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!