Uganda Culture

Christmas is Coming

Author: Charles December 20, 2015

Happy Holidays to America! Here is my cohort’s Holiday Video filmed during In Service Training. I am dressed as Santa in it, so I got a bit of airtime. I took off my fake beard for my scene with a sign, and with my gaunt face and goatee, I look like the Billy Bob Thornton creepy character “Bad Santa”. Harmony coaxed a little enthusiasm out of me for the backing Christmas song by INSYNC, which will make my kids laugh because in my daughter’s teeny-bopper years, I loathed INSYNC. Anyway, enjoy!

Meowri and I are settling into a routine. In the afternoon before sundown I read on my front porch and let her run around the compound, chasing the chickens (which don’t belong to my neighbors) and running from the seven children who live next door, and are finally not terrified of her. Here is a brief chicken attack (about my limit to upload to my brother via WhatsApp). The other day my neighbor bought a nice fat hen to slaughter for dinner. I had to keep Meowri inside because the hen was anchored by a brick and couldn’t run away. I’m not sure what will happen if she catches one. Short-sighted of me I know. She seems satisfied to just scare them at this point.

Everything at my org has slowed to a crawl during the holidays. I hope to be teaching farmer groups again soon. This slowdown is pretty common among all the volunteers. I don’t mind, most of my year has been pretty frenetic. Peace Corps introduced ATEFO to another NGO looking to fund a partner to cluster maize farmer groups. They are negotiating a contract.

Starting Monday, Taxi prices will double or triple, as families go home to their villages for Christmas visits.

I did get to go to a deep village for the end of year share-out of savings of a VSLA group. They asked me to hand out the envelopes with the money. They each had to sign for their envelope, and about half of them used their fingerprint.

We are hearing about refugees in Europe, and the US taking in 10,000 of them in the next year. Uganda is an impoverished country with 37 million people the size of Oregon surrounded by countries with conflicts. As pointed out here, Uganda took in 90,000 new refugees and hosts a total refugee population of 500,000. Aruna says April will be the best time to visit his childhood camp.

So did anyone take the practice Foreign Service Exam?
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We went to a couple of more mobilization meetings for WASH. At the meetings we stress that the new water and sanitation facilities have to be maintained by the community. This is a constant problem in the third world. Sometimes people see facilities get vandalized but they don’t do anything about it because of the interpersonal relationships between the families and neighbors. Both Rotary and Peace Corps want sustaining change. Nita is from the sponsoring Ntinda Club. She stands in front of a water tank which was installed to catch water via piping off the roof. However the roof line ends below the top of the tank, rendering it useless. …Uganda!

President Museveni is bringing his campaign to Bugiri on Monday These are campaign posters of my friend Esega from Bugiri Rotary Club who is running for Parliament. I’ll have to ask him about the chair. The posters look the same for all candidates. I questioned why not something different to stand out? I’m told its because these photographs are on the ballot. I will have more to say about the elections after tomorrow, probably by special email.

I took a different way to my Rotary meeting the other day and passed by this coffin maker. Sad to see the child-size. The one on the left is the cheapest, at 50,000UGX (less than $20 US) and the fancy one next to it with glass and mirrors is $250,000UGX ($80 US).

Matthews took me to a field belonging to Adams. He has planted hundreds of sticks to allow starter vines of passion fruits to grow. In a few months he will replace with larger sticks and spread netting across the top to allow the fruits to grow on the top of the netting. He says he should be able to harvest passion fruits for 3 years once the vines are established on the sticks and netting. In between the sticks he is growing beans.

General

agriculture, Local Politics, Meowri, Uganda Culture, volunteers, VSLA groups, Water

Raining Cats But Not Dogs

Author: Charles November 17, 2015

My diabetes story got the second most reaction of all my blog posts, following only my tribute to Jan last August. I enjoy getting emails from all of you. I encourage your questions and comments. Sorry Uganda, you weren’t really in either top post.

A road on the way to work after heavy morning rains

The rains have been loud and brutal at times on the roads. Tis the season. At least my bore hole doesn’t run dry. As a I hop over the mud and water patches on the road, I think of taking a bad spill with one misstep, so I have to focus. Most of the time I’m walking with my backpack carrying my laptop. I honestly worry about breaking my laptop in a spill more than my own bones!

My Lusoga language cohort friend Becky has a nice blog. She has posted a video you should watch. Her blog is here. The video is also on YouTube here. It does a fantastic job capturing the “Flavor” of our experience. Well done Becky!

When I try to click on Becky’s video, it says that its blocked in my country (Uganda) due to copyright. Only thing I can think of is the Kinks song she uses for background music. She showed it to me during IST so my comments are from memory of one viewing two weeks ago..

You will notice a few snippets with me in them. In one, I am sort of standing there like a lump while the others sing. This was our “entertainment” segment for the town dignitaries and home stay families at the Fare Well to Home Stay party. My language cohort is performing a song I did not know called “Day Man” from the TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. I would have preferred a Ugandan folk song. Kids. I should have been more enthusiastic. I did give a good speech though, which is more my forte. It was a day mostly of speeches and eating.

One day I will upload my own video. Even with my 3G modem I can’t even send a short video by email. Becky used the free WiFi at Sol Cafe, so maybe I will try that.

As far as my work goes, it appears I will do intensive training starting with five farmer groups, presenting perhaps 4-5 programs to each, once a week at their VSLA meetings. Then we will take on five more farmer groups, while following up on the first set every month or so, to see if anything “stuck” with them. This will help me with variety, and I’ll get to know these farmers pretty intimately. I continue to want to establish four youth groups in at local Bugiri high schools. So that is what year one looks like for me.

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I went with Sharon, Hellen and Simon to admit Sharon to the Iganga Nursing and Midwifery School. It has a beautiful manicured campus and the dorm rooms look first rate. We were not allowed near the dorms. I met the Deputy Principal, who told me that 97% of their graduates find employment.

Some PCVs report that neither their office locale nor their home site are amenable to a permagarden. At IST my counterpart Matthews showed the Agri-Business cohort how to build an elevated garden and a sack garden. He did great, although we ran out of time before they could be planted. He made a special trip back to Entebbe last week to finish both of them. Hope the nuns are pleased. Matthews says people in the villages are not well versed in these gardens, so we will add them to our teaching package.

For the sack garden, use two grain sacks for durability. As you put dirt and manure into the sacks, you use a cylinder to build a column of rocks in the middle for aeration of the water.

Draw 8-10 columns down the side of the sack, and then burn 5 holes into each column with matches. Plant Japanese Onion seedlings or other types, and have up to fifty plants around the sides plus a few more on top.

Voila. This is a sack garden at my office. Trim off the green part of the onions as you need them, and this particular sack will grow for 2-3 years.

These are scratch cards you can buy from little stands everywhere. You load the numbers you uncover into your phone to buy airtime. Our Peace Corps issued “burner” phones by Nokia allow unlimited airtime to anyone else from the Peace Corps, a Closed User Group. You can also convert this airtime into internet data. You can also use your phone for “Mobile Money”, by giving money to an authorized dealer and getting it credited on your phone like a bank deposit. You can transfer mobile money to others or buy airtime with it. Most PCVs seem to avoid mobile money, but my landlord wants me to use mobile money to pay my electric bill, so I have to learn it.

Meet my new roommate, Meowi Meowseveni, named in honor of the exalted leader of the Republic of Uganda. I will just call her Meowri. . I use a basin with my carpenter’s wood chips for a litter box. I have been feeding her ground up silver fish and hard boiled eggs and whole milk. She’s about three months old. We are getting along fine. Kittens are so photogenic.

General

empowering women, garden, Meowri, Rainy Season, Teaching, training, Uganda Culture

She will, rise above

Author: Charles November 8, 2015

We finished In Service Training, spending the last week with our counterparts. Good to be home. (“Charley! You were lost!”)

My counterpart Matthews showed the Agri-Business cohort how to make an elevated garden and a sack garden. There was a great session on Climate Change as it relates to Uganda. I am backed up on things I want to blog about! I also came home to new neighbors, a seemingly large family. It doesn’t appear they speak English. The mom put up extra lines, thankfully, as we both did a ton of laundry.

Matthews and I put together a one year action plan to present to our supervisors in the Peace Corps and ATEFO. More on that when it is reviewed and approved.

Today I’ll talk about gender equality, plunge into some depressing statistics, but end on some high notes.

Gender Equality in the developing world is a major issue, which is why Peace Corps puts so much effort towards empowering women. Michelle Obama started “Let Girls Learn” which is directed at improving the educational opportunities for women throughout the developing world. I will be honest and say that my own reaction initially to all this gender stuff was that boys seemed to be getting ignored, so I would strike a balance. But the culture and evidence demonstrates a disparity. I won’t neglect the male gender which is also needy, but the imbalance has changed my attitude. I seek truth, sometimes it requires a change of mind.

Looking at women in agriculture,
• 90% of rural Ugandan women work in agriculture, and are the backbone of the rural economy.
• The UN estimates that African women contribute an average of 70% of food production, and over half of all farm-related labor.
• Women typically work much longer hours than men:
• “paid productive” and “unpaid reproductive and domestic” duties
• Women in Africa typically earn about half of men’s wages, and are more likely to be paid at a piecemeal rate.
One of the fastest and broadest ways to improve rural livelihoods is to increase women’s share of household income
• Encourage female participation in cooperatives and farmers orgs
 Economies of scale
 Building of confidence, skills, leadership, and security

An increase in a woman’s income of $10 achieves the same improvement in children’s nutrition and health as an increase in a man’s income of $110.

Notwithstanding these stark statistics, Female Farmers receive only 5% of all Agricultural Extension Services from 97 countries. Only 15% of the world’s extension agents are women. Only 10% of the total aid for agriculture, forestry, and fishing goes to women. (Many thanks to Katie J, who presented a program with her counterpart which presented the above)

I can say that ATEFO has encouraged leadership positions for women in our VSLA farmer groups. Matthews is on board with the idea of one program of our package for the farmer groups be devoted to gender. I keep thinking about how permagardens would help the women too.

Can you? 4.Money burning You know when to raise eyebrows if a product viagra professional price description tells a story of old Jeff and Leena. The pill likes cialis 5mg australia would work finest if guzzle using water. Takes the blood from the this link sildenafil pills patient’s own body and segregates the plasma, which is applied onto the roots of hair via injection using micro needles that cause little or no discomfort. Nitroglycerin, isosorbide dinitrate, nitroprusside (any “nitric oxide donor” medicines), cimetidine, canadian viagra generic erythromycin, azole antifungals (e.g., itraconazole, ketoconazole), mibefradil, rifamycins (e.g., rifampin) or high blood pressure in lungs then it’s safe otherwise it can be harmful. Now for some really brutal statistics:
HIV/AIDS is the second leading cause of death among adolescents, (trailing malaria).
66% of all new HIV infections are contracted by adolescent girls.
78% of primary pupils and 82% of secondary pupils have experienced sexual abuse in schools
58% of girls aged 15-19 have experienced physical or sexual violence
49% of girls are married by age 18
25% of girls age 15-19 have had a baby or are pregnant; compared to only 2.5% in America
45% of uneducated girls are pregnant compared to 16% with secondary educations.

Girls are traditionally taught the facts of life by an “auntie” (Ssenga), boys by an “uncle”. They are fonts of misinformation.

I have heard about the spread of HIV through the boda guys and truck drivers, but the shocking amount of sexual abuse suffered in school is the low point for me. It’s not hard to project my own children in these situations and get enraged. Schools should be safe. We get our predators in America but it is comparatively rare. And let’s not forget the abuse outside of school walls. Sadly, when parents learn about abuse to their children they are often mollified by a payment of money, and if their girl is pregnant, a marriage can be arranged.

These sessions make me think of the great work of the Blue House in Kazo Uganda, the girls orphanage supported by my sister Karen from St. Paul Minnesota. They have successfully raised funds to support their girls even at the university level. These orphan girls, clearly a vulnerable class of people, are getting protection, a more normal childhood, and a boost in life. Learn more about it here: http://www.hopemultipurpose.org/

Speaking of empowering women, this is a good spot to update everyone about Sharon, my home stay “sister” whom my Rotary Club is supporting for education. The High School did not work well for her. We did not know that “Victoria School” was Muslim. Sharon, a Catholic, was required to attend morning prayers in the mosque starting at 4 a.m., each day, plus the other calls to prayer. It was really distressing to her. Further, there was a misunderstanding about how much the funds we provided was going to cover, since it had been my intent to pay all the way to completion and they were telling me I was a year short.

So I told Sharon it would be OK to quit and we got a refund for about half the money. We looked for alternatives. She was invited to be an au pair for a Ugandan woman in Denmark (“Charles will that be close to your home in America?”) but decided against it. Then she successfully interviewed for the Iganga Nursing and Midwifery School pretty close to Simon and Hellen’s home. Only 25% of applicants were accepted. She shared that hearing about Jan’s nursing career is one of her inspirations. I really like the potential for this. Even if Sharon had completed Senior level, there would be a continuing need for University. And there are millions unemployed graduate at both levels. I have been encouraged with the potential nursing offers her for stable future employment, though nothing is guaranteed. The program is five semesters, and my Rotary Club has stepped up again to pay her fees and boarding, starting with a guaranty for the first two semesters. There was also enough to cover her initial uniform and equipment costs. My heart is so gladdened by my Club’s generosity.

The school has me listed as her guardian, and Sharon wants me to take her to her first day of school and moving in on November 16. Like when I took my own kids to college! My host family is going to host another volunteer in December. A large cohort of education volunteers arrive in Uganda on November 11, and six will be placed in my eastern region. We won’t be the new guys any longer. Further, I understand that my town of Bugiri will host the Lusoga language cohort in the near future. In a year, my “celebrity” here as the only Muzungu will be diluted, at least for a month.

General

agriculture, children, demographics, empowering women, food insecurity, host parents, Lusoga, perma-garden, training, Uganda Culture

On the Road Again

Author: Charles October 31, 2015

I took this picture from the window of this scenery on the way to Kampala. It’s like this for several miles. This must be where the stock photo on my home page came from. I have wanted to change my home page photo with one I’ve taken, but haven’t found the right one yet.

On my trip from Bugiri to In Service Training, by way of Kampala, I carried my backpack and lugged a purple suitcase. Seeing me that morning, a few people in my neighborhood asked, “Are you going back to America?” I assured them I would be back shortly. I was vague and omitted I would be gone two weeks because I don’t want the word to get out and my place robbed of course. As it is, the kids on my route are surely going to wonder. I sort of look forward to their excitement when I return.

I hated giving up my suitcase to the Taxi porter, but there really isn’t much choice. It gets tied to the roof with other stuff (including chickens sometimes) or stuffed in a compartment behind the last row of seats via the back hatch. My bag and I were transferred four times before reaching my destination. When it was on the roof, every time we hit a bump I would turn around to make sure it didn’t fall off. On the leg from Jinja to Kampala, they cinched a rope to tie down the back hatch with my bag because that rear compartment was so full. I was in the second to last row, and at one point I reached over the back row and took this picture just to confirm it was still there. Peace of mind I guess, but not much I could do if it wasn’t.
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Just before reaching the Old Taxi Park in downtown Kampala, we stopped, and a passenger removed the other bag you see in the photo. It alarmed me that the conductor didn’t go back there with him. Sure enough, a few minutes later, I saw my bag tumble to the street while we pulled away through heavy traffic. I yelled for the driver to stop, along with other passengers, and toiled my way out and ran back through the traffic. Happily, I soon saw a boda driver with my bag balanced on his handle bars. I trust he was trying to follow us. Probably should have tipped him.

I returned back to my taxi, and the conductor said “Sorry”. “Sorry” is the unemotional response Ugandans make to any misfortune- in my case it’s usually when I bump my head getting in. Last week it was the only response when I said “I thought you were picking me up for dinner, I waited for you in the rain.” “Sorry” rarely sounds sincere, it’s like the casual version of “Excuse me.” However, the conductor graciously allowed me to keep my bag next to me the last mile since now there was room for it. Still, I reflect how only a few months ago, traveling alone with taxis, navigating in crazy downtown Kampala no less, was sort of a scary process without a veteran PCV to guide us. Maybe next June I will be that PCV helping the next Agri-business cohort.

General

travel, Uganda Culture

Independence Day

Author: Charles October 15, 2015

Last Friday was Ugandan Independence Day. A large crowd gathered around a field to watch marching groups make a procession. It was followed by a soccer game between my Bugiri Rotary Club vs. some Primary School Teachers. I’d guess 2,000 people were around the field to watch. I’m sure there was a healthy curiosity about the Muzungu on the Rotary team. This is the reviewing stand

Only the Police procession carried real rifles. Everyone else had sticks.

Team introductions over loudspeakers and everything! The President of the Rotary put my name on the lineup card as “Charles Muzungu”

A team photo before our Rotary Club played. The lady behind me in green was our goal keeper, named Ford. Most names are sort of old fashioned like Agnes.

The Rotarian on the right, Egesa, is running for Parliament as an independent. He was also our best football player.

The club president Moses is on the left. I have met many men named Moses in Uganda. I had a law partner named Moses once, The Rotarian on the right, Egesa, is running for Parliament as an independent. He was also our best football player.

I played in the back defense for the first half. They only had one opportunity to score, and I looked pathetic trying to stop their onrushing forwards. Fortunately, the ball sailed over the goal. Otherwise we had the ball on their end the whole first half but couldn’t score. The teachers dominated the second half while I sat out, and won 2-0. A couple of days ago some boys in my neighborhood said they saw how badly I played. ;-).

I forgot this last week. Adams hosted a Rotary party in front of our offices on a Sunday night. We had roasted goat! Definitely need toothpicks for that meat. Power went out right when it started (for 24 hours), so we used candles.

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How about this? A coal powered iron! We have frequent power outages and my neighbor Ali borrowed it to press his shirts. My permanent press shirts look pretty good after drying on the line. I wear a few of the more wrinkly ones on weekends.

Occasionally you see kids pushing bike tires with sticks. A bygone sight in America, unless there are tire pushing video games.

Rainy season is back. I am trying to get my permagarden finished! Will post on that later. My umbrella got blown off my porch into the flooded compound.

This is a road on the way to work after a heavy rain the night before. The kid is one of two really tiny ones (1-2 years old I’m guessing) who absolutely want to get to me when I pass by. I often throw them up a bit or carry them back to their home.

This is the second kid. I try to get to their side of the road so because they don’t look when they come out.

General

Bugiri, children, Local Politics, Rainy Season, Rotary Club, Uganda Culture, Uganda food

Daily Records

Author: Charles October 7, 2015

Matthews holds the rice sack summary with me and translates. That’s Moses in the foreground checking data while I talk.

Here I am, speaking to a farmer group after their weekly VSLA meeting, about the importance of record keeping. I ask at the beginning: Who keeps records? No one does. For a Peace Corps assignment, I interviewed the heads of the three financial institutions in Bugiri. I asked their biggest problem with customers, all mentioned lack of record keeping.

I encourage the farmers to keep simple crop records in a notebook (Date of planting; Amount of inputs used; Date of harvest; How much was the yield; Additional notes about disease, drought etc.). I also show them how a cash book works (it’s similar to a check register- if you are under 30 ask your parents).

I do not want to spend the next two years speaking to 200 farmer groups about record keeping. In a staff meeting yesterday, (after clearing my talk with Adams) I explained that Peace Corps wants me to help farmers, but my job is also to help ATEFO help farmers; so my efforts are sustainable after I leave. ATEFO’s primary purpose is teaching farmers to take a more business-like approach to farming, rather than just sustenance. Record keeping is fundamental to being successful in business.

The farmers can already see how important record keeping is, since the VSLA needs a journal to record welfare and savings contributions, and loans, and each farmer has his own passbook. Extending the concept to the farm and home should be easy, and this record keeping is much simpler compared to the VSLA record keeping.

Our trainers run around to these village VSLA meetings to write down data on savings to report to our funders, and will point out any deficiencies they see in their VSLA, both laudable activities. We are helping build a culture of saving. But we are failing the farmers if they do not receive a 20-30 minute lesson on record keeping, budgeting, post-harvest handling etc.

I suggested that each trainer in the our three districts should go out with me for a talk or two, then I would go out with them to watch them give the same talk. They are seeing these groups at least once or twice a month, so throw in a talk. We get more lessons delivered to more groups this way. Their talks would be faster than mine too, without a translator.

Speaking of translating, I say five words, then Matthews (holding the rice sack with me) speaks for 60 seconds. He swears he says what I say, and the three Bugiri trainers we go out with agree Lusoga takes longer to say the same thing. It’s hard to argue, because as you know, I am no expert on Lusoga.

I can’t say whether the trainers will agree to this process, although Adams seems to, and one trainer admits I am right about ATEFO’s purpose and sees no issue with my plan. But it requires a little bit more time, as they race around collecting data. If no one is there with the trainer, how do we check that the lesson is given? Maybe randomly check with VSLA chairmen. It’s like I used to say to clients: I am paid to give you advice, it’s up to you whether to follow it.

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When middle class Americans run low on money, they often use up their retirement funds, and credit cards until they run out of credit. They hope they get that new job or their business will get better, and then they will pay it all back, only turning to bankruptcy as a last resort.

Ugandans don’t have those two ‘backstops’ let alone an ability to get a ‘fresh start’ which bankruptcy provides. They also don’t get unemployment benefits. So have a bad harvest, and the next step is food insecurity (but not if they have a permagarden!) , or eating poorly, causing stunted growth and other nutritional ailments . School fees can’t get paid either, so the children suffer in that regard too.

Meanwhile the children keep getting born….

Once while I was speaking to a farmer group, my office mate and trainer Moses went deeper into the village and bought a couple chickens to take home. He hung them on his handlebars and said he would let them get fatter before eating them. What do chickens think as they hang, going down the road? Maybe one day I will do a blog post on chicken and rooster behavior. I’ve learned a lot watching them everywhere I go.

On Saturday I got my first visit from another PCV, Vanessa. She had her home stay for language learning in Bugiri and wanted to visit her home stay family for the last time before her service as an Education volunteer ends in December. So I finally got to show off my home!

Besides introducing me to her lovely home stay family, she showed me where a pork joint is on the edge of town. Most PCVs love pork joints. The cooking was in a thatched hut with a another hut next door with tables and chairs. We got there at noon and were served at 1:30, about normal for a pork joint. We ordered two kilos. They chop and cook it up on a large plate. Very fatty with lots of little bones, but it’s pretty good. Forgot to take pictures. No one at my office knew of this place, so we will all go there some day. Except Adams, who is Muslim, so it’s his loss.

Vanessa (29) is taking the foreign service exam today (Wednesday) at Peace Corps headquarters, as she tries to figure out what to do next. She is considering Peace Corps Response, something my niece Britta did. In Response, a returned volunteer (or any American with 10 years experience in a suitable career) goes to a country for only about nine months or a year. Britta terminated early in Bolivia due to civil unrest, and then did Response in Liberia. I may want to do this too. More exotic travel on someone else’s dime. Anyway, good luck to Vanessa!

This week is slower than last week , when I visited about 10 villages and gave my talk to a few of them. Monday was primary election day for the NRM party (President Museveni’s party – the National Resistance Movement). My trainers said no one would show up for VSLA meetings. NRM has another primary on October 26 for different offices. On Tuesday we had the aforementioned staff meeting. Today, Matthews is in Jinga for some medical tests, so no riding out to villages. A chance to work on my blog. Friday is Uganda Independence Day. I will walk with the Bugiri Rotary Club in a parade of some sort, and then we are supposed to play in a soccer game against an unnamed opponent. So I’ll be getting a bit of exercise at practice this week.

General

agriculture, ATEFO (my NGO), Entreprenuership, food insecurity, Local Politics, Lusoga, Teaching, Uganda Culture, Uganda food, VSLA groups, working

Town of Plenty

Author: Charles September 20, 2015

I am going to post three today and get rid of backlog, on a Sunday afternoon. The photos below are from my town of Bugiri.

My neighbor Sharon had a baby boy while I was in Mbale last weekend. His name is Peter. He doesn’t seem to cry too much. They let me look in on him while he slept.

The electric meter for this triplex is in Sharon’s unit, and she didn’t notice we had used up our units of electricity so we were out of power for a day. I guess she was a little distracted. Ali paid for more electricity with mobile money, which is transferring airtime on his phone to load the electricity remotely. (My sister Marian will like this post) My issue is this: If you can pay the meter remotely, and it shuts you off remotely when you are out of units, why isn’t there a way to tell how much you have left remotely?

I finally met Sharon’s husband yesterday. He was given two weeks leave by the army. Normally he is stationed near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo which is on the other side of the country. There used to be frequent guerrilla activity there but if I understand him correctly, the Congo government bought the insurgents off.

I was going to take you along the route between home and office, but it didn’t come out that interesting. I also think I need to respect security concerns. A few of the pictures are on my route, some aren’t. I am not going to show the outside of my compound either.

Around the corner from my office, men build these seguries (phonetic-used for cooking with charcoal) and lock boxes. Lots of pounding and clanging. They always want me to stop and chat.

They wanted to ham it up for my camera. Hamming it up No. 1.

Hamming it up Number 2. Adults are just like the kids, loving it and laughing when I show them their pictures.

Storefronts on the main road. It’s not congested, not sure when I shot this.

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I eat lunch at this restaurant about once a week. I cut the plate of rice and beans in half and a put it a plastic tub to bring for lunch the next day.

This Pentecostal church is one of the largest mud structures I’ve seen, and very close to my home site. They sing beautiful music on Sundays. Sharon sings in the choir when she isn’t having babies.

These are boda boda drivers, stationed on the corner where I cross. They are at major intersections in every town, and always available to give you a lift anywhere you need, especially as you exit a taxi. PCVs are not supposed to use them. You can also used them to haul all kinds of crazy stuff.

These are chipati stands. I buy rolexes from them. It’s two eggs fried in oil, a couple of tomato slices, and a bit of cabbage, and onion, rolled in a tortilla-like chipati that has also been fried in oil. It is an occasional cheap lunch or breakfast. They also fry up some other breads, which you can see in the front.

Making a rolex

A bicycle repair place

A store front on a side street near my office

My neighborhood is considered urban. This is a typical mix. An uncompleted structure, piles of bricks, a hut, and a fairly recently built Islamic school on the right background.

More of the urban housing mix

I haven’t figured out where these crazy uncompleted stairs have to go

General

Bugiri, living site, Uganda Culture, Uganda food

A Friend is a Friend

Author: Charles September 20, 2015

A round up of the merchants I consider friends

On the right is Zenebra, who has a small shop, and mainly sells me fruits and vegetables. I ask for certain things in the morning on my way to the office, and she often has it for me going home. Avocados, hard boiled eggs, apples, small green oranges, different breads etc.. Because of her convenience, I don’t really go to the market that often, and therefore when I am there, I am less well known than perhaps I should be. i.e. Kids call me Muzungu there. Every town has a market, I’ll show you mine sometime.

This my seamstress Miria. She made my table cloth from dress material I liked. She also put two tucks on the sides of all my pants. I bought these pants about a week before I left too! Check out the manual sewing machine she runs by pumping with her feet.

This my seamstress Miria. She is making my table cloth from dress material I liked. She also put two tucks on the sides of all my pants. I bought these pants about a week before I left too! Check out the old timey manual sewing machine she runs by pumping with her feet.

“Zia the Businesswoman” as she likes to be called, is the proprietor (with her husband) of this salon, where I got a pretty decent haircut and a great pedicure. She sits under the canopy out front and sells me the occasional newspaper. I enjoy talking with her, but she refuses to let me take her picture. Even when I wanted to take a closer shot of the salon, she said “That is part of me”

Does overdosing cause trouble? Overdose is strictly restricted and as per medical experts, consulting a doctor in levitra generico uk case of overdose is highly essential as it is a mandate. Although, these side effects are temporary and would generic viagra 25mg go away with time. Although schools are usually on a limited budget, they are ready to afford programs supplies that reach the broad viewers. levitra purchase deeprootsmag.org You begin experiencing cialis online sale loss of hairs in the temple area.

This is my carpenter Mwondha. He invited me to his graduation party next weekend, when he receives a diploma in “Procurement and Supply Chain Management” from Busoga University. He also is saving wood shavings and sawdust for me to use as kitty litter. Yes, I am about to get a kitten, just waiting for her to be weaned.

Azed is my Lasoga language tutor. We end up BS-ing too much, but the reality is that what I need is self-study. We’ll see.

This is Justine, who owns the Highway Supermarket with her husband on the main road. Nice lady.

General

Bugiri, Entreprenuership, living site, Uganda Culture

Rearviewmirror III

Author: Charles September 20, 2015

A selection of miscellaneous shots

The “Reverse L I L brand” lives in Uganda. This was the cattle brand for my family, still used in Wyoming, I think. My dad would always put this on my baseball glove. Keeps my Jerry cans identified after I leave them for awhile before dawn.

Men and boys hold hands all the time here. Sign of friendship.

Men of all ages and women of all ages hold hands with the same sex all the time here. Sign of friendship. Men holding hands with women in public is very frowned upon.

This was taken at training. It's a style here for women to dye parts of their hair this maroon color. Just maroon. This one is a bit excessive. I haven't gotten a straight answer if this is a recent fad or not.

This was taken at training. It’s a style here for women to dye parts of their hair, or use extensions, of this maroon color. Just maroon. This one is a bit excessive. I haven’t gotten a straight answer if this is a recent fad or not.

Soccer (“Football” in Uganda of course) is huge here. They love to follow the English Premier League. These kids are looking into the bar at the game on a TV you can see inside.

This is a crowd jammed into the Sol Cafe in Iganga yesterday. The floor is divided in half to watch screens on each end. Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0

A huge snail near our dorm at Supervisor’s workshop. Easily 6 inches.

Saw this in Kampala. Driven by a safari tour.

He calls out to me every day

Neighbor ladies

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A common sight, women balancing stuff on their head.

My first Colorado pro team shirt. I assumed it would be Broncos. These kids never know the significance of their shirts. My language tutor’s six year old kid had on a Hooters t-shirt.

These kids made little pull cars out of empty plastic bottles

Goats are tethered everywhere.

Cows too sometimes. This is how many Ugandans save. They buy a cow.

It’s hard to get a candid shot. The minute they spot you or you ask permission to take their picture they want to pose. I said “show me your sweeping”. I wanted to show the brooms that are so common here. I use a more conventional one.

Butcher shops hangs carcasses out front, and I am assured this is good meat, especially if it attracts flies. L To Right, turkey, goat, and cow

Butcher shops hangs carcasses out front, and I am assured this is good meat, especially if it attracts flies. Left To Right, turkey, goat, and cow. Cars and bodas go by, kicking up dust.

This was a Revival across the street from my office. I sent my family the live rendition on Whats App.

I toured a large rice processing plant in Jinga with farmers. They get in rice that needs more drying.

General

Bugiri, children, Uganda Culture

(Amaadhi) Water

Author: Charles August 25, 2015

It’s 6 a.m.

An hour later

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I will make this one my last of the day. At first the people insisted that I go to the front of the water line to get my water “before the bore hole dries today” I was resisting this. So they said, instead of coming at the end of the line at 7 a.m., come at 6 a.m. So now I put my Jerry can(s) in line, and then come back at 7 am. Today an elder said I have to pay 2,000 shillings per month for the privilege, which is the same as everyone. Adams said that is correct and on me, since the NGO doesn’t have to provide water or electricity. Ugh. This morning the man was only letting us get 1 1/2 Jerry cans. Between washing clothes and dishes, bucket bathing, boiling or sterilizing water to drink and brew tea, it doesn’t take long to go through a Jerry can And that is just for me. Imagine the water consumption for a family. It gives fresh perspective on this precious resource. Dry season is getting here more and more. The Jerry cans are 20 liters, which is 44 lbs.

General

Dry season, health, living site, Uganda Culture, Water

Tag Archive: Uganda Culture

Christmas is Coming

Raining Cats But Not Dogs

She will, rise above

On the Road Again

Independence Day

Daily Records

Town of Plenty

A Friend is a Friend

Rearviewmirror III

(Amaadhi) Water

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