My first week of "serving" (since I'm a glorified volunteer) is almost over! I really like what is happening at my site, Mary's Place. (Check out their website when you get a chance: http://www.marysplaceoutreach.org/mpo/ ) They help refugees that have been placed in the area by offering free ESL classes, food and clothing donations, and after-school tutoring, among other things. Kathy first started the non-profit organization in 2009 and it has been growing ever since. People are coming and going as they have received the knowledge they need to make a living in the US and more people are being relocated to the area all the time.
God really had my back on this one I think! After applying to Rochester Youth Year, the program I am under within AmeriCorps, I was wait-listed. Crushed, I started to look for other similar opportunities in the Rochester area, one in particular was working at Nativity Prep School in the city. Two days before I was going to leave for Uganda, I received a call from the Roberts Dean of Student Life, Brenda. She said there was a very important email I needed to check before I left for my trip......
I was accepted! I was so excited, but I was quickly hit with all the emotions and wonderful people of Uganda. All through the rest of summer, training, up until I actually got to Mary's Place, I periodically felt like I had made the wrong choice because this had almost nothing to do with anything God has placed on my heart. SURPRISEEEE!
My dream to open and run my own arts community center had been my main motivation to gain experience in the non-profit world (I also wasn't quite ready for my own classroom yet). But beyond gaining knowledge about non-profits, I have also put to use things I learned from my trip to Uganda. Mary's Place serves many different types of people including Burmese, Nepali, and Africans from Congo, Zambia, and South Sudan. I have been able to share my love for chapatti and samosa (pastry type things with vegetables inside) with them. We talked about different languages and all kinds of things. Its a slightly Americanized version of Africa in the US. WHile the circumstances that brought these people to the US aren't any where near the best, I love it!
I am stoked to learn more about the Burmese and Nepali, too! I am already planning awareness nights and food sharing events in my head, as well as marketing tools and ways to improve the programs already in place.
On a different note, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the house I moved into with fellow Roberts grads! My housemates are Christine and Bethany, both are nurses and have a great love for the outdoors. Mom and Corey came up for my day off this week to help me get organized and bring some odds and ends up. I now have a dresser and mattress! (I'd been sleeping on the floor until Wednesday) My mother has OCD and felt the need to clean every square inch of the 1.5 bathrooms in the house... Thanks, Mom! :)
Showing posts with label Uganda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Uganda. Show all posts
Friday, August 2, 2013
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Kivulu Has My Heart
 |
| The slums of Kivulu |
Kivulu was by far my favorite place we went while in Uganda. There is something about the atmosphere and people and love there that makes you feel like family after 5 minutes. Uncle Abdul is one of the leaders, along with Uncle Robert. They got permission from a church in the slums to use the facility as a home base for their ministry. Everyday a bunch of homeless boys gather to learn from the Uncles and every other day, they get to eat together. Most of the Uncles grew up on the streets so they know what it is like to live day to day. They are bending over backwards to
provide for these boys in any way they can.
 |
| Robert and Richard |
.JPG)
Since the boys are SO into soccer, we played a few games with them in a huge open field in the middle of the city. Isaiah was all over the place! Where ever the ball was, Isaiah was in close proximity. During one game, he tried to stay back on defense and couldn't handle it! He had to be where the ball was. The boys have made a team and they compete in games in Uganda. They won a championship shortly before we got to UG!
A bunch of the boys liked messing around- poking, fake fighting, tickling. Don was surprise attacked numerous times. :) And to show off how strong they are, some of the boys decided to pick up Don and Josh to race them. HILARIOUS! Josh is a bit taller than Don, so it was funny watching each boy pick him up and start to face-plant into the ground because he was top heavy.
 |
| Linda and Ronny |
.JPG)
.JPG) |
| Suzie, Dorothea, Lulu, Sherrif, and Edward |
.JPG) |
| Kaylee with some fond admirers of her long hair :) |
.JPG)
After playing a bunch of games with the boys, holding a clinic and helping prepare food for their dinner, we left to get our own food.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
 |
| Chicken President and his friend |
 |
| Abdul and Steve |
The meal the Chicken President prepared was AMAZING! That was another favorite meal. Chicken and cabbage and other veggies in some kind of flavoring that was so delicious and filling.
.JPG) |
| This little guy was an expert pick-pocketer... |
Monday, June 24, 2013
Rakai, Day 2
Our second day in Rakai was another busy one. We had three site visits; the first being the school where Pastor George's wife, Beatrice, went. (Side note: Pastor George is the leader of the Ugandan staff. Dorothy is the administrative secretary and also Pastor George's adopted daughter. They are both super awesome people!) Kakoma Primary school has 7 yrs, much like our elementary school. This was the first school we've visited that has all the subjects AND resource subjects (P.E., art, and music). The students were all very smart, well behaved and listened to their teachers and headmaster, so I know it is a well run school.
I was able to teach some of the girls and younger boys how to play 4 square. This was good for them because girls were not allowed to play soccer at this school and the younger boys had a hard time playing. At first, I couldn't tell if they liked it or not, but a teacher talked with some of them and they said it was very fun! Sweet deal! :)
Our second destination of the day was St. Luke Butabago church and nursery. Except, that they taught much more than nursery school. Upon gathering information from the church staff and school teachers, we discovered that the children would drink all the water from the tank installed at the church 200 yards away every day. Pastor George and Richard decided to make the school a priority for getting one of the next tanks so that they would have their own water supply.
Side note: Some of us noticed a cement water tank, and found out that the school could no longer use it because it grew algae and was clogged. Since there was no way to get inside to clean it, the tank could not be repaired. This is one of the examples of an organization trying to do good in a community, but with no follow ups or contact afterward, the money spent went to waste. No worries though- UWP to the rescue!! :D When I first met James, the leader of the American staff, I was skeptical about whether they were providing a sustainable resource for the people in Uganda. After talking with him a bit, scouring through their website, and finding out about the Ugandan staff that works with the Ugandans, I became more confident that they were doing something awesome and lasting. After seeing how it works, I can say that UWP is working hard to stay in touch with the places where tanks have already been installed and meeting the communities of new locations. Each school or church has to go through an application process and talk with Pastor George before they will be considered to receive a water tank. Then the process goes on from there. It is supremely awesome and I am soo unbelievably glad that I am able to be a part of it!!!
Our last stop was Kamengo Technical Institute. What a cool place! It allowed students who finished primary (7 yrs) and secondary school (6 yrs) to come and learn a trade in 3 years. Afterward, they could go on to university, where they would study for a year or 2. The trades taught were plumbing, carpentry, tailoring, electricity, masonry, and auto mechanics. One of the unusual things about this tech school is that girls were allowed to come too! It was interesting to compare my life to these students since we were about the same age. They had to work first to make all the money for school because there was no where around to work. I talked to a couple guys in the program for a while about how things worked at the school and how they had come to be there.
On the way back to Wingate, we got goat on a stick!! It was sooo good! We also had chipati, of course. :) Fun fact #2: Some soda companies are the same in Africa, like Coca cola, Pepsi, Fanta, but some are different. My favorite is Novida Pineapple or Mirinda Orange.
I was able to teach some of the girls and younger boys how to play 4 square. This was good for them because girls were not allowed to play soccer at this school and the younger boys had a hard time playing. At first, I couldn't tell if they liked it or not, but a teacher talked with some of them and they said it was very fun! Sweet deal! :)
Our second destination of the day was St. Luke Butabago church and nursery. Except, that they taught much more than nursery school. Upon gathering information from the church staff and school teachers, we discovered that the children would drink all the water from the tank installed at the church 200 yards away every day. Pastor George and Richard decided to make the school a priority for getting one of the next tanks so that they would have their own water supply.
Side note: Some of us noticed a cement water tank, and found out that the school could no longer use it because it grew algae and was clogged. Since there was no way to get inside to clean it, the tank could not be repaired. This is one of the examples of an organization trying to do good in a community, but with no follow ups or contact afterward, the money spent went to waste. No worries though- UWP to the rescue!! :D When I first met James, the leader of the American staff, I was skeptical about whether they were providing a sustainable resource for the people in Uganda. After talking with him a bit, scouring through their website, and finding out about the Ugandan staff that works with the Ugandans, I became more confident that they were doing something awesome and lasting. After seeing how it works, I can say that UWP is working hard to stay in touch with the places where tanks have already been installed and meeting the communities of new locations. Each school or church has to go through an application process and talk with Pastor George before they will be considered to receive a water tank. Then the process goes on from there. It is supremely awesome and I am soo unbelievably glad that I am able to be a part of it!!!
 |
| Baby corn and banana trees |
Our last stop was Kamengo Technical Institute. What a cool place! It allowed students who finished primary (7 yrs) and secondary school (6 yrs) to come and learn a trade in 3 years. Afterward, they could go on to university, where they would study for a year or 2. The trades taught were plumbing, carpentry, tailoring, electricity, masonry, and auto mechanics. One of the unusual things about this tech school is that girls were allowed to come too! It was interesting to compare my life to these students since we were about the same age. They had to work first to make all the money for school because there was no where around to work. I talked to a couple guys in the program for a while about how things worked at the school and how they had come to be there.
On the way back to Wingate, we got goat on a stick!! It was sooo good! We also had chipati, of course. :) Fun fact #2: Some soda companies are the same in Africa, like Coca cola, Pepsi, Fanta, but some are different. My favorite is Novida Pineapple or Mirinda Orange.
 |
| Hanging out in a cool tree :) |
Off to Rakai, Day 1
Monday, May 27 was a huge, jam-packed day. We got up pretty early to pack up the coaster (bus) and travel to Rakai for an overnight. It took a LONG time to get there... as in we left at 8 am and didn't get there until 3 pm. Needless to say, there was a lot of traffic. But we did get stop for a stretch/toilet break at the EQUATOR! It's a legit pit stop, a bit touristy, and there is a guy who shows an experiment to anyone who asks. Here's it is: on either side of the equator and on the equator was a funnel. The man poured a bucket in and then set a flower on top of the water to show which way the water was spinning. On one side of the equator, the water went clockwise, on the other it went counter-clockwise, and on the equator the water sucked the flower down without spinning. It was SO COOL!
Our first stop was our hotel, where we "ate" lunch (it was the only meal that many of us only ate the chipati, a tortilla like bread that's got a bit more substance, and rice because everything else was a bit questionable). Richard assured us we would find a different place for dinner (thank goodness!!).
After our short meal, we headed to an orphanage/school on a plateau called Goodwill Primary School. It became an orphanage because so many children were dropped off there and since their numbers are always increasing, they have had a difficult time supporting all the kids. Right now, they have about 85 students. It was impressive to see how they made everything work with so few resources. We were visiting to check on the second rain water tank that had been installed. This tank had been sponsored by Roberts Wesleyan my alma mater! They had 4 buildings on the property, 2 larger and 2 smaller. In one of the larger buildings was a home for all the girls, 4 teachers, and the family of a teacher. The room below sleeps 27 older girls (about 10-14 yrs old). The 30 boys had to sleep on hay in one of the larger school rooms.
We got a tour from the headmaster, and then we got out all our games: balloons for little kids, footballs for the boys, and a toss game that teaches how germs are spread. They were all a huge hit! Lulu got out her guitar, Gail got a tambourine, and Isaiah played the cajon (box drum) and they sang their hearts out for a while. :) It was a very special thing to see many of the children, parents, and other community members joining in and dancing as they played.
None of us wanted to leave when it was time to go back to the hotel. The kids were so much fun and the location was perfect! We even postponed our second site visit for that day because Richard realized the importance and value of our time here.
Dinner was DEE-licious!! We had a whole buffet of jackfruit (look it up, so good!), chipati, chicken, rice, beans, and a bunch of other stuff with fresh fruit for dessert. As we walked back to our hotel after dinner, we passed several vendors, many of which were selling grasshoppers. At first none of us knew what they were because they covered entire tables and had been de-legged and de-winged. Richard insisted on buying some and "forced" us to eat at least one..... Kaylee was the first to try one I think, then pretty much everyone followed eventually, EVEN Linda! It was pretty entertaining watching her psych herself up to actually eat it. They didn't taste soo bad- kind of like a salty peanut. The only one who was very adamant in his refusal to eat the roasted, salted grasshopper was Don. Let me tell you, he is STILL getting teased about it...
 |
| The water experiment |
 |
| Smack-dab on the equator!!! |
Our first stop was our hotel, where we "ate" lunch (it was the only meal that many of us only ate the chipati, a tortilla like bread that's got a bit more substance, and rice because everything else was a bit questionable). Richard assured us we would find a different place for dinner (thank goodness!!).
After our short meal, we headed to an orphanage/school on a plateau called Goodwill Primary School. It became an orphanage because so many children were dropped off there and since their numbers are always increasing, they have had a difficult time supporting all the kids. Right now, they have about 85 students. It was impressive to see how they made everything work with so few resources. We were visiting to check on the second rain water tank that had been installed. This tank had been sponsored by Roberts Wesleyan my alma mater! They had 4 buildings on the property, 2 larger and 2 smaller. In one of the larger buildings was a home for all the girls, 4 teachers, and the family of a teacher. The room below sleeps 27 older girls (about 10-14 yrs old). The 30 boys had to sleep on hay in one of the larger school rooms.
 |
| A bunch of the kids singing a greeting to us! |
We got a tour from the headmaster, and then we got out all our games: balloons for little kids, footballs for the boys, and a toss game that teaches how germs are spread. They were all a huge hit! Lulu got out her guitar, Gail got a tambourine, and Isaiah played the cajon (box drum) and they sang their hearts out for a while. :) It was a very special thing to see many of the children, parents, and other community members joining in and dancing as they played.
 |
| The students performed a program for us just after our arrival. It was so special to hear their joyful voices! |
 |
| Playing the "Germ game" with the older girls |
None of us wanted to leave when it was time to go back to the hotel. The kids were so much fun and the location was perfect! We even postponed our second site visit for that day because Richard realized the importance and value of our time here.
 |
| Josh enjoyed taking pictures of the kids and then showing them the picture :) |
 |
| Steve and some cuties! |
Dinner was DEE-licious!! We had a whole buffet of jackfruit (look it up, so good!), chipati, chicken, rice, beans, and a bunch of other stuff with fresh fruit for dessert. As we walked back to our hotel after dinner, we passed several vendors, many of which were selling grasshoppers. At first none of us knew what they were because they covered entire tables and had been de-legged and de-winged. Richard insisted on buying some and "forced" us to eat at least one..... Kaylee was the first to try one I think, then pretty much everyone followed eventually, EVEN Linda! It was pretty entertaining watching her psych herself up to actually eat it. They didn't taste soo bad- kind of like a salty peanut. The only one who was very adamant in his refusal to eat the roasted, salted grasshopper was Don. Let me tell you, he is STILL getting teased about it...
.JPG) |
| Grasshopper vendor |
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Sunday is for Church Going
We went to Pastor George's church in the morning. There were two services, one all in English and the other was translated. Their services are very much like our own with a time of worship, a sermon, an offering, etc. I think they have a more genuine way of worshipping that isn't timid at all; they put it all out there for the Lord. In between the services, they have Sunday School for all ages. Josh, Kaylee, and I taught the younger kids. We had planned to tell the story of Jonah with the puppets in the office, but we never got them.... So we improvised and paraphrased with Beatrice, Pastor George's wife, translating for us. With all the left over time, the kids sang songs for us, we sang songs for them, and we told them about the Good Samaritan.
We visited another church after lunch (soo good by the way- I love love love fresh fruit), the Wakiso Victory Holiness Church. The congregation was SO excited to have a water filter. This meant they didn't have to boil their water before drinking it any more. And when you have to boil water over a fire, it takes a while..
We visited another church after lunch (soo good by the way- I love love love fresh fruit), the Wakiso Victory Holiness Church. The congregation was SO excited to have a water filter. This meant they didn't have to boil their water before drinking it any more. And when you have to boil water over a fire, it takes a while..
 |
| Pastor George praying at his church |
 |
| After our demonstration with the filter, we showed them before and after |
 |
| My friend, Jamime, followed me around the entire time we were there. |
 |
| Susan, Kaylee, and I with a bunch of cute kids |
 |
| Steve and Linda with the pastor and his wife at Victory Holiness Church |
Our First Day in Country
Just so everyone knows, this is my second time flying anywhere, must less overseas.. My first experience with planes was that I did not like them... at all. It is too similar to roller coasters, which I like even less. However, I must say that Emirates flies a nice plane or 2. Even with turbulence, I hardly felt anything and often forgot I was even in a plane. I watched plenty of movies, listened to music to fall asleep to, and played games, too!
Our afternoon was filled by our first site visit to Entebbe Full Gospel Church and School. We arrived in our off-the-plane-outfits and felt only slightly under dressed for the wedding that was in full swing. Although, I did get to watch a Ugandan wedding! There was lots of music, dancing, and shouting (the happy kind). We played our first game of duck, duck, chicken with some of the children hanging around. Fun Fact 1: Goose had to be changed to chicken because, in most areas of Uganda, there aren't any geese..
Uganda definitely has a unique smell: wood burning, red dirt/clay, and something I can't quite explain, but I think I like it. :)
Here are mini bio's on each of my team members (using my whole perspective from the entirety of the trip):
Gail- She is a prayer warrior, forreal! Any time there was a need or the suggestion of a need presented, she was on it. Gail is the type to watch, get her feet wet and then dive into conversations. She was often emotionally moved by the spirit and, man, was it cool to watch!
Steve- He was another of the quiet type, but a strong servant. He was very helpful when it came to fixing things and explaining the filters. I liked watching him interacting with the leaders of the churches and schools, finding out more about them and such. Steve has a very tender touch that made kids flock to him.
Linda- She is Steve's husband and such a sweet, loving person! She was always there to offer a positive outlook for the present obstacle. There really isn't a word to explain how bubbly and sweet she really is. As the team photographer, I can say she did a splendid job capturing just about every moment we experienced while in UG.
Richard- He was our team leader with a spunky, earthy vibe. Richard has a unique ability to be a leader without really seeming like a leader, if that makes sense. He is kind, level headed, and able to keep every detail in his view finder. Seeing him reconnect with friends he's established relationships with and create new ones was really awesome!
Susan- She has an energetic, motherly spirit that made her a perfect roommate! This was her second trip to UG and was able to transfer some of her knowledge to us 1st timers. I have two favorite moments of Susan. The first was watching her tend to the boys' wounds in Kivulu. She was kind, but firm and didn't take any crap from them. The second was watching her shuffle (she was wearing a dress) around with a horde of children chasing her all over the school grounds. She was delighted to be there and it showed.
Josh- He is the off-spring of Steve and Linda. Josh is goofy, very book smart and loving. He could talk about math and statistics and all that jazz alllll day. I know because I basically lived with him for two weeks. This did come in handy for installing water filters and talking about ways to increase sustainability. Despite his stand-offish demeanor, Josh found a niche with children. I watched him become increasingly more involved and comfortable running around with a million kids hanging from his arms.
Don- He is another book smart guy, as he should be with a new degree in engineering. Along with his smart factor, Don is also cheerful and caring, even when he's sick. Don was our camera man, who had no previous experience in videography. I have to say, he too, did a splendid job capturing priceless interactions during our trip. Being among the two-whitest-people-on-our-trip, Don often found himself in the middle of a pack of kids poking his skin to watch it turn colors or petting the hair on his arms (Africans don't have air and their skin is so dark, it doesn't get whiter when you push it).
Lulu- She is definitely the funniest person I've met thus far in my life. Lulu is tender, full of love, and still funny. I'm fairly certain she was the first person to be attached at the hip with a gathering of children. And boy, does she know how to worship! One of my top 5 favorite moments on the trip was our impromptu worship jam sessions after our full day of pouring into others' lives. This Zimbabwean is one to keep, folks.
Kaylee- Although she started as THE quietest person on our team, Kaylee proved to be an excellent schedule/program keeper. She is very encouraging and fun to be around. I loved watching her true self come out as she got to know us. Kaylee made an excellent partner-in-crime as a child wrangler! She even got to be a skilled team wrangler, making sure everyone was ready to go and on the bus when we needed to leave.
.JPG)
Our afternoon was filled by our first site visit to Entebbe Full Gospel Church and School. We arrived in our off-the-plane-outfits and felt only slightly under dressed for the wedding that was in full swing. Although, I did get to watch a Ugandan wedding! There was lots of music, dancing, and shouting (the happy kind). We played our first game of duck, duck, chicken with some of the children hanging around. Fun Fact 1: Goose had to be changed to chicken because, in most areas of Uganda, there aren't any geese..
Uganda definitely has a unique smell: wood burning, red dirt/clay, and something I can't quite explain, but I think I like it. :)
Here are mini bio's on each of my team members (using my whole perspective from the entirety of the trip):
Gail- She is a prayer warrior, forreal! Any time there was a need or the suggestion of a need presented, she was on it. Gail is the type to watch, get her feet wet and then dive into conversations. She was often emotionally moved by the spirit and, man, was it cool to watch!
Steve- He was another of the quiet type, but a strong servant. He was very helpful when it came to fixing things and explaining the filters. I liked watching him interacting with the leaders of the churches and schools, finding out more about them and such. Steve has a very tender touch that made kids flock to him.
Linda- She is Steve's husband and such a sweet, loving person! She was always there to offer a positive outlook for the present obstacle. There really isn't a word to explain how bubbly and sweet she really is. As the team photographer, I can say she did a splendid job capturing just about every moment we experienced while in UG.
Richard- He was our team leader with a spunky, earthy vibe. Richard has a unique ability to be a leader without really seeming like a leader, if that makes sense. He is kind, level headed, and able to keep every detail in his view finder. Seeing him reconnect with friends he's established relationships with and create new ones was really awesome!
Susan- She has an energetic, motherly spirit that made her a perfect roommate! This was her second trip to UG and was able to transfer some of her knowledge to us 1st timers. I have two favorite moments of Susan. The first was watching her tend to the boys' wounds in Kivulu. She was kind, but firm and didn't take any crap from them. The second was watching her shuffle (she was wearing a dress) around with a horde of children chasing her all over the school grounds. She was delighted to be there and it showed.
Josh- He is the off-spring of Steve and Linda. Josh is goofy, very book smart and loving. He could talk about math and statistics and all that jazz alllll day. I know because I basically lived with him for two weeks. This did come in handy for installing water filters and talking about ways to increase sustainability. Despite his stand-offish demeanor, Josh found a niche with children. I watched him become increasingly more involved and comfortable running around with a million kids hanging from his arms.
Don- He is another book smart guy, as he should be with a new degree in engineering. Along with his smart factor, Don is also cheerful and caring, even when he's sick. Don was our camera man, who had no previous experience in videography. I have to say, he too, did a splendid job capturing priceless interactions during our trip. Being among the two-whitest-people-on-our-trip, Don often found himself in the middle of a pack of kids poking his skin to watch it turn colors or petting the hair on his arms (Africans don't have air and their skin is so dark, it doesn't get whiter when you push it).
Lulu- She is definitely the funniest person I've met thus far in my life. Lulu is tender, full of love, and still funny. I'm fairly certain she was the first person to be attached at the hip with a gathering of children. And boy, does she know how to worship! One of my top 5 favorite moments on the trip was our impromptu worship jam sessions after our full day of pouring into others' lives. This Zimbabwean is one to keep, folks.
Kaylee- Although she started as THE quietest person on our team, Kaylee proved to be an excellent schedule/program keeper. She is very encouraging and fun to be around. I loved watching her true self come out as she got to know us. Kaylee made an excellent partner-in-crime as a child wrangler! She even got to be a skilled team wrangler, making sure everyone was ready to go and on the bus when we needed to leave.
.JPG)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)