Matt's Going Back to Uganda!? (...or wasn't six weeks of squatting over a bore hole enough?!)

On taking a cold shower in Africa

2009-07-19T09:45:00.001-05:00

19-07-09

I am preparing for my last week in Gulu for the summer, and I realize that I have not blogged much at all. I am spending most of the weekdays at school with Okaali, John, the greatest teacher in all of Uganda, and spending most of my weekends and evenings with a great group of American teachers. Somehow, I just haven't found the time to blog. So, without further ado...

On Taking a Cold Shower in Africa

Let me first begin by saying it is quite possible to go for three days in dusty hot Uganda without taking a shower...if you have no room mate or no desire to interact with another human being. The stench emanating from the various body regions may just be worse than locking the doors of the Sistine Chapel on a hundred and twenty degree day , providing a bean and cabbage lunch gratis, asking everyone to do 3000 jumping jacks, and locking the doors to the loo.

So, for the rest of the world, who enjoy some degree of social existence, taking a shower in Uganda is a must. The majority of the country bathe from a wash basin outdoors. The luckier minority actually have running water and, hence, overhead showers. Some few even have heated water. I belong to the second group...tell me I don't know how to live in luxury!

Unfortunately, I definitely do not fall under the third category of heated water. Now, one might think that in equatorial Africa, a cold shower would be a godsend. They would be wrong. After running ten miles in 90 percent humidity on a hundred degree day—cold shower. After working in the garden for eight hours, fighting lobster style sun burn, and drinking only beer—cold shower. Curing the hangover the next morning—cold shower. Preparing for a long day of work and play in Gulu—.......

Before the rains hit in Uganda, the nights and mornings are fairly hot. One would imagine that a cold shower in the morning may just be the ticket for washing off the night sweat and dust from the day before. Au contraire. The morning heat actually amplifies the effect of cold water inducing shivers and muscle spasms at eighty degrees ambient. Now, it is possible to take a warmer shower...after the water tank has baked in the afternoon sun for several hours. However, at just about the time the water reaches ideal temperature, the overhead sun is also blaring down from directly above. To take a warm shower at this time results in extreme sweating that, ten minutes after the shower, brings you back to square one.

In order to counter this tremendous dilemma, I have devised a few fail-safe steps for accomplishing the formidable task of taking a cold shower African style.

1.Standing outside the door of the shower stall, debate just how necessary it is to really shower. How bad can you stink after wearing long-sleeves and trousers all day and sleeplessly rolling around in the evening to try to find the dry patches on your pillow where your neck sweat has not yet stained the pillow case?
2.Suck it up and enter the shower. Upon entering, disrobe, hang your clothes neatly on the bent and rusty nails protruding from the door, carefully avoiding the chipping paint and cobwebs, turn and face the shower, and stare.
3.After about five minutes of absent mindedly staring at the shower knob, do a pit check. How much deodorant will it actually take to cover that smell for another day? Smell again. Utter an expletive, and resign yourself to the truth. You stink.
4.Turn the shower knob allowing the cold water to fiercely drizzle out of the spout, taking care all the while to avoid the drips, spatters and spurts. Stare at the water for another five minutes re-analyzing your previous thoughts for any flaws in logic. Realize that there is now way to escape. Utter another expletive.
5.Carefully dip your head into the water stream making sure that none of the water trickles over any other body part. Cup hands and splash water on face. Step out of water stream. Stare again.
6.Count to three, wait, count to three, wait again, and finally muster up the courage. Count to three one more time, close your eyes as if wincing in pain, and stick your arm into the shower. Use the other hand to quickly wet the undersides of your arms. Upon successful completion of this task, quickly repeat the steps for arm number two.
7.Examining the pea sized goose bumps that have mysteriously sprouted on your arms, Utter a third expletive and step into the shower allowing the water to hit your chest. Gasp for air, lose your balance, fall out of the water stream, and work to catch your breath. Once recovered, place your chest back into the stream of water and make sure to wet down your entire front.
8.Step out of the stream of water. At this point in the shower, I usually ask myself if my simple rinse is enough to clean me off and if my back even really sweats. Unfortunately for me (but fortunate for my friends), I usually decide that I am already committed and must go forward with the last, and most painful, part of the wetting down process...my back.
9.Turn around and stick your derrière out. Slowly inch backwards until the water is just nipping your bottom. Slowly, very slowly, roll your spine allowing the water to make its way up the back. Occasionally, take to long to wet your back, gasp for air (you have been holding your breath since the water touched the small of your back), take another deep breath, finish—much more quickly this time—and step out of the shower.
10.Turn the water off. Regain your composure. Grab the soap and go to town.
11.Sufficiently covered in suds, contemplate the effect of walking around with a layer of soap film on your body all day. It should act as a nice perfume right? Utter expletive number 17.
12.Repeat steps 4-10 while rinsing off, taking only a third of the time that it took in the first go-round.
13.Grab the towel, quickly drying off to keep the small tremors in your muscles from turning into violent shakes, slip on some clothes, and move quickly through the courtyard to your room.
14.Rejoice in how refreshed and clean you feel (while fighting away the shivers from a severly low body temperature).

I could probably move forward in this blog by making some insightful analogy about how the shower is similar to the trials and tribulations that we face in life or about gaining perspective, but I have to be to school in two hours. If I don't go hop in the shower now, I might just not make it in time...

Best,
Matt

finally, a few pictures

2009-07-06T06:55:00.008-05:00

So, it took about 2 hours to load these pics. More will be coming in the future...maybe...

Our friend at Backpacker's in Kampala

Catherine and Lisa chilling at Heathrow Airport

Fish and Chips...Actually, I had a falafel burger and, of course, a few delicious pints

Just in time for the changing of the Guard

A Pelican at a pond near Buckingham Palace

Welcome to Africa and Invisible Children (just a little late)

2009-07-06T06:41:00.002-05:00

Blog posts:

The following is a "brief" excerpt from the journal that I am keeping here in Gulu. Though it is a little old, I believe that it will give you a good idea of where I am and some background on the organization I am working with. I hope you enjoy.

17 June 2009 (Wednesday)

I was up at about 6 today. Before taking my shower, I strolled outside and stood for a few moments on the front porch. I can't imagine ever not loving the sounds and smells of an African morning. To my right, on Pecce road, a small pickup truck packed with about 20 boys was heading to the big field behind Gulu Secondary School for sports competition. As they bounced along, they were singing in unison and periodically yelling out victory chants. As their noise trailed off, Celine Dion's smash hit, "I'm a lady" could be heard trailing out of the storefront four doors down. At this time of day, people are slowly crawling out of their huts, the women are sweeping the dirt around their living areas, men and school children are slowly filling the streets, and goat bleets, chicken clucks, and turkey growls drift through the cool morning breeze. Hello Gulu, I am home!

I strolled back into the compound and hopped into the shower to prepare for the day. I had forgotten exactly how cold a cold shower really is and I am sure that the gasps and grunts filtering into the courtyard made for an interesting conversation for my colleagues. I only say this because other grunts and groans could be heard coming from the doors on either side of my stall and even I had to chuckle to myself. If ever there were a way to conserve water, this would definitely rank high on the list.

Our first meeting of the day was at the Invisible Children Intern House (I stayed there last year when I was in Gulu town on the weekends), which is about a thirty minute walk from where we are staying. The path is fairly straight, but the walk is anything but as a person has to dodge an endless stream of boda boda drivers, pickup trucks, pedestrians, goats, and occasional burning garbage heap. All along the road there are little shops selling all of the wares that one might need for their stay in Gulu. Women sit by the side of the road on blankets with an endless array of mangoes, jack fruit, bananas, beans, rice, and other food stuffs. Store fronts (advertising shoes, DVD burning, and milk--talk about one stop shopping) are open and usually with two or three people loitering inside and catching up on the past days news. People are in transit, moving in every direction carrying large bags of charcoal on the back of their bikes, balancing baskets of various wares on their heads, and carrying live chickens draped upside down across the handlebars of their motorcycles. The sides of buildings are painted with advertisements for Nido powdered milk, MTN cellular phones, and myriad other big name brands of Uganda. People all along the way walk forward with purpose almost scowling but, when engaged with a friendly hello or nod and smile, slow down to return the gesture as their faces light up with a sense of familiarity and friendship.

Once we had made it through the town center, we left the main roads and continued on the path past Awere Secondary school, one of the partner schools of the Invisible Children Schools 4 Schools program. Awere is actually a village some distance outside of Gulu that was displaced during the conflict in the north with the LRA. They are currently making preparations to move back to the original school site soon, leaving the Gulu school behind. The buildings, like many of the schools in the north, are temporary buildings (Awere displaced site is on railroad land--though there are no railroads or train cars in sight--and is forbidden to erect any permanent structures). The walls are held up with timber poles fixed into the ground, and the sides of the building are covered with boards (from the first cut of the tree-slightly rounded and minus the bark) that aren't always straight creating more of a transparent screen than an opaque wall. The roofs of the buildings are corrugated steel, and the sound of rain pelting the roof is deafening, stopping classes for the duration.

The path continues on into a small market where you can buy various food items, have your maize ground into flour, or stop to "take a beer" and play billiards. The scene is similar to walking through the main section of the town, but the buildings are typically no bigger than a small walk-in closet and are constructed even more poorly than the temporary schools. Beyond the market is a water pump where it is not unusual to see a line of thirty jerry cans waiting to be filled and several women pumping water and laughing. I often say hello to the women who respond to the greeting and then make jokes in Luo with each other, elevating the laughing even more. After walking through the field behind prison primary, where we often see children playing European/African football with wound up plastic bags, we crossed the road to Lacor and arrived at the gate to the IC Intern house.

When I walked through the door, I was greeted by Michael, the incredibly nice guy who works around the IC volunteer house doing general maintenance and upkeep. He was in the middle of mortaring some bricks for the new guard room off of the from gate to the house. He was on a break from chopping a large tree into small pieces with a machete... I walked around the back of the house and saw Doreen, the cook for IC staffers in Uganda, and immediately sung a big "Doreen, so glad to see you," in my best baritone voice. Doreen greeted me with her huge smile and a very quiet "Matthew, so good to see you." I gave her a hug, and she settled back into her morning rituals.

Our slate at the IC house was pretty full. Our morning started with a conversation with Erica-the IC Public Relations person in Gulu, Jolly Grace Okot-The IC country director for Uganda, and Jarred-Director of programs on the ground. Jolly started with an introduction to the teaching situation in Uganda. She described the plight of Ugandan teachers as a way of explaining some of the complications with the school system in Uganda. Teachers are employed by either the government, or the local PTA. Government teachers earn about 200,000 Ugsh (about $100) a month. PTA teachers earn significantly less. Often, teachers have to maintain houses in multiple villages because they (teachers on the government payroll) can be transferred to any school in Uganda by the government at any time and are allowed to spend a maximum of ten years at any one school. This often forces teachers to maintain a home in their home village as well as their teaching village. When that is compounded with the fact that the public perception of teachers in Uganda is that they fell into the profession because they were unable to complete studies and achieve a better job, motivation is not plentiful.

Jarred followed with a discussion of the why IC chose to support secondary education system in Uganda. He pointed to the Invisible Children's philosophy of "do one thing, and do it well," as the reason why IC has chosen to focus on secondary education in Uganda. Most of the NGO's in the north are providing assistance to primary schools. This year, IC is one of three programs that support secondary schools. The need for this support is great. Currently, only 7% of the population of Uganda graduates from secondary school (the proportions are heavily weighted towards the south), and only 1% of the population currently continues on to study at university. In order to have the most sustainable impact, IC wants to elevate access to and quality of education in the north so that they can create a system of sustainable change from within. In order to achieve this, IC has created several programs (along with the teacher exchange program) to meet this end. IC has a visible child program that sponsors several students by paying school fees. They currently sponsor 60 students at University and 590 students at the secondary level. They also employ about 30 mentors (who are professional teachers) to periodically meet with all of the sponsored students and assist them with their studies and life counseling. IC also has the schools for schools programs that pairs partner schools in the U.S. with schools in Uganda (there are currently 11 Uganda partner schools) to create fund-raising programs to support infrastructure projects. These projects range from building new classroom blocks and science laboratories, to providing textbooks and science materials, and even the construction of dormitories for partner boarding schools. Of the money raised in the Schools for Schools program, 90% of the funds are put back into the schools with only 10% being used for administrative purposes--very respectable.

Erica was the third to speak, and she talked about IC's other programs that less directly impact the schools but also work towards facilitating economic independence in Uganda. IC's newest program is the organic cotton initiative. At one time, Uganda used to produce very high quality (ranked 3 in the world) cotton, but because of the war in the North and the move to IDP camps, the cotton farming industry and infrastructure went away. The program, still in its initial stages, has signed up approximately 4,000 farmers for the program. These farmers will receive training in organic and sustainable practices so that they are able to produce high quality cotton that meets current public demand. IC has paired with cotton industry partners in Uganda who will buy the cotton at a fair wage price and process the cotton before sending it out to be fabricated. IC has also partnered with Eden, an organic cotton clothing line developed by Bono. Not only will this greatly increase the marketing power of the cotton initiative, but Eden will open facilities in Uganda to create the textiles allowing the entire process (from seed to finished product) to occur in Uganda. IC has also successfully launched the MEND program. One of the major vocational skills training programs in Uganda provided by rehabilitation programs for war affected youth as well as by NGO's is tailoring. Unfortunately, the market in Uganda is so saturated with skilled tailors, that many people who do receive this training are unable to make a living wage in their trade. MEND takes women who are war affected, provides them with design training, and produces designer handbags and messenger bags that are currently marketed through IC's website. MEND hopes to promote a global demand for this high quality product. The third economic initiative that IC has developed is the bracelet campaign. This was one of the initial economic programs that was developed, and it involved employing several hundred (at its peak) bracelet makers from various IDP camps to produce a product that not only provided them with a living wage income, but also created a product that would help to promote Invisible Children internationally. Purchasers of bracelets also receive a DVD depicting the life story of a child in the north. They are able to wear the bracelet and share the story with anyone who might ask.

One of the coolest components of all of these initiatives is the Savings and Investment Training Initiative (SITI). Participants receive training in all aspects of running a business including budgeting, accounting, investing, and saving. After they have completed their tenure in one of the financial initiatives, participants are able to use this knowledge, and the money earned while a part of the program, to start business ventures of their own (some of the participants earnings are held aside until the end of the program). Many of the participants have started their own micro-finance programs, and quite a few successful (and creative) business adventures have resulted.

...(continued)

If you have made it this far, I commend you on your persistence. I will continue trying to update this blog (hopefully with more frequency than I have been updating with so far), but I will be changing from my traditional format. Instead, I will write about my collective experiences as I feel so inclined. Stay tuned for posts like "Toads, Cats, and Flying Ants," "Billiards Beer and Best Buds," and "On Taking a cold shower in Africa."

Best to all,
Matt

a few pictures to tide you along

2009-06-22T08:42:00.004-05:00

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

2009-06-15T08:55:00.000-05:00

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...

2009-06-13T20:17:00.002-05:00

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!

2009-03-09T21:49:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-03-09T17:47:00.000-05:00

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...

2009-02-28T17:52:00.001-06:00

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

2009-02-26T17:34:00.002-06:00

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!!!

2009-02-03T16:45:00.000-06:00

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!

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!

2009-01-28T15:31:00.000-06:00

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

2009-01-25T22:59:00.002-06:00

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

Uganda takes decisive action

2008-12-17T19:06:00.005-06:00

This past Sunday (December 14), the joint forces of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan attacked Joseph Kony and the LRA's camps in the Garamba National Forest in the DRC. This action signaled the offical end to the ceasefire agreement that has lasted (unless you count Kony's countless attacks on villages in the DRC, Sudan and CAR...) for almost three years. The UPDF Commenced the attacks with an air raid that severely damaged the huts in Kony's main camp setting them on fire and sending the rebels fleeing into the jungle. When ground troops arrived to inspect the camps, however, they did not find any casualties. Troops did locate evidence of severe injuries and soldier presence leading up to the attacks though and speculate that the rebels may have been alerted to the attacks or were able to carry off wounded and dead rebels before the ground troops arrived. Currently, cut off from his food supplies and other resources, Kony may be in trouble. The UPDF is air dropping leaflets throughout the jungle in an effort to encourage the scattered troops to assemble at safe points so that they may avoid attack and be rescued. They have also set up an opportunity for Joseph Kony to travel to Ri-Kwangba in safety to sign the final peace deal (he has already failed to sign seven times). If he does not, then he will be hunted down until captured or killed.

Human rights groups are somewhat supportive of this action, but also warn that there is the possibility of injuring or killing child soldiers--many of whom were abducted and are being held against their will.

Uganda has vowed that the LRA will not be able to get back into Uganda and is ensuring that its citizens will remain safe. There has been no word yet from Invisible Children (nor do I expect any--there is a lot of time between now and next summer) about the possible impact on the teacher exchange for 2009. Right now our best bet is to hope for the safety of all involved as well as a speedy resolution to this 23-year crisis. I will keep you informed as the situation develops.

Best,
Matt

I love Uganda (and its people!)--photos round 4

2008-11-18T15:29:00.001-06:00

St. Judes orphanage

St. Judes orphanage

St. Judes orphanage

St. Judes orphanage

Dolly--words cannot describe her personality--truly a friend

Walter, the headmaster at Pabo S.S., with his children--he is in the "pharmacy" that his wife runs in Pabo

Christine, our neighbor in Pabo, on the day she opened her shop

Charles with nephews, neices, and neighbors

A woman in the Pabo IDP camp with her children-sorting g-nuts

The boda drivers at the boda stand in Pabo

Water jugs on a bicycle

A Heals dance atthe IC house in Gulu

Downtown Gulu

Balu Robinson Cruse (yep, that's his name)--probably the coolest guy on the continent

Beautiful landscape of the Ugandan country from the top of a VERY large hill near Fort Patiko. If you could see over the mountains in the distance, you would see Sudan.

Uganda Wildlife (photos round 3)

2008-11-14T15:20:00.000-06:00

These dudes were all over the place

Weird...just weird

It was hard not to find a racy baboon picture...

Probably the wildest life we encountered on our safari

Interesting Giraffe fact--The older they get, the darker the spots

Water buffalicous

They're not dangerous...really...I swear...

photos round 2

2008-11-13T16:14:00.000-06:00

These are some photos of the fantastic people that I met and worked with during the summer exchange.

This is a group picture after our final dinner at a fantastic Turkish restaurant in Kampala.

These are my Pabo "sisters" on our Rhino excursion.

Heading out to town (Insider's tip--don't wear shorts in Uganda unless you are eight years old--especially with titanium white legs!)

Hiking at Fort Patiko

After movie night at Kope Cafe

Just goofing around

Heading out to the Teaching and Learning Conference in Gulu--Pack thouse munus into that truck!

Big man on campus (and John)

Having fun at St. Judes.

And Finally, Some Photos

2008-11-13T15:37:00.001-06:00

These photos are from the Invisible Children 2008 Teacher Exchange experience in Gulu and Pabo Uganda.

This first set of photos comes from the school I taught at as well as photos from some other teaching partners.

The Final Chapter

2008-07-25T11:30:00.002-05:00

I only have about 15 minutes before the internet cafe closes, so (thank your lucky stars) this will be another short post.

As I finished my Pabo adventures this afternoon, I look forward to another four days of re-aquainting with the amazing people who have made the journey with me. All 23 of the IC teacher exchange teachers will be heading out for Murchison Falls tomorrow afternoon. We will safari on Sunday before heading to Kampala. On Monday, we will travel to Jinja where we will brave the wild Nile river (and the multitude of parasites that live within). On Tuesday, the group will travel back to Kampala to prepare for our final departure. A quick trip to the equator on Wednesday morning will finalize my glorious (though too short) stay in the wonderful country of Uganda. I really look forward to spending some time with the people that started this journey with me, and sharing all of our various stories from spending time apart at our various school sites.

Pabo was fantastic again this week. Things with Oola Charles went swimmingly, Trisha and Danielle kept my ego in check, and I spent some good time out of school with a few wonderful teachers. Today at lunch the teachers delivered a few speeches to wish us safe journeys, we shook many hands, had a few sodas, and did a lot of hugging. It is amazing how close you can become with some people in only a few short weeks. It was painful to say goodbye to many of my new friends. By the end of the four weeks, real relationships have developed, and there are many people I intend to keep in touch with. Maybe (sorry mom and dad) I will even get to see some of them again! When the treasurer of the PTA offered to pay me a salary, and a few teachers offered me a corner of their rooms, I must say I was tempted to stay. The routines, customs, and experiences in Pabo (and Uganda) have definately grown on me. But...I am also looking forward to getting home and sharing all my experiences with you, my friends.

I look forward to catching up with you soon. Apwoyo! (And to all of my Ugandan friends, Dei Dong Maber--your memories will keep me smiling.)

Yours,
Owat Matthew Michelin

(I'll tell you about the new name when I get back--Peace!)

My last post for a while (Maybe)

2008-07-18T09:47:00.002-05:00

Time is very limited this week with me being out in Pabo, so I will be posting only briefly this weekend. The chances of me posting again are getting small, so I may not be able to fill you in on everything until I get home.

I am back in Gulu for the weekend. Tomorrow morning though, I will be heading out to Masindi Rhino Breeding Grounds to go see the great beasts in their real life habitat. I won't return until Sunday afternoon at which time I will have to probably hop into a matatu and head back out to Pabo. Next weekend, we will be leaving for our slow trip back to Kampala with stops in Jinja for rafting on the Nile (Nick, I'll pick up your parasites here) and Murchison Falls National park for a 1/2 day safari. I do not know what the internet access situation will be.

This past week in Pabo has been fantastic on all fronts. I spent some serious time reflecting on Monday, gained some new perspective, and changed my approach at the school. Charles and I have made tremendous progress this week. My frustrations and worries have been assuaged, and I know that (however small), I have had an impact on his teaching practices and the school. I also decided to focus less on the teaching aspect of the exchange this week and spend more time interacting with the students and community. Kids in Pabo now love frisbee, many were very sad when they discovered that I was not staying for the weekend (there will be a celebration at the school), I am working with a large group of students on an African essay competition, I have visited with a few teachers and have taken dinner at on of their homes, and I have been interacting with people from the community. One of the people I have talked with several times is the treasurer of the Pabo S.S. PTA. He has passed along several gracious and very heart warming comments that he has received about me from students and parents in the community. Small successes are becoming the food that sustains me.

I will leave you with a few thoughts from my experience so far:

Red clay is impossible to get out of your clothes.

Hospitality really is lacking in the United States, and we should really reach out to each other much more.

Never give your phone number to a drunk Ugandan woman.

Friends make it all worthwhile.

And most importantly, warm beer can be quite delicious sitting under a Eucalyptus tree out of the hot African sun or sitting on a porch in the cool african evening.

Best wishes to all in the states! Let the adventure continue!

Best,
Matt

Installment #15--TGIF

2008-07-13T04:05:00.001-05:00

Friday was all right. School was only in session through break at 11:30, but Charles and I had two classes. The first class was the same as before, but during the second class, Charles actually did incorporate one of the strategies (for five minutes) that we had been talking about. Finally, a little sign of exchange happening! After yesterday, it was enough for me to feel slightly better. After break, teachers hung out for a while. The school was supposed to have the handing over celebration (where class prefects step down and pass their position on to the newly elected prefects), but like everything in Uganda, it did not start on time. While we waited, we were able to play a few games of Scrabble. The teachers at Pabo play Scrabble fiercely—many know the Scrabble dictionary and pull out words that I have never heard of before. Lunch was served a little after 1:30, and by 3:00, the handover ceremony still had not started. The IC truck swung by the school though, so we hopped on our bikes, headed back to the White House, packed, and scooted off to Gulu. When we got to the IC house, there was some homemade pizza waiting for us, and at 7:00 we had another group discussion on an article about cultural education in Africa. When the group discussion was over, a large group of us (John, Aaron, Amy, Jon, Ben, Josh, Allison, and a few other people) headed out to KSP for a few beers. John, Josh, Aaron, Ben and myself headed out to Da Pub and had a few more beers, and then came back to the IC house where we played cards for a little while longer before finally hitting the sack.

On Saturday morning, we had a discussion about Paulo Friere’s book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. It is a book that talks about revolution and how it must happen so that the oppressors and the oppressed can come to some cultural praxis of change. Very intense stuff. After the book talk, I headed into town and went to the market. I purchased some fabrics and am having a few items of clothing made. The market is full of tailors who will make just about anything you ask them to, all for 5000 ugsh (about $3) and the price of the fabric. I also hopped over to the fruit section of the market and picked up a few things for lunch, and our teacher party Sunday afternoon. In the early afternoon Saturday, we headed out to Fort Patiko. Patiko is an old Arab slave trading fort that was liberated by Sir Samuel Baker in the late 1800’s. We had a guide who shared much history with us, showed us the hundreds of gouges in the rock floor where axes had stuck after cutting cleanly through the necks of slaves who were sick, weak, or would otherwise not bring money at market, and shared with us some details about life at the fort. It was a very interesting tour. After the tour, most of the group headed out on a hike to the top of a hill (very very large hill with steep rock walls) to catch a view of the surroundings. The hike was tedious, but the view was worth it. Standing on the top of the hill, one can see for hundreds of miles. We were able to see Pabo camp, Gulu, and even see the mountains/hills that are the border to Sudan. Had the hills not been there, we would have seen Sudan. We came back down after the hike to a barbecue of vegetables, chicken (which I hear was delicious), and chapatti. Everything was washed down by a few nice warm beers (I even had a Guiness). After enjoying our relaxing barbecue, it was back to the IC house. Unfortunately, when we got there, the power was out (another common occurance in Uganda). So, making lemonade out of lemons, it was back to Da Pub (they have a generator) for a few cold Nile Specials and some good conversation with Kyle, Sarah, Jen, Jolene, Allison, David A., John M, Josh, and one really drunk Ugandan man.

Best,
Matt

Installment #14--Not My Day

2008-07-13T04:04:00.000-05:00

Thursday morning Charles and I sat down to plan a lesson together. After talking through his normal lesson for a reading, I showed Charles a list of all of the different strategies that I had used in the lessons I taught, and asked what he thought might work or if we could change any of the strategies to better fit. We went back and forth for a little while, and made no progress. I didn’t want to tell Charles to change how he teaches-that is not my place-but it is very frustrating being in an exchange with a teacher and seeing a lack of commitment to exchanging ideas. The conversation got a little tense because I expressed my frustrations with Charles. I asked him about his goals for the program, shared mine, and tried to be diplomatic, but in the end, I don’t know if there was any resolution. Charles ultimately asked me to teach the lesson anyway, and he said that he would watch and try to teach the next lesson in the same way. I said fine, but the feeling that I am here simply to ease the workload of another teacher is not. I taught the first class, we had lunch, and I asked Charles if he would be willing to try using one of the simple strategies that I had used earlier. He agreed, but wound up teaching the same way he had before. Also, rain delayed our lesson by about an hour. When it rains hard in Uganda, the raindrops hitting the corrugated metal roof cause a noise so loud that none of the teachers teach during the rain. The rain happened during our class, and I think that we probably would not have had class, but because Charles knew I was frustrated (and because I asked), he talked with the physics teacher (the class after ours), and he let us take his class period—a little sign of hope at the end of the day.

This hope didn’t last long though. When we returned home, Trisha, Danielle, and I all found pools of water in our room from the rain earlier in the day. Unfortunately, the pool of water in my room was very small because my clothes had soaked up most of the mud and water. I laid my clothes on my mosquito net to try to dry them out, but many were stained and will have to be cleaned. Hopefully harriet will be able to take care of them. Another thing that was bothering me is that I haven’t shaved in almost two weeks, and it is really starting to itch. Unfortunately, there are no mirrors in Pabo, so in order to see my face, I grabbed my camera. To add to my day, the lens motor on my camera has somehow broken, and my camera no longer works. Big bummer. I an attempt to salvage the day, I put a pot of water on the stove to take a warm bath, and in the process, got black soot all over a clean pair of pants. At least there is no disco on Thursday nights.

Installment #13--Heating up

2008-07-13T04:01:00.000-05:00

Tuesday was pretty typical. I was a bit tired from the disco and lack of sleep, and there were a lot of people roaming the streets again in the morning (market day runs until about midday on Tuesday). Our bike ride to school was pretty typical, the groups of little children chasing and yelling “munu!”, the primary kids stopping and staring, and the secondary kids saying “good morning sir.” School was average. I am starting to get a little frustrated that nothing is really happening in the way of progress. I teach some classes and Charles observes, and he teaches some classes and I observe, and occasionally we team teach together. I am struggling to get any reflection out of Charles on the lessons about what is working well or not well, he isn’t writing lesson plans so we cannot discuss how to adapt the lesson to make it more students centered (much teaching in Uganda, and almost all of Charles practice, is chalk and talk with some student question and answer). I have tried several strategies to encourage some reflection (and thereby facilitate some change), but have been unsuccessful so far. The rest of the day ran as usual, and there was no disco music.

Wednesday, my frustrations really began to form. I observed three classes and taught one today. The biggest frustration that I have is that, because I am struggling to reflect with my partner teacher, no real change is occurring in the classroom. I keep trying to remind myself that we are only a week and a half into the exchange, and that there is still time for major things to happen. The most frustrating part though, is that I can’t totally shed the fear that my presence here will go for naught. The possibility of me leaving, and everything being the same as before I came, is a scary thought. There was a small breakthrough in the afternoon though. Charles was teaching our fourth class of the day, and had not prepared a lesson. I think that he intended to plan during lunch, but was instead called into a budget meeting. When he was done, he barely had time to grab a plate of food, eat, and head out to class. The class went all right, but Charles was obviously frazzled (the fact that I was watching probably made it bad). After the class though, he did mention that he wanted to talk about lessons for the rest of the week. We didn’t teach until 11:30 on Thursday, so I suggested we plan a lesson together in the morning. Charles happily agreed, and I went home from school feeling slightly better. After dinner, I met Balu (another teacher at school) and Charles on the front porch, and we talked for some time. At a little after 9:00, I moved back into the compound and tried to get to sleep. Unfortunately, Wednesday night is Ladies night at the same disco (the one right behind our rooms) that hosted the festivities on market day. Alas, it would be another long night.

Installment #12--Disco Fever

2008-07-13T04:00:00.000-05:00

Monday was a pretty normal school day. Charles and I teach the first and the last period of the day, so we had a lot of down time in the center of the day to plan (though it is a little hard to get him to plan sometimes), and I did spend time journaling. At the end of the day, people headed out of school pretty quickly. The first Monday of every month is something called Auction (Market) day in Pabo. People come from all around to Pabo to set up shop alongside the road and sell fabrics, shoes, pots and pans, and any other item you can imagine. When we rode our bikes back into the camp, the roads were jammed with a slew of people. There may have been several thousand people all moving through a stretch of street maybe 300 meters long. People were strolling, trying on clothes, weaving on their bikes, and dodging the occasional large freight truck from Sudan on the way to Kampala. We put our bikes away and took a walk through the mass of people. After our walk, it was time for dinner. After dinner, I sat out front again for a little while, met a few people (including the treasurer of the Pabo S.S. PTA), strolled back into the courtyard, talked with Danielle and Trisha for a while, and laid down to bed. Just as I laid my head on the bed to knock off for the evening, the disco started up. One of the exciting parts of market day is that everyone likes to party well into the night. The even better part is that the party happens right behind our hotel. Right behind. And the best part yet, is that the party goes until 6:30 in the morning-right when my alarm reminds me that I am supposed to be getting up even though I haven’t really gone to sleep yet.

Installment #11--Sunday Showers

2008-07-13T03:59:00.000-05:00

Not having any water at the IC house on Saturday can make a person go a little crazy after playing six or seven games of volleyball under the African sun. Not having water on Sunday either is just plain torture. I spent most of the morning Sunday writing, went into town at about 11:30 to take some lunch with a few of the other teachers, ran to the internet café and was back to the IC house by about 2:00. Mary, from Kampala, was scheduled to come by the house at 2:00. Mary makes beads out of old magazines and newspapers and creates necklaces and bracelets out of them. They are similar to the “beads for life” bracelets and necklaces, but are a microfinance project that Mary runs. In perfect Ugandan punctuality, Mary showed up at about 2:45. We took our time perusing her wares, and many people bought many necklaces. At about 3:30, as we were finishing our perusing, the skies opened up! Not having had a shower for a little over a week, and not having bathed for two days (after mucho sweaty volleyball), I ran back into the house, grabbed a towel and some soap, and ran back outside. Stripped to my skivvies, I nestled in under a corner of the roof that funnels water in a sizeable stream providing a very cold, but very refreshing shower. If you look around enough, there are a few pictures of me out there.

After my very refreshing shower, the IC car was by in short order to pick us up. We made our trip out to Pabo in a Matatu. The suspension on a matatu is something to be witnessed, as are the roads. The number of potholes, bumps, and ruts in the road to Sudan, and the severity of the bumps are amplified tremendously in a matatu, and your rear end feels every one. The trip in a matatu takes about an hour and a half, and Trisha, Danielle, and I were all happy that it was over. When we got back to the White House, Charles was waiting outside on the porch. I went in, unpacked, and went outside to meet Charles. We talked for a bit, I went in and had dinner, and then the girls and I talked a bit more in the evening.

Installment #10--It's Raining! (and we have to drive to Gulu in it!)

2008-07-06T05:24:00.001-05:00

The next morning, I awoke to thunder, lightening, and pouring rain. If I were thinking, I would have jumped outside and taken a shower, but I didn’t. It took a while for the rain to stop, and it delayed our morning routine, so we got to school a little bit later (the bike ride took a bit longer too). I got to school (after a protein bar and some oatmeal—yeah variety!), and Charles asked me how pool was. I guess word gets around quickly in Pabo. In Gulu, it is not too unusual for for there to be a munu or two walking around town as there are so many NGO’s, but in Pabo, there are very few. Today I introduced a reading with one class of S2, and Charles finished “being phrases” with the other group. Class went all right. There was not major excitement, except lunch. Today was meat day at school, so I thought that I would be able to say no thanks and have a protein bar (or two) instead. Unfortnately, the people at Pabo already know I am a vegetarian, so they also brought a bowl of beans just for me (teachers get meat, but the students still get beans) so that I could eat lunch at school. Oh well. I am getting used to it.

Trisha and Danielle left early on Thursday because Trisha was feeling sick, but I stayd through the end of class. The IC car came by the school a little before 3:30 to pick us up so that we could go back to Gulu for the teaching and learning conference. The rain had started up again before we made it home, so the twenty mile drive on the fantastic roads took a little over an hour and a half. We got back to the house in time for dinner—Doreen’s food is great—and it is not Posho and Beans. We ate dinner, and John, Jon, Josh, and I played hearts and had some fantastic beers. After two games, several beers, and some pretty poor (I still laughed) Magee jokes, people started heading to bed. I went outside and talked with Geoffrey, the IC guard at night, until about 2:00 in the morning. He was a child soldier for 10 years and has some stories to share. We mostly talked about the current situation though, and about the government and the rebels and who was right and wrong. Geoffrey also talked a bit about his family. He has a wife and three kids, and struggles to make the money to send his kids to school. IC pays him a very good salary by Gulu standards, but it still is not enough. After talking with Geoffrey for a while, I went to bed.

On Friday, much of the day was spent at the teaching and learning conference in Gulu. All of the U.S. teachers met with their Acholi counterparts to discuss challenges of education in Uganda, participatory learning strategies, meaningful assessment, and other educational ideas. We made it home a little after 5:00 and had a discussion group about one of the education/colonialism/Africa assigned readings, and then had another fantastic Doreen dinner. After dinner, we talked for a little while, and then Josh, Jen, David, John and I went to a place in Gulu called Da Pub to celebrate the fourth of July. We had several Nile Specials, very good, and even did a little bit of dancing. At one point I was actually doing the electric slide to Britney Spears.

Saturday was a nice break as well. We called it our American Day. We had the learning conference until about noon, had lunch as a group, and then went back to the IC house to play several intense games of volleyball, eat a fantastic Mexican feast prepared by Doreen, and play some more volleyball. I ended up going to bed (very content) at about 9:30.

Best,
Matt

Instaqllment #9--Falling into a routine

2008-07-06T05:23:00.000-05:00

Wednesday was my long day at school. Having gotten my bike back Tuesday night, I tried the ride in again this morning. I woke up at about 6:30 so that I could get ready and be out the door with plenty of time to get to school even if the bike broke again today. I ate another protein bar, passed on the bread as it was already moldy, took three trips to the pit latrine, and left for school. The ride took a little longer than 15 minutes, and I got to school fairly early. I reviewed the lesson plan for a while, and then it was off to class. Charles taught the first period, I taught the second and third period, and then Charles taught the final period of the day (periods are actually doubles—two 40 minute classes back-to-back). The first class that I taught went all right. There were several times when I do not think that I communicated quite clearly enough with the students, but they seemed to hang in there. The second class went much better except for the fact that it finally rained (Uganda has been in a three week dry spell—usually it comes sometime in July, but it was early this year—so everyone has been waiting for the rain). When it is raining very hard on a corrugated metal roof, it becomes very hard to speak and be heard. Luckily the rain only lasted for fifteen minutes or so, so I simply wrote the questions I would have asked or statements I would have made on the board. When students had an answer, I ran to them so they could tell me in my ear. The students got a kick out of it, and the lesson went well.

After having Posho and beans again for lunch, we were hoping that Harriet had cooked something different for dinner. She did—Cassava (like a potato—kind of, Boo—a green similar to but very different than spinach, and… BEANS!). A lack of showers and a diet that is heavily supplemented with beans (usually multiple times a day) leads to some interesting conversations about new and unique odors.

After dinner, Christine met us again and wanted to show us some more of the camp. Walter had stopped by, but wasn’t going to be able to come back that evening to show us around, so we went with Christine. We first went through the market that is behind the White House. Most of the vendors had already started packing up for the evening since it was a little late, and many had already left for the evening. We walked past tables with small red, yellow, and orange tomatoes and other various roots and beans. There were tables covered in little dried fish and flies, and others with smoked and raw tilapia (also covered in flies). While we were in the market, Robert—the manager of the White House—met up with us. After the market, we headed over to the police station to meet the Chief Criminal Investigations Deputy (CCID) for the camp. We said hello and introduced ourselves (I had actually met him the night before at the White House) got a quick tour of the office (a 10x20 foot room with a table a few chairs, and a few crates) and headed back for the evening. On the way, Robert asked if I wanted to play pool. I said sure, so we went to the establishment down from our hotel. We sat around for a while and talked with people, and eventually it was my turn to play. I joked a bit, played pretty poorly, and lost. As I was playing though, I noticed that people were slowly funneling into the place and that people had lined up outside the perimeter of the room we were in, and were staring in the windows. I probably had a crowd of one hundred people watching me.

Installment #8--Into the Camps

2008-07-06T05:22:00.000-05:00

It wasn’t long after I got back to the White House that Walter showed up again. This time he wanted to take us around the camp and point out a few things that we should know. Christine, an Acholi woman living at the White House and doing service in the camps, wanted to come along as well. We walked down the Sudan road a bit before heading into the camp.

The signs of poverty in the camp are abundant. People (especially kids) wear clothes that are covered in filth, often torn, and quite often the younger kids do not have any clothes as well. It appears that there is a good deal of suffering as well. People suffer from various disfigurements, eye diseases, and other visible wounds. The huts are packed very tightly together, are cylindrical in shape, have thatched roofs (which often catch fire sparking a chain reaction of huts burning down because of their proximity to each other), and often house four, five, or even more people.

We weren’t in the huts too long before walking back out of them and towards the big Catholic mission in Pabo. A ways across from the mission is a soccer field. There was a crowd of several hundred people around the field gathered to watch the soccer match that was happening at the time. We didn’t go over to the match, and instead, we kept on walking. Pretty soon after the soccer match, we walked past several rows of old school buildings, mostly abandoned as the displaced schools they housed have moved back to the villages. There was one primary school that still ran though, and the children who attended the school were out in the courtyard practicing their dances for an upcoming competition. We sat and watched for a little while as the drums pounded, the hips gyrated, the necks popped, and the axes swung in the air (yes, axes…in the hands of possibly 100 primary school students). We kept moving though, and eventually got to the hospital. Walter thought that we should know where to go should we need any medical attention in the camp (don’t worry mom, I don’t plan on visiting again). The hospital had a large gate that opened to a courtyard with a mango tree and a plaque commemorating the building of the hospital. There were some few goats, chicken, and even a flock of turkeys that roamed in and out of the compound as well as several groups of people and individuals sitting on wooden mats in the courtyard. I would guess that the visitors in the courtyard were either awaiting treatment for an ill relative, or were ill themselves and were waiting to see a doctor.

We walked through the courtyard, around several small buildings that were built out of the same red clay bricks and had windows open to the outside as well as doors on some of the buildings. We saw a child receiving a shot in one of the rooms, and walked past another room that housed the maternity ward where several expectant mothers lay on white cots trying to pass their time. At the back of the compound were two larger buildings that appeared to have been built recently. These buildings housed the nursing staff and the doctors. We knocked on the door of one and met one of the nurses at the hospital. The doctor was unfortunately not in. The nurse invited us into the compound. The first room was pretty small, but had several chairs set up with a television and a DVD player set up on a table. On the DVD player, a Celine Dion video (it must have been a single—“I’m your lady” (?-I don’t really know the title of the song, but she sang that phrase over and over)) was playing over and over again. I am still amazed that most of the music that people listen to here is hip-hop music that is fairly current in the states. We stayed for a few minutes, talked, and then left for home as Harriet most likely was going to be done with dinner soon.

When we were walking back, we didn’t go to the Sudan Road right away, instead, we walked deeper into the camp and took a back way home. We saw all of the same images I mentioned before, caught a lot of stares, greeted a lot of people, and eventually wound up back out at the road right next to the White House. One image that will stick in my mind for quite some time though, was a little boy who came walking past us as we were strolling through a mini-market of beans and rice set up along the camp pathways. The boy was probably 12 or 13 and was completely naked. His eyes were both milky white, and from the way he walked, you could tell that he was blind. His elbows and shoulders and knees and hips were all bent at crooked and jagged angles so that he had to move sideways. He also may not have known how to speak as the only sound he made was a whine over and over again. I didn’t know how to react, so I kept on walking. In Uganda, when someone suffers from some form of mental disability, the common response is to just ignore the “mad” person. Eating dinner once we were back at the White House, it was hard not to think about how blessed we were when just outside our door, so many people are suffering.

Installment #7--Pabo S.S.--A Little Slice of Heaven (It is supposed to be hot there right???)

2008-07-06T05:19:00.005-05:00

We dropped off our bags, and I changed into a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and shoes. It is definitely going to take some adjusting to get used to the proper attire when the temperature gets into the high 80’s and the sun is beating down hard. Amy took us back over to the school, we met the headmaster, signed some documents (I hope I didn’t commit to a three year contract), and Amy took off. Trisha, Danielle, and I were finally all on our own in the middle of an internally displaced camp housing 60,000 displaced persons with no running water or electricity. Otim Walter Knox—the headmaster—and Odong Quintine—the deputy (2nd in charge)—took us around to show us the facilities. Schools in Uganda are typically built in classroom blocks with 2-3 classrooms next to each other in one long building. At Pabo, some of the classrooms are mud brick and mortar with corrugated metal ceilings, and others are a little bit newer and built out of concrete. The newer buildings were all built by NGO’s operating in Uganda. The older classrooms do not have floors, so the students have to sweep the rooms out and pour water every morning to try to keep the dust down. The rooms have several windows that stay open so that hopefully you can catch a breeze. Students do not have any textbooks, have one pen that they keep track of like gold, and use small notebooks to take any notes they need in the books.

After our tour, we went to the teacher’s lounge, met many of the teachers at the school, and sat down with our teachers. Charles taught the last period of the day, so I observed his last class. At Pabo, we actually have fewer students than many schools in Africa, but our classrooms are smaller as well. We have about 60 children in each of our classes. The whole classroom procedure will take a little getting used to, but I was really excited about the prospect of starting soon.

After classes, the three munu’s at Pabo called bodas and headed back to the hotel. We unpacked and got situated, and by the time we were finished, Walter Quintine, and a few other teachers had shown up to make sure that we were settling in all right. We had a soda with them, learned a little bit about the camp, and then our dinner was ready. Harriet, our personal cook and launderer had made chapatti (like thick flour tortillas), rice and beans for dinner. (After posho and beans for lunch, it was a little redundant, but we were tired and didn’t mention it). After dinner, it got dark very quickly, so Danielle, Trisha, and I talked for a while and headed to bed.

Tuesday ran pretty much as expected. We woke up early, bathed with our Jerry cans, and headed off to school. Breakfast consisted of a protein bar, two pieces of bread, and some peanut butter that I poured onto the bread. Trisha, Danielle, and I took off on our bikes for the school and were greeted by many little children yelling “munu byeeee!” as well as many adults laughing and smiling. We greeted as many as we could while we rode. Just outside of the IDP, I swerved to miss a bus who was wildly weaving from one shoulder to the next on the road (a common practice—many people take Dramamine before riding in a car) to avoid potholes and find the least bumpy route. When I swerved, the bike tire didn’t. I blew out a tire before ever making the trip to school once. I hopped off my bike and Danielle and Trisha kept going. If I would have walked the rest of the way, I probably would have been a half hour or more late to school, so I walked back to the camp, dropped my bike off at a small bike repair stand (one of the few trades, along with tailor, that people in Uganda are frequently taught), and found a boda to take me to school.

When I got to school, I talked with Charles a little bit about how he wanted to run the experience, and we looked at the plans for the rest of the week. We decided that today I would observe the classes still, and then tomorrow, I would be able to step in and introduce the lessons on pronouns to the S1 students. I observed two more classes during the day, and was able to write up a lesson plan for the class tomorrow. Charles and I shared the information, found some readings for later in the week, dropped them off with the typist, and were done for the day. (Oh yeah, lunch was beans and posho again—I believe that people eat this for lunch every day here—we’ll see). After school I walked back to the White House. It took a little over 45 minutes but was not that bad of a walk. As I moved further and further along the road, I was joined by more and more students who had all sorts of questions for me. The students asked about America, asked about superheroes and Jean Claude VanDamme. I asked them about school, and the camps, and their lives. Most of the students were pretty nice, and seemed generally interested and curious about me. In Gulu, there are so many NGO’s that it is not uncommon to see a white person around town, but in Pabo, there are so few that everyone notices you.

Installment #6--The White House...In Uganda?

2008-07-06T05:17:00.001-05:00

Monday morning was a jumble of mixed feelings. I was very excited that we would be heading out to Pabo, but I was also quite nervous. Amidst the scurrying around, journal writing, and final preparations for the trip, one of the other volunteers came to retrieve me and let me know that Charles (my cooperating teacher) was at the front gate wondering if he could catch a ride with us out to the camp. He had been at the hospital with his cousin who had just had a baby, so he missed the bus on Sunday night. We talked to Amy, and it was fine that he joined us. IC sent two trucks in the morning for the trips to Atanga and Pabo, and after packing both and realizing that the big group should probably have taken the bigger car and the small group should have probably taken the smaller car (I use car lightly—I really mean Land Cruiser safari style, and double cab Toyota Tundra), we switched all of the gear around and started our trips. The road to Pabo is actually only a very small segment of a much larger road. Around here, we know the road as “The Road to Sudan,” but in reality, the road runs from Egypt all the way south to South Africa. I have to say that a trip that far would definitely result in bruised tailbones, aggravated hemorrhoids, and discombobulated internal organs. There are so many potholes, bumps, and eroded patches along the road that cars can only move at a crawl for long stretches and are rarely able to accelerate for any period of time. We arrived at the school, dropped Charles off, and headed to the White House.

The White House has a small store front that sells the typical soda, beer, bags of vodka and gin, and bottles of water. It sits on the edge of the actual IDP camp (the school is about 2km outside of the IDP camp). Behind the White House is a small courtyard with rows of rooms lining either side. The rooms are very simple, with a bed accompanied (after some asking) by a large mosquito net. There is a sink, a bed, and a shower head off in the corner, but no running water (and a sign, drawn in big sharpie marker across the tile that reads “Do Not Use!”—I think that they are planning on eventually having plumbing one day, but certainly don’t yet). We receive a jerry can of water as needed, and have a small green wash basin to take a bath with in the mornings (or evenings—if you leave the can out in the sun, it gets nice and lukewarm.

Installment #5--Children Children Everywhere

2008-07-06T05:14:00.003-05:00

Saint Jude’s was fun an experience. It is a children’s home that fosters children whose parents are unable to care for them. Some of the children have lost their parents to the war or to Aids, and many have parents who are unable to financially support their children, but hope to one day come and collect them. We went to play with the children, and they presented a couple of song and dance numbers for us. We threw footballs, Frisbees, the some kids played football, some had races, and many of the small children just wanted to be held. Many of the small children who were held fell right to sleep in the arms of the volunteers as soon as they were picked up. After a few workshops and classes in the morning, and then St. Jude’s, we decided that it was time to unwind a little bit. We went over to the Kope Café and had a movie night. Amy went out and bought a couple of crates of beer, made some popcorn, and bought a bunch of g-nuts (just like peanuts in the states). The Kope Café (Jamie, the Invisible Children’s Intern Coordinator and House Manager started the Café to benefit HEALS-an Acholi community and dance center-so he has a bit of pull) has a projector and a big white patch on its wall, and one of the volunteers supplied the computer and the movie (Charlie Wilson’s War—pretty good). After the movie, it was back to IC house to pack and get ready for the big adventure out in Pabo!

Installment #4--Oh Charles, you crazy guy you.

2008-06-29T02:17:00.001-05:00

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday contained a full compliment of classes and experiences in Gulu. We had a language workshop, Colonialism in the classroom discussion, an ESL strategies workshop, a discussion about Invisible Children programs, a lecture on Education from war to peace, a session on culture and customs, and an informational session about the different Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Uganda. We have also had a few meals out in Uganda, met our team-teaching partners, had a follow up meeting with our teachers, and gone shopping for supplies. The good news is that in all of the business, I have actually been able to get a full-night’s sleep the last several nights.

My first meeting with my cooperating teacher happened Friday night. The whole group got dressed up in slacks, shirts, ties, and dresses (boys and girls wore gender appropriate clothes goofball). We walked from the IC house over to Kope Café—a bit of an NGO hangout during the day. This night though, the café was closed to the public so that we could host a party for the cooperating teachers. Starting at about 6:00, the teachers began to slowly arrive. Over the next hour, most of the teachers showed up. My cooperating teacher, Oola Charles, arrived about a half hour into the party. We sat for a while and made small talk. I had already met his colleagues that will be teaching with Danielle and Trisha. Charles and I talked about our own lives in the states and Uganda, we talked about the differences between our school systems, and about a few other elements of Acholi and American culture. Conversation went smoothly at times, was awkward at others, and we definitely hit a few silent spots. Charles’ English skills and mine are a bit different, both based on culture and familiarity with the language, so that caused a little bit of miscommunication to happen periodically. Charles would not understand a question I asked, or vice versa. But by the end of the night, we had at least started to get to know each other.

Saturday Morning, I met up with Charles again. We went to breakfast at the Kope Café. All of the Pabo teachers decided to meet before the Geoffrey, Vasco and Charles went back to their homes for the afternoon. Geoffrey and Vasco both (Danielle and Trisha’s coordinating teachers) arrived at 9:00 for breakfast, and Charles came by at about 9:45 (not terribly unusual for Uganda). Unfortunately, we had already ordered breakfast, so Charles went inside to place his order. At about 10:30, everyone but Charles’s breakfast had arrived (as is customary—you get your food in the order that it is prepared, not all together). By 11:00, the two teachers from Pabo needed to leave. By 11:30, Danielle and Trisha needed to leave to run errands (thanks to them for picking up my slack on errands too!), and by 12:00, Charles and I had run out of things to talk about. Or conversation at breakfast went much more smoothly today, with only a few instances where we misunderstood each other, but having just met each other the night before, we had a limited number of topics that we could discuss. Charles food ended up never arriving. It turns out that the café apparently looked for him inside (we were sitting on the patio), didn’t find him, and returned his food to the kitchen. Charles ordered a Fanta pop, we sat for the next half hour watching the people on the street (Even though it is somewhat uncomfortable for me to sit for 30 or 40 minutes without talking, this too is not awkward in Acholi culture,…or at least so I am told). At about 12:30 we parted ways (from our three and a half hour breakfast), and I met up with Danielle and Trisha to help with the errands.

Today, I am going to be heading off to St. Jude’s Children’s orphanage to visit with the children there. I will be packing up for Pabo this evening, and tomorrow night I will be heading out to Pabo to start my stay there! I will continue to try to post every weekend, but there will be a weekend or two when I am traveling in Uganda and away from the internet café. I hope that all is well back in the states!

As the Acholi say, “apwoyo matek!”(Thank you very much) Thanks for reading!

Best,
Matt

Installment #3--Uganda Uganda (or look out Gulu, here I come!)

2008-06-29T02:16:00.001-05:00

Uganda schools work in a slightly different way than in the states. As mentioned before, students go through seven years of primary education (P1-P7). At the end of P7, they sit for their national examination. If they pass, they are allowed to go on to secondary school. Here, there are six levels of education (S1-S6). S1-S4 are considered “O” level, or ordinary, and S5 and S6 are “A” level, or advanced. Students sit in S1-S4, and then have to take their next national exam. This exam includes everything they have studied in secondary school (including foods class) and is apparently pretty intense. If they are able to pass the test (many do not), then they can go on to S5 and S6 where students will receive a specialized education (to become a doctor, lawyer, teacher, engineer…) based upon their test scores. The curriculum that students learn is all determined by the Minister of Education for Uganda, and all students, no matter where they attend school, receive the same education.

By dinner time of our first day in Kampala, I was beat. Not only had my body not caught up with the eight hour time change, twenty plus hours of flying, and two (or three?—I was too confused to know for sure) sleepless nights, but we had also had a full day of classes and tours. Many people were in the same boat as I was, but we pushed through it to go to dinner at Sam’s. About twenty of us (any time there are twenty white people (muzungu) together in the same place it causes quite a spectacle) sat around a large table, shared various fantastic Indian dishes, had a few beers, and desperately tried to keep our eyelids open, our heads from hitting the table too hard when we had the nods, and the drool from making too large a puddle in front of us. Dinner was great, and of course, when we returned to the hostel that evening immediately following dinner, everyone caught his or her second wind. Damn. Another sleepless night.

Wednesday (the next day silly) held another experience and more travel. We started the morning by traveling to the Bavubuka Foundation’s house in Kampala (please check it out here www.bavubuka.com). In Luganda, Bavubuka means “the youth.” Silas, a famous Ugandan rapper decided that student needed a place to learn skills and participate in the arts so that they can help to foster respect for each other, desire (and affect) positive change in their world, and build community that looks toward growth. Students engage in art projects, singing, dancing, weaving, and many other activities at the house that is run by an all volunteer staff that subsists on donations. The organization is growing and, though they currently only have a house in Kampala, they have volunteers in many of Uganda’s larger cities. While we were there, we shared a few activities with the house volunteers so that they would be able to do them with their students.

After returning to the hostel and packing up, it was time to hit the road for Gulu. Yup, here it is, another woot woot! The trip to Gulu was made in a minibus that just barely contained the whole group (23 volunteers and 2 drivers). There are two seats along one side of the bus and one seat along the other side. When extra seats are needed (and they were), jump seats folded down to fill the aisle so that there were four seats across. I, of course, wound up in a jump seat (the leg room is honestly a big plus here). Unfortunately, the jump seats have very low backs, so that when I was actually (finally) ready to sleep, I had nowhere to put my head. It is almost impossible to prop your head up on your hands to sleep on a bumpy bus ride, so I wound up not getting any sleep yet again (except for the few minutes that I passed out on the shoulder of the guy next to me, drooled on the back of the person in front of me, and snored on the shoulder of the person to my left). The bus ride itself took a little over six hours, was fast, was slow, was highly erratic with the bus swerving from one shoulder to the other trying to avoid any multiple of the millions of large potholes along the route, and ultimately, a bit tedious. But finally, we arrived in Gulu. We had a fantastic meal prepared by a wonderfully sweet woman, Doreen, who is the chef at the Invisible Children’s House.

Installment #2--T.I.A. (This is Africa) Man--and a very long post

2008-06-29T02:13:00.001-05:00

We spent the next two days in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Kampala is not like other capital cities that you have probably experienced. Uganda is a Lesser Developed Country (LDC), and poverty affects all but the very few privileged. This is definitely apparent in Kampala. There are many small buildings sprawled out along the streets selling almost anything you can imagine. Some of the buildings are solid brick structures that house large general stores and others are small shacks, shoddily constructed out of wood, corrugated metal, and whatever else can be found. Many of the large buildings are covered in large painted advertisements for phone companies, soft drinks, or paints. The advertisements add to the brilliant color palette of the city. Kampala is also a rather busy city. There are people walking, riding bikes, on motorcycles, in vans, and they are all competing for road space with each other and the large delivery trucks that frequent the streets. If you are at all squeamish about reckless driving (Mom, Em-this is you), then it is advisable that you travel with your eyes closed. In Kampala, the horn is a safety feature on most vehicles that rivals seat belts and airbags for importance.

While in Kampala, the group had several workshops intended to inform us about the situation in Uganda as well as prepare us for our cultural exchanges. Our first full day included heading out to the U.S. Embassy, Traveling to Garden City, visiting Lubiri Secondary School, and dinner at Sam’s Indian Restaurant. At the Embassy, we met a general representative of the embassy, a women working for the education program of U.S. Aid, and two gentlemen working for the Refugee program at the embassy. The discussion we had brought up several of the complexities of Education in Uganda. The country has Universal Primary Education for all students, meaning that there are no school fees for primary school. Students take seven years of primary school (P1-P7), after which they take a Country Exam that will determine if they can pass to Secondary School. Though Education is free through P7, many students cannot attend because they do not have the money to pay for school uniforms or other essentials. Secondary School is not free in Uganda yet, so more students do not attend. School fees typically run from $500 to $600 a year, which is more than much of Uganda can afford (especially if there are multiple children in a family). Girls also face struggles in education. Because of a lack of sanitary supplies (and sometimes knowledge), when a girl begins puberty, she usually has to miss several days of school a month. Because girls begin missing so much school, they eventually have to drop out. Another complication is brought about as a result of the war and the displacement of people and schools. With the displaced people beginning to move back to parishes (halfway camps between the villages and IDP’s where people can still live as a community as they get their villages up to snuff) and there villages (where schools currently are not operating), they are forced to leave their children behind. Sometimes families will leave older children to fend for themselves so that they can continue in school, and other times children will live with foster parents in the camps or towns (and sometimes on an impromptu notice). This leads to issues of neglect and abuse.

Garden City was a large shopping mall in Uganda where we got lunch and changed our money for the trip. Because so few in Gulu have much money in hand (and are therefore unable to make change), it is necessary to break large bills into much smaller denominations. I ran from store to store purchasing as many small things as necessary (mangos, bananas, a notepad…) to make as much change as possible. I also stopped and had a quick (really, nothing is quick in Uganda—meals are usually made one at a time, and delivered as they are finished—it is not unusual to wait an hour for a sandwich and finish eating it before your friend receives it) lunch. I ordered a Coke, which the restaurant apparently did not have (but didn’t say either), so after taking my order, the gentleman from the restaurant ran next door to pick up a coke from the neighboring restaurant (he also did this to get change—which is called the balance in Uganda—when I paid for my meal).

After Garden city, the whole group headed over to Lubiri Secondary School, one of the higher performing schools in Uganda. We met first with the Head teacher of the school who told us a little bit more about Lubiri and Education in general. After that, we were unleashed into the teacher’s room where we met and talked with several teachers. One of the teachers (and I cannot unfortunately remember his name) took a small group of us out to show us several classes. As we toured the open-air classrooms, one thing was apparent. Even though class sizes reached upwards of 100 students, the students were much disciplined and intent on learning. The teacher giving us the tour actually had students working on projects while he had left to come meet us. After being out of his room for forty minutes or so, he walked back in, (as the students worked together on physics questions—not a single student goofing) and introduced us. We talked with several students at their desks, and soon left to visit other classrooms. We saw a biology class, a foods class, a computer class (there was a computer lab at Lubiri—a luxury most schools do not have), a fine arts class, and a few others. All the while, we were discussing the educational system in Uganda with our new teacher-friend.

Installment #1--Travel, Travel, Travel

2008-06-29T02:12:00.000-05:00

I have made it safely to my almost last stop! On June 21, at about 3:30 p.m. I left my good friend Scott at the Jet Blue gate and headed over to the International terminal at JFK Airport in New York. After sitting for a while, I ran into John Magee and Danielle Davies, two of the people who have made the trip to Africa with me. The three of us chatted for a while and hung out, and the rest of the group slowly drifted in. By 8:00, we were checking in to our Emirates flight to Uganda. At 11:30, we were in the air and off!!! I have to pause for a moment though and say, the seats on an international flight that lasts thirteen hours should definitely take into account that a sizeable portion of the U.S. population is over six feet tall and can’t fit comfortably into 20 inches of legroom. All right, I’m being unfair, 22 inches of legroom. As Murphy would have it, my seat assignment was, of course, in the middle of the middle section of the plane.

Finally, after two movies, three meals, two naps of two hours, and several conversations with two friendly, but equally large seat neighbors, our plane landed in Dubai. As a group, we cruised through customs with ease (that is except for one of our teachers who wears dreadlocks and has two arms full of tattoos—he was treated to a royal strip search care of the Emirates airport security). We caught a shuttle to the Emirates Airport Hotel and found our rooms. By the time we dropped our bags, it was 9:45 p.m.—23 hours after we left NY (but only 15 hours real time). That doesn’t bode well on a body. Still feeling like it was 1:45, our group headed out to the very eloquent and ornate Emirates mall, home of the world famous “Ski Dubai”—an indoor ski hill. Five of our group took the opportunity to ski on the slopes while the rest of us enjoyed a nice stroll through the ridiculously large (supermarket included) mall.

After the stroll, it was back to the hotel for a few quick hours of sleep before hopping on the plane again. Or, at least, laying in bed and listening to your roomie (who is hilarious, genuine, and one heck of a guy, and who also has a blog—check it out here www.mageeinuganda.blogspot.com) sleep happily (while sawing some serious logs—redwood style). We got to the airport, hopped the plane, flew three hours to Ethiopia, sat on the tarmac for an hour to drop people off and pick a few others up, and took off for another two and a half hour flight before we landed in Uganda.

We were met at the airport by Amy Cordileone (the IC Teacher Exchange Coordinator), James, and three mutatus (special hire taxi-vans). We loaded our luggage and an hour or so later, arrived at Backpacker’s Hostel in Kampala, Uganda. Most of the group was pretty tired, and our bodies, our internal clocks, our digestive systems were all out of whack, but the excitement was unbearable. Five or six of us kept saying over and over, “We’re in Africa! We’re in Africa!” I’ll admit it; I did even let out a little Woo Hoo.

Note about posts from Uganda

2008-06-29T02:09:00.002-05:00

In Uganda, the access that I have to computers is especially slow. I also will only be able to get to the internet ocassionaly (some weekends). I will be posting large amounts of information at a time, but I will post it in installments so that you can read bits at a time. I will also most likely be picture free for a while as pictures take way too long to upload. Once I have access to a faster connection, I will post pictures for all to see.

Best,
Matt

Here I go...

2008-06-18T10:33:00.003-05:00

With all of the business that goes along with the end of the school year, summer workshops, and preparations for a six week trip to Uganda, I have yet again neglected to post a blog for some time.

Here is a quick (very quick) run-down on the situation in Uganda. It's not good.

Here is the briefly expanded version: The Government of Uganda (GoU) has been coordinating military action with Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the UN. The LRA has made several attacks on villages outside of Uganda, is increasing its numbers, and is moving in small groups towards northern Uganda. The GoU has increased its military presence in the villages and towns and has sworn that the LRA will not make it into Uganda again.

For a couple of good summaries of events, check out these two Invisible Children posts:

Peace and Conflict Update #24: Re-arming, Re-igniting and Re-settling
Peace and Conflict Update: From the Ground #1

Now for the good news...I am off to Uganda! And this is what I am bringing:

I am packed and ready to go. I leave for New York today at about 4:00 p.m., and will spend a few days there with a good friend. On Saturday night, I head off to the great unknown.

I'll try to post a few photos from the big apple, and will blog again in Uganda as soon as I am able to. As I will be living outside of the city (Gulu), I will not have any regular access to e-mail or the internet. I will periodically check though when I am able to get to an internet cafe. I still have a bit of cleaning to do, and some final preparations to make, so I must say farewell for now!

Best,
Matt

When the poop hits the fan...

2008-05-28T16:30:00.010-05:00

With this new post I have little good news to report about the situation in Northern Uganda. It appears that the Ugandan government is moving forward with the preparations for the war crimes trials in the event that Joseph Kony and his top men are captured. The government has created a new war crimes court under the Special Division of Uganda's High Court that will try Kony and attempt to convince the International Criminal Court (ICC) to drop its warrants for Kony and his two top advisers.

Meanwhile, the ICC is getting serious. They have begun re-investigating some of the Ugandan attacks that occurred during the 20-year civil war in an effort to possibly add charges to their list of war crimes committed by the LRA. They have also been looking into the string of abductions that have been occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Southern Sudan, and the Central African Republic (CAR). On May 20, the LRA apparently invaded the village of Kapili in the Eastern Congo. They looted the village, fought with residents, and occupied the village for several days. Both the governments of the CAR and the DRC are becoming tired of the continued violence that the LRA is bringing to their countries (more information here and here).

Interestingly enough, since the collapse of the peace talks only weeks ago, much new information is appearing about the intentions and opinions of those involved in the talks. In a new book (A Billion Lives: An Eye Witness Report from the Front Lines of Humanity--published May 12), Museveni is quoted as saying that the peace talks are a waste of time. Amid frustrations about the stalled progress of the talks, Museveni said, "No, those talks were not to our benefit. Let me be categorical--there will only be a military solution to this problem." The Sudanese government has also piped in on the current situation telling the LRA to sign the peace accords or skip town. Should the LRA fail to sign the peace agreement, the government of the Sudan may take military action. Compounding the situation, Tim Shortley--The United States Facilitator in the Juba Peace Talks-- shared some dismal news with a group of reporters in Washington D.C. Shortley commented, "the peace process is indeed over." Most frighteningly though, Joseph Kony, who failed to show for the meeting he called earlier this month, wrote a letter to the Ugandan Government shortly after standing the Elders, spiritual leaders, and community leaders up. In his letter, Kony explained his failure to show as a result of fears of being captured and sent to Europe to be hanged, being tried in an untested court (the special Ugandan war crimes court), and surprise capture by ICC and U.S. forces at the time of the meeting. Instead, Kony offered up these words of assurance: "It is better to die fighting than to surrender and be killed."

So far, no new word from Invisible Children. The situation in Uganda seems to be safe at the moment (LRA action is taking place in DRC, CAR, and Sudan, but so far, only small stirrings in Uganda). The trip is still on and all preparations are rolling. I have had most of my shots, have my anti-malarial meds, am beginning to collect the necessary supplies, and only have one more payment to make (feel free to help me make the payment by clicking on the donate button below--It is the biggie. P.S. --you rock!). The first group leaves for Uganda at the end of the week, and the second group (the group I will be traveling with) leaves in just over three weeks. In the coming days I will post my itinerary (with some cool new add-ons), and let you know more about the situation in Uganda as it develops.

On the bright side, I had my last rabies shot yesterday, which makes me more current on my rabies than my cats, although they still have the one-up on me with the whole neutering thing.

Best,
Matt

Photo Credits:
(All photos borrowed from flickr.com personal pages under CC license)

Photo 1: (Ugandan Soldier)--ruifipieggio
Photo 2: (P7030480)--matthewberry
Photo 3: (LDUs at Acholibur IDP camp)--John and Mel Kots
Photo 4: (P7020086)--matthewberry
Photo 5: (P7030470)--matthewberry
Photo 6: (P8230371)--matthewberry
Photo 7: (P7020271)--matthewberry

Peace (but not really) update

2008-05-23T17:01:00.000-05:00

Joseph Kony is one frustrating dude. After not showing to the signing of the final articles of the peace process in April (and leaving the government of Uganda, the Sudanese mediators, and countless others involved in the process absolutely dissapointed and discouraged), Kony has done it again. Kony scheduled (yes, he is the one who asked for this meeting) a meeting with a large group of elders representing the Uganda people's interests, and then failed to show (after keeping them waiting for five days). Most suspect that this was simply one more stall tactic amidst a string of games and lies that Kony has been spinning.

(UN compound in Juba, Sudan--Photo borrowed from zagordemores flickr photos under creative commons license)

All the while the peace talks have been going on, it appears that Kony and his men have been up to their same old tricks. The UN, and several organizations have substantiated claims that the LRA has abducted several hundreds of children from southern Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (though there have been no reports of abductions in Uganda). There is a small glimmer of hope though as Acholi leaders and several of Kony's advisors will be meeting in the UK to try and salvage the peace process.

Here are some of the most recent articles on the abductions and peace process:

Uganda's Knife Edge
Ugandan Rebels Take Up Arms Again
Uganda: LRA Abduct 100 Children
Army Accuses Ugandan Rebels of Kidnapping 130 Children in Recent Weeks
Uganda: As Kony Stalls Peace Advances
Uganda: Acholi Leaders to Meet Kony Advisers in UK
Uganda: Why Did Kony Slam the Door in the Face of Peacemakers?

Pabbo, Here I Come!!!

2008-05-08T20:48:00.007-05:00

One visit to the travel clinic down (ouch-those shots hurt) and one to go! Uganda, here I come!

Pabbo Internally Displaced Persons Camp--The largest IDP in Uganda
(Photo borrowed from Jon & Mel Kots' Flickr photostream under Creative Commons License)

I have received my official school placement (pending any last minute changes), and am very excited about what this summer holds for me. I will be working at Pabbo Secondary School in Uganda. Pabbo is not in Gulu (where I had previously planned on staying), but is actually about 40 km outside of Gulu. Invisible Children's Schools 4 Schools Program serves 10 schools in Uganda, and about a month ago, the decision was made to extend the teacher exchange program to all of the partner schools (last year, the teacher exchange program worked only with the schools located in Gulu). Most of the schools are located in or very near Gulu, but I, along with the two other teachers at Pabbo, will be in a much more remote (read very cool cultural experience) area of the country (don't worry mom and dad, IC is still providing a guard for our residence in Pabbo).

Here are some of the groovy details:

We will be staying at the IC compound Friday night through Monday morning (I will be able to get into town to post updates then--look for some fantastic photos and crazy stories).
Monday through Friday I will be staying in Pabbo (IC will drop us off on Monday morning and be back around Friday afternoon to take us back to Gulu).

There is no running water or consistent source of electricity (though there are pump showers and a generator that can supply power to one room of the residence).
I will have to doody in a bore hole toilet!
(Overall, not to much different (save the electricity part) than my stay in Alaska)

Children in the Pabbo IDP Camp--Look at those smiles!
(Photo borrowed from Jon and Mel Kots' Flickr photostream under Creative Commons License)

The following information comes from the Pabbo School page of the Schools 4 Schools website:

Pabbo Secondary School is a government run school that was displace in 1996 due to the war. Two years later, teachers and students returned to the original site even though abductions were still occurring in the area. Prior to the war, Pabbo was a boarding school, but because of the lack of security, students are no longer able to live in on-campus dormitories and must walk up to two miles every day to attend classes.
Right now the average class size is 65, yet the existing classrooms can only comfortably hold 44 students. One building holds all of Pabbo’s seven classrooms, and the school has only one latrine for girls and two for boys. There are 561 students enrolled at Pabbo. The student to teacher ratio is 65:1. Many of the students are orphans, child mothers, or former child soldiers.

There is also a YouTube video from one of the student winners of the Schools 4 Schools that shows a visit to Pabbo Secondary School. Check it out here.

Another Peace Update

2008-05-08T20:10:00.004-05:00

Though it has been a long time since my last post, not much has changed with the peace process in Northern Uganda. Joseph Kony is still hiding out; reports are still flying in about more abductions in the Central African Republic, the Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo; the Ugandan Government has all but abandoned the peace process with Kony (they won't pursue any more negotiations until he physically appears in Ri-Kwangba); and the International Criminal Court has firmed its stance that Kony must be arrested. To complicate matters more, the government of Uganda and the United Nations in the DRC have threatened military action against Kony on the LRA (who's estimated numbers seem to have grown to 1,200 +). There is still a small thread of hope (though it seems to be fraying quickly) as a group of Acholi elders is set to meet with Kony this weekend (May 10th) to discuss arrangements for a formal meeting with the Ugandan government and it appears that several of Kony's top leaders are pushing for him to sign the agreement. You can read more about the situation by going to the Peace and Conflict Updates on the Invisible Children website, or you can check out the following articles:

Government Sets Terms for Kony Deal
Uganda: Kony was Defeated, Says Musevini
Uganda Rebels Say Kony Will Meet Mediators
Uganda: LRA Top Officers Put Kony Under Pressure to Sign, Says RDC Ochora
ICC Chief Prosecutor Talks Tough

An End to the Peace Process???

2008-04-13T10:32:00.003-05:00

Well, if you have been keeping up with the news in Uganda, you have probably heard that the peace process may be coming to an end. Unfortunately, it is not the end that everyone (save Kony of course) was hoping for.

Joseph Kony (photo borrowed under CC license from Joram jojo)

Joseph Kony and some members of his delegation moved from their hideout in the Central African Republic early this month in anticipation of signing the final documents this past Thursday. Kony, however, still fearing the ICC warrants, hesitated and asked for clarification on two of the points in the agreement. On Friday, the LRA's chief negotiator (David Nyekorach-Matsanga) quit the peace talks citing Kony's refusal to sign the final agreement as frustrating. The Ugandan Government has also left Juba to return to Uganda also effectively quitting the peace talks. Unless something dramatic happens in the next few days, it looks like the talks have come to an end. The government's ceasefire agreement with the LRA ends this coming Tuesday, and the word on the street is that they have absolutely no intention of extending the ceasefire.

With my tickets to New York and Uganda already purchased, and a string of needles waiting to tear into my bum, this news is certainly a little disheartening.

To find out more about the peace process falling apart, please check out these news stories:

Peace deal in Central Africa collapses

Kony Sacks LRA Peace Team Leader

10 Stories the World Should Hear About

Matsanga Arrested at airport

It's official...

2008-03-12T20:45:00.001-05:00

(Image borrowed from Andrewsteven's flickr album under creative commons license)
Photo of Gulu from the air

I sent my first check to Invisible Children today. The travel agent finally came through with our booking. We will be flying out of JFK on Emirates air on the evening of June 21. Now that we have our tickets, the reality of this trip to Gulu is setting in. I have yet to make all of my medical arrangements, but will be jumping on that horse soon. I will also be submitting program fees by the end of the month. Speaking of which... Invisible Children has sent me the list of people who have donated to my cause, and I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you. If you are still considering sponsoring my trip to Gulu, you can make a donation through the link to the left; or, you can still send your donation directly to the program. Here is how to do that:

Checks should be written in the following manner:

Pay to the Order of: Invisible Children
Amount: (big money, big money, no whammies!)
Memo: T/EX- Matt Michelin

The "T/EX-Matt Michelin" is very important. If it is omitted, the donation goes to the general charity (which would not be a bad thing either). Checks should be mailed to:

Invisible Children Inc.
Mission/Teacher Exchange
2705 Via Orange Way Ste B
Spring Valley CA 91978

(Image borrowed from Mike Todd's flickr album under creative commons license)
Photo of Gulu High School and Invisible Children Project box

I also have some good news about the school supplies drive that I will am running. I have received a donation or two from some awesome individuals at my other blog (Supply Uganda). The Amnesty International club at Rolling Meadows High School has pledged a donation to the Supply Uganda Fund, and I will be working with our Amnesty International club here at Hersey to raise awareness and possibly raise some funds as well. You too can be a part of this awesome effort to improve the quality of education for some fantastic (I'll tell you if I find out otherwise) children in Uganda. You can find instructions on making donations to this cause on the Supply Uganda Blog. (http://supplyuganda.blogspot.com)

Quick Update

2008-03-12T20:30:00.006-05:00

The peace process is looking better in Uganda. There has been a tremendous amount of back and forth between President Musevini and Joseph Kony's negotiating team since the deadline was again extended (this time until March 28). Kony has verbally agreed to sign the final peace agreement in person. Hopefully we will see that come to fruition. Musevini has been in the UK talking with delegates from the International Criminal Court (ICC) pleading with them to drop the International charges against Kony and his top advisers. Kony has said that he will only sign the agreement if the international charges are dropped. He has, however, agreed to being tried in a special court in Uganda that follows traditional means of allowing victims to seek justice. Also, it has been decided that the attacks that occurred in the Sudan several weeks ago that had been attributed to the LRA were actually committed by another group. Though the LRA has been accused of several attacks since (including recently abducting 80 people in the Central African Republic), this sheds doubt on many of those claims. With all of the progress in Uganda, I am trying to stay optimistic. Here are a few articles detailing the advancements in the peace process:

Museveni remarks excite LRA rebels (New Vision)
Uganda offers "blood settlement" to LRA rebels (Reuters)
Museveni rejects Hague LRA trial (BBC News)
Uganda's LRA Rebels Welcome President Museveni's ICC Comments (Voice of America News)
Uganda’s LRA rebels abduct 100 children in CAR-report (SomaliNet)
Uganda: Sudan Reluctant to Hunt for LRA Rebels (AllAfrica.com)

Best,
Matt

Oh Boy...

2008-02-26T15:41:00.004-06:00

Well, the LRA is at it again. Less than 24 hours after signing the fourth of the five agreements in the peace and reconciliation process (that will ultimately lead to the demobilisation and demilitarization of the LRA), LRA troops attacked a village in South Sudan (where the peace talks are being held) killing 11 villagers and abducting another 27. Unfortunately, with the February 28th deadline looming, this casts a large shadow over the hopes of completing the peace talks expediently. Please read New Vision's (National Uganda Newspaper) article on the attacks here.

Though peace talks have been going on for over two years, tension certainly seems to be running high. The deadline for the completion of the talks has been extended several times; however, it seems like the Ugandan Army is taking a hardline stance against any more extensions this time around. The threat of military intervention if the LRA fails to complete the peace process with the government of Uganda is a scary prospect.

I will keep you updated as I hear more from the program. February 28 will certainly be an interesting day.

Best,
Matt

Please check out "Supply Uganda"

2008-02-24T10:35:00.004-06:00

Please cruise over to my blog "Supply Uganda." I have set up the site to collect donations that will go towards the purchase of school supplies in Uganda. Please consider making a donation. Your support will go a long way.

Plans for my travels are also beginning to fall into place. I will be flying out of JFK Airport in New York on Emirates air. I will have a layover in Dubai after 13 hours of flying, followed by another 9 hour flight to Entebbe, Uganda. With the improvements in the peace and reconciliation negotiations and the solidifying of travel arrangements, the reality of traveling to Uganda is setting in. You can find my itinerary in an earlier post.

If this is your first visit to my site, please feel free to browse my other posts. You will find information about the peace talks, links to photo albums from Gulu, information about my involvement, and information on how to make a donation (I am still gladly and eagerly accepting all donations you are willing to make--there are two options for donating detailed in earlier posts). Thank you to those who have donated already!

Best,
Matt

Yay Uganda!

2008-02-24T10:12:00.004-06:00

As I was browsing the news in Uganda today, I came along an article from the African Free Press that made me smile. Here is an excerpt:

The Ugandan government said it had signed a permanent ceasefire accord with the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group on Saturday, a landmark step in efforts to end more than two decades of civil war.

Government delegation spokesman Captain Chris Magezi called the accord a "another major breakthrough" in effort to end conflict which has left tens of thousands dead and displace two million.

Just three days ago, the LRA walked out on the peace talks leaving large questions about the success of the peace talks in the face of a February 28th deadline. This is certainly good news for northern Uganda, and great news for the IC Teacher Exchange.

To read the entire article, click here.

For more information on the process of the peace talks, check out these links:

Kony Agrees to be Tried

Uganda Rebels Walk Out of Talks

New Breakthrough in Uganda Talks

Uganda and LRA Agree to Ceasefire

Best,
Matt

Other ways to pay...

2008-02-16T09:24:00.004-06:00

Since sending out the invitations to view my blog, a few people have asked about ways other than paypal to make a donation . I also accept personal checks, ATM cards with pin numbers, credit cards with high credit limits (feel free to keep the bill though), or cash money. If those options are even less appealing, then try this:

If you would like to send your donation directly to the program, you can write a check out in the following format:

Pay to the Order of: Invisible Children
Amount: (it would be pretty pretentious if I put a number here)
Memo: T/EX- Matt Michelin

The "T/EX-Matt Michelin" is very important. If it is omitted, the donation goes to the general charity (which would not be a bad thing either). Checks should be mailed to:

Invisible Children Inc.
Mission/Teacher Exchange
2705 Via Orange Way Ste B
Spring Valley CA 91978

If you use this method, you will receive a receipt directly from the charity for tax purposes. (I will send out receipts for donations made via paypal--don't worry, they will be official)

Of course, I always accept payment in beers too...

Best,
Matt

Shamelessly Seeking Sponsorship: (or I'll wear your name on my butt if you give me money)

2008-02-05T22:48:00.003-06:00

Hello again! This post (as you can tell from the picture) is a shameless request for sponsorship from family and friends (and anyone else who has money burning a hole in his or her pocket). As I have started making arrangements for the trip, I have realized that my initial estimate of the expenses involved was woefully low. I anticipate spending approximately $6000 for this six week exchange program, and I am recognizing that I am a bit short of that sum currently. If you feel so inclined, a donation to my cause would be greatly appreciated. I will also be setting up a school supplies drive and fund raiser prior to leaving for Uganda in hopes of donating some much needed supplies to the schools that I will be working with. I will add another post soon with a link to another blog giving details on how you can support this fund raiser. I have set up an account with paypal, and by clicking on the button below, you can make a donation to the "Uganda Travel Fund" (a.k.a. Matt's plane ticket fund) using a credit card or bank account number. If you would like a public "thank you" on this blog, please note that with your donation. Thank you for your generosity and support!

Just an FYI--all of your donations ARE tax-deductible!

(Just a quick update...The peace talks in Juba have been extended through the end of February, so there is no military action yet. for more information on the peace process, check out Invisible Children's Newest Peace and Conflict Update.)

Check this out!

2008-02-02T11:30:00.002-06:00

Just a quick post this time. I found an online photo album from a researcher who was working in one of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. There are some great photos of the IDP, as well as photos of a community in Gulu district. I imagine I will be staying in a similar location.

Mojotexas's Northern Uganda Gallery

Here is another gallery on flickr by semi-professional photographer Greg KendallBall.

Greg Kendallball's flickr site

Another great photo album. Megan Thompson is a missionary who visited Gulu town (where I will be staying) Uganda. There are many pictures of people along with a few shots of the market in Gulu where I will be shopping.

Megan Thompson's picassoweb site

I hope you enjoy the photos. I am definitely starting to get excited!

Trip Information

2008-01-30T22:48:00.001-06:00

(For basic information and a map of Uganda, click here)

The information packet for my Ugandan adventure has arrived! Here is the information for all who are inquiring:

Itinerary

June 21: Depart from JFK Airport, New York
June 23: Arrive in Entebbe, Uganda
(yep, two days of flying!)
June 25: Arrive in Gulu Uganda
(yep, two days of travel!)
June 25-29: Orientation, Workshops...
(or, how to not say something stupid when in a new culture--ask me about "aanaq")
June 30-July 25: Team Teaching, Classroom Interactions
July 26: Murchison Falls
July 27: Safari outside Kampala
July 28: Rafting on the Nile
(And you though Uganda would be all work and no play...)
July 29: Return to Kampala
July 30: Depart Entebbe
July 31: Return to JFK Airport, New York
(smelly clothes and all)

(Anyone want to join me in NY for a few days on either end of the trip?)

Details

I will be staying in the Invisible Children Volunteer house (or down the road at another dorm) for the duration of my time in Gulu. The house (and dorm) are guarded (no worries mom), and are within walking distance of the schools and the market/town center. Yes, I do need Yellow Fever shots, and yes, I will be taking anti-malarials (yuck). It is confirmed that I will be teaching English/Language Arts, but the school placements are uncertain (and could change up until our arrival). There will be 25 teachers traveling to Uganda in 2 groups for the teacher exchange.

For information on the current state of the peace talks in Uganda, please visit Invisible Children's website and view their "Peace and Conflict Update" section.

I will keep you posted as I begin making arrangements and receive more information from Invisible Children.

Thanks for reading!

Welcome To My Blog!

2008-01-24T20:19:00.001-06:00

Thanks for taking the time to catch up on my "going-ons." I have recently accepted a six week teaching position during this upcomming summer with the charity Invisible Children. I will be traveling to Uganda in June and will be spending six weeks living in the village of Gulu and teaching English alongside a Ugandan counterpart.

Here is the information that appeared in our school newsletter announcing my invitation to participate (much of the information comes from the Invisible Children website...please visit the site and check out all of their groovy projects):

Matt Michelin has recently accepted a volunteer summer teaching position with the charity Invisible Children through their Teachers to Teachers initiative. He will travel to Gulu, Uganda for six weeks in June and July to team teach with a local educator. He will also present at in-services, attend workshops, and attend the second annual International Teaching and Learning Conference in Gulu.

The Teacher Exchange program allows educators to volunteer in northern Uganda through a six-week summer program. Created to enhance present educational models and to establish long-term learning opportunities for both western and Ugandan teachers, educators engage in team teaching, information sharing, and skill building conferences - all with the purpose of generating collaboration among teachers from around the world.

Invisible Children developed Teacher Exchange to bring Ugandan classrooms to a competitive standard from the inside out. Teachers in Uganda often receive limited training and there are very few opportunities for personal and professional development. Ugandan classrooms are characterized by huge student numbers and complicated by a lack of space, a lack of furniture, a lack of textbooks and resources. Teacher Exchange provides a dynamic opportunity to boost the morale and build the capacity of Ugandan teachers.

As I gather more information about the program and my specific responsibilities, I will add updates to this page. I will also keep you informed of how I am preparing for my adventure, and how my fundraising efforts are going (more on that in a later post). In the meantime, please check out the links I have posted on the left. These are worthwhile causes that deserve your attention. Please also browse Invisible Children for the latest information on the peace talks in Uganda.

Thanks for reading!