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.