Karla the PCV at Swearing In Ceremony

October 16, 2011

Yessirreee -  I passed my language exam! OK I am now settled where I will live for the next two years. Wow what a long strange trip it’s been! …and this is only the beginning.

Swearing In

I am in my half of a 30 foot round brick & cement house with 3 rooms, a kitchen, a sitting room and a bedroom. I arrived on Friday Oct 14^th after being sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on Thursday October 13^th at the home of the Deputy Ambassador to Uganda, Virginia Blaser. She shared with us that she applied to the Peace Corps just after college and was rejected for not having enough skills. So instead she entered the Foreign Service and has spent her career serving there. Given her opulent house in Uganda and then looking at mine, I think she has done very well for herself despite the rejection from Peace Corps!! In preparation of Swearing In I shaved my legs and colored my hair for the first time since leaving the States as we were staying in a hotel with toilets and real showers! It was nice to see my legs looking like mine and not like my brothers legs!! (No offense Kirby, Bronson & Robert but I want to be more feminine than you guys!) 

Deputy Ambassador Virginia Blaser

Swearing in was very moving and I didn't expect it to be…but in true Karla form, I cried several times. They read parts of JFK’s speech creating the Peace Corps in 1961 and they talked about the friends, family and careers we put on hold to come here. This really got to me because I feel so much support across the ocean over here in Africa. I really do appreciate all of you who are cheering for me and touching me across the world.  Several of the young and inspiring PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) gave speeches and I was glad to be in the present of a younger and committed group.  I think I have gravitated towards these young adults here and in the US because they remind me of my idealistic side that can get a little jaded over the course of a lifetime.

Host Organization Supervisors-mine is the lady in blue

Well as you know I had an African Kitenge (traditional dress) made with fabric from my host mom. She designed the outfit which has trousers worn under a tunic. I wore this to swearing in and felt really good in my ensemble. It really seemed to reflect my style. There were several of us who wore traditional African attire and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. 

Me and the other PCVs in African attire

Modeling - my next career?

Leaving Homestay in Wakiso

Leaving my host mom and brother was very hard for me. I think they were the only reason Pre-Service Training didn’t beat me; there were time I was just hanging on. Their home was my sanctuary – I am a little apprehensive about making it on my own here in Gulu District. Hopefully my new home will also deliver some wonderful people to support me in the process. I think my supervisor and my counterpart have great potential. We really enjoyed the last few days together. I learned how to cook pork like my host mom and I taught her how to make spaghetti American style. We also killed and plucked a chicken (actually I just watched) – I decided I won’t be able to do this on my own – so I will buy chickens already prepped & cleaned when I get the courage to cook meat.

I gave my host mom a gas cook stove as a thank you gift so she won’t have to cook over charcoal. The gas stove is actually less expensive, but many Ugandans can never save enough for the stove (approximately $42). She fell on her knees and thanked Jesus when I presented her with it.

The chicken after plucking and cleaning!

My wonderful host brother!

The best was to come, when I told her I had found a school sponsor for my 6 year old host brother. A wonderful and generous family in Nashville has offered to sponsor his school fees for the next 3 years. The total is approximately $75/ year with another $25/year for books, uniforms and miscellaneous supplies. Because I have lived there, I know this family’s values and the importance they place on education. Since my brother was born “disabled”, he was given up by his mom at 3 months. My bother has now fully recovered except for a stutter. This difference will cause him much trouble in Africa where any abnormality is treated as a curse and often results in ostracism.  I know his education, which he is working on very hard for a little 6 year old, is his chance at a better life. This is one reason I am here – to make a small difference one person at a time.

Traveling to Site

So because I had 10 large bags by now – having bought a portable gas stove, pots, pans, a set of dishes, utensils, numerous food stuffs, and African Crafts for gifts and for decorating my home;  I chose not to commute to Northern Uganda on Public Transport per Peace Corps recommendation. It would have involved several vehicle changes and would have taken all day – where in the confusion and stress I either would have lost some items or been robbed. This cost me and another volunteer who was sharing the ride $116 each ($232 total). This is more than most Ugandans make in a month. The Peace Corps supposedly only reimburses us for the cost of public transport which is approximately $17 each even if we bought two bus tickets each. I have a real bone to pick over this issue. Luckily I had the means to access my US account and withdraw some of my resources. After 10 weeks of physical and emotional boot camp where we were all at our wits end, it feels like abuse to have to make that journey alone on public transport which is notorious for pick pockets and baggage thieves.  (Seems inconsistent with the Peace Corps statement of placing our safety and security first.)

So we left at 7am and arrived at my site at 1pm to drop my bags. Then we went to drop my travel mate’s items off and headed out with our driver to located mattresses and an LP gas canister to power my stove. I also located a used mountain bike that I asked the shopkeeper to hold for me until the next day. We also bought jerry cans to carry our water and some plastic basins for washing clothes and dishes. Then we each were dropped at our sites. Hers is in Gulu Town, and mine is 8 kilometers south in a more rural village setting.

Village Savings & Loans

I arrived at School at exactly the time the staff Village Savings & Loan (VSL) meeting was beginning – and my supervisor ferried me in to watch the process. This is a system that we have been trained on that is used in developing countries to help people save and receive loans. Most people have no access to traditional banking systems, so this new process has slowly gained traction here in Uganda. Many of us PCVs will work at establishing these while at our sites. The concept is that even if they cannot read or write, small groups of people can meet in public and each put in whatever amount they have saved that week - all under the watchful eyes of the members - and the totals are tallied in a ledger by a secretary that can read. Several people must agree on the total amount per person and for the group as a whole. Then from the monies that are collected, people can receive loans that are due in 2-3 months. These loans can help with medical bills, school fees for kids, or help them get pigs or bee hives etc. These VS&Ls can really be the difference between raising ones standard of living and falling further into poverty.

Saturday 10-15-2011 Home Set Up Day

I forgot to mention it, but my supervisor is supposed to have the other side of my circular structure as her home. Of course it’s not ready yet, so she has been staying with me on my sitting room floor to make sure I am comfortable and taken care of in my new surroundings. It might sound awkward but it’s been nice, as I would otherwise have very few people to talk to since arrival. So yesterday I got up and rode my counterparts bicycle to Gulu Town. There are 3-4 big hills that are hard to climb and fun to coast down between here and there. It took me just over 30 minutes going at it pretty hard. I went immediately to the place where I had reserved my own bicycle and had them affix a basket and a mud flap to my bike.  It seems there is more mud here than all of the rest of the world!!  

I left my counterpart’s bike with the shopkeeper man since she can take a Boda-Boda (AKA motorcycle taxi) to retrieve it. I am forbidden to ride Boda-Bodas by Peace Corps which aside from a bicycle, is the only public means of transport to my site. I then went to visit the Peace Corps Volunteer in charge of the Gulu PO Box and she invited me in for tea…Very civilized. She is a German born woman who married an American (shout out to Eva & Jim!) and has lived stateside for many years. This is her second trip to Uganda as a PCV. She is working in a teacher’s college. We then went for lunch and I purchased some nails, a hammer, some produce and climbed on my bike with 6 packages and all the aforementioned items. Needless to say the trip back was much harder. It was hot, I was carrying an extra 25-30 pounds and I was tired from the morning ride in. My new bike was great but I was running out of steam so I ended up walking the uphill parts. This was not unusual as 95% of Ugandans walk their bike up hills. So I didn’t feel like a total loser. Upon my return home I drank lots of water and began hanging my mosquito net and curtains. I unpacked all my things and cleaned and set up house. I went to bed with my supervisor in the next room and slept from 9:30pm until 7:45am – whew that felt great!!!

Sunday Afternoon 10-16-2011 Relaxing in My Home

So here I am – catching up on my blog and thinking of all those at home.  I heard from my youngest son just before Swearing In. He is doing well and seems to be enjoying his freshman year. He just finished mid-term exams and spent his fall break in DC with his brother.  I hear from my husband – whom I talk to almost daily – that my oldest son is also enjoying his junior year and doing well socially and academically. I love & miss my sons so very much and know they are becoming the great men they are destined to be.  My husband, who is still training for the Marine Corps Marathon at the end of October despite a hip injury, is skydiving this weekend with a friend from Louisville KY. Seems not much can hold him back. I am proud of him and of how he is handling this challenge of separation. He has an amazing internal core strength that assures me things will be fine. When we talk via Skype I also get to see my dogs. Cayenne is looking as beautiful as ever and I hear is enjoying running at the river campus. She will be 2 in December and is feeling strong.

I also think of my parents, sibs, in-laws and all my girlfriends and their husbands who are so important to my mental health. The amazing ladies of my life have sent me packages that were here when I arrived. They have also gotten together and sent packages to my sons at college since I cannot be there to do that myself.  I cry happy tears when I think of you all. I am even more thrilled that my friends are planning Easter in New Orleans with my Family. This means so much to me that all my special connections are carrying on as a big family - even when I am not on the same continent.

It’s a wonderful feeling to finally unpack my things and find the small surprises that awaited me in my luggage. I located my IPhone and hooked it up to my speakers and am listening to music from America for the first time in 3 months. It’s amazing what memories music can trigger. I have also used my REI French press for the first time today – THANKS to Meg for that parting gift!!! NOTHING like real coffee. Though the Starbucks Vias are much easier to clean up after, given I have to haul water for all washing and bathing.  Speaking of living a different life – my pit latrine and bathing area are still under construction. They should be ready in a day or two, so I have been using the Girls dormitory facilities.  Good thing my house was ready, along with my full size bed (waiting on you Hubby), and my wardrobe (though the bed and wardrobe was still sticky from the varnish).  I also received a kitchen table that won’t fit through my kitchen door…a little Ugandan planning challenge!  I am still waiting to receive my kitchen cupboard, my peg boards for hanging things and my pit latrine chair!! Yes, I asked the carpentry dept. to make me a chair that I can set over my latrine so I can feel like an American when I am taking care of business!! Some things a girl just can’t give up!!!

Now that I am living on 20 acres in the rural Ugandan country side I am receiving fresh milk each day from the cows located at the school. A half liter a day is approximately 18 cents! So I will have some in my coffee in the am and a cup of hot chocolate in the evening. The men arrived this afternoon with my first delivery. They said they will be by to deliver it daily at 8 am. Of Course I have to boil it and drink it within a 24 hour period because of no refrigeration – but I still feel luxurious with this amenity!! Not to mention I have electricity in every room of my home – so I can keep my PC and electronics charged as long as the service is working. J

I also unpacked my American Flag – courtesy of Wal-Mart. It is hanging on my door to my kitchen and I feel my home is my little American outpost. I have boiled my water and have a pitcher with drinking water and a thermos for hot water or milk. Ironically my thermos was made by a company in Nashville TN called Megatrade International Inc. They sell thermoses in 84 countries. See http://www.megavacuumflask.com/ their zip code is 37204 – same as my house in Nashville – WEIRD as my Worlds Collide!!!

Note on Packages & Gifts

I no longer need feminine products, rubber bands, taco mix, brownies, or coffee – so please hold off on them and only send things that you feel I might need. (A letter is nice too!) I don’t think I will need anything else for a long time. I also have deodorant, sunscreen, pens, soup and oatmeal/grits to last me a long while…and I am pretty sure there are still more in transit. Thanks to Lisa, Mary and Margo for the ones waiting for me when I arrived in Gulu.  I have to admit it’s nice to know I have a team that can mobilize in a minute when I call on you all!!! I will definitely let you know when I receive your packages…so don’t fret – one PCV waited over a year for his package to get to him in Uganda. I think it went to Asia first! So that’s all for now – My next challenge is getting into my new work environment. I am ready to start doing things instead of training. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers! Love Karla