Monday, September 28, 2009

Monday, September 28, 2009

 

Today was the first day I felt like I had a rhythm.  I woke up at dawn and went for a run with Maggie along Lake Victoria.  It was surreal.  All the children were on the side of the road walking to school.  They think it’s very funny that mzungus run.  As one of our students explained to me, “here exercise is a form of punishment.”  As we ran along the road they pointed at us and shouted and laughed, “mzungu!”  I still find it funny that everywhere we go and everything we do is an event here.  Maybe it will become tiring soon, but for now I think its entertaining.  Maggie didn’t seem quite so thrilled.

As I ran along the road I looked at the deeply bowing sun outlined against the distant islands on Lake Victoria.  The sun looked different at that angle - riper, redder, and hotter - as if it had been refreshed passing over the verdant plains of Africa and the vast blueness of the Indian Ocean.  I felt like I had been transported to a different universe and all the struggles I’d endured over the last couple of years faded and I found myself genuinely happy and content. 

Afterwards I stretched and relaxed on our patio.  The city was still quiet, the boda boda’s silent and the matatu’s idle.  It was peaceful and copacetic.

 

Today all the mentors all came over for our Monday morning meeting.  One of the mentors asked about the Educate! policy on dating staff members!  I think she likes me – I’m scared – ha!  I had to present to them on proper budgeting tactics for educational events Educate! is hosting.  Yay.

Afterwards we had to go through all the “sensitizations” that our students submitted.  Sensitizations are paraphernalia that highlight a social problem or solution for the masses.  I was shocked and disturbed by what I saw:

- “School burning is at a high rate”

- “Stop corruption”

- A man monster with AIDS stamped across his face, “Do you want to be free from him?  Abstain.”

- “This is happening in most places of the world today…yet it isn’t right…Lets stop child soldiers now for a brighter future!”

-  “Beware of child sacrifice.  It has become a menace to Uganda.”

- Pictures of actual children sacrifices cut up in a bag.  A picture of a beheaded woman.  These was hard to stomach.

- “The crusade against corruption in Africa.”

- “The blood of human sacrifice.”

- “Attention child sacrifice is rampant!  Take care of your children.”

The pictures of disfigured people were horrible.  They publish HARDCORE pictures of this stuff right in the newspapers…my god.  The things these people have to worry about.  Unreal.  One of the girls submitted a child sacrifice sensitization – her sister’s child was kidnapped two weeks ago and no one has seen the child since.  Just think about that for a second.  Think about having to worry if your child was the victim of a ritual sacrifice.

Afterwards we reviewed the financials of Educate!  The team spent 1,000,000 shillings on a magazine to be distributed to students.  They wanted the sales to be high enough so we wouldn’t lose money.  They’ve only sold 200,000 for an 800,000 loss.  One of the exciting parts of a non-profit - money is always tight and of paramount concern.

Afterwards one of the women in the “teacher training” class I presented at came over and asked me to help her launch a promotional company.  She’s from the UK and lives in Uganda now.  She wants her promotional company to be “London Meets Kampala” themed.  Some revenues will be donated towards Educate!  We spoke for about an hour and came up with some good ideas…hopefully it’s successful.  It was my first “real life” consulting work.  Interesting.

Afterwards I had to meet with Maggie, Emily and Angelica for 2 hours.  That brought me up to 5:00.  I missed my break dancing class!  :o(

I wouldn’t have been able to go anyways because I have to work on my NYU column today.  I’m really struggling with it though…not sure if its because its been a long, mentally draining day or I am just struggling with trying to boil down all my experiences to 1,500 words.  Sigh.

Tomorrow I travel 4 hours north to Hoima.  It will be my first African experience outside of Kampala.  Hoima is in the far west, on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.  I am excited and nervous.  Regardless, time marches forward.

 

Oh yeah, I FINALLY got my helmet today!  Its pretty sweet…bright red with racing stripes on it!  :o)