Returning to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

We left Gulu yesterday and headed 3 hours south on the road to Kampala to visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This was my second time going as we visited last year as well. We arrived, changed clothes, and headed back out in the mutatus into the bush. We were accompanied by one of the guards named Christopher, who explained that we were to walk in a single file line and remain quiet around the rhinos. We saw Bella, her calf Augustu and Taleo feeding in an open area. Once again, it was amazing to stand so close to them.
Over the last year, the sanctuary has had 3 births, thus bringing the population of rhinos up to 9. They named the baby, who was born last year while we were here, Obama because his father is Kenyan and his mother is from Disney’s Animal Kingdom in America. The other calf was named through a fundraising auction and is called Justus. They had pictures of all of them, and they are so cute.
The sanctuary also rehabilitates other animals as well. They have connections throughout the community who will call if they are needed. We saw several DLTs (“deer like thing”) whose mothers had been poached. They nurse them until they are well and then release them back into their habitat. They have done this with monkeys, parrots, and other animals. It really is a great organization, and they subsist solely on donations and visitors.
It was such a relaxing trip and so nice to get to hang out with everyone in Group 1 before Group 2 arrives on Tuesday.

Visiting Pabo SS and Pabo Trading Center

Since I did not teach on Friday, I went with Danielle to pick up Pablo and Jenni, who are teaching at Pabo Secondary School and living in Pabo. Pabo was created as an IDP camp, where the government forced people in the outer villages to move during the war. At one time, there were over 60,000 people living in the Pabo IDP camp. It was meant to be a safe place for the Ugandan people, but the LRA would still attack and kidnap from the outer huts, so people would move into the center of the camp at night. It is about an hour mutatu ride to get to Pabo from Gulu. It is on the same road as Keyo SS, and if you follow the road for another 20 miles after passing through Pabo, you will reach the border of Sudan. The people have been released from the IDP camps, but because many were at Pabo for so many years, they have chosen to make it their home, thus the creation of it as a trading center (not quite a town). Because of its proximity to Sudan and the LRA still being a presence in the surrounding countries, there is a heavy military presence at Pabo. Pablo, who is an avid runner, had to get clearance to go running in the morning from the police and the military, so I think there is still some concern about safety there.
We stopped at Pabo SS first. I met several of the teachers, who were very friendly, and while the Pabo round table was happening, I sat with them and read Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. I was interrupted a couple of times by two male teachers. We discussed soccer, and they revealed that they both were big Brazil fans and were looking forward to the Brazil- Portugal match that night. They mentioned that they were frustrated because Renaldo had not been playing well, and it was on account of a woman. This then launched into a friendly diatribe about how women were the downfall of men. I had to laugh to myself because they did not realize my opinions on how amazing women are. I tried to explain that I did not feel that it was fair to blame women when men in fact have control over their actions, but they did not want to hear it. They then referenced Adam and Eve and the apple; when I mentioned that Adam did not have to accept the apple from Eve, one of the men said, “No, he could not say no to her.” I replied, “Well, it seems to be that is a flaw in men and should not be blamed on the woman.” I do not think they liked my point of view as the subject was quickly dropped.
Once the round table was over, we followed Pablo and Jenni on their bicycles to Pabo Trading Center to pick up their stuff for the weekend. They are staying at a new “hotel.” It has no running water and no electricity, but the rooms are nice and clean. Pabo is right on the road and is full of huts and shanties. It is hard to describe the smells there; I think if you could imagine a combination of close living quarters and lots of people and animals, that would be it. They are very curious though, especially about white people. There is not much to do; Pablo and Jenni said that the town tour took 10 minutes to complete, and there are very strict societal expectations. For example, Pablo, being male, is allowed to be out after dark, but Jenni, who is female, must stay inside. They have been reading a lot of books to pass the time.
It was fascinating to visit and see what one of the IDP camps looked like. However it was also a sad reflection on how this war has affected so many lives and continues to shape the world of the Ugandans even though there has been peace in the country for 3 years.

Raising Children in Uganda

I have noticed some interesting methods in the way children are raised here in Gulu. I am not passing judgment as I feel that sometimes we coddle our children too much in the States, thus denying them the opportunity to learn independence and responsibility. In Gulu, I often see small children (as young as 2-3 years old) riding on the front of a boda boda (type of transportation- it is a dirt bike/motorcycle) in between the driver and the handlebars. Children walk down the street by themselves or with older siblings. Just this morning, two children whom I would guestimate to be about 3 or 4 were walking in front of our compound. I do not know where they were going, but they were not wandering. It's so interesting to me to see the independence these children have. At St. Jude's Orphanage last Sunday, a mother was holding a baby on her hip. The baby was just looking around and holding her head up with no problem. I asked how old the baby was, and she said 2 months old. This child has complete control of her head and neck at two months!!! Children work in the fields to help provide food, and they carry heavy jerry cans of water from the well to their homes. Just today as I was eating lunch at Kope Cafe, a couple with a child who was probably about 2 walked out to get into their car. They put the child in the back seat, and as they were driving off, I noticed the child standing on the back seat with her head out the rolled down window. I had to chuckle to myself... how many of these instances would DSS have been called on in the US?

I think both of our societies could learn from each other. The children here are more self sufficient and independent. They would have to be to survive the country's history. However this is truly reflected in teaching them. They recognize that they are responsible for their success in school and not the teacher. It is up to them whether they succeed or fail. What a novel concept!!

There is still love here. However it is shown rarely in physical affection. But isn't it true love for a child when you prepare them to live without you in the world?

Notes from Keyo

I have been team teaching with Harriet for three days now. We are working with S2, which would be about 8th grade, although it seems as if most of the students are older, some as old as 17 or 18 years. On Monday, I observed her teaching relative clauses. Since teaching English over here is teaching grammar, it is a very dry and boring class filled with many rules. After observing, I told Harriet that I had a warm up exercise that we could try on Tuesday; she was enthusiastic and willing to let me try different activities. I enjoy having the students work in pairs or groups, but the students are not used to that, so it takes a little time to prepare them. I feel we are working together well. She is not afraid to offer comments to me. She told me that the students remarked that my “check mark” was too small on their papers and that I needed to write comments when they do well. My assumption is that they rarely get feedback, so when they do they really want it.
They have a hard time with my southern American English. I find myself speaking so slowly and yet still having to repeat myself. The students laugh, but it is a polite laugh, and they also like to repeat what I say and the way I say it. I think they are also a little caught off guard with how loud I speak; Harriet and the other teachers speak so softly and then I come in with my loud American teacher voice. I often see the students who are not in the class peeking in to see what is going on.
Being at Keyo SS is so much fun. The faculty is really great, and we have great conversations. I had to monitor the lunch line today, which was interesting. The students line up outside of the “kitchen” in front of four openings (similar to windows). They jam into the line and shove up on each other. It looks like dominoes. When they get close to the opening, a prefect marks their food card to make sure they do not get food two times. One of the teachers with whom I was monitoring said it is not a foolproof system because the cards get ratty, become difficult to read, and fall apart. All I did was stand near the students as I was not about to get in between teenage boys and their posho and beans. I told the teacher that I was not too helpful, and he replied that I was a big help as the kids were more interested in looking at me than pushing to get food. I think they were waiting for my “muno” (white) skin to burn in the African sun.

Keyo Secondary School

We met our partner teachers last night at Churchill Courts in Gulu. I am working with Acan Harriet. She has been at Keyo for two years. Teaching for Harriet was a last resort; she originally wanted to be an accountant, but the schooling did not work out for her. I asked her why she chose to teach English and not math, and she said that she thought that English was more marketable. I think that she has gotten to where she enjoys teaching more.
There are three of us teaching at Keyo: Lindsey (a T/Ex participant with me last year), Amanda (from Texas), and me. Lindsey and I made the boda boda trip out to Keyo. The boda boda ride was 35-40 minutes, which is very long on the back of a motorcycle, especially when you are riding sidesaddle. However the trip was beautiful since the landscape is amazing. Once we arrived, we met the head teacher, Carristas (sp), Alex, the horticultural teacher, and Lindsey’s teacher, Grace. Harriet quickly ran over from the athletic games to meet us. The school is on a hillside, and it is very pretty. There are two new classroom blocks that were built by Invisible Children; the S3 and S4 streams are housed in those. The other classroom blocks consist of dirt floors, old desks, and open walls. There is a chalkboard that is propped up against one wall. They also have a library, a small computer lab with about 10 computers, and a staff room.
Once we had our initial meeting and orientation with Amy and Danielle (T/Ex director and asst coordinator), we walked over to the athletic field to watch the athletic events. Keyo is part of Amuru district, and so the schools in that district were competing in a track and field competition. Harriet was one of the team leaders, and so she was very interested in how the students performed. The Keyo boys won the competition last year, and so they were defending the cup. Harriet said that the boys were excellent and that the girls were average. It was so much fun to watch them compete. Almost all of the competitors ran barefoot; some had on track uniforms, some wore shorts only, or cheerleading skirts (on some of the girls). We also watched the shot put, the javelin throw, the triple jump the high jump. Those competing in the triple jump did not jump into a sandpit; they just jumped on the ground. There was no cushion for them to land on in the high jump; they just jumped over the bar and onto the ground. No wonder these athletes are so good in the Olympic games. The winners of the district competition compete in the regional competition, and then the winners will compete at the national level. It was so much fun to watch these events and be a part of it.
It was a great first day at Keyo, and I am looking forward to spending time there and working with Harriet. However I am not excited about the boda boda ride.

Pedagogy for Liberation

As part of the IC Teacher Exchange, our required reading is Paulo Friere and Ira Shore’s Pedagogy for Liberation, which in essence questions the role of the teacher, especially in formal education. Transcribed from a dialogue between the two authors, the book can be difficult to understand, but it has amazing ideas. We had our first book discussion today during orientation. We discussed the overall themes of the book as well as bringing up questions or tensions that we felt while reading it.
There are a couple of themes that caught my attention. One was the idea that the formal education is created by the dominant power (government) without considering the audience who will receive it. As educators we should question this education and its motives, which in essence is questioning the dominant power (government) over us. This can lead to an uncomfortable situation no matter where you teach. However I find it so true. Policies for public education in South Carolina are made by officials who have no direct connection to the very institution for whom they are making decisions. How many of our politicians have visited a school and stayed past the perfunctory presentation for them? How many have actually spoken to students for whom they are making policy? Our politicians insist on cutting taxes in order to bring in big businesses and yet refuse to support the educational system that will educate the workforce that these businesses will employ. So ultimately, how are we supposed to support a government that does not protect those it governs?
The second theme that struck a chord with me was the idea that the teacher should not be the expert. If the teacher and students learn together, the education is much more authentic. It also gives the student a voice in his/her education, thus making him/her more willing to be active in the educational process. I think as teachers we are very often not willing to give up control especially to students. However it is this release of control that has the potential to provide a much more meaningful experience to the learner (student and teacher).
One of the perks of this trip is that we are focusing on education in northern Uganda, but many of the same ideas fit into the American educational system.

The Programs of Invisible Children

As part of our Invisible Children (IC from now on) Teacher Exchange orientation, we visited the IC offices and met with Andrew, the communications director, who spoke to us about IC and its programs. IC has two arms: the US arm and the Ugandan arm. The US arm is based out of San Diego, California and is focused solely on fundraising and advocacy. The Uganda arm is based in Gulu and is solely focused on program implementation. IC Uganda has four main outreach programs currently working: Legacy Scholarships (formally known as the Visible Child Scholarship), Schools for Schools, Village Savings and Loan (VSAL), and MEND. They are all amazing programs, and the ultimate goal is for each program to become self-sustaining so that Invisible Children no longer needs to be in Uganda. For more information about each program, you can visit www.invisiblechildren.com.
IC is currently providing 559 secondary school scholarships and 181 university scholarships. The unique thing about the Legacy Scholarship is that it provides a mentor for each student to track the student’s success and coordinate between the student, the school and the parents. Students are chosen based on vulnerability and academic potential.
Schools for Schools is currently partnering with 11 schools in northern Uganda to rebuild facilities and provide teacher training. The school gives IC a wish list of needs and IC works with engineers to see that it happens. In order to participate, the school must be able to pay 5% of the building costs because it is assumed that 5% of the building cost is what it takes to maintain the building once it is built.
The Village Savings and Loan (VSLA) emerged out of the Bracelet Campaign. There are currently 20 groups with 20 members each who contribute to the “community pot” each week and then borrow small loans from it. It is a program that has been implemented in lots of places with enormous success. I would actually like to start a VSLA with some friends back at home.
Lastly MEND currently has 13 formerly abducted female children, most of whom were “brides” to the LRA commanders, who have been trained in tailoring. They produce handbags to sell outside of Gulu. This program has given these girls a life for them and their children that they would not have had because of their past (they would have been ostracized from their community).
IC is different from other NGOs because it has Ugandans focusing on the problems and creating the solutions rather than westerners coming in saying what needs to be done. I continue to be amazed by the thoughtfulness that IC does and the critical thinking it does on a regular basis to make sure they are truly helping the community. It is a great organization

Tuesday, June 15- Home Sweet Home (for 6 weeks)

We arrived safely into Entebbe, Uganda on Monday morning. Only one of us had her luggage not make it, which is a nice record for British Airways. Fortunately for me, my luggage arrived. We piled our luggage into the coaster and made our way to Kampala, the capitol. I felt like I have not left. Things look the same; maybe there is more growth, but it is still a beautiful country.
Once in Kampala, we headed to Backpacker’s Hostel to unload and get into our rooms. We had some time, so I took a shower. Although it was cold, it was heaven after traveling in the same clothes for two days. Putting on clean clothes made all of the difference in the world. We then headed to Garden City to change money and pick up supplies. Uganda has created new bills, and they are so pretty. It’s like playing with Monopoly money, which makes it easier to spend… not a good thing. The exchange rate is $1= 2200 Ugandan shillings, which is really good for us.
After Garden City, returned to Backpacker’s. The plan was to go visit Lubiri Secondary School; however Catherine, Lindsey and I did not visit since we visited last year. I took a nice long nap, which was fantastic. I felt so much better upon awakening.
For dinner, we ate at Sam’s, an Indian restaurant in Kampala. We got there about 6:00 pm and ate at 8:30 pm. Welcome to Uganda and African time. The food was delicious and worth a wait, but not necessarily 2 ½ hours (really, is any food worth waiting 2 ½ hours? I mean, homemade ice cream doesn’t even take that long!) It was a great meal and a really great opportunity to meet and talk to more of the group. I think we are going to have a great group.
We woke up this morning (Tuesday), packed up and headed to Bavubuka House, an arts house for boys and girls in Kampala. It was started by the world famous Ugandan rapper, Sirus. The boys and girls practice all of the arts, and they are completely free to express themselves. It is such a positive environment for these kids, and they are really talented. They have made many improvements to the compound since we visited last year. They added a wall and gates as well as two murals that are beautiful. They have also increased the amount of girls and the emphasis on empowering women, which I thought was awesome.
We were held up a little on trying to make the trek to Gulu because of Allison’s lost bag. We ended up returning to Garden City to meet her and Amy. We left Kampala at 3:00 pm. The road to Gulu has improved greatly, but it still took forever. We ended up making one short call break and arrived in Gulu at 8:30 pm. It took us a minute to find the house. It is located right behind the Invisible Children office on the Pece side of Gulu. Finding the house in the dark was daunting and after turning the Coaster around a couple of times, we finally found it. It is a pretty good size house, but for housing 19 and then another 13 coming in two weeks, it is cramped. There are two toilets two pit latrines in the backyard, one shower, and one bathtub with a shower nozzle but no shower curtain. The water pressure is terrible, terrible, terrible. The yard is beautiful though and spacious. I am curious to watch the dynamics of the group over the next 6 weeks in this space.

Saturday, June 12- Part 1 of the Plane Trip

I am sitting at JFK airport waiting on the flight to London Heathrow and then the flight to Entebbe. Mama and Dad dropped me off at the Myrtle Beach airport. The flights to JFK were fine, which is what I like.
Now that I am on my way and no longer worried about packing (my bag weighed in at exactly 50 pounds!!), I am excited about returning to Uganda. On my flight from Charlotte to JFK, I sat beside a couple from Lynchburg, VA, who were traveling to Israel. We got to talking, and they were very interested in my trip to Uganda. We had a really nice conversation, and I realized once again the amazing opportunity that I have ahead of me for the next 6 weeks. I know that like last year, what I learn will be far more than what I teach.
While I am so excited about reconnecting with friends, I am also excited about the possibilities of a new adventure. I am with new people, will be at a new school, and have a year of maturity (or immaturity) under my belt. My expectations are different although I don’t think I am sure exactly what they are. I just know they are not the same as last year.
Here’s to old friends and new adventures…

The countdown for Summer #2 in Uganda

The countdown to my return trip to Uganda has begun. I leave the United States on Saturday, June 12 and will be gone for 6 weeks. Preparing this time has been completely different; last year, I was pretty much packed at this point. This year… well stuff is laid out on my guest bed waiting for my perusal.
What am I most looking forward to on my return to Uganda?... squatting over a hole in the ground to relieve myself. I have missed it. I am of course kidding. In all seriousness, I am most looking forward to seeing the Ugandan friends that I met last summer and especially Lydia who visited me in January. It will be a sweet reunion. I am also looking forward to reuniting with my friends Lindsay, Catherine and Amy as well as meeting new Invisible Children teaching friends.
What am I most dreading?... squatting over a hole in the ground to relieve myself.
I will be at Keyo Secondary School, which is slightly out of town. I do not know much about it; it is coed with about 850 students. That will be a nice change from an all boys school like last year. I think it will be another boda boda ride, but I will get the final details once I arrive. There will be three of us teaching there.
While not physically ready to leave, I am mentally ready to get out of Columbia. It has been a crazy spring, and I need a break. Stay tuned...