Where I live: There is rural Uganda and there is not so rural Uganda. I live in rural Uganda. In other words, I am surrounded by vast landscapes and many animals. The only paved road which I live near is the road connecting Kampala, Masaka and Mutukula (Tanzania). All other roads are dirt. Cows and goats roam around the area sometimes freely and other times tied to trees or plants (treatment of animals…don’t go there). These animals provide a lot of income for families. Cows provide milk and meat, while goats provide nice lawn mowers (and they are kind of awesome because their eyes bulge out and are a bit crazy looking). Most people ride bikes or walk. Those who can afford to use a taxi (most of the time a Toyota corolla) are packed into the backseat with most likely 5 other adult passengers, while the front seat often serves at least 3 (this means getting pretty cozy with the driver). The cost of travel here is very cheap by American standards. In order to travel to Kyotera, the closest biggest town which is 24km away, it costs 2,000ushs = ~ $1. Masaka, an even bigger town which is over 60km away, costs 5,000ushs by taxi.
SHARE (Safe Homes and Respect for Everyone), which deals with domestic violence and other issues of gender inequalities within the villages, came to talk to the girls during a Club GLOW meeting. The discussion and lesson went amazingly well. The girls participated in the discussions beautifully and both D and M from the organization gave amazing talks. M talked about puberty, while D talked about places where the girls felt unsafe and reasons for those feelings. He then went on to discuss ways in which the girls could feel safe in those uncomfortable situations. And of course the discussion of NOT playing sex (having sex) and respecting one’s body was a big part of the discussion. One of the most entertaining parts of the afternoon was when two girls had to participate in a role play…one was herself and another a boy, who tried to convince the other girl that she was beautiful and he wanted to play sex with her. The girl told “him” off wonderfully.
Another project which I am starting is a health club at a nearby secondary school called St. Mary’s. During an all school assembly I discussed the club with the students. Basically, they will be teaching each other about health topics of their own interests. We will give each other feedback pertaining to the presentations and hopefully eventually be ready to present these issues to primary schools around the area. The health club can be a promising project. However, students teaching students is way out of the norm in Uganda. My plan is to teach the secondary students in the club (around 50) how to present health topics in a sometimes interactive, but interesting manner. During the meeting I asked for suggestions pertaining to particular health topics which they would like to cover. I received some excellent topic suggestions such as cancer, hypertension, and diabetes, which is not often talked about due to many other overbearing health issues like HIV and malaria which Ugandan’s face.
On Wednesdays I travel to Kalisizo (40+km away from Ssanje), where the Rakai Health Sciences Program is, in one of those corolla taxis with 10 or so other people who may or may not be stopping there as well. I have finally received a position working with the qualitative data analysis department. Presently I am preparing a presentation on different topics which they requested based on qualitative analysis research. I am hoping also to become more involved in the PeerSMART program, which I was able to become aware of through a former Emory alumn, L.C. and others at the facility.
Thank you (webele nyo) to all those people who are contributing to the mosquito net fund for the students to receive treated mosquito nets. Treated mosquito nets are better than untreated because they repel the mosquitoes from coming near the students beds and they also kill the mosquito if it touches the net. I am still looking into the cost of nets, but it seems like it may be a little more expensive for the treated net ~10,000ushs = $5 (just an FYI). If anyone would like to contribute to the fund, please contact my family or me through phone, email or this blog.
Emotional Venting Section (EVS)
FRUSTERATING: Being called muzungu, gwe (you), whistled at, honked at, telling people “nsinze muzungu, nze Emmy (Nansamba, Aunt, Aunti Amy)” or “I am not a muzungu, I am…” and having them give you blank stares in return; saying the previous statement and as you turn around that same child yells “byeee muzungu” (we’ll see how many of those children make it through my two years of peace corps); adults (mostly men) calling me muzungu and not nyabo (madamn)
ANNOYING: People laughing or snickering when you speak Luganda because they assume you know none; matatou drivers trying to raise the prices of their rides because you are white (never will this happen! I will skip the ride twenty times over before I pay more than what I am supposed…a**holes!); being asked if you have a masajja (husband); being called Emma after 9 months at site by those who should most definitely know my name; a Ugandan (most) assuming that all white women are sisters, related in some way or even the same person
HAPPINESS: kids calling me Aunt, Aunt Amy, or Amy and adults calling me madamn or nyabo; escaping to Masaka and Kampala
HILARIOUS: kids calling C, a 19 year old white American male with a facial hair, Aunt Amy, or calling M, a 31 year old white Canadian male with extremely curly and longish hair, muzungu Amy (I just can’t win…)
In progress…
*Boy Empowerment (If anyone can think of a good name for the club similar to that of GLOW (girls leading our world), but not BLOW (don’t be naïve, you understand why) I will make sure to name the next goat born in Ssanje after you…that is assuming I know the next goat expecting and am there when the new born goat arrives…surely)
*Women’s Group – Re-starting and inviting CoU women guardians and parents
SHARE (Safe Homes and Respect for Everyone), which deals with domestic violence and other issues of gender inequalities within the villages, came to talk to the girls during a Club GLOW meeting. The discussion and lesson went amazingly well. The girls participated in the discussions beautifully and both D and M from the organization gave amazing talks. M talked about puberty, while D talked about places where the girls felt unsafe and reasons for those feelings. He then went on to discuss ways in which the girls could feel safe in those uncomfortable situations. And of course the discussion of NOT playing sex (having sex) and respecting one’s body was a big part of the discussion. One of the most entertaining parts of the afternoon was when two girls had to participate in a role play…one was herself and another a boy, who tried to convince the other girl that she was beautiful and he wanted to play sex with her. The girl told “him” off wonderfully.
Another project which I am starting is a health club at a nearby secondary school called St. Mary’s. During an all school assembly I discussed the club with the students. Basically, they will be teaching each other about health topics of their own interests. We will give each other feedback pertaining to the presentations and hopefully eventually be ready to present these issues to primary schools around the area. The health club can be a promising project. However, students teaching students is way out of the norm in Uganda. My plan is to teach the secondary students in the club (around 50) how to present health topics in a sometimes interactive, but interesting manner. During the meeting I asked for suggestions pertaining to particular health topics which they would like to cover. I received some excellent topic suggestions such as cancer, hypertension, and diabetes, which is not often talked about due to many other overbearing health issues like HIV and malaria which Ugandan’s face.
On Wednesdays I travel to Kalisizo (40+km away from Ssanje), where the Rakai Health Sciences Program is, in one of those corolla taxis with 10 or so other people who may or may not be stopping there as well. I have finally received a position working with the qualitative data analysis department. Presently I am preparing a presentation on different topics which they requested based on qualitative analysis research. I am hoping also to become more involved in the PeerSMART program, which I was able to become aware of through a former Emory alumn, L.C. and others at the facility.
Thank you (webele nyo) to all those people who are contributing to the mosquito net fund for the students to receive treated mosquito nets. Treated mosquito nets are better than untreated because they repel the mosquitoes from coming near the students beds and they also kill the mosquito if it touches the net. I am still looking into the cost of nets, but it seems like it may be a little more expensive for the treated net ~10,000ushs = $5 (just an FYI). If anyone would like to contribute to the fund, please contact my family or me through phone, email or this blog.
Emotional Venting Section (EVS)
FRUSTERATING: Being called muzungu, gwe (you), whistled at, honked at, telling people “nsinze muzungu, nze Emmy (Nansamba, Aunt, Aunti Amy)” or “I am not a muzungu, I am…” and having them give you blank stares in return; saying the previous statement and as you turn around that same child yells “byeee muzungu” (we’ll see how many of those children make it through my two years of peace corps); adults (mostly men) calling me muzungu and not nyabo (madamn)
ANNOYING: People laughing or snickering when you speak Luganda because they assume you know none; matatou drivers trying to raise the prices of their rides because you are white (never will this happen! I will skip the ride twenty times over before I pay more than what I am supposed…a**holes!); being asked if you have a masajja (husband); being called Emma after 9 months at site by those who should most definitely know my name; a Ugandan (most) assuming that all white women are sisters, related in some way or even the same person
HAPPINESS: kids calling me Aunt, Aunt Amy, or Amy and adults calling me madamn or nyabo; escaping to Masaka and Kampala
HILARIOUS: kids calling C, a 19 year old white American male with a facial hair, Aunt Amy, or calling M, a 31 year old white Canadian male with extremely curly and longish hair, muzungu Amy (I just can’t win…)
In progress…
*Boy Empowerment (If anyone can think of a good name for the club similar to that of GLOW (girls leading our world), but not BLOW (don’t be naïve, you understand why) I will make sure to name the next goat born in Ssanje after you…that is assuming I know the next goat expecting and am there when the new born goat arrives…surely)
*Women’s Group – Re-starting and inviting CoU women guardians and parents
