"A tremendous lesson..Africans have taught me, is that there is a point called 'enough.' It is elusive, but it exists..Enough is food, water, clean air, and community. Enough is the rhythm of a talking drum under a moon that speaks to you through its light. Enough is listening to nature rather than dominating it. We in the West must relax and ratchet down to the joyful place called ENOUGH." -William Powers, Blue Clay People
Another week in beautiful Uganda and loving it more than I ever thought possible. So much has happened and I have been so busy, so it's always a big task to sit down and write on here. I honestly don't know how people ever decide what to share on their blogs - so I've decided to give a quick rundown of what my last week looked like.
Saturday/Sunday - Girl's Retreat in Bujagali Falls, Jinja, UG. We took 12 teen girls from the community (who we've been working with for a few years) away for a night on the Nile River. We left Kampala really early, picked up lunch on the way, and made it to the Eden Roc Resort at about 11 am. We held 3 stations that the girls rotated through: health and our bodies, self-respect and conduct, and life choices. Three of the Ugandan CLD employees led the stations and we, the volunteers chimed in when appropriate. I heard some interesting, surpising, and incredibly sad conversations. The things these girls deal with on a day-to-day basis are more than I could have ever handled in my teen years. Tough, tough stuff- and I couldn't provide much input because I couldn't really relate to anything. I wasn't living on the streets when I was 13. I wasn't forced to prostitute myself to make enough money to pay for food and my school fees. And I definitely didn't have to make a 'trip to the bush' where I was encouraged by my community to undergo female genital mutilation.
After the sessions, we walked down to the edge of the Nile. It was all of their first times to Jinja, and they all got to put their feet in the water which was really exciting. We had a delicious fish and chips dinner followed by hours of song and prayer around a fire. At the end of the night, we gave them each their own new bra, which was a first for most of them. It was the cutest thing, watching them strut around the campfire, showing off their new bras.
They all got showers in a real bathroom, which is also rare for them. Sitting in bed talking and laughing, I felt like a teenager again. Bravery, one of the teens, was laying in bed and looked over at me and said "Kaitlin, I will never, ever forget this day." There is NO better feeling than that right there. Giving these girls this retreat with an opportunity to ask questions, talk about their issues, and just be teenagers is one of the greatest gifts we could have given them.
Monday - Spent my first full day at the new slumbase, which will be the location of the new medical clinic and the Global Institute hub. We didn't start any work - we played with the village kids and got to know names and faces. Since the property wall is not up yet, kids are always running all over the place, which is really fun.
Tuesday - Worked at the new school. In addition to my work at the new slum clinic, I am now in charge of all medical intern tasks this summer. I inventoried all medical supplies we currently have and started preparing for the medical outreach days we will be hosting in the next few weeks.
Wednesday - Got stuck in my first Ugandan riot. First, to give a little background, the recent political situation has created a bit more tension than normal and the police have been on high alert. There were a few riots that broke out the week before I got here and there have been several rumored riots since I've been here. When we hear any riot threats, no one leaves the house and we get work done at home. Well, Wednesday morning, Cody Goings (another volunteer) arrived fresh from the airport and a few of us grabbed a taxi to head to the slums. A few minutes into the drive, there are crowds of people racing past us. It wasn't long before we saw a huge cloud of tear gas in front of us, police shooting into the sky, and people being beaten with sticks. Our driver turned around so fast, we didn't have time to realize how serious it really was. He sped back up the hill and dropped us about 5 minutes from the house. Long story short, we wait it out for about 30 minutes and everything seems to settle. We eventually made it to the slums safely and began work on the new medical clinic.
Thursday - Another day at the slumbase. I am getting SO excited about this project. To the normal eye, the property would probably look like a hopeless disaster. But I have this incredible vision in my head of what it could look like, and we are slowly making progress. It's a unit with 4 rooms - potentially reception, supply room, consultation, and overnight patient room. We have cleaned it like CRAZY. Tomorrow we're spackling the walls and de-bugging. I'm hoping to have it painted and maybe tiled by the end of the month or in early June.
Friday - FARM DAY! All hands were required at the farm. There is a big celebration at the farm in a week so there is a ton to get done. I macheted and weeded all day, and thanks to what my beautiful mama has taught me, I turned weeding into a kind of meditation, making the hours in the sun so much more enjoyable.
Saturday - Spent the day at the American Rec Association. The ARA is like a country club in Uganda for the embassy workers or the expat workers and their families. I hated every minute of it. It was like all the white people in all of Uganda gathered together, playing tennis, swimming, and eating cheeseburgers. Another volunteer, Robin, and I set up a table at the monthly flea market they host, hoping to sell some of the homemade necklaces our slum ladies made in order to make more money for product supply. We were really just checking it out to see if it would be a good outlet to sell things in the future.
Another great week. Shane (CLD director) said how cool it is that I've dipped my hand into every project they have going on. I couldn't agree more. I am apart of some really cool things and I continue to learn from and build relationships with these beautiful people. I noticed my perspective has changed a lot since last year - I am not as saddened by what I see. Rather than focusing on the sewage running through someone's home, or the fact that children aren't wearing shoes, I am noticing the sturdy houses, incredible family life, and empowered women with solid jobs. I am past the shock and devastation of how poor these people are, and I am able to focus on other things, which is a point I never thought I could get to. I can see hope, which is a wonderful feeling.
I'm continuing to learn what it means to LOVE HARD in Uganda. Smiling everyday and sending love to all of you.
Another week in beautiful Uganda and loving it more than I ever thought possible. So much has happened and I have been so busy, so it's always a big task to sit down and write on here. I honestly don't know how people ever decide what to share on their blogs - so I've decided to give a quick rundown of what my last week looked like.
Saturday/Sunday - Girl's Retreat in Bujagali Falls, Jinja, UG. We took 12 teen girls from the community (who we've been working with for a few years) away for a night on the Nile River. We left Kampala really early, picked up lunch on the way, and made it to the Eden Roc Resort at about 11 am. We held 3 stations that the girls rotated through: health and our bodies, self-respect and conduct, and life choices. Three of the Ugandan CLD employees led the stations and we, the volunteers chimed in when appropriate. I heard some interesting, surpising, and incredibly sad conversations. The things these girls deal with on a day-to-day basis are more than I could have ever handled in my teen years. Tough, tough stuff- and I couldn't provide much input because I couldn't really relate to anything. I wasn't living on the streets when I was 13. I wasn't forced to prostitute myself to make enough money to pay for food and my school fees. And I definitely didn't have to make a 'trip to the bush' where I was encouraged by my community to undergo female genital mutilation.
After the sessions, we walked down to the edge of the Nile. It was all of their first times to Jinja, and they all got to put their feet in the water which was really exciting. We had a delicious fish and chips dinner followed by hours of song and prayer around a fire. At the end of the night, we gave them each their own new bra, which was a first for most of them. It was the cutest thing, watching them strut around the campfire, showing off their new bras.
They all got showers in a real bathroom, which is also rare for them. Sitting in bed talking and laughing, I felt like a teenager again. Bravery, one of the teens, was laying in bed and looked over at me and said "Kaitlin, I will never, ever forget this day." There is NO better feeling than that right there. Giving these girls this retreat with an opportunity to ask questions, talk about their issues, and just be teenagers is one of the greatest gifts we could have given them.
Monday - Spent my first full day at the new slumbase, which will be the location of the new medical clinic and the Global Institute hub. We didn't start any work - we played with the village kids and got to know names and faces. Since the property wall is not up yet, kids are always running all over the place, which is really fun.
Tuesday - Worked at the new school. In addition to my work at the new slum clinic, I am now in charge of all medical intern tasks this summer. I inventoried all medical supplies we currently have and started preparing for the medical outreach days we will be hosting in the next few weeks.
Wednesday - Got stuck in my first Ugandan riot. First, to give a little background, the recent political situation has created a bit more tension than normal and the police have been on high alert. There were a few riots that broke out the week before I got here and there have been several rumored riots since I've been here. When we hear any riot threats, no one leaves the house and we get work done at home. Well, Wednesday morning, Cody Goings (another volunteer) arrived fresh from the airport and a few of us grabbed a taxi to head to the slums. A few minutes into the drive, there are crowds of people racing past us. It wasn't long before we saw a huge cloud of tear gas in front of us, police shooting into the sky, and people being beaten with sticks. Our driver turned around so fast, we didn't have time to realize how serious it really was. He sped back up the hill and dropped us about 5 minutes from the house. Long story short, we wait it out for about 30 minutes and everything seems to settle. We eventually made it to the slums safely and began work on the new medical clinic.
Thursday - Another day at the slumbase. I am getting SO excited about this project. To the normal eye, the property would probably look like a hopeless disaster. But I have this incredible vision in my head of what it could look like, and we are slowly making progress. It's a unit with 4 rooms - potentially reception, supply room, consultation, and overnight patient room. We have cleaned it like CRAZY. Tomorrow we're spackling the walls and de-bugging. I'm hoping to have it painted and maybe tiled by the end of the month or in early June.
Friday - FARM DAY! All hands were required at the farm. There is a big celebration at the farm in a week so there is a ton to get done. I macheted and weeded all day, and thanks to what my beautiful mama has taught me, I turned weeding into a kind of meditation, making the hours in the sun so much more enjoyable.
Saturday - Spent the day at the American Rec Association. The ARA is like a country club in Uganda for the embassy workers or the expat workers and their families. I hated every minute of it. It was like all the white people in all of Uganda gathered together, playing tennis, swimming, and eating cheeseburgers. Another volunteer, Robin, and I set up a table at the monthly flea market they host, hoping to sell some of the homemade necklaces our slum ladies made in order to make more money for product supply. We were really just checking it out to see if it would be a good outlet to sell things in the future.
Another great week. Shane (CLD director) said how cool it is that I've dipped my hand into every project they have going on. I couldn't agree more. I am apart of some really cool things and I continue to learn from and build relationships with these beautiful people. I noticed my perspective has changed a lot since last year - I am not as saddened by what I see. Rather than focusing on the sewage running through someone's home, or the fact that children aren't wearing shoes, I am noticing the sturdy houses, incredible family life, and empowered women with solid jobs. I am past the shock and devastation of how poor these people are, and I am able to focus on other things, which is a point I never thought I could get to. I can see hope, which is a wonderful feeling.
I'm continuing to learn what it means to LOVE HARD in Uganda. Smiling everyday and sending love to all of you.
