Time seems to be flying as these last weeks approach, and although I
may go into detail of what exactly I have been up to, I first want to
try and express some perspectives I have gained--if I can find myself
able.
During this experience, amongst the drama and chaos that became what
seemed like a soap opera in Mityana, it has been difficult for me to
really reflect and even understand the culture I have been a part of
for several weeks. I felt as though I was coasting through troubled
waters without even taking the time to acknowledge the waves and only
focusing on that piece of land ahead of me.
One thing I think I have recently realized is how fortunate many of us
are to have the privilege to care and to love. We are able to dig deep
inside of ourselves and create vulnerabilities in our hearts that
embrace and allow for genuine passion and emotion to be given towards
another human being. I think many of us often believe that these types
of feelings are innate human qualities, but I find myself begging to
differ. I do believe that we are all capable of expressing and feeling
the deepest kind of love and care towards one another, but what if we
have to first focus on surviving? First focus on eating, getting an
education, making something of ourselves in an environment that tells
us we may not be able to escape? Are we then truly capable of taking
the time to open our hearts in the way of care and the way of love?
What has made me think of this is not that love isn't present in this
country or culture, but that love is not at the forefront of most
actions. Finding a means to survive and finding a means to be accepted
in some way seems to be the focus. In a way, the concept of love is
almost unknown in many circumstances. To us, to a society that has a
fascination with love, this almost seems like an impossible
exaggeration. But it makes me think of how lucky I have been to have a
family who taught me how to love in every part of my life. How blessed
I am to have made myself vulnerable to all the types of love there is,
knowing that there is a reason we should continually care for one
another no matter what. When you aren't brought up knowing the
importance of such a feeling, can you be blamed for not seeking it?
Secondly, the importance of positive reinforcement has been an ever
present thought through this experience. A lot of the culture thrives
on authoritarian practices, especially within the school system. From
what I have observed, instead of being taught how to learn, the
students are taught how to come up with the right answers in order for
their teachers not to punish or chastise them. There are a lot of
practices that make most of the students hesitant to answer or even
talk, as they have been socially humiliated or scolded for producing a
wrong answer in the past. Through my teaching, it has been really
important for me to try and express the importance of trying and
knowing that getting a wrong answer isn't a bad thing, but something
that shows you are putting effort into learning and making
improvements. If students are being taught by negative reinforcement,
it seems like the true power of education and the culture of learning
is lost.
Finally, I have learned the importance of accountability and taking
initiative. As many people have expressed here, a lot of things in
this country are grounded in great theory and strong ideas are
continually developed. Many things are lost in the transition from
theory to action. If there is no follow-up, if there is no initiative
taking place to make these theories a reality, where will improvements
come from? It is so important to have those markers in your life,
whether through other people or your own internal motivations, that
remind you of your passion and what you are meant to do. We can talk
about our dreams and aspirations for days on end, but if we aren't
going to do anything about them, can they really be considered
aspirations?
I feel many parts of me have become more grounded upon these
observations, and I am sure there are many other things that I am
still not yet aware of. I do wonder how all of this will impact my
actions upon my return, and I might be one step ahead of myself in
thinking to those results.
It has been a whirlwind of a month and I continually find myself
taking a step back and trying my best to remind myself to evaluate and
really understand this experience I am within.
But, to end on a less serious notes, here are some more "funny" Uganda
happenings:
1) Celine Dion is majority of people's favorite artist (many of the
trucks play the Titanic theme song)
2) African time seems to be contagious. Not sure if I mentioned it
before, but if something is planned for the day, you add a few hours
on to when it's actually going to happen. If it's planned for the
week, add on a few days. The team here seems to be major fans of this
African time, and I'm not hating it as much as I used to.
3) Another board member of Childline was arrested this weekend... wish
I was kidding. He was allegedly also working with the Director and
embezzling funds. I guess this one isn't so funny... but we have all
had to turn it into a joke to make it seem not as bad. Even though
it's kind of horrible.
4) No one in the village seems to be able to pronounce my name, so my
second name has now become Ashla. Or Ashwey. Or Assley. Take your
pick.
5) Everyone here loves to play cards, but they only know one game. And
it's called Cards. It's crazy because seriously everyone, in whatever
village, town, or what have you, knows this game. So the only way to
play cards is to play Cards.
6) Instead of saying "welcome back" whenever we get back from working,
everyone says "We'll be back." We've tried to help them out with this
one, but it doesn't seem to translate. Also, just impersonating each
others accents has been entertainment in and of itself.
That's all I have for now--can't believe I'll be back in the States in
two weeks.
Sulabalunge!
Week One; Take Two
Friday, June 14, 2013
Everything at SOVHEN has definitely been falling into place, and I am
so relieved that this decision was the right one! I think it was
something I definitely needed after the crazy first month, and it is
exciting to know that after such an eventful beginning, there are only
more events to come.
So this week we began teaching at the primary school and working with
our houses at the secondary school.
The first thing I've learned so far is that the English language is
brutal. We seriously have to have some of the craziest rules, many
that I didn't even know existed, and I can imagine why it is so hard
for a lot of these students to get a grasp of it--I'm even having to
re-teach myself some of the basic things. I definitely feel the pain
learning this language brings. But, aside from this struggle, I think
the students are doing pretty well. I have P5 (about 12 years old) two
days of the week and they are kind of the hardest group to work with
because they struggle the most, but that's what makes me love them
more. It can be a bit frustrating because half the time it feels like
they have no idea what I am saying, but we did review of our lessons
this week and I think they finally got it! We always joke about
teaching and dealing with P5 because sometimes it seems like a lost
cause, but I am rooting for them and I am very determined to catch
them all up by the time I'm done with them!
Starting at the secondary schools has also gone well! We haven't done
too much with our houses and the competition yet, but they just
started learning a song that they showed me today and I am super
excited about. I also have to give a HUGE shout out to PeaceJam for
giving me literally every skill I would need to work with a group of
teenagers who think they are too cool for anything. I'm glad I have
that experience on my back to know when to play games, when to get
serious, and how to really break these students out of their shell.
What I think has been really cool about this group, and really all of
the schools here, is how much the students look up to their peer
leaders. They have a prefect system, as well as various house leaders,
and it is amazing how much everyone listens to these students. It's
kind of awesome. I definitely have some kids in my group who are
always my go to people and basically my interpreters, and having their
enthusiasm is all that is needed to get the group involved. It makes
me very hopeful of the leadership potenital many of these students
have, and I think it's a system that needs to me much more in place in
America.
Other than that, things are really going well here! It is definitely
still an adjustment, but I think these last three weeks are going to
make it all worth while.
Lastly, some funny moments:
1) Went to my first Ugandan club. HILARIOUS. The carpet, I kid you
not, was literally from a bowling alley.
2) Played Red Rover at the primary school, and two kids were
completely close-lined. Jenn, this one if for you, because my
inability to stop laughing at inappropriate moments definitely kicked
in.
3) We went to what they called a "beach" and it was pretty much a nice
lake with only grass. No sand. Very cold. Definitely not a typical
beach.
And, a diva moment. Things you all should greatly appreciate:
1) Toilet seats
2) Anything cold (I am having ice cream the second I arrive back home)
3) Washing your hair
4) Not having cell phones you have to buy minutes for
5) And, having clean feet.
Until next time, sulabalunge (goodnight)!
so relieved that this decision was the right one! I think it was
something I definitely needed after the crazy first month, and it is
exciting to know that after such an eventful beginning, there are only
more events to come.
So this week we began teaching at the primary school and working with
our houses at the secondary school.
The first thing I've learned so far is that the English language is
brutal. We seriously have to have some of the craziest rules, many
that I didn't even know existed, and I can imagine why it is so hard
for a lot of these students to get a grasp of it--I'm even having to
re-teach myself some of the basic things. I definitely feel the pain
learning this language brings. But, aside from this struggle, I think
the students are doing pretty well. I have P5 (about 12 years old) two
days of the week and they are kind of the hardest group to work with
because they struggle the most, but that's what makes me love them
more. It can be a bit frustrating because half the time it feels like
they have no idea what I am saying, but we did review of our lessons
this week and I think they finally got it! We always joke about
teaching and dealing with P5 because sometimes it seems like a lost
cause, but I am rooting for them and I am very determined to catch
them all up by the time I'm done with them!
Starting at the secondary schools has also gone well! We haven't done
too much with our houses and the competition yet, but they just
started learning a song that they showed me today and I am super
excited about. I also have to give a HUGE shout out to PeaceJam for
giving me literally every skill I would need to work with a group of
teenagers who think they are too cool for anything. I'm glad I have
that experience on my back to know when to play games, when to get
serious, and how to really break these students out of their shell.
What I think has been really cool about this group, and really all of
the schools here, is how much the students look up to their peer
leaders. They have a prefect system, as well as various house leaders,
and it is amazing how much everyone listens to these students. It's
kind of awesome. I definitely have some kids in my group who are
always my go to people and basically my interpreters, and having their
enthusiasm is all that is needed to get the group involved. It makes
me very hopeful of the leadership potenital many of these students
have, and I think it's a system that needs to me much more in place in
America.
Other than that, things are really going well here! It is definitely
still an adjustment, but I think these last three weeks are going to
make it all worth while.
Lastly, some funny moments:
1) Went to my first Ugandan club. HILARIOUS. The carpet, I kid you
not, was literally from a bowling alley.
2) Played Red Rover at the primary school, and two kids were
completely close-lined. Jenn, this one if for you, because my
inability to stop laughing at inappropriate moments definitely kicked
in.
3) We went to what they called a "beach" and it was pretty much a nice
lake with only grass. No sand. Very cold. Definitely not a typical
beach.
And, a diva moment. Things you all should greatly appreciate:
1) Toilet seats
2) Anything cold (I am having ice cream the second I arrive back home)
3) Washing your hair
4) Not having cell phones you have to buy minutes for
5) And, having clean feet.
Until next time, sulabalunge (goodnight)!
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Friday, June 7, 2013
So this happened sooner than I thought! But I'm going to start in
reverse, as I think it's always good to end with the good.
The Ugly:
So, like I had mentioned before, we had some issues when Childline
when we first arrived in that there were no preparations for us and
the world we would be doing. We sorted things out, developed our own
work plans for two weeks, and were going to see everything through.
Unfortunately, the trouble did not end there. Things around the
administration began to get a little fishy, and we were introduced to
the Board about two and a half weeks in (we didn't know the Board even
existed). So we talked with them about all of our concerns, they said
they were aware of the problems, and things were going to get better
from here. But, the Director John, who we had been working with,
started to be around less and less and we started to have more and
more meetings. So, finally, last week we found out that the Director
had been embezzling money from the organization, had virtually taken
it all up to this point, and was being fired as well as going to be
criminally charge (although he disappeared, so that will only happen
if they find him). I am totally safe and there is no danger for me and
our team, but it was terrible to find out that the man we trusted, and
many others trusted, was misusing his office and not giving the aid he
promised to so many. Our placement agency and the new Board is working
on tracking all of these issues, but needless to say it is an absolute
mess and was something I never would have expected.
The Bad:
So upon the news, we were all initially very, very upset. We had come
to work with this organization to only find out our trust had been
betrayed. So, after a billion phone calls, emails, meetings and what
have you, we all decided to transfer to a new organization a few hours
away called SOVHEN. We did not feel as though we could be behind the
original agency because of the large mess that was created, and they
especially couldn't deal with us because they needed to completely
revamp themselves from the bottom up.
The sad part about leaving was that this terrible situation and this
one very unfortunate person had to create such a large barrier between
the amazing people and children we had begun to form relationships
with. We battled with not wanting to leave because of this, but it was
one of those decisions we just had to make. We are still talking with
our wonderful friends Denis, Joyce, and Emma, who were the beautiful
souls who took care of us through this process. We have already talked
to them on the phone a few times, and are planning to go back for a
weekend. They were supportive of the move, but it was nonetheless
extremely difficult and I hadn't realized how close we had all gotten
until we had to go.
And with leaving these relationships being hard, it was also very hard
to leave the children because there is no way the could understand the
situation. We all felt we were abandoning them, betraying them, and
every other sad break that they often face. We wrote some letters,
said as many goodbyes as we could, and I'm hoping maybe one day
someone will be able to explain it to them. One little girl in
particular, Joan (who calls herself Miss Uganda) had just introduced
us to her families a couple days before our final decision was made,
and I know how much that meant to her. Again, I'm hoping some sense
can come out of this, and I know I will see her and many others
again--it is meant to be.
The Good:
As I mentioned, we made our own program at an orphanage called Trio
the last two weeks. It was such an amazing time and I will always
remember the weeks we spent there. It took some time for the kids to
warm up to us, but by our final goodbye it was a heartbreak I didn't
expect. If only there were spots for us the rest of the summer, we
would have stayed, but I think we left before things got crazy and got
to have a great and very fun two weeks with those children. Who are
also absolutely adorable and will post pictures as soon as I get home.
Also, now that I am at SOVHEN, I am really excited for our next month
with them. In the mornings, I will be teaching English at a primary
school down the road--watch out Mom, this might make me actually want
to be a teacher!
Then, in the afternoon, I will be working at the secondary school and
will be teaching lessons on HIV/AIDS. Their secondary schools are
divided into houses (like Harry Potter) and I will be in charge of one
house. Furthermore, after all of the lessons, there is going to be a
huge competition between the houses around making skits, songs, poems,
etc. about everything we learn. I am super excited for this (I love
this kind of stuff) and I'm hoping everyone is ready for my house to
dominate ;)
Until then, I think things are starting to shape up and I know all of
this chaos happened for a reason. I have learned a lot, in many ways I
didn't expect, and I think I was fully challenged--which I find as a
great thing.
reverse, as I think it's always good to end with the good.
The Ugly:
So, like I had mentioned before, we had some issues when Childline
when we first arrived in that there were no preparations for us and
the world we would be doing. We sorted things out, developed our own
work plans for two weeks, and were going to see everything through.
Unfortunately, the trouble did not end there. Things around the
administration began to get a little fishy, and we were introduced to
the Board about two and a half weeks in (we didn't know the Board even
existed). So we talked with them about all of our concerns, they said
they were aware of the problems, and things were going to get better
from here. But, the Director John, who we had been working with,
started to be around less and less and we started to have more and
more meetings. So, finally, last week we found out that the Director
had been embezzling money from the organization, had virtually taken
it all up to this point, and was being fired as well as going to be
criminally charge (although he disappeared, so that will only happen
if they find him). I am totally safe and there is no danger for me and
our team, but it was terrible to find out that the man we trusted, and
many others trusted, was misusing his office and not giving the aid he
promised to so many. Our placement agency and the new Board is working
on tracking all of these issues, but needless to say it is an absolute
mess and was something I never would have expected.
The Bad:
So upon the news, we were all initially very, very upset. We had come
to work with this organization to only find out our trust had been
betrayed. So, after a billion phone calls, emails, meetings and what
have you, we all decided to transfer to a new organization a few hours
away called SOVHEN. We did not feel as though we could be behind the
original agency because of the large mess that was created, and they
especially couldn't deal with us because they needed to completely
revamp themselves from the bottom up.
The sad part about leaving was that this terrible situation and this
one very unfortunate person had to create such a large barrier between
the amazing people and children we had begun to form relationships
with. We battled with not wanting to leave because of this, but it was
one of those decisions we just had to make. We are still talking with
our wonderful friends Denis, Joyce, and Emma, who were the beautiful
souls who took care of us through this process. We have already talked
to them on the phone a few times, and are planning to go back for a
weekend. They were supportive of the move, but it was nonetheless
extremely difficult and I hadn't realized how close we had all gotten
until we had to go.
And with leaving these relationships being hard, it was also very hard
to leave the children because there is no way the could understand the
situation. We all felt we were abandoning them, betraying them, and
every other sad break that they often face. We wrote some letters,
said as many goodbyes as we could, and I'm hoping maybe one day
someone will be able to explain it to them. One little girl in
particular, Joan (who calls herself Miss Uganda) had just introduced
us to her families a couple days before our final decision was made,
and I know how much that meant to her. Again, I'm hoping some sense
can come out of this, and I know I will see her and many others
again--it is meant to be.
The Good:
As I mentioned, we made our own program at an orphanage called Trio
the last two weeks. It was such an amazing time and I will always
remember the weeks we spent there. It took some time for the kids to
warm up to us, but by our final goodbye it was a heartbreak I didn't
expect. If only there were spots for us the rest of the summer, we
would have stayed, but I think we left before things got crazy and got
to have a great and very fun two weeks with those children. Who are
also absolutely adorable and will post pictures as soon as I get home.
Also, now that I am at SOVHEN, I am really excited for our next month
with them. In the mornings, I will be teaching English at a primary
school down the road--watch out Mom, this might make me actually want
to be a teacher!
Then, in the afternoon, I will be working at the secondary school and
will be teaching lessons on HIV/AIDS. Their secondary schools are
divided into houses (like Harry Potter) and I will be in charge of one
house. Furthermore, after all of the lessons, there is going to be a
huge competition between the houses around making skits, songs, poems,
etc. about everything we learn. I am super excited for this (I love
this kind of stuff) and I'm hoping everyone is ready for my house to
dominate ;)
Until then, I think things are starting to shape up and I know all of
this chaos happened for a reason. I have learned a lot, in many ways I
didn't expect, and I think I was fully challenged--which I find as a
great thing.
Quick Update
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Sorry I haven't been able to blog in a couple of weeks, but this month
has been an experience unlike any I expected.
I don't have too much time right now, but hopefully I will be able to
blog a much more detailed update of how I am doing in a few days. But,
in summary, due to many details which I will explain, I have
transferred agencies and am now working with SOVHEN in Masaka, right
next to Lake Victoria.
I will be teaching in a primary and secondary school for the next
month and we finalized the program today. I am very excited about it!
It was sad to leave Mityana, but once I explain things it will make
more sense. My heart will always be there and I left some beautiful
people behind, but the transiton was one of those necessaey evils in
life.
Until then, I am doing well and am safe. I have to say I am missing my
wonderful friends and family, but this experience will be one that was
worth it.
Expect more details soon <3
has been an experience unlike any I expected.
I don't have too much time right now, but hopefully I will be able to
blog a much more detailed update of how I am doing in a few days. But,
in summary, due to many details which I will explain, I have
transferred agencies and am now working with SOVHEN in Masaka, right
next to Lake Victoria.
I will be teaching in a primary and secondary school for the next
month and we finalized the program today. I am very excited about it!
It was sad to leave Mityana, but once I explain things it will make
more sense. My heart will always be there and I left some beautiful
people behind, but the transiton was one of those necessaey evils in
life.
Until then, I am doing well and am safe. I have to say I am missing my
wonderful friends and family, but this experience will be one that was
worth it.
Expect more details soon <3
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