How Did I Do It?

I knew I had to write another blog when someone came up to me today and asked me how I got Rotary International to pay for my one year trip! On a different day, someone asked me if The Well of Hope Foundation paid for my travel!  Some thought I went on a mission, perhaps paid for by my church.  No, Rotary did not pay for my trip.  The Well of Hope did not pay for my travels.  The church did not pay for me to go on a mission. I will tell you how I did it. All the actual details will be in my book that will someday be for sale :)

In India, I lived here for about a month before moving into...

this lovely home with this amazing family :0 

I miss you guys.  I will return....

I paid for my trip out of my own pocket.  My budget was $1,000 per month.  I am an accountant.  I am good with money.  I also raised a large family on a tight budget, so I know how to stretch a dollar.  I budgeted $500 for monthly living expenses like rent, food, utilities, internet and phone. The other $500 went for travel expenses.

Uh, this is in China.  This food is too local for me!!

Setting up a new internet system and a new phone was always the highest priority upon arriving in any country.  In Chile, there was a wireless system in the house so it cost nothing.  In Ethiopia, though, it cost about $120 (yes, US dollars) to get the internet modem, minutes, and phone set up. In Uganda I was using a borrowed modem, so the cost was just the monthly refill of about $40/mnth.  Every country I was in had a prepaid phone system, so you pay for the minutes before you use them.  Local calls are always cheap.  In Uganda, I once made a 1 hour and 15 minute phone call to my daughter for 13,000UGX (less than $6), but calling out of country in India was way too expensive.

Partaking of the local dishes is important when traveling :) Yum!! (Argentina)

For my rent, each country was different. I did not stay in fancy hotels.  I lived with the local people. In Chile, the family of my Rotary Exchange Student (Emilia's family) refused to take my money.  So I saved that boarding money for three months and I took Emilia and I to Machu Picchu, Peru. In Argentina, we stayed at a hostel for a mere $10 a night.  In Uganda I rented a room for less than $200 a month.  India was my most expensive, but I learned I was being overcharged at the Yoga Ashram. I was paying $500 for room and board and yoga, but that left no room for my phone, internet or personal expenses.  The arrangement only lasted for 25 days and then I found a better, cheaper place to live.  In Ethiopia I stayed at a friend's house; she was not in the country at the time. I paid for my food and the house helper, and I made a contribution to her Joy Center. Living on the economy in a foreign country and away from the tourist hotels opens your eyes to the real world.

In Chile, I stayed with Emilia's family.

In Uganda, I rented a small apartment.

My bed was my desk, my dining table, and my sitting room.

I avoid eating at the tourist hotels or the "white people" (mazungu) places. They are always the most expensive place in town; places like coffee huts, internet cafes, ice cream shops, hotels.  A typical meal at a tourist hotel in Uganda is 16,000UGX ($6.40)!!  A meal in a local, nice cafe is 5,000UGX ($2)!  After living in a place long enough, one refuses to pay such "exorbitant" prices too often. Even though by US Standards, $6 is a cheap dinner, in Uganda, that $6 can pay for 3 nice meals in a local joint.  I have even eaten a VERY good meal for 2,000UGX, which is less than $1. I only ate out once a day for the main meal.  The rest of my meals were simple local foods like bananas, avocado, peanuts, peanut butter and rolls, etc. Snacking is non existant in almost every country I visited, and that is probably the main reason I lost weight.  I wasn't exposed to chips, cookies, cakes, etc.  Just good, solid, fresh food.  Nothing in a box or a can.

Lots of good seafood and fresh produce in Chile

Now the second $500 each month went to my next air ticket.  If I stayed for three months in one place, I had a $1,500 budget for my next move.  One way tickets can be cheap if you meet several criteria.  First, you need an excellent travel agent.  I have a fellow Rotarian friend that owns a travel business in Seattle, and he is REALLY good at finding me cheap tickets.  If I can fly at God awful hours, and if I am flexible with my dates, and if I am not air-line loyal, cheap one-way tickets and sometimes round trip tickets are available.  I flew one way to South America, one way to Uganda, and the others were round trips. My trip to England was the only trip ever paid for by a very generous friend, and it was to participate in a very special ceremony in England with the Ethiopian Ambassador and my new friends. I wrote about it a few blogs back.

Local Uganda meal.

Typical Ethiopian Local food.

This is how I went to 10 countries in 11 months;  Chile, Peru, Argentina, Uganda, Kenya, China, India, Ethiopia, England, and back to the United States.  $1,000 a month.  I lived with the locals, ate local food, didn't buy many souvinirs, and kept my entertainment costs simple.  If I settle down and stop flying around, my living costs might be more like $6,000/year!  Plus the cost of coming home for the holidays...

What will I do different next time?  I already have some ideas.  First, I am taking a small, portable DVD player, and alot of DVD TV series that I love. This helps at night time when there is no electricity.  I am going to get an Amazon Kindle that I can have MANY books downloaded on. English books are sometimes hard to find, and you have to read what you find on a shelf. I want to have a solar phone charger on hand. I now know the clothes that I will actually use.  I still have all of the essential flashlights, safety gear, etc.  I want to get a can of mace spray.  Wait, wait, wait!!  I am getting WAY AHEAD of myself!  It is still late November and I am in Hawaii.  I know that I cannot plan for more than two months out because my life is changing too fast.  It is time for me to put away my computer, and get out there for my daily walk along the beautiful ocean shore.  The whales are supposed to be jumping. Maybe today.....

I have returned to Hawaii to catch my breath, 

See my children, 

And spend time with friends...

What Will Happen Next Is Still A Mystery.....stay tuned :)  

Raising $4,000 for School Fees

Rina is a Nursing Student at Gulu University. The Well of Hope just paid $400 for her last semester of Nursing School.  She is in email contact with her sponsor, Paula Bailey.

I am currently raising $4,000 dollars to pay for the third year of School Fees for my 20 teenagers in Gulu, Uganda. But I dont want to stop at 20 kids.  If I can raise $20,000, I will sponsor 100 kids!  I will reach my goal some day.  I know this. Education is my passion, and I have always succeeded when it comes to something I am passionate about. My donors from past years have been great and very supportive so it won't be a daunting task. This project is sustainable, and these lives depend on me and my ability to raise the funds. So I am reaching out to all of my readers to help me do this. I collect the funds through the Well of Hope Foundation, a 501(C) 3 non-profit organization. Our Federal I.D. # is 20-8086100. Every dime that you donate is spent on a child. There are not many charities that can claim that 100% of your donation goes to the cause! You may send a check payable to:

The Well of Hope Foundation
P.O. Box 30904
Honolulu, HI 96820

Let me share some of the stories with you.

CHARLETTE ADONG is16 years. Charlette’s father died from HIV. Her mother died in an ambush during the war. She now lives with an Auntie who has 6 other children to care for, and cannot afford school fees. Charlette is attending Pope Paul boarding school, which has improved her living & studying arrangements. Charlette is S-2, which is 9th grade. Her boarding school fees were $476 last year. 

AGNES AKELLO is 24 years old. Agnes was abducted by the LRA Rebels when she was 14 and given to a LRA soldier as his wife. She was with him for two years before he was killed. She escaped and returned home to find her father and elder brother dead from the rebels. She supports her mother and daughter and several villagers with her small salary cleaning for others. Agnes’ grades were fantastic at Alliance High School for adults. She is now in S-3 (10th). Her school fees were $120 last year. 

SARAH ADYERO is16 years old. Sarah’s mother is caring for 8 orphans whose mother died of cervical cancer. During the war, the cattle which were of great help to their family were collected and taken by rebel soldiers. Sarah’s mother has great chronic pain of the backbone which prevents her to do heavy work like digging or walking long distances which could help in earning some money to help the family. She is S-6 (13th grade) at Sacred Heart Secondary School. Her full year boarding school fees were $489.

MERCY AKELLO is 16 years old. Mercy lives at Kati Kati with her maternal grandmother. She is the third of four children. Her mother is alive and her father was killed by the LRA rebels in 1999. Both parents were peasant farmers. Mercy is interested in school, but her mother cannot support her education. She was brought to me by St. Jude’s Orphanage. This is her 2nd year at Sacred Heart SS, Level S-2 (9th) and a full year of boarding school for her is $431. 

VICKY ACAYO is17 years old. Vicky was born in Pader in 1993. Her father, Richard, died in 1996 of sickness. Her mother, Rose, is still alive. Rose produced 2 children with Richard before he died and then she remarried another man who is still alive and they had four more children. The current husband of her mother, Isaac, refuses to pay the school fees for the children of her first marriage, the late Richard. The mother cannot provide the school fees for Vicky due to their poverty. Vicky has passed all her exams but is at home due to school fees problems. She was brought to me by St. Jude’s Orphanage. She is attending Gulu Alliance Level S-4 (11th). Her school fees for day school are $117. 

CECILIA ACEN is 17 years. Cecilia Acen lost both parents during the war. Her father was killed by the LRA rebels and the mother died of HIV. Cecilia stays with the paternal grandmother. Her grandmother is old and weak and cannot support Cecilia’s education. Last year she attended Gulu College and her grades were excellent. This year she is attending Graceland and she is Level S-2 (9th). She was brought to me by St. Jude’s Orphanage. Her term fees for a full year of boarding school are $504. 

JENET LAWINO is14 years.  Jenet is blind. She has 4 siblings. She was beaten by her Aunt a few years ago and lost her sight. She is a very bright girl. Jenet lost her father in the war. Her mother could not meet her school fees, and she cannot study in regular schools because she is blind. She is now studying in Gulu Primary School Annex of the blind Level P-7. She was brought to me by St. Jude’s Orphanage. Her school fees are $184 for a year of public day school.

AGNES ADOKORACH is 17 years. Agnes was my daughter’s first friend in Gulu. She is living with her grandmother. She is the youngest of six siblings. Her mother died when she was very young and her father left all his children with the grandmother. Her grandmother cannot afford the school fees for Agnes, so she was not attending classes until we arrived. She is the first one we sponsored and she is so very grateful! She is attending Pope Paul SS Level S-4. Her school fees were $476 last year.

GLADYS ALIMOGUM is 15 years. Gladys was born in Koch Goma in 1996. Her mother is alive but sick with high blood pressure. Her father is deceased. He was UPDF, a Uganda Army soldier who was killed in Congo when fighting with the Kony rebels in 2009. There are five children in the family and Gladys is the second born. Gladys is living at home with her mother helping her take care of the younger siblings. Her grades are excellent and she has worked hard at her studies. She desperately wants to continue with her education. I have met with her, talked with her, and I am very impressed with Gladys and her desire to get back into school. She knows that education is the only way for her to get out of poverty and help her family. She will attend Gulu Senior School. She is Level S-2 which is equivalent to our 9th grade level. She was brought to me by St. Jude’s Orphanage. Her school fees were $120 for day school.

Vicky Arach-17 years. Vicky is the oldest of 4 children. Her father is alive but he has two wives. Vicky’s mother, Margaret, is deserted by her husband and he will not pay the school fees for the children. Margaret does not have the capacity now to support Vicky in her high school years. Vicky is attending Sacred Heart SS and is level S-3. She was brought to me by St. Jude’s Orphanage. Her term fees are $431.

My friends, this is what I was doing in Africa this past year.  Educating as many youth as I can.  When you educate a young woman, she will educate her children.  It is a generational gift.  When you educate a young woman, she is not so likely to be married off at such a young age.  Instead of selling peanuts on the street or just living on the street, she will become a productive member of society.  Education is the foundation of progress.  It can't be sold, traded or stolen.  It changes lives.  It makes a huge difference in their life, their family, community and society! Educating the youth is the best thing to change corruption, poverty, and over population problems. Education is my passion and I want to get as many kids in this world, all over this world, an opportunity to get an education!

Teach Them to Fish....

I was recently in Gulu, Uganda with a group of people that had $4,000 to spend. They decided to spend it on school supplies; pens, pencils, markers, paper, staplers, drums, balls, an oven and pans for a home economics class, etc. I couldn’t believe it. It was like a HUGE “food drop”. They gave them fish, but did not teach them how to fish.

Did they not know that the school year was over in just a month (end of Nov) and that when the kids return in February that the supplies will be gone and that the proceeds will be in someone’s pocket? Is the oven sustainable; Who pays for the long term electricity or fuel and maintenance costs? Can it really be maintained from collecting a Home Economics class fee from the very same kids that couldn’t pay for their important exams recently? Most of the kids in that school live in homes with no electricity and no ovens, so how is teaching them to bake improving their life? Money is so tight for them; they will choose food or to pay their school fees over paying a Home Ec. Class fee. Some of those kids will actually sell the things put directly in their hands for the money they need to survive. They do not understand the depth of poverty and hunger and the desperateness of money for school fees.

They do not understand the depth of corruption. I have had school leaders lie to me about their fees so that I would pay more than necessary. I learned to insist on the official parent letter that is sent home to all the students explaining the fee structure for the year. I never put the money in the child’s hand. I don’t even pay the school fees to the school! I pay it directly to the bank of the school to ensure it gets into the school account and not a pocket. When a teacher’s salary is way below the poverty line, they find it difficult to survive and when the citizens can’t survive on an honest living anymore, corruption sets in.

Drums and balls and staplers are all good things, but they are things the schools have done without for years and would have continued to go without. This kind of money should be invested in borehole wells, more grinding mills, peanut butter grinders, micro financing projects, more hospital equipment, desks and chairs for schools, a goat for a family to provide them milk.  These are called assets. They last a long time and change lives year after year. 

Educating more youth needs to become priority! There are so many kids that are not attending secondary school or University because the money is not there. Education is something that Uganda, Ethiopia and India (all developing countries) can no longer go without. Education is the foundation of progress.  It cant be stolen and it cant be sold for cash....

This was a good group of people with good hearts that just did what they were told to do. Proper research was not done. Maybe next year, projects will be lined up and ready for extra money to be spent more wisely on sustainable, life changing projects that can be revisted year after year.

My first trip to the UK

Tony told me we were going to the greatest place on Earth.  I thought he meant Buckingham Palace or Big Ben (below), but my first stop in London was The Chelsea Football Club!  Yeah, he's a big fan! 

I'm never quite sure how to correctly address this country; the United Kingdom, the UK, Britain, England?  It has so many names.  Is one better or used more often than the other?  I use "UK" only because that is how it is referred to in Uganda where I have spent a lot of time.  The UK and Uganda have a thick history with each other.  I hope I label these pictures correctly!

Parliament Building 

Buckingham Palace through the car windshield. 

The UK was an unexpected and very pleasant addition to my agenda.  It became the 10th country in 11 months for me (Chile, Argentina, Peru, Uganda, China, Kenya, India, Ethiopia, UK, US). I introduced you to my UK friends Abiy Negussie, Tony Sharma and Helen Johnson in a prior blog about traveling to Asella, Ethiopia.  I proudly became part of the ANHO family (Abiy Negussie Humanitarian Organization).  We help raise funds to get street children of Addis Ababa into safe and secure homes and back into school.

2012 Olympic Countdown Clock

The Beautiful London Tower Bridge 

Tony invited me to join them in Redbridge, UK at a ceremony with the Ethiopian Ambassador and the Mayor of Redbridge to acknowledge the new relationship between Asella, ET and Redbridge, UK.  It was also a ceremony to acknowledge the naming of "Redbridge Road" in Asella.  Abiy Negussie's humanitarian work was also discussed, displayed and promoted.  It was a wonderful presentation and everyone was so impressed with all the good things that ANHO and Rotary are doing in Ethiopia.

Redbridge Mayor, Me and the Ethiopian Ambassador. 

Helen Johnson next to the Mayor of Tower Hamlets and Chris Cummings, the Mayor of Redbridge.  

Tony picked me up very early Saturday morning at LHR Airport and took me on a whirlwind tour of London.  As I am not a huge history buff, I enjoyed the quick tour of all of the major sites in the city in drive-by fashion.  I saw everythng I wanted to see in about an hour.  Somehow, Tony, I got home without a SINGLE picture of you!  So sorry!

Tony laughed at me when I first asked him if we could go to "Stonehedge" (with a D)! 

I spent 4 great days with my new friends.  On the last day, before taking me to the airport, Tony made a HUGE sacrifice of his day and drove me ALL the way out to STONEHENGE!  I have decided this has to be one of the "Wonders of the World".  It was breath taking!  Wonderful! Full of mystery and history! Imagine; something is still standing after over 5,000 years!  What was it built for?  How did they build it?

 My time was short for this first trip to the UK, but I will return soon. I have a feeling there are still a lot of things I need to do and see here.  Thank you Tony, Helen and Abiy for inviting me, for your hospitality, and for bringing me into your family.  It was a wonderful end to my 11 month trip of service around the world.  I now return home to Hawaii, USA to figure out the next stage of my life.....stay tuned because it's sure to be another adventure.

After almost two more days of travel, my son, Jeremy picked me up from the airport.  I hadn't seen him for a year and he has grown up!  He served 5 1/2 years in the US Coast Guard and is headed to University in Texas to study Geology.  I will sure miss having him on the Island with me. 

Rotarians in Uganda

We built a new hut for this woman and her 6 children. 

Our leaders Ben Abe and Ralph Munroe

After a week of service in Ethiopia about 25 Rotarians traveled to Northern Uganda for another week of projects in Gulu, Uganda. After landing in Entebbe airport, it took us a very long 7 1/2 hours to get there. The group stayed at Church Hill Courts this year. When we arrived, we ate a late dinner then fell into bed.  We had an early morning with a busy schedule.

We repaired the roof of this home and built another hut next to it for a woman and her 6 kids. 

Rotary Club of Gulu President Gerald is taking a supervisory roll in the building.

Our first project the next morning was to build a mud hut for a large family who was living in just one small dilapidated hut.  We repaired the roof of her current hut and built a new, larger hut for her big family next to the existing one.  It was a hands on, get dirty kind of project for those who wanted to dig in while others took supervisory rolls or photographed the event.  It was a fun and different experience for everyone involved.  The lady we built the hut for was very appreciative and happy.  It was a great morning.

Wally was one of the hardest working Rotarians there!   

I was photographer.  Sandra is enjoying the buiding experience. 

Group shot!

Next, the group went to Koch Goma Health Center. Sandra and her club have a project here bringing warm water to the birthing facility and she has drastically improved the conditions of the medical center. I wasn't able to stay for the whole project ceremony because I was whisked away to St Jude Orphanage for some other business.

Several computers were brought to Gulu by the Canadian group.  It was a very satisfying night for me when we gave my young friend from St Jude Orphanage, Steven Okello, his very first personal laptop.  He has a small video editing business, but was using and paying for public computers to do his work.  With his own laptop, he can now get serious about building his business and career.  His smile shows just how happy he is.  We changed his life tonight! 

Steven's smile tells the whole story as he holds his "new" laptop computer.

Engineer Francis with his laptop given to him by Carol Tichelman of Canada.

Francis, an engineer and project manager with Frontline Engineering is another very good friend of mine that received his own personal laptop computer.  His life is a touching story of overcoming tribulations and surviving.  If there was anybody that night that deserved this the most, it was Francis.  He cried with joy as he thanked me for nominating him for the gift of his own laptop. You have to understand something.  Having a laptop computer is very difficult to attain for the average citizen of Gulu.  Everyone in America, including young children, have access to a computer, but not in Gulu. Receiving a personal laptop is a HUGE blessing! The computers were only given to individuals who would take care of them, knew how to operate them, and would appreciate and use them. Two other great friends of mine received a computer; Chris (Engineer with Frontline Engineering) and Siong (US Peace Corps Volunteer). A big thank you goes out to the Canadian Rotarians that brought them all the way around the world! 

My family at St Jude's.  Santa, Florence and Jackie. 

My "sister" Brenda :)

These children are standing next to some donated shorts.

Our Rotary group visited St Jude Orphange and brought them clothes, school supplies and donations.  Gulu Rotarian George, of Aid Africa, formed a circle of children around him and danced and sang with them. He had those children laughing, falling down and jumping everywhere!  I have never seen anyone interact with those children like he did.  I was so impressed.  George, you are an amazing man!  On this day, you made some children very happy (and super impressed me!)  Wow!

George is doing his magic! 

Most people dont interact with the kids like this, so it was wonderful to watch them having such fun!

Bags of school supplies and clothes were brought to St Jude's Orphanage. 

I was busy doing one other project.  Paula Bailey, a Hawaii friend of mine, gave The Well of Hope Foundation $500 for the school fees of a nursing student in Gulu, Uganda.  It was no easy task to identify Rina, interview her, gather sufficient documents including bank slips, school fee letter, biography, etc.  Sponsoring someone for school fees is a process.  You can't just hand someone $500 and say "here you go".  It's not safe for them to have that much money in cash, especially a woman. To be responsible to the donor, the money needs to go directly into the bank of the school to ensure payment of the fees and not food, dowry or living expenses. Rina accompanied me to the bank to pay her fees.  She is also in email contact with her donor. 

Rina is in her last semester of Nursing school and has had to struggle so very much to get through these last 3 years.  She is forever grateful to Paula Bailey and the The Well of Hope Foundation for their assistance with her tuition.

On Thursday night we had the Rotary meetiing and a wonderful ceremony and dinner.  Gifts were exchanged and a good time had by all.  After the dinner, we went to BJz Quiz night for an evening of dancing, drinking, laughing and friendship.  I left Friday morning for England to meet my friends Helen Johnson, Tony Sharma and Abiy Negussie for a ceremony with the Ethiopian Ambassador. The rest of the Uganda Rotary group went  to Paraa Resort for Safari.  I really enjoyed my short time in Gulu, although it wasn't long enough!  I will be back though.