...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!
The SWB girls' team from Ndejje, Uganda
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
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 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.
Monday, October 4, 2010
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!
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!
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