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!