Woo-Hoo I am going to the outskirts of a fairly large town..dare I say city...here in Uganda. I will be 4 hours north of Kampala in the area that until just 5 years ago was ravaged by a 20+ year war and reign of terror. I will be working as a business adviser to a vocational school. I am very excited as this ties in many of my loves. Working with young adults, growing business ideas and income generating activities, working with my hands, and having variety in my daily activities. I hear they have carpentry, electrical, plumbing, brick making, agriculture, animal husbandry etc.... Yes - I will most likely be able to have a garden as they have a program in agriculture :).
Tomorrow I leave for 3 days of language immersion in Gulu Town. There are 13 Acholi speaking language students and we are all being immersed in Gulu Town, a bonus for me and the other 5 volunteers being placed in the Gulu area. On Sunday I travel a few kilometers to my actual site and will meet my supervisor and local counterpart. Both are women so I am excited to meet these ladies. I spend 3 nights there...cant wait to see where I will be living for the next 2 years. Then I travel back solo to my home-stay in Wakiso for my last 4 weeks in training.
A fun event is scheduled for Thursday Sept 15th; our entire class of 46 is invited to the US Embassy for the 50th anniversary celebration of the Peace Corps. I need to find something fancy enough to wear. My Merrill Boots and Chacos wont cut it. I wish my sister Adele could come and dress me up pretty!!! Adele is amazing with fashion, style and class. Guess the Ambassador will have to settle for my fashion-in-ability!
Sorry to make this short - I will write more when I return in a week with lots more info.
Eat a hamburger, a chocolate bar and have a coke over ice for me!!!! Love K
I'm excited for you to finally get to the next phase of your journey--- your new home/village. I hope the training and language immersion goes well. More power to ya! Send some words out to us for fun.
ReplyDeleteThought of you today when I came across a bag of chicory coffee. :-)
Karlotta, I cannot believe you are doing fantasy football! Actually, yes, I can.
Love ya and keeping you in my prayers constantly,
Monica
Karla,
ReplyDeleteI am a PhD student in anth at UCL in London.
My fieldwork will be in Pajok, South Sudan, an Acholi ethnic town close to the border on the road to Kitgum.
My wife and I need to do some Acholi language training, and I was thinking there be some short/intensive courses in Acholi in Gulu (or maybe Kitgum?).
I thought you may be able to help?
Thanks,
Ryan
Ryan - none that I know of besides the workbook created by Peace Corps. We had local language trainers working with us. Once you get to Pajok - look up the local Peace Corps people in Kitgum - there were several when I left. They will share their resources. And introduce you to some local language people. Good Luck
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