Silver's Uncle, who financially looks after the entire extended family, promotes nonviolent action, and has lived in Europe, provided us with free transport to Kyenjojo ("Chyen-jojo"), the family district five hours west of Kampala. There are no major towns, only a few small trading centers, on the way to their rural area. As we made the drive, I noted swamps, endless green hills covered with thick bush, and people pushing bicycle large loads of water, sugarcane, and other supplies. Silver's Uncle likes to stop in rural road-side markets to support commercial agriculture. He's been making the trek on the road for 40 years and people everywhere know him as a charming and charitable guy.
Silver's house, a kilometer from Kyenjojo Town, looks much like other houses in the area: metallic roof, brick wall with broken glass bottles on the top to prevent thieves, and a few family house workers who always kneel and bow their heads to all visitors and family members older than them.
Silver explained to me that his district is very pro-Museveni (the current president). He receives a 97% favor from the Kyenjojo district, having assisted in making the region its own district entity not many years ago. Silver's father, a learned man with degrees to his name, was recently involved in a corruption scandal, trying to illegally make money from local school exams. Following the scandal, which was not successful, he retired from his position at age 49 and is now running for the district chairperson position. He spent his days campaigning in town.
Silver's mother is such a cheerful woman with a rich laugh, overseeing agriculture and a store for female clothing, all the while advocating for women's rights. The male house worker is cheerful, loving both digging in the garden and asking me questions, such as "Why does everyone in America own a gun?" and "Why does America engage in so many wars?" and "Do you have jackfruit in your place?" Some of Silver's half-sisters are still at home. Older siblings are elsewhere in the area.
It's funny when you show up to live with a family who is hosting a mzungu for the first time. They want to know if you can eat the local food. They fear you will fall sick in the middle of the night. They give you a separate eating place, and they slaughter animals in your name (I got a chicken the first day and a goat the last day).
The first full day in Kyenjojo, Silver and I walked about 10 kilometers with a young man named Moses to a small village in the mountains. During the sunny walk, we passed NAADS projects: government-funded "model gardens" which are supposedly used to demonstrate to locals how farming should be done. However, Silver and Moses pointed out how poorly they were conducted and how model farming did not help communities. Some planted pineapple, which the land doesn't even favor. The more well-off families actually receive money for NAADS projects, rather than the poorer groups. And NAADS is allotted more money than departments of transportation, education, and others combined, according to Silver. A complete waste of government funding (and US aid).
When we finally reached our small rural destination, about 200 people were marching toward us, mostly kids, singing and playing drums. At the front of the pack was a kind man who greeted us as "Baptist." His full name is Mugabe John Baptist. We were then led into a local Catholic Church where Moses, Baptist, Silver, and I were given seats at the front. The meeting was to discuss the future direction of Utopia, a local NGO/CBO. The kids there (from two local schools) were suffering, many from AIDS, or parents deceased of AIDS, or child-headed households, or lack of proper bedding, or land theft, or the long trek to school each day, or a combination of many factors. Silver spoke to the community with intelligence and authority. I know he will make a good lawyer and restore human rights in his district someday. They asked us both to say things and contribute our opinions. Silver did most of the talking, and I said what I felt I could, but admitted that as a white man I could not be a figurehead here. Silver talked a lot about transforming the community through agriculture and not relying on donors.
Following the meeting (3-hours perhaps?), we were invited for a huge meal in Baptist's home. I didn't know such a boney man could have so much food in his home. We visited neighbors. There was one old lady who was like 110 (people live long and healthy without western medicine, ya know). Another old lady gave me a gift: a trinket holding coffee beans.
We took a dangerous boa ride back to the main road. From there Silver's friend came by on a motorcycle and picked us up for free, then left us with a free ride in the back of a pick-up truck. Then we walked through town and were again picked up for free by the owner of a local resort which we had purchased sodas from the previous day.
The next day we walked around town and visited different sites to view the scenery. Silver's dad even took me on a fairly long walk in the morning. Kyenjojo is a slightly more mountainous Pennsylvania: very hilly and green with some big rocky areas. That evening we had a goat roast and a big crate of soda had been purchased for us. In Uganda, as Silver says, home = food.
In the morning, we took breakfast and said goodbyes. I just arrived at UCU campus after 2 PM (Saturday) in Mukono and I'm about to go home to Toto's. I'll be seeing Megan and Suzan soon.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
first hello from here
My contact number: 011 256 773466482 (or in Uganda: 0773466482)
I arrived in Entebbe at 11:30 PM on Wednesday, greeted by Suzan and her sister Rachel. My guitar luggage was to be sent the next day, so I'd have to return to Entebbe after 8 PM the next day.
I stayed in Muyenga and Suzan, Rachel, and I talked and told stories about pooping and farting until 3:30 AM. The next day Suzan and I went back to Entebbe for the guitar.
So I've been in Muyenga since then. In the compound, we just wake up and sit and sometimes talk. The little boys love to climb on me. Our friends Franca and Tony are also staying at the compound, so we are very crammed when it comes to sleeping. Sometimes someone sleeps on the floor and outside. Suzan's dad even wanted to sleep in the kitchen. Silver came to visit me the other day and we talked for hours. It is a small but happy place, and everything one needs is there.
Yesterday I came to Toto's home to surprise my previous host family. They all ran to me when they heard me talked to a neighbor, even Toto. So we had a great reunion, though it took Suzan and I over 2 hours to reach Mukono, only 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from Kampala. People were going back to school and there were political campaigns/parades which held up the traffic.
Now I'm in Mukono/Bugujju for the night, staying at Toto's. I'm typing from a new internet cafe which has opened up across from campus. I will spend this night at Toto's, then leave in the morning with Silver for his home in the west for a few days.
When I get back at the beginning of the weekend, I will stay at Toto's for a few days, then return to Muyenga/Kampala to receive Megan Clapp from the airport.
Afterward, Megan will head north and Suzan and I will visit my rural homestead family in Kapchorwa, which is probably prettier than the Garden of Eden. From there will will go to Oyam for a month or so, and we will return to Mukono for Suzan's graduation on July 9th.
I got to see some people I knew from USP and UCU on campus, so that was splendid. My days are off to a good start. I have one story to share before my time here at the cafe is finished:
Suzan's dad is pretty progressive. He desires to mobilize the people to make change in the village and complains about African students learning European geography and history instead of Ugandan geography and history. He just came from the village the other day (to reach Muyenga, he first woke at 3:30 AM and rode a bike 15 kilometers, then boarded a taxi for a 5 hour trek) and told Tony and me about a lady from his village who found a natural herb. With no side-effects, it was 100% successful in birth control. She even had another herb which could be used to reverse the birth control, and a women would become pregnant in the first month. It was such an effective herb. He recently asked for the herb and she wouldn't give it to him. I asked him why, and he said, "Because she is saved now. That means that herbal medicine is of the devil. It is evil. But I will try to convince her otherwise. She has been brainwashed."
He was telling me this as I was trying to cut a mango. he called Suzan over, saying, "You have a lot to learn from Africans." My response: "You teach me to cut this mango and I'll teach you that plants are evil." We all laughed, but it made me think. Those early missionaries had trouble living off the land, but no problem relentlessly dealing with the spiritual practices of local people. And now there are even some Africans who have bought these spiritual teachings and continue to spread the teachings of the west, for better or (probably) worse, to their own people today. The conversation made me realize how little I have to offer, and how that is okay. In fact, it's how it should be. Jesus said "come follow me." And these people live inside of Jesus' parables. I still can't cut a mango "the right way," but at least I've been learning some Lango words and have gotten to know some people.
I arrived in Entebbe at 11:30 PM on Wednesday, greeted by Suzan and her sister Rachel. My guitar luggage was to be sent the next day, so I'd have to return to Entebbe after 8 PM the next day.
I stayed in Muyenga and Suzan, Rachel, and I talked and told stories about pooping and farting until 3:30 AM. The next day Suzan and I went back to Entebbe for the guitar.
So I've been in Muyenga since then. In the compound, we just wake up and sit and sometimes talk. The little boys love to climb on me. Our friends Franca and Tony are also staying at the compound, so we are very crammed when it comes to sleeping. Sometimes someone sleeps on the floor and outside. Suzan's dad even wanted to sleep in the kitchen. Silver came to visit me the other day and we talked for hours. It is a small but happy place, and everything one needs is there.
Yesterday I came to Toto's home to surprise my previous host family. They all ran to me when they heard me talked to a neighbor, even Toto. So we had a great reunion, though it took Suzan and I over 2 hours to reach Mukono, only 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from Kampala. People were going back to school and there were political campaigns/parades which held up the traffic.
Now I'm in Mukono/Bugujju for the night, staying at Toto's. I'm typing from a new internet cafe which has opened up across from campus. I will spend this night at Toto's, then leave in the morning with Silver for his home in the west for a few days.
When I get back at the beginning of the weekend, I will stay at Toto's for a few days, then return to Muyenga/Kampala to receive Megan Clapp from the airport.
Afterward, Megan will head north and Suzan and I will visit my rural homestead family in Kapchorwa, which is probably prettier than the Garden of Eden. From there will will go to Oyam for a month or so, and we will return to Mukono for Suzan's graduation on July 9th.
I got to see some people I knew from USP and UCU on campus, so that was splendid. My days are off to a good start. I have one story to share before my time here at the cafe is finished:
Suzan's dad is pretty progressive. He desires to mobilize the people to make change in the village and complains about African students learning European geography and history instead of Ugandan geography and history. He just came from the village the other day (to reach Muyenga, he first woke at 3:30 AM and rode a bike 15 kilometers, then boarded a taxi for a 5 hour trek) and told Tony and me about a lady from his village who found a natural herb. With no side-effects, it was 100% successful in birth control. She even had another herb which could be used to reverse the birth control, and a women would become pregnant in the first month. It was such an effective herb. He recently asked for the herb and she wouldn't give it to him. I asked him why, and he said, "Because she is saved now. That means that herbal medicine is of the devil. It is evil. But I will try to convince her otherwise. She has been brainwashed."
He was telling me this as I was trying to cut a mango. he called Suzan over, saying, "You have a lot to learn from Africans." My response: "You teach me to cut this mango and I'll teach you that plants are evil." We all laughed, but it made me think. Those early missionaries had trouble living off the land, but no problem relentlessly dealing with the spiritual practices of local people. And now there are even some Africans who have bought these spiritual teachings and continue to spread the teachings of the west, for better or (probably) worse, to their own people today. The conversation made me realize how little I have to offer, and how that is okay. In fact, it's how it should be. Jesus said "come follow me." And these people live inside of Jesus' parables. I still can't cut a mango "the right way," but at least I've been learning some Lango words and have gotten to know some people.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
off to JFK
In approximately 18 minutes, I'll be departing for JFK Airport in NYC. I will fly through Amsterdam and Nairobi, landing in Uganda at 11:20 PM local time on Wednesday. From there I will be staying in the greater Kampala area until Megan Clapp arrives. Then we will move to Oyam.
I will try to update this page with contact info and the like within the first week or so. For now, if you must get ahold of me, Suzan's number is 011 256 773304179. See you in August.
I will try to update this page with contact info and the like within the first week or so. For now, if you must get ahold of me, Suzan's number is 011 256 773304179. See you in August.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
to answer your questions (plus an additional rambling on safety)
Who/What: I am going to live with my girlfriend Suzan's family. I will also visit my host families from Fall semester.
When: May 19 - August 12
Where: Uganda (We will stay in Muyenga (Kampala suburb), Oyam (northern village) - and we will travel to Bugujju (Mukono) and rural Kapchorwa to visit my previous host families)
Why: Many have asked if I am doing missions. Most of you know I'm a bit cynical about white people doing missions in Africa, so the simple answer to the question is "no." Ugandan culture is much more about "being" whereas our fast-food-time-is-money culture is about "doing."
What further confirmed my idea to just live with Ugandans instead of working hard to convince myself I am saving the world was an interview with Ugandan Bishop Niringiye. It has been suggested in many cases that when foreigners come to many parts of Africa, they just make visits, eat the locals' food, and share tea/conversation. I once heard of an American group which was working hard to build a new building but they were asked to leave the country early. A local women said, "They didn't love us. They never came into my home to eat my food. We can build the building, and we a grateful for them, but it wasn't working out."
People ask, "What will you be doing there?" I try to respond, in some manner, "I will be 'being' there." Physically, this means I simply live as Suzan's family lives. Although I will probably be treated with favor as a guest or visitor, I will try to do what they do: eat, sleep, laugh, sit, dig in the garden, pay transport to make visits, etc.
If anyone has any questions about my trip, please ask. There are no dumb questions, as the cliche goes.
Rambling I Wanted to Document Before It Left My Mind:
To switch subjects, last night I went to a concert in Greencastle to see lots of my friends before my departure. It was quite funny because a lot of them were telling me to "be safe." Now, I don't plan to get myself in a lot of trouble while abroad. Far from it, actually. But the thought (yet again) crossed my mind: Should we really be concerned with safety? Is that the calling of the cross? I can just picture Jesus' death weapon being handed to Him, someone saying, "Here, take this cross, carry it to the top of the hill, and don't forget....Be safe."
Do our bodies really mean that much to us? Shouldn't we be more concerned with God's Kingdom than our own temporary bodies which are falling apart slowly (or quickly) anyway? Our nation was founded on the protection of private property, and more than ever, we are valuing abundance and storing away in barns (banks, sheds, rental storage?). Sometimes it's easy for me to forget that "I am not my own."
Safety is our Baal. The Christian community is blindly accepting it. If something is not safe, we think we probably shouldn't do it. I wonder if any of St. Paul's works would have made it into the book of Acts had he always been safe?
Risk and physical sacrifice isn't only for New Testament readers, either. I mean, I'd be pretty freaked out if I was marching around a fortified wall with a trumpet, expecting my instrument playing to make the wall crumble. We can adopt the attitude of loving others before ourselves, much like Esther, who told Mordecai, "I and my maids will fast as you do [for three days and nights]. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
That last sentence always strikes me: "If I perish, I perish." Essentially she is willing to say, "I am called to do the upright thing, which violates this unjust law. I am doing it for God and our people, not because they need me specifically, but because I am willing. If I die, the world will not collapse." It is such a hard concept for an individualistic, upwardly mobile culture to grasp. The idea that you are part of a whole, only a mere limb of a tree (or dare I say, "A small, disposable part of Christ's body") is foreign to us. We in the west have personal space, private property with "no trespassing" signs, and we can't even use anyone's thought without properly and thoroughly citing it in our writing. We do things to benefit ourselves, often at the expense of others. And we say this is okay because it's a dog-eat-dog world out there.
As I've often suggested (only because it has been suggested long before me), maybe the Christian call is one of suffering and affliction. Maybe the world isn't centered on us, and God actually doesn't need us to live for His work to be accomplished. Some people argue that God needed someone to die for His work to be "accomplished."
That all being said, I will still "be safe" this summer - I know you all mean well, and I appreciate that.
When: May 19 - August 12
Where: Uganda (We will stay in Muyenga (Kampala suburb), Oyam (northern village) - and we will travel to Bugujju (Mukono) and rural Kapchorwa to visit my previous host families)
Why: Many have asked if I am doing missions. Most of you know I'm a bit cynical about white people doing missions in Africa, so the simple answer to the question is "no." Ugandan culture is much more about "being" whereas our fast-food-time-is-money culture is about "doing."
What further confirmed my idea to just live with Ugandans instead of working hard to convince myself I am saving the world was an interview with Ugandan Bishop Niringiye. It has been suggested in many cases that when foreigners come to many parts of Africa, they just make visits, eat the locals' food, and share tea/conversation. I once heard of an American group which was working hard to build a new building but they were asked to leave the country early. A local women said, "They didn't love us. They never came into my home to eat my food. We can build the building, and we a grateful for them, but it wasn't working out."
People ask, "What will you be doing there?" I try to respond, in some manner, "I will be 'being' there." Physically, this means I simply live as Suzan's family lives. Although I will probably be treated with favor as a guest or visitor, I will try to do what they do: eat, sleep, laugh, sit, dig in the garden, pay transport to make visits, etc.
If anyone has any questions about my trip, please ask. There are no dumb questions, as the cliche goes.
Rambling I Wanted to Document Before It Left My Mind:
To switch subjects, last night I went to a concert in Greencastle to see lots of my friends before my departure. It was quite funny because a lot of them were telling me to "be safe." Now, I don't plan to get myself in a lot of trouble while abroad. Far from it, actually. But the thought (yet again) crossed my mind: Should we really be concerned with safety? Is that the calling of the cross? I can just picture Jesus' death weapon being handed to Him, someone saying, "Here, take this cross, carry it to the top of the hill, and don't forget....Be safe."
Do our bodies really mean that much to us? Shouldn't we be more concerned with God's Kingdom than our own temporary bodies which are falling apart slowly (or quickly) anyway? Our nation was founded on the protection of private property, and more than ever, we are valuing abundance and storing away in barns (banks, sheds, rental storage?). Sometimes it's easy for me to forget that "I am not my own."
Safety is our Baal. The Christian community is blindly accepting it. If something is not safe, we think we probably shouldn't do it. I wonder if any of St. Paul's works would have made it into the book of Acts had he always been safe?
Risk and physical sacrifice isn't only for New Testament readers, either. I mean, I'd be pretty freaked out if I was marching around a fortified wall with a trumpet, expecting my instrument playing to make the wall crumble. We can adopt the attitude of loving others before ourselves, much like Esther, who told Mordecai, "I and my maids will fast as you do [for three days and nights]. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
That last sentence always strikes me: "If I perish, I perish." Essentially she is willing to say, "I am called to do the upright thing, which violates this unjust law. I am doing it for God and our people, not because they need me specifically, but because I am willing. If I die, the world will not collapse." It is such a hard concept for an individualistic, upwardly mobile culture to grasp. The idea that you are part of a whole, only a mere limb of a tree (or dare I say, "A small, disposable part of Christ's body") is foreign to us. We in the west have personal space, private property with "no trespassing" signs, and we can't even use anyone's thought without properly and thoroughly citing it in our writing. We do things to benefit ourselves, often at the expense of others. And we say this is okay because it's a dog-eat-dog world out there.
As I've often suggested (only because it has been suggested long before me), maybe the Christian call is one of suffering and affliction. Maybe the world isn't centered on us, and God actually doesn't need us to live for His work to be accomplished. Some people argue that God needed someone to die for His work to be "accomplished."
That all being said, I will still "be safe" this summer - I know you all mean well, and I appreciate that.
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