Another rainy season begins…

Well, it began in July (a bit early) but seeing as I rarely post in a timely fashion this belated recognition will have to do! This will be my last full rainy season in Uganda. Oh, I definitely won’t miss the mud that clings to your shoes and makes the act of wading through town feel like a particularly strenuous trip to the gym! But who would miss the reprieve from work?! It’s just not logical to move about when it’s heavily raining!

But here I am beginning at the end. Seeing as I’m not a stream of consciousness writer—I tend to lose myself in the telling and thus fail to relate important events—I’ll start at the beginning.

May:

I started the month with a surprising celebration of Cinco de Mayo. The weekend just before the holiday my friend Sarah came for a visit. On her last night at my house we made tacos and found Sangria in my town!! We were even able to have the ladies in the mini-supermarket put the Sangria in the refrigerator for us so that we enjoyed chilled Sangria! It was such an amazing and wonderful surprise to find such a great treat in my village!

In May a new Peace Corps Volunteer arrived in our district. She came just in time to keep our number steady at 3 (because Jackie left in June). Our “Kibaale Bashes” don’t add up to much more than a quiet gathering at one of our houses! Clearly, we keep our noses out of trouble!

At work we were busy making final preparations for the first set of radio programs to be aired on our local radio station. We will be presenting information about HIV/AIDS on a 30min program once a week for the next year. Every now and then I’m a guest presenter but the programs are usually presented in the local language…which I haven’t quite mastered to the point where I could present a whole show!

June:

Jackie, my friend and mentor for the past 1 ½ years, left Kibaale at the beginning of June. In preparation for her departure she had a going away party in her trading center. Jen and I were both there to see her and Ben set off for their new home just outside Kampala.

The other sad news of the month was the loss of my dog. I went for a few days to Kampala and when I returned Ursa was nowhere to be seen. When she didn’t come back after a day I started asking around as to what might have happened. I still don’t know exactly what happened but my neighbors and landlord think that someone either poisoned her or stole her and sold her. Either way, it broke my heart and things just aren’t the same without her around. On the plus side (if there is one), if she was still around I can see leaving her behind in November would have been incredibly difficult. I just hope that wherever she is she’s happy.

Work kept me from dwelling too much on my loss…I had some sad news there as well when I learned my best friend, Rachel, was soon to leave. Her mom enrolled in a nursing program to upgrade from a nursing assistant to registered nurse. At least they come to visit us once in a while. Sunday and I provided more HIV/AIDS training session for Community Health Workers and Traditional Birth Attendants who were being facilitated by a local NGO we partner with on occasion. And this radio program really makes time fly; it seems like every time I turn around we’re talking about preparing and going to record more radio programs! Plus, we doggedly pursued our goal of completing our first strategic planning process. Not easy considering Stephen, Sunday and I are constantly traveling around!

July:

This month found my group of 7 original members—plus our adopted member, Reva—thinking about what it will be like to go home. Yikes! During the 3-day conference we talked about our fears, what we’ll miss, how we’ll cope, etc. Then we reviewed our fears and aspirations from staging. (In Sept 2006!) It’s amazing how similar our fears about going home match the fears we felt before coming to Uganda. At first glance, you would think the 2 experiences—going to a place you know very little about and going home—are completely different. Yet, the same feelings arise: Will I fit in? Will people understand me? Can I cope with missing the people and places I love? Will I find the right path? Can I really do this? Well, you can see the questions go on and on!

Every new experience holds a beginning and an end. There is always some piece of sadness in leaving the old and fear in discovering what is new. Those feelings will always be there; they remind me to always try my level best to enjoy each experience as I live it. These are the thoughts that occupy me during the 12 hours of darkness when I’m holed up in my house!

Ok, now for some excitement! My friend Jen, another Peace Corps Volunteer, and I took a little trip to Rwanda. We spent 1 week going from Kigali to Gisenyi to Ruhengeri then back to Kigali. The highlights of the trip included: relaxing at Lake Kivu, a beautiful crater lake Rwanda shares with the DR Congo and a staggeringly challenging hike up Bisoke, an inactive volcano. The volcano is in the Volcanoes National Park where people go to see the Mountain Gorilla in Rwanda. Sadly, Jen and I couldn’t afford the permits so we decided to take a little walk up Bisoke (3,711m, around 12,000ft) to see a beautiful crater lake. We met some travelers from Denmark who said it was AMAZING! We thought, “Great! A little exercise couldn’t hurt, right?!” Ha! The volcano was one of the hardest hikes I’ve ever done! Ok, so I don’t have a ton of experience but the climb and descent were steep, muddy and intense! By the end, most of us weren’t sure if our legs would hold up. But what an awesome feeling! Overcoming intense fatigue and accomplishing what I set out to do made me fee incredibly good about the pain in my legs! Plus, after looking at the park statistics, I suspect I’ll be one of 900 or so people who see the lake at the top of Bisoke this year.

The other cool thing about Bisoke is that we hiked where Dian Fossey worked! For another $50 and on a different day we could have seen her grave but we didn’t have time for that. The volcano is covered in a cloud so I now understand how they came up with the title for Gorillas in the Mist. You couldn’t see much of anything just a few meters off the path we climbed! A gorilla or buffalo could have wandered out of the mist without us being able to see it until it had entered the path!

The saddest part of the time in Kigali was our trip to the genocide memorial. Such a sobering experience listening to survivors’ experiences and know that you can’t begin to comprehend the horrors they faced. The memorial was a beautifully designed tribute to the victims of the genocide. The exhibit was laid out in a circle with each section depicting different periods that contributed to the genocide, the genocide and the aftermath. The circular layout seemed to show the ever-revolving nature of time. We end where we begin and begin where we end. You can’t come to terms with tragedy and move on by ignoring the past. How can we learn from this experience, and others like it, to prevent it from happening again? Visiting such a place and reflecting on the atrocities human beings can commit against other human beings makes me wonder if humanity is truly the pinnacle of existence. It left me with a lot of think about and too much to write here or this blog post will never end!

To at least end on a happy note (blame Hollywood—I must have a happy ending)… Rwanda is rebuilding and appears to be looking toward the country’s bright future and not mired in the past. While in Rwanda, Jen and I had the chance to meet and hang out with some truly amazing travelers and expats! Every new place we went we made friends from England, Belgium, Cambodia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada and Germany. One of the best parts about traveling is the people you meet along the way!

Of course, another good part about traveling is the returning home bit. While Rwanda is a beautiful country it made me appreciate Uganda and the level of comfort I have reached here. Spending one week in Rwanda gave me a taste of just how much I’ll miss this place when I leave!

Until next time…be happy and stay safe!!

Please help!

a good friend told me, "life is busy and sometimes we forget to do the things we mean to do". So, here it goes...

I am trying to complete what is called a Peace Corps Partnership Project. My plan is to bring computers and internet to the village. I'll train the people who work and volunteer at my organization in computer and internet use and trouble -shooting techniques. From there, they will train teachers and People Living with HIV/AIDS how to use the computer and internet. It's a fairly low-budget project so I hope that the funding will come through quickly...with support from viewers like you! (Oh yes, I still remember PBS fundraise-a-thons.) This is your chance to DIRECTLY support a project in Africa that will help a community on the road to development! Helping people learn how to use technology gives them a huge step-up in applying for jobs and keeping their CBOs alive. I'm not just going to dump computers on these people; they'll actully learn how to use and maintain them so the project doesn't end before I've left.

Now, here's the kicker. I want to be home for Christmas!! I've missed the past Christmas for the past 3 years with my family in WI! (Are you crying, yet?) If the project doesn't receive funding within the next month I either have to scrap it or extend...which means I miss Christmas for the 4th year! For those of you who would have given me a present think of donating to my project instead. Being home for Christmas is all the gift I need this year! (Ok, there have to be tears by now!)

Go to www.peacecorps.gov\contribute

A little money from a lot of people will go a long way. And that's all I want for Christmas this year!

Stay well!
Christina

A request for your support

Dear family, friends and random visitors...

I am asking for your support in the last 5 months of my service. My organization and I have submitted a proposal to Peace Corps Partnership to provide internet services and computer training to local villagers. The program is expeted to eventually support itself and provide support for People Living with HIV/AIDS.

Peace Corps Partnership works like a fundraising campaign...that is why I'm asking for your help! The project has been posted on the Peace Corps website and awaits donations from friends, family and random do-gooders!

Once all the money has been raised Peace Corps will get the money to me and then I'll be able to start our project!

This is a program that my colleagues have been requesting almost the whole time I have been in Uganda. People recognize the importance of having computer skills these days but have little opportunity to gain them. Plus, a good resource centre should really provide the best and most current information for people...that requires internet!

Here's your opportunity to DIRECTLY impact the lives of villagers in Africa! Please take a moment and go to www.peacecorps.gov\contribute. Donate and spread the word!!

Request for help!

Hello friends, family, random visitors!

I am sending our this plea for your help in the last 5 months of my service. My organization and I are trying to bring better services to our resource centre and one of those ways is by bringing computers and installing internet...something sorely lacking in this area. My colleagues also are begging for computer training. With a proposal I have currently submitted to Peace Corps Partnership I can make all of these dreams come true! That is, with support from friends, family and random do-gooders!

Just log-on at www.peacecorps.gov\contribute. Search for me by my last name "Beach" and location "Uganda". You'll find a brief description of the project on their website and a place where you can easily donate. Donate...then spread the word! The more people who know about the project, the less money each person needs to contribute!

Please, take just a moment to support a good project!

Peace,
Christina

PS-later this month I hope to have an update on my life!

Where does the time go?

Wow! Good thing one of my New Year's Resolutions wasn't to update my blog once a month. Looks like I have fallen behind once again! In an effort to keep this somehow short I'll focus on the most important events of the last few months.

Feb:

Jackie and Ben had an "introduction" party to introduce his family to her parents when they came for a visit. It was really great to meet Jackie's parents (Pat and Wally) and share Jackie and Ben's celebration with them. His family organized a lot of entertainment for the party. I even had the pleasure of making a speech! With all the public speaking I do here I should never again have a problem getting up in front of people and giving an impromptu speech!

After the "introduction" ceremony a new batch of Peace Corps Trainees entered the country. Amanda and I had the pleasure of pulling out our visual aids and presenting our HIV/AIDS 101 session to the newbies. The nature of our lesson requires that we go at the beginning of their training so we met them on their 4th day in country. It's so hard to remember what it felt like to be new here. We have somehow become veterans. Now they're about to be sworn-in! Eight weeks has gone by in the blink of an eye.

March:

Of course, my birthday was the most important day of this month! I celebrated the actual day with my friend Jackie. We made chocolate cake and tried to eat my chicken but it was laying eggs so we had to modify dinner a bit but still had some great BBQ canned chicken tacos and Ben made some excellent BBQ pork! Live chickens sometimes refuse to cooperate!

That weekend I attended the wedding of a friend in the village. We missed the actual ceremony but the reception was a lot of fun. Being the only non-Ugandan in the crowd the emcee decided that I was a good object to direct his attention at; I had a song dedicated to me as we were waiting for the "bagole" (bride and groom) to arrive and then had to give a short speech once they had arrived!

The wedding forced me to push the celebration of my birthday in the village to the following weekend but that was cool because it coincided with St. Patrick's Day (one of my favorite holidays!). I invited my friends and co-workers from the village to a birthday party at KCRC (my organization). The program was as follows: speeches, eating, dancing. The speeches were basically dominated by Jackie and me. We tried to keep the speeches short because the most exciting part of the day was yet to come! I had the food catered by a local restaurant but I made the birthday cake that everyone enjoyed. Dancing turned out to be basically just Jackie and me dancing to the amusement of the Ugandans. But that's cool. These days we don't really care what we look like anymore!

That night, Jackie and Ben spent the night and we drank green beer to pre-celebrate St. Patrick's Day! (Yes! I made green beer in Uganda!) To celebrate St. Patty's Day I made a spice cake that I shaped like a clover and then covered it in green frosting. I added a little too much water to the frosting, though so it just soaked in to the cake but it was very tasty even if it didn't look exactly like I expected!

Jackie and Ben bought a puppy while at my birthday party and as a result a lost puppy came wandering around to check out the visitor. The puppy (her picture is above) that came around looked on the edge of death; she was incredibly thin, with clumps of hair missing, and eyes bulging out of her head. We gave her some food but doing so I recognized she was probably going to continue to return for more food. I was really worried that I wouldn't be prepared to take care of this poor dog because it's not as if I can run down the street to PetSmart to get food and other necessities! But I decided that I could do something small for her and continue to feed her. So now, I have a somehow dog. I named her Ursa Minor because she responded when I called her little bear! I don't let her come into the house (too many fleas) and she still spends the night at the neighbor's house with their dogs. I think we have a good arrangement because I'm gone too often and thus need her to be somehow independent. We've had our challenges (like she refuses to eat food with the deworming meds in it) but she learns fast and has a very mellow personality. One of these days I'll working on getting rid of the fleas!

Easter weekend brought the going away party for the Peace Corps Volunteers who are at the end of their service. We had a relaxing day by the pool at a local hotel and then dressed up as movie characters for dinner and dancing. It's hard to believe that after people from this group leave the PEPFAR 1 girls are going to be the next group to leave!

The end of March saw the door fall off my latrine. I spent a morning putting it back on with nails that were entirely too big! At least it's back on, though!

April:

How cool is this?! I went on my first safari this month! There's are National Park near Masindi (north-east of Kampala) called Murchison Falls; I went for a game drive, boat trip and hike to the waterfalls. It was so much fun! I'll post pictures on the Flickr account so you can click the link to the right and see all the animals we got to see. There were a lot of Uganda Kobs, hartebeests, water bucks, crocodiles and hippos. We were incredibly lucky to see lions, lots of giraffes and elephants.

The early morning game drive had us across the water and starting on the drive by 7 am. Early morning and evening are the best times to see animals moving around because those are the coolest times of the day. Animals are smart to hide in the shade during mid-day hours because it got VERY hot in the park! Only silly animals like people move around in the heat!! :)

Murchison Falls was first mapped by Sir Sam Baker on 3rd April 1864 so we were there on the 144th anniversary of his first siting of the falls! Granted Murchison is neither tall nor wide but the space is so narrow at the top of the falls that you really get a feel for the power of the water passing down the falls. When Baker first saw the falls there was only Murchison but in 1962 there was a lot of rain and the excess rain caused the water to find a new route down and that is why in the picutres you see two waterfalls. Murchison Falls is to the right and Uhuru (in Swahili means freedom) Falls is to the left. Uhuru is wider but a shorter drop than Murchison.

And that brings us up to date!

A village update!

Ok, so my last blog really didn't give any information about life at site. I guess that's because I found myself away from my village a lot during the last few months of the year. Plus, things just don't seem very exciting. When you get into a routine life seems to become fairly mundane and not worth documenting.

I'm trying my level best to help my organization stand on it's own 2 feet. That's always a bit of a challenge considering the lack of technology in our village. But somehow we manage. Stephen (my spervisor) and I usually manage to check and send e-mail once a month so we're able to stay in touch with possible funders. Plus, we have a motivated chairperson on our Board of Directors who has helped us immensly by using his access to interne to investigate funding possiblities. I have a feeling, dim as it may be, that Stephen will have the ability to keep the doors to KCRC open and continue growing even after I leave!

Not only does a lack of technology leave me a bit disconnected, it also give me hand cramps. Not so much from typing but because I have to write everything on paper first then take my handwritten copy to Kampala where I can use a computer to digitize my thoughts! =) Now, there used to be a few places in my village with compters I could type on but viruses from those computers have caused me a lot of pain before and, as they say, "once bitten, twice shy"! (BTW: when I hand wrote this update in the village the place was open but just before coming to Kampala they closed the office! Bambi!)

Issues like that impede our development but not to the point where we're stagnant. (I have lots of notebooks to prove that!) I have to constantly remind myself that it takes time to develop an organization and I think ours' is on the right track. At least, we've taken the time to tap local resources and skills; which I've tried to stress is much better than immediately looking outside for help.

We have a great opportunity to begin 2008 with a bang. A German organization called LandsAid has agreed to support our village HIV Counseling and Testing project for 3 months. This means we can reach those who can't get to Karuguuza or Kibaale For HIV testing! I hope our luck continues with a proposal to develop the Post Test Club and for us to restart our radio program

While I try to stress the importance of capacity building (one of the three Peace Corps goals) to my organization members it's hard to make the theory meaningful when you have nothing to apply it to! So, while I'm not technically at my organization to find funding that's really the first step KCRC and I have to take to ensure it becomes a sustainable organization. We're all learning, together, what it takes to build an organization from the ground up! Let me tell you, it's not easy! While this is not exactly the work I expected to be doing in Peace Corps and I am really happy with all the things I am learning!

But for all of these challenges I do see myself growing everyday. I put things off less and spend more time planning. I used to get so annoyed when things didn't happen as I wanted and now I see it was a direct result of my aversion to making decent plans in advance! Teaching people about the benefit of planning has carried over into my own life. I can honestly say...do as I do!! Who wudda thunk that would be an outcome of my Peace Corps service?! It's all just one surprise after another!

In case any of you are worried about my diet I included a couple pictures of Christmas breakfast and dinner. Jackie made cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning breakfast and we had an excellent Christmas dinner! We had chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and vegetables. It was an incredible meal! If you're curious about how we do our baking take a look at the pictures on my flick account; I posted a picture of my jiko "oven" for all to see!