a few pictures to tide you along

I am finally settling in to my routine in Gulu. I have just completed my first day of classes with my fantastic teaching partner Okaali John and was able to find a few minutes to visit Cafe Larem near where I am staying. Not only is Larem an internet cafe, they serve real coffee, brownies (who would have thought you could find brownies in Gulu!?), and even drive ice cream all the way up from Kampala! I am sure you will hear more about the cafe (and its owners Justin and Rita) in a later post.

I have been journaling about my trip and my experiences thus far (including eating a real salad made with actual lettuce at a formerly exiled politician's homestead outside of Gulu Municipality), but am falling terribly behind when it comes to typing them out. Now that I am settling in to my routine, I am going to make an effort to find some of the juicy stories in my journals and post them here.

For the time being, I hope that I can supplicate your desire to read all about my adventures with a few silly photos from the trip so far.

Best,
Matt

...So...the photos are not loading so quickly here...I am sure that the pictures in your mind are even better than anything I would plop on this page anyway. Take care!

Travel Travel Travel

I have had a little excitement since we last chatted. Of course, the plane rides were tedious. 3 hours to JFK, 8 hour layover, 7 hours to Heathrow, 9 hour layover, 8.5 hours to Entebbe (Uganda), and then a one hour drive to Backpacker's hostel in Kampala.

I met an interesting gentleman on the way to Heathrow from JFK. He was heading planning on spending a week in London and then continuing on to Calcutta where his family lived. He had been living in the states for the last twenty years, but was born and grew up in Germany. After staying with his family for a few weeks, he was going to be moving to Hong Kong for work in the finance world. If only we could all be so traveled. After our conversation, I was able to catch a few hours of sleep.

When we arrived in London, the group decided to go out into the city. We took the tube (“mind the gap”) into town, getting out at piccadilly square to explore. About twelve of us started the journey. So far, all of the other travelers seem like pretty cool people. We walked for a while through St. James park and wound up outside of Buckingham Palace just in time to see the changing of the guard and snap a few photos (I'll try to post when I am more permanent). Afterwards, we had dinner/lunch at a pub called “The Rose and Crown.” I am told that the fish and chips was fantastic. The falafel burger was fine too. Of course, the beers were fantastic!

After lunch, we were all pretty tired, so we headed back to the tube. At one point along the ride I must have fallen asleep (I was still standing—holding the hand rail) because I snapped back to consciousness after a loud “owieeee!.” My elbow had somehow made contact with the forehead of some poor Asian man as my limp upright body bobbed back and forth with the bumps.

We got back to the airport, relaxed for a while, and caught our next flight. I stayed awake long enough to eat dinner and take in the first thirty minutes of a film, and then drifted in and out of sleep for most of the rest of the flight.

Once in Kampala, I breezed through customs (Ha, little do they know...!) and hit the baggage claim. Unfortunately my bag did not hit the baggage carousel at all. Apparently, checking your luggage from Chicago all the way through to Entebbe with British Airways isn't a smart move. For some reason, my bag decided to take a detour on a KLM flight and will hopefully arrive in Uganda tomorrow. Thankfully, most of my essentials were in my carry on baggage, and I will be able to survive even if my bag decides to extend it's vacation. Rest assured, I'm going to have a stern talk with the bag when it does finally arrive.

The track record for our group isn't so hot either. Two others lost their baggage and had to file claims at the airport, one member left her wallet at a bar in London, and another lost her wallet earlier today. Hopefully things will only get better from here.

The rest of the day has consisted of a trip to Garden City to change money and pick up a few supplies and a visit to Luberi S.S., one of the top performing schools in Uganda. They have a student body of about 3,500 and well over 100 teachers for all six classes (S1-S6) of the secondary school. After Luberi, it was back to Backpacker's for a little R&R, which brings us up to now. In a few short hours, I will head out to Sam's, the best Indian restaurant in Kampala, where I will chow on some delicious bhargain bharta and swish some Bell's lager before returning home to my very welcoming bunk.

Best,
Matt

It has been a while...

Hello all!

I write to you from the "Atlantic Bar and Lounge" in terminal 7 of JFK airport. If you haven't guessed, I have begun my journey to Uganda. After hurrying up and finishing finals at school yesterday, I payed three months worth of bills (ouch!), partyed sown, woke up early, and hopped on to a plane at O'hare this morning. When I arrived at JFK, I met up with my good friend (and Cardinal's fan--what a weirdo) John Magee, who was on the trip last year, and sat down and waited. Soon I will be boarding a flight to London (Heathrow), and tomorrow night I will begin the final leg of the journey to Entebbe Uganda. The people in the group seem to be great, an I am prepared for another awesome trip.

The situation in Uganda is still relatively stable, and Kony has been fairly innocous. There have been a few attacks in the DRC, but he seems to be staying away from Uganda. For the best updates, check www.invisiblechildren.com.

I'll be updating periodically about my adventures this year. Since I will be staying in Gulu this time, I should be able to update more frequently.

Take care,
Matt

It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a Baby Doll!

Grand total raised to date-$1630! Funds remaining to be raised-$2370!

A huge thank you goes out to everyone that has helped me achieving my fund raising goals so far. I just sent out my first program payment, and your checks should be cashed soon!

In order to continue raising funds for the teacher exchange, I am getting a little creative….
One of Emily’s friends (Thanks Jennifer Ruhe!) was looking at my photos from Uganda and absolutely fell in love with the photos of the children from St. Jude children’s orphanage in Gulu. She was so enamored by their bright faces that she decided to make the beautiful dolls pictured below as a gift for them. When I travel to Uganda, I will be hand delivering these dolls to the children at the orphanage. There is just one catch... The dolls aren’t free…

In order to offset the material costs and “delivery fees” (read: program expenses), I will be “selling” the dolls for a suggested donation of $30.00 (of course, feel free to give more...). You don’t actually get to keep the dolls, but for your donation, you will know that you are bringing joy to the beautiful children pictured below (Yup, that cute girl is actually one of the kids who will receive these precious dolls) by allowing me to deliver one of the dolls pictured to the right. Payment can be made in any of the ways mentioned in previous posts (Check to IC, Check to me made out to IC, Check to me made out to me, Credit using link below, Credit by calling IC). If you send a check to IC (or make a CC payment over the phone), let me know by shooting me a quick e-mail. That way, I can make sure to bring a doll in your name.


Also, I would love to collect any gently used infant and children clothing and shoes that you would be willing to donate. Most of the children at the orphanage have only one or two sets of clothes, and almost none of the children wear shoes. Unfortunately, I can’t accept adult clothing as it takes up much more space (which is very limited) and could send my luggage weight dangerously close to the 50 lb. limit. I will be bringing a few soccer balls for the orphanage, and will also accept gently used sporting equipment to keep those boys out of trouble. Feel free to mail clothes to me (c/o John Hersey High School, 1900 E. Thomas St., Arlington Heights, IL 60004), or give me a call if you live close and I can pick them up.

Now, what will you get for your donations (other than that deep down warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from knowing you are awesome for making a little kids day special)? I promise that I will do my best to take photographs of the children enjoying your dolls (or clothes, or soccer balls...), personally scrawl a note on the back of the photos thanking you for your generosity, and maybe even throw in something extra...(I should have plenty of room in my bag on the return trip)!

I had better stop asking for donated items now; otherwise, I might not be able to bring any of my own clothes. I don’t think that the headmaster at my partner school would care too much for a naked munu teacher in his classrooms (though I might be able to do a pay Matt to put back on his clothes fund raiser…).

Best,
Matt

No news is...

There is little in the way of news coming out of Uganda currently, but there are a few stories of note. President Kabila of DRC and President Musevini of Uganda met last week to discuss the ongoing operations in the Congo. Uganda, who was supposed to pull its troops from the DRC by the end of February, struck a deal with the DRC to allow Ugandan troops to remain in the Congo through March. There have been a few reports of capture or surrender of top LRA officers, but many are skeptical, and the Ugandan government has yet to provide any concrete evidence for its claims.

Also in the region, the International Criminal Court, the same authority that has issued arrest warrants for Kony and other LRA officers, issued an arrest warrant for Omar Bashir, President of Sudan, last week. Unfortunately, Bashir has responded by kicking out all of the foreign aid workers in the country. During my time in Uganda, many in the North expressed fears that this might happen. Some even went so far as to suggest the possibility of Kony and Bashir forming an alliance and attacking Northern Uganda and southern Sudan. With both men wanted by the ICC, they would have nothing to lose, and thus far, the ICC has had little more than a big bark and a short leash.

Matt

Itinerary...

With my first payment due date approaching, I figured that it was about time to share some more trip details...and then ask for your money.

My Itinerary for the Exchange
June 12--Last day of school--Woo Hoo!
June 13--Depart Chicago for NY, switch planes, Depart NY for Uganda
June 15--Arrive in Entebbe UG (after a layover at Heathrow in London)
June 16--Drive many hours on dusty and VERY bumpy roads to Gulu Uganda and rub my buns to try to regain some circulation
June 17-19--Orientation and Workshops
June 20-July 24--Observing, Planning, and Teaching at School sites.
July 25--Begin making our way back to Entebbe with a stop in Jinja to tempt fate on the Nile, and a stop in Kampala for one final celebration dinner--shisha anyone?

We have not received our official placements yet, though I do anticipate working more closely with Amy Cordileone on research projects this year. My guess is that this will keep me nearer to Gulu. I do, however, plan on making a trip out to Pabo to visit with old friends from last summer's trip.

Now comes the beg for money part...

On March 1st, I will be making a payment of $2000 dollars to Invisible Children. If you are able to help support my service in Uganda, you can make a donation by doing the following:

1. Use a credit card by clicking on the link to the left titled "Chip-in." You won't be able to make a tax deduction, but you do get the distinct pleasure of seeing the little thermometer go up a bit ("It's getting hot in here"...but only if you help).

2. Send me a check made out to "Invisible Children." I will send this check in with a future payment and you will receive a receipt from IC for next year's taxes. My address is

Matt Michelin
104 Burr Oak Ln Unit B1
Schaumburg, IL 60193

3. Send a check directly to Invisible Children. Make sure that on the memo line you write "T/EX-Matt Michelin" Send the check directly to Invisible Children. You will also receive a tax receipt if you use this method.

Invisible Children
Mission: Teacher Exchange
1620 5th Ave, Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92101

4. If you are not a check writing person (but still want a tax receipt), then try donating with your credit card! Donations may be made by calling Invisible Children directly at 1-619-562-2799 or faxing your CC information to 619-660-0576. If you use this method, please ask for Cara Pryor and mention my name and that I am a part of the teacher exchange. Cara will be making sure that all funds are documented and managed appropriately.

Thank you to everyone who has already donated! I have collected just over $1000 towards the trip so far because of your generosity!

Stay tuned for more fund raiser maddness...St. Judes Dolls, dinner party, summer celebration, auctions and raffles... If you have any other fund raiser ideas, or would be willing to make a donation of an item to be included in a raffle at a later date, please contact me through the e-mail or comment link below.

Thanks,
Matt!

Uganda Update

It has been a while since I posted last. Unfortunately, there have been few major developments in Uganda's hunt for Joseph Kony and the LRA in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Here is the most recent update from the Invisible Children website:

Ugandan Army to End Operations in DRC
After two months of hunting Joseph Kony’s rebel army through the remote jungles of Garamba Forest in the DR Congo, Uganda will end the deployment of its forces to the region leaving United Nation peacekeepers and Congolese troops to hunt the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and to protect civilians. “Operation: Lightning Thunder,” the joint offensive a multi-national force against the LRA, has been the target of sharp criticism in recent weeks as the civilian causalities, which many experts believe a reaction by the LRA to the “Lightning Thunder,” have grown to an estimated 900 Congolese civilians in the four months alone. These developments come as African leaders have begun to call on western governments to directly take part in arresting Joseph Kony and end the atrocities of the LRA in eastern Congo. Archbishop of Sudan Daniel Deng told officials in the United Kingdom that the governments of the United States and the UK should support and participate in efforts to “bring (Kony) to the book” as Kony’s capture seems beyond the abilities of regional governments. The Rwandan government began to pull their forces out of DR Congo over the weekend of February 21st.

UN Secretary General to Visit DRC
Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, will visit DR Congo this week will to meet with President Joseph Kabila, leaders of the United Nations peacekeeping force in the Congo and with the victims of the recent displacement and sexual violence in eastern Congo. On February 19th, the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimated that 15,000 Congolese are externally displaced in South Sudan, 150,000 Congolese are internally displaced within DR Congo while another 900 civilians have been killed by violence perpetrated by the LRA. UN spokesperson Hassan Yusuf gave a dire depiction of the growing internal displacement crisis in the region telling the international press corps, “we have seen the worst in recent months, seeing thousands of new refugees both externally and internally.”

To read this post in its original format, click here

Though there have been few recent news reports (Some take this as a sign that the LRA has been unable to make any progress in their escape and rebuilding efforts), Newspapers today are reporting that the LRA is moving even further into the heart of Africa based on attacks committed in the Central African Republic. We will all have to sit back and wait to see what happens when Ugandan troops pull out of the DRC. Let's pray that some resolution comes to this situation soon.

It's that time again...SHAMELESS SOLICITATION!!!

If you haven't already guessed it, I'm going Back to Africa! Uganda (and the fantastic people I met there) treated me so well the first time that there is no way I couldn't return (though the pleading of my parents and girlfriend weren't easy to ignore)! My trip last year (please browse through my archived blog posts for all the dirty details...) provided me with the opportunity to work with teachers in the northern part of Uganda on exchanging and developing curriculum, strategies, and practices that addressed the unique needs of schools in the north. I spent most of my time in Pabo, the largest Internally Displaced Persons camp in Uganda, and returned to Gulu on the weekends for training and workshops (and the ocassional game of volleyball) led by the awesome charity Invisible Children. I am not sure where I will be stationed this year, but will fill you in on all the details as I receive them.

Now for the real purpose of this post...MONEY. My trip last year wound up costing a little over $6000. Through your generosity, I was able to raise a little over $2000 towards the expenses, spending about $4000 on travel, program fees, and other expenses. This year, I have set the goal a bit higher--I would like to try to defray as much as $4000 dollars of the trip--but I can only do that with your help.

I know, I know. You must be asking yourself, "Gee, How can I help such a decent (and modest) guy get halfway around the world to work with teachers and admistrators on developing practices to elevate the quality of education in northern Uganda?" Well, don't fret. The answer is simple. Show me the MONEY!!

There are several ways to donate this year. First, I am running a ChipIn donation event. Any time you donate through the link below (or on the upper left hand side of the blog) you will have the distinct pleasure of watching the temperature rise on the donation thermometer. Whoopee! How fun! You can make donations with a checking account or credit card. If you donate this way, it is not tax deductible.



If you want to be able to take a deduction on your 2009 taxes (sorry, too late for this year), then try one of these super easy methods!

1. Write out a personal check to Invisible Children with my name in the memo. Give it (or send it) to me. I will submit this check with my portion of the payments, and you will receive a receipt from Invisible Children

2. Mail a check directly to Invisible Children. It MUST be addressed as follows (or your donation will go directly to IC, which wouldn't be a bad thing):

To: Invisible Children
Mission: Teacher Exchange
1620 5th Ave, Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92101

In the memo line of the check, you must write T/EX-Matt Michelin
or the donation will not be credited towards my account.

3. If writing a check is too much of a hassle, then try donating with your credit card! Donations may be made by calling Invisible Children directly at 1-619-562-2799 or faxing your CC information to 619-660-0576. If you use this method, please ask for Cara Pryor and mention my name and that I am a part of the teacher exchange. Cara will be making sure that all funds are documented and managed appropriately.

Fianlly, if you haven't yet subscribed to my blog yet, then please do so. I'll be updating about the situation in Uganda, my fund raising efforts, and eventually, my experiences in Uganda. The best part of it all is that it's FREE! My blog posts will be delivered to your e-mail box any time I add an update! You can enter your e-mail address in the box to the left, or subscribe below. And for Pete's sake, tell all of your friends about this fantastic opportunity!

Enter your email address:

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Again, thank you for all of the support as I prepare to return to Uganda. Your help makes all of the difference in the world to me (and hopefully a bit of difference for the people of northern Uganda too).

Best wishes to all!
Apwoyo Matek!
Matt Michelin

Read This!

Reader input:

I received the following commentary from a reader of this blog after my last post, "Congo Craziness". Twon Dako is a northern Ugandan, and offered up a perspective that is often missed. In the age of the Internet and the World Wide Web, it is very easy to type in a search term, gather countless articles, and gobble up all the information presented. Unfortunately (especially when we are thousands of miles away from the news) we often miss the context of that news, the human connection.

As posted at 9:15 p.m. on January 27th:

As a northern Ugandan who has followed the blogs from your last trip (many of them transporting me right back to familiar locations and people), I am so grateful for your enthusiasm for helping the children and schools, and also fully aware of the sacrifices you make towards it. Apwoyo matek!!!

I also wanted to comment on the latest military action in the DRC aimed at ending the LRA threat. I think I speak for most Acholi in saying to us, news of the offensive was very sad and heartbreaking, ending hope for the only viable way to achieve real peace in the region.

From the perspective of our experiences over the last 23 years, this looks uncannily like déjà vu, reminding us of Operation Iron Fist I (2002) and later Iron Fist II (forays into southern Sudan declared to eliminate the LRA once and for all) and many others before that. Here are what they all have in common:

Each time, as the local population in the war zone presses for dialogue with the LRA to end the war, and it looks like there is peace on the horizon, the government and army gradually ramp up their rhetoric against the LRA, and for a military solution, then they launch a sudden scary-named end-all military operation, with a lot of bravado. The operations involve aggressive strategies such as the use of helicopter gunships and bombing indiscriminately without a care for abductees, but generally not engaging them closely enough to harm the LRA leadership or rescue a significant number of abductees.

As the LRA very predictably scatter and retaliate against the civilian populations, and as they widen their forage for food and supplies (having lost their bases and supplies), the Uganda army and government then step aside to watch from a safe distance, leaving civilian populations totally unprotected. As a result of Operation Iron Fist in Sudan, the LRA intensified and extended the range of their raids and abductions in Sudan, and in Uganda even farther than Acholi, into Lango and Teso in eastern Uganda, places not previously affected. And reaching levels of brutality never witnessed before. Then just like the current military offensive in the DRC, with Iron Fist, the Ugandan army asked Sudan for many subsequent extensions to give them time to wipe out the LRA. I don’t need to tell you what the outcome was.

And then when proof is demanded of the loudly proclaimed success of the operation, the army provides photographs of an assortment of trophies from Kony. Following Iron Fist, I think it was Kony’s favorite “Kaunda” suit and photographs among other things. This time in Operation Lightning Thunder it was a wig, guitar, pots and pans, and later computers and satellite phones. All this proof is provided with impressive claims of very narrowly missing the capture of Kony by a whisker - they nearly grabbed his shadow, and how it is only a matter of time before LRA are history. (It is a big joke with many Ugandans.) We’ve heard it so often it sounds like a broken record!

As the death toll, horror, destruction, and displacement from reported increased LRA atrocities mount, then the Uganda government propaganda arm loudly proclaim to the UN, the world and any international donor partners who will listen how evil the LRA are, while avoiding all responsibility on their part, and giving a litany of excuses for the failures to meet operation goals (bad weather, dense jungle terrain this time), and no explanations for their failure to protect civilians – always getting to the scene of a just concluded massacre or discovering a fresh mass grave.

All this may not make logical sense to most straight-thinking people but through the half-hearted military operations with predictable results they can now provide fresh proof of the evil and brutality of LRA, further demonizing them (if that is possible), and more importantly creating justification for more aid for military spending, and more empathy for their side. At the same time, it is a great excuse for the continued total marginalization of northern Uganda and abdication of government responsibility towards its northern citizens. Surprise, surprise - the president last week suspended the implementation of the PRDP (Peace, Reovery & Development Plan) worth hundreds of millions of dollars!

So, was the Uganda army attack December 14 attack and the few LRA “trophies” captured worth the 640 plus Congolese, Sudanese and abducted Ugandan children’s lives with massive displacement and human suffering incurred in the region? Is it worth the new risks and exposure of victim communities? Could a little more patience and diplomatic or psychological strategy have yielded better results in this hostage situation? You be the judge.

I pray that our worst fears are not realized so that you and all the volunteer teachers will still be able to go to northern Uganda this summer.

Twon Dako (not my real name)

January 27, 2009 9:15 PM

Thank you, Twon, for providing us with your unique perspective. I hope that, in sharing your thoughts, others will understand the true frustration and desperation of the people of northern Uganda. Apwoyo tutwal.

Congo Craziness

In the month since my last post, quite a lot has happened on the ground in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The armies of the DRC, Uganda, and Southern Sudan have destroyed most of the Lord’s Resistance Army’s (LRA) bases, eliminated many of their food stores, and captured multiple weapons caches. Several rebels have turned themselves in (mostly children and abductees), but most of the LRA is still scattered and moving through the Congo. Along the way, they have reportedly raided many villages, murdered many civilians (the UN places the number at over 900 currently—the worst attacks in 4 years), and abducted many more into their ranks. On a few occasions, the LRA has locked villagers into churches. In one instance, they murdered hundreds with machetes and clubs, and in another, they burned the church to the ground. As a side effect of these atrocious acts, over 130,000 civilians in the DRC have become displaced, fleeing their villages out of fear. Several LRA soldiers have also reportedly moved into Southern Sudan where they have killed a Sudanese Chief, Gordon Jalal Ngirimo.

The LRA, of course, is denying the attacks while continually calling for the resumption of peace talks. They are claiming that president Yoweri Musevini has orchestrated the attacks with UPDF soldiers, placing blame on the LRA in order to bring hatred on the LRA both locally and internationally. The ICC is investigating these allegations, but the UN is convinced that the attacks are attributable to the LRA.

On January 14, the Ugandan and DRC governments agreed to extend their military efforts against the LRA (the recent agreement ended Jan 14, 30 days after the initial December 14th attacks) for another 21 days. They are still confident that the LRA is running and Joseph Kony’s days are limited. Just this week, another rebel leader, Laurent Nkunda, was captured in Rwanda putting the UPDF and Congo forces in high spirits. Nkunda was responsible for capturing Bukavu, the capital of Sud-Kivu province in the DRC, last year causing the displacement of thousands. Hopefully this is a sign of positive change and progress on the ground.

In Uganda, people are certainly nervously optimistic. Musevini has assured his country that the LRA will not set foot on Ugandan soil, and has taken measures to ramp up security along the borders of the north. Unfortunately, for many in the north, the fear of future attacks is enough to keep many people in the Internally Displaced Camps. Up until recently, many residents of the IDP camps had begun moving home to the more remote villages. Now, most people still in the camps are staying, and several are moving back from their villages.

As for the Teacher Exchange program, I am moving forward as planned. The situation in Uganda is secure, and if there were ever a time to help try to restore a sense of normalcy and help rebuild infrastructure, now is it. Please keep your eyes open for forthcoming posts about how you can help me get to Uganda. If you want to make a donation, you can do so by clicking on the ChipIn donation link on the top left of my blog. I will be posting information soon about how to make donations directly through Invisible Children to support my trip as well. If you would like to wait to use this option, you will receive a tax receipt to use as a deduction on your 2009 taxes (sorry, it’s too late for 2008!) I will also be running several fundraisers in the coming months to raise money for my trip.

Best,
Matt