two nights ago i woke up to a rat crawling up and down my mosquito net from the ceiling, one landed right by my head. unfortunately this has not been the first night of rats. and of all the differences and challenges, sleeping with rats around has been the most difficult.
this is our third week of classes. i had an awesome time on our trip to western uganda and into rwanda, it was also a nice break from the routine. the last two weeks of classes have been lectures on broad topics of development. it is like taking my favorite classes all day. we have had previous members of parliament, professors from the top national university, political activists, contributors to the writing of the constitution, and ad visors of policy come to speak to us. this week and next seven of us from the group have begun an in depth study on human rights and development.
uganda gained its independence from britain in 1962 so the country is young but its history full. in the spring of 2011 uganda will have its presidential elections. president musevini has been the president for 24 years. he commissioned the writing of uganda's current constitution in 1995. in 2006 he bribed members of parliament in order to remove term limits that had been written in the constitution. he is running again for election in 2011, the united states congress has just issued a directive and 70 million US dollars to ensure that the upcoming elections are free, fair, and peaceful. secretary of state hilary clinton will be leading this directive. it is an exciting time to be in uganda. hopes and expectations are very high for the upcoming election. uganda will also begin drilling for new found oil this year in northern uganda. the revenue has the potential to serve the ugandan people tremendously but most ugandans face the new oil with much trepidation as they remember nigeria.
it feels like we are living in uganda's hisotry. so much is changing, so many opportunities, and so many things unknown.
in 4 weeks everyone in the group will spread out throughout uganda to begin on 6 week practicum. i am looking into studying japan's foreign policy to uganda and its affects on national identity here. there is still alot of practicals to work out :)
the heavy rainy season has begun here in uganda, the skies have opened. i am curious to see how the dirt roads hold up in these sort of conditions :)
love you all.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Never Again
February 18
16 years ago one million and fifty thousand people were killed in just 100 days during the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis. I spent this week in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. It is a clean, quiet, modern, and lush green city. But as I look at people’s faces or as we drove through the streets it was impossible not to remember their history.
The Tutsi minority had been put into power by the colonial Belgium power and since then tensions between the Hutus and Tutsis were high. In the spring of 1994 for 100 days straight Hutus raped, tortured, and killed their Tutsi neighbors, friends, husbands or wives, even their children. That is an average of 10,000 people a day being killed. We visited the genocide memorial, a beautiful and impressive history and memory of the genocide. On the grounds there are 250,000 people buried in the mass graves. We then visited the prison where men and women convicted of genocide are still serving their sentence. It was an interesting interaction. The prison has about 4,000 people, although some are serving for crimes other than genocide. We were warmly welcomed, the prisoners danced for us, played music, even made speeches of reconciliation and the need for their country to continue to develop. The meeting ended with all of us getting up to join some of the prisoners in traditional dance. It was terribly awkward but so fun… they were just people… until I remembered what they were in prison for. Why did they do it? Who did they kill? Were they sorry? The director of the prison who gave us a briefing afterward was a Tutsi women whose whole family had been killed by the Hutus. What enormous amounts of grace she needed to care for and direct a prison full of people guilty of genocide. This is the battle the whole country faces and they work to reconcile themselves.
The next day we visited a church where 10,000 people were killed. Women, children, and old men had fled to the church when they could go nowhere else for “surely they wouldn’t be killed in the house of God”. It was the pastor of the church who organized the mass killing of everyone in the sanctuary. The clothes that they were wearing are still piled high on the pews. Blood stains and bullet holes litter the church and the skulls on display serve as a reminder of each individual that was killed. There are 40,000 people buried at that site.
This is not ancient history. I was 6 years old while this was all going on. But no one in the international community responded to the situation. It is estimated that the number of troops sent to evacuate all Foreign Service people from the country would have been enough to stop the conflict. The UN peace keeping troop’s request for 5,000 more was also denied. Everyone watched and no one responded until it was all over. Since then there have been many leaders (including our own President at the time) to come out and apologize for not responding or even taking the blame. And they each promise that never again will this happen. While being in Rwanda I heard from three different sources that there were people who were certain that there will be genocide in Rwanda again… I pray that they are wrong. Whether in Rwanda or another part of the world, I hope that we all keep our promises. Never ever may we allow this to happen again.
16 years ago one million and fifty thousand people were killed in just 100 days during the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis. I spent this week in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. It is a clean, quiet, modern, and lush green city. But as I look at people’s faces or as we drove through the streets it was impossible not to remember their history.
The Tutsi minority had been put into power by the colonial Belgium power and since then tensions between the Hutus and Tutsis were high. In the spring of 1994 for 100 days straight Hutus raped, tortured, and killed their Tutsi neighbors, friends, husbands or wives, even their children. That is an average of 10,000 people a day being killed. We visited the genocide memorial, a beautiful and impressive history and memory of the genocide. On the grounds there are 250,000 people buried in the mass graves. We then visited the prison where men and women convicted of genocide are still serving their sentence. It was an interesting interaction. The prison has about 4,000 people, although some are serving for crimes other than genocide. We were warmly welcomed, the prisoners danced for us, played music, even made speeches of reconciliation and the need for their country to continue to develop. The meeting ended with all of us getting up to join some of the prisoners in traditional dance. It was terribly awkward but so fun… they were just people… until I remembered what they were in prison for. Why did they do it? Who did they kill? Were they sorry? The director of the prison who gave us a briefing afterward was a Tutsi women whose whole family had been killed by the Hutus. What enormous amounts of grace she needed to care for and direct a prison full of people guilty of genocide. This is the battle the whole country faces and they work to reconcile themselves.
The next day we visited a church where 10,000 people were killed. Women, children, and old men had fled to the church when they could go nowhere else for “surely they wouldn’t be killed in the house of God”. It was the pastor of the church who organized the mass killing of everyone in the sanctuary. The clothes that they were wearing are still piled high on the pews. Blood stains and bullet holes litter the church and the skulls on display serve as a reminder of each individual that was killed. There are 40,000 people buried at that site.
This is not ancient history. I was 6 years old while this was all going on. But no one in the international community responded to the situation. It is estimated that the number of troops sent to evacuate all Foreign Service people from the country would have been enough to stop the conflict. The UN peace keeping troop’s request for 5,000 more was also denied. Everyone watched and no one responded until it was all over. Since then there have been many leaders (including our own President at the time) to come out and apologize for not responding or even taking the blame. And they each promise that never again will this happen. While being in Rwanda I heard from three different sources that there were people who were certain that there will be genocide in Rwanda again… I pray that they are wrong. Whether in Rwanda or another part of the world, I hope that we all keep our promises. Never ever may we allow this to happen again.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
being a 'muzungu'
here i am a muzungu. the word mean foriegner. it is not like the word "gaijin" used to describe foriegners in japanese which i often have heard. here people call to me saying mazungu because here it is my name. every day i take a "taxi" to one area of kampala and then walk to the next. i have a bad habit of trying to find short cuts which, without fail, leaves me lost. and as i wonder around the city knowing where i am going but completly unsure of where i am people call out to me. ugandans are friendly and often just want to be my friend but here are some of the best:
- "hello suzannah!" (presumably the name of the only white persons he's known"
- "be my wife!"
- "are you my wife?"
- "OBAMA!!"
- "here take this" (handing me an open bottle of vodka)
- "i love you!"
...miss you all :)
- "hello suzannah!" (presumably the name of the only white persons he's known"
- "be my wife!"
- "are you my wife?"
- "OBAMA!!"
- "here take this" (handing me an open bottle of vodka)
- "i love you!"
...miss you all :)
a word from earlier...
January 27
Hello from Uganda :) It is my 4th night here in Kampala and I am currently sitting on my bed in Jaleaz Hotel. Now don’t be impressed with the title ‘hotel’… instead picture basic accomodations. But the mosquito nets, unpredictable showers, and clean sheets are a welcomed home for this first week. There is no internet but the plan is to type updates and save them until there is a chance to get online ;) Our group is 32 all together. The average student is: from the East coast, attends a liberal arts college, is a junior, has travelled a bit but likely this is their first time to Uganda, and is majoring in something around economics or international development. Everyone seems wonderful and so excited to be here. The program I am with is SIT (School of International Training), we have an awesome program staff who love their country, are highly qualified, and are dedicated to providing the best enviroment and opportunities for us to learn.
Today training began today in social etiquite, safety, and health. As well as our first session in learning the language here, Lugandan. On Sunday we will be meeting our host families and moving in for 6 weeks. During those weeks we will be going to language classes, attending lectures at Makarere University, and working on selecting a theisis and organization for our research practicum.
I am loving it here. I am surprised at how excited I am for this semester and for all that I will learn, and how at home I already feel. I am thankful to be here with Caleb for the comfort of a familiar face certainly eased any possible feelings of loneliness.
So at this point I know very very little about, well, everything. But I am just beginning to realize all that I am going to learn and know, like learning how to navigate through the city of Kampala via ‘taxis’ everyday to and from school?!... or better yet, mastering how to cross the street.
Hello from Uganda :) It is my 4th night here in Kampala and I am currently sitting on my bed in Jaleaz Hotel. Now don’t be impressed with the title ‘hotel’… instead picture basic accomodations. But the mosquito nets, unpredictable showers, and clean sheets are a welcomed home for this first week. There is no internet but the plan is to type updates and save them until there is a chance to get online ;) Our group is 32 all together. The average student is: from the East coast, attends a liberal arts college, is a junior, has travelled a bit but likely this is their first time to Uganda, and is majoring in something around economics or international development. Everyone seems wonderful and so excited to be here. The program I am with is SIT (School of International Training), we have an awesome program staff who love their country, are highly qualified, and are dedicated to providing the best enviroment and opportunities for us to learn.
Today training began today in social etiquite, safety, and health. As well as our first session in learning the language here, Lugandan. On Sunday we will be meeting our host families and moving in for 6 weeks. During those weeks we will be going to language classes, attending lectures at Makarere University, and working on selecting a theisis and organization for our research practicum.
I am loving it here. I am surprised at how excited I am for this semester and for all that I will learn, and how at home I already feel. I am thankful to be here with Caleb for the comfort of a familiar face certainly eased any possible feelings of loneliness.
So at this point I know very very little about, well, everything. But I am just beginning to realize all that I am going to learn and know, like learning how to navigate through the city of Kampala via ‘taxis’ everyday to and from school?!... or better yet, mastering how to cross the street.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Arrived and Settled
I wish that I could blog everyday. I see so much daily and what completely overwhelms me one day quickly seems manageable. But my expectations of using the internet were incorrect and it is just not as accessible as I thought. I have blogged a bit without internet and they are just saved on my computer so when I can get that online there will be more :)
We have started classes this week and moved in to our host families' home last Sunday. I will with my mom and dad (Mariam and Mike). My mom sells fruit at one of the markets in the city and my dad is a driver. I have a brother who is 5 who lives at boarding school, a sister who is 12 who goes away to school next week, and 2 aunts one who lives there only on the weekends, and one who is the house help.
This is there first time hosting a student so I am not sure they know what to do with me. I also overestimated the amount of English spoken here. My family does not know much but instead talks at me and about me in Lugandan. We are learning the language but there is nothing quite like learning an entire new language by complete submersion.
Okay and here is what you probably have been waiting for: I bathe from a bucket, and with no running water I use the bathroom in a pit latrine (picture a little rectangle hole in the ground). There is some electricity (mostly for the tv).
The food is abundant but simple. Matoke is the stable (smashed plantaines) often accompanied by potatoes and rice. I have eagerly decided to remain a vegitarian while here which I think is appreciated by family because that is cheaper.
It take 2 hours and just over 1 dollar to get to school. Everyone in the program is staying with different families varying from high class to lower middle class and different religions and family types. This provides some pretty varying experiences from home but also quite funny stories.
We have begun studying Luganda in class as well as theories of development. We will be here in the city for this week and next, then down to Rwanda for a week, then back for two weeks, then one week in rural Western Uganda.
After the 7 week we will begin our Independent practicum. We will disperse throughout anywhere in the country (except the far north where it is still quite dangerous). And either do independent research or work with an organization to research an element of development.
Our options are pretty open ended and I have a few ideas already on some things to look out but that is also what we will be working through these first few weeks.
Sorry this is so long, I just wanted to let you know all that has been going on. And I apologize if it is not well written (I am currently sweating in an internet shop where I am trying to beat the clock for the 40 minutes I paid a dollar for)
But if you are still reading this and want to talk more, I have a cell phone now :) Which may seem terribly expensive to call but if you have skype you can call from there to me for about 2 cents a minute. The best is if you call in the morning your time, which is my evening. I am 11 house ahead of California. The number is: 0701080368. I am not sure of the country code but skype knows it :)
Okay love love each of you. You are missed. But I am loving it here and so thankful for what an opportunity this is. I will try and write with more substance next time, I just wanted to give you and overview :)
Be Blessed!
We have started classes this week and moved in to our host families' home last Sunday. I will with my mom and dad (Mariam and Mike). My mom sells fruit at one of the markets in the city and my dad is a driver. I have a brother who is 5 who lives at boarding school, a sister who is 12 who goes away to school next week, and 2 aunts one who lives there only on the weekends, and one who is the house help.
This is there first time hosting a student so I am not sure they know what to do with me. I also overestimated the amount of English spoken here. My family does not know much but instead talks at me and about me in Lugandan. We are learning the language but there is nothing quite like learning an entire new language by complete submersion.
Okay and here is what you probably have been waiting for: I bathe from a bucket, and with no running water I use the bathroom in a pit latrine (picture a little rectangle hole in the ground). There is some electricity (mostly for the tv).
The food is abundant but simple. Matoke is the stable (smashed plantaines) often accompanied by potatoes and rice. I have eagerly decided to remain a vegitarian while here which I think is appreciated by family because that is cheaper.
It take 2 hours and just over 1 dollar to get to school. Everyone in the program is staying with different families varying from high class to lower middle class and different religions and family types. This provides some pretty varying experiences from home but also quite funny stories.
We have begun studying Luganda in class as well as theories of development. We will be here in the city for this week and next, then down to Rwanda for a week, then back for two weeks, then one week in rural Western Uganda.
After the 7 week we will begin our Independent practicum. We will disperse throughout anywhere in the country (except the far north where it is still quite dangerous). And either do independent research or work with an organization to research an element of development.
Our options are pretty open ended and I have a few ideas already on some things to look out but that is also what we will be working through these first few weeks.
Sorry this is so long, I just wanted to let you know all that has been going on. And I apologize if it is not well written (I am currently sweating in an internet shop where I am trying to beat the clock for the 40 minutes I paid a dollar for)
But if you are still reading this and want to talk more, I have a cell phone now :) Which may seem terribly expensive to call but if you have skype you can call from there to me for about 2 cents a minute. The best is if you call in the morning your time, which is my evening. I am 11 house ahead of California. The number is: 0701080368. I am not sure of the country code but skype knows it :)
Okay love love each of you. You are missed. But I am loving it here and so thankful for what an opportunity this is. I will try and write with more substance next time, I just wanted to give you and overview :)
Be Blessed!
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