A Match for the Girls!

We were finally able to organize a match for our girls' team on Friday and it was so much fun!!! It was somewhat short notice, so on Thursday morning I spent two hours walking around Ndejje making fifteen house calls to the girls on the team to inform them about the match and to ask their parents' permission for them to come. One of the girls from the team, Julie, accompanied me, to show me where everyone lived and to help with the language barrier with some of the parents who didn't speak English. It was a fun morning overall, the best part being watching the girls' faces light up after I told them that we had managed to procure a match for the next day.

The longest stop we made was at our goalkeeper's house. I was a bit nervous about going there because she has an (evil) stepmother who doesn't treat her very well and often won't allow her to come to trainings. However, Lillian is our only a goalkeeper and a very good one at that, so the house visit was necessary, despite my apprehensions. We finally were able to procure permission for Lillian to attend the match, but only after being force-fed porridge (disgusting), bread slathered in butter (also not very appetizing), and some sort of egg concoction whose ingredients I'm not entirely sure of. I knew that we had to eat so as not to appear rude, but it was difficult to get it all down. I tried to guzzle my porridge as quickly as possible and I made Julie eat most of the bread and butter. It was funny sitting in Lillian's house, eating with Julie because she was just as averse to the food being served as I was. But, she was a good sport and put it up with it for the sake of the team.

Early Friday morning we all gathered at the youth center to distribute uniforms and cleats before piling onto the taxi bus that would take us to our match. The girls were so excited and after having selected their cleats from the center, they began scrubbing them with water so that they would be as clean as possible for the game. They were meticulous in their preparation for the big game.

When we finally arrived at the pitch after a taxi ride which had the girls singing and chanting the whole way, we were surprised to discover that we were playing a women's team. Literally, these "girls" were between 18-22 and they had some meat on their bones. Our girls are around middle school age and have definitely not gone through puberty yet, meaning they still weigh next to nothing. The girls weren't too phased by the difference in size though, and some of our larger girls held their own against the women, bumping elbows with the best of them. I was so proud! Even our smallest girl, Stellah, threw down one of the women on the other team at one point which surprised everyone.

We ended up losing the match, but it didn't seem to matter to much to the girls. They were so happy to simply get out of Ndejje for a day and get to play a real match and wear uniforms that I don't think they were too concerned with the outcome of the game, which was good. After the game we bought everyone cold water and snacks, which they were even more excited about! And of course, the singing continued on the taxi ride home. All in all, it was a great experience and it was probably one of the highlights of my time here so far. It was so enjoyable getting to watch the girls have so much fun playing and I was so proud of our girls as I watched them battle it out on the field. I love these kids!!

Part Two of the Trek

Day Four-Crossing Lake Mutanda

So my last blog left off when we were still in Nkuringo, with half of our trek still to be completed. As much as I did not want to leave the Nkuringo campsite, and all of the beauty that surrounded it, it was time to move on. And I really was looking forward to the remainder of the trek.

We set out nice and early because we had a lot of kilometers to cover. The first leg of the day took us through the countryside, which consisted of hills upon hills of farmland. Whereas crops in the U.S. are grown in the flatlands, farmers here just plant their crops on the sides of hills or mountains. The road we traveled upon wound in and out of mountains that were covered in cornstalks, bean sprouts, heads of cabbage, and many other crops. Since we were there during the rainy season, everything was incredibly green and many of the crops were ready to be harvested. The walk to the lake took us through 19km of countryside and back down to sea level. It was my favorite part of our journey and surprisingly, I found it to be more beautiful than any other hike we went on over the course of our hike.

After our long walk, we finally reached the lake and the canoe in which we would be traveling across it. It was a dugout canoe whose holes had been patched up with aluminum from old soda cans, and while I wasn't entirely convinced that it would deliver us safely to the other side, a three hour trip away, I climbed in, figuring that I could swim ashore if necessary. Well, the canoe did float, although Evarest spent half the time scooping water out of the hull as we glided across the lake. Adam opted to paddle, along with Evarest and the canoe guide...I just chilled in the front and let my hands dangle over the sides of the canoe, enjoying the feel of the cold water slipping through my fingers.

The ride was hot, but uneventful. After a long three hours we reached the other side and completed the final four km that took us to our final destination of Kisoro. I was tired from the long day of walking and we had a very early start the next morning for our volcano climb, so it was an early night for us at the hotel.

Day Five-The volcano

There is a string of seven volcanoes along the borders of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda that is called the Virunga Chain. We left for Mgahinga National Park early the next morning to climb Sabinyo, which everyone had said was the most difficult to climb due to its three separate peaks. We were excited for the challenge! And what a challenge it was! I consider myself to be a reasonably fit person, and I was dying. For some reason switchbacks had been eliminated in favor of a straight ascent up the mountain, which meant we were basically climbing stairs for four hours straight.

It was a beautiful climb which took us through three different types of vegetation. The bamboo forest at the beginning was beautiful, as we were shrouded amongst huge stalks of bamboo and a gurgling brook wound itself alongside our path. We finally reached the first peak, and after a short break for lunch, continued our climb, determined to reach the third peak. Peaks one and two were somewhat uneventful, we were just glad to have made it that far. We ditched our walking sticks for the last leg of the climb up to the third peak because we had to climb up makeshift ladders that had been fastened in the side of the volcano. They were basically vertical, and a slight rain had started to fall, so it was a bit daunting climbing these ladders for forty minutes, knowing that one slip up would send you tumbling straight down for a long time. But, the tough and dangerous aspect of the climb also made it the most exciting part of the trek, and the ladders were definitely the highlight of the day for me.

Finally, we reached the third peak, where the corners of Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC all meet. I lay down and spread myself in such a way as to be in three countries at once, pretty cool! It was really misty when we finally reached the top, so we waited for about an hour for the mist to hopefully clear so that we could get a good view of the valleys below. Unfortunately we had no such luck and since we were cold and wet we decided to just head back down.

We made it back down, soggy and tired, and determined to find a way to get back to Kampala without having to take a bus the next morning. Luckily for us, there was a couple staying at the hotel whom we had met the day before and was willing to split a private hire with us back to Kampala. So, not only was it a phenomenal trek, but I didn't have to risk my life again by getting back on one of the dreaded buses!!! Not only was it enjoyable to ride back with other travelers and get to hear some of their stories, but I also got to enjoy the beautiful scenery as we passed it by because my eyes weren't clamped shut, trying to ignore the speed at which we were traveling.

So, now life is back to normal in Ndejje. As much fun as it was to visit western Uganda, I missed the kids a lot and am happy to be back with them again. Now that school is out for the semester, kids are over at our house constantly, and we have a lot of fun playing with them or doing arts and crafts, or running around with our landlord's puppy. A bit of a vacation was nice, but there is much to be appreciated about normality as well.

Trekking Through Western Uganda

Well, I made it to and from western Uganda all in one piece, which following the bus ride out there, I was not convinced would happen. The trek was incredible, we covered 51 km by land and I'm not sure how many by dugout canoe. Western Uganda is the most beautiful place I have ever been (even more beautiful than my home state of Washington, as hard as it is to believe!). As opposed to presenting my jumbled thoughts all over the place and out of order, I will summarize the experience day by day to provide some sense of order and continuity.

Day 1-4:30 am

Adam and I arrived at the bus park in Kampala 30 minutes prior to our scheduled departure that we had been assured would be leaving at, "exactly 5 am." So, at promptly 5:31 the bus finally rolled out of the bus park and we were headed to Kihihi! About two hours in, I was dozing with my headphones in when I was jolted awake by our bus hitting something and then swerving back and forth across the road. Adam and I had no idea what had just happened and as the bus continued to speed down the road, we asked the other passengers what was going on. One of them replied, "Oh, we just hit a car." The bus was still speeding down the road and everyone on it was completely unperturbed that we had just hit another car going in the opposite direction!! Needless to say, Adam and I were a bit shaken up. Thirty minutes later we pulled over in front of a police station and everyone got off the bus. The entire front of the bus had been smashed in and the driver's side window had completely shattered. As we waited for four hours in a small village in the middle of nowhere for another bus to come from Kampala, we learned that everyone in the car we had hit had been killed. I wanted to throw up.

The other bus finally arrived and with great trepidation, we climbed back on. We figured that since a fatal accident had already occurred that day, this second bus driver would be a bit more cautious than the first had been. Wrong. So, so wrong. As we covered the hilly, mountainous terrain of western Uganda, the bus careened around corners and up and down hills at breakneck speed, trying to gain as much speed going down the hills as possible. I spent the next six hours praying that we would arrive in one piece in Kihihi, and trying to come to peace with the fact that this could be my last day on earth. Adam spent that time picking out the most likely spots of where the bus would land should we indeed crash, and determining whether or not the landing would indeed be fatal. I just assumed that any crash would lead to death. Oh, and when we asked the driver to please slow down, he and all of the passengers in front just laughed at the request. There is very little value placed on life here.

Finally, we turned off the tarmac roads and onto the dirt roads, which forced the bus driver to proceed at a more sane pace. There were a handful of high school kids on the bus who had enjoyed seeing Adam's and my discomfort for the entire ride, and they started talking about this dangerous bridge that was coming up soon. I was freaking out of course and contemplating getting off the bus and walking across. As we neared the bridge, we started our descent into this huge gorge that was surrounded on all sides by steep hills. The bus was soon skirting along the edge of the cliff where the road had been carved out of the hills. I was terrified, and at first just closed my eyes in order to wait it out. But, I forced myself to open them eventually because as scary as it was, it was also the most beautiful part of our journey thus far. We eventually approached this "scary" bridge. It was made out of steel, only a few feet above the river below it, and was the sturdiest piece of infrastructure we had encountered all day. I breathed a sigh of relief and wondered why the kids had felt they should warn me about the bridge, yet failed to mention the cliffs we had been traversing.

Fourteen hours after we had started our adventure (the guidebook was sooooo off in stating that the trip only took about 5-6 hours) we reached Kihihi, just as dusk was setting in. Since Buhoma was only about 35 km away, we hired a boda to take us there, figuring it would be nice to ride in the open air after the long bus ride. It was very nice for the first thirty minutes of the ride. Twilight was descending over the landscape, with a full moon lighting our path. Mist had settled into the folds of the mountains that surrounded us and it was all rather picturesque and lovely as we drove on through the expansive Ugandan countryside. Well, an hour and a half later it had gotten quite cold, we were battling mud in spots where the rainy season had destroyed the road, and all we wanted was to reach the first campsite. We finally did, cold, hungry, exhausted, and emotionally drained from all of the events of the day.

Day 2-Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

The first hike of our trip took us through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home of the mountain gorillas. Although we didn't see any gorillas, we did see three different types of monkeys, lots of birds and butterflies, and our guide even found a chameleon that we held (apparently chameleons are a sign of good luck!). Bwindi was beautiful, a lush forest that was so thick you could barely see what kind of weather was actually present outside of the canopy of trees. We hiked for 14 km, the way down was rather easy, but the climb up to Nkuringo during the latter part of the day was quite difficult and definitely had us sweating. The scenery was incredible though, and we had lucked out that it was cloudy and raining intermittently after we emerged from the forest.

Our guide was awesome! His name was Evarest, fittingly, although I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't spelled the same as the actual mountain. We also had a porter whose name was Adolf. He was a big Manchester United fan, so we hit it off immediately and he made sure to point out the chicharitos (little peas) when we reached the farmland later in the day, in honor of Javier Hernandez, aka Chicharito, on Man U.

Our day concluded when we reached the Nkuringo campsite, which was situated on the top of a mountain with a 360 degree panoramic view of the surrounded hills and mountains. You could look back over Bwindi forest and the Rwenzori Mountains on one side, the Virunga chain of seven volcanoes on another, and then down into the Congo Basin on the third side. It was incredible! One of the volcanoes was still active too, so at night you could see the glow of the spitting lava off in the distance against the backdrop of the night sky.

Day 3-Rest Day, Nkuringo

On the third day we rested and explored the small town of Nkuringo which was nestled between two peaks on a mountain. The weather was crisp and cool and the townspeople were friendly and I wished that this was where I was living for the next ten months of my life, I had fallen in love with Nkuringo! Adam wasn't feeling too hot, so he rested while I went with Evarest and Adolf to the other peak called the "Top of the World View." There is a makeshift soccer pitch cresting the top of it, and the local guys play pickup there every evening. I jumped in and played, and the soccer was even more chaotic there than it is in Ndejje. Half the time was spent chasing the ball down the sides of the mountain when it would get booted out of bounds. Regardless, it was a lot of fun and the guys were pretty inclusive after I had proved I could actually play during the first ten minutes or so. I ended up scoring a goal, a nice left-footed shot into the upper-90 of the far post and my teammates went crazy! They were whooping and hollering and running over to hug and high-five me. I wasn't sure if they were more impressed because I was a mzungu, or because I was a girl...probably a combination of both factors. Evarest was hilarious during the pickup game. He is the only African I have met who doesn't like to play football, and so he insisted on commandeering my camera and running around the pitch, dodging the ball and trying to snap shots of me playing soccer. He was the typical American soccer mom, it was quite entertaining.

After the match, we went back to the campsite and had dinner. There were a lot of travelers staying that night which made for lively dinner conversation. Following a delicious meal, two other American, two Germans, an Italian, a Brazilian, a Swiss, and Adam and I huddled around a campfire while one of the Americans played a guitar and sang and we all chatted intermittently between the songs. The moon was nearly full and cast light on the beauty of our surroundings, and as I sat there, listening the the guitar and in the presence of new found friends, I wondered, does life really get much better than this?

As much as I wanted that night to last forever, I eventually had to drag myself away from the fire and music and head to bed, we starting the second leg of our trek early the next morning and I knew that I would need my energy for what lay ahead.

...Well, I have used up almost all of my internet time, so I will have to describe the second half of the trek another time, hopefully at the beginning of next week. Hope everyone at home enjoys a great Thanksgiving!!

Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals

It's been a while since my last post, and we've been making strides here. Yesterday, Heather and I visited the program in Nsambya to run a workshop on goal-setting. We were told that we would be starting the workshop promptly at one, following the conclusion of Rafael's church service that morning since the church building was the venue we would be using for our workshop. We arrived in Nsambya at ten, figuring we would just attend the church service with Rafael prior to our workshop. Well, five hours and two church services later, we finally got up to present our information on goal-setting. I have had enough African church to last me for about six months. There is only so much singing and dancing and praying and preaching (all in a language I can't understand) one can take in a day (or month). So, that was a bit rough to sit through, but fortunately the workshop was a success...

We had decided to use the acronym "S.M.A.R.T" to convey an appropriate way to set and evaluate goals. S-Specific, M-Measurable, A-Achievable/Attainable, R-Realistic, and T-Timely. Whereas we had been expecting between about 15-20 people to attend, we ending up presenting to 87 people ranging from 18-30 years of age. Although a bit daunting at first, we proceeded slowly, trying to explain the acronym and it's meaning in English, which Rafael then translated into Swahili. The community in Nsambya is composed largely of Congolese refugees, so they speak a mix of French-Swahili. The most satisfying part of the workshop was when we asked for volunteers from the audience to come up and share goals they either had for the future, or had already met, and to evaluate them using the S.M.A.R.T. framework. There were about four people who came up to share, and they did a great job at sharing their goals and walking everyone through the S.M.A.R.T. steps. It was so encouraging hearing these refugees talk about their goals, many of which had to do with education. And, I think that hearing from their peers within the context of the information which we had presented was much more powerful than us simply talking at them the whole time. A success all in all!

Since both Arsenal and Chelsea had games Sunday night, we decided to head to Kagalagala with Rafael and Jasiri to find a spot to watch the games. We went to a Congolese restaurant where I had my first taste of Congolese food, so delicious! In my opinion, way better than Ugandan food, much more flavor. We also got into a heated argument with the restaurant staff after they overcharged Rafael and Jasiri without serving them everything they had ordered. It ended up going nowhere, but it was pretty funny watching the argument unfold, especially skinny Rafael who couldn't stop smiling and laughing if his life depended on it, getting in the face of the waiter. We ended up leaving to watch the game elsewhere when the power shut down anyways.

So, we relaxed at this really great, very chill bar on couches to watch the Chelsea match. I was happy to see that Fernando Torres is finally starting to resemble his old form, as Liverpool pulled off the surprise win against Chelsea, 2-0. It was a great weekend of results for Manchester United, as they moved into second place in the standings with losses from both Chelsea and Liverpool. Unfortunately, they are faced with a tough mid-week contest against Man City on Wednesday. I am hoping for the best! All in all, a great day spent with friends, capped off by Premier League games and listening to a great artist from Cote d'Ivoire playing on speakers in the background. Doesn't get much better than that in Uganda!

You know you're a Washingtonian when...

...Uganda's rainy season is your favorite time of year!!! Seriously, I love, love, love the rain here. Yesterday we were riding in a taxi on our way into Kampala, and the clouds had a dark, ominous look to them. As soon as we got out of the taxi, the clouds decided to dump buckets upon buckets of water down to earth. I have never been caught in rain that heavy before. We made a mad dash to the Shoprite grocery store on the corner, but were still sufficiently soaked when we reached it. While we waited out the rain, we sat down and ate lunch on the floor, although this didn't really appear to be odd to anyone who passed us.

This past weekend we went on a short two-day trip to Ssese Islands, a collection of islands in Lake Victoria (which happens to be the second largest lake in the world). We arrived at the ferry dock, and everything had gone rather smoothly so far, so we knew something had to be up. Sure enough, we look at the ferry we are about to board and it looks pretty decent, a good size, it could definitely withstand some stormy rides across the lake. However, when we proceeded to purchase our tickets, we were informed that the ferry was out of service due to some maintenance issues. So...we would be riding in the hull of what was basically an over-sized dugout canoe for our three hour crossing. Typical Africa. It ended up being a smooth ride though and you could crawl out from under the tarp covered area and sit on the edge of the boat which provided a nice breeze and some pretty scenery.

The island where we stayed can best be described as a "deserted island." There were barely any people on it, which was nice for relaxation purposes, but not exactly what we had expected. We stayed at a campsite owned by an old, eccentric German man, with cabins that were splashed with bright murals painted by one of the local artists. The campsite was surrounded by trees, but it was only a few steps to the white, sandy beach. It was so beautiful. There were a lot of different birds on the island and a group of monkeys was entertaining us with their playful antics around the grounds of the campsite.

On Saturday we explored the fisherman's village, which consisted of about thirty huts made from mud with thatched roofs. Fishing is the main activity on the island and there were a bunch of dugout canoes roaming the water just off the shore. We also ventured into the jungle, but turned back rather quickly because there were just too many bugs to try and fight off which prevented it from being a very enjoyable adventure. The untouched beauty of the island was incredible though, especially at sunrise and sunset. It was nice to relax for a day, but I don't know that I could have spent much more time than that. The German guy who owned the campsite has been there for sixteen years...which probably explains why he is so crazy!

Anyhow, that was a bit of a change of pace and it was nice to get away from Ndejje for a few days. Back to work now though, more fun times with the kids!

Ente, ente, embuzi

The past two weeks have been great! Our involvement in the other four primary schools in Ndejje has resulted in an increased number of attendees at our soccer practices on Saturday, as well as the number of kids who stop by the youth center after school. It is finally starting to feel like a legitimate after school program and there is a core group of kids who consistently show up at the youth center daily. During our intern training session in Berkeley prior to leaving for our different SWB sites, we read a quote which basically said that kids will smile and have fun, regardless of whether or not we are present in their lives. So, I have really struggled with wondering whether or not we are actually making a difference here. These past two weeks though have solidified my belief that SWB's presence really is making a difference in this community though and in the lives of the kids whom we are interacting with. The kids love spending time with us at the youth center or on the pitch because it is really the only escape they get from working hard at school or working hard at home doing chores.

The more time I spend around the kids, the more I find myself smiling and laughing. We have to be creative when we participate in sports days at other schools, because we have a lot of kids to entertain and often not enough space for them to all play soccer at once. So we usually split up the groups and have half of them playing soccer and half of them play another game and then switch. One game which they love is duck, duck, goose, although I changed the name of it to ente, ente, embuzi (cow, cow, goat in Luganda). They get quite a kick out of going around the circle saying cow, cow, cow, goat, and they laugh even harder when I am doing it, probably because they think it is hilarious to hear mzungus speaking Luganda.

Usually we only work with the older kids who are in P3 and above because they actually understand English. However, at HOPE school we also have sports day with the younger kids every other week as well. Last Thursday it was my turn to do sports day with the little ones, and what a day it was. As we were walking from the school to the pitch, I literally had six kids hanging off my arms, all trying to hold my hands at once. Once we got to the field, none of the really little ones even wanted to play football, so I had to come up with an alternative way to entertain them. We started singing the head, shoulders, knees, and toes song and would keep repeating it faster and faster and the girls loved it! Who knew that you could entertain a group of 8 year old girls with that game for a good twenty minutes?!

On Saturday we had our best training session yet. There was also a group of university students visiting from Holland who wanted to check out the SWB program, so they came out to Ndejje to observe. They thought it was so cool the program we have going here, and it was fun for the kids to get to meet some new people and get to show off their soccer skills! After the training session, we took everyone back to the youth center, and the Netherlands group wanted to interview us on film. Adam, Heather, and I, along with two of our players, Deborah and Esther, sat and answered questions about the SWB program in Ndejje. One question that was directed at Esther was, "Why do you enjoy playing football and being involved in SWB?" Esther placed her hands on Heather and me and responded, "I really like being around them because they are girls who are good at soccer and help me to get better. I really want to be like them." And at that point I started crying (kind of embarrassing) because it really solidified what I believe our purpose is here and the kind of impact I hope we are having on the kids. It is rare for girls to have a strong female role model to look up to in this culture, so it is comforting to know that Heather and I can fulfill that need and that the girls we are working with actually appreciate it.

So, I love all of these kids so much, and they really do make my time here so amazing. I still have a long time until I leave for good in June, but every time I think about saying goodbye to these kids I start to get choked up. Good thing I still have a ways to go! I am tempted to just pack all of them up in my suitcase upon my return to the states! A key to happiness is involvement in meaningful work, and that is how I feel about my work here. I was so blessed growing up to have adults like my parents, coaches, teachers, friends' parents, etc. who made me feel valuable and special and encouraged me. Many of the kids here don't have adults like that in their lives, and they just light up whenever we spend time with them or tell them they are good at something. I am grateful for all of the people who told me that I was worthwhile, and I am so excited to be able to do the same for these kids, and hopefully the time we spend with them and the words of encouragement will make a lasting impression on them as well.

The Universal Game

We have made some strides this past week in partnering with additional primary schools, and in the upcoming week we will begin work with four new schools. This is a step in the right direction for SWB programming in Ndejje as it increases our exposure to a wider array of students and allows us to be seen as an entity separate from HOPE primary school. The headmasters and mistresses of all of the other schools were very receptive to our desire to work with their kids, which was very encouraging. So, starting this week we should be very busy in the afternoons and will have a ton of new kids to meet and names to remember!

One of the things I enjoy most here is watching the girls play soccer. Many of them are very good athletes, and I feel as though they have so much pent up energy which they release joyfully in a competitive atmosphere. When we have Saturday trainings, we are able to outfit the girls in appropriate attire for which to play sports in. However, when we work at HOPE's sports day on Thursday afternoons, the girls are in their school uniforms. That doesn't phase them though, they simply kick off their shoes, hike up their skirts, and play with abandon, never mind that they get dirty and sweaty. I love it! Watching them play provides a window into the few moments in which these young girls can break free of the mold which society has created for them and the expectations, limitations, and rules which accompany it. And for this solitary hour each Thursday, they get to run around and shout and compete and celebrate and just be themselves. To me, that is the true beauty of soccer. The emotions that these girls experience in Ndejje, Uganda are the same emotions that I enjoyed watching my high school girls in Champaign, IL experience. It's the universal game.

There are so many adorable kids here, and so many of them are hungry for attention, probably because they are starved of it from elder family members at home. The kids love to draw pictures for us, or write us letters, and our wall at home is slowly being covered by their artwork. The best drawing (and by best, I really mean weirdest) is of a space martian. Picture a skeleton with butterfly wings, eight eyes, and horns and that should give you a pretty accurate idea of what this martian looks like. Anyways, the kids are so great, and each one has a very unique personality which is quite endearing. On Tuesday afternoons, some of the kids from HOPE have started a tradition of stopping by our house on their way home from school. They are full of energy after sitting through lessons all day, and so it is a whirlwind of activity as they explore every inch of mine and Heather's room, climb our neighbor's mango tree, or take turns shoving each other in the hammock. Tuesday afternoons are crazy!

Although Ndejje is our home base, SWB also has a presence in a town called Nsambya, just outside of Kampala. The program there is managed by three Congolese refugees and an Ugandan coach, all of whom are passionate about soccer and helping kids. The coaches are all in their early twenties and are fun guys to hang out with, so we often meet up with them whenever we head into the city. Last Friday though, we invited them out to Ndejje for a friendly 5v5 match and then dinner at our house afterwards. Prior to the match, our team (the Ndejje squad) was planning some celebratory moves for after we scored. I taught everyone the stanky leg (a ridiculous dance move, look it up on youtube) and we agreed to all do it after we scored our first goal. The game starts and about fifty kids from one of the nearby schools have lined the hillside to watch the mzungu-African showdown. We score the first goal and immediately I whip out the stanky leg. Well, much to the amusement of all the kids in attendance, I am the only person dancing. The hillside errupted in laughter at the sight of this ridiculous white girl doing this silly dance. My teammates all claim that they simply "forgot" that we had pre-arranged that celebration, but I still harbor doubts about that excuse...

The game was a lot of fun, all in all, although that was the last time I tried to initiate any extravagant celebrations. We all headed to our house afterwards for matooke, rice, and beans, and more dancing of course! The Congolese love to dance, so they taught us some moves. Adam wins the award of most awkward dancer with his performance of the "broken leg" dance (video footage of that particular dance to come). I thought it was only fair that they should get to experience some quality American dance moves as well, so I taught them...the Soulja Boy! They loved it and it was hilarious! I kept wishing that some of my Illinois soccer teammates who are much better dancers than myself had been there to show them. Good thing I paid close attention to our pre-game dancing in the locker room, that attributed to what was hopefully a decent rendition of the Soulja Boy performance.

So, I now find myself in October, almost two full months down and only two months and 14 days until I am headed home for Christmas! The days are long, but the weeks seem to fly by. I am learning a lot about myself, the world, and everything in between. The long days provide me with plenty of time to read good books and reflect on a lot of things. I am often homesick, but I make a conscious effort to thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the time I have here. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to live and work in Ndejje, and definitely still believe that I am here for a reason. So, although I often feel outside of my comfort zone, I recognize that it is a part of growth and have to force myself to acknowledge it as such. That's it for now, hope all is well back in the states, I miss everyone and think of my family and friends often!

The latest from Ndejje

Slowly, but surely, we are getting the Soccer Without Borders program up and running in Ndejje. As it turns out, the last few years, SWB presence in Ndejje has been primarily focused on building the actual infrastructure, so while the physical building of the youth center is up, it will be up to us to create relationships with kids from other schools in order to get the program up and running. We have a pretty steady contingent of about 25 kids who come to soccer trainings right now, and kids often stop by when we're inside the youth center, but the concept of attending after school programs is very new so it will take some time to establish some consistency.

Two weeks ago, we were meeting the kids at the center to administer training gear prior to heading to the pitch for practice. As soon as the kids arrived though, it started monsooning! While the rain was kind of a downer at first, it ended up being a blessing because we were able to hang out, play some games, and do some artwork with the kids for the next two hours while it poured. It was fun spending time with the kids, getting to know them, and having them feel more comfortable with us as well.

This past Saturday was bright and sunny though, so we got to have our regularly scheduled training session. It was so much fun! And it was the first training session where I walked away feeling satisfied with what had been accomplished. Adam and I worked with the girls, and we actually got to teach them a thing or two about soccer, while still having fun. There are so many life lessons that can be learned inherently by participating in sports, and it is cool being able to convey those lessons as a coach. That's why soccer is such a powerful tool to reach out to these kids, it knows no language or cultural barriers, and the lessons are the same worldwide.

At the end of the training session, we had the girls play 5v5 because of limited field space, so each team also had two subs. When one little girl came off the field for her turn as a substitute, she looked at me and said, "Coach, you should pull Deborah off, she isn't very good and is not working hard." My immediate instinct was to laugh, because that is something I used to tell my youth coaches when I was frustrated with teammates who were slacking...but I held in my laughter and told her that it wasn't very nice to talk about teammates like that and that she should encourage her teammates instead. Ah, reminded me of my days of youth soccer, hahaha. Now I can understand my coaches reasoning when they tried explaining the same thing to me, although I still think my point was somewhat justified at times.

As I wrote a while ago, I have been attending church with my friend Jackline. She is a member of her youth group at church and they decided to make me a t-shirt and asked me to join their group. I complied, only to find out this past Sunday that we will be leading worship this upcoming Sunday in front of the entire church. WHAT?!! The regular worship team dances and claps and moves all around the stage while singing, I'm game for clapping, but I do not dance in church. I feel awkward enough dancing on other occasions, let alone at church! And, I am not exactly sure how I am going to sing these songs since ninety percent of them are in Luganda! Good thing we have practice on Wednesday. Anyhow, I am pretty nervous about this Sunday and am considering faking being sick with malaria...This past Sunday was embarrassing enough when the pastor thought it would be a good idea to call out the only mzungu in church and invited me to come to the front and introduce myself to everyone. As if I already don't draw enough attention to myself every Sunday with kids crawling all over me during the service and clapping awkwardly and shuffling my feet as I try to escape full on dancing. So, stay tuned as I'm sure I'll have a great story after church this Sunday.

In other dancing news, we went into Kampala for the international arts festival this past weekend. There were a bunch of bands performing from the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. Boy, do Africans looooove their dancing! I keep finding myself in these situations where I am expected to dance, but am surrounded by people who are actually good dancers so I just end of feeling totally inadequate. I try to just ignore my self-consciousness and enjoy myself. It worked pretty well that night. Anyways, the Congolese band was awesome, and we actually got to meet them as we were leaving the concert because they were just outside the exit! So cool! Whoever thought I would become a Congolese groupie? Not I.

So, that's life in Ndejje. Just plugging away at things Africa time and continuing to enjoy the time spent with the kids. Until next time!

Experiencing Idd(y)

Last Friday, Sept. 10, was a national holiday as the month of Ramadan ended and Muslims broke their fasting by celebrating Idd (pronounced "Iddy" here). There is a large Muslim population in and around Ndejje and while I was running that morning, I came across many Muslim families dressed up in their traditional garments. It was interesting to see the women, who wore head wraps that ranged from the full on bhurka, to a simple scarf wrapped around the hair, to bedazzled coverings draped over the head and shoulders.

Later that morning, as we were sitting on our front porch, two of our friends (9 and 10 year old girls named Nadia and Hadia) stopped by to invite us to their family's Idd celebration. They were pretty insistent that we come, so we changed quickly into more appropriate clothing (I was again told that I had to change my outfit, I am apparently not a good dresser by Ugandan standards) and followed them towards there home.

Upon arriving, their aunt had just finished slaughtering a turkey and was busy plucking it and beheading it before sticking it in the pot to cook. The girls' mother was preparing something which smelled delicious, and we were greeted by their two younger male cousins and the little baby cousin, Zainab, a girl. They gave us sodas to sip on and upon handing Heather and me the glasses in which to pour them into, instructed us to pour Adam's as well because men should not have to do any work themselves. I bit my tongue, seeing as it is their holiday and I didn't think it was quite the appropriate time to go into my rant about gender equality and such.

There was music playing in the background, which sounded like a choir of Muslim men/boys chanting on and on and on. The girls wanted to dance for us which was very entertaining to watch. Of course, the little one year old baby Zainab wanted to join, so she struggled to stand on her own and sway her hips back and forth. This motion caused her skirt to fall down again and again, but nobody really seemed to mind or think this was awkward, but it was hilarious for us to watch. Zainab wears a string of beads around her waist, just like most Ugandan baby girls, because they believe that it helps girls to develop a slim waist and big hips.

After the dancing, Zainab was a bit dirty, so the girls whipped out the wash tub and stuck her in, totally oblivious to the rest of the guests present. Of course the appropriate time to bathe a baby is in the middle of a party, in fronts of other guests.

Additional family members soon arrived and the food was promptly served. Of course, the men were served first and the women actually bowed down to them as they presented the food...biting my tongue again. The food was delicious and it was nice to feel full for a change. When we had finished eating and I was holding Zainab on my lap, the best and funniest part of the day proceeded to take place. Nadia and Hadia start singing a song that goes something like, "Baby Jesus is my Savior." So there I am, sitting in the middle of Africa, at an Islamic religious celebration, holding a baby with beads around her waist, listening to a song about Baby Jesus being the Savior of the world. I don't know if it gets much better than that.

Needless to say, the whole day was hilarious and so surreal. In the U.S., most holidays are celebrated with close family and friends. But here, people can't wait to invite the strange mzungus to come celebrate their most sacred of holidays. And actually, I was surprised that there seemed to be nothing religious about the celebration at all. It seemed that the girls were more excited about being able to eat again than anything else. So all in all, a very funny day and I wish my description could do it justice. Maybe when I post pictures everyone at home can get a better idea of the craziness of it all. Happy Idd(y)!!

Making "Good Time"

"We want to make good time, but for us now this is measured with an emphasis on "good" rather than "time" and when you make that shift in emphasis, the whole approach changes." -Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

I really can't say it any better than that. For someone who is very goal-oriented and thrives upon having deadlines and being able to check accomplishments off lists, this has been my biggest cultural difference to adjust to so far. But as my emphasis has shifted towards the "good," I've found that I have started to enjoy myself much more and have found myself fitting in to my surroundings and really feeling at home within the community. The first time I realized this was when we returned from Jinja and I had that feeling you experience when you take a trip somewhere, and while it's great, you love just coming home and the comfort that surrounds being somewhere you know so well.

So, I've started to slow down and enjoy the special moments each day, instead of always trying to be in a hurry to get somewhere. One of my favorite things to do is to sit outside on our back porch while it's raining, and listen as the raindrops ping off the tin roofs, creating a rhythmic cadence that creates such a soothing effect.

By far though, the best part about a slower paced life are the relationships that you form along the way. I've enjoyed meeting kids in the community, who are then so excited to introduce you to the rest of their family. And when I say family, it's not just their mom and dad, and siblings, it's their immediate family, as well as extended family who live under the same roof. Oh, and then you take a trip down the street to visit their other aunties and cousins, and then again to visit their grandparents. And most likely, you are toting a baby around on your hip who was thrust into your arms upon arrival and is marveling at the lighter shade of your skin color and doesn't quite understand how it is possible for someone to exist who isn't black. And this whole experience is so great because people here define what it means to exhibit hospitality. They have nothing, yet they lay out their best food, etc when they have a visitor, which means that I have to spend time coming up with creative ways to repay them for their kindness, but these intricate relationships that are being formed make everything worthwhile.

And another great thing is how crazy Africa is. I love it and find something to laugh about every day. For example, I am getting ready to go to church with my friend Jackline yesterday and I walk out in the only dress that I brought with me to Africa. She takes one look at me and says, "Corten (how they pronounce my name), you need to go change. Your dress has wrinkles." No filter whatsoever that it is rude to tell someone they look bad, and I was like, this is the only dress I have! But the whole situation was so funny that I laughed, walked back into my room and changed into jeans and a t-shirt, that apparently were not as offensive as my wrinkled dress.

Some of the funniest experiences have been my interactions with the guys here as well. Everyone has marriage on the mind! I was going through a security checkpoint in town the other day and the guard who was checking my bag says, "I noticed you are not wearing a wedding ring, so I would like to come visit you where you are staying..." At which point I promptly walk away. I am considering getting a fake ring to wear, a nice big one that I can flash at anyone who happens to glance at my hand, haha.

While Africa is crazy and I am constantly surprised and humored by everything that happens each day, I love it here. It is so great fitting into a new community and a new culture. When I run in the mornings, kids will run alongside me, or sometimes ride a bike next to me so that can accompany me for a greater distance. It is comforting feeling welcomed here, and as much as I hope that I will leave an impact on the people of this community, they have already, and will continue to, leave an even greater impact on me.

The Source of the Nile

Greetings from Jinja!!! As I mentioned at the end of my last blog, my fellow interns and myself made the short trek to Jinja this week to raft the Nile. I was very nervous about rafting, as the course takes about five to six hours to complete and includes four grade five rapids and a few grade fours. Not only have I lived to tell the tale, but rafting the Nile is one of the funnest experiences I have ever had!!

Our raft had a great guide, who, despite deriving some pleasure from building up the rapids prior to us entering them, made me feel comfortable because of his wealth of experience. There were also a bunch of safety kayakers all around us who I found a few times after getting tossed out of the raft. I made friends with one of them who rescued me from the rapids once and then later chatted with me as I swam alongside the raft during the calmer parts of the river.

The first hardcore rapid we encountered sent everyone in our raft overboard, and I managed to land underneath the raft and had to feel my way to the side of it before I could come up for air. The big rapids were the best, even if you did get tossed because the current was so strong that it would shoot you forward and up out of the water within a few seconds, so it was never really that scary. One of the best rapids we faced included a fifteen foot drop over a waterfall, pretty awesome doing that in a fourteen foot raft!!

Not only were the stretches of rapids great, but there were also calm stretches of water where we could get out and swim. I couldn't believe that I was swimming in the Nile! The riverbanks were really beautiful as well, full of greenery and very few buildings. Unfortunately though, plans are underway to build six dams over the next few years, which will totally wipe out all of the good rafting. So if you have ever had an inkling to raft the Nile, better do it quick!! All in all, it was an awesome day which served as a nice break before the real work begins.

If I'm sitting on the bench, I might as well eat some ice cream...

On Saturday we took two of the boys teams to play a friendly match near Kampala. We loaded about 40 kids and four of us adults into two, 14 seater vans. It was hilarious watching the kids pile in on top of each other and they had no problem sitting on top of one another and they spent the whole ride there and back chanting cool things in Luganda (well I assume what they were saying was cool, I couldn't really understand any of it). We won both games, the first was a 1-0 victory and the second 2-0, so that was exciting for the boys. Some highlights from the games: during the younger boys' match, in the middle of the first half one of the kids who was sitting on the bench decided that if he wasn't in the game, he might as well enjoy a cool snack. So he got up, walked over to a vendor selling ice cream, purchased it, then walked back to the sidelines to enjoy his treat while his teammates played. TIA. Another interesting phenomenon occurred when a pack of cows decided to meander across the field, totally oblivious to the action going on around them. There aren't injury timeouts here, there are cow crossing timeouts.

For Americans who think that church is boring, they need to experience an African service. I attended my first one on Sunday and it was awesome! It lasted about three hours, which was a bit long, but it's because they spent the first two hours singing worship songs and dancing all over the place. It was so cool to see this kind of unabashed worship, because many churches in the U.S. can come across as being so straight-laced. Seeing these Africans worship has totally changed my perception of what it means to "praise God."

Not only was the worship part of the service cool, but the message was also great. The pastor talked about how even with few resources, everyone could make a difference in a child's life. His main theme was, "If you care for one child, you could end up saving thousands." The examples he gave was those of the Pharoah's daughter saving Moses and Mordecai caring for Esther, and orphan. By saving those individual children, the Pharoah's daughter and Mordecai ended up saving an entire population of people by default. The other cool phrase was, "If you want to change the tide of a nation, start with it's children." This is so true, because it is by investing in the next generation of children that we are going to see positive changes made. It was a really encouraging message that helped me to reevaluate some of my goals here. My focus is going to be to simply try to create positive and meaningful relationships, one child at a time, because even if I don't get to see the fruits of my labor, those efforts may end up prospering in a more meaningful way than I could ever have imagined.

Also last week, I walked to Lake Victoria to check it out. It took about two hours to finally get within sight of the lake, and when I asked a local how I could get down to sit by the water, he was so confused. He wanted to know why I wanted to get to the water and when I told him that I just wanted to sit and relax and read a book by the lake, he was baffled. Apparently people do not sit and relax by lakes in Uganda, good to know. Instead of walking the two hours back to Ndejje, I took my first ride on a boda boda, which was awesome!! Boda bodas are basically scooters and it was so fun riding back, up and down the hills with the wind in my face!

We made an addition to our house in the form of a hammock on our front porch, provided by Adam. Our neighbor, Kakinda, looooooves the hammock and he can be found chilling out, listening to music in it morning, noon, and night. The other night he was laying in it for a while, singing along to his radio which was hilarious because he doesn't exactly have the best voice in the world. And the hammock is right outside my bedroom window, so it's a good thing I can fall asleep under almost any condition, I would feel bad if I had to tell him to stop singing. He and I would probably make for a phenomenal karaoke duet, seeing as how I have been told that my voice is slightly sub par.

Well, that is most of the excitement as of late. We have been working on sign painting and other projects in preparation for the kids' return to school on Sept. 6. Next week the other interns and myself are heading to Jinja for a few days to raft the source of the Nile! Sooooo stoked for that adventure! The next time you hear from me will probably be after that excursion, so I am sure there will be many great stories to tell. Until next time...

My Laundry Fiasco

STORY OF THE WEEK: So today I learned the art of washing my clothes by hand! It took me two hours and a great deal of scrubbing and rinsing, at the end of which my hands were thoroughly raw. I had almost completed hanging all of my clothes on the rope to dry when the rope broke and my clothes fell in a heap to the dirty ground. I wanted to cry. After all of my hard work, I was going to have to do the stupid wash again! However, somehow my frustration came out in the form of laughter and a bit of swearing instead of tears. Fortunately, not all of my clothes were ruined (I only had to rewash about half of them). The best part of the whole ordeal though, was that my kind neighbor, Kakinda, noticed what had happened and started to help me pick up my clothes off the ground and rewash and hang them with me! He can't speak or understand very much English, but his act of kindness really resonated with me and it totally turned my mood around. So, my first experience doing my laundry had its ups and downs, but was accomplished eventually, and definitely made for a story that I can look back on and laugh about.

...So, after somewhat of a rough start, I am finally starting to settle in and get used to the idea of being here for ten months. While I thought I understood what I was getting into from the beginning, I don't think one can ever really grasp the longevity of a ten month commitment in a totally foreign atmosphere until they actually find themselves there. I was really homesick at first, and uncomfortable serving as a spectacle for all of the locals every time I left my house, but those feelings are starting to slip away. I am sure that there are still times to come where I will feel lonely and will miss home a lot, but I am trying to stay positive and look at the next ten months as a learning experience, one that pushes me outside of my comfort zone and forces me to grow. Despite all of the emotions and doubts I may be feeling during this initial adjustment period, I do still believe in Soccer Without Borders mission and am very excited to be playing a part in the long-term goals of the organization.

By far, the time I look forward to the most every day is the time I get to spend with the kids at "training" (their terminology for practice). Everyone here loooooves playing football, the other day the boys program scrimmaged a rival team in town and the match got so heated that players from each team started throwing punches! It is a good thing that Adam (the other intern) is an imposing figure at 6'4" and was refereeing the game, he was able to put a stop to the brawl rather quickly.

I have made friends with some smaller girls too who hang around the field, and they have started to come back consistently, sometimes to play soccer, other times just to hang out. Yesterday I was coaching the girls and the younger kids and Deo (the coach from Ndejje who we work and live with) wanted them to do some fitness. At that age, they still think fitness is fun...except for Lillian the goalkeeper, who told us that she chose to play keeper because it is the one position where you don't have to run. Fair enough. Anyways, the older girls were doing their sprints up the hill, and the younger kids wanted to join in. I stood at the top of the hill and told them when to go, and somehow it turned into a race that was only completed once they were able to hug me. So I had about ten little four year olds racing up the hill and mobbing me, a bit overwhelming, but soooo cute! There are already about seven kids who I want to bring back to the states with me when my time here ends. Oh, and the only English they are taught in school when they are young is, "How are you?" and the response, "I am fine." Adam, Heather and I often wonder who decided that those were the phrases that should be taught. How often do English-speaking people even respond, "I am fine?" Not very. Most of the kids don't even understand what they are saying, it is simply a phrase that has been engrained in them. If you say, "Hi" as you pass one on the street, they respond, "I am fine."

On a whole different note, the guys here that are around my age, plus maybe ten years, are ridiculous. First they ask for your name, quickly followed by the second question of whether or not you are married. When I tell them no, they ask why not, and I tell them that I am too young and don't want to get married yet. When they discover that I am only 22, they tell me that I am getting old and that I should get married soon. No proposals yet, but still somewhat uncomfortable, especially when they start chatting with each other in Luganda following the conversation we just had and they look at me and laugh.

Another cultural difference concerns Ugandans' view on exercising. First of all, they call running "road work," and it is only done by people who are sick. Adam and I have been running every other morning and they must either think we are crazy or that we have some deadly disease. Deo won't accompany us because he only runs during the early morning hours when it is still dark out so that no one thinks there is something wrong with him. And the hills here, yikes, they are killers! Worse than running at home on Bainbridge! I was also doing push-ups and body weight exercises in our yard the other day and there were a few of Deo's friends who thought I looked hilarious and had fun mocking me. But, now they have started to join in and Adam, Heather, and I have fun trying to teach them how to do the exercises properly.

We are starting some of projects this week since the kids are still on a break from school. There is a sign for the community center that needs to be painted, programs to be scheduled, and mostly we are just meeting with different people who are involved here to organize and plan, etc. So, not too much has happened yet other than planning and meeting and then back to planning and more meeting. I have to adjust to the pace here, as meetings that could be completed in ten minutes take an hour or more. It has been very difficult for me to slow down and get used to Ugandan time...I like for everything to be fast!

Well, that's all for now! I will post again when something else exciting/funny happens...or when I have internet.

TIA-This Is Africa

Where to begin? The first three days here have been a whirlwind of activity, trying to learn from the summer interns everything I need to know for the next ten months before they leave the country! To start, Uganda is soooo gorgeous, rolling hills covered with banana and mango trees, beautiful sunsets, and Lake Victoria is nearby which is very pretty as well. Our house sits towards the top of a hill and we can look out over the surrounding countryside and watch the sunset, so satisfying and peaceful.

My flight in was good, and I got to spend a night in Ethiopia which was an interesting experience. The guy who checked me in at my Ethiopian hotel was very interested in American politics and asked me if Americans like Obama. Thus began an interesting discussion in which I told him about the setup of our political system, the three branches of power, Democrats and Republicans, etc. Everything I learned in AP gov really came in handy that night and I got to learn about Ethiopian politics (or lack thereof) as well. Despite being exhausted from my flights, it was well worth staying up and chatting and it made me appreciate even more the freedoms we have in America to elect the officials we want, to criticize or support the current administration, and mostly to simply speak our mind without risking the suffering of harsh consequences as a result.

But back to Uganda...I live in a small town called Ndejje, and every time I step outside my house and walk down the street, I am greeted by calls of "Mzungu, mzungu!" (white person). This label isn't intended to be derogatory, but it definitely still gets some getting used to. Most people are very friendly and are so excited to have us here. Kids will come up and hold my hand as I'm walking down the street and it has been fun starting to get to know the kids and their families that I will be working with for the next ten months.

Although I am so happy to be here, there have definitely been some struggles and frustrations already. There is so much poverty here and so many things that need to be done and it is all quite overwhelming. Sometimes I question whether my few efforts are really going to make any difference, because there will definitely still be a ton of problems remaining when I leave...kind of depressing. It is hard to decide which problems to really focus on and try to help as much as I can, there are so many to choose from. You really start to see the effects of colonization on the people, the land, etc. It's crazy how events that happened so many centuries ago really set the stage for everything else that has taken place since. I just hope that what we are doing here will make a difference, even if small. I truly believe it will, it's just easy to get bogged down in all of the suffering and poverty sometimes.

The kids are on a break from school right now, so we haven't started to teach classes yet, but we went to our first soccer practice yesterday. That was the first time where I really felt at home and was uplifted feeling as though this is the avenue in which I can form relationships with the kids and really make a difference. The girls kind of get shafted, it's a cultural thing, so I jumped in and played with them yesterday and I really look forward to working with them specifically to increase their self-confidence and sense of self-worth. And the girls are pretty good too! And competitive! The keeper is tenacious and she will dive all over the place to save shots, despite the ground being rock hard and covered in rocks. Oh, and the entire field is slanted on a hill, you can't let the ball sit idle for too long or it will roll down the hill and into the bushes.

So, I'm still in the adjusting phase, learning as much as I can and meeting the people who are most involved with Soccer Without Borders in the community. Yesterday we went into Kampala to learn where some important spots are, such a busy city! There are a lot of cool crafts markets and food markets, and the city is alive with different cultural activities. I'm definitely looking forward to exploring it a bit more over my time here.

On another random note, the food here is amazing! Fresh fruit and vegetables galore! No refrigerator so we just buy food every day at the different stands and then cook them or eat it as we go. I learned how to make a fire last night, although I failed many, many times before it finally caught. Still need to perfect that skill. Next on the list is to learn how to wash my clothes by hand. It is so dusty here and all of the roads are red from the dirt so you are covered in red dust by the end of the day. The cold showers have been the hardest thing to adjust to, I can barely make myself stand in them for five minutes. Looks like I will be a dirty kid for the next ten months, I don't know that I can stand in cold water every day...

Well, those are the major hightlights so far! I am also learning Luganda, the primary language spoken here! Hope everyone is doing well back in the states, more to come soon!

And it begins...

It's so hard to believe, but this adventure that first started to form April is now about to take off. Tomorrow morning I leave for San Francisco where I have training with all of the interns for five days before heading to Uganda. After all of the preparation that has taken place over the past few months, and especially the last three days, I am so ready to just be on my way! It's hard to describe how I've been feeling the past few days. I've felt everything from awesome excitement to being completely scared and unsure of what I'm doing. But, I have faith that Uganda is where I am supposed to be over the next ten months and that God has been preparing me for this journey for the past four years of my life, and probably even before.

So, here I go! A girl who has never been off North America is about to head to Africa to start the next phase of her life!! More to come over the next few days, as I still have a lot of packing and organizing to do tonight before leaving. Thank you to everyone who has been supporting me in many different ways, please keep the prayers coming over the next few days as I travel and especially over the next ten months while I am there!

I received more information today regarding my living situation and some of my work responsibilities while in Uganda! I am living in a city called Ndejje, which is estimated to have a population of about 30,000-100,000, with at least 10% of those being refugees from neighboring countries. The two other interns and myself will be living in a small, three bedroom house that was just built with a local staffer. It will definitely be an experience living there, boiling water to drink and cook with, washing my clothes by hand, and no internet, TV, etc. in the house. The pace of life will be much slower than what I am used to in the United States, which I am sure will be a challenge for me at first, but will probably be quite enjoyable once I get used to it.

We will be working in conjunction with HOPE School that was founded by a Frenchman a few years back. Apparently I will be teaching as well as coaching...I am not sure what exactly I will be teaching, but it should be an adventure as I have never really worked in a classroom setting before. I am starting to get super excited, and I leave exactly one month from tomorrow!! I'm looking forward to the challenge of having to acclimate to a completely new lifestyle and culture, and I am sure that I will learn a lot along the way.

More books/articles/newspapers to read for those interested:

The State of Africa: 50 Years of Independence by Martin Meredith

New Vision (http://www.newvision.co.ug) Kampala's daily newspaper

Harvard Educational Review: Volume 79, Number 1/Spring 2009 Interview With Jacques Bwira Hope Primary School Kampala, Uganda

I have just over a month left in the states before leaving for Uganda!!! Thanks to everyone who has donated thus far, I am officially a quarter of the way to my goal of $8,000. One month left to raise $6,000!!! Last week I received two immunization shots and have a few more to get during July, probably the least fun aspect of going to Africa. I just learned about a book called The Price of Stones which was written by a man from Uganda who built a school for children orphaned by AIDS. Join me in reading it this month as I'm sure it will be eye-opening and a great story of one man's efforts to make a difference. Maybe I'll get to visit the school while I'm there, who knows...