Uganda takes decisive action

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

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)

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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.