Martin, the headmaster at Covenant Junior School in Kyamagemule, is a very kind and helpful man. The teachers seem to respect him. When asked what the barriers to success might be in this very remote place, the teachers were quick to point out that their salaries were insufficient to even provide shelter. Why would teachers come this far from home for substandard salaries? Because they love the children...
Monday, May 30, 2011
Homework in the Dark
Song and dance are common welcome gifts from the school children when we arrive in Kyamagemule. Unfortunately I cannot upload the video clip from here. Watching these children perform, right down to the tiny ones, is so much fun. The boys are quite adept at playing their drums too.
The sponsorship update on one child in Kyamagemule revealed a lack of paraffin (oil) at Joyce’s home, which means...
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Kyamagemule Bubble Chasers
The children of Kyamagemule are familiar with me, but not so much with bubbles. Once Pastor George described the fun of bubbles, the children came swarming after me. Sticky bubble syrup was everywhere.
...
Roadside Bubble Chasers
Soapy, slippery, stunning. The bubble chasers of Kawuku took time to understand what the bubbles were, but the children along the roadside to Kyamagemule never quite caught on. I hopped out of the van to play with the kids while the others shopped for school requirements. Okay, the children were more watchful than playful.
Bubbles. What could be the purpose of this mzungu blowing until she’s...
Friday, May 27, 2011
Lake Flies
In keeping with the mice, frogs, rats, roaches, ants and other assorted…um…wildlife, I thought you’d like to see the lake flies. Thanks to Andy who was brave enough to get a close up photo. Luckily they left us alone during dinner at Garetti’s…well, except for landing in my drink, which was too close to the candle, and for getting stuck in my ha...
School Requirements
Many parents have the luxury and pleasure of sending their children to their first day of school with a new backpack, some unused crayons even though the old crayons are barely used, a set of markers…maybe the kind that change colors, pencils with Barbie printed on the outside, and a few fancily-designed folders to hold their papers. We might also send them to their first day in a new outfit. I don’t...
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Grasshoppers
Pick, pick, pick. The ladies kept picking something off the edge of their nylon sacks. A boy had his mouth on a clear paraffin bag containing something long and green, perhaps small pea pods. Upon closer inspection I realized the ladies were selling GRASSHOPPERS. These live grasshoppers were trying desperately to escape certain death. Only one is known to have succeeded…the one who jumped into my...
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Website Development Workshop: Session 1
That they arrived well before the 9:00 starting time was hard to believe. Perhaps African time is not for all Africans. Six people attended the workshop as we worked through the introduction to web design and the planning process.
1. How are websites used?
2. What are important qualities of websites?
3. What websites do you like and why?
4. What challenges do you personally...
Monday, May 23, 2011
Lunch with Anna
Sheets of green upholstery fabric with a small flower print hung from a nylon cord. The fabric was used to disguise the bunk beds shared by Anna and Emmanuel. The main room (2.5 x 2 meters) housed a love seat and small table atop a hand woven mat. All the furniture was covered with crocheted yarn doilies.
Anna is one of the many women attending the weekly Bible study with Konoweka Orphans and...
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Film Ministry: NOOMA Rain
Cultural studies show that keeping time differs among countries, sometimes by hours. Mzungu and African’s know this, but sometimes reconciling the two can be a challenge. Observations of the lifestyle here reveal why this is so. Life isn’t driven by appointments but instead by relationships. What does the woman working in the field to plant and harvest cassava need with appointments? Or, if guests...
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Ssese Islands: Three Businesses Part 3
The three jjajjas on Bugala Island will get another visit just because they are absolutely the most precious women I’ve ever met. I have the third blanket to deliver to the youngest jjajja, as last time only two were available.
Opportunity #3
Vickie inquired about developing a website for the jjajjas because they too have handcrafts available for sale and she felt their goods would fit well in the mix of artisans currently posted on the Surprised by Hope website. I asked Vickie what they...
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Ssese Islands: Three Businesses Part 2
One of the beautiful and influential women of Vickie’s life was her Aunt Robina. Aunt Robina, you may recall from a previous post, is the woman who started Ssese Island Honey with several other women on the island of Kalangala. I was quite impressed by the business planning and strategy skills of Aunt Robina…not to mention the delicious honey. The simple website we developed will serve as a reference for mainland businesses and as a communication tool for them to place orders. Truly, you must try...
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Ssese Islands: Three Businesses Part 1
Meeting Vickie and traveling with her to the Ssese Islands earlier this year opened the door to many wonderful opportunities. Planning for our return in July, with a more familiar frame of reference, is certain to further develop what we started and possibly create many new opportunities.
Opportunity #1
Our initial trip resulted in enrolling her first wave of children into the sponsorship program established by VKids Trust Uganda. We met families and gathered child-related information. We...
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Konoweka Welcome
“Hello Leslie,” said Pastor Gideon who met me along the path as I was traveling toward the church in Banda. Pastor Gideon is Pastor Jessica’s husband and has occasionally observes quietly from a rear bench during our Bible study and business teaching time with the ladies of Konoweka Orphans and Widows Hut. What a nice surprise to find him there.
Women were gathered in the church as I snuck in the back way. Once they realized I’d arrived, the race toward me with open arms began. This kind of...
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Video Ministry Meeting
“I can hear his voice saying, ‘I love you Alozious.’ When God speaks to you, you feel you can finish the day.” This response flowed from one team member following a preview of the film NOOMA Rain |001. At one point in the film, Rob says to his son – as a metaphor to how God is close to us in the storms of life – “I love you buddy. We’re gonna make it.” Can you hear his voice too? Can you hear him...
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Silvann Interent Cafe
Under the metal canopy of a tiny restaurant in Namulanda, Ronnie spread a few chairs so that I’d be protected from the sun as we met. Ronnie is the young man who was working to find a job last time I was here; jobs are still scarce. With a few used computers collected from friends, and a little startup money from a random project, Ronnie opened a small internet café. Having formerly worked in such...
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Slow Going
Adjusting to the slower pace of life in Uganda is…well…challenging for me. All that might be accomplished in a day in the comfort of my basement office in Michigan takes a week or more in Uganda. Part of the reason for this seeming lack of progress is that the pace in Uganda is much slower. People don’t feel a sense of urgency or anxiousness about getting things done or checked off a list, but they know things will come together eventually and that this “eventually” is perfect timing. I adore this...
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Ten Steps to Getting Settled
Arriving in Uganda necessitates completing a fixed routine of tasks before you’re really prepared to do much of anything (except take a nap). Follow this order to ensure the best possible results:
1. Brush your teeth. They get a bit furry after 36+ hours of traveling.
2. Check for sufficient toilet paper on the roll (Lauren has a little habit).
3. Girl talk until way late the night you arrive.
4. ...
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Customs
Three beautiful black Plano boxes, if they pass the initial checkpoint at the Delta counter in Grand Rapids, clunk their way down the conveyor belt painted with Coca-Cola advertisements in the Entebbe airport. These three boxes, with their “Airport Approved” labels still affixed, look an awful lot like something a wholesaler might use to transport goods for sale…goods requiring customs duty. Given...
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Luggage
Suitcases are inefficient. That’s right, they’re only good for casing suits. Three giant black Plano storage boxes consume most of the available floor space in my living room along with the content they will eventually contain. They may exceed the allowable dimensions for airline travel…on the outside. I figure measuring from the inside and subtracting the angles should count. After all, that’s the...
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