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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

Best,
Matt

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enter your email address:

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

Best wishes to all!
Apwoyo Matek!
Matt Michelin

Congo Craziness

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

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

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

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

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

Best,
Matt

Installment #8--Into the Camps

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???)

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?

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

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!

Oh Boy...

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"

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!

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...

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)

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!

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

(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!

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!