing of kids, the lack of consideration for quiet, etc.
This week the schedule has been:
• Get up at 6:20
• Drink tea and eat some bread with butter
• Head out for school around 7:20
• Get to school around 8
• After the school day we leave around 5:30/6
• When we get back we help out we help out with preparing for tea time. I have learned how to make some Ugandan classics. I am writing all the recipes down so I can share them with family and friends when I get back.
• Tea time is around 7:30. The tea isn’t actually tea. My family drinks this stuff called “Soya.” It’s really good. It tastes somewhere between hot chocolate and coffee. With tea we also have some type of snack.
• After tea I take a basin bath and perhaps journal, read, or play with the kids.
• Dinner isn’t until usually 10:30. I’m lucky if it is at 10. I’m usually really full from tea time so eating dinner is super hard. (My aunt when she was younger used to stuff the food she didn’t want to eat in her carpenter pants…. I wish I had carpenter pants.)
• I go to bed right after dinner between 11 and 12.
My classes are going well and I think are going to be very beneficial to better understand Africa.
East African History – Finally, I’m hearing the other side of the story! African history is increasingly complicated with numerous of tribes all with their distinct culture and language.
African Tradition Religions, Christianity, and Islam – There are some parts of the country that still practice African Traditional Religions. Learning about them is extremely interesting especially keeping in mind how some people still practice what in Western eyes look like barbaric practices (e.g. children sacrifices). In the class we’ll be doing field trips to get a practical look at some of things we are studying.
Understanding Ethics – In this class I am with hundreds of Ugandans. So I am first getting an authentic look at how college is for Ugandan students. Also, the class is all based on African ethics, which I know absolutely nothing about. Something interesting that the lecturer said in class, “Africa is not poor materially; it is poor morally.” So I’m really looking forward to the class as I believe it will help me understand the problems of Africa more fully.
Health and Wholeness – I’m also with Ugandans in this class. What’s interesting in this class is that we look at the health problems plaguing Africa ranging from malnutrition to diseases. Again, I will gain a more full understanding of Africa and its problems.
I will never complain about doing laundry again. I don’t even know how I can complain about doing laundry back home when all I have to do is push a button. I am completely incompetent when it comes to doing laundry here. It requires so much man power!!! You rub your hands raw! There’s a lot of scrubbing, rinsing, and twisting. I did my laundry for the first time by myself today. I thought I was doing it well. I had very soapy water, which by the way is really hard to get, and I was mimicking the hand motions of the other women washing their clothes. However, as I took my clothes off the line, I realized I failed to remove all of the dirt and get all the soap out. So my clothes are half clean and feel weird. At least they don’t smell bad. I still haven’t finished the laundry process though. When I get back to my room I need to iron everything. They recommended doing that because there is this fly that can lay eggs in your clothes and then the eggs will hatch in your skin. I don’t know how often that happens but I don’t want to test it out. So later I will be ironing with what looks like an iron from the 1940s.
Watching Obama’s inauguration was extremely interesting. First it’s Obama craziness over here. There is a catchy song about Obama and a club has changed its name to Obama club. Africa is ecstatic that the President of the U.S. is an Africa. Some people think that Obama will give more support to Africa others don’t expect anything from him. Regardless, listening to Obama’s speech with an African perspective was really eye-opening. I am slowly learning more about the African culture but the little that I know drastically contrasts Obama’s speech.
Overall, my Western views are being challenged in ways I could have never fathomed. I am very over stimulated but still engaged. At this exact moment, I am debating with some Ugandans about the death penalty. Praise God for bringing me here. I am being stretched, refined, and challenged. I have only been in Uganda for two weeks I can’t even imagine what my views will be in 4 months.
First of all the internet is very fickle, so I'm lucky to get on once a week.
Alright where to begin....
This week is the first week of the Mukono home stays. I am paired with another USP student; it's nice to share laughs together, get freaked out about the cockroaches in the toilet, and to keep each other company on the 40 minute walk to school. The family is young with a mother, an aunt, a 11 yr old daughter, 9 yr old son, 5 yr old son, a 2 1/2 yr old son, and a 1 1/2 yr old niece. (The father has been living in London for the past 2 1/2 years. I think the plan is to eventually move everyone there. I have talked to him a couple of times on the phone). Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to engage in conversations about certain issues due to the language barrier. The mom and the aunt can speak a little English; the relationship I have with them is built on laughter, mainly from saying or doing stupid things. The daughter can speak it better but an 11 year old only knows so much. However, I have been learning a lot purely by observing. There is a lot but just to list a few: sanitation, upbringing of kids, the lack of consideration for quiet, etc.
This week the schedule has been:
• Get up at 6:20
• Drink tea and eat some bread with butter
• Head out for school around 7:20
• Get to school around 8
• After the school day we leave around 5:30/6
• When we get back we help out we help out with preparing for tea time. I have learned how to make some Ugandan classics. I am writing all the recipes down so I can share them with family and friends when I get back.
• Tea time is around 7:30. The tea isn’t actually tea. My family drinks this stuff called “Soya.” It’s really good. It tastes somewhere between hot chocolate and coffee. With tea we also have some type of snack.
• After tea I take a basin bath and perhaps journal, read, or play with the kids.
• Dinner isn’t until usually 10:30. I’m lucky if it is at 10. I’m usually really full from tea time so eating dinner is super hard. (My aunt when she was younger used to stuff the food she didn’t want to eat in her carpenter pants…. I wish I had carpenter pants.)
• I go to bed right after dinner between 11 and 12.
My classes are going well and I think are going to be very beneficial to better understand Africa.
East African History – Finally, I’m hearing the other side of the story! African history is increasingly complicated with numerous of tribes all with their distinct culture and language.
African Tradition Religions, Christianity, and Islam – There are some parts of the country that still practice African Traditional Religions. Learning about them is extremely interesting especially keeping in mind how some people still practice what in Western eyes look like barbaric practices (e.g. children sacrifices). In the class we’ll be doing field trips to get a practical look at some of things we are studying.
Understanding Ethics – In this class I am with hundreds of Ugandans. So I am first getting an authentic look at how college is for Ugandan students. Also, the class is all based on African ethics, which I know absolutely nothing about. Something interesting that the lecturer said in class, “Africa is not poor materially; it is poor morally.” So I’m really looking forward to the class as I believe it will help me understand the problems of Africa more fully.
Health and Wholeness – I’m also with Ugandans in this class. What’s interesting in this class is that we look at the health problems plaguing Africa ranging from malnutrition to diseases. Again, I will gain a more full understanding of Africa and its problems.
I will never complain about doing laundry again. I don’t even know how I can complain about doing laundry back home when all I have to do is push a button. I am completely incompetent when it comes to doing laundry here. It requires so much man power!!! You rub your hands raw! There’s a lot of scrubbing, rinsing, and twisting. I did my laundry for the first time by myself today. I thought I was doing it well. I had very soapy water, which by the way is really hard to get, and I was mimicking the hand motions of the other women washing their clothes. However, as I took my clothes off the line, I realized I failed to remove all of the dirt and get all the soap out. So my clothes are half clean and feel weird. At least they don’t smell bad. I still haven’t finished the laundry process though. When I get back to my room I need to iron everything. They recommended doing that because there is this fly that can lay eggs in your clothes and then the eggs will hatch in your skin. I don’t know how often that happens but I don’t want to test it out. So later I will be ironing with what looks like an iron from the 1940s.
Watching Obama’s inauguration was extremely interesting. First it’s Obama craziness over here. There is a catchy song about Obama and a club has changed its name to Obama club. Africa is ecstatic that the President of the U.S. is an Africa. Some people think that Obama will give more support to Africa others don’t expect anything from him. Regardless, listening to Obama’s speech with an African perspective was really eye-opening. I am slowly learning more about the African culture but the little that I know drastically contrasts Obama’s speech.
Overall, my Western views are being challenged in ways I could have never fathomed. I am very over stimulated but still engaged. At this exact moment, I am debating with some Ugandans about the death penalty. Praise God for bringing me here. I am being stretched, refined, and challenged. I have only been in Uganda for two weeks I can’t even imagine what my views will be in 4 months.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
"Uganda: The Friendliest Country in Africa"
That’s the sign we past late Friday night from in the airport in Entebbe to the Uganda Christian University campus in Mukono, about an hour and a half drive. That sign is proving to be true, granted I haven’t been anywhere else in Africa. It is now the end of my third day in Uganda and I have nothing but wonderful things to say.
First, the weather is absolutely beautiful. I am soaking up the 77 degree January weather. Today we had two sporadic rain showers. The latter storm was more powerful with winds that made a tree crack and with hail about the size of small gum balls. Other than that, the afternoons feel like a lazy summer day in which all I want to do is lay out in the sun and nap.
Second, the food … well…. it’s rice and beans twice a day. My personal favorite are the white beans which I have been told they are actually peas, whatever it is I eat my whole plate so that’s good. I also like this purple looking sauce made out of ground nuts; it’s very tasty with salt and rice. I have also had some of the Ugandan’s favored dishes: posho and matuke (I don’t the spelling). Posho is the white block looking thing which I think is just flour mixed with boiling water. It has absolutely no nutritional value and tastes like cardboard. Matuke is mashed up bananas. Alone, it’s pretty repulsive. However, I believe I have found the key to eating African food: you just have to mix up everything and make sure you get a little bit of everything on your fork. That way all of the textures and flavors balance each other out to make a quite palatable meal. I have also had a couple of the potato dishes which are really good. I haven’t had breakfast yet, but I heard you get two pieces of sweet tasting bread with tea. So overall, its starch city! There are some canteens around campus, which serve different food and smoothies. I most likely will be living on daily smoothies to get some fresh fruit in me.
Third, the classes. I have only had two classes so far. Eastern African History and Faith in Action, a required class for the program I’m studying with. For my history class I have a Ugandan professor who is quite a character. It’s somewhat hard to understand him because of his accent but overall he speaks slowly enough to understand him. I somewhat unknowingly volunteered to be the class captain. I don’t really know what I got myself into but I think I’m in charge of making copies for the class. Faith in Action should be interesting as we will be looking at contemporary issues plaguing Uganda and Africa in general.
Fourth, the living quarters. The majority of the American students are living with the honor students; they are kind of set apart on campus and have a really tranquil area. However, four other lovely ladies and I are living in the main dormitory on campus. The dorm building is called Sabitti, which holds about 400 women. Each room holds four girls; however, I am only sharing my room with one other American. The rooms are extremely bare with peeling, dirty walls and concrete floors. We each have a closet, a desk, and a chair. There are two bathrooms on our floor. Each bathroom has about four latrines, four sinks, and four shower stalls. There is absolutely no concept of quiet hours. Girls will be singing, laughing, yelling, and running down the halls until 2 in the morning and are up at 4 doing the same things. It doesn’t bother me much because I can sleep through just about anything, but I am waking up about 6 when I don’t need to be up until 9. The girls are like a natural alarm clock.
Fifth, Uganda as a whole as I see it. There are undoubtedly numerous things that differ from the U.S; however, as a whole I really don’t feel that out of place. Yes I am white in a black country. Yes there is poverty. Yes there are cultural norms that I am completely oblivious to. Yes the food is different. Yes there is a language barrier even though Ugandans speak English. But there is a common thread of simply being human. It’s breathtakingly beautiful to truly experience the meaning of “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26). We as humans are essentially the same living and surviving with struggles and celebration.
Moreover, it’s interesting to see how American culture permeates Uganda. For example, last night I went to bed hearing Justin Timberlake and woke up to Beyonce. Whether it’s good or bad is not the point more the principal of the matter that music from one culture can resonate with a completely different culture across the world for some reason. It’s pretty neat to witness.
Sixth, the people are absolutely amazing!!! The other students with me have such great stories and have so much to offer. It’s so great to hear their stories and to see how God has been working in their lives. The four girls living in Sabitti with me have truly been a blessing. We have quickly built a relationship through laughs, embarrassing moments, confusion, and intellectual conversation. But most importantly the five of us have made amazing connections with Ugandan women. Living in the main dorm is truly a gift because we are meeting so many people. Women will come into our rooms and introduce themselves. On Sunday, four of our new friends took us into town to buy some things like hand soap, laundry soap, and a hot water kettle. They really looked out after us making sure we didn’t get overcharged or pestered by any men. It is custom for women and men to hold hands with their good friend or someone dear. (As a side note, I think this is such a great custom as it simply encourages love and care for another person.) Well, at one point in our journey one of my friends grabbed my hand through a crowded area and into the store. It was probably just out of concern for my well-being but the gesture was greatly appreciated and it just proves how hospitable and great the Ugandan people are. Ugandans want everyone to feel welcomed and comfortable. Numerous times a day I will be greeted with “Welcome to Uganda.” It’s also nice that the university (UCU) is well aware and accustomed to the program I am with (USP). At the church service and university fellowship worship the UPS students were formally welcomed and acknowledged. Therefore, the Ugandans are very willing to help us out. For example, they taught me how to bathe, which sounds ridiculous but showers only get cold water so what they do is fill a basin with boiling water then mix it with the shower water and then bathe from the basin. (Another note, the Ugandans pride themselves in cleanliness and do not tolerate dirtiness. Women sometimes shower twice a day). Later this week I will learn how to wash my clothes.
My battery is running low so I must go, but overall things are amazing here. I am still adjusting and slowly realizing that I am actually here. I think I might still be dealing with some jet lag or I just might be tired; I’m not sure.
I’ll blog soon.
Love,
Kristen
First, the weather is absolutely beautiful. I am soaking up the 77 degree January weather. Today we had two sporadic rain showers. The latter storm was more powerful with winds that made a tree crack and with hail about the size of small gum balls. Other than that, the afternoons feel like a lazy summer day in which all I want to do is lay out in the sun and nap.
Second, the food … well…. it’s rice and beans twice a day. My personal favorite are the white beans which I have been told they are actually peas, whatever it is I eat my whole plate so that’s good. I also like this purple looking sauce made out of ground nuts; it’s very tasty with salt and rice. I have also had some of the Ugandan’s favored dishes: posho and matuke (I don’t the spelling). Posho is the white block looking thing which I think is just flour mixed with boiling water. It has absolutely no nutritional value and tastes like cardboard. Matuke is mashed up bananas. Alone, it’s pretty repulsive. However, I believe I have found the key to eating African food: you just have to mix up everything and make sure you get a little bit of everything on your fork. That way all of the textures and flavors balance each other out to make a quite palatable meal. I have also had a couple of the potato dishes which are really good. I haven’t had breakfast yet, but I heard you get two pieces of sweet tasting bread with tea. So overall, its starch city! There are some canteens around campus, which serve different food and smoothies. I most likely will be living on daily smoothies to get some fresh fruit in me.
Third, the classes. I have only had two classes so far. Eastern African History and Faith in Action, a required class for the program I’m studying with. For my history class I have a Ugandan professor who is quite a character. It’s somewhat hard to understand him because of his accent but overall he speaks slowly enough to understand him. I somewhat unknowingly volunteered to be the class captain. I don’t really know what I got myself into but I think I’m in charge of making copies for the class. Faith in Action should be interesting as we will be looking at contemporary issues plaguing Uganda and Africa in general.
Fourth, the living quarters. The majority of the American students are living with the honor students; they are kind of set apart on campus and have a really tranquil area. However, four other lovely ladies and I are living in the main dormitory on campus. The dorm building is called Sabitti, which holds about 400 women. Each room holds four girls; however, I am only sharing my room with one other American. The rooms are extremely bare with peeling, dirty walls and concrete floors. We each have a closet, a desk, and a chair. There are two bathrooms on our floor. Each bathroom has about four latrines, four sinks, and four shower stalls. There is absolutely no concept of quiet hours. Girls will be singing, laughing, yelling, and running down the halls until 2 in the morning and are up at 4 doing the same things. It doesn’t bother me much because I can sleep through just about anything, but I am waking up about 6 when I don’t need to be up until 9. The girls are like a natural alarm clock.
Fifth, Uganda as a whole as I see it. There are undoubtedly numerous things that differ from the U.S; however, as a whole I really don’t feel that out of place. Yes I am white in a black country. Yes there is poverty. Yes there are cultural norms that I am completely oblivious to. Yes the food is different. Yes there is a language barrier even though Ugandans speak English. But there is a common thread of simply being human. It’s breathtakingly beautiful to truly experience the meaning of “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26). We as humans are essentially the same living and surviving with struggles and celebration.
Moreover, it’s interesting to see how American culture permeates Uganda. For example, last night I went to bed hearing Justin Timberlake and woke up to Beyonce. Whether it’s good or bad is not the point more the principal of the matter that music from one culture can resonate with a completely different culture across the world for some reason. It’s pretty neat to witness.
Sixth, the people are absolutely amazing!!! The other students with me have such great stories and have so much to offer. It’s so great to hear their stories and to see how God has been working in their lives. The four girls living in Sabitti with me have truly been a blessing. We have quickly built a relationship through laughs, embarrassing moments, confusion, and intellectual conversation. But most importantly the five of us have made amazing connections with Ugandan women. Living in the main dorm is truly a gift because we are meeting so many people. Women will come into our rooms and introduce themselves. On Sunday, four of our new friends took us into town to buy some things like hand soap, laundry soap, and a hot water kettle. They really looked out after us making sure we didn’t get overcharged or pestered by any men. It is custom for women and men to hold hands with their good friend or someone dear. (As a side note, I think this is such a great custom as it simply encourages love and care for another person.) Well, at one point in our journey one of my friends grabbed my hand through a crowded area and into the store. It was probably just out of concern for my well-being but the gesture was greatly appreciated and it just proves how hospitable and great the Ugandan people are. Ugandans want everyone to feel welcomed and comfortable. Numerous times a day I will be greeted with “Welcome to Uganda.” It’s also nice that the university (UCU) is well aware and accustomed to the program I am with (USP). At the church service and university fellowship worship the UPS students were formally welcomed and acknowledged. Therefore, the Ugandans are very willing to help us out. For example, they taught me how to bathe, which sounds ridiculous but showers only get cold water so what they do is fill a basin with boiling water then mix it with the shower water and then bathe from the basin. (Another note, the Ugandans pride themselves in cleanliness and do not tolerate dirtiness. Women sometimes shower twice a day). Later this week I will learn how to wash my clothes.
My battery is running low so I must go, but overall things are amazing here. I am still adjusting and slowly realizing that I am actually here. I think I might still be dealing with some jet lag or I just might be tired; I’m not sure.
I’ll blog soon.
Love,
Kristen
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
It's time to go
I have created this blog in an attempt to keep family and friends updated on my adventure in Uganda. My intention is to update the blog regularly and post pictures. I promise to try my best to hold up to that, but I'm not promising anything.
So tomorrow the adventure begins to unfold. I am so anxious/excited/nervous to leave and to start experiencing life outside of the U.S. This will be my first time seriously outside of the country (I don't count Canada and tourist Caribbean) for an extended period of time. I struggled with packing in what to bring especially in medicine and miscellaneous items, but I must say I am so proud that I was able to put everything into one suitcase and I packed two days before leaving!
So why Uganda? That seems to be the hot question. I have only really provided brief answers to family and friends but I want to paint a bigger picture for everyone. This past summer I worked for Group Workcamps Foundation (a Christian non-profit that provides short-term mission camps around the country). Towards the end of July and into August I kept hearing a lot about Africa: my co-worker was headed to Africa for 6 months, my supervisor was going to Africa, friends felt called to Africa, etc. Hearing everyone talk about Africa made me think. I have never really had a profound interest in going to Africa but I got the sense that I would be going to Africa soon. I always knew I wanted to study abroad so when I got to Messiah I started looking into different programs. I really wanted to go to Greece but the time frame didn't work out too well and academically it wasn't the best fit. I also looked at a program in England but it would have cost a pretty penny. Then, Uganda came to the table and it fit perfectly. First, I could afford it. Second, I could take the most classes towards my degree. Third, there is a service component in which I could volunteer at orphanages or medical clinics. Fourth, the program is Christian-centered. I prayed and sought counsel from friends and decided to apply. Since then, God has really put a burden for Africa and especially its children on my heart. He has provided me with the financial needs and the spiritual awareness that I will need in Uganda. God has brought me to Uganda and I am anxiously looking forward to the journey God has set into motion ahead of me. People ask me what am I most looking forward to and I tell them I most looking forward to meeting God in foreign place and in foreign faces. Yes, God is love and God is exciting!
I'll blog soon.
Love,
Kristen
So tomorrow the adventure begins to unfold. I am so anxious/excited/nervous to leave and to start experiencing life outside of the U.S. This will be my first time seriously outside of the country (I don't count Canada and tourist Caribbean) for an extended period of time. I struggled with packing in what to bring especially in medicine and miscellaneous items, but I must say I am so proud that I was able to put everything into one suitcase and I packed two days before leaving!
So why Uganda? That seems to be the hot question. I have only really provided brief answers to family and friends but I want to paint a bigger picture for everyone. This past summer I worked for Group Workcamps Foundation (a Christian non-profit that provides short-term mission camps around the country). Towards the end of July and into August I kept hearing a lot about Africa: my co-worker was headed to Africa for 6 months, my supervisor was going to Africa, friends felt called to Africa, etc. Hearing everyone talk about Africa made me think. I have never really had a profound interest in going to Africa but I got the sense that I would be going to Africa soon. I always knew I wanted to study abroad so when I got to Messiah I started looking into different programs. I really wanted to go to Greece but the time frame didn't work out too well and academically it wasn't the best fit. I also looked at a program in England but it would have cost a pretty penny. Then, Uganda came to the table and it fit perfectly. First, I could afford it. Second, I could take the most classes towards my degree. Third, there is a service component in which I could volunteer at orphanages or medical clinics. Fourth, the program is Christian-centered. I prayed and sought counsel from friends and decided to apply. Since then, God has really put a burden for Africa and especially its children on my heart. He has provided me with the financial needs and the spiritual awareness that I will need in Uganda. God has brought me to Uganda and I am anxiously looking forward to the journey God has set into motion ahead of me. People ask me what am I most looking forward to and I tell them I most looking forward to meeting God in foreign place and in foreign faces. Yes, God is love and God is exciting!
I'll blog soon.
Love,
Kristen