Two weeks left

“There came a time, he realized, when the strangeness of everything made it increasingly difficult to realize the strangeness of anything.”

-James Hilton, Lost Horizon

I came across this quote when I was leafing through a book Olivia gave me for some light reading.  It’s called The Geography of Bliss and is about a pessimistic man traveling the world to see how different cultures perceive happiness, and what actually makes someone happy.  Although most of the book wasn’t necessarily agreeable with me, I enjoyed reading his outtake and some of the points he focused on.  This particular quote made me think.  I first read it back in September, when everything was new to me.  I mean, it wasn’t like I was walking around saying “this is so strange” but I definitely noticed the difference in things more than I do now.  But when I came across this quote again just the other day, I thought about it differently.

Yesterday, I had a typical day.  But maybe I wouldn’t have thought it so typical three months ago.  I was walking through the market to say hello to my friend Christine at her tailoring shop when some women showed me some funky bracelets.  I decided to get a few for Rita (my mentee at home) but only had big bills.  So while one of the women went to break my money, I stayed and chatted with the other women for the next 45 minutes, and of course played with baby Lakisa.  They were all plating each others hair and almost convinced me I should let them do mine…  It was a casual interaction, but I think maybe this is just something normal now.  Also realizing that its impossible to just go to the market to get what I need is impossible because just greeting people adds so much (good) time to the trip.

Later, I was with Simprosa.  She had gotten into a bad boda boda accident earlier that day and had cuts and bruises all over her.  While I was waiting for her to gather her things, I played with the babies.  There are always so many babies in the workshop.  This day, there were two little twin boys, but they were hesitant around me.  Even the little baby Abbu still cries when she sees me, but one of the little boys, Opio (the younger twin) really took a liking to me! I even got him to stop crying when he fell on his face!  It was a win in my book that a baby didn’t cry because of my glowing complexion.

Our house celebrated Thanksgiving to the extreme.  Cooking for 2 days straight, we finally sat down with our friends from the area at 9:30 Thursday evening.  It was a big success with plenty of food to feed all the guests, estimated at at least 30!  A combination of traditional Acoli and normal Thanksgiving foods made the day a perfect Ugandan Thanksgiving.

When Simprosa and I were on our walk from the workshop to her stand, we stopped in a small village a little off the path to visit her uncle for some medical remedies.  When we got there, a very, very old woman greeted us.  Her eyes were swollen shut and thus she had to feel my arms to get a sense of who I am.  Not strange right?  I didn’t think anything of it.  I also didn’t really think anything of it that she wouldn’t talk to me further if I wasn’t “saved,” and then she brought me into her cooking hut to sing to me and play her trumpet while Simprosa went to see a doctor.  It was a nice way to spend an hour and a half I suppose; I really wouldn’t expect anything different on a Wednesday afternoon.

I also have had to balance my time with VISO.   Today we went out to Alero at 10:45 AM, when we were scheduled to leave at 9.  Typical.  I went in a CARE car and we ended up going all the way out to Anaka, about a two and a half hour drive out.  We dropped a woman there, then headed back to Alero for a community meeting on by-laws for improving education standards.  So getting there 3 1/2 hours after it started, I wouldn’t have expected them to be less than half-way through.  It was funny that I introduced myself in Acholi and thus they all assumed I was fluent, so told the translator it wasn’t necessary to help me.  Also, not random at all that I casually ran into Sarah, my friend who wanted to save me at the training two weeks ago in Gulu.  We’re only about an hour away in a rural community standing outside a latrine…. Casual to see her there I guess.

Just thought I'd share this one.  Last weekend, Jon, Elliot, Francesca and I rented boda bodas (local motorbikes) and rode out to Fort Patiko.  Since it hadn't rained in a month, the dust really got to us...  Another thing I don't realize so much anymore is the bodas.  Sometimes I'll see a whole family, including goats and chickens piled on, or yesterday Simprosa and I saw a whole couch settled somehow on the back...

But as “strange” as things may be, there is such a comfort in the way things work.  Relationships mean so much here.  I think my patience may have gotten better here because of how long everything takes to evolve.  When Simprosa asked me what I’m going to miss I told her one thing would be the greetings.  They mean everything here; you just don’t not greet someone.  Its genuine and maybe different, but I guess the strangeness in everything makes me forget about the strangeness in anything and just appreciate it for what it is.

ISP successes!

I’m so excited I don’t even know where to begin!  I could not ask for a better two days, and I’m pretty sure I have some more like this to look forward to.  I ended up meeting with Simprosa last week and everything has been changing so positively since then.  She is one of the most inspirational women I have ever met in my life and am so energized by her work.  Although I haven’t gained her full story yet, I can share that after living as a refugee in Kenya for about 10 years, escaping from the Lord’s Resistance Army here in Gulu, she was recruited by Wototo (an evangelical organization) to help women returning from the bush.  I won’t get too much into her story now because I can’t yet give it justice for how amazing it is, but basically success in one organization after another has brought her to founding her own organization because she realized that these big ones are too impersonal and turn away too many girls.  She knows she can do more.

Simprosa under the tree where she sells every day!

So on Friday Simon and I met up with her in her tiny office tucked away in a back street in Cerileno, on the opposite side of town as I live.  And when I say tiny, I mean 4 women (and 2 babies) are crammed into a 10x12’ office space.  I honestly don’t know how they make it.  But basically she was more than happy to invite me to come in to learn the following week from her and the 3 girls who work there.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, and so Sunday night I scribbled some questions just incase all that the next day turned into was a question/answer session for an hour or so.  It definitely turned out to be anything but.  I showed up around 10 and we got to chatting.  The questions were answered before I could ask them, as Simprosa is a very open woman.  She can just talk for such time and keep your attention.  She told me how she started, how she was going to be a teacher, and how God had other plans for her.  Since she has started Amani Uganda (Kiswahili for “peace”), she has been faced with many challenges but also has had some amazing successes.  She says how the generosity of people has really come out, as many have donated machines and even the office space is borrowed from a family friend.  It is small, as she expressed to me today, and she is looking for a bigger space, but one challenge leads to another.  Right now she only has enough machines for 3 girls, and therefore can only generate enough profit to pay them, and therefore not purchase any more equipment to be able to take on more girls, but even if she got the equipment, where could she fit it.  You see? It’s a never ending cycle.  And one of the hardest challenges is selling her crafts.

I first met Simprosa outside of Sankofa Café in Senior Quarters.  It’s a muzungu hang-out to say the least.  She sells her things under a tree just outside the front entrance.  I recently found out from her that she originally had asked the muzungu owner if she could sell her goods within, and after her being persistent and him ignoring her, she found out some time later that he didn’t want her there.  So, distraught she walked outside, worried that she would be carrying her things from street corner to street corner forever, and ran into the shopkeeper just outside.  “No problem,” she told her, “You can sell your things under this tree.”  And so there she is.  She is so thankful that these things work for her.

   

So anyway, back to my first day.  We were hanging out, chatting.  I was taking notes on some background information, etc. when Simprosa asked me if I wanted to here the girl’s testimonies.  I wasn’t expecting this at all, especially because my limited Acholi put a barrier on our relationship building, but I was also excited by the idea.  It took them a while to agree, but Simprosa encouraged them, telling them that the more they express themselves, the better they will feel.

Because they have asked me not to share, I will tell you that from the two testimonies I heard, both were abducted from their homes in Koc Goma, both were abducted at night, and both were given as wives and had children in the bush.  The few details they gave were horrific and I had one of those moments where I asked myself, “What the heck am I doing here?” and thinking, “This is not my place.”  How am I qualified to sit there and listen to these stories, and want to cry for these girls, when they are still going on living their lives, telling their stories to a complete stranger.  I can’t imagine what they went through.  But after I thanked them for sharing with me, it was beautiful to hear “apwoyo matek” from them, and Simprosa translating that they are so grateful that I will listen to them, that it means so much.

 

I’m pretty sure in those first 2 hours I had accomplished more of what I wanted to than I have in total at VISO.  It’s unfortunate that it has to be that way, but it also motivates me all the more.

After, Simprosa and I went to pick some fabric downtown.  She took me to this shop, the size of her shop, with wall-to-wall fabric.  Literally.  I wish I could take a picture.  You take your shoes off at the door and climb over piles, dig through, scramble up shelves, it’s crazy!  And Simprosa just confidently goes it, grabs six 12-yard pieces, pays her money and walks out.  I carried them for her (one of the biggest work-outs I’ve gotten here) and the plastic bag snapped after about only 7 minutes.  She said she gets this much after every 2 weeks, and I believe it, those girls are determined and really get excited about their work.  The problem, Simprosa says, is getting people to buy.

I realize I’m rambling at this point, but I’m just so excited about this!  After we got back and had some tea, I went and sat with her under the tree outside Sankofa and we sewed bird ornaments.  More like I tried to sew one and messed it up, but it was cool to just hang out with her.  And today, when I showed up at the office, and she wasn’t yet there, the girls joked as they put me to work cutting, “Much easier than stitch.”  Simprosa must have told them about the previous afternoon….

So I got to cut with them for a while, then Simprosa and I went back to the tree and took pictures of all the items.  We are going to make fliers to put up around town to attract more people to come out to check her things.  I’m excited and hope it will work.  ALSO if ya’ll are interested in any of the items in the pictures, the profits go to a really good cause helping formerly abducted women who are supporting not only their selves and their children, but other people’s children as well.  Contact me and I’ll bring something back for ya, they make great Christmas presents!!!

Other than filling my time hanging out with this amazing woman, I’m checking out other women’s empowerment related organizations in the area.  Just this afternoon I went to Mend, an Invisible Children sponsored organization.  I was skeptical, but getting a tour of the place changed my mind.  There is a great energy there and the products are excellently made.  And it’s also clear that it really does benefit the women.  I won’t get into the criticism because I’m in too positive a mood right now, but they definitely do have some doubtful aspects.  It’s cool to see IC doing something productive though.

Okay, that’s all for now I guess!

ISP struggles

A little update.  I’ve been enjoying living at the new house.  Missing my family but it’s nice to be on my own schedule and to not feel bad about coming and going as I need.  We’ve started out with a few funny obstacles, like clogged drains, broken toilets, leaky spickets, but it also gives us a sense of really living here.  And let’s be real, I’m at my famiy’s house all the time, Mama’s cooking is too good to stay away. Also, since my home in Ariaga Central had solar panels, I never really was too affected by the power in Gulu Town being out for days at a time…I understand now.

I’ve been going to my internship also, but things there have been a bit frustrating.  I’ve had to learn what it is to work in the pace here, which has been a challenge.  The week before last, I was supposed to go to the field 4 out of 5 days, but unfortunately only made it out once, after waiting in the office for hours thinking we would be leaving “in just some few minutes.”  Going to the field also proved frustrating because when arriving, people were not so ready to receive us.  We did finally have a debate in the Koc Goma primary school.  I was impressed by the students, but worried that they did not fully understand the topic of their role in preventing sexual and gender based violence (SGBV).  Also, the critique after from teaches was focused mostly on pronunciation and grammar rather then on content.  It was evident that the lack of funds in this school takes a toll on both the students and teachers motivation levels.  This past week, however, we made it out to Alero on Tuesday for a debate in the primary school there.  This was much more successful and very inspiring.  The children took clear sides on the topic, arguing if it is children’s role to stop or adult’s.  The girls there also spoke with conviction and confidence, which was great to see in a society where normally girls are shy and repressed.  The teachers were very motivated here and clearly cared about their students, and so the effects of this were very positive.

Primary 7 student in Koc Goma giving his argument in the debate

Other than going to the field for the debates, I have been attending a training session for establishing IGAs (income generating activities) in rural communities.  It long and redundant, but kind of interesting.  The “students” are mostly community-based facilitators from the surrounding area who are there to learn to train the locals in their communities.  Since many places are so rural and literacy rates are low, we were taught to teach with a visual approach.  During this time I made a few friends.  I’ve never been so challenged to make friends, but I think everyone was too focused on the training to think about that.  My first friend, Sarah, told me her born-again church will save me, and my other friend, Pamela, told me I need a weave so I can really look Acholi.  Hmmm.

Unfortunately, my placement for internship is not working out too well since I am supposed to be focusing on women’s empowerment and have not yet done anything regarding this specifically.  The office is working on a proposal from Saturday to Saturday, so instead of participating (more like sitting there and doing nothing), I will be taking matters into my own hands and visiting places and people in Gulu focusing on women’s empowerment.  Tomorrow I am supposed to meet with a woman named Simprosa.  She was abducted by the LRA and after returning has decided to make it her life’s work to help other formerly abducted girls generate livelihoods by making handcrafts.  I hope to be able to spend a few days with her.  It’s unfortunate that my internship was not what I hoped, but it has taught me a lot about the struggles organizations here face, such as poor funding, impossibility of clear communication, lack of motivation, etc.

One of the obstacles going to the field faces.  This day we went in a CARE truck (since they are VISO's main donor, and after 30 minutes of driving on a very, very narrow road, we came  to a huge truck stuck going across the path. Not sure how it got like that, but we spent the next bit of time clearing a path to make it around.  Comical to look back on, but it also made us late for the debate.

So I’m looking forward to this week and making productive use of my time.  Even though I now have to make critical analysis of VISO and compare and contrast to other organizations in the area, I don’t regret being placed there.  It’s all part of the learning experience.

ISP

For ISP, (independent study project) we are basically on our own.  12 (out of 14) of us have decided to rent a house in Senior Quarters, a nice, safe, and fairly quiet part of town.  However, BJz, the local hotspot, is only a street away, and thus are lulled to sleep by the sounds of American pop music, 7 days a week.  The house is big, and for 1.5 million Ugandan shillings a month, it averages out that we're only paying about $50 US to live here.  We all miss our families, but it's nice to unpack everything and be able to wear shorts!  Also, my family lives about a 5 minute walk away and I frequently stop by to visit.  Here's a little tour of the new place:

The front gate-it's a secure compound surrounded by a 6' wall               Our rode! Yes, it's paved

                                             Not one.... but two tire swings!

Front of the house!

Side patio/front door, where the laundry happens (or doesn't happen)

Benefit to having your own orange orchard is we are saving on fresh produce!

Because we have 12 people living here, we sent the boys out to their traditional spot in the "boy's quarters." Complete with hot, running water and indoor plumbing!

  The kitchen, and our friend who hangs out there

Living room.  The house is SIT's new office next semester so they gave us all sorts of furniture

Olivia and my room! Some friends came over and made me that structure for my net, and Mama lent me the mattress... people here are too nice!

Girl's communal closet, and our bathroom.  Shower doesn't work, but bucket showers conserve more water anyway! and it's hot water!

Backyard, yes, thats a pit latrine back there

Back porch!

So this is my home into December, complete with fruit trees, chickens, cats, and children (the groundskeeper has the two cutest daughters ever!).  The hardest part of living here will be leaving.

It's not goodbye, it's see you later!

Michelle, Me, Jon Bosco, Merina, and Mama infront of the house

I’m finishing my final hours in my homestay now.  It’s bittersweet because as hectic as it always is, I’m going to miss the hussle and bussle of the Aludi house.  And as challenging as it was for me to have the little sisters (who officially turned four on Friday!), I love them so much and am fearing not having them around all the time.  I mean, my alarm clock broke, how will I wake up at 6:30 anymore?

Friends, Merina, and me dancing at the party

In about 30 minutes (which will probably turn into some time in the next 2 hours) we are having our farewell party.  Mama took me to town and had a dress made for me so I will be a real Acholi woman this afternoon.  This culture is the most accepting I have ever experienced.  Even if you just greet someone with a few Acholi words they instantly say, “Ah, you are Acholi now.”  I love it!  Hoping I can find someone to say “Kop ango?” to back in the US.

 Well a little update, I was in Mbale this past week for about 3 days.  Erik thought it would take 4 hours to get there, but it ended up taking 10, so our time was very limited.  But we did get to enjoy Sipi Falls.  It’s a beautiful place in the mountains of Eastern Uganda (where the temperature is significantly lower) that includes a number of waterfalls and hiking paths.  We got to play in the first fall for a while and cool off, but as we set out for our 2 hour hike, it started to downpour.  It was a lot of fun, but I made the misktake of wearing my showershoes that day, and because when the mud gets wet, it gets thick and cakey.  So my shoes lasted about a total of 5 minutes before they fell apart.  The next 2 hours I enjoyed the cold rain, amazing views, and possibility of getting jiggers in my feet.  I swear by the time we reached the van I had at least 3 inches of mud caked to my feet, almost like I had created some sort of natural shoes.

Destroyed shoes, tried to leave them in town for a local, but when I woke up the next morning someone had cleaned them, fixed them, and placed them outside of my door!

Two of the falls!

               

In Mbale we also visited a children’s home.  It is more of a rehabilitation center for street children.  It practices sustainable methods by giving the children a place to go to school for free and a safe place to spend the day, while also learning life skills and receive the needed psychological support.  It reminded me of a place in Guatemala that worked in a similar manner, rewarding successful students after time.  At first it may seem counterintuitive to send a street child back out after a day of lessons, but this place actually provides them with the knowledge to handle their living situations in a productive manner.

It was awesome to come back to Gulu and be received so warmly by my family.  Maybe its because we have short time left together, but we are just so excited to do things together now!  I cooked for mama last night while she watched her favorite soap “Beautiful but Unlucky.”  She really loves the quesadillas I make.  And I’ve gotten pretty good at making my own chippati.  Mama told me out of the 9 students she has had, only one other attempted to cook for her.  When I asked what, she couldn’t even speak she was laughing so hard.  Apparently the girl boiled apples (the most expensive fruit here) and the poured sugar on top.  Mama said it was so bad no one could force it down.  +1 for Charlotte!

After that, I met up with friends to go to a Halloween party at the Invisible Children house.  It was an interesting experience.  First off, I’ve forgotten what its like to be part of the majority.  So many muzugus there!  People got pretty into their costumes, too, which was pretty cool to experience in Uganda.  Rachelle and I ended up dressing as sailors, thinking we were going all out, but people literally were unrecognizable in body paint and extravagant getups.

Well I move into my new house tomorrow.  I’m excited for a change of scenery but I know I’ll be back here all the time for Mama’s cooking and her words of wisdom.  Its funny the ups and downs I’ve had with this family, and although there are some things that I just can’t bring myself to accept here, I overall love love love my Mama and sisters.

Back to Gulu!

Oops, sorry for no update recently! I’ve unfortunately taken the last week to recover from a mild bout of dysentery (yuck!).  I had originally written a post some time last week in-between naps but looking back on it, it was clearly the sickness talking and not something I feel sums up my experience.  So here is a quick summary of what’s up here in toasty Uganda while Sandy is pouring on ya’ll.

Lake Bunoni! Possibly the deepest lake in Africa

It’s kind of funny actually.  First, on our way back from Rwanda, we stopped at Lake Bunyoni, right outside of Kabali, across the Ugandan border.  We were pumped to take our boat taxis over to an island about 10 minutes away to have a picnic lunch.  However, when piling into the shaky tin boats, mother nature decided to downpour on us.  No problem, just a 10 minute boat ride in the rain!  But wait, when it rains there are waves, which create motor problems, which turn a 10 minute ride into a half hour excursion.  Sounds like fun, right?  It was pretty fun, just really chilly and resulted in a very soggy 5hr van ride back to Mbarara. 

But before reaching there, we had to then pick Erik (our AD) up in Kabali where we stopped to use the loo and buy some street food.  Mistake.  Apparently there’s an outbreak of Marburg there.  Have you heard of Ebola?  I suppose you could describe Marburg as the sister disease (don’t worry, those who have been diagnosed with it are responding positively to treatment!)  It’s also okay, because as frightening as it was to see Erik freaking out about us getting into the cars quickly, we are all Marburg free.

                                                                          Susan, Rachelle and me, a picture for you Momma, to prove I'm alive

Maybe I shouldn’t follow up that story with this, but keeping with telling things in sequential order, I finally got a little sick.  Not Marburg, just the dysentery.  And a minor case at that.  Basically I just had some bacteria hangin’ out in my tummy, as the doctor put it (with a straight face).  Again, it’s really not that bad, but going to the clinic got in the way of meeting with VISO where I will be doing my internship.  VISO is a smaller group affiliated with CARE International that focuses on women’s empowerment, sexual and gender based violence, and peace building in more rural areas.  I was supposed to go Wednesday instead, but Simon fell sick and therefore couldn’t make the meeting, so I ended up going on Thursday, to start TODAY.  But I’ll write about that in a bit…

The weekend was fun.  It was nice to be back with my sisters, and see my mama Rose briefly before she took off to Kampala to visit her second oldest (because she calls me her first born).  But most of the days were spent looking for housing and writing essays.  Since our ISP period is starting, we need to find a place of our own, so our group has decided to rent a big house in Senior Quarters, a safe neighborhood just outside of town.  I haven’t seen the place yet, but everyone else is pretty enthused.   After we move out, it will become the new SIT office, so everyone next semester is going to have a pretty legit site. 

                                                                                          Close up of the yummies

Also this weekend, Olivia's family invited a few of us over for a feast!  It was a little sample of every delicious Acholi dish possible.  Her family is really the nicest, and although may have the most rural homestead (no power or running water and utilize huts), they are easily the most welcoming.   If I come back to Gulu soon, I would absolutely consider staying with them.

   Chowin' down

So this morning I started my internship and spent my first day in the field.  I was really excited leading up to it and it is interesting how it worked out.  I arrived around 9, as I was told, and ended up leaving with Walter around 10:45.  We drove out to Koch Goma (remember the former IDP camp? Same place) and did some errands there.  If the ride out on the bike wasn’t so fun, I may have been a little frustrated with how inefficient things were.  There were such simple solutions for each order of business we need to attend.  Like the forms dropped off at the police station.  If there was power and a computer or fax, the forms easily could have been sent that way.  But since there aren’t, Walter has to return to bring more tomorrow because he didn’t bring enough.  It takes at least an hour to get there.  Then at the primary school they are organizing a debate between two primary schools about their ideas of sexual and gender based violence.  It’s a really awesome idea, especially for kids to be involved in stopping the issue at such a young age, but there is little communication between all the involved parties, and thus the debate needed to be rescheduled again.  Maybe if there was email correspondence, that would be an easy was to organize, but again, no power out there where it’s so rural.

It was further upsetting to visit this impoverished place because they have been so successful with programs set up by NGOs like VISO, however nature still is against these people; last night, 5 elephants came and destroyed the crops of a whole village.  It just goes to show that the people do so well with limited resources and then something completely out of their hands tears down their progress.

What my feet look like at the end of the day

I am looking forward to working with VISO.  Since I have been here, I have been increasingly disturbed by the way women are viewed in this society (and makes me realize how poorly the general image of women is globally).  So working with a cause that is focusing on bringing up the status of women is right up my alley.  Currently, the main project is called Roco Kwo (Acholi for “transforming lives”).  It is focusing on community peace building and women’s empowerment by encouraging women’s voices to be heard in local governments, and also implementing programs teaching about gender roles and how important it is for men to help with the family.

Tomorrow our group is off to Mbale, our final excursion until December.  I think we are all excited for our last hoorah before cracking down

The best surprise to come home to, 5 puppies!!!

Moving on

 The human capacity to heal and move on amazes me.  Every culture deals with things in a different way.  So far we have overloaded our schedule with lectures and site visits that have left us upset, confused, frustrated…  but the support of our group is so strong, and we are all really appreciative of that.  Visiting so many memorials is emotionally exhausting.  They are extremely powerful, but something that is still hard to think back on.  I find myself sometimes feeling guilty because if its hard for  me to think about this, I can’t even imagine what it is like to actually go through the genocide (a word that gets more and more difficult to say or write).

Basket weaving with women who participated in and were victims of the 1994 Genocide

But Rwanda is taking some positive steps forward for reconciliation for the atrocities commited in ’94.  Another site we visited was the Millennium Village.  It’s an interesting concept.  We drove a ways out of town to a UN constructed village where survivors and genocidairs come together to live and work.  At first I couldn’t comprehend how this could be possible, how someone could live alongside someone who participated in their suffering, but after spending some time there, I was amazed to see that it’s actually working.  We heard testimonies of two neighbors, one a perpetrator, the other a victim.  One has accepted his actions and asked for forgiveness, the other has accepted her history and chosen to forgive.  It is so powerful to see this extreme concept because it is hard to comprehend it.  After such a horrible time though, Rwanda is making positive steps to achieving peace and nationalism.  The concept of Hutu and Tutsi is no longer accepted; now it is simply Rwandan.

Traditional dancing done by Hutu AND Tutsi children in Millennium Village

                                                                                     Lounging on an island in Lake Kivu

We have been here for about a week.  A lot of group members are getting sick or down, so on Saturday we took a spontaneous trip to Lake Kivu.  Probably a very good decision.  We got to meet with some Peace Corps volunteers and here their stories, and enjoy boat rides and swimming for a day of relaxation.  We found a cool island that I would picture to be somewhere in the Bahamas; complete with volleyball net, lounge chairs, and hammocks.  The water was also luxurious and SO CLEAR!

We are all learning so much important information here, and wonder why we don’t already know it.  Even in the memorial, we were shocked in the exhibit about other genocides.  We didn’t even know about some of them.  I suppose it connects to the saying “ignorance is bliss” because it’s easy to be happy when you choose not to look into the issues of the world.  However, I would rather be informed than left in the dark.  I think peace is more likely to be attained when everyone is on board and ready to work for it.  But if we don’t know about whats going on with our fellow human beings in another part of the world, how can we take any positive steps forward?

It's interesting thinking about the Rwandan Genocide and the conflict(s) in Uganda.  I can't help but to wonder how people who experience such horror can move on in their lives.  But they do.  It is such an inspiring thing.  We can learn a lot from them.

ps: Sorry for blog post overload, not having internet, I write them not knowing when they'll get posted... I'm all caught up now though!

Off to Rwanda

Beautiful Western Uganda

We made it to Rwanda!  It was a long, long journey but through beautiful Western Uganda so it was bearable.  We also gained an hour and the extra sleep is always appreciated.  Rwanda is an interesting, eerie place.  The second you cross the boarder are manicured roads, modern structures, and no grass-thatched roofs to be seen.  Even in the countryside I felt like I may be in some part of the US or Europe.  And the city, that’s even more extreme.  It kind of reminded me of Dubai with how fancy the infrastructure is.  Okay maybe that’s a little exaggerated, but after living in Gulu for so long I’m fascinated by the little modern touches.  One thing that really hits ya in the face is how Rwanda used aid money.  It’s really a modern city, and even in the more rural areas, there are amenities such as electricity and sometimes running water.

Going through Customs on the Rwanda side!

Tea fields in Rwanda

We’ve taken about a week here now and I’m relizing this is one of the most intense two weeks in my life so far.  Our lecturers speak of the genocide, but also seemed to tip-toe around things, saying things like, “I am not afraid to say what I am now” but then avoiding giving away if they are Hutu or Tutsi, and saying that things are spoken of openly, but then also saying children are not told of the past.  Its just interesting because in a strange way, one result of the genocide is all of the aid money that has made the city as impressive as it is, yet no one speaks of it.  I’m not making a judgment here, just an observation.

     Class time in the swanky SIT Rwanda office building

 

So  far we have been to quite a few memorials, one museum-like, built with government money, others just in old churches, buildings, fields, where mass killings occurred.  Both types are impressionable and informative (and emotional) in different ways.

The Kigali Genocide Memorial was very well done.  It is a new building that takes you through the genocide from start to today.  I can’t really explain much about it, just that it has a huge effect on everyone who goes through it.  Furthermore, it takes it to a broader lever, teaching about the concept of genocide, showing this is not just an “African phenomenon.”  The whole second level is dedicated to teaching about other genocides around the world, even those not recognized as genocide (but that clearly were).    It is so powerful to see that these people suffered so much and yet can still acknowledge that this happens elsewhere, that they are not the only victims.  And as depressing as this is, at the end of the exhibit, there are statements about genocide, one of them being that genocide will happen again somewhere in the world.  I would love to think that that’s just not true, but from what I’ve learned, it is unfortunately almost inevitable.

The other kind of memorial is intense in a different way.  When we entered the first, an old church where 10,000+ people where mass murdered, it was hard to even breath.  You walk through in a sort of a daze, hearing bits and pieces of what the guide is saying….”these are the piles of clothes from the victims,” stacked feet deep on all the benches and in all corners of the church.  “This stain of the wall is where the lined up the children,” a whole wall turned a blackish-brown.  It’s hard to believe that such evil existed, and still does exist.  One thing every memorial has in common are the mass graves.  These are places covered in huge concrete squares where bodies were put.  None contain less than 5,000.  And these are not just unique to the memorials; you may be driving on a road in the country and on a hillside, or in the center of a field, you’ll see these huge concrete squares decorated with flowers, and you know people are buried there in the most impersonal way.

                                                                           Roommates in our hotel room (we moved Olivia's bed in)

To end on a happier note tonight, we have been taking full advantage of this modern city.  A few of the girls and I found a sweet internet café where we got on for the first time in almost a week tonight!  The city is big and confusing, but very safe. People are so incredibly nice here, aswell.  To name a few things: a man stepped out into the street to stop traffic for us so we could cross, and didn’t even have to cross himself.  Some waiters at a bar only had a small selection of food, but gave us clear directions where to find a tasty dinner.  We were trying to figure out where to get internet when the place we originally tired had lost their wifi and some onlookers kindly offered their advice of a place down the road.  So thoughtful.  When walking around at night, I also felt the safest I have in Africa.  I think I wouldn’t even feel too concerned walking by myself (although I wont try).  We had a little culture shock with the bodabodas here also.  They ride trust-worthy looking bikes, make you wear a helmet, and only allow 1 passenger!  No piling on your wife, 3 kids, and the family goat here.  I really like it here, but I appreciate that we have just 2 weeks.  It’s a good amount of time to see and learn, and also appreciate our home in Uganda.

Kigali at dusk, at the hotel just outside of town

Suggested watch: Sometimes in April -- we watched the other night, a very informative portrayal of the Genocide of 1994