Photos from the Nile and Mabira Forest (more to come - slow upload time)

The Children of Busoona Primary School

On Thursday June 24 we visited the Busoona Primary School for an introduction to the Head Master, teachers, and students in the school.  We were also going to look at what exactly we would be doing in the classrooms and inspecting the current conditions of the water tanks at the school.

We left our apartment and made our first of many crossings over the Nile and into the center of Jinja.  It was incredible seeing the Nile for the first time.  You grow up reading of the historic Nile River in text books since 1^st grade.  To see the forceful beast winding through the green hills of Uganda was a spectacle and surreal moment.  It is awfully strange visiting places you grew up hearing about; places that seemed so distance, so far away; nearly untouchable.

We made our way through the center of town and onto the road that leads to Busoona Primary.  As we left the center town, the road slimmed down, only able to fit one vehicle.  The dust from the roads rose up as thick as the dust bowl.  I felt awful for the people walking and biking alongside the road getting caught in a storm of dust coming from the back of the car.  As the road continued, the trees grew thicker and only a few clay huts appeared through the trees every now and then. 

Children played alongside the streets and at their homes, and as they saw us drive by they would smile and jump in delight yelling “Jambo!  Jambo!”  Jambo is a tricky translation.  It is technically a hello in passing.  We would yell jambo back to the kids and they would begin laughing and giggling even harder.  In these rural areas, the people (especially the children) have had little to no contact to foreigners.  It was very exciting for them to see us driving by. 

We have often had our cameras out recording the scenery, and the children would see the cameras and be immediately drawn to them.  In most cases, these kids have never seen images of them and have no idea what they look like.  As we record driving by, groups of kids run along the car, jumping and laughing trying to get into the shot.  We pulled over by a group of kids and I asked them if they would like their picture taken,  They all quickly gathered and ushered each other into a group and stood waiting for the camera to snap.  You could see the anticipation building in their faces.  I took several photos and turned the camera showing them the group shot.  I smiled to the smallest girl, about 2 years old wearing a pink dress, and pointed from her to the reproduction in the screen.  “Thats you,” I said.  Her eyes widened and she turned away running and crying.  I think I might have scared her.  She wandered back as we were getting into the car and began laughing again yelling “Bye!!!” as we drove off towards Busoona. 

We arrived at the school, and it was even farther out on the outskirts.  Busoona is a very small school, with about 3 buildings with 3 classrooms in each.  They will cram upwards of 200 kids into a classroom that maybe seats 90 comfortably.  The school has a total of 1,700 students in grades P1-P7 (similar to our 1^st grade -8^th grade).  Once they complete P7, they go off to high school.  The age range at the schools is age 8-14.  To put the numbers into perspective, I went through Ashford school, which had pre-k through 8^th grade and 600 kids in a school literally 15 times the size of Busoona.  Try to imagine the lack of space and quality that there is in the educational environment.  The children can barely afford books.  They have one notebook and one pencil.  They wear no shoes, and walk upwards of 2 miles to school everyday.  The government covers their school fees and uniforms, which is a bright yellow dress or shirt.  Sanitation is extremely poor, and all of their water tanks are cracked or broken.  Gutters are in place which collects water when it rains, which may be 1-2 times per week at the most during the rainy season.  The water runs from the gutters and into the water tanks.  This is their source of water. 

When we pulled into the school, there were many children playing out in the yard outside the classrooms.  They all became extremely silent and turned their heads towards us.  The car came to a stop, and in my peripherals I saw hundreds of children gathering around the car.  Many children hid behind a few trees, and some dared to cautiously walk up towards me, ducking and inspecting us.  Other children poured out of the school, and a sea of yellow surrounded us.  Out of the short crowd stood one of the teachers, who laughed and smiled as he called to us and greeted us. 

I looked towards one little girl who, out of what seemed to be a great amount of bravery, came within a few feet of me.  I knelt down and smiled, “Oli Otya (How are you?)?”  Her eyes widened, not believing what I had just said, and she began laughing and ran back towards her friends. 

We met the Head Master, who was very thankful for our volunteer service, and one of the teachers continued to show us around the school.  We were introduced to several classes.  As we walked in, all of the children stood up simultaneously and began singing and clapping as they laughed.  We asked Davids what they had sung to us, and he said that it was a thank you song.  As we left the classroom, we waved to the children and spoke, “Wabale ino,” which means thank you very much. 

After visiting the classrooms, we were shown the water tanks.  There were 2 tanks:  enormous plastic cylinders that stood beside two of the classrooms.  There were holes and cracks in the bottom of them, and in one of the tanks the entry point for the water was completely clogged.  The gutters that channel the water to the tanks were misaligned and broken.  We were shown that we were going to repair the gutters, and the tanks, as well as ordering and installing new tanks at the school.  Behind the school, the land slightly slopes downhill towards gardens.  We will also be digging channels so that water can flow from the tanks and down to the gardens for irrigation. 

Besides working on the tanks and the water system, we will be teaching Basic English to the students.  The main key of the lesson will be to share different aspects of the two cultures and to share where we come from.  We will also be participating in after school sports and activities.  Later in July, we will be spending a morning and evening with a family of one of the students to getting a more intimate grasp on the culture and functions of daily life. 

We completed touring the school just as classes had ended and some of the children came up to us.  A little girl walked towards Evan, raised her hand and bowed saying hello.  We didn't know what to do or how to react.  Davids informed us of the split between genders.  It is common courtesy for a woman/girl to bow to a man when greeting.  Davids said that this custom is slowly declining and that women still bow to their elders as a sign of respect.  This was a new introduction to the culture that we had yet to see.  Older women tend not to bow, but the children are taught to bow to their elders in every day life.  It is a common aspect of their daily interactions.

The first water tank will arrive at 10 a.m. on Monday morning and we will begin installation.  We begin teaching on Tuesday.  I am excited and nervous all at once to begin teaching, but cannot wait for our project to make headway. 

Currently the our work at Busoona is being run through the Tourist Center in Jinja under the direction of Davids, but the incredible news is that Davids is well on his way to founding the Busoona Primary School Project as an official Non-Governmental Organization, which will only increase benefits for the future.  The goal is in the years to come to bring solar power for computers and electricity, school supplies, more classrooms, and installing new bathrooms.  We have already confirmed our return trip for next summer to continue the work for Busoona, and once the NGO is approved, the project will have its own bank account.  With these advancements we will begin fund-raising projects at our Universities for Busoona as well as bringing more volunteers next summer.  With more volunteers we also hope to expand our services to other primary schools in the Jinja community.

I will have more updates in more detail on the Busoona Primary School Project. 

Mzungu!

In Uganda, white foreigners are called, “Mzungu”.  This is in no way a racist or derogatory term.  It is simply just a reference and a name.  It is not a means of disrespect.  I have begun to become very adjusted and comfortable, and have found creative ways to use the term.  One day we were driving through town and we passed a group of foreigners.  I leaned forward to Davids, pointed, and whispered, “Mzungu!”  He broke out in hysteria.

We thought it would be interesting to test out this newly gained sense of humor:  a mzungu calling out another mzungu.  The locals can’t get enough of it.  They laugh and point, and think that it is hilarious, but I don’t think that the mzungu’s find it very funny.  We have tried calling out loud to them and all we get is evil stares and disgusted looks.  Eh, what they heck. I thought it was funny. 

I even tried to pull in a little light humor when bargaining for the bracelets I mentioned earlier.  The woman would not give me a fair price at all, and so I jokingly looked to Davids and pointed at myself saying, “Ahhhh, mzungu!”.  The woman began laughing, but quickly responded, “No, no.  You are a man, and he (Davids) is a man as well.  I am a woman, and that is the only difference that God has created in us”.

I replied, “Webale ino nnyabe”.  (Thank you very much madam).  I was flattered by her kind words, and paid her price for the bracelets.

It has been interesting being a minority.  But as Davids says, you will soon no longer be a mzungu, but mutaca (of the soil).

…

…

So this post was for you, fellow Mzungu’s!!!     

Translations

I wanted to take some time to share some of the common words and phrases that we have been using.

Ki kati – hello

Oli Oltya? – How are you?

Bulungi – I am well

Siba Bulungi – Have a nice day

Sulu Bulungi – Goodnight

Webale – thank you

Webale Ino – thank you very much

Ssebo – Sir

Nnyabo – madam

Sente Meka – how much does it cost?

Ogambaki – whats up

Tewali – not much

Gyebale – well done

Jambo – hello (in passing) 

Neda Bambi – no thank you my good friend

Mutaca – from the soil (as in “I am a local/I grew up in Uganda”)

The one word I wanted to reflect on was “mutaca”.  Language is culture.  Notice that mutaca means I am from the soil.  That is the literal translation, but it actual means that I am a local; a Ugandan.  Thus meaning, that I grew up here, and that I am as pure as a plant is from the soil.  I believe that this is highly representative of the appreciation that people have for their culture and their land.  The language is representative of past and current culture, and I am happy to see that the culture carries through.  After being in Uganda, I am not sure that I believe that in America we even have a sense of culture.  We have homes, and family.  We experience love, lust, hate, terror.  But, we feel and speak of all of these emotions and cultural values in a blunt and unemotional way.  In the Ugandan language, you can truly see and feel the love and emotion within the translations of the words.  The culture is expressed on a whole new level when the language is spoken.  I am afraid to go home, realizing that the world that I live in and have known from birth is only lacking in cultural and in values compared to the one that I am becoming submerged into.    

TIA: This is Africa

In Africa, Davids speaks of the relevance of time in ones daily life.  They say in Africa, “TIA” (This is Africa).  In case you were wondering, TIA did not originate in the film Blood Diamond, but is an actual saying.  Africans have all the time in the world.  It is a very calm and laid back lifestyle and daily tasks are extremely easy going.  If you say you are going to do something at 10 a.m., plan on getting to that part of the day by noon.  It is the exact opposite of my non-stop lifestyle at home, and I am settling in very nicely to not being pressured by a restricting time line.

 

The locals (for the most part) highly enjoy your company and conversation.  Some of the conversations we have are a bit limited, but it seems to brighten their day when we can say hello and ask how they are doing in their native language.  I have enjoyed getting to know new people.  I have also tried my best to keep a keen ear when Davids is speaking and interacting with the locals.  Just seeing his expressions and tone of voice speaks measures about the people of Africa.  There is an enormous amount of appreciation, respect, and etiquette between the people here.  Seeing daily interactions is much more fulfilling than the horrible way that people treat each other back at home.  Back at home, people think of Africa as having warlords, children wielding guns, and starvation.  These things are true, but are not applied to all aspects of the country and culture.  America is not exposed to the beautiful culture and kindness of people in Africa (on a general level).   

 

We have too much apathy.  We must relearn what we think we know.  I tell you, TIA.  Absorb what you have learned so far, and learn what TIA truly means.   

 

The Culture of Jinja

Sunday June 27, 2010

Jinja is very populated, having about 120,000 residents.  The center of town is a city compared to my hometown Ashford.  Yet Jinja is considered rural, being much greener, laid back, and peaceful than the hectic city life in Kampala.  I am enjoying Jinja more than I could have ever imagined.  The atmosphere is very welcoming.  I try and use what little Lugandan I know to try and speak to locals and within moments of speaking we laugh and joke as if we are old friends.  The disconnection that people have from one another in American society is heartbreaking.  People speak and laugh from their souls here in Africa.  There is so much enjoyment in everyday interaction, and the locals seem quite impressed with our attempts at using the native tongue.  At home, walking the streets of any city or town, people keep to themselves and are only concerned about themselves.  In Africa, people have so little, and live off of bare essentials or less, yet they are the happiest people I ever have met in my life. 

 

It saddens me to think of the enormous amount of ignorance in American culture.  Leaving home, people would speak to me as if we are going off to live in the bush.  The cities and towns are extremely civilized and even westernized in many aspects here in Uganda.  Although, when you get to the outskirts of towns and into more rural areas, the majority of the residents live in clay huts, and shacks made out of slabs of metal and wood.  What people in America must understand is that there is extreme poverty in Uganda due to corruption and embezzlement within the government.  It is not the peoples fault that the government takes millions that are meant to go towards schools in one town, puts it in a bank account, builds interest on it, and only puts the interest towards the school.  The millions then go towards mansions bought in other countries by the leaders of this nation.  The corruption is so bad that it has even seeped down to local levels.  We have witnessed it first hand, such as people trying to get money out of us for taking photographs or prices being tripled because we are foreign.  There no set prices on anything.  In most cases, after severe bargaining, we are able to cut our costs by 50% or more.

 

To go into greater detail about the condition of the economy, let me compare costs between Uganda and America.  The other day I was bargaining for a few bracelets in a local shop just to get a taste at it.  The set price for one bracelet was 4,000 shillings, which is equivalent to $2.  Two dollars for a bracelet is pretty cheap in my mind, but in the Ugandan economy, the seller had actually doubled the price of the item.  I ended up bargaining for 3 bracelets which I paid 6,000 shillings for; $3 in American.  I went from 1 bracelet for 2 dollars to 3 bracelets for 3 dollars.  And the merchant still made an incredible profit.  Take a second to let those numbers and figures set in.  YEAH, thats what I thought.  Shocked, aren't you? 

 

The good news is, the middle class is rising in Uganda, and having the country in the recent spotlight has brought foreigners and is boosting the economy.  The next year is huge for Uganda as well, with the upcoming election.  President Museveni, who took power by a military coup in 1987, has run the country and brought the deep seeded corruption (financially) to Uganda as well.  Although he has been able to bring peace to the country after the evil presidency of Idi Amin (besides Gulu in the North until recently), his hand picked officials have profited off of embezzlement.  The election in the next year could mean many changes for Uganda.  Until then, we will just have to wait and see what happens. 

 

The structure of Jinja itself is quite simple.  The center of town is made up of streets that branch off of Main Street.  It is relatively small and is made up of banks, restaurants, supermarkets, local market stands and arts and crafts shops.  Our lovely host, the Tourist Center, is also located in Jinja center.  Once you leave the center of town, there are only 4 roads in Jinja.  One of those roads goes to Kampala, the other to Kenya, and the others go towards 2 other districts in Uganda.  Once you get out of the town center is when you touch upon the more rural areas of the country.    

Photos from Uganda

First Night

Davids Mytalia

Children of Busoona

Children of the Nile

Children at an Orphanage

The Road to Jinja

Thursday June 24
Jinja, Uganda
11:08 p.m.

The Road to Jinja – on Wednesday June 23

The journey out of Kampala and into Jinja was another shift in perspective for Uganda. We moved out of the city and into more rural, impoverished areas. The green of Uganda, a lush landscape, stretches far past the horizon with few mountainous hills. Along the roads, cows and goats graze, but among this beauty are conditions we do not see back at home. Trash fills the gutter systems alongside the roads, and streams of sewage pool and flow alongside the road and into the jungle. The city contains buildings, but as we travel east we see people living in shacks and clay huts, living off of less than bare essentials.

The open fields outside of Kampala slowly turned to the thick Mabira Jungle, and the road we traveled was the only path through this forest. It was a peaceful journey. Davids truly loves his country and spoke of the serenity of the jungle. He is always in his best place when traveling through the quiet and deep green heart of Uganda.

Along the jungle, stood out a local market place where we stopped to buy fruits and vegetables. There were hundreds of poor merchants that riddled the market anticipating every vehicle that came down the road. As we pulled up to the market and began to slow down, the enormous crowd rushed the car and dozens of hands thrust through the open windows. In each pair of hands were fruit, chicken, or water/soda as everyone tried to sell you their products. As we are white tourists, or as Ugandans say ‘mzungo’, we are the immediate target. I was sitting in the front seat looking back at Evan as a woman in the opposite window yelled, “Mzungo! Mzungo! Mzungo!” She immediately grabbed my attention and we stepped out the car to try our hand at bartering. As tourists in the bartering lifestyle in Uganda, the prices start much higher than the locals and we must try to barter down as best as we can. The funny thing about the bartering is, most prices for fruit will start at about 2,000 chillings which is equivalent to the American dollar. For us, the prices seem reasonable when in reality, in a society with unemployment rate of 60% and the average income of a family is less than $100 a month, the prices were raised for us. As strange as it was to barter for only cents, it goes a long way in the Ugandan economy.

As we left the market, we all munched on the freshly cooked plantains which begin with a dull taste that quickly turns very sweet and flavorful. I looked back only to see other vehicles puling up with the mass crowd surrounding them.

We continue through the jungle and made it to Jinja. Home.

The First Night: Reflections from the Red Chili Hideaway

Wednesday June 23^rd, 2010

1:33 a.m.

Kampala, Uganda

Reflections at the Red Chili Hotel Hideaway

Leaving home I had no fears, no expectations. The only thing that felt out of place was the continual goodbyes between friends and family. As I hugged all of my loved ones goodbye, it truly felt as if I would never be seeing them again. I became overcome with this emotion of loss. When leaving to venture the developing world, the uncertainty truly makes you realize the people that you love and the aspects of your life that matter most. I have an emotional and mental connection with all my friends and family and have established a set of the strongest relationships imaginable. By leaving on this journey I feel as if I have been able to connect at an even deeper level with the intensity of the connections that people have with each other. Even though I would be gone for only two months, the uncertainty that I felt within myself had shown through in my goodbyes. .

As we took off from Logan at 7 p.m. on June 21, we flew off into the soon to become night sky. The sun fell into the ocean, and as we traveled East the sun stayed with us. A dark red sliver floated on the horizon, and before I knew it the light began to expand as the sun rose once again.

In Amsterdam, not only was there no place to sit in this enormous airport, but we were ready to feast on a delicious lunch not realizing that it was 7 a.m. We wandered the airport admiring the huge difference in attraction between American and European flight attendants and as we continued to walk my tongue dragged behind me as I ogled at the 45 year old European women. They are gorgeous! We finally found a bench and some tables to sit at within an eating area. Evan lay down across the bench, with me at his feet and Brendan at his head. Within ten minutes Evan was fast asleep, and Brendan and I both had our faces pressed firmly against the tables. What I sight we must have been! We abruptly woke up, realizing that our flight was leaving in 30 minutes, and we rushed down the terminal, taking our final glances at the European women of course, and prepared to board.

We landed in Entebbe at 8 p.m. on June 22, 2010. Looking out the window, the African landscape was hidden by darkness, and all you could see where a few scattered lights across the land. Greeted by Hannah and Davids, I caught them from a mile away. Hannah, a 28 year old New Yorker that has lived in Uganda for 5 years, is our coordinator who matched us with Davids and the Busoni Project. Davids is a local Ugandan who just graduated from Exeter in the UK. Davids is local to Jinja, where the Busoona Primary School is located. I have never been happier to meet two people in my life. Months of anticipation had built up to this moment.

Evan, Brendan, and I were joined with our new friends. Davids was significantly taller than I imagined, and his joy and love for Uganda was even more contagious than over the phone. Hannah had brought us sugar cane. We bit in for the first time, and I couldn’t believe the sweet juices that poured into my mouth. As you continue to chew, the cane turns to a rubbery substance that you spit out before you bite in again for the sugary high.

Andrew, a friend of Davids, drove us down the long trek of Entebbe Road to Kampala. Through the dark, we could not make out much of Africa. People lined the sides of the roads, and as we drove we flew by hundreds of boda-boda’s (motorcycle’s used as a typical mode of transportation). The little bike’s that carried passengers weaved in and out of traffic. The very first thing I noticed about Uganda is the traffic itself. If you thought driving through New York City was hectic, try a day on the roads in Uganda! Some of the roads are paved, especially in Kampala, but through Jinja they are dirt. The rules of the road are limited, to say the least. With pot holes the size of a kiddy-pool, the cars swerve all over to avoid them. There is also no such thing as ‘passing zones’ – vehicles quickly and violently swerve around each other into oncoming traffic. As Andrew said, “It is so easy to drive drunk, because the police can never tell the difference!” Ugandans put New “Yahkers” and Massholes to shame.

Hannah and Davids took us to Bungaloo, a popular barbeque restaurant in Kampala. There were no menus and we learned quickly that it is disrespectful to drink out of the bottle; you must pour it into a glass. The food arrived; a range of chicken, goat, and pork were ordered. The first taste of Uganda was incredible! All of the food in Uganda is completely organic and the flavors are incredible. Nothing is processed, and no chemicals are used in the local crops. As I would soon find out, the food and flavors keep delivering the greatest sensation my taste buds have ever had. Returning to the food at home will be simply, disappointing.

We ended our night settling into the Red Chili Hideaway. We had one room and one bed to ourselves. Outside, you could hear the goats eating the grass as the dogs howled in the distance. The one pig that scavenged the grounds lay fast asleep near the supposedly infamous 3 legged cat.

Under the safety of my mosquito net, a good night’s rest will do for now. It has been lovely Uganda. See you in the morning.

P.S. There is currently a mosquito in the mosquito net around my bed. Shit

Save Arrival!

Hey Everyone,

This will have to be a quick post.

We have limited internet access and I have not been able to post. For now, I will write up all my posts in a Word document and copy and paste them to the blog whenever we get internet.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

We have spent one night in Kampala so far, and are currently in Jinja about to head to the Busoni Primary School to meet the headmaster and the children.

We have already seen and heard incredible stories. I cannot wait to keep you all updated and tell you all about the amazing people I have met. I will share as soon as possible.

For now, know that the people are warm and welcoming, the food is delicious, the weather is hot, and Uganda is beautiful.

BMF

The Time Has Come

And here it is!

It is 1:46 p.m. on Monday June 21, and in just about an hour I leave with Brendan and Evan to board our 7 p.m. flight! We will be arriving in Uganda on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

The past few days have been filled with mixed emotion and some of the strangest goodbyes I have ever said in my life. For some strange reason, every time I hug a friend or a loved one goodbye it feels like I won't be seeing them for a long time, when in fact it will only be a short 2 months before I return home. Life is all about building and forming new relationships and bonds with those around you. It breaks my heart to have to leave all those behind, but I have never been more excited to travel to a new place and to establish new meaningful relationships.

I know that I would not be where I am today without the people in my life.

Thank you - you know who you are.

B Funk, signing out.

I will post once we are in Uganda, and then the journey begins!

BMF

E. O Smith High School comes to the Rescue

6 hours + "hell yeah I can change the world" attitude = $1,200 and improving lives in Uganda

Here's to all the students who made it Possible!
(and this is where Oprah chimes in)

I can honestly say that I have had the honor and privilege to work with a one of a kind senior class at E. O. Smith High School who have motivated their entire community to rise over all odds to create opportunity for others and change lives.

As I reached the 2 week landmark until I leave for Uganda, I received disheartening news: an expected $1,000 donation towards the funding of my volunteer trip was no longer available. An old teacher and friend, Kevin Degnan, spoke of this struggle: "Bryan, this is beautiful. This is your struggle. You are being tested, and you will succeed".

Without even thinking, I hopped in my car and drove to my alma mater, E. O. Smith High School. At the beginning of May I helped mentor and took part in an incredible student-run fundraiser for Haiti. These high school students were able to raise over $10,000 for Roots of Development (an organization in Haiti) and Osmopure (a water purification system) in just 8 hours! My intuitions led me to look for support from these inspiring and driven young adults.

After hearing about my situation, what did they do? The leaped into action. Today, on their very last day of high school EVER, they spent every moment connecting one on one with their peers all around the school.

Study halls. Cafeteria. Hallways. Classes. Team meetings. Club meetings. Bus rides. Maybe even bathroom breaks?

They took every means necessary to spread the word to their peers that one small donation would directly be improving lives in Uganda.

Wallets opened, and out came not flies, but dolla' dolla' bills!

The doors of E. O. Smith open at 7:15, and by 10:45 nearly $700 were raised. I received a phone call at 1:30 and was asked to come to the school. I was greeted by the most influential and passionate people I have every met in my life and in their hands held a jar. A jar that contained $1,210.62.

I know that no other high school, or educational institution for a matter of fact, have amounted to the impact that these students have made on the lives of others.

They have climbed mountains, grown to unobtainable heights, and changed lives. They have changed my life and the lives of the children in Uganda will be changed as well.

There are many people in the world that believe that the youth can't make a difference, yet everyday walking within the halls of this high school are 1,300 students ready to prove the doubtful wrong.

Oprah, are you listening?

World - can't you see? These are the stories that need to be heard. The youth that see the good in humanity and act based on what their hearts tell them.


I am beyond thankful to call you my Friends
Brandi Stenglein
Chelsea Flower
Liz Moynihan
Aileen Yang
Caitie Parmelee
Franny D'Antonio
and to all the other students involved and who donated