I have returned from traveling near Kampala for the annual All Volunteers Conference (“All Vol”) and then a trip with PCVs Karen and Dave to their sites, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Lake Bunyoni. A separate blog post for each, posted so you can read chronologically.
This is Annie, who arrived with the November 2014 Education cohort. She was a classmate and friend of my son Clark at Westminster’s Stanley Lake High School. Her childhood dream was Peace Corps, specifically in Uganda. Annie is thriving here. Small world, Anna, a health volunteer from my cohort, met her 5th grade teacher Sandy at All Vol. Neither had seen each other since, nor knew the other was in Peace Corps.
All Uganda PCVs met from February 1-5 at the same conference center where my June 2015 cohort had supervisors workshop last August, just before swearing in It was an opportunity to renew friendships, and meet many other volunteers for the first time. We received a security briefing in anticipation of the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary election. Peace Corps has ordered us to “Stand Fast” in our home sites, no traveling, from the 15th to the 29th. Also stay away from polling places and large crowds, which is not easy for me. There are lots of opinions about the potential for violence. It’s a fascinating time here.
We had some training sessions related to “Feed the Future” which underwrote All Vol. If you were in a committee you met with your fellow members to discuss the upcoming year. I am one of two representatives elected from my cohort to a committee which I will explain in my email notification to subscribers. So far my contribution is drafting the committee’s Charter. Yuck, legal work!
In an interesting training attended by various committees, I took one of those psychological tests which identified how you form policies and how to collaborate with others who have differing approaches. No surprise, I am guided strongly by a need for empirical evidence more than any other factor.
Various PVCs provided a smorgasbord of programs of general interest. For example, I went to Becky’s program demonstrating how to make cheese, a rare and expensive commodity in Uganda. It’s incredibly easy to make some with just whole milk some vinegar, and no rennet. I’m going to try it. I also attended a presentation by an ambitious PCV named Steven who plans to stay in Uganda a few more years while he promotes an innovative approach to education. He wants to be the Steve Jobs of East Africa. You read it here first.
The evenings had social activities. I played Texas Hold-’em poker one night, getting eliminated by two “bad beats”. The last night was the annual “Prom”, this year with a disco theme. Raised on 60’s and 70’s rock, I consider disco a low point in music history, if not civilization, but whatever. I decided my lack of original outfit would be called “parental chaperone at prom”. Katie F. says I better do better next year.
Good to see my cohort again, many with mixed results getting work arranged with their orgs. It was also interesting to meet a few other older volunteers and learn about their histories and careers and how they arrived at the Peace Corps.
This is Anita from my cohort at Prom sporting the 1979 big hair look, with Ray, who made his outfit from campaign materials promoting the President of Rwanda. Everyone wanted to pose with him!
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Left to right, Katie L., Mackenzie (Happy shiny ear ring?), Kelly, and Katie F. all from my cohort
A market scene down a narrow street in Kampala, on the way to the taxi park after All Vol.
I continue to be impressed by the young volunteers. They are the cream of crop of America. They are smart, altruistic, and industrious. I am proud to serve with them. I read the other day the USA dropped 24,000 bombs on six Muslim countries in 2015. I would submit Peace Corps has been our best foreign policy, at a fraction of the cost.