Liquid SOAP
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| PCV Heather teaching us Soap Making |
On April 14th I hosted another PCV to come and
teach the village savings group at our school how to make Liquid Soap as an
income Generating Activity (IGA). This is a fairly widely needed product and
can be made at a cheaper price than found in the stores and results in a decent
profit to the group. We made a demonstration batch of 50 liters. We sold out 50
liters in one day! We are hoping to
make an ingredient order from Kampala soon to get the supplies needed to start
making it in even larger quantities.
Youth Newsletter
A couple Peace Corps volunteers recently started a
Uganda-wide Youth newsletter – in Uganda Youth is defined as 14-30 year olds –
so my students here can participate. I encouraged one of our students to submit
his poem about agriculture and it was selected for the last issue. A copy is
below. Just encouraging young people to take risks and be different can make a
long lasting impact here. Most education is rote memory and creativity is not
considered a good trait by most teachers. So this was a major win for this
young man.
Beauty, Natural Beauty
That is true and real
Ugandans have you seen such beauty?
Have the people of Africa seen true beauty?
Beauty that stands the test of time?
Look at the sky
Birds, yes birds
Nature gives us beautiful birds
Chicken, pigeon, dove, guinea fowl, turkeys
All are raised at home
Here on the ground behold the beautiful greens around us
Cabbages, onion, tomatoes, maize, beans,
Name them - All are good for life!
Up on the trees are juicy mangoes, jack fruits, passion fruits,
lemons
That are not equaled by artificial beverages
No chemical after effects!
Dear friends, this is all due to agriculture.
The ideal mother who feeds us all.
And she is very committed in helping Mother Nature.
Let’s then be the royal children of Mother Nature
And participate actively in
Agriculture!
-----------------------------------------------
Oryem Simon Peter :: Age 22
Happy Memory
One of my most favorite moments in Uganda occurred a few
weeks back at my local trading center market. This “market” is very small and
consists of 10-20 women from the nearby villages coming to sell their small
items. Usually they have onions, tomatoes, some local greens, charcoal and
occasionally dried fish. (To date I have not bought the fish, but tried it at
my supervisor’s home.) I also buy my chapatti from Madam Evelyn there – chapatti is a local circular flat bread
somewhat like a tortilla. It is fried in oil, and when I add cinnamon and sugar
it tastes a little like a donut. I also eat one with salt with most meals for
calories and carbs, as I am not exactly getting fat over here. Anyway this one
afternoon I purchased some chapatti and an old village woman seated on the
ground selling greens motioned she would like a chapatti. So I bent down and
let her pick one from my bag. She smiled brightly with a toothless grin and
began singing to me in Acholi. I had no idea what she was singing, but all the other
ladies began clapping, and I began dancing to their song. Afterwards I was told
she was singing that more blessings will return to me, the giver, and that I
will receive abundantly from God. It was a spontaneous beautiful joyous moment
that is forever burned into my memory!
CAMPS
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| Entire GLOW CAMP - I'm front far right |
CAMP GLOW (Girls
Leading Our World) took place last week simultaneously with CAMP BUILD (Boys of
Uganda in Leadership Development). The camps are to educate and encourage young
people to become leaders in Uganda. The
girls were divided into 10 groups. Each group named after an African
Animal….Lions, Zebras, Rhinos, etc. Each group created their own songs and
cheers and they were taught songs about ending malaria and becoming
leaders. They learned about Reproductive
Health, (including being tested for HIV), Self Esteem, Life Skills, Business
Skills, Money Management, Self-defense, and Domestic Violence. They also
learned about themselves through an outdoor ropes & challenge course. I was
privileged to be a staff member at GLOW. It was a wonderful and exhausting
experience and I feel was very successful in its objective of showing young
people they do have choices; they can break free; and they can lead the change
that is needed in their communities. (See
poem below entitled Transformation)
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| Purse Making for Money Management session |
I co-taught the sessions on business & income generating
skills and money management. I led the practical sessions on building sack
gardens and liquid fertilizer and am happy to say they were successful. I don’t
think my future entails being a teacher, but I think I didn’t suck at it! I had
great fun being the slightly silly older counselor…dancing and joking with
everyone every chance I got. I hope it was entertaining to them – I sure
enjoyed it! I am glad I was not required to assist in the class where the girls
were taught how to put a condom on their partners. Imagine being in the room
with 6 wooden penises and having these young girls practicing that assignment.
I was glad to be an economic development volunteer on that day!
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| Beautiful Young Ladies |
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| I nominated 3 young men from my school for Boys camp -all but far right |
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| Me and friend Rashida |
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| Not flattering but shows the work I was doing |
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| Explaining the camp Rules- Yes - I am a Ham!!! |
Follow up to Care
International Learning Tour mentioned in previous blog post.
Here is the photo Senator Isakson sent me of our meeting
back in April. His staff informed me he is framing the poem “American Skin” and
hanging it on the wall of his office. I feel kind of important now! But somehow
living in a hut with limited electricity and no running water is keeping me
humble. No room for a big head here in Uganda.
I am back at site for 5 days and then on to Kampala to be
trained as a victim’s advocate for Peace Corps Volunteers here in Uganda.
Hopefully no one will need my new skills, but as part of the New Peace Corps
Protection Act sponsored by Senator Isakson, these advocates are required in
case something happens. I’ll write more about my training when I return.
Poetry – 1st
2 by girls at Camp Glow, Last 2 by me
Proud
Glow Girls
Proud are we the Glow Girls
Beautiful we look, eloquent we speak
The bright zebras! Calm crocodiles!
Elegant giraffes! The humble Ugandan
Kobs!
Gallant Rhinos! Cheerful Lions! Assertive
Elephants!
Cherished Monkeys! Royal Hippos and the
fastest Cheetahs!
All focused to be leaders of Uganda, The
Pearl of Africa
Proud are we the Glow Girls
So useful to nations, our communities,
The world at large.
Proud are we the Glow girls
To have our nice and loving counselors,
staff and co-directors.
We are proud of you.
Thank you Camp Glow
For teaching us.
-------------------------------------------
by Aete Claudys Komakech
Camp Glow Closing Ceremony April 29th, 2012
About Domestic Violence
Women! Women! Women!
The mothers of the nation
Beaten and tortured by ruthless men
Whipped and raped by strangers
Crying with the poor child on her back
Digging from Dawn to sunset
With little to earn from the harvest
No food, much work
The ribs seen from a kilometer
Never! Never! Never!
Shall it happen again
You hit me, I take you behind bars
When sad lean on friends
Women! Women! Women!
Suffering no more
No more sorrows
Because we are strong and beautiful
And proud to be a girl
And I am the future leader of my country
Uganda,
The Pearl of Africa
Women! Women! Women!
……………………………………………………….
By Dr. Irene and Jacque
Camp Glow Closing Ceremony, April 29th,
2012
Transformation May
1st, 2012
I watched it happen this week
100 shy, nervous, timid African
girl-women
Breaking free from expected submission
Through Encouragement, Effort,
Education, Mentoring and Love
They began to see a different path
Began to believe they could be leaders
For their country
Began to grow their courage
And their hearts
In ways they did not know
Was possible….For them
The ordinary young women of Uganda
Were transformed into the Extraordinary
They left us
With heads a little higher
With determination
Behind their glowing smiles
To lead their country to a better place
Where women are allowed to flourish
Attain their fullest potential
To raise
Their heads
Their children
Their country
With dignity
Collecting
May 1st 2012
A blessing given by grace
Is seeing the worth
Of all those
I am privileged to meet
A lifetime of collecting
Friends, extra sons & daughters,
Mentors, advisors, extraordinary people
Has made me wealthy
Resulting in a large, extended
Family of love and learning
People
Like rare gems
Or seashells
Are unique, interesting, captivating
If you study them carefully
Like art
Taking time to wonder
And appreciate the facets and spirals
All it takes
Is the interest
And a little time
To discover
Their inner light
That shines
Each is perfectly created
Enhanced by life’s voyages
Scratched, Dented, Chipped
Enhanced by life’s voyages
Scratched, Dented, Chipped
Along the journey
Becoming flawlessly human
Intentionally collecting
Those I find especially beautiful
Holding on through the years
Knowing each has lessons to teach
Gifts to unwrap
At different times
In different places
This glittering collection is definitely
My greatest treasure
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