A message from the Peace Corps:
55 years ago on March 1, 1961, President Kennedy established Peace Corps. In a message to Congress, Kennedy wrote that the people of these nations are “struggling for economic and social progress.” “Our own freedom,” he continued, “and the future of freedom around the world, depend, in a very real sense, on their ability to build growing and independent nations where men can live in dignity, liberated from the bonds of hunger, ignorance and poverty.”
Peace Corps continues to make a difference at home and abroad and renews its commitment to service. Over 55 years, 220,000 Volunteers have served in 141 countries where Volunteers spoke 154 languages.
“I’m zonked. What are you doing down there?”
PCV Stephanie referred me to a vet who made house calls if I paid for his transportation from Jinja. I wanted to neuter Meowri before she went into heat. After an anesthetic injection, the vet looked over the patient and informed me she was a he! I had never done an *extremely* close inspection and the vet said this is a common mistake. Since the relevant parts were on the outside, it saved me 50,000 UGx. I suppose I could have decided against it, but the fix will curb some aggressiveness and keep him closer to the compound. The vet said Meowri is small for a cat. I don’t think he was fed too well before I got him, if that has anything to do with it. The vet said Meowri would sleep until about 2 but by 12:30 he was dragging himself around like the cyborg at the end of Terminator II; if you know that scene. Then he was “walking in Italics” as Mango would say. Poor guy. Sleeping on my lap most of the afternoon.
This neutering process has demonstrated some cultural divides between Uganda and America. When I answered Adams’ question the operation was going to cost me 200,000UGx, ($65 US but 1/4 my monthly salary here) he said “There are sick people in the village who can’t afford the transport to the clinic for 10,000 UGx” That made me ponder. Am I being the rich self-indulgent American? I mentioned this to Stephanie, the PCV who referred me to the vet. Stephanie pointed out that Ugandans easily will blow at least 1 million UGx on a one night Introduction. An Introduction is a huge ritual party in which the two families of an engaged couple are introduced to each other. It’s bigger than the wedding, Everyone brings gifts. I suppose that gift part is like an American bridal shower. (One day maybe I’ll research whether there is a cultural equivalent to a Bachelor/Bachelorette party) So it’s a matter of cultural priority I suppose. It did make my vet expense less guilt-ridden. Of course there are many who can not afford either an Introduction or transport to the clinic.
To cap this discussion off, it reminded me to look at a budget Matthews had given me last month of his own daughter’s Introduction ceremony on April 7. When people want you to contribute to a wedding or an Introduction or a graduation party, they give you their budget. We are trained to say “Nkola Nacheerwa (I work as a volunteer). The Peace Corps only gives me enough to barely feed myself” Still, Matthews is my bud! He had to sell a heifer to pay for his hernia operation back in November. He had to pay for his son’s burial, followed by a bout with typhoid and as discussed below, death of a nephew. School has finally started and he had to pay fees for another daughter, which includes boarding. He is stretched bad. His Introduction budget is 2.5 million UGx. I guess we will see how it all shakes out.
Stand fast ended Sunday. Election coverage is in my email notice. I continue to be challenged getting out to villages to meet with farmer groups. Meital said, to lessen my dependence on Matthews, I can use other trainers as co-counterparts and have a boda waiver as long as I send her pictures of their licenses for the file. Unfortunately, none of the other guys are licensed. Adams said it was a big expensive deal to get one for Matthews. No matter, the annual contracts of all the trainers and Janet expired at the end of January. They were working for free during February to finalize annual reports and hope for extended funding. Williams and Janet went home to their families in Kampala, Moses and Emma are still in town. Adams hopes to get new funding for projects to have them back soon. Peace Corps has referred us to a USAID-supported funder to work with maize farmers, and that is in the works.
The funder who financed ATEFO before wants us to intensify the training for 50 out of our 148 farmer groups in Bugiri District. Clearly for these 50, the trainers will need to teach as well as collect VSLA data. I can only do a set of programs for 5 groups at a time. I told Adams I want to do more “teaching the trainers”. This intensification might not kick in until September however. While that is not good for the trainers, Matthews is on a two year contract and I’m not an expense, so we can still get out there now ourselves. It will enable me to work on our programs so I can better pass them on. These lessons aren’t really that long and they will take half the time without an interpreter.
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I am comforted by the presence of my neighbor to leave my barred windows open while I’m at work so Meowri can go in and out. Only he can fit!
Old tires provided endless amusement
On the Sunday afternoon before elections, taking a walk around town, there were a few of these percussion heavy bands banging away and having a good time
As good as a drum circle outside a Phish concert
After I put down my vinyl flooring in August, I stashed a $100 bill under a part of it. It would have paid for my whole trip last month. I thought the rag paper was indestructible! No Ugandan bank nor money exchange will take it, so I will have to send it home to be exchanged. My personal passport was also hidden on another part of the flooring. I need to make an appointment with the US Embassy to get a replacement. So stupid not to put them in baggies. I also was issued a special Peace Corps passport which is kept at headquarters. I need both passports to leave and return to Uganda.
From my permagarden a few weeks ago. Yesterday I dug up more. I share them with my neighbors
Just before I posted this, Meowri had sufficiently recovered enough to get back into the hunt, but still feeble. It kept him busy for awhile. I don’t if he succeeded. This is some kind of large cockroach kind of bug. First time I had seen one. Meowri caught a little frog in my unit Sunday. I finally had to take the skeleton away from her, I mean him.
Temps in the 90’s for the first time since I arrived. Only two short rain bursts in the month of February. Probably at least a few more weeks of dry season. The goats enjoy the shade.
Matthews was gone since before the election until today. His 34 year old nephew passed on last week. They believe it was a combination of malaria and typhoid, but they don’t really seem to know. So he finally returned today. I knew he would have a bunch of chores piled up around the office and Adams’ fields, so it was a good day to host the vet, stay home with Meowri and work on this blog.