Thursday, February 20, 2014

Bye for now

I am writing from the final boarding room at Entebbe Airport. Flight is on time. We should be boarding soon. Dr. Kagaari should be nearing his home after dropping me here. I did not get to tell everyone good bye. . . so if you are reading this blog and you know who you are (Sister), know that I bid you well and look forward to the next time we will see each other. Stay in touch, friends. July is not far off.





Heading home.


Pomp and Circumstance

Yes, even here. I participated in one of the two graduation ceremonies here. It was very exciting.



Everyone was dressed up, of course, but it seemed even dressier to me than I am used to. After the graduates and guests are seated then the academics march in together, led by a band. Here you can see Sister Doctor Goretti and Dr. James ready to process.




Here is the band that led us through the university streets to the tents where the actual ceremonies took place.






There were no Ph.D.s conferred, but when the master's degrees were conferred, the students came up one at a time, kneeled on the floor in front of the chancellor (kneeling is a not uncommon greeting in a moment of great respect), the chancellor then touched the head of the graduand with his cap, saying something (of course, I could not hear), and then handing the graduand a large tube with something rolled up inside - presumably a diploma.

During the speeches, the students were a bit disturbed because they did not have programs that showed their names as graduands. Yes, graduands. There had been some confusion where some names of students who had met all requirements and had all their fees paid and yet had been left off the official graduation list. Some of this tension contributed to the angst the students felt about not being given programs so they could check for their names. They were yelling and jeering. At last one of the speakers, the previous chancellor reminded them of a time when he graduated - 1973. He told the students they should be most happy that they can jeer the government, complain to the officials, speak up when they have been wronged, because when he graduated Idi Amin was in control and of everything, including the university. And if students would speak out in the smallest way, they would be taken to the barracks in Macindye and "disciplined." Yes, I thought this is one important sign of freedom, that you can speak your peace against the people in power and not be punished for it. There were many wonderful aspects of the ceremony that marked it as specifically Uganda, besides singing the Ugandan National Anthem, the picture of President Museveni on the first page of the program booklet, the speech by one of the country's ministers. There was a musical/dance performance.




There were some things about the graduation that were strangely familiar.

People sleeping  or bored as they awaited the announcement that their loved one has graduated.




And, at long last, the sight of moms shouting for glee when they finally heard that all their money, support, and pride have come to fruition in this child who is now graduated.



















Two days of graduation. I witnessed the first. After, the ceremony, we were treated to a wonderful lunch in the board room. There I heard about a Kyambogo community member who has created a wonderful business with bananas. They make banana juice, banana wine, banana charcoal (from the peels), banana paper bags, fabric and table mats - you guessed it, from bananas. And I had my last meal in Uganda for this visit in the company of Kyambogo administrators and faculty.


Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Let the children read......

The availability of books is one very big difference between US schools and Ugandan schools. This trip I came with my suitcases full of books, pencils, glue sticks, paper, curriculum guides, and more from the Bloomington Friends.

I have been developing a relationship with two nursery and primary schools in this area. The first is called Circle of Peace school. It was started by a Christian family who wanted to be able to provide education for those children whose families could not afford school fees.  The school started on the front porch of the family home by Joanita Senago (who lives now in Virginia). It has become a family endeavor. There are now several buildings. Some members of the family, including the old mum, still live in the family house there and are involved in the school. There is also a chicken farm (I have been there, too) where eggs are collected for the children and, also, sold for money to support the school. They have a working farm where they raise crops to use to feed the children, again selling the surplus. You can find this school on the web at http://www.circleofpeace.org. They have over 100 children enrolled.

Here are is a picture from the school.

The other school I went to is a school I am patron of: Sir S.M. Nimrod school. It is a rural school. It is only one year old. The school grew to 62 this term, in only 1 year.


I really think it will make a big difference in the life of the schools and in the life of children to have books available. I gave this school its first books last year.

The pencils are all quite well-received. The children are vulnerable when they cannot pay school fees, buy their uniforms and/or get pencils. And what a relief it is to be able to lighten that burden.

My friend Anett is the director of the school. You can see her just over my right shoulder.

Now we shall let the children read.


Saturday, February 15, 2014

A Muzungu in Uganda NOT QUITE An American in Paris


Today for lunch I veered from eating traditional Ugandan food. I walked to a shopping area in Ntinda and I ate at a restaurant. I ordered a “California Wrap” which had flat bread wrapped around sautéed aubergine, peppers and onions, with chips (fries). Then, to top it off I had a Coke Zero (bottled in Kampala) and Heinz ketchup.

There is a funny story that is told about some white people who were wandering around this area a long time ago. They were looking for the source of the Nile, but they did not know where it was. Everywhere they stopped to ask the local people, but the local people said “It is there.” It seemed funny to them that these white visitors should be lost looking for the source of the Nile which is quite large and not that easy to miss in this region. They started to call these white visitors Muzungu – strangers who do not know where they are, who are unable to locate themselves in this place.

As I walk around, people will say to me “Muzungu” this and “Muzungu” that. The children are excited to see me and they also will point and say “Hello, Muzungu.”
There is some truth to the disorientation one can feel in someone else’s land. And though everyone welcomes me, I must find my way as a stranger here.

I have learned about the boda boda who will take you where you want to go for a small price. But at first it felt strange.


I have maneuvered my way around the shops and streets. But, at first it felt strange.


I have learned to accept the vigilant security. But at first it felt strange.


I have enjoyed the way women’s clothes are displayed with wide hips. At first it felt strange, but then I thought maybe an old HIPPY fits here.


I look closely at the non-traditional clothes in these street markets and I find they come from a very familiar place.


So though I am a Muzungu, I can find myself here.

When I see the children, it is easy not to feel like a stranger.



I saw this young fellow when I was walking to town. He is working on making a swing. When I returned he was, indeed, swinging on it.


I see the hard labor of the builders and the building progress and I am reminded of the workers at home and the new buildings that represent economic growth and investment.


And I have a Coke Zero, California roll, and chips with Heinz Ketchup for lunch!

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS A MUZUNGU IN UGANDA

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Research to Publishing

What an engaging talk and presentation we had today! My faculty colleagues had requested that I offer a presentation on research and publishing. Many of them had not received much education on research and yet they have done so well in terms of creating opportunities to do research and to publish as possible. I presented ideas related to fostering an academic community that encourages and enables publishing and research. I have to say that the faculty here face many challenges in their attempts to do research and to publish. The university is not in a financial position to provide them with computers or internet access. Internet access is expensive because it is run entirely through the phone lines. There is not easy wireless zones. There are not up-to-date books or journals. There is no coursework to facilitate their learning. Paying submission fees digs deeply into scarce money they have for their families. Even so, they are intellectually engaged and excited about doing research and publishing. Several people expressed a resurrected interest in papers they had started some while back, but shelved. I have an idea to start a  partnership program pairing a US colleague with a Ugandan colleague who has similar methodological or substantive interests. The partnership would primarily be over email where papers are shared both directions and questions can be asked. It might work out that the two would collaborate on research, but this would, of course, be up to the scholars involved. If you have ideas about how something like this might work, please chime in.