I promise, that post about transportaion in Africa is coming... but for now, here you go.
It is a challenge to find time to come to the internet cafe (p.s. -- not really a cafe, more like hole in the wall). I feel badly for that, because I would love to stay more in touch with you all, but afterall, I will be home faster than we all think. Time goes by very quickly here, mostly because we are busy with projects all day, but that is also a blessing.
Speaking of projects, let me update you a little bit on some of the work going on here in Lugazi. Last time, I wrote I don't think I had been made aware of this yet, but Every volunteer is made a lead over certain projects. This last week, assignments were made and I was made lead over Orphanages (perfect) and PWDs - or person's with dissabilties (also perfect). That is not to say that I spend all of my time on these projects, but I am in charge of making sure that work gets done in these two particular areas. The orphanges I love. We are currently working with one Orphange here in Lugazi and another a couple of kilometers away in a town called Mbiku. The one here in Lugazi is called Capstone. The kids here are so great and very loving. They will take all the attention they can get! This last Tuesday, we took our projector and laptop over to the orphanage and showed the kids the movie Cars. They LOVED it. They understand English surprisingly well and for all of them, it was the first time to see a movie. I took plenty of pictures, but I cannot post them until I am back in America. The next day, we were invited back to play soccer with all of the kids. They schooled us and once again reminded us Americans that soccer is not our sport. This week, we are going back to the orphanage tomorrow to paint and do other service oriented activities for the physical building itself with the kids help and later on this week, my program will get introduced at this orphan home. We have invited secondary (high school level) students to come with us to volunteer at the orphanage to help us with arts and crafts and to assign them each an orphan child to be a big sister or brother too. I am very excited to see it begin. The other orphanage is quite a bit smaller. It is also further away, so more difficult to work in, but we are trying to build a chicken coup and provide this orphanage with hens and roosters. Hopefully, this will provide them with some responsibility, food, and a source of income to provide some other things they need. PWDs is a different project. Every thursday, our team meets with the Mothers of these children with disabilities. In these meetings, some volunteers play with the children while others discuss ways to handle children with disabilities and ways to bring in income so that they mothers can provide the medical help their children need. On the other days of the week, a companionship of volunteers goes and makes home visits to each of these children and follows up on the things discussed in the meetings, goes through exercises and stretches with these children to make their disabilities stronger and discuss goals that can be reached. These children all work towards making their disability stronger through these exercises and if they reach the goals we set with them continually, we provide things to aid them such as crutches, wheel chairs, beds pans and mattresses as as reward for hard work...things they could never afford on their own. So that is always fun, plus the kids are amazingly funny, energetic, good spirited. I love them.
It is a challenge to find time to come to the internet cafe (p.s. -- not really a cafe, more like hole in the wall). I feel badly for that, because I would love to stay more in touch with you all, but afterall, I will be home faster than we all think. Time goes by very quickly here, mostly because we are busy with projects all day, but that is also a blessing.
Speaking of projects, let me update you a little bit on some of the work going on here in Lugazi. Last time, I wrote I don't think I had been made aware of this yet, but Every volunteer is made a lead over certain projects. This last week, assignments were made and I was made lead over Orphanages (perfect) and PWDs - or person's with dissabilties (also perfect). That is not to say that I spend all of my time on these projects, but I am in charge of making sure that work gets done in these two particular areas. The orphanges I love. We are currently working with one Orphange here in Lugazi and another a couple of kilometers away in a town called Mbiku. The one here in Lugazi is called Capstone. The kids here are so great and very loving. They will take all the attention they can get! This last Tuesday, we took our projector and laptop over to the orphanage and showed the kids the movie Cars. They LOVED it. They understand English surprisingly well and for all of them, it was the first time to see a movie. I took plenty of pictures, but I cannot post them until I am back in America. The next day, we were invited back to play soccer with all of the kids. They schooled us and once again reminded us Americans that soccer is not our sport. This week, we are going back to the orphanage tomorrow to paint and do other service oriented activities for the physical building itself with the kids help and later on this week, my program will get introduced at this orphan home. We have invited secondary (high school level) students to come with us to volunteer at the orphanage to help us with arts and crafts and to assign them each an orphan child to be a big sister or brother too. I am very excited to see it begin. The other orphanage is quite a bit smaller. It is also further away, so more difficult to work in, but we are trying to build a chicken coup and provide this orphanage with hens and roosters. Hopefully, this will provide them with some responsibility, food, and a source of income to provide some other things they need. PWDs is a different project. Every thursday, our team meets with the Mothers of these children with disabilities. In these meetings, some volunteers play with the children while others discuss ways to handle children with disabilities and ways to bring in income so that they mothers can provide the medical help their children need. On the other days of the week, a companionship of volunteers goes and makes home visits to each of these children and follows up on the things discussed in the meetings, goes through exercises and stretches with these children to make their disabilities stronger and discuss goals that can be reached. These children all work towards making their disability stronger through these exercises and if they reach the goals we set with them continually, we provide things to aid them such as crutches, wheel chairs, beds pans and mattresses as as reward for hard work...things they could never afford on their own. So that is always fun, plus the kids are amazingly funny, energetic, good spirited. I love them.
Other projects I worked on this week include but are not limited to more adobe stoves and the construction of a new school room for Ssanyu Primary school. Later on this week, I begin my first volunteer hours at the HIV/aids clinic in Lugazi. I'm not sure what to expect when that happens because the last volunteers who went ended up delivering two babies... crazy. And no, they are not doctors either.
As I have mentioned before, we work Monday through Friday, so that leaves weekends open to travel. This last weekend, we took a sweet trip to a resort called Sipi Falls, in the town of Sipi. This place was amazing. For two nights, 6 delicious american meals, guided hikes to the waterfalls and through the surrounding villages, plus an amazing view while staying in these awesome bamboo cabins, it only cost us about $100. Anywhere else but Africa, that would have easily been $1000. So we felt like it was an incredible deal. Plus, it was the best weekend so far. I have a tone of pictures that I can't wait to show you all, but sorry, it will have to wait.
Well, like I said, I hope you all are well. I am doing great. It is hard to write everything down and do it justice. We are working so hard and the people here love us. They treat us so well and always thank us. They truly are so loving and friendly and especially grateful for our work. I wish I could descirbe it to you better. The projects are a success and the work here is amazing. Have a good week!
