Photos

Gorillas/Safari & Closing thoughts

Well it seems like ages ago that I was in the heart of Africa and I never had the chance to blog about the last few days in Uganda. I believe I left off when I discovered the beauty of camping and their roads. We drove for thirteen hours to a town called Bwindi. Now try to imagine a lime green jeep on a poorly built roller coaster for 13 hours. That's a little like what I experience for the day. The roads over there are horribly built and the government doesn't have the money to keep them in good shape. Therefore, the potholes are like craters in the moon. It's not even comparable to the ones you see here in the States. A tiny bump in Uganda is probably around 3 feet long, 5 feet wide, and maybe 2 feet deep. Keep in mind that on my 13 hour road trip it consisted of tiny, massive, medium, and large sized potholes. However, it wasn't always a bad thing because I did get a nice back massage with the constant vibrations. In addition to all the craters, speed bumps were very popular on the roads. There were a couple of roads that we went down with a full mile of speed bumps. Our driver tried to dodge them but there is really no way to go around a speed bump, let alone a mile long road of them. During that part of our journey it was a steady up, down, drive a foot, up, down, drive a foot, and so on. Not only were the roads a shock to me but the people in each village we passed were in shock by us. Some of the reactions were very welcoming and nice but others seemed as if they were filled with hatred. No matter where I was, the kids always stared, I waved, and automatically I received a loving wave and smile back! Truthfully, when I came back home to Northbrook that was one of the things I missed the most. I wish that where ever I am, a wave can be accepted and welcomed the way the children seek a wave there. However that's really not the case in the U.S. I think I tried it a couple times and every time I got a dirty look, a confused glare, or I was just ignored. I don't understand how one culture with so little can be so loving and welcoming yet a culture with everything and anything can be so cold-hearted and unfriendly. I wouldn't be lying when I say that I think of those kids every other day and just the thought of them can put a smile on my face.

Once we arrived it was time to relax and explore a little. I took it to my advantage to look around at the horizon of trees, a secret river, and home of a very unique ecosystem. As everyone else began to get lazy, I set off on a little hike down the road. As I was walking I heard some foot steps following behind me. I looked back and there was a man probably around the age of 22 or 23. He sped up to me and engaged in a conversation. At that point, I was frightened, just because I was alone and unsure of this guys intentions. He introduced himself to me, I made up a fake name, Rose, and a fake home of Canada. He really was a sweet guy and I definitely judged him way to early. All he wanted was a friend. In a culture where being white is looked at as a higher power, he took the opportunity to learn about a place, America. A place were he'll probably never get to experience. For this guy I'm probably the closet thing he'll ever get to America. From that interaction, he taught me a very important lesson. To never be to quick in judging an unfamiliar person. Now I might try to go up to someone that isn't necessarily like me because I can see that I'm able to learn from those that are different from me.

That night was my first experience living one on one in nature. By that I mean that I've never camped before. Just looking up was an amazing feeling by itself. I was able to see a sky filled with stars and a shinning moon. After the tents were up and it was time to go to bed, I listened to all the creatures in nature. That was remarkable. I recall a monkey getting into a fight with a cat, making that cat growl, some odd insects, the trees sway to a soft breeze, and quiet chatter from the local village. From the few nights that I shared close to the ground, I then began to appreciate the beauty that everything has. For me, I can easily say that there is something magnificent within everything. Some things show off their beauty but others hide it. I know that I can observe anything and find something exquisite to look at. Camping made me appreciate what the world has to offer.

Bright and early the next day, we trekked for an animal that has around 99% of the same DNA as us humans. We hiked uphill for about an hour, taking short water breaks, in the unbearable heat. We finally got to the top of the mountain, the home of the Gorillas. Instead of there being a paved path to walk on, we entered their true habitat. I mean walking through bushes, climbing over rocks, pretty much finding a path the way the Gorillas would. Getting to the place where the Gorillas were eating and playing it took about another 20 minutes. We got pretty lucky because some days it takes anywhere from an hour to 5 hours to get to the place where the Gorillas are. On the way, there was a pile of leaves and branches so i thought it would be a solid ground to walk over. After I almost rolled down the entire mountain, I realized it was a hole covered with some wet leaves. Thankfully, my friend rescued me and we all continued on our journey to find the beautiful animals. Finally, we came to a tree were a few Gorillas were playing and eating in. The family of Gorillas that I was able to spend time with consisted of 5 or 6 Gorillas. As soon as we arrived on their territory one Gorilla, probably middle aged, came over to us and laid on the ground. He started hitting poses for us, as if he were to be a model or something. This Gorilla loved the attention, he scratched his head, wiggled around, laid on his back just waiting for our group to capture pictures of him. However after 10 minutes, a silverback Gorilla came howling through a bush over to where we were standing. Automatically the Gorilla that was modeling for us got up and went back into a surrounding tree. A silverback Gorilla is the oldest and most powerful. Therefore, all the younger Gorillas pay respect to the eldest. This is very similar to the way humans interact as well. When the silverback came pounding through the bush, he ran over to us, hit his chest, and communicated with a loud sound. Truthfully, it was pretty scary since I was in contact with a dangerous animal that was galloping toward the group. Needless to say, our trekking guides knew how to handle any situation with the Gorillas. In addition, for some reason I felt really safe in that forest. There were no complications, nothing to worry about, every sound flowed, and all living things were happy and calm. We then moved downhill to observe a hidden Gorilla eating branches of leaves. This Gorilla just sat there, enjoying his food which is a common activity in the life of a Gorilla. After spending some time with that Gorilla, we moved onto another one that was also eating. All of a sudden, I started feeling pinches and tiny itches all over my body. I look under my shirt, in my socks, in my pants, everywhere...there were ants covering my body that pinched. It was such an odd feeling because ants are so little and if you swipe them off, they don't move. The best way to get rid of them is to squeeze them and them throw the ants back into the forest.
This experience is really hard to describe since it's not like I went to a zoo and just looked around at animals. I interacted with, and spent time with the Gorillas in their home. It's actually really sad to say but these animals could be extinct soon. Considering there aren't many left in nature and with hunting playing a role too. But for me, seeing the Gorillas was such an amazing experience. Gorillas are gorgeous animals with a playful side.

The next few days I was able to see a variety of animals. Such as elephants, hippos, water buffalo, different monkeys, a bunch of birds, lions, and more. The safari was awesome. We were able to open the roof so we could get a better look at the animals. It was really neat because we drove through open land where the animals lived.
Each morning and night were unbelievably pretty sunrises/sunsets. The sky lit up like a candle on a birthday cake. The colors ranged from a deep purple to a neon orange. Just staring at the sun lifted my energy. All of those moments when I could see a rainbow of light made every worry disappear. It seemed as if everything was in sync and nothing could ever go wrong. If only that moment could last forever.

Now that I'm safely home, I'm able to look back at my experience. It boggles my brain to think of all the adventures I had, the lessons I learned, the friends I made, and the confidence I gained. Some days I wish I could go back and just stay there forever. The life the people have in Uganda is as simple as can be. Obviously those people struggle day to day but I admire the actions and events that make the Ugandans happy with a smile. They can make a game from a simple stone. We get bored after watching to much T.V. or browsing around on our computers. They look forward to school. We make up excuses to not go to school. They complain after not eating for a week. We complain when we don't have air conditioning. Our cultures are very different yet we share the same world. Now that I experienced their life for myself I'm trying to spread the knowledge.
Some people doubt that one person can make a difference. I know for a fact that that statement is false. Sofia, a girl that I met from one of the schools, changed my life. I think about her often and know that what she taught me might have been small but I'll carry it on with me forever. Now if a girl like that can make a difference in my life, I'm not sure who doesn't have the potential to. Everything begins with a step, just don't be afraid to take it. I know that my journey has just begun.

Naguru

On Sunday was a day dedicated to shopping and going to the markets! All the goods and materials there are so beautiful and unique. it's amazing to see how the products reflect on the culture.
Anyway, the last two days we volunteered at a teenage health clinic, Naguru. At Naguru, they teach people about practicing safe sex and how to do that, test for HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and other common STD's or diseases in Africa, include pills or treatment for diseases, and provide a counseling service. We were able to go into the laboratory and see how they check for each of these diseases/infections. To test for Malaria, each patient puts a tiny amount of blood onto a slide to go under a microscope. A healthy slide should just contain red blood cells and no added structures. A slide that is infected with Malaria will have small reddish/pink dots all around. If there are more dots in the slide, than that patient is severely infected and needs intense treatment, death is a high possibility. (A high number would be 10-30). A slide with not as many dots, 3-9, their treatment is simpler and the chances of surviving are more likely. To test for HIV/AIDS there are two main processes that both are using serums. The first one is a strip with blue on both sides, and two clear, tiny squares in the middle. The serum is placed at one end of the strip and it moves to the squares. If only one square changes colors, then the patient is HIV negative. On the other hand if both the squares change colors than this shows that the patient's antibodies contain HIV. Only when both squares change colors is when the next step occurs. The next test is similar to the other strip but shaped differently. Serum is also placed on this strip, and most of the time the two strips will agree with each other. That is when the patient is confirmed being HIV positive. However, there are times when the two strips don't agree and a tie breaker is used. I was told that in each given day, about 1/10 of the people tested come back HIV positive. Imagine counting every 10 cars in rush hour traffic, one of those cars would carry a person with HIV/AIDS. It's horrible to think that so many people are infected with this disease because of not taking safety precautions. I believe that if the people were more educated in how to not spread HIV/AIDS and protect themselves, then the amount of people would greatly decrease. There was an very odd poster that I've noticed all around Uganda. It says, "Married couples more likely to have HIV." Automatically, i thought that Uganda is posting false signs. I guess being raised in a country where people typically don't sleep around while they're married and in a country where HIV isn't as popular I didn't fully understand this poster. But I soon learned that it\s very common to have more than one partner here. Therefore, it either the husband or wife have HIV/AIS then it's very likely to pass it onto to another person if he/she finds another partner to sleep with. Also, married couples tend to want children and it's know that if the mother of a child has HIV/AIDS than the child will also accumulate the disease. AS you can see, this is a very big issue because if the future generation, the kids, are getting this disease too, then the number of people infected will never decrease. One more interesting thing, is that the Ugandan government has somehow tried to cover their numbers on infected people so that outside nations will see an improvement and want to build more schools, roads, sewers, etc.
So as a group on this trip, we were introduced to another type of volunteering. It wasn't all fun and games the last two days, we did the "dirty" work. What we had to do was separate pills. The staff is so overworked at Naguru that they generally don't have time to do this. However, it was a job that's been needing to get done for over a month. The reason it's so important is because when the staff are handing out pills to the patients, the line is super long, because it takes about 1-2 minutes to separate the pills per bag. Imagine trying to grade school papers every week, but you never get around to it. Then the pile keeps growing and growing, which takes forever to finish grading them all. So, we were happy to help and finish about 3 months worth of pill supply. What we had to do was count out a certain number of pills and place them in a bag. For example, there are a total of 1,000 pills in each container and we would have to pick 30 and then place it in a bag. It's definitely not the best job to be doing but it's one that benefits Naguru in a huge way.
The other main project that we did at Naguru was cleaning off a tent. It was filled with mud, dirt, and trash. It looked like a shirt that someone attempted to tye-dye, but ended up missing to many colors and ending in a dark brown. Or another example of what it looked like was after someone goes ATVing through mud, water, and dust, their entire body is covered with dirt. Anyway, to clean this tent we used some water, buckets, and brushes. It was not an easy thing to do, since all the dirt had been sitting there for probably a month. So, with all of our might and strength we scrubbed the tent. We poured some water on it, scrubbed some more, added some soap, and it looked pretty clean. Out of nowhere the water supply just turned off. This is was the challenging part, when you have to get rid of dirt with no other resources. We used the water supply that was on the tent already and had to go from there. We definitely could have finished the entire thing in a little over an hour, but because of our limited resources, it took 3 hours! It was so difficult, in the heat, washing up against the mud, and trying to rub-a-dub-dub. It really was a challenging task since the brooms kept breaking, the hose kept breaking, and the water continued to not work. But when we used the resources we had, we were able to finish the job!

One thing that I forgot to mention when we were volunteering with PEDN, there were some cases where the girls were left behind and not being treated equally. We were playing a soccer game, and of course as usual the boys were hogging the ball and not passing to the girls. So I took charge and started encouraging the men to pass the girls. The refused, nobody listened, and just ignored me completely. It didn't bother me that they weren't listening, but the fact that the boys thought they had more power over ALL of the girls on the field. Now don't get me wrong, the girls weren't as active but that was mainly because they knew they would never touch the ball. From that, I just got so mad that they the boys thought they were better than the girls. The only thing that sets us apart is our sexuality. Coming from a place were equality is taught and practiced, I literally could not handle watching the girls get thrown around like a dish rag. I then went over to a couple of the girls and ask them if they get treated fairly and equally compared to the boys. They said that it's not fair that the boys get more rights than them. They think that they should all be equal and given the same opportunities. I could tell that the way they said it, was one of the first times they spoke up. It's a harsh subject here because the thought of everyone being the same isn't accepted in all places. To change this, we came into a circle and talked about giving everyone an opportunity to touch the ball. We made a new rule that said for every time a boy touches the boy, a girl also has to touch the ball before another boy can get it. The girls were elated and the guys I think were more shocked. It's little steps like this that are able to make a difference!

The next few days, we're going camping so I might not post for a couple days! I'm going to trek for Gorillas and go on a safari:)

Dwelling Places

This morning we had to do some recovering from the Nile. So we got a couple hours to sleep in! However once we caught up on some sleep we were off to another place to volunteer. It's called Dwelling Places. Their main mission is to rescue children from the street, rehabilitate them, give the kids an education, teach them the necessities for living a sustainable life, and relocate the child's family. The kids range anywhere from a couple years to 18 years old. This organization believes that every child should have an opportunity to grow up with the security of a family and in a loving lifestyle. However when I heard that I questioned the statement. Last year I volunteered with an organization in Israel,Elem, who also saves kids from living on the streets. I learned that most of the time the kids are on the out on their own because their home was more dangerous than the street. Each of the kids situations differed but some may have been sexually abused, beaten, or somehow treated poorly. On the other hand it might have been because the family was unable to bring in enough money to buy food, water, etc. No matter the situation, once a child is exposed to street life it completely changes his/her view on the world and it also challenges them to make life changing decisions. Therefore, when I heard a representative from Dwelling Places say that 90% of the children saved go back to their original home I could only wonder if those children would runaway again or if their parents would continue to harass them.
On a happier note, we went to the center where the kids live and spend most of their time. As soon as we pulled up, all of the children started to scream, jump up for joy, instantly smiled, and said hello 50 times. I'm not sure how often these kids get visitors but it was an amazing feeling to be welcomed into a place like that. I felt like a new born puppy who everyone wants to see, pet, and play with. The moment I stepped out of the car, I had little kids grabbing onto my legs, girls holding my hand, and laughter poking out of every corner. At first I introduced myself to all the kids and they all repeat, "Jes-sica?" Then I got pulled away and asked to play net ball. It's the same thing as basketball minus the dribbling. We quickly divided into teams, in about 10 second, and the game was on! This version was definitely not as intense as my basketball games in gyms. There was something very interesting I observed when we were all playing net ball. Not one person was excluded, everyone shared and passed, and it was more for fun than competition or the satisfaction of winning. I don't even think we kept score at all. In my opinion, I think this is a good model for showing the difference between greed and generosity. America has the reputation of greed worldwide, whether this be true or not, it's still something constantly talked about around the globe. For example, look at the amount of food we consume compared to any other country in the world, or the amount of gas/oil we use, or the amount of consumer goods we import. =These number continue to grow and grow. Compared to any other nation, America tends to consume the most. yet, our population isn't the largest in the world. For instance, China or India both have an enormous population but use less than America. It's shocking to think about this information just by comparing a basketball game from Uganda to America.
I then walked around a little, and found a girl sitting all alone struggling to figure out a crossword puzzle. I sat by her side and asked if she needed some help. She didn't even respond, but I could see that in the back of her eyes she was desperate for some attention. So I proceeded on and asked her if she wanted to talk or if she just wanted some help. Her response was, "I've been staring at this paper for quite some time and I still haven't figured out what to do with it." I explained what a crossword meant and how to do it. Together we began by reading the questions. I soon realized that all the questions had to do with Jesus, God, and sinning. My religion didn't matter that point whether I'm Christian or not, you just got to go with the flow. It's funny, because when we left I told the other kids in my group what I did and they all gave me a funny look. In my head, I was thinking if I couldn't accept this girl for who she is, she wouldn't have learned today. Plus, if she didn't accept me for my background, I would of have had some difficulties teaching her about crosswords and answering different questions. This thought sparked another topic, that people tend to automatically judge a person even before getting to them. For me it wasn't about what she believes in or what she was wearing, the main thing was that I was able to teach her something new. After we completed the entire puzzle, she thanked me and said that she's been wondering how to solve it for a long time. A smile appeared and from that small moment I saw her gain more trust in herself because she was able to accomplish something special to her. This was a shared feeling because it's truly significant to watch someone grow a little baby step in just 20 minutes.

Rafting the Nile

Today was a journey throughout the famous Nile River. The car ride down was about 1 hour, not to bad, a little bumpy along the way considering the massive pot holes in the road. But all in all a smooth ride compared to the adventure in the river. In my group was three other people from our group and three other people from the States. When we first got into the raft, our guide for the day, Tu-Tu (spelling might be off), started to explain the safety procedures. It was all very simple like rowing, tipping, and swimming to a kayak. Anyways after that was done we went down our first rapid. I believe it was a level one. Honestly, it was a nice massage, a smooth yet fast pathway to the next rapid. In the distance I could see construction sites where a new dam will be built which is funded by the World Bank. Throughout the last few days I have noticed a lot of Japanese influence. There are Japanese auto shops, Japanese flags, and Japanese posters all over Uganda. Recently new oil resources were discovered here in Uganda and so I think that Japan has taken a step in developing Uganda to eventually get into the oil source. Japan has already started to build schools, fix some roads, etc. This shows that the Japanese are taking an approach to do the good first in order to cover up for the bad. Back to the dam that I saw being built is one representation of how the Japanese are influencing Uganda. Te World Bank is saying that this dam will bring in a flow of money, but as seen with other dams it might be prosperous for 20 years, but then after 20 years the money rolls backwards. Just seeing all the equipment on the side of the Nile is devastating because it's completely ruining the wildlife there and will also ultimately destroy the two main rapids (level 3 and 5) that I went down today. It will be forever gone. To be honest, I'm one of the last few people who had the opportunity to raft down those precious rapids. It's a horrible thing to grasp my mind around because once this dam is in place, there is no way of turning back time or rebuilding the rapids.
However since I was very lucky to be go into the rapids today I lived it up! Truthfully experiencing these rapids is so hard to put into words because my facial expressions and the way my body felt was priceless. But I'll try my best to explain it. The rapid we were able to flip on was a level three. Tu-Tu gave us the option to flip or not, but of course I wanted to take up the challenge! So we paddled forward, harder and harder until the rapid just took our boat it. We dipped down and then all of a sudden out of nowhere a big tsunami looking wave comes crashing into the boat. The next thing I know I;m twirling underwater, holding onto my paddle, searching around for the boat. People might say it seems like you're fighting for your life, but that's not really true. Yes, it takes you under quite hard and it's difficult to stay calm but because of the life jacket and the flow of the water, you almost instantly pop right back up. it's almost like a Snapple top to a drink, you push down and it bends but when you let go it automatically comes up. However, I'm definitely not saying I wasn't scared nor swimming for my life, because I was. Just the feeling of a sumo-wrestler type strength of wave pushing me is frightening. anyways, somehow I ended up right by the boat, I grabbed onto the rope by a couple other members but with the currents pushing in every direction possible it was hard to hold on, plus keep in mind the boat was wrong side up. Once Tu-Tu was able to get the boat turned onto the right side, the current pushed me probably a quarter of a mile down. So i had to swim against the current. This felt like running to a person whose hand is pressing against his/her forehead. Meaning that I got almost nowhere. The boat eventually was able to pick me up and I arrived safely in my seat, pumped up and ready to take on the next monster rapid...a class 5!
The last rapid we went on was probably one of the more dangerous ones, but that one will also disappear when the dam goes in. Tu-Tu was very serious about this one, he told us we should try not to tip because there are many rocks near by, yet 60% of the rafts do flip on this rapid. He gave us 4 different options to find safety. The way he described the rapid and the sound it made was terrifying itself. It was like a witch cooking her spell in a huge pot. As we paddled closer, I noticed some mist. That was when my head was not prepared for the wave that I was about to experience. But we continued on, me scared or not, paddled harder and harder, coming to a a cliff of water. It was like when you're coming up to the top of a hill and you know something is at the bottom, but until you go over the hill you can't find out what's there; it was exactly like that! We came to this hill of water, paddling my little heart out and just like the peak of a roller coaster, our raft flew down that rapid. Tu-Tu called the down position, and in literally 3 second I see an storm of water. It had a mind of it's own. It was like looking at the tallest building in the world and watching it coming over you. So that wave of water came down, the boat was filled and I was under water, gripping the rope for my dear life. But then out of the blue as you would think it'd be over, another massive wave came toppling over us. This time I was like oh no, I'm definitely falling out. Its terrifying to watch something zoom over you with no control at all! The second wave was like Mount Everest. It had the same effect on the boat and I was just stuck in a pickle. My hands were shaking, my body was twitching, but all I could say was, "Wow. That was amazing, so when can I do this again?" The feeling you get from flying into those rapids gave me such a thrill. It's risky like bungee jumping but the after moment is simply wonderful.

I felt one with nature. Let me tell you, it was a feeling I have never felt before!

PEDN volunteer days (June 15-17)

Yesterday morning was the first day where we went into different schools and worked with the children. The first set of kids we interacted with was 30 kids from about 14-20 years old. We started by stating our name, where we're from, and our hobbies. After we completed a round, they were all very curious to hear about where each of our group members live. For most of them, I'm the closest they'll ever get to America and a big city like Chicago. So for them it's like opening a whole new world in their mind. Then the students showed us one of their projects that they do. One of the main projects is making brown paper bags. Like the ones that you carry a lunch in. Personally for me, I never saw a day where I would have the opportunity to make this type of bad. It's surprisingly very sturdy! All it takes is simple folding and a finger print of glue. So, one of the girls I was sitting next to, Sofia, was almost a professional bag maker. A good majority of the other students would come up to her and ask for help. So I felt honored to be sitting next to the queen b bag maker! Truthfully, it was very challenging at first because it was a foreign idea and a completely new process for me. However, with the help of Sofia she encouraged me to finish, showed me the correct way, and allowed me to finish. For some reason, here in Africa I've had a new sort of feeling that runs throughout my body. It kind of seems like a nervousness or like having butterflies in my stomach. I feel that at certain points I've gotten this feeling because I was placed in an unknown environment with some uncertain tensions. Luckily for me, I saw that as an opportunity to grow and mature.
Not only did we make paper bags, but I asked the three girls sitting by me if they like to dance. Of course they said yes since dancing is a big part in Ugandan culture. So, we went outside and I showed them one of my poms routines. In their eyes I saw confusion, happiness, and motivation. Once I finished, the girls wanted to show me their dance moves! Let me tell you, it is one difficult style to master. It requires hips, confidence, and flow. My body just doesn't move as easily and smoothly as theirs!
The girls were so grateful to do a little culture exchange. Instantly I saw their eyes get brighter and a smile appear! When it was time to go, we said good-bye, but almost all of the children ran up to us and asked for our e-mail. I felt famous, like having a paparazzi following me. Except substitute the camera and flashes for pen and paper. No matter if the kids could send us an e-mail or not I think that it was more special to have that piece of paper from an outsider. It would be like having a signed baseball from your favorite player.
As I was making my way out, the last hug I gave out was to Sofia. She said to me, "Thank you so much! I appreciate your visit. Safe travels." Those three sentences meant so much to me, even though in America they might mean as little as half a penny. In my opinion for Sofia to say that to me was like exploring the moon. I think this was because I saw her glowing and more confident from when I first met her, maybe an hour before. It's amazing to see that just by sharing something with someone and accepting them for who they are, friendships are made and trust is built.

In the afternoon we went to another school, but this time with younger kids 8-14 years old. AS soon as we walked into the room, the kids stood up and and all said welcome. We split up into two different group, one music and one soccer. I was leading one of the music groups and we began with stating our names, age, and then I explained about Chicago. Pretty much bringing the outside world into Uganda. We then moved into making a human knot. This is where everyone grabs hands with someone across from then thus creating a big knot. The purpose is to untangle and end up in a circle. The kids love this because it challenges them, after some good teamwork, it was a success! The next game was to "make it rain." This is when one person leads in the center of a circle and does an action having everyone else following. It begins with a soft drizzle by sliding your hands back and forth, into a loud drizzle by snapping, moving into full on rain with clapping, adding some thunder by slapping your thighs, and a huge thunderstorm by going crazy!! Personally, I got really into it and went insane. I found that the more engaged I was with the kids, the more smiles, fun, and laughter they were sharing. As a result, I continues to raise my energy, I let my little kid shine through! I then asked the kids if they wanted to teach me a song, it's very simple. It goes like this: I got a ball, I put the ball here (pick a place on the body), and now i feel better, oh I feel better. We went around in a circle so everyone got an opportunity to "get the ball." Right after, it was almost time top say good-bye so we ended with a talk on creativity to relate it back to the music games we played. We started by asking the question, what does it mean to be creative? No one answered. WE then re-worded it to, do you like to use your imagination? All their hands sprouted up so the kids as a team described what using your imagination means. We concluded by saying that when someone uses their imagination, creativity will come too, making their dreams easier to achieve.

Today we went to another two schools. This morning we visited a school that works closely with the newspaper program for PEDN. To begin the class shared a poem about the world, newspaper, Uganda, and learning. Their main message was saying how grateful they are for having an opportunity to read the newspaper and learn about different events occurring in the world. Getting a newspaper every Monday is like waiting a whole week for your favorite T.V. show each week. However, when we get a daily newspaper I doubt that any of us take it granted. Needless to say half of us might even use it for bonfire materials. It's shocking to see how much more items are appreciated here in Uganda compared to America. Take food for instance, most people waste food without thinking anything of it. On the other hand, most of the people here are just grateful for each meal given to them and they'll eat every last scrap. It hurts to watch people suffer here with little food while knowing that back home tons of food are going into the garbage.


...to be continued

The next school we went to, was one that involved some challenges. While working here the schedule is constantly changing and so we thought that we would have a smaller group of kids, not 100! Therefore, we had to split up into two different groups. My group had about 60 kids in it, we were outside, and in the humid hot air.
personally for me, it was difficult to lead with as much enthusiasm as usual because of the heat and the constant need for energy. However, I looked at the challenges more as an obstacle to success. Immediately I knew the kids would want to have high energy, engage, and laugh so I took initiative and decided to play some simple games that I learned in theater. After that the students seemed to be getting lost in boredom but trust me it was hard to come up with an active idea to keep the momentum flowing. Luckily a light bulb turned on and I began to lead this chant that I do at camp called a lion hunt. It's where one person says the line and the group follows. Typically at camp it's a very calm game but I made some minor adjustments to make it more creative and engaging. I think that was one of my growing points, being able to determine the challenge and then being able to work around those difficulties. The lat game we played with the children was "Simon says", it's one of the simplest games to play because the kids love to follow us and it gets them actively involved.

And so the last day of volunteering has come. At both of the schools we played similar games to the days before. But one addition was that as we went around in a circle and stated our name, age, I also asked the kids to tell me their dreams or goals in life. Some examples of what the kids said were to be a lawyer, doctor, soldier, move to America, or a teacher. I applaud the students for not giving up and always looking on the bright side. It must be difficult to see white privileged kids come into their local environment and try to take over for a few hours. But I know that we're also seen as a figure of hope. Seen through my own observations, I've come to the conclusion that teachers, parents, or adults never ask the kids what they want in life. It's definitely not the topic of the day for anyone here, but it's a great opportunity for them to be able to express their inner thoughts.
Another observation that I've seen through this process is that the more open, lively, and free I was the more responsive the kids were. One thing that occurred was when all the children came around me, tugging on my clothes, holding my hand, running up to me and grasping my leg, just so they could be apart of my group. Once we where in a smaller group together, I asked the kids if they wanted to teach me a song. Surprisingly, it was one that I already knew! It's called JIGALO. However the kids new a different version and so the teacher asked me to clarify it and teach the real version. It's odd to see how simple games get translated across the entire world. At then end of each session, we all get into a big circle and run into the middle for one last big hug.Those are one of the best moments that the entire group encounters because we're all connected and the trust formed comes together at once. This is the true reason why I love what I do here because I'm able to put a smile on their face, even if they're having a horrible day. Plus the small things like sharing their dreams or learning a new game is something spectacular to them.

Tomorrow I'll be rafting the Nile!:)

PEDN and orphanage

Today was the first day that I began volunteering. We had a orientation with a non-profit, PEDN or Private Education Development Network. They have three main programs. The first one has to do with youth 1-18 years and it's club based activities. This program takes a full year and reaches out to about 2,000 kids. The activities that this program does is mixing different schools, having a conference where the children are able to share their ideas, and they encourage kids to come up with projects like tree planting, teaching other kids, or candle making. The next program that PEDN runs is one that works with exposing the children to literature and reading about global events. The teachers will bring in a newspaper that the students can keep every Monday. This is essential because Uganda doesn't have a reading culture and the children are then able to learn English and learn to read. The teachers are then trained to teach in the classroom through the use of the newspapers. Instead of a textbook, the teachers can substitute it out for the updated newspaper. This program takes about eight weeks to complete and by the end the kids get a better understanding of themselves since they know about others. Knowledge brings confidence. The last program is one that teaches the students about rights, responsibility, saving, and spending. It's a program that plans for the furture. The teachers encourage the kids to put the money into a piggy bank, which is locked, and needs permission to be opened. This helps track the amount, because if a kid came in with an overdose of money one might think that the child stole it from another person, which is not something the teachers want to be supporting. This program is for kids 6-14 years and by the end they will know who they are then being able to know their resources. Fun fact: to open a bank account here it's less than 50 schillings (Ugandan currency) which is about 20 cents in America.

Using that knowledge about PEDN, I was able to start deciding what my volunteer work would consist of. As a group, we started by listing core values. A few of the main ones are self-awareness, teamwork, making opportunities, using resources well, and individuality. So, for the time together with the kids that we'll be volunteering with we wanted to add that value into the fun and teaching. The one that I'll be starting with is music teaching through team-work. The start of our volunteering will be getting to know each other or a couple ice-breakers. Then we're going to talk and exchange views, hobbies, goals, etc. next will be some music games and sharing cultural songs/dances. Lastly, we're going to end with a game like a machine builder where someone makes a beat/rhythm and then the rest of the group adds on to make one big song. Finally, we'll say our good-byes and get into a group hug. This is our plan for tomorrow, and from this we'll be able to see what works and what doesn't. Therefore, being able to change the program to make it work efficiently.

After lunch, we made our way an orphanage home. Right away, the kids grabbed onto my legs, greeting me with a huge smile, and immediately wanted to play. There was one little boy was literally to my side. Everywhere I went, he followed, he called me "mommy", and wanted to hold my hand. I did this thing with him, where he crawled up my legs then flipped out of it. After that first time, it was constant flipping. But not going to lie, it was awesome, the smile I put on his face is unforgettable and heart-warming! In addition to the flipping, he was one of the only kids who was able to talk a little English. He took me into this room where the kids learn, and he began singing songs in English, he counted, and then asked me to read him a story. It's so different to see that children are enthusiastic about education. In the United States, very rarely do I see my friends let alone any kid be excited to go into school or any class that requires knowledge or brain power. It's amazing to witness children who really appreciate the meaning of learning.

Soon after the orphanage, we went out to dinner with a local YPOer who has lived in Uganda her entire life. She goes to an international school which is actually still in session. She told me that for fun she goes to watch motor cross, goes clubbing, and other stuff. It was very interesting to see how similar and different America and Uganda is.

One last thing, today as we were driving, we passed a police base. It's very typical for policeman to be carrying a gun (a very large gun). But anyway as we were stuck in some bad traffic, meaning not moving one inch for 10-15 minutes, I was looking out the window. One of the boys in the front seat was also observing the settings and we both happened to lay our eyes on the same guy. I just saw the intensity in his eyes, but the boy in front of me tried capturing a picture. The policeman did not move his eyes from our van. Truthfully, his eyes were like lasers that went through me. So all of sudden, the policeman points right at us, gives off a smirk, and at that moment my heart staring racing. The policeman lowered his finger while placing the other hand on the gun. Right after, the policeman began to laugh with some of his friends near by, I guess to him it was a joke but to me it was a huge cultural exchange. I found out later that it's quite common for people to be carrying guns, since most people sell their products on the street and there are always people walking. The guns are just there to maintain safety. It's very rare for a policeman to shoot, but when necessary it's allowed. In conclusion, it was just one of those moments that threw me off guard.