4 Oneworld in Uganda

More Photos

2010-03-01T01:18:00.000-08:00

Kibooba Primary School

2010-03-01T01:08:00.000-08:00

Lunch Time in Kibooba

2010-03-01T01:04:00.000-08:00

The Gift of Giving

2010-02-28T23:14:00.000-08:00

Where has the time gone? I am not as good at keeping up on the blog as I had hoped, so forgive me for the lengthy entries.
Wonderful things are happening with 4 Oneworld in Uganda! Last Friday the Doctors of Animal Sciences came from Makerere University to connect with Kibooba. The Department Head, Denis Mpairwe was leading the discussion and he inquired about the history of the village. I realized that many of you may not know the details of Kibooba, so let me share.
Kibooba was hit hard in the mid-1980's by war, AIDS and poverty. A conflict took place between rebel forces and government soldiers. Many citizens were slaughtered, women raped and the town was left devastated. A sickness infected many people and the families learned that the name of the disease was AIDS. The consequences of these struggles have resulted with about 90 orphans in Kibooba. An orphan in Uganda means that one has lost one or both parents. The term "complete orphan" means a child has no parents or other relatives, in which case a good Samaritan assumes guardianship.
The people in Kibooba live a simple life. There is little, if any money exchanged in the village with the majority of households struggling to feed their families. Fetching water, digging in the garden, and acquiring firewood consume the days of most individuals. The poverty is severe and paying school fees is nearly impossible. The idea of the school came about when the local counsel leaders, Harriet and Joel collaborated to support the children who would otherwise never have the opportunity for an education.
The villagers united to bake the bricks to build the school and donate their labor. In 2000 the school was erected on the sacred memorial ground and named the Kibooba Village Memorial Orphanage Care Center. Citizens contributed the little funds they had while Joel worked multiple jobs to pay for the teachers' salaries and other operating expenses. It is a primary school offering classes in nursery through fifth grade. This is a special village with an inspiring story of unity giving and hope. They have come so far and with the help of the Friends of Kibooba (Canadian non-profit), 4 Oneworld and the Doctors of Makerere University we will be able to empower the community to sustain the school.
So now I am patiently waiting for the Doctors to schedule our next meeting to begin moving forward with a plan for Kibooba. They know the background, have inspected the land and have so many ideas on how to generate income for the school. Most importantly, their plan will only succeed with the involvement of the citizens. It's not about 4 Oneworld just donating funds; it's about empowering the parents and guardians of the students to contribute their time into the various projects to help pay for their children's education. Some of the initial ideas include chickens, cows and planting vegetables for selling. By the end of the month I hope to have a plan in place for success. However, I know the wheels of progress move slowly in Africa and I am not putting the pressure of a deadline on myself.
Did I mention the beauty of this partnership with Makerere? Dr.'s Denis Mpairwe, David Mutetika and Connie Kyarisiima have all agreed to donate their expertise as their community service to Kibooba. Joel and the women's group representatives clapped when they learned of their kindness. I was fighting not to shed a tear. They felt that since the villagers, Friends of Kibooba and 4 Oneworld were all contributing their time that they would as well. Giving is contagious. Once one person gives from their heart others can not help but to return the gift. It started with Harriet and Joel and is reaching all across the world with people like you (my faithful blog followers). So whatever you do today, be sure to give. Give from your heart and watch as your kindness is multiplied.
I'll leave you with one of my favorite poems about giving.
Give by Hari Kartar Singh

Give from the Heart
Give Often
Give Much
Give All
Give Again
Keep Giving
Give To Strangers
Give To Friends
Give To Family
Give to All
Give Again
Keep Giving
Give Time
Give Money
Give of Yourself
Give All
Give Again
Keep Giving
Give Freely
Give Now
Give Joyously
Give without Thinking
Remember it is your soul that wants to give.
It is your ego that wants to own.
And when you give to others you learn this:
You need nothing for yourself.
To give is to be a child of Trust.
Trust is truth.
Truth is Divine.
To give is to heal,
To give unconditionally is to forgive entirely.
Giving demonstrates the Universe's abundance.
And, when you give, the Universe demonstrates it's abundance to you. Give
Give Now
Give Again
Keep Giving.

I know that I don't know

2010-02-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

I didn't make it down to Mbarara. It was going to be a short trip, as I had planned to leave Wednesday, spend Thursday in the field with Dr. Card and then travel back to Kampala on Friday. I needed to be back in Kibooba on Saturday to have tea with the women's group, and the transport issue just didn't allow enough time for me to make the journey. I was then asking myself, "Now what?" I do believe that for some reason I wasn't meant to go to Mbarara, but I was searching for that reason, since I started to feel a little lost as to what would be my next step.

I spoke with a friend, Tom and he mentioned that I should consult one of his agriculture professors from Makerere University, Dr. Mutetika. There's an ingenious idea that I never considered. Duh. Sometimes I think I'm so focused on one goal that I lose sight of the possibilities that are surrounding me. I had goats and Dr. Card in the forefront of my mind and didn't even think of consulting other professionals. I just needed to take a step outside of the constraints of the little box I created and open myself up to the possibilities. I realized I know that I don't know, and I need to go to the people who do know!

Dr. Mutetika specializes in animal science. He kindly agreed to meet with me the following day. To my surprise he had arranged for the Department Head, Dr. Mpairwe to meet with us as well. These two gentleman were exactly what I needed. I thought I would be asking the questions and it was quite the contrary. They asked me, "Why goats?" I told them that we investigated pigs and it seemed to costly and too risky, with not enough return. I said that I was advised that goats were a hardier animal. They inquired about the main purpose for this project, what the citizens of Kibooba were interested in pursuing, what the land situation was like in Kibooba and which livestock are the people familiar with? They told me that they would like to come to Kibooba to assess the current situation, maximize what is already in place and create a model to successful benefit the school. I was blown away by these guys. Their knowledge and their willingness to help was exactly what I needed. Their expertise was going to allow me to help Kibooba the right way. What did I do to deserve this awesome turn of events?

I was high as a kite when I left the University. I went to hop on a boda, but Dr. Mutetika advised me that I should save money and take the mutatu, which are mini vans used for public transportation. I prefer the efficiency of the boda and don't mind spending an extra dollar or two. "Approved for 14 passengers" is painted on the mutatu door, but they usually pack 'em in like sardines. I've counted up to 18 passengers (not including hand held infants), plus the conductor and driver! I squeezed in the door and as I tried to slide in over a woman I heard a rip and felt a cool breeze across my legs. The slit in my skirt had torn and was just shy of being completely inappropriate! Let's just say really short shorts would have provided more coverage. Thankfully, the slit was on the side of the skirt and if i clasped it together with my hands I wasn't showing too much skin. Again, I asked myself, "What did I do to deserve this awesome turn of events?" Funny how life is full of peaks and valleys. Moments ago I was on top of the world and now I was suffering from mild humiliation. Oh well. I got off the mutatu and caught a boda to my seamstress to have her mend my skirt and my ego.

Connecting with the professors has felt like a small victory. I do believe that we are moving somewhere. Small baby steps, but nevertheless, we are moving forward.

This Is Africa (TIA)

2010-02-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

How soon I forget where I am and the pace at which life moves. Did I mention, I consider it a snail's pace? Another day, another lesson learned. The lesson is "This is Africa." Sue, a lovely New Zealander, who I met last year in Uganda, taught me this phrase that explains why things take so long on this continent. I have been learning and relearning this lesson for many years, and today was another schooling for me.

I had planned to take a four to five hour journey down to Mbarara to hang with Dr. Card and learn more about goats. Yesterday I felt I had a stroke of luck. I was going to avoid the brutal public transport and hitch a ride with her driver in her vehicle from Kampala to Mbarara. The car was being repaired and was due to be completed on Monday. However, TIA. The car was going to be ready today, Wednesday for sure. I spoke with the driver early this morning and he informed me that it would be ready by noon. Just before noon I received a text that it would be another hour. No worries, I thought. Then around 2:00 I was told it would be 5:00. TIA. I was a bit apprehensive to have a long dark journey. Let me point out that there are no superhighways here with adequate lighting.

I had a travel companion with me, a lovely woman named Jessica. We had decided that it would be smarter to leave in early the next morning. At 6:00 the driver said he was on his way to pick me up. He finally showed at 7:00. TIA. By then Jessica and I had opted out of the evening drive and chosen to leave early the next morning. The driver said that the car needed one more repair and would definitely be ready by tomorrow at 8 or 9 am. TIA.

So this morning I packed up my life into my backpack, grabbed my camera bag that weighs nearly half of my body weight and just waited. I waited all day long. And for what, I do not know. For whatever reason I was not meant to go to Mbarara today. Another night at my beloved temporary home, the Red Chilli. TIA...

"We are moving somewhere."

2010-02-13T21:44:00.002-08:00

It has been a roller coaster of a week for me here in Uganda. My main concern early in the week was the lack of students that had shown up for school. Only 35 kids were in school the first week, but I was assured "they will come." It is common that children do not arrive for school right away, but I was deeply concerned with such a shift, since last year there were about 110 students.

I asked Steven, the head teacher to go to various households to find out why children were not in school. There were a variety of reasons that my Western mind could barely comprehend. The majority of parents/guardians had shifted their children to other schools which offer a better infrastructure. The Kibooba primary school has one large room where nursery-2nd grade are held and three other smaller rooms for 3rd-5th grade. It is a bit chaotic in the large room with each corner being occupied by a different grade. There are a handful of desks, only one textbook per grade and few learning tools. The other excuses for missing school included working in the garden to provide food, fetching firewood to sell it for food, caring for younger siblings while the parents was working, and sickness. Despite the challenges, by the end of week two there were 85 children enrolled and I am told more will come.

I met with a wonderful woman, Dr. Claire Card, who is in charge of the Veterinarians Without Borders in Uganda. She lives and teaches in Canada, but spends two months of the year here in Uganda training vet students about animals in Africa. She was exactly who I needed to speak with to learn about which livestock would be the smartest path to pursue for income generation. We spent hours together and in the end she said, "When all the animals in Africa are dead, goats will still be standing." They are resilient animals requiring low start up funds, low risk of illness and high profit. Hallelujah! This is music to my ears. I plan to meet up in a town called Mbarara to visit farms, learn more about goats and start developing a business plan for goat production.

I had a meeting with eight ladies from the women's group in the village. They all have children or granchildren attending the school, and they are the only formally organized group of citizens in Kibooba. Only a few speak English so Joel translated for me. I asked questions about their backgrounds and listened to their ideas about income generating projects. I mentioned the idea of goats to them and they seemed interested and eager to learn more. They requested training to become educated on goats. I told them that if we pursue goats, of course training would be required. I also told them that I was a volunteer for 4 Oneworld and that I am not paid for my work. I said that my main purpose was to help the children of Kibooba and empower the community. They clapped after hearing this and that just made my day. I thought it was important for them to know that this isn't a job for me, it's my service to humanity and that everyone involved with 4 Oneworld is coming from the same place of giving.

One of our board members, Niki gave me a variety of learning tools for the school. The alphabet, numbers and posters to hang on the wall, and card games. I passed out the alphabet and posters and Joel was thrilled. Steven was incredibly thankful and appreciated the valuable tools. Joel said to me, "We are moving somewhere. We are not alone." My sentiments exactly. We are moving somewhere. Slowly, but surely we are moving forward. I just need to be patient and thoughtful as we progress.

Hangin' with my peeps

2010-02-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

Here I am, finally feeling settled in Uganda. I haven't had a chance to sit down and write about everything until now. Well, untrue, I had plenty of time in the village to sit, but with no electricity blogging was out of the question.

Day one seems like an eternity ago, but I want to go back to the beginning. The entry into a foreign land is always a favorite time for me. The funny thing about Uganda is that it no longer feels to foreign. I landed late in the evening and was greeted at the airport by my friend and faithful driver, Angelo. We have a nice connection with real conversation. He took me to my home sweet home, the Red Chilli. It's a sweet hostel that caters to backpackers from around the globe. I was welcomed by the staff with hugs and smiles. I had kept in touch with some of them via email, so it was wonderful to see them. I immediately got into my western ways of getting online, charging my cell phone and hopping on skype. After getting connected I secured my favorite dorm bed, strategically placed away from the bathroom and close to a window and tried to sleep. I'm unsure what kept me tossing and turning all night long, the anti-malaria drugs or my body clock. Regardless, sleep eluded me.

Since I hardly slept a wink day two felt like day one. I was out of bed early to attend Mass at St. Kizito. I love going to listen to the children sing and being surrounded by their good energy. Just the way I want to start my Uganda 2010 experience. I arrived late, but knew I would find the perfect spot. Of course, there was Elizabeth, the beloved headmistress next to the door. Just to see her gave me a rush of happiness. She is a mentor, auntie and loved one to me. I was embraced by her and felt right at home. I then started to recognize many of the teachers and immediately saw a computer student name Innocent. He is unforgettable. I met him in 2007 and he was one of the "pioneers" of the computer literacy program, meaning he was a freshman/first year student of the 4 Oneworld computer literacy that began in 2006. It felt good to see so many familiar faces. There was no chance of me missing home at this point in time.

I spent some time at St. Kizito catching up with many teachers and taking time for tea in Elizabeth's office. The first week of school is usually rather uneventful in Uganda. Many students do not show up on the first day, but sometime during the week. There's a variety of reasons for their late arrival including lack of school fees, rain or just laziness. It's kind of like the calm before the storm, but classes aren't regular until week two. So I headed out to run some essential errands like changing money, getting air time on my cell phone, hitting the bookstore and doing one of my favorite things in Africa...riding the bodas (motorcylcles). I love the simple form of transport that leaves me feeling carefree and empowered, as we weave through traffic risking life every inch of the way. If I can negotiate a fair price, accomplish my errands and survive the boda ride, then there's nothing I can't achieve in life. Elizabeth doesn't like me to ride the bodas, as she thinks they are too dangerous. I say, "When in Rome..."

I spent the remainder of the day resting and taking care of me. I skyped loved ones, hit the market and indulged in a pedicure. Nothing better than a man scrubbing my feet and making my toes look pretty. Just what a girl needs after 24 hours of travel. It had fallen dark during my pedi, but I was only a stone's throw from the Chili, so I felt more than confident to walk. I hit a local vendor for a chapati dinner and while waiting I heard my name. I immediately questioned myself, thinking who would know me? Well, silly me. I'm the muzungu (what Ugandans call white folk) minority in the heart of town. I turned to find Elizabeth's son, Daniel! He's currently teaching at St. Kizito and it was lovely to see yet another familiar face. We enjoyed a walk in the same direction as we caught up on life. He was impressed that I was willing to "roam alone", but I reminded him that I had been coming here for long enough where I knew my way around. Just like Elizabeth-cautious and caring. I made it home safely and started to prepare for the following day in the village.

I kissed the internet goodbye as I left for Kibooba in the morning. I was already having withdraw at the thought, but I knew I could manage. I mean, come on, I left my I-phone in Michigan days earlier and I was still alive. I was leaving Kampala with a new friend...a strange rash on my arm. Hmmmmm....nothing like a rash in Africa to make your mind wander. It didn't itch, so I chose to ignore it. I made it to the village by 11 and got ready to do...nothing. Funny how a life without electricity makes one wonder how they will fill their days. I feel like if I don't have my email 24/7 then I'm not being productive. Oh, silly, silly me.

I was greeted with a surprise. Joel had arranged for me to stay with him, but he was in town when I arrived so his wife, Cissy found me. Before she did I found something else-a newborn baby! Cissy had just given birth to their fifth child, a girl only two days prior! Tiny little thing with a full head of dark hair and a set of pipes on her like a frickin' Harley Davidson. Who knew such loud cries could come from such a little creature. Anyway, Joel arrived and it was so great to see him. He is such a bright light, inspiring all he encounters with his gentle spirit and abundant love. I passed out some gifts to Joel and Cissy and then received his famous words that have given me strength throughout the last year, "Thank you for loving us." When we are in the thick of frantic fundraiser planning I go back to Joel's words of wisdom to gain strength to continue working hard for the children of Kibooba. Some days I stress myself out too much and all I have are his words of wisdom to keep me going. 4 Oneworld is giving love and in turn we are receiving love. It's a beautiful cycle that will continue as long as we all keep giving.

So the afternoon started with children coming for their lunch. They were so happy to see "Auntie Tara", as they refer to me and I too was sooo happy to see all of them. The little people have an energy that I can't quite explain. Genuine, true, uncensored. I love it. After lunch the teachers wanted to meet with me to talk. Two teachers were replaced this year, so I met the newbies and settled in on the mat on the floor to listen. In summary, the teachers were asking for funds for another teacher. 4 Oneworld currently funds 6 salaries and they are in need of another teacher to provide the students with one teacher per grade. I was taken aback by their request. Often times when the muzungu comes to town it is perceived as a bottomless well of money. I needed to clarify the situation for them. I explained by saying that 4 Oneworld doesn't want to fund any teachers' salaries, but due to the dire financial situation of the school we are needed to offer a helping hand at this time. The goal is to establish income generating projects to provide sustainable education for the future. I also told them that nobody is paid in 4 Oneworld that we are all volunteers coming to give without compensation. I watched the light bulb go off in their heads at this point. I said, just as Joel is sacrificing to help the children of his community, so is everyone at 4 Oneworld. Our meeting ended with me passing out 4 Oneworld t-shirts to everyone and smiles ensued. Sometimes a material possession can bring happiness, even if it temporary.

Joel and I went to the school so I could see the 4 Oneworld accomplishments: the awesome fence, the revamped pit latrines and the site for the garden. I also had the opportunity to finally meet Harriet, the local council leader who donated the land for the school. Last year when I visited she was quite ill and unable to meet. I felt so fortunate to be in her presence; I thought to myself, I am surrounded by greatness. She is in her 80's and a retired social worker who knew that she had to make a difference in her lifetime. Land is precious in Africa and she gave two acres to the community to be able to build the Kibooba Primary School. A lovely, selfless woman that wanted to give. WOW. Could you imagine if everyone thought like her???

I was looking forward to a peaceful sleep in the village, away from the noise of Kampala. Again, silly me. A newborn baby and a radio that didn't turn off all night long kept me awake until a few hours before sunrise. Uggghhh, this spoiled muzungu just wants some sleep.

I traveled back to Kampala this morning and spent some time at St. Kizito today and many hours of emailing and skyping loved ones. So here I am on a Friday night in Kampala emailing away. Of course, I miss everyone, but I feel so lucky to have all of my Uganda peeps. They are special people and my life is enriched because of them. Until next time....give love. xoxo, t

On my way...

2010-02-01T23:31:00.001-08:00

I'm en route to Uganda! I'm just enjoying a cappuccino in the Amsterdam airport as I prepare for the next flight to Entebbe.
People often ask if I'm excited about the trip. I get excited when I land on the ground at the final destination. Before I leave I am often operating at an insane pace as I try to tie up all loose ends before I depart. This time was no different. Thankfully, I had my dear friend by my side to help me focus whilst trying to leave the house. There's so much to think about when one is going away for two months. This will be the longest time I've been away. I've had some anxiety about leaving my business, my responsibilities and my loved ones, but I know I'm on the right path. There is 4 Oneworld work to be accomplished and I must follow my heart to Uganda. I have such a wonderful community of friends there and I can't wait to spend time with them. I've been going to Uganda for 4 Oneworld since 2005 and every time is such a rewarding experience. I am surrounded by such genuine, kind human beings and I just get to soak up all that love. 4 Oneworld is fortunate to have connected with such quality individuals in Uganda that the work doesn't feel like work. It feels life spending time with old friends. So, I've left my friends in the US and now I'm going to hang with my friends in Uganda. Life is good. Until Uganda....Peace & Love, t