yes, so fast

So I'm full circle back in the Amsterdam Airport with 4 minutes left of internet time thinking wasn't I just here and did Uganda really happen? I have a duffle full of African "chotzskis" that will help make it real. Can wait to share my market wares and photos and stories with all my anchor-friends back home. See you soon!

Rooster

Yesterday, I succumbed to Tim’s pleas. “Yes, I will visit your community. Just remember the No Gift Policy I’ve signed with AJWS.”

The “half hour” drive was two hours. When the dirt road narrowed and the path ran out, we were in a field parked by a tree shading the welcome singers, musicians and dancers. “We welcome you visitor. We’re so happy you came………”

Their first ever Muzungu, white person, unfolded from the stuffed car clapping and swaying to the repetitive rhythm of the wood and metal instruments. My camera focused on their spirited energy and the pre-school children playing a copy cat game with their teacher.

The social worker, coordinator, chair and two instructors, all volunteers, led me into the small, dark, mud preschool hut. They gave me bottled water and a small folder. They understood I couldn’t personally help, but would I just look over their work.

Outside the kids were lining up to get their daily cup of millet porridge. Millet stalks to be chafed and ground were piled high in the corner, in-kind donations from families who couldn’t pay the 1,000 Ugandan shilling monthly fee – about 35 cents American.

After porridge we sang “If you’re Happy and you Know it Clap your Hands” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider”.

To save face for both the hosts who hadn’t properly fed me and me who declined food because of my American watch (they hadn’t killed the chicken yet) I was presented with a rooster to take home. Hey, I didn’t see anything in the gift policy about not receiving a rooster!

p.s. Yes, I will read their professionally laid out proposal and brainstorm how they might find funds for the 28 orphans they now serve, the 200 vulnerable children on their wait list and the 1000 other needy children in their district they hope to serve in a year’s time!

Nayleema

That's my African name given to me at Saturday's dowry ceremony. I think it means spring planting or maybe harvest or less poetically visitor. It was a bit confused with lots of answers from different people all with big smiles. We arrived high in the mountains after a gorgeous 2 hour drive on pavement then dirt then narrowing paths. When we finally arrived with the groom/dowry giver, he opened the trunk and out jumped a goat! I had no idea! It was the last of the dowry items to be added to the cows, chickens, pots, lantern, rice and of course gratitude money. Once again I was honored by sitting at the table with the receiving family and called upon to give words of greetings. Had my best meal yet - lack of eating utensils make no difference in taste. Wish I could post the picture of me in the gomas,the African dress,the women had me change into...........

Typical day

No day is typical but I'll tell you about yesterday. Got out from under my mosquito net at 5am to see if the power was back on. It was, so I plugged in my laptop whose battery had run out during the10 hour outage the day before. I transferred feedback off large newsprint that I'd gathered at various meetings. Had cold beans and rice and a banana and an avocado from my tree for breakfast around 7. Ugandans don't eat breakfast, instead eat humongous portions of rice and beans and matoke (mashed green bananas) at lunch. Gave up my corn flakes and milk weeks ago when it ran out. By now Mitch and Michael are up and sharing bathroom space getting ready for the day. Mitch's work van picks him up at 7:45 and Michael gets laundry washed in the tub and hung out in the sun then leaves for his 90 minute hike up the mountain to plant trees for a couple of hours as a community volunteer. I gather my work supplies in my pack and walk 20 minutes to the office often conversing with other walker/workers going my way. People love the prestige of talking to Muzungus especially older school kids. This day I'm suppose to catch a ride from the office to the rural school site for a meeting at 9. I don't get there until 10 and just like I tried to convince myself, it was all right because they were just as late on the other end. The meeting was with 27 community health workers gathered for a training. I had 90 minutes with them. I told them my background - wrapped my arms around myself and shivered when I spoke about Alaska. They love hearing about how much I like their country. We go outside and make a circle and toss a ball of yard hanging on to our piece. The catcher tells how FDNC helps their community. We end up with a big spider web that they figure out shows how we're all connected, networked and stronger as a team. Then they count off by fives and I give each group a large piece of newsprint and they brainstorm what more we can be doing to help their communities and report back to the group. Latrines, mosquito nets, potable water, first aid kits, goats, travel stipends and more training are some of what they report back. We have lunch together with a group of six American doctors who are visiting for the day and will be training them in the afternoon. After lunch, I met with the vocational school student cabinet - eight leaders. We had a focus group so they could tell me about their tailoring, woodworking, hair design, computer, and brick making programs. Their matoke sometimes is not ready on time, the girls sometimes act out, and they don't have highly trained teachers. They would like more tools, a higher level certificate on completion and computer training for everyone. I start my walk back down the dirt road and catch a cycle back to down. I debrief at the office, catch a bicycle to the house and quickly get ready to meet up with Kampala volunteer friends who are visiting and going to th Abudaya Ugandan Jewish Community Friday night service. Lots of drumming and dancing and guitars all in Hebrew and Ugandan. Stayed for dinner with the rabbi and got back to the house by ten. So that was my day. Now today, Saturday, I'm waiting at the internet cafe for a pickup to come by for me to take me to the mountains near Kenya for my landlord's dowry celebration. We were to leave at 10. It's 12:30 but hey, things can't start without his being there to give his intended parents the goods they negotiated. Will tell you about it next week.

Lions and hippos and giraffes

Just returned from 5 days on my first safari. Saw it all. Tried to post a shot here but learned my camera has a virus! Never thought to have immunizations for my camera before I left! Will try again when it gets out of the camera hospital. Meanwhile you'll have to wait til I get home for a whopper of a 75 pound trophey Nile Perch story - the highlight of my trip.

There's a picture of our guide, Crocodile Andy, with the fish we caught. We had to fight off the crocs and hippos to get it - really!

Great Celebration

Had a wonderful day at the first graduation of the Widows of Bulibulima Microlending group. 20 women paid back their 6 month loan - a 100% return rate. There was lots of singing and dancing and speeches and feasting and somehow yours truly was one of the guests of honor! And was I ever honored to be there. Now 40 more women will be able to get small loans to do a small business - sell beans, sew, grow bananas to help their families. Hope my picture posts.....

A walk around my neighborhood

Late afternoon, with the cooling sun, I went around my surroundings with Michael. He doesn't get walking for the sake of walking, but he's learned to appease many of the Muzungu (white person) oddities. Just below the uptown area where our house is begin the slums. Michael advised me to keep walking and stay out of site while he bought us some roasted corn so he wouldn't be charged a Muzungu price. We also bought a large spear of sugar cane along the way and he used it like a staff until we break into it. After finding my corn to taste like burnt pebbles I amazed a little barefoot kid by handing it off to him. It's corn harvesting season and the stalks on every itty bitty plot of land are tall and producing. I saw a big two story high furnace for cooking bricks. Takes a lot of the limited fuel around - wood and sometimes charcoal. We got home by dark to learn the electricity's out yet again. Peas and rice and bananas by lantern light and early to bed.

Smelling the roses

I truly stop to smell the roses outside my house every morning. And things are smelling better and better now that Micheal's on the scene. He's the new housekeeper I inherited. He's probably doing my laundry in sweet smelling detergent right now. And when I come home, I'll smell the aroma of the eggplant dish he will prepare for dinner. Ah yes, life is good in Uganda!

Two pictures

So here - if this works - are two pictures downloaded from my camera. The one is the three kids, Joshua, William and Charlene who live right by the house. They're the landlord's kids and love my bubbles. I have some of their marker drawings on my fridge.

The other picture is my being showered with thanks at our last leadership training meeting. They all stretch out their arms up high and wiggle their fingers while slowly bringing their arms down. Fun!!!!

Mitch arrives

Mitch, age 25, arrived after dark last night to share the house with me. He's another AJWS volunteer who will work here in Mbale for another NGO. Bet we don't listen to the same music but bet we sure like having each other for company!

Such is life in Africa

I'm hot and dusty and happy. Probably gave away a dozen avocados from my tree today. Got to help set up a small African art gallery at the vocational school site. Helped greet 8 college volunteers from Crossroads in the US. They're here for two months to build living quarters for future volunteers. And I'm so happy because I found a connection that is working quite well - for now. Knock knock wood wood. I'll also be meeting Mitch's bus in a half hour or so and he'll be here to join me - knock knock wood wood.

This morning I arrived in the office to learn the government who leases the building hasn't paid the bills so power was cut off. Then I went with the van to get gas so we could get out to a work site and the gas station had no gas. We were to call another driver but the phone was down. Such is life in Africa. Everyone just keeps on smiling.

To learn more about Samuel who's my main man here go to http://www.adevelopedworld.com/home/edition/june2008/samuel-uganda

I learned that I can start downloading pictures at this place. So next time you might have a look at the sights - k k w w!

End of a fulllll day! Out to the villages to observe leadership trainings for 60 community leaders - 58 of then men. I passed along greetings to them from our country and told them what a beautiful and friendly country they have. The meeting was mostly in their local dialect but the building capacity and community development and sustainability charts looked just like ours.
Bought my banana out of a basket on a kids head for my breakfast. Looking for to an evening snack of an avocado off my tree. Get to get home before the mosquitos come out with the dusk. Looking forward to washing in the tub after a very dusty day.

Please don't expect many postings. This internet is so slow and wears on my good nature at the end of swirling days.

I'm Here in Kampala!

So he wasn't Mitch afterall but I did pick the real Mitch out of the boarding line. I'll post a picture of him soon. Nice guy. Reminds me of nephew Nate.

Kampala's a swirl of memories of the traffic and crowding of China, the big, friendly smiles of Madagascar, the mishmash of gathered cultures of a Hong Kong elevator, (ask Bridget) and the idyllic climate of Maui!

All's going well. Good group of ten volunteers. Excellent orientation by three staff. Meet our NGO reps tomorrow er today it's 3 am and I'm all fammished! (Note the 2 m's and not one - I'm not hungry).

People should really be impressed! Not only have a learned to post on my blog, thanks to Karen who's staying at my house, but I'm doing it in Dutch from here in the Amsterdam Airport! Seriously, all the headings and directions aren't in English! Anyway, I think I spotted Mitch. A good looking young man in shorts and tevas carrying a backpack. I'll find out soon when I get to the gate. Beside doing this to kill my 3 hours here after my 10 hour flight, I went to the airport museum and took in the Van Goghs and other masters. That's all for now folks.

10 hours til flight time. Yikes! I'm really off to Uganda!

Here's me doing last minute packing.

This is my practice first time blog entry. I think I'm getting it!

Will post again soon.....

JB's latest social justice activism:

Sudan and you

The heartbreaking story of a Holocaust survivor and the horrors witnessed can bring a room to tears. Recently, in Juneau, when the daughter of a Holocaust survivor shared her mother’s story, it had exactly that effect. “She said that it was indifference on the part of other people that allowed such a thing to go on for so long. That was so moving,” said Joyanne Bloom, a Juneau resident in the room at the time. But this room wasn’t just any room; it was a meeting of the senate State Affairs Committee, where Senate Bill 227 was being read for the first time.

The woman giving testimony was comparing her mother’s Holocaust experience to the genocide occuring in the Darfur region of Sudan. SB 227 is legislation drafted to force the Permanent Fund to divest any investments with companies that do business in Sudan. In 2007, a federal law was passed banning U.S. companies from investing in companies linked to the violence in Sudan, but the Permanent Fund is still investing in a handful of foreign gas and oil companies whose royalty money is supporting the Sudanese military.

Alongside Bloom, many others have been stepping up in protest of Permanent Fund investments, seeing their annual dividend check as “blood money.” Most recently, Governor Sarah Palin endorsed the Sudan divestment plan, which is broken down in SB 227.

“We have a moral responsibility to condemn the genocide in Darfur,” said Palin, through a spokesperson. “I commend the actions of the Senate State Affairs Committee and I hope the entire legislature gets a chance to weigh in on this matter.”

This is also the main concern of two Alaska state lawmakers who are supporting House Bill 287, the companion piece of legislation to SB 227. Sponsored by Representatives Bob Lynn (R-Anchorage) and Les Gara (D-Anchorage), the legislation would force the Permanent Fund to stop investing in foreign companies who support the Sudanese government and would require the Permanent Fund to divest from, as well as track and avoid, those companies until the violence ends. The conflict in Darfur is responsible for thousands of mass killings; since 2003, according to estimates from activists with Save Darfur, the region has seen 200,000 to 400,000 deaths and the displacement of 2.5 million people.

The Permanent Fund only has one half of 1 percent of its investments in these companies and it would be easy for it to find an investment just as good somewhere else, said Gara. However, the Permanent Fund is not supporting divestment for fear that other investments may not generate the best return.

“For some reason the Permanent Fund has engendered a lot of opposition in the building of the bills, so while most of the rest of the country is moving towards distancing themselves from the genocide, the Permanent Fund is insisting that we hold on. It’s troubling,” said Gara.

Gara expressed two main reasons why he thinks the Permanent Fund should divest.

“First, people should always take a stand against atrocities like this. Second, it’s effective,” said Gara. “Since the divestment movement has started, a lot of companies have left Sudan based on that pressure.”

Although HB 287 isn’t seeing much movement, SB 227 was passed by the Senate State Affairs Committee and is now moving on to the Finance Committee. With public support backing it up and the endorsement of Governor Palin behind it, the fate of SB 227 is starting to look promising for supporters, although the legislature adjourns on April 13.

“This is genocide we’re talking about. The greatest crime of humanity. And that’s where we’re drawing the line,” said Bloom. “I’m really optimistic that Alaska’s going to do the right thing.”

—Abby Hancoc

Happy Birthday

Happy Happy Birthday Mom,

Big Kisses from Bay and Piper. Wish we could be there to help you celebrate, but its good to know Lindsey is there with so many of your friends.

Miss you a lot.

Love Scott

Joyanne

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOYANNE!!!!!!!

April 10th 2008 Happy Birthday Joyanne

Joyanne - A fabulous friend, mother, bubbie, teacher, mountaineer, fisherwoman, glob trotter . . . writer.  Welcome to Joyanne's Blog, a birthday inspiration from her family where she can keep in touch with all of us and share all of the tales of the exciting adventures of her amazing life!  Happy Birthday Mom!    

We love you Mom!

Joyanne's Family: Granddaughters Bay & Piper, Daughter in law BreAnna, Daughter Lindsey & Brian, and son Scott.

Surprise!

Wow!  Thanks, Lindsey  for a terrific blog of my very own!