A Different Kind of Holiday Gift

You can make a difference in the life of a child this holiday season.

The community in which I work is very poor and home to many refugee families. These families have come to Uganda from neighboring Congo, Rwanda, Kenya and Burundi. Despite much hard work, things are still very difficult, especially for these families who have had to uproot their lives in search of a new place to call home, maybe even just for a short time before being forced to move once again.

I am asking you to consider this list below when you are out looking for gifts this holiday season. You can see just at a quick glance, so many of these items are under $15 and while we may consider many things pretty basic, things like supplies for school and a clean uniform to wear mean more to these kids than I can even explain.

I would love to match you with a child here!
If you would like to be matched with a child of a specific gender, age, etc or if you'd like to direct your donation for one of the items to a certain child you've seen in pictures from Facebook or this blog- please let me know. If you have kids at home it is fun for them to know they are helping someone just like them, halfway around the world! You can also do this in 'honor' of someone or as a gift to a family member. I can help out with pictures, stories, etc. It seems a little better than a tie or pajama pants, right? I'd like to give the child a picture of you as their donor, too, because believe me, this picture will be just as important, (if not more so!) to the child than whatever item your donation buys.

Being with these kids over the past 4 months has really shown me that a little love can go a long way! So please, if you can, consider making a difference to one of these children knowing that they have indeed touched my life in so many ways; I know they will touch yours.


$1 - 1.5 liters of CLEAN drinking water

$1.50 - Lunch for 1 child; 1 week
$2 - Math kit

$3 - Book covers

$5+ - Christmas presents

$8 - Mosquito net

$9 - New backpack for school

$12 - New school uniform

$13- New school shoes

On-going support
$15 - Lunch for 1 child; 1 term

$10 - Refugee student's school fee; 1 term /$30 - Refugee student's school fee; school year

$30 - Ugandan student's school fee; 1 term /$90 - Ugandan student's school fee; school year

To make a donation, please click here. Please remember to specify the donation is under my name and then let me know how it should be used!

My email is hluboff@gmail.com, and I am on Facebook. Please email or message me with any questions or to learn more about the wonderful kids here and how you really can make a difference this holiday!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES!!!
Stay warm!!

Heather

Kampala...Marathon?

HAPPY DECEMBER wow! Time flies.

This morning we went to check out the happenings of the Kampala Marathon... and can I just say if marathons in the US were more like this one (or maybe they are, I have no clue), I'd probably give more thought to actually running one, or should I say participating in one.

We got a private, air conditioned (!!!) tour of the marathon "route" from our neighbor who saw us leaving this morning and graciously offered us a ride into town. We were a little surprised to be driving on the route itself, but hey there's crazier things!! ...Say, marathoners coming out of bushes (a.k.a. we spotted their shortcut), runners (?) wearing cargo pants, jeans, and even some with loafers on. I even spotted a guy wearing moccasins. It's safe to say, this isn't your mother's marathon. The "after-party" was even better!

Dozens of food & beer (thankyouverymuch 11am) trucks, stalls and vendors surrounded the main stage where Ugandan pop sensation Jamal would perform (fyi: Courtney, Adam, some friends and I met Jamal in September, got some pics with him...no big deal.) We tried our best to get on the list for the tents that looked like diners would be treated to a fancy 5-course brunch buffet, but instead settled on sausage skewers from a street vendor. After a little jamming to Jamal, we decided we'd leave the marathoners to their party and off we went.

It was nice to see people out and about, actually exercising, regardless of their pace. And turning a marathon into a summer concert & food festival? Fine by me - thanks, Kampala!

HOPE Speech Day

Sunday was HOPE’s Speech Day/End of Year Party/Graduation for P7 & Top Nursery Class…phew. It was a 6 hour affair, but could we really say we were surprised?

The teachers turned the courtyard in front of the Youth Center into an African wonderland (with the help of one very tall Mzgungu named Adam): complete with kitenge curtains, tents, lots of lace and of course lawn chairs. I found myself on desk duty; heaving big wooden desks to the tent. This activity would have been better suited for me if I wasn’t practically sewn into my dress, but I’m told that’s the style, and anyway I was there to help, so onward we went.

Parents (eventually!) filled the tents, dressed in their best – so beautiful. The fabrics here are so vibrant and amazing and these women love to get dressed up! It was really encouraging to see how many parents came to support their kids, and pretty special when we got to meet them, too. It really helps us get to know these kids on a very different level once we can see a little bit about who they spend their time with, you know? Of course, the kids all looked so good in their uniforms and I was especially happy to see my buds Espware & Shandrack, plus Julien and his 4 sisters Neza, Yvonne, Yvette & Julie all in their new uniforms we had made.

me, Julie, Julien/Yvonne, Yvette & Neza, great expressions, right?

me with Espware

The kids performed tradition African song and dance routines and the costumes they came up with were awesome! I am continually impressed with their abilities; the boys their rhythm and the girls…they can move. Girl nor boy is embarrassed to dance in front of a crowd (I wouldn’t be either if I could dance like these kids!). They also performed skits that took on more serious issues like child abuse & neglect, the dangers of accepting items from strangers, and the importance of staying in school. Some children also got to show off their science and math knowledge while presenting mini-lessons to us. It was great to see the kids having so much fun delivering these messages to their parents.

When the kids were dancing, their parents, friends or just impressed audience members would come up mid-dance/skit/reading to hand a him or her some coins or candy. We even saw the kids sharing with their classmates after they finished, too: my buddy Julien told me he shared one of his coins because he already had a lolli pop; he didn’t need both! I just so happened to have a bunch of silly bands in my purse (ahem), so it was the perfect token of our gratitude for their hard work! Silly bands are takin’ over Ndejje!

The one bummer of the day was the Top Class Graduation – doesn’t seem like a downer but in order to participate in the whole ceremony at the Party, the child needed to have paid for a cap & gown (yes…they are 6 years old, and yes, like a high school graduation cap and gown!). Our sweet friend Abigail did not have the money to pay for that, and even though I had told her teacher I would pay for her party fee, that seems to not have included this gown business! Abigail was really upset and so of course that made me upset. I wish there would have been another way to include all the kids in her class, not just the ones that could afford the hefty price tag.

It’s already an issue much too familiar to us: every interaction, event, occurrence throughout every single day comes down to money; the fact that we are supposed to “have” it and everyone else needs it. We expect it from strangers on the street, but try as we might to give the teachers (in this case) we work with the benefit of doubt, it’s unfortunately it's hard. I just wish it wouldn’t creep into something that was supposed to be a celebration. In any case, Adam, Courtney and I have decided to have our own graduation party for Abigail! It should be really fun…but I think that means I’m headed back to Owino market for the party food…

Shandrack & Espware

Today I was in for a day of fun with brothers Shandrack and Espware. Shandrack (11) is in 4^th grade, and his brother Espware (12) is in 5^th grade; both boys are very small for their age, but their smiles big and their hearts huge. I have been trying for literally over a month how to tell you about these 2 guys (along with so many others). I really have a special place for them in my heart and want to share a little bit of their story with you.

The boys come from a family of 5 kids, with 3 older sisters. The whole family moved from the Congo in 2001 but their parents were split up at the time of the move and their mother only recently moved here to Uganda. She is very poor and quite frankly unable to take care of any of the kids. Although the boys usually live with their father, it is not a stable place by any means. He himself is not very able (or willing, it seems) to take care of these boys. He is re-married to a woman who I have never met, but of whom I’ve heard bad stories. Shandrack and Espware were chased out of their fathers home last week, which is seemingly a more usual occurrence than I originally thought, so they are staying with their mother right now. Her place is smaller than most college dorms rooms, only as wide as their full size bed is long. The bed takes up half the space and 2 other arms chairs fill most of the remaining area. The mother, oldest sister and 1-year old niece share the bed while Shandrack, Espware and their sister Brandine sleep on the floor.

I don’t mean for their story to seem hopeless or overly depressing, but it’s their tough reality. Looking at the boys, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell much about their home life, though. Shandrack has THE most hysterical laugh I’ve ever heard and fortunately is always laughing. His voice, I can’t even describe. It hasn’t quite turned the maturity corner yet but just makes everything he says so much better. I love this child so much; he can put a smile on my face at any second. Seeing his dimply smile alone makes this work worth it. And Espware is such an incredible big brother, he’s taken on somewhat of a father figure for his brother but still really loves to be a kid. He’s a huge goofball and loves to climb…anything. One minute we are haning out, the next minute he’s in the mango tree, throwing down fruits to us. He’s impressive on the football field, especially for his size and can really hold his own. I love watching him when he’s with the other kids; he has an intelligence about him which I know will take him far. Both boys are very creative and love to draw. We make a weekly habit of going through their sketchbooks together; I think they’re both going to need another soon!!

Not just because of their size, but for other reasons kids pick on other kids, these boys get their fair share of jokes from the others. Their shoes are literally worn through to the ground and their school uniforms are faded. Well not next school year – it was time for some new threads & shoes for my buds! They graciously accepted my request a couple weeks ago and we had been counting down the days!

When I got to the boys mother’s, they were outside drawing. They looked so cute in their outfits, too, both dressed up very handsome. Shandrack has this suit vest that he always wears and, at first, he wouldn’t even take it off-just added another vest on top, this one fleece. Eventually (unfortunately!) he changed into a shirt and we left. Espware had on his jeans for church and was so psyched to show me each hidden pocket and zipper.

Once we got into town, we found ourselves back at the dreaded/crazy/infamous Owino market (see birthday post if you're lost). This time though, we didn’t come in contact with the smells! The vendors were still hustling, still throwing things in our face, still grabbing this & that, trying to get us to purchase their whatever. Eventually, the boys settled on some “strong” (their only request) shoes for school, and then each found some white sneakers for every day. They also got some new shirts, shorts and socks. But I have to explain these since I can’t post pictures yet: Shandrack got pink socks with panda faces (amazing) and swimming trunks – “Look, I don’t have to wear underpants!!!! he screamed, mid-market (even more amazing). They also got matching shirts which normally I think is too cheesy for kids of the same family, but these boys are too cute for me to even care.

We went back to their mothers and after a short fashion show, played cards for hours and got ice cream (ok, not me but it looked good!). New uniforms are being made right now, too! I will surely request that awkward first-day-of-school pic we all had to take but I think these boys will be into it though, silly faces and all.

Time flies when you're having fun...

Courtney and Adam returned Thursday, thus ending my first solo week in Africa. While they found themselves hiking through the rolling hills of Western Uganda, I found myself singing, dancing & trying to play the drums like an African, having a water fight, back-to-school shopping, playing cards, in the middle of a enraged mob of African men, getting robbed, having my head braided (wish it was dreadlocks!), eating pizza with bacon, plucking the wings and legs of live grasshoppers, trying pumpkin for the first time, and being offered a child to take back with me to America.

Ok, so let me explain. They made me kill the grasshoppers! Alright who am I kidding, I'm addicted and I don't care who knows it. I am bad at robbing the little things of their body parts though, so I'll leave that to the pros.

Speaking of robbing, I suppose there's something else I should explain... I was robbed again - what's up Kampala?!? How's a [white] sister get a break in this town?? I was sitting in the back of a taxi stuck in traffic, someone scratched down my arm with a pin or something through the window and at my surprise, grabbed my iPod from my hands and tried to run away. Someone knocked him over and that's where that enraged mob of angry African men comes in: They beat this guy up! Big time. It was scary, yet redeeming at the same time. Sorry, but it's true! I of course just wanted to get out of there but every woman in the taxi kept telling me to go by the thief/mob and grab my iPod...to which I asked Are you insane?! Clearly. iPod was recovered, only to break the next day. No worries now, most things I brought here are now gone or broken so I hope this is the last report of theft!

That fiasco aside, the week was awesome, like I said. I feel refreshed and really happy to be here; I got to spend good time with the kids and I didn't really notice I was here on my own (not that I didn't miss Courtney & Adam, it's good to have them back!!) Wednesday and Thursday were pretty much two of my most favorite days yet; dueling it out for top day here so far.

Wednesday morn I came to check my internet but serendipitously all 3 places nearby had no power. I decided to head to the Youth Center to do some cleaning and a few other projects since I thought the kids were out of school, but as soon as I got there I heard drums and singing at nearby HOPE. Obviously I went over there in lieu of cleaning! Next thing I knew I was dancing and "singing" much to the kids delight. It was so fun and even the little 5-6 year olds had some things to teach me, these kids can move!! I love watching them sing and dance. A few goofy boys were just snapping, clapping and winding their way through their dancing friends, smiling and cracking up the whole time. There was one entire wall of the classroom lined with kids beating on drums, too - what an incredible sound it made. Everyone was practicing for their big Speech Day party on Sunday. I can't wait!!!

After a bit I went to clean which I actually enjoyed, mostly because 2 of my little buds snuck out of practice and helped. We had a hilarious water fight that left us drenched, exhausted and giggling. We finished just in time for practice to let out and nearly 70 kids filled the Youth Center to draw, read and play games. More dancing took place, of course and some kids even found barrels outside filled with water which they treated as a swimming pool and hopped right in. It was awesome and I need to show you these pictures! I think a beach day for these kids is knocking on my door.

I ended the night with an invitation to go back to Acheal, Jeledi, Abigail and Jaelle's home. These 4 intelligent, goofy, amazing kids and their caring older brother Samuel moved here from Burundi in 2007 after their mother was killed and their father jailed. I cannot imagine the things these kids have seen, and hanging out with them leaves me smiling and in awe. It was my first time to meet Samuel, the kids guardian, and at 20, maybe 21 (he's not sure) I am just inspired by him. We all talked by candlelight for a while and as the kids showed off their artwork to their big brother, I couldn't help but feel myself bursting with happiness and their excitement. My next post needs to be about this family but for now, I just want to say if I end up back in America in a couple with an adorable girl about 3 feet tall, with the biggest smile and brightest eyes ever, her name is Abigail. (It's just plain rude to refuse an offer when you are the guest, you know.)

Thursday, I got to take two of my most favorite boys shopping for some new kicks and a few other things. I wanted to make a separate post about Thursday though, not just because it was so great, but because I want to tell you more about these 2 really special, incredible boys. And how they taught me the art of dissecting grasshoppers. Haha, ok enough with that, I get it.

I was a little bummed back at my place, though, that our Thanksgiving didn't quite follow our original plan for a live turkey that we subsequently were going to kill (by we I mean our African friends) & cook for dinner (do I sound crazy yet?!), but it did include some bomb bacon pizza.

The kids at HOPE have a party/Speech Day on Sunday and I am pretty sure that will take the prize for best.day.ever. I can't wait to show you pictures of the day and if I can, post videos. You need to know these kids.

"Just another 365 day journey around the sun"

I woke up Saturday morning at the crack of dawn to go to Owino Market to get the items for this birthday meal I was to prepare for my party the next day. Now when I say "market" I'm using that term loosely as I really mean The Most Crazy Place on Earth of People Selling ANYTHING. Everywhere you turn, someone is trying to sell something. "My friend!" one vendor called out, as if that was going to entice me into buying the nail clippers painted with Allah. "Sister, sister!" shouts another holding World's Largest Pack of Sugar. Scarves are flying, pants are hanging from the rafters and the quiet hum of sewing machines can somehow always be heard over the screaming men. And don't get me wrong, who doesn't love the smell of freshly ground peanuts, but add the smell of hundreds of fish (albeit fresh)/pineapples/chopped onions/gallons of tomato sauce (okay-that I hate) and the ever-present pollution of Kampala...now you're talking overload. Did I mention it's 8am?

Sunday brought the party and we had a lot of fun; the food came out great to my surprise. My friends decided I was African (enough) in their eyes/stomachs, and that's good enough for me! The night came to a high when a couple friends dropped off some gifts; not just any gifts but a pretty set of drinking glasses, a wine glass, and a package of Playtex pads. Wait, what?! Yes, indeed, pads. It was awesome. Ok, in all fairness it was probably the packaging for the wine glass, but I prefer to take the slightly more awkward option here. Either way, it was hilarious. Stay tuned for some pictures...

In continuing the celebration (well, Monday was my actual birthday!) Court, Adam and I started the day off with a trip to our friends art gallery. It was fascinating and there were some beautiful pieces. He, himself, did not have much on display at the time though, but after we toured the place, we did get to talk about the possibility of him coming to talk with the kids and even to do a screen printing class. How cool is that?!

After the art gallery we decided to head to this awesome little diner called I Love NYK (New York Kitchen!!). It even looked like a real NYC diner (actually, probably better than some I've been to...)! Of course, I got a bagel with lox and then, just because I could, got the world's most massive slice of red velvet cake. Seriously, wait til you see this thing! It was delicious, even if I could hardly finish a 1/4 of it... After a trip down NYC lane, we checked out some local crafts markets, of course, and then we ended the night at an outdoor restaurant where I got steak & Belgian style frites, and the most delicious passion fruit juice! (Is it me, or is this turning into a food blog?!) Anyway, it was an awesome weekend full of (real!) food, love from home, and friends here in Uganda. I even got to have a surprise mini-celebration when some of the kids came over on Tuesday!

Thank you again & again to everyone who sent wishes; it really was so nice to hear from you!!! Extra thanks to Marina, Marvelle & Mark, Mrs Grossman and Brother for the birthday donations, to Adam & Court for the whole weekend, to BK girls for your early morning call, to Fe for your perfectly timed package and untimely everything else and of course, to my parents for all they've done & continue to do...

Here's to 26!

Goals and Grasshoppers

On Sunday we held our first 'young adults workshop' which aside from our lesson, included 6 hours of church service (yes, 6), singing, dancing, whistle blowing, 87 attendees & 2 American girls. Our theme was "Making S.M.A.R.T. Goals" & we discussed effective goal setting and how one can really set his/her sights on something for their future. (And as if you are wondering, S.M.A.R.T. is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely). The workshop went really well and we found some people even taking notes! Some really incredible people shared great success stories of various goals they had acheived themselves. It was very uplifting and encouraging.

We prepared for about 30 so imagine our surprise when we found the room packed to 87! It was a good surprise though, for sure. I've also confirmed, for about the 78th time in my adult life, that I'm much more a behind-the scenes person than the one that enjoys being up front. As soon as I was handed the microphone and asked to stand in the front of everyone things got freaky. Thinking there'd be about 30 people, I imagined a nice little circle of chairs, everyone at the same level, everyone encouraged to share. No such luck, but it went really well in the end...especially when I convinced myself that everyones really focused on the translator not me, it was a little easier (oh the things we tell ourselves...).

In a completely unrelated but equally important note, my new favorite snack is grasshoper! They are cooked of course and oh so tasty. On the way to training yesterday afternoon, some ladies called us onto their porch to offer us some of these tasty treats (senene in Luganda) and of course I went sprinting over. I learned all about how to cook them, etc etc. I'm less interested in that though (naturally), and just into eating them. Speaking of young grasshoppers, happy birthday to my baby bro. Even though you aren't so baby, you are still my little brother!! Hope you had fun!!!!

Prepping for a big weekend comin up...birthday celebrations on the horizon!! I am going to try & cook for my guests which will be sure to provide some blog worthy stories...


Thinkin of you and hope you are doing awesome,
Heather

Hats off to the Graduate!

Well, unfortunately we were not able to go to the U POP (aka Ugandan pop-I've learned) concert on Sunday--major bummer, right? Our friends ended up not being able to go, the sky was threatening a wicked rainstorm and Court, Adam and I decided our time could be better spent sampling coffees from around Eastern Uganda and craft shopping. It was a nice afternoon, for sure!

On Saturday night though I did get to attend my friend Didier's graduation party. Rather, Dr. Didas' graduation party... just in case he reads this I know he'd like that better...

Since I was told things started at 7:30, I arrived a little before 8. I figured that was on African time.... Jokes on me, I was probably one of the last to get there! I snuck in with my friend Jasiri and we tried to sit in the back (the whole courtyard of Didas' home had transformed into a sea of lawn chairs) where we saw our other friend Rapha. Well...Olivier (Dr.s' brother) wasn't going to have any of that - we were to sit up with the family in the row chairs that faced the crowd, of course! Of course!

After I delivered my much-rehearsed greetings in Swahili to Dr Didas and Oliver's mother, the Doctor himself came out in a rather grand entrance. He looked rightly proud in his cap & gown and his parents were beaming. The crowd goes wild! I'm so proud of him too; it's a HUGE accomplishment, and he graduated with a degree in Software Engineering at that!

Next up was FOOD and the DANCE PARTY, my favorite combination of events. We were delighted to dance to a lovely mix of Congolese music and some R. Kelly/Usher/50 cent etc... (Windsor, you would be proud!). The food was great too, we even had beignets and meat - mmmmm. A nice switch for my palette.

After we digested and got a little more dancing in (those Congolese LOVE to dance. Scratch that, Africans love to dance..) Dr's dad came out to greet me. He's very intelligent and well spoken! I was invited into the family's home to have a beer, and soon after the graduate, Olivier, their 2 sisters and other brother came in to join their US: their father, mother, grandmother, a few aunts and me. It was time for heartfelt speeches, warming thank-yous and me to feel like I happened in on a private family affair. No one seemed to notice but me, of course.. It was really touching and makes me even more proud to call them my friends!

Finally, a few of us decided it was time to take the party to the real dance floor and we went to a nearby bar where the latest Congolese music videos were played, with some R. Kelly/Usher/50 cent mixed in of course.

It was a great night indeed!

So long camera I [still] love so dear

Well, I am healthy again and don't cringe at the sight of an avocado anymore..but definitely still do not have the stomach to try & eat one yet. Just a week after all that fainting-in-Kampala craziness, the city had something else in store for me:

My bag was stolen on Friday night! A boda boda driver (motorcycle taxi, basically) drove by and snatched it straight out of my hands and then just kept on driving down the street. It was around 8 so it was already dark and he was going too fast for us to even do anything. It took me a couple seconds to even realize what the heck happened, and of course by then it was too late.

At first, I automatically thought about my wallet. I didn't have that much in there, maybe the equivalent of $25 and my IL drivers license (passport was safe at home, thank goodness). Then about 30 seconds later came the realization that my Canon camera was in there too...what I was most worried about in bringing that camera here had happened -it's gone!! Annoyingly, I also had my little digital point & shoot camera in there too cause I was planning to upload some pictures from that camera as well. FML, right?

So while the boda driver is stuffing his pockets with fat wads of cash, I am trying so hard to think on the bright side, to be positive, something... Maybe he has lots of kids to feed, or school fees to pay. Unlikely, I know. It just makes me so upset - I'm back in Kampala today and I can feel myself looking around, untrusting and even angry at times. I don't like that! I don't want to be sad either, so I try to focus on the fact that I still get to be with these kids and that's the reason why I'm here. On the fact the camera itself is replaceable. I realize too that I'm fortunate enough to even think about replacing it, maybe not immediately, but at some point. I am also so glad that I had been able to get most of the pictures off that camera and at least on-line so I can still have access to them. I had planned some cool photo projects for the kids and really hope that is still possible. I think giving them pictures of themselves and with their friends would really be special.

I went back to the police station this morning and they still have hope they will be able to trace my SIM card and track everything down (I thought that's what they said they'd be doing this weekend...but regardless...). Again, sounds unlikely, right? Courtney and Adam's cameras are both still kickin' so I still hope to capture some of what's going on here via their cams. Courtney is even visiting America in December so I'm hoping she can meet my parents to at least get some kind of replacement.

So, yes, this sucks BIG TIME but I didn't need my cameras, IDs or wallet to be stolen to see the obvious lessons here - that I am fine, healthy and things could have been worse. That there are bigger problems right in front of me that I can put my attention to; so many of these kids have issues that I've never had to deal with. Of course I wish this hadn't happened, but I know I can learn a lot without looking through the lens of a camera!

Hope you have a great week!
Heather

So long green fruit I once loved so dear

Just wanted to say hay, so hay...

Things are still rockin and rollin and it's hard to believe it's Oct 1 already, right?

Well, my apologies for falling off the virtual face of the world for a bit. I'm not a trained blogger. I'd much rather put up pics for ya'll to see so I hope you were or are able to check out facebook for the full collection.

In some other news, I fell a bit ill this past week, topping the saga off with a fainting episode in the streets of Kampala. You don't even have to say it, I will: hot.mess.. Not that there is ever a good place to pass out, but Kampala would rank in my Top 5 places to never, ever do it! All kidding aside, I am fine, just wicked dehydrated! I got a nasty infection that I couldn't shake cause my kidneys didn't have enough water. etc etc. I'll spare you other details, but I am on the mend now although still taking it easy. I really think I drink a lot of water, too!

The WORST part of this, you ask? I ate an avocado for lunch on Tuesday before sh*t hit the fan and now I can't even THINK of a 'cado, let alone type it here. WOOF, major bummer there. Hopefully that passes and I can resume eating you-know-whats... :)

Well, back to resting and drinking lots and lots of water. October is shaping up to be busy for work for us. We've connected with 4 other schools and will begin holding trainings on their grounds once a week for the kids. It should be really fun and hopefully we can get some kids more involved in our Center. (Sidenote: Still no further developments on the gov't building going in and us moving out!)

Well, I hope you are all healthy, happy and enjoying FALL! Get creative with those pumpkins and costumes. I'm excited to see some good pics.

Thinking of you,
Heather

Kids Gone Wild

Each Thursday afternoon, the Hope School has its Sports Day and this past Thursday, yours truly was in charge (Court, Adam and I rotate...in hindsight maybe not the best plan, but we'll make it work).

I arrived a bit before 3, when the kids are supposed to be released from class and get their sports on. They soon began pouring out of their classrooms and into the courtyard of the school. Soon teacher Heather became Jungle-gym Heather and I was covered in children, all limbs with 3+ children attached, kids piling on my back. It was great.

I look around for teacher Jakob who I thought I'd be helping run Sports Day with. Of course he is no where to be found so I sort of just stand there for a few minutes talking to the kids about their days and finally, Jakob shows up.

"Okay, get to the pitch!"

"What pitch?" I say, wondering if he really means, "Let's go/I'm coming with you/Won't this be FUN! .........

"Teacher Jakob? Hello? Bueller!?" One of the kids pointed back into the headmaster's office. Sounds about right.

So I asked one (of my favorite kids..shhhh) what pitch they usually go to, and as soon as she pointed, 160 kids take off in every which direction. I still have about a dozen around me, offering to hold my water, carry my backpack or just hold my hand.

So here we are, one happy family: one wide eyed mzungu and 160 little African children running, jumping, screaming, cartwheeling, piggybacking through the fields of Ndejje towards who-knows-what-pitch. Some kids are half naked at this point as they are taking off their uniforms and socks and kicking their shoes off. Well, seems fine to me, I guess. It is hot out! After walking for a bit, we arrive (it seems like all the kids made it) at a large open space surrounded by trees. MANGO trees at that. SWEET, right? Until I noticed like 14 kids climbing in the trees and another dozen or so on the ground hacking at the branches and swinging from the lower limbs. It was insane, but also secretly awesome. I wanted to jump up there with them but figured that wouldn't be the best example to set... I'm not too sure how comfortable I am eating an unwashed mango either-call me a diva.

Eventually I was able to break the kids up into a boys group and a girls group - it's just how it's done here... not something I support, but hey, we got to choose our battles! Thankfully they understand "Stop" and "No sports day" and after a little explanation, each group was playing something that resembled tag. Everyone seemed to be having a grand ol time, if I do say so myself. About 30 minutes in Jakob and a few other teachers came by to join the fun.

All in all, it was a great afternoon and I felt really good with the kids. As crazy as it was, they are really disciplined, most of them, and so respectful. They just wanna have some fun, who can blame them! They sit in those classrooms everyday from 7:30 to 5, often later. That'd make anyone go crazy! Thankfully, everyone had fun and no one got hurt! I'm already looking forward to next time :)

You just can't make this stuff up!

So far, I feel like we've experienced some c r a z y things. Sometimes I just chalk it up to a different way of life, or maybe a cultural tradition. Sometimes though, it's just plain bizarre no matter how you slice it. This time, well you decide...

We had a meeting on Tuesday with the headmaster of Hope to rearrange our schedule and surprising, it went really well. Like a little too well. Then we has class with the P6s (about 6th grade, give or take) and it was so much fun. * I have lots of pictures of the kids, they are so awesome! I'll post those soon!* Anyway, after class we met with another guy about some pretty mundane maintenance issues with our Youth Center. Everything was moving along really smoothly until he, ever so casually, mentions that our new neighbors who are in about week 3 of construction, are with the Uganda government.

"Oh..cool" we all thought and nothing more. That was until we learned by "Ugandan Government" he meant undercover, illegal operations team.. Like "secret service" was the best translation our friend could come up with. The 'house' would look like a house from the outside. Even the inside, should we ever get a peek in, would look like a home but whatever would be happening inside I doubt would be very family oriented.

Our housemate Deo told us there are some other buildings around town like this - one he knows of has a warehouse inside which takes expired condoms and slaps a new date on the package, preparing it for resale. And I thought a lack of education was just the issue ...

"Oh shit" we all thought, our minds racing. On top of this news, our friend says, again very nonchalantly, that we will more than likely need to vacate our Center - it's nothing urgent- but just something to keep in mind. The officials don't want the youth running about. DUDE?

I thought a cow time out during a football game was odd enough. This is just..truly something we couldn't make up, expect, predict. I think I am pretty easy going, but I am definitely learning to adjust my frame of thought and drop any assumptions I may have still carried up to this point. There just seem to be so many issues I feel like we can dissect here and that translate to any of the bizarrOness we experience. One glaring issue is just the plain lack of foresight amongst most people here. It seems obvious enough to us as Americans that, if you don't want kids around, check out the buildings already standing! Don't build near a school! (Hope School is maybe 100 yds away). Then again, this is the Ugandan government and something tells me they don't so much mind who is inconvenienced.

So, as I try to conclude, I am thinking I should have used a code word for 'government' but I guess if I don't post within 2 weeks or so, contact Adam or Courtney. Unless they've been taken by The Man too.. Just kidding Mom.

This is certainly one TO BE CONTINUED

Getting to know Ugandan football

It’s a whole different ball game here… Maybe my African friends in the US can attest to this, or maybe I’m just wildly offending them…if so- sorry!!!! :) You know who you are, and you know I think you are some of the (if not THE) most talented players I know!

Back to the task at hand. Last Saturday we headed to Nelson Mandela Stadium on the outskirts of Kampala to see Uganda take on Angola in the first of 2 qualifying matches for the African Nations Cup in 2012. I assumed this would be a heated match and we would be in for a good night of action…Well, we certainly were, but it was mostly in the stands to be honest! We had an awesome time and I can only imagine now what the World Cup was like… the vuvuzelas, the chants, drums, the water bottles being thrown every other minute (and who knows what else!). It was great fun and even the rainstorm during first half didn’t dampen anyone’s spirit while we all cheered on the Cranes.

Ballers as they are known here (I giggle every time…) are in incredible shape, yet most professional athletes are. These guys are fast though, like…really fast. They can kick the ball really hard, too…but sometimes it seemed like we were watching tennis rather than soccer!! I realize I’m no pro here, but it seemed the caliber should be a bit higher for this level, you know? The strategy of clustering the ball and running straight up and down the middle, that, in America, we try to get out of our kids heads seems to be the strategy of choice here. No one makes runs of any kind, no one really challenges the ball. Ah-ha!! I can hear you say (or at least you, Dad……..) this is where WE come in, Soccer Without Borders. We want to get these young players to think creatively and pro actively. To actually make those overlapping runs and create plays. It’ll be a challenge, but I know we are up for it.

In the end, Uganda came up 3-0. Good times for all. As soon as we squeezed, literally, our way out of the turnstile – others chose the climb on top of another method – we saw the boda (vespa) drivers pulling up all these nice plants outside the stadium!! I asked my friend Jasiri what on Earth they were doing and he told me that’s how to celebrate! You wave these plants around. You stick them in wherever they’ll stick and you run the streets screaming and chanting and cheering. It was crazy. And so awesome.

Getting to know Uganda: Jinja and Sipi style

We arrived in Jinja - the town famed for having 'source of the Nile' - ready and rearin to get out on the river. I was definitely pumped for white water rafting, especially cause it just seemed so cool to be doing it on the Nile River! The three of us were with a fun Danish couple and the other raft was full of Americans...the obnoxious kind that you know give American tourists everywhere that reputation.... And I will say, our raft made it down the 15 ft drop..theirs did not! Just saying..

That was probably in thanks to our guide, a South African native with NO fear. If it were up to him we would have been taking on grade 6 rapids all day! I'd like to say I took most like a champ, but the last rapid was by far the worst and thank goodness it was the last cause I needed to get out!! Being under that raft was NOT were I wanted to be but thankfully the safety kayakers were excellent at their jobs (hi Mom!) It was exhilarating and exciting and everything else rafting is supposed to be, but dang, how’s a sister supposed to stay afloat!!

So after getting thoroughly slapped around by the Nile, I headed out to Sipi Falls in the SE part of the country for a couple days of R&R. Sipi was very serene and peaceful. The people were very welcoming, too, and I really enjoyed getting to know some interesting people. I got to learn how coffee was made too and I even got to take a bag of my own beans home! I planted a tree (bush?), too, so that will be ripe for the pickin in about 3 years…

I got to learn more about the agricultural life throughout the country and just how dependent the people are on their land. They welcome rain, imagine that! :) Looking out over the massive valley in Sipi, it's really cool to see the family's plots, knowing they can identify theirs from probably 2 miles away.

Anyway, I don’t think the pictures quite captured the magnitude of how beautiful it really was in either Jinja or Sipi but I've posted some pics of both below…

This Is Africa

Still adjusting but I'm able to find humor in the little things, thank goodness!!! So many whacky & odd-to-us/totally random things happen everyday and our only fitting response seems to have become "TIA" - This Is Africa:

We're watching a heated, town favorite Arsenal game and right with a few minutes left in the match, the power goes out. No one moves..no one complains.

We walk out of a fruit market and there are 2 policemen with massive AK 47s. Aint no thang. And by fruit market I mean, pretty much any store/bar/establishment.

It's pretty typical to find 3 or 4 of our housemate Deo's friends sitting on our porch at any given time. Deo's not home, and although they are our friends, too, when we open the door they follow us right in like they're our roommates. Maybe to borrow some soap. Maybe just to lounge. My favorite is when they start singing.

We also just added a hammock to our porch, so that is a crowd pleaser and used at all hours. Seriously, all hours..

Our 10am meeting with Hope Schools headmaster and Youth Center volunteer started promptly at 12:15pm. What, you thought 10 meant 10?

At training last week we arrived at the field to find a giant steer with massssssive horns grazing in the middle. He didn't seem concerned with moving any time soon. Kids begin playing around the cow. And during the U-15 boys match on Saturday (some of these "14 year olds" had facial hair..ahem.. TIA) a herd of cows ran onto the field, prompting a total of 3 time outs during the game. So good....mooooooo

Probably one of my favorites is waking up to:
a rooster crow
packs of rabid dogs roaming the streets
Celine Dion music
I can't decide yet.. but Celine really does have some pipes.

Last week though, we learned of some more serious obstacles with our work here, however I still think it deserves a TIA response: There is a nursery school (connected with Hope School, where we work) that took over half of the Youth Center last year and is slowly but surely building it's own space nearby. S-l-o-w-l-y but surely (TIA). It's tricky cause we want our space back, but we want to help the nursery transition. It's been an ongoing issue and now we've inherited it. We had a meeting with a man called Jacques from Hope School and he asked us for a loan to help complete the nursery space. A loan of $1,000! (This was just a few days after he told us how many people in town only see mzungus as having a lot of $. Interestingly, he didn't include himself) The loan discussion didn't come as a shock altogether, but it's still an uncomfortable place, especially such a short time in. Hopefully, we will use this as a learning opportunity and educate Hope School officials about realistic business practices and expectations. My suggestion is to just get out there ourselves and lay bricks!! I'm not sure how that'd go over.

This is the space where the nursery will go..eventually!

This has given us some issues to work through which is good cause we have something to focus on. I am still trying to settle into life here and each day is a new learning experience. Some days are better than others but that's just life! On Sunday, we are heading to Jinga to go white water rafting...it will be awesome to get out and explore . It's supposed to be beautiful!

FYI Courtney is leading the chapatti count with 15. Must eat more.

Thinking of you all.... Be well.

View from our porch


Me, Courtney, Adam

My name is not mzungu!

It's hard to believe it's been just one week since I got here...

First off, the landscape is stunning! It is so green and lush. There are hills after hills of beautiful trees and plants. Kampala (30 min ride away) is another story, it's like NYC Chinatown on speed. Plus LOTS of pollution. Ahh, city life.. I will definitely get some pictures up soon!

On Saturday, I moved into my house with Courtney and Adam. We also live with Deo, who is a local. He's very thoughtful and is really great with the kids in the soccer program. It's a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom...with a toilet!! And running water! Can you believe it?! Our kitchen consists of 2 stone fire pits - which if I do say so myself, I have become pretty adept at getting going - can you believe THAT is the question? I had trouble starting a grill with pre lit charcoal before I left (embarassing, but true). Each night is a new adventure with the electricity. That'll take some getting used to. Plus, it gets dark around 7:30 and it's not really safe for us to 'move at night'. We've had some entertaining talks by candlelight already.

Speaking of those kids! They're out of school for 3 weeks; we arrived in the middle of their first week. School starts back up Sept 6, so it was a nice to get here without having to dive right into everything. This week I feel a bit antsy though... don't get me wrong, I love just relaxing and hanging around, but since we are known as "mzungus"..(white people/foreigner) so it's tough to go anywhere, even down the street for food (more on THAT later!!! mmmm) without being stared at, called, hailed or any other means by which to get our attention. Usually it's just kids which is sometimes cute - they seem to almost sing "Hi mzungu" -but most times a bit overdone. I'm trying to have an open mind about it all and be as friendly as I can but sometimes it's just the last thing we want to hear! I really hope (believe?) once we settle in a bit more and people begin to realize we are here for a LONG time, then maybe our names will replace mzungu. Sometimes I feel discouraged because I want to try & build relationships in my time here, not just put on programs and trainings but many seem so hesitant against that forging that path but I really hope that it's just a caution and not something more steadfast. Hopefully once we get busy we won't even notice!

In the past week, we've attended a few trainings (soccer practices) I really do believe the youth involved appreciate it and will hopefully be willing to attend other events we put on. These trainings are sometimes their only chance for fun. If they are home, they would likely be doing chores so they are very disciplined because they know that if they aren't they will be sent home. Very different from the kids I coached in NYC...!

When the youth are back in school we will hold a day of training for girls and a day for boys, and then Saturday AMs for all kids. A few days a week, we will also be at a place called Hope School leading classes. I'm looking forward to having the art & English classes since the headmaster informed us there is no art teacher and she feels that is a very important part of their day! Just call me bob ross. Plus, we hope to get things going at the Ndejje Youth Center soon. First up is the big Welcome Party which I'm stoked about!! We were told today, parties here MUST include food. Um........ duh! Once the word is out about the center and interest is just through the roof (a girl can dream, can't she!?) we will be able to start planning programs for the community. Definitely more to come on that, I'm so excited!

What else can I share? Well of course, the food. It's like I've died and go to produce heaven. The pineapples are bigger than my head and the juiciest things ever and cost 50 cents. Bananas are a delicious staple and mango season is coming up! YES. Avocados are everywhere...need I say more? Tonight I discovered kikamando.. It's red beans mixed with chapatti, which is sort of a mix between the most delicious tortilla you've ever had and naan. The roommates and I have a chapatti count and yours truly is leading with 10, but I think Courtney just brought home 3 for dinner though..shoot!

Hopefully this covered the basics but I've gone on way long enough already. Will I ever be brief in my updates? Probably not..... but I hope it wasnt too painful...

Thank you as always for your support over the last week and good vibes as I traveled, too. I know have a long road ahead, but with each day that passes I feel a little more at ease. We wonder outloud a lot if we will ever feel less like outsiders, but are not so sure of that. Either way, I'm so glad to be able to share the ups & downs with you, at least virtually for now. Please know I miss you and think about home, (wherever that may be!) often...

And as I can hear some kids whistling the world cup theme, I will get back to my African life. Until next time...

Todays the day!

Well, my bags are packed & I'm finally Uganda-bound. All that's left are the flights....

This past week was spent in San Fran (for training, not a last minute vacation!) where I met the two people I'll be with in Uganda, as well as 6 others who are working with SWB for the next 10 months - 4 are going to Guatemala and 2 to Nicaragua. It was really an awesome group of people to be around prior to setting off and a special shout out & thanks once again to Ben, Myra & Mary for all their hard work..

I was pumped to get a more intimate look at our program in Ndejje and I feel re-energized about our work there. The program is at a really cool stage in its development..its fairly new and teetering on the edge of awesomeness. The three of us (I should intro my "co-workers" Adam & Courtney) have a really unique and seriously cool opportunity to leave our mark and create some worthwhile programs that will last way beyond our return to the US of A next June. I'm really looking forward to seeing what our new community wants and what types of programs, workshops etc, they feel they'd benefit from. My goal, if you'll indulge me, is to create a consistent (hopefully weekly!) program for girls in the community. I feel equipped with lots of cool games, ideas for workshops, and of course fun projects that I really hope are well received! MUCH more to come on this...

We also got the chance this week to work at the Oakland Refugee Soccer Camp; it was a cool opportunity to flex our coaching muscles in a new setting. I was with the older girls (13+) and although they were a hand full (was I like that, mom?!?!) we had a blast. I've put up some pics from our time at the camp.

Well, see ya on the flip side..of the world! Woah... can't believe this day has finally come.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support - for reading this - for your donations - for believing this could happen. Let's go have some fun!

Kampala bombings

In what should have been a day filled with excitement over the final game of the World Cup, it was instead filled with sadness as we now read about several bombings that occurred in Kampala last night. You can read the full story here.

It appears to be the work of Al-Shabab, an Islamist Fundamentalist group based in Somalia, in retaliation for Uganda's support of the Somali 'government' Al-Shabab opposes. At least 74 people have been declared dead, including an American working with Invisible Children. Thankfully, the SWB staff currently in Ndejje are safe. This morning, SWB staff informed me this is the first time something of this nature has happened in the 3+ years SWB has been working in Uganda, and while of course I am concerned, I still feel confident in my decision to accept this responsibility of working in the area.

Please keep all the families who lost loved ones in your thoughts or prayers during this tough time.

IT'S HERE - thank you, Madiba!

Today, everything begins for the 32 teams battling for the title of the best soccer team in the World . I felt like a kid waking up on Christmas morning; brackets filled out (Go Ivory Coast!!), DVR cued up and lunch breaks planned around afternoon games. Even on my walk to work this morning I could feel the excitement - the streets were filled with team paraphernalia and World Cup gear in anticipation of today's matches.

While watching tournament coverage, I was hit by this quote from Mr. Nelson Mandela and I wanted to share it:

"Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does."

I couldn't help but be drawn to this; not only because of my great admiration and respect for Mr. Mandela, but I find it quite fitting in preparing for Uganda. It's the reason I chose to take on this opportunity. I believe in the power of this sport and what it can do. I'm not sure what lies ahead, but, to me, that is the exciting part. I don't know how to describe the feeling I get using soccer as my language, but it's incredible. Watching people communicate through this sport is inspiring.

Soccer has brought so much to my life - both on and off the field - and I am truly looking forward to sharing that with the people in Ndejje. More and more I realize, this opportunity is about so much more than soccer, but right on the field is the perfect place to start.

And with that said, it's 10:00 AM, June 11....THE GAMES HAVE STARTED!!!

Thoughts and prayers are with the Mandela family on the loss of Zenani, Mr. Mandela's 13yr old great-granddaughter. She was killed in a car crash just last night.

And we're off...

I never imagined I'd be sitting down to write a blog, but then again, I never imagined I’d actually be preparing for an adventure quite like this…

I am excited to share the news that this August I will be heading to Ndejje, Uganda with an organization called Soccer Without Borders (SWB). SWB is a non profit organization that uses soccer as a vehicle to get involved in communities around the world and create positive change in the lives of underserved children and other socially marginalized groups .

I feel so blessed by this opportunity and am excited to start holding soccer clinics and art programs for children in the community, in addition to conducting vocational and life-skill workshops for women as well as refugees who’ve resettled into the region from nearby DRC, Rwanda and Burundi. As eager as I am to begin this journey, I know there is a lot of work ahead of me, especially in the next few months with my biggest challenge of raising the required funds: my goal is $8,000. This program is not funded and I am responsible for covering my expenses. Charity begins at home, so I am asking you to join me achieving this goal.

On the top right hand corner of this blog's homepage, you will find a "Just Give" button. It's easy to use and will take you to a secure website where you can donate to my fundraising efforts. Simply designate your donation is for "Heather Luboff" in the space provided. This is the easiest and most efficient way to make a contribution; however, checks are certainly accepted! Please contact me for details if you are interested in taking that route. And, remember: ALL donations are tax-deductible! Ask your company about matching gifts, too – it’s an easy way to double your impact, and please, please forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate!

I don't think it's quite hit me yet that this is happening, but I am ready and I hope to share this journey with you. And even though financial support is most urgent at this point, I still need your thoughts, prayers, good vibes and words of encouragement. My work with SWB in Uganda cannot and will not happen without my friends and family and I am so fortunate to have some of the best around.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, you know you can call or email me anytime. I posted some cool links on the sidebar where you can read more about SWBs programs and if you are on Facebook, please “Like” the SWB fan page – it, in addition to this personal page, will be an easy way to keep in touch with what’s happening!

Many, MANY thanks for your continued love & support.

Until next time...