That's what friends are for

Well, it's official, my friends are awesome. They came, they saw, they told bad jokes, and they conquered. Plus they brought me all sorts of goodies and told me how great I am...always a plus! Highlights included visiting Lake Mburo National Park in the SW of Uganda and doing a walking safari (saw impalas, zebras, cape buffalo, ton of birds), Murchison Falls NP which was awesome (i'm sure Ian's photos will be online in no time), two trips to the "Pork Joint" in Kampala, and 4 days in the village.

My friends concluded that Village time was their favorite and I don't blame them. Village life is so interesting, horrible and amazing all at the same time. They learned to cook, fetch water from the borehole, and do their business in a dark hole. All feats worthy of street cred! I was amazed how relaxed and comfortable they were walking around the village and interacting with the locals. Having people living in abject poverty staring at you and occasionally asking you to save them isn't something that the average American has to deal with and can be rather overwhelming. The three of them handled it all style, grace, and very few stupid questions...expect for Alex's during a rain storm: "Why are those buckets outside?" "I'm collecting water Alex" "Why?" :) Activities included going to the rocks by my house, a prayer session for my supervisor who almost died in a bus accident (Hannah read from the bible, it was awesome), visiting the orphan school and fish pond guys that i work with and distributing donated soccer balls to 2 primary schools. Fyi for everyone out there, they brought home 300 bead necklaces made by women's groups that 2 of my PC friends work with. They are trying to sell them to give support to these groups. Christmas Presents anyone?? Also, my sister will be coming back with some handmade baskets in early Jan.

Thanksgiving is coming up and unfortunately I won't be able to celebrate it. My wonderful girlfriend has promised to share her pumpkin pie mix and cranberry sauce with me when i visit her in December, but for now, no Turkey day :( There are two volunteer Thanksgiving dinners I could go to on Saturday but I'm going to be working. Through my village networking skills, I'm hooking up 3 different groups to work together and test everyone who wants it in the most remote Parish for HIV. I'm really excited because if it is successful, then my last really big project will be to plan to test, counsel, and refer everyone in my sub county for HIV. I've pretty much given up on trying start a bee-keeping project. Kinda disappointing, but oh well. Can't save the world. However, leaving with helping to reduce the rates malaria and HIV isn't a bad rap sheet for a PCV. After the testing then I'll help my organization launch our Savings and Credit society. We're getting a lot of capital from a Kuwaiti donor, but the loans have to be interest free, ie, no profits to pay staff and running costs. Luckily, the staff is really smart and together we'll come up with some income generating activities on the side to support the SACCO. Should be interesting anyways.

In other news, the Wes is a hypocrite meter has dropped significantly after I put up my mosquito net over my bed for the first time. I thought that it was funny and ironic that I helped hand out 13,100 nets to the community but didn't use one myself. The nurse working for Peace Corps didn't find it that funny, but I did convince her that it was ironic :) My excuse was that my house is at a higher elevation than surrounding areas, there's no standing water around, I had screens on the window, and I haven't missed more than a day in taking my anti-malarial medicine. But hey, no malaria for me so far (knock on wood!).

Ok, I think I'm going to watch some movies from the external drive that my friends brought me...did I say that they're awesome??

Yes We CAN!

wow, yesterday/today was quite a day/night. Not only did my friends fly in late at night, but pulled an all nighter watching the election at a backpackers hostel in Kampala with a bunch of my friends. Oh, and I was on local TV, so was my friend Ian who had just gotten there. Don't worry powers that be, I didn't say anything embarrassing or mention my organization at all. The whole experience last night was so amazing that i'm extremely overwhelmed and happy. Seeing the reaction of all my friends and colleagues when Obama gave his acceptance speech was really amazing. There wasn't a dry eye in the house and even people who didn't support him were moved by his words. Walking around today people see me or other white people and go "OBAMA??" and we say "YES!" and they say "YES!" It's a pretty funny and nice experience. Certainly beats other ways that people could respond to us and makes us feel really good. So many people wear Obama shirts around town and it'll be interesting to see what kind of things he can do with all the positive energy he has from around the world, especially Africa. It was so so so good to watch the election with friends from home and really made it easier to be away on such a historic day.

Sit down, relax, and read everything you wanna know

Ok, so this picture sort up sums up my feelings towards my recent vacation to Mozambique, and my general happiness level here. Thanks to my girlfriend and travel buddy Diana for adding a super happy face to this photo. Well, maybe we're exaggerating a little, but hey, don't you know me??! :) Things are going pretty good right now, because...wait for it...I HAVE INTERNET!!!! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I can now check my email from my house in a remote African village. My friend Jessica and I (with the help of our folks) split the costs of a modem that plugs into our laptops and runs off the local cell phone tower and gives us unlimited internet service for a monthly fee. As long as there's cell coverage, we have net! I heart technology! Of course if I could get electricity at my place... Luckily I can get to Mbale easy and Jessica is willing to lend me her house for electronics charging purposes. So in theory, I should be able to update a lot more on this blog and so forth. In theory...

This is gonna be long blog with some fun stuff and some sad stuff. You guys are in luck! Ok, maybe not, but at least you're warned.

Last weekend was the annual PC Uganda Goatstock celebration this year at Lake Nabugabu near Masaka and Lake Victoria. It was the first time I'd ever been there and it was extremely beautiful and peaceful. The locals left us alone, the staff was attentive and there was plenty of food available. That last sentence would never be uttered in America, that's for sure! Whenever there's an event with a lot of white people or any foreigners, it attracts a lot of attention in the village. Guest Houses rarely stock or plan food properly for large groups and are often unhelpful. That's not all the time, but when it happens, no one is surprised. The lake was warm and was actually safe to swim in, ie no bilharzia...in theory...again. A lot of theories in this post... Anyways, some people went out on boats, there was a great sound system that facilitated some fun, but sometimes inappropriate dancing. Goatstock is the yearly Halloween celebration that Peace Corps Volunteers in Uganda have and is always around October 9th, the Ugandan Independence day so that we can take a 4 day leave from site without tapping into our vacation days too much. A lot of people dressed up in costumes. For me, I didn't have a plan so I just through on all my tacky African and Hawaiian clothes and went as an a-hole tourist. First part I'm pretty good at, I just needed to get into the tourist role! Hey ohhh! My friend Brad dressed up as the joker from the new Batman movie. He was extremely scary but won the best dressed competition as he deserved.

I just looked up my village on google earth. I love the internet! Apparently I'm at 3,628 ft here. So basically I'm at Snoqualmie Pass for those of you I-90 drivers to Eastern Washington. Not very clear images, ie, can't see any landmarks i recognize, but still cool.

So the election is in a couple weeks. Thought I'd gotten my ballot, but it was a miscommunication and actually hasn't arrived yet. I hope it arrives soon. As for the election, we're going to watch it in Kampala somewhere, don't know yet. My friends Alex, Hannah, and Ian come in the night of the 4th (YAY!!) and I have a VAC meeting that day too, so i'll already be in town. The results will start coming in about 4am on the 5th Ugandan time. We're planning on renting out a place with satellite tv to watch. AND, since i now have wireless internet, i can bring my laptop and get all dorky about it by looking up all the details on all the house races and stuff i care about. Should be interesting. Everyone in Uganda (the Ugandans that is) are totally pulling for Obama because his father is from Kenya and his Luo tribe is found in some places here. What's kinda ironic is that Uganda is such a conservative country that if people actually knew all the policies of the 2 candidates, they'd probably go for McCain. However, even without the whole "African man running America" appeal, most people here are really excited that he will be able to do a lot with his celebrity to help the world, especially Africa. A lot of people aren't happy with the Iraq War (though their facts aren't always accurate), but they think Obama can help with that. We'll see!

I'm saving the less fun stuff till now. Last night my supervisor and good friend, Kateu got in a horrible bus accident on his way back from Kampala. Something like 26 people died. Luckily, he seems to be ok. I talked to him this morning and though he wasn't very specific on his injuries, it sounds like minor head and hand wounds. It could be broken stuff, but Ugandans can be so nonchalant and vague about their illnesses and injuries. The fact that he was talking to me on the phone was a plus. He sounded tired but ok. This is the second fatal accident he's been involved in since I've been here. He was in a minibus the other time and 3 people died. It was scary cause we were both leaving Kampala at the same time but he wanted to eat before he left so we got on different taxis. I've had phenomenal luck so far so knock on wood America! Transport is something that scares me the most in this country. However, since I have to use it and there's really nothing i can do, I just get over it and board the overcrowded sweaty vehicles. I hope that Kateu can recover fully and get home soon. That guy works harder than anyone i know and seriously needs a vacation; hopefully he'll give himself one!

About a week ago, I was moving around the area in a private car with Kateu and the Chairman. The Chairman is just as his title suggests. Chair of our Board of Directors and also the Chairman Local Council III (political leader for the sub-county). The Chairman was the district veterinarian in his younger days and knows the area really well. We had just visited some nursing students who were doing their practicals at the Butebo Hospital about half-way between my place and Pallisa (I assume you all have a map by now!:) ) and were stopped in Butebo Trading Center waiting for Kateu to get airtime for his phone and talk to a million random people like he always does. So we were sitting there and we see this woman in tattered clothes stumbling around in the middle of the street making strange sounds and waving her arms around. It is obvious that this woman was mentally impaired. Maybe in my immature youth I would of chuckled and shook my head, "crazy lady!" However, my knowledge of how the mentally ill are treated (more importantly not treated) in this country makes this situation very sad. My conversation with the Chairman made it even sadder.

Me: Reflectively "Chairman, I don't like how people who are mad (that's what they call mentally ill) are ignored in this country. There is treatment that these people can get, or go to the hospital in Kampala." - of course I know that her family probably couldn't afford it, but still.
Chairman: "mmm (agreeing)"
silence for a few minutes
Chairman: "That girl has 5 children"
Me: "Really? Who's her husband"
Chairman: "She doesn't have one"
Me: Confused "...oh! oh... So she's been raped?"
Chairman: "Yes"
Me: outraged "I don't understand, who rapes a mad woman?! Also, how do they get away with it!? There's no privacy here, how does someone get away with it??"
Chairman: shakes his head not knowing the answer
Me: exhausted and disgusted i continue to watch her come closer to us talking in jibberish and seeing the boda boda taxi guys make fun of her thinking "why doesn't anyone help her??"
A couple of minutes later someone comes out and temporarily gets her out of the road.

Ok, so stuff like that where you feel totally powerless over social injustices happen all the time. Wondering why people don't stand up and fight for others but then not really fully understanding the history of this country and all the wars and terror people have experienced and the total lack of power so many people have is often on my mind. Those stories really suck the hope out of me, but are always replaced by positive stories where NGO's and Government programs reach rural areas and start to issue social problems.

Ok, now I need to write my sister and do my quarterly work report for Peace Corps. Hope you enjoyed my blog. PLEASE give me feedback and tell me (on any sort of communication channel) what's going on in your life. This shouldn't be a one-way street. I'm severely out of touch. Take care all,
wes

Been even a longer time

So after persistent "encouragement" from my family to update this thing, here i am again on my blog. I'm finding it hard to write on this thing because all the people that really seem interested in what I'm doing just call me and then they usually update everyone else who asks them. I assume this blog is for the casually interested person and for you, I don't know what you want to hear. It's hard to write anymore because what happens to me here isn't new or strange anymore, it's just my life. Awkward, funny, and surreal things still happen to me, but i don't even notice it because that's just how things are. So the only things i have to talk about are the occasional trip or big news from my work. That can get a little boring to me, so what I need from you is some feedback. What do you wanna know about? What's interesting to you about my life here in Uganda? I feel like I've answered everything in my previous 40 odd posts, but I know that's not true. I also have no idea who is reading this thing. I'm really happy when I get an occasional comment from someone in my past who has found me and taking interest in my life. So for now, I have 2 things for you:

One is that I just got back in early September from a trip that took me to Mozambique and Swaziland. Not too much to talk about except that the roads are way nicer there, they have beaches, and there are olives, cheese, fresh bread, and a KFC available which are all completely foreign in Uganda. I had a great time on the trip and it was really nice seeing another, and very different part of Africa. Sitting on a beach and "learning" how to surf wasn't too bad either! :)

Second thing is that I've started a program at the nursing school that would bring in other Peace Corps Volunteers with specific skill sets to train the tutors in different skills that will improve their ability to effectively teach and to strengthen the quality and reputation of the institution. Also, it's a good chance to have volunteers come visit my site who have never been there before. The first workshop was on alternative teaching techniques. I got 2 of the best education volunteers to come and train our tutors on different learning styles and ways to adapt to them in your teaching style. Instead of just talking at the students, the tutors were taught how to involve the students in their learning using various different methods. The second workshop involved nutrition and I had 2 volunteers with strong nutrition and dietitian backgrounds come. The tutors learned all the latest information on proper nutrition, where to find it in the local diet, and how to properly relay that info to the students. Both workshops were a huge success and i'm planning on bringing volunteers who specialize in HIV/AIDS and Savings and Credit Schemes to come and do similar workshops at the school and in the community.

I wanna leave you with a plea to help support Peace Corps in a time where it's funding is getting cut drastically and is affecting all programs all over the world. We know that there's a big financial crisis going on over there right now, but it doesn't mean that programs as essential as the Peace Corps should be cut. What follows is an essay/letter that my friend Rishi Desai, who serves as an education volunteer in Kumi district, just north east of me, sent in to his congresswoman and senator in West Virginia to plead for support for Peace Corps. Please write or contact your local congressman and/or senator and help save Peace Corps from shirking budgets and a following inability to fulfill our mission. Thanks, Wes:

During Nelson Mandela's incarceration , his jailers would bring him too much lunch and too little dinner. Mr. Mandela would save some of his lunch in order to satisfy his appetite, but the food would be cold and unpalatable by the time dinner was finally served. He requested a hotplate from his jailer to remedy the situation, but was met by the white Afrikaner's cold rejection. With time on his hands, he decided to read and study rugby, the unassailable passion of South Africa's Afrikaner community. The next time he passed his jailer in the hallway, he launched into a conversation about the nation's rugby team and what he had learned about the sport. After an engaging talk, the now noticeably warmer jailer immediately shouted to a subordinate to "get Mandela a hotplate!" Mr. Mandela's brief foray into his captor's culture melted walls of mutual contempt that had been built across generations.

Too often does the veil of ignorance cloud the world's perception of America. Though it may be the world's misconceptions that foster anti-American prejudice, it is our duty to correct them. The time is past to sit idly by and ignore the sentiments of our friends and enemies beyond our borders. We are a proud people, and rightly so. We can be proud of our resiliency in the face of adversity, our dedication to peace and freedom, and our willingness to face down the demons of intolerance. But these qualities must push beyond American shores. The greatest tool we have for showing the world the ideals and passions that make Americans a great people, are the American people themselves.

Perhaps no group of people serve this purpose so great as the men and women of the United States Peace Corps. Since President Kennedy called upon his constituents to serve their country in an army of volunteers, highly qualified men and women have been giving two years of their life overseas to help those who need American assistance. We spend our days fighting to eradicate the worlds plagues, not just of germs and disease, but the plagues of ignorance and poverty, of intolerance and injustice. We do this under the banner of the American flag without reservation for race, creed, nation, or status, and we do this because that is what we would expect our fellow Americans to do for us.

I am an American Peace Corps Volunteer, and am more privileged and proud to be a part of this group than any other in my life. My colleagues come from across the nation, brought together by the belief that the American people can help the poorest of the world, and that it is our duty to do so. Nothing has strengthened my patriotism like the passion I have seen amongst my fellow volunteers for their adopted communities. We work long and hard every day of our service to make a positive impact on our communities.

And we're good at it. No other organization addresses grass roots community needs like the American Peace Corps. Other development workers are astonished by our language skills, by our level of integration, by the vast network of contacts we develop in our villages, towns, and cities. When others throw money at problems in the pursuit of hard numerical data of progress in pursuit of more money, they neglect the communities they are trying to help. We live and work in the field, and we live a lifestyle similar to that of our community making us extremely sensitive to its needs. I don't need to look at a map to see if my village needs a new water source, I walk the distance to the bore-hole every morning and pump my water myself (despite my frequent complaints, it is easily manageable).

So I ask the members of Congress to support the volunteers of the United States Peace Corps. The thousands of Peace Corps Volunteers across the globe donate their time, skills, and abilities to the organization, it would be a pity if our Congressional leaders didn't support them financially. Please show your support for these hard working men and women by considering our needs in this year's federal budget.

Sincerely,
Rishi Desai
Peace Corps Volunteer, Uganda