Gulu, Uganda March 2011

I am helping these ladies buy the Acholi beads. Money from beads is used for school fees.

Wow! It’s just like I remember it; the same amazing people, the same fine red dust everywhere on on everything, the smoke from open pit fires, and of course, poverty is seen everywhere. Life is different here in Gulu, Northern Uganda, in Africa. Life slows down. Everything slows down (even the computer, he he). Whatever problems you brought with you now take a back seat, because they are not as bad as the problems that are surrounding you day and night right here. Seeing such poverty is the hardest. I am always asked for assistance, whether I am on a bus, in the sauna, in a restaurant, at the bank; people want help. It can be draining.

The Acholi Women selling their beautiful beads.

In my first week here, I met almost all of my friends from last Spring. It has been a happy reunion; they are glad I am back. I am also very glad to be back. I attend the Gulu Rotary meetings every week and have caught up with my great Rotary friends. Every day, I meet someone else, and it is a happy reunion.

Brother Elio is the Director of St Judes Orphanage

I am here to pay school fees for the second year. I have been collecting the money all year from friends, clients, family, Rotarians, etc. I am collecting fees through the Well of Hope Foundation. I actually have to go to the bank, withdraw the money, go to the specific school’s bank and pay the fees in person. I am also volunteering at St Jude’s orphanage; some days are with the babies, some days will be in the accounting office when my school fees have been paid. I have already made contact with all of the staff at the orphanage and we are ready to work together to get these school fees paid and find new ones to help. My name is known as “Mama Kayla”, after my daughter, who all the little children at the orphanage remember.

This big guy, Sunday, was the newborn baby I was always holding last year!

Life is harder here. Everything is covered in a layer of red dirt, and soon, when the rains begin, everything will be covered in mud. The water runs red when I shower at night from the layer of dirt covering my body and hair, and the bottom of my feet are probably permanently dyed red. It’s very hot and humid. I am always sweating. The food is back to basics; beans, avocados, eggs, peanuts, tomatoes, and bananas. It’s easy to lose weight here. I eat usually one good meal a day in a restaurant for about $3.00-$5.00/day in the late afternoon or evening. For the other two meals, I eat some of the food that I mentioned above which I keep stocked in my room. The internet is unreliable and so slow. It’s frustrating when I am trying to do work. Everything slows down here, and in most ways, that is a wonderful thing.

I Have Wheels!!

I bought a bike this weekend to save money on boda fees. Now I just need to keep it safe and not let it get stolen. It will save me a lot of money on boda fees. I can’t jog here; it’s not safe and the roads are just too rough. Biking isn’t really very safe either, but neither is riding the bodas. People drive crazy here. Biking will be my new form of exercise now. It is wonderful. Hot, but wonderful! I love biking through the villages and on trails away from the dusty roads.

My bed is my office and my TV room. I get one channel :)

I am so happy to be here, and I am doing some really great service. On my very first day, I traveled to a village to help another NGO buy Acholi Beads from the ladies. They sell the beads in America and use the money to support school fees for orphans, and also to improve the lives of the women making the beads. I will be helping the organization find the children that truly need the help and are bright and motivated to study hard. I have always wanted to get involved with the Aholi beads, now I have the opportunity. They raised the money, and I get to award it to the children. Now how great is that?

This African Cairn keeps my water cool once I boil it.

I have rented a room with its own separate bathroom. It is small, but it is secure and clean (as clean as things can get here!). I have warm water and a flushing toilet. The electricity strength is very weak, so at night if I want to read, I have to use a flashlight. I also have a mouse visitor I am trying to get rid of. I bring my bike into my room at night. I have my own entrance, so I can come and go on my own. I am back to washing my clothes by hand. This is a bit time consuming. I feel like I’m back in the pioneer times, but like I said, since time has slowed, there is more time to do things by hand. My water supply ran out Friday night. I don’t like being without water. I need water for bathing, and washing my hands and food, and for boiling to drink! I can live without electricity, but living without water is difficult. Drinking water can always be bought, so I’m just talking about the daily water we use. Half way through the day I lost my water supply, I lost my electricity too ! They will both eventually turn back on. Until then, I will shower at the Acholi Inn pool.

Two of the Well of Hope School fees girls.  I will post more in the next blog.

Bricks are being made right outside of my room. Young boys from the neighborhood work in the mud all day long for a good lunch and about 5,000UGX/day ($2.50). They are happy for the money. It’s hard for me, though, to see such young boys work in the mud so hard from 7am to 7pm. They make 100’s of bricks everyday for a brick wall that will soon be put up. I am watching the process from the beginning. Right now the bricks are baking in the sun, but soon they will stack them into towers and put firewood inside and bake the bricks. They have made 10,000 bricks so far.

The straw covered bricks are baking in the sun.

These are some very hard working kids.

Each bricks is very heavy! They've made 10,000!

Well right now my daily schedule is to withdraw money, pay school fees, head to orphanage, sometimes swim in the evening, and then go to bed. I stay busy. I sleep well. I am satisfied .