Getting the Ball Rolling

Bungee Jumping over the Nile River

We met up with Patrick in Jinja

The week after rafting and bungee jumping was probably not the best time for me to neglect my blog... sorry Mom. I am, in fact, not dead, but instead quite addicted to adrenaline. Skydiving anyone?

I traveled to Jinja for the second weekend in a row, this time with all the other FSD interns. On Saturday, we rafted 30 kilometers of the mighty Nile River. If you Google Bujagali Falls, you will see our second rapid of the day (and our first class 5). We only flipped once the whole day... on Silverback rapid. As our Canadian raft guide so eloquently put it, "the river bitchslapped us." I'm not being dramatic when I say I’ve never been so close to death. Flipping was terrifying; when I was under water, I couldn't figure out which way was up and which was down. When I finally discerned that, I couldn't get there; the river kept pushing me under. Just when I thought I was going to die, I made it to the surface, but not without a lung or two full of Nile. The next thing I knew, someone was pulling me into a raft.

Sunday was bungee jumping day. 44 meters from the top of the tower to the surface of the Nile. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd have done it all day. For some reason I wasn't nervous until I shuffled my toes to the very edge of the platform, looked out, and processed what I was about to do. By that time, the kiwis were saying "3-2-1-bungee," so fortunately I didn't have TOO much time to dwell on the task at hand. The fall, though short, was incredible... "a quick drop and a sudden stop." I got another lovely lungful of Nile because I forgot to hold my breath... too many other things to concentrate on.

Chelsea and I were both sick on Monday- some type of sinus infection- so we skipped work, slept, and watched movies with Benna. The day off was most definitely needed.

Today we traveled to Nzizi (the community where we are planting our kitchen gardens) to conduct our preliminary workshop. The day was slow, but, well, that's Ugandan time for you. I've learned that you can't judge the day's success until it is over. Sometimes the smallest things can make the day worth it. Today, there were two such moments: the first was when the women clapped when we talked about how the garden was meant as a WOMEN'S project and the second was when the families told us (through a translator) how excited they were to have us helping them build these gardens.

Hitting the Halfway Mark...

Project: along with our FSD and TASO supervisors, Michael, Ray, Chelsea, and I decided on a project for the rest of our time in Uganda. The official title is something along the lines of “empowering HIV positive women by establishing household kitchen gardens as a source independent income.” Working alongside the Projects and Counseling departments at TASO, we will identify four or five families in the Nzizi community and facilitate the construction of a kitchen garden for each one. Kitchen gardens are an extremely beneficial addition to a household because they provide:

· Extra produce to sell in the market- this is a consistent source of income for women. When women have an income independent from their husbands, it gives them confidence and thus more authority within the household.

· Nutritious dietary supplements to the family’s meals- this is especially important for HIV positive people, as balanced diets are essential for antiretroviral success.

· A supplement to livestock feed- one plant, coriander, has been shown to increase milk production in dairy cows.

· Medicine- one type of plant is used as natural insect repellant while another is used to cure rashes.

Once the beneficiaries have been identified, the garden expert that we are working closely with will teach a workshop on how to construct and maintain a kitchen garden. It is extremely important that the beneficiaries are the ones doing most of the construction. This way, they are able to pass on their knowledge to future beneficiaries, and the project will continue to evolve, even after we leave. (Before construction even begins, the women are required to sign a contract promising to give a pre-determined portion of garden proceeds back to TASO. This money will then be used as the start-up sum for the next garden.)

In other news, Chelsea and I made the long trek to Jinja this past weekend to visit our friend Patrick. Jinja, the second largest city in Uganda, is famously known as the source of the Nile. It is one of the main tourist attractions in Uganda; people flock to the city two hours east of Kampala for some of the best white water rafting in the world, bungee jumping, beautiful waterfalls, and of course, the source of the Nile. Getting to Jinja requires a three hour taxi ride from Masaka to Kampala then switching taxis in the capital’s anarchic taxi park to get on a two hour taxi to Jinja. Ugandan taxis (which are more like large vans) are not for the faint of heart; be prepared for overcrowding, reckless driving, sudden stops, yelling, badgering taxi park vendors, on-board chickens, no air conditioning, and extremely cramped and uncomfortable seats. The “coastas,” smaller and less luxurious coach buses, are cheaper and less hectic, yet much more difficult to find and fill up. Despite our public transport adventures, we made it safely to our destination. We didn’t participate in any of the high thrill attractions Jinja has to offer; we decided before we left Masaka that we would save all that for another weekend. Instead, we walked around town and visited Bujagali falls, more a series of rapids than a waterfall, but magnificent all the same. We happened to run into a group of six girls from UNC at our hostel, so we all watched the USA England game together at a bar and restaurant called Two Friends, which turned out to be quite the muzungu hangout. We left Jinja in the afternoon, but not before I left my mark… literally. I burned my calf on a boda boda’s exhaust pipe on the way to Bujagali Falls. It’s a second-degree burn, so the doctor in Masaka prescribed me antibiotics. Anyways, it’s actually much less painful than my caterpillar wound was at this stage.

As you all know, the World Cup is now upon us! It’s really cool being in Africa for the whole thing; when Ghana won, it seems that all of Africa rejoiced. Ugandans celebrated as if it were the Cranes who defeated Serbia. I’ve been able to catch at least a few minutes of almost all the games.

Jinja (part two) this weekend with all the interns… rafting all day Saturday and hopefully bungee jumping on Sunday.

Death by Caterpillar

If I don’t make it back home, rest assured that I died in an extremely noteworthy manner. Not many people can say they died at the hands of a Ugandan caterpillar. Personally, I think it would be an epic way to go out. Friday night, after our muzungu heavy barbeque at café frick, a few of us were hanging out at this neat little outdoor bar… Uganda’s version of bob’s perhaps? I felt something on my ankle, and without looking, swept it off. Terrible idea. I felt sharp stinging, but since it was so dark, it took me a while to notice the quarter inch spines sticking out of my finger. Turns out they had no intention of coming out either… I had to pull them out one by one. I ended up pouring half my drink out on my finger to aid in the process. Another terrible idea. The swelling has gone down, but it’s still bumpy, red, and itchy. The reaction is also spreading down my finger. No worries, though, I’m determined to survive this one.

Pick up lines: I’ve heard some good ones, mostly from boda drivers. “Madam, do you want me?” “Would you like to ride with me?” “You are beautiful; can I have your number?” “Do you have a husband?” My favorite was when I was getting on a boda with a crowd of male observers lurking nearby. Even in a skirt, I can’t bring myself to ride a boda side saddle, so it’s almost guaranteed that I’m going to show some skin while getting on. I braced myself then jumped on, provoking raucous cheers, whistles, and marriage proposals. Honestly, the girls whining about the gender imbalance issue at Carolina in the NY Times article should probably just come to Uganda.

I have just made it sound like all boda drivers are rude and insensitive. That’s not true at all. Most are very friendly and receptive to bargaining. We’ve befriended a couple of them and they are more than willing to pick us up when we call them.

Electricity: Power outages are so common and outdoor lighting is so rare that most Ugandan cell phones have built in flashlights. It always seems to go out at the most opportune moments like when I’m in the shower. The water stops every once in awhile too. My favorite day was when the power AND the water were out at the same time. It’s actually not as bad as I’m making it sound... I think I have Outward Bound to thank for that.

Banks: will make me appreciate Bank of America forever. We waited for an hour and a half to get our dollars changed to shillings.

Masaka scandals: Two Catholic nuns were arrested yesterday in a village not five minutes from our house when police discovered their 2 acre marijuana plot. They tried to convince investigators that the plants were for their pigs.

Work: Yesterday was a slow day on outreach. We weren’t drawing blood for CD4 testing so the only people that came in were those coming for HIV confirmation tests. Though yesterday’s outreach wasn’t as productive as last week’s, I did get to prick my first patient. After a couple of hours, patients stopped coming into the lab so I went outside to sit with Chelsea and her counseling supervisor. We ended up teaching several schoolchildren how to play duck duck goose and London bridges falling down for the rest of the afternoon. Despite the monstrous language barrier, they caught on quickly and would have played all day.

Someone suggested that a description of a day in my life in Uganda would be well-received. I think I’m finally settled in enough to provide an accurate representation of my activities here. On weekdays (when there is not a public holiday, which, contrary to what my host family says, seems to happen quite often here) I wake up around 7:15. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and usually consists of tea, a banana, bread with blueband (apparently Uganda’s only brand of butter), and a fried or hardboiled egg. I was too scared to try the porridge as it looked like liquefied grits. I’m getting pretty tired of Aljazeera during breakfast; too much arguing for early in the morning. Chelsea and I leave for work just after 8 and I’m settled into lab work by about 8:30. (Tuesdays are different at TASO because we do outreach in surrounding villages.) Lunch, which is most often matoke (surprise!) and rice, isn’t until 2:00 so I have to pack a snack or else I annoy people with my grumbling stomach. I leave work around 4:30 and meet up with the other FSD TASO interns. Sometimes Chelsea and I will boda into town for errands, walk to café frick to get on the internet, or head home for tea and rest. On Thursday through Sunday night we watch la Tormenta with Mama Allen and whomever else may be around. Dinner is usually between 9 and 10 and I think I’ve described the food in a previous post. After dinner we watch music videos with Dinah or go to our room to read before bed. On weekends, we don’t do much during the day. We usually spend most of Saturday at Frick catching up on emails, Skyping, etc. and most of Sunday sleeping, reading, or learning how to play Ugandan cards with John and Joseph. Whether it’s a barbecue, poker, a concert, clubbing, or going to a bar or restaurant, we can usually find something fun to do at night. I had my first experience clubbing in Uganda this past Saturday. A big group of us went to Ambience discotheque; the best part was the music selection. So far, I am very impressed with Ugandan music. 

The World Cup starts next weekend, so I have a feeling I may alter my daily activities accordingly. I wonder if it’s acceptable to skip work…? (Just kidding.) ((Sort of.))

I can’t believe I’m already 3 weeks in… it’s been going by so quickly since I’ve adjusted to life here. I’m looking forward to Jinja (part 1) this weekend to visit Patrick.

Ogamba Ki

Thursday (Martyrs Day) was a public holiday in Uganda so Chelsea and I decided to go into town. It was my mission to find a skirt that I could wear out on the weekends. Chelsea and I went down a road we’d never been on, which ended up being a great idea because we found many more clothing stores than on the main road. Because I'm a muzungu, I get followed by the salesperson every stall I go in. It’s pretty funny when a 30 something man tries to pick out clothes he thinks I’ll like. I feel like a bargaining pro now. I pulled the “This is all the money I have, nnyabo,” which was partly true, and I got the skirt for about half of what she was asking. I always have to bargain because people here automatically give me the “muzungu price.” I’m not sure what I’m going to do when I get back to the states. I’ll have to catch myself when I try to bargain in US clothing stores. It’s also going to be a shock when I have to pay more than 30 cents for a coke.

Though I’ve adjusted to the food and eating schedule here, (late lunches and dinners nearly killed me at first) my cravings for American food are kicking into high gear. It’s been mostly baked goods that I miss... ovens are rare so people don't seem to have an appetite for them. I could have killed for a swiss roll yesterday. My craving for partially hydrogenated goodness was somewhat satiated when I bought a chapati in town. I’m not really sure what is in them, but I haven’t gotten sick yet so it can’t be anything too bad. From what I can gather, it’s a bit like the galette in France (a more substantial crepe like thing.) As of last week, I officially have no calcium in my diet. I was putting milk in my tea, but it made me sick so I had to cut it out. 

Handshakes and hand-holding: greetings are very important in Uganda, as evidenced by the long, drawn-out handshakes. It’s not uncommon to lock hands for a couple of minutes while each person introduces himself. I think I finally got the gist of it. Hand holding is interpreted differently here as well. It is not uncommon for friends (men and women) to hold hands walking down the street. My superiors at TASO will often grab my hand to lead me somewhere.

I am lucky with my lab placement at TASO. I’m the only intern in the department so there is always something for me to do. Hopefully I can stay here for a week or two more before switching to another department. I work with Richard and Barbara. Richard always calls her “Bahhbala” and each time it sounds more and more ridiculous. Bahhbala and I talked quite a bit on Wednesday. She was shocked that white people wash their hair so frequently and couldn’t believe that I played soccer. Girls don’t play anything other than tennis or volleyball here.

Chelsea, Michael, Ray, and I started discussing our independent project today. We have a few ideas; one of which is forming a peer support group for middle school aged kids to talk about living with HIV. Another idea is to educate women on how to create and care for for a kitchen garden. We will be talking with our supervisor about our ideas next week, so I will keep you all updated on that.

WORLD CUP IN LESS THAN A WEEK!

Grasshopper

I ate a grasshopper today.
 
That is all.

Becoming a Ugandan Legend

Someone asked me what has been the coolest thing to have happened to me thus far. I’m pretty sure I have some legitimate candidates.

1. Saturday night Cynthia (FSD’s international program coordinator) took us (FSD interns) to the Radio and Weasel concert downtown. (Youtube them.) The openers started around 9:00 but they were all pretty terrible. Closer to 1:00, we all got to meet Radio and Weasel while they were hanging out in their van before going on stage. Apparently they liked Chelsea and me enough to ask for us to come on stage. So during their second song we danced on stage with them in front of everybody. We didn’t realize this at the time, but we were the only ones who got to go up.

2. I had my first day of work on Monday. Timothy, our main supervisor at TASO, (The AIDS Support Organization) guided us through an extensive orientation. Somehow, I had even less of an idea of what I would be doing for the next 7 weeks after this orientation. Go figure. Anyways, the cool part happened after I asked if I could start out working in the lab. There are two lab techs, Richard and Barbara. In the morning I watched them do various tests: tuberculosis, Cryptococcus, HIV confirmation, etc. After lunch I got to do my own HIV confirmation tests. It’s difficult to describe how it made me feel. It’s rare to feel so humbled and so empowered simultaneously.

Tuesdays at TASO are outreach days, and I, along with a few other interns, was lucky enough to be able to go. 30+ TASO workers (doctors, counselors, pharmicists) were driven to a village (the name escapes me) about 40 miles away. The idea is to be able to give care to those who cannot afford to make the long trek to Masaka. It’s a pretty desolate community. I’ve described Uganda as dusty in previous posts, but I have never seen a dustier road in my life. The trees were literally brown from all the traffic swirling up dust. We arrived at the medical center (a kind term for the place) and began to set up. Chelsea and I were the only two white people so we garnered quite a bit of attention. I labeled and organized over 60 samples, ran some confirmation tests, and recorded the results from pregnancy tests. I never thought I would be allowed to get so involved. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to do this in the states. Because I was so busy with the HIV patients, I didn’t see the man who was brought into the hospital with severe injuries sustained in a road collision. We found out on the way home that he died. Pretty scary to think about: he was two rooms over from me. While in the clinic, I got to see every patient waiting to get their blood drawn. Some looked terrified, others hopeless, very few hopeful. It’s hard to understand the impact that HIV has here. In some communities, the rate of infection is over 60%. Everyone is touched by it. I really saw that when I walked around the village after we finished with the patients. There are SO many kids here; everywhere you look they are running around in dirty rags playing with tires and sticks. Many have lost their parents to HIV and several are HIV positive themselves. However, it seems that TASO is making a difference. One man introduced himself to me and said that he has been living with HIV for 22 years and proud of it. He really seemed to put life back into the community.