Nearing the End

                I understand that there are good and bad things in each experience; however, at the beginning of May, the bad started outweighing the good and it was time to leave Uganda and return to my life in Colorado.  Time and time again I was given signs that it would be best to move on.  I could put up with the never-ending frustrations of everyday life, the disorganization and miscommunication at work, and the constant emails from the U.S. Embassy indicating heightened security measures (i.e. walk-to-work protests and riots, Osama Bin Laden’s death and the subsequent threat to Americans living abroad, and the case of Ebola that was reported an hour from Kampala) IF I had the full support of my family and friends back home.  They had helped me get through many trials the past few months; yet, I suddenly found that circumstances had changed and it was now my role to support them.  My family needed me and I needed them.  I put in my two weeks and began wrapping up errands I had put off for months, handing over my responsibilities, and saying goodbye.

Britta and me sitting on her car on the road in front of my compound

Sadick, Peter, Samuel, and myself at work

Having lunch at Becky's canteen with Beatrice

The MUJHU (Makerere University-Johns Hopkins University) clinical team on my last day.  They unexpectedly and unnecessarily had a card (with a baby breast-feeding, of course) and gift for me.  Although I didn't see the clinical team every day, it was nice to see that the work I had been doing was appreciated and recognized.

Irene, our receptionist, wishing me farewell

My co-workers at Makerere University-Walter Reed Project congregated on my last day.  Public speaking is not an issue for Ugandans and many made speeches as a parting gift.

Deb and Stu at Boda Boda in Garden City

My final dinner in Uganda with Sadick, Juni, Sebastian, Samuel, Darlisha, and Tyreka

                After saying my goodbyes, I began my 30 hour trip back to the U.S.  To help me remember how life is in Uganda, my driver made sure that we ran out of petrol on our way to the airport.  Luckily, we ran out at the top of a hill that had a petrol station at the bottom of the hill.  We continuously honked as we gained momentum coasting down the hill.  A path had been cleared for our car and we rolled up to the petrol station.  The police gave me a parting gift by placing three police checkpoints between my house and the airport.  Only after being frisked and checked for bombs were we allowed to pass.  Like everything Ugandan, we arrived in the nick of time and I was on my way back to the U.S.

Upon arriving, I found my parents, the Ericksons, and the Netzers waiting for me at the airport.  Of course they had a giant sign, pom poms, and noise makers...

My friends also knew I had always wanted a sign to welcome me home.  On it was a list of all of my favorite things to do in Denver that we have to do before the end of summer.

                It’s nice to be home and surrounded by family and friends, although I already have begun missing Uganda.  Who knows, maybe I will go back someday J  Only time will tell.

On Belay? Belay On!

                Apart from crossing the streets of Kampala, I hadn’t really had a good adrenaline rush in quite some time.  To remedy this, I convinced my new roommate, Darlisha, to visit Sipi Falls in Eastern Uganda where my sole purpose was to rappel down waterfalls.  

                To be honest, this was my most unorganized trip to date.  Not only was I scrambling to reserve decent accommodations - which was a challenge considering it was Easter weekend, I didn’t have much clue of how we were to actually get to Sipi Falls.  All I knew was that we needed to take public transportation – something I am definitely not familiar with…  Thankfully, with the help of one of my co-workers and one of my drivers, I was able to navigate the system and find my way.  Taking public, as is always the case, was quite eventful.  There were several memorable characters on the bus – there were street vendors who essentially turned the bus into a market before we left, two men throwing up across the aisle, and a grandma with a chicken tucked firmly beneath her arm.  After five hours of traveling with these people, we were told that we had passed our stop and were suddenly thrown out of the bus into the pouring rain.  We were immediately ushered into a small (somewhat sketchy) building-like structure where we were told to sit on the couch until the rain stopped.  If I were anywhere else in the world, I would have been worried, but considering I was in Africa, we were perfectly fine.  After the rain stopped one of the men in the room got up and led us up the road to our resort. 

                Upon our arrival, I was pleasantly surprised to see that of all the lodges, our resort had the best view of the largest waterfall – the waterfall I would be rappelling down the next day.  We unpacked, showered, ate, and went to sleep early so we could be ready for the next day’s adventures.

Our Lodge 

The view of Sipi Falls from the Sipi Falls Resort - a little to the left of the waterfall is where I went abseiling/rappelling the next day.

The view of Mt. Elgon's foothills extending towards the Karamajong Plains

                Saturday morning, we began our trek to view the three largest waterfalls at Sipi.  Although rainy season hadn’t officially begun (meaning the waterfalls did not have as much water as usual), the lush green landscape was beautiful and I was happy to find a mountainous landscape that resembled the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Darlisha and me beneath the second waterfall

One of the bridges we crossed on our hike

                After seeing the first two waterfalls and some of the Ugandan countryside, we made our way through the thick fog toward the largest waterfall to do some rappelling.

I was already a little nervous to rappel.  The fog didn't help calm my nerves.

Our guides carefully placed two metal bars against the rocks and hooked up the rope.  If I hadn't taken rock climbing in college (who knew that class would ever be applicable...), I would have had a hard time trusting the equipment, set-up, guides, etc.; however, judging from my prior experience, they seemed to know what they were doing.

At this point, my heart was racing, my legs were shaking, my breathing was shallow, and my palms were sweating.  I definitely got my adrenaline rush as I carefully climbed over the metal bars and began my 100 meter descent.

As I slowly lowered myself, I had an incredible view of the surrounding landscape.  Only once during my descent did I freak out.  About a third of the way down, the face of the rock caved in causing me to hang in mid-air.  My feet longed for solid ground and began moving faster than you can imagine as I slowly spun until I regained my composure and continued lowering myself.  Once I got to the bottom, I wanted to go back and do it all over again.

                After hiking, rappelling, and dinner, we joined one of the Ugandans working at our resort and made high quality, locally-grown, organic Arabica coffee.  The coffee beans had been picked several weeks earlier, as to give them sufficient time to dry.

The unroasted coffee beans

Darlisha is de-husking the beans using a mortar and pestle.

Using a tray to hull the beans.  Hulling is the process used to separate the beans from the husk.

Constant stirring is necessary as the coffee beans roast.

Roasted coffee beans

After roasting, the beans were ground using the mortar and pestle.

Enjoyuing our delicious coffee - at midnight - apparently Ugandans are not affected by caffeine.

                On Easter Sunday, we caught a special hire (taxi) to Mbale where we were to catch the bus to Kampala.  Although we were running late and trying to hurry, our driver proceeded to make several stops along the way and run out of gas.  I still don’t understand why every driver always runs on empty, but I guess I will never know…

                As I rode back, I realized that Sipi Falls was the last place I felt like I had to go before leaving Uganda.  I had ventured to the Southwest to trek the gorillas and see the wildlife at Queen Elizabeth, to Lira in the North for Jolene and Herbert’s wedding, and finally to the East to rappel down waterfalls.  Although I will probably never see all Uganda has to offer, I felt like I had a pretty good idea of the different regions and felt content with my travels. 

African Politics...

                I am not a big fan of politics; however, the politics in Africa are a little more “exciting” than politics in the U.S.  The craziness started back in February when Yoweri Museveni was re-elected as Uganda’s president.  Like most African presidents, Museveni has created a dictatorship and has ruled for 25 years.  Many Ugandans favored Museveni’s opponent, Kizza Besigye; however, Museveni ensured his victory through bribes, ballot stuffing, and who knows how else.  Despite the rigged election, things were surprisingly calm in February.  It is only now that chaos is erupting.

                In the last month or so, the cost of living (specifically, food and gas) has risen significantly making it hard for many Ugandans to afford the necessities of life.  Besigye has taken this opportunity to organize protests against the rising cost of living.  Every Monday and Thursday, he has recruited thousands of Ugandans to walk to work to convey the message that people cannot afford the rising costs.  These protests have become increasingly violent, often resulting in tear gas.  In an attempt to discourage these protests, the police have arrested Besigye four times.

The past two days have been particularly eventful.  Yesterday, Besigye was arrested a fifth time, even though he was not participating in the protests that were happening around town.  During this arrest, a policeman used his gun to break the window of Besigye’s car, fill the car with tear gas, and essentially blind him.  All of this was caught on film and graphically shown on the news.  People are not happy and riots have erupted as a result of their discontent.

Uganda's military police in downtown Kampala
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1152948/-/c25w2jz/-/index.html



As the soldiers shoot at the demonstrators, the demonstrators began throwing rocks
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13237058



                Needless to say, recent events have resulted in many injuries and deaths.  I have luckily been somewhat removed from the violence and riots.  From my office; however, I have a clear view of the hospital.  Never before have I seen the ambulances coming in and out of Mulago Hospital so frequently.  Also, because Kampala is a smaller city, it often seems that the violence is surrounding me on every side.  Although I have been lucky so far, I still find it necessary to restrict my movement around town and avoid public areas.  Things will hopefully calm down soon, though it is impossible to predict.

I Now Pronounce You Husband and Wife

                The last big event on our itinerary was to attend the wedding of Jolene (an American) and Herbert (a Ugandan) in northern Uganda.  Several years ago, when my dad was working in Lira Uganda, he had the opportunity to meet Jolene and has maintained contact with her ever since.  Though he returned to the U.S., Jolene decided to remain in Uganda, marry a Ugandan, and begin a new life here.   

                On April 2^nd, 2011, the couple made it official and married in a small church in Lira.  Many of the community members came, several mzungu friends, and a few of Jolene’s family members.  All of the groomsmen and half of the bridesmaids were from Lira while the other half was Jolene’s friends from the U.S. 

Jolene and Herbert saying "I do"

The wedding party

The bridesmaids with Herbert

The couple's gifts included 5 cows, 4 goats, and a chicken



My mom and me at the wedding - I don't know if it is because I hadn't seen her in a while, but it seems like we look alike...



My parents with baby Shaunessy

Paul, my favorite driver, and I drinking Stoney - kind of tastes like ginger ale on crack

My family and Paul

                I’ll admit, the ceremony was very nice, but the whole time I was experiencing a bit of culture shock.  Several times, the culture shock was so bad I got goose bumps despite the 90° heat (with no air conditioning or fans, mind you).  First of all, the culture in Lira is quite different than the culture in Kampala.  Put simply, it seems like northern Uganda is more African and less influenced by the western world than central or western Uganda.  There are fewer mzungu hotspots, fewer cars, more bicycles, and a more traditional African mentality.  After talking to my Baganda co-workers (the Baganda is the tribe that makes up the majority of Kampala citizens), it became apparent that even a marriage between a muganda (from central Uganda) and a lango (a person from northern Uganda) might be criticized by their respective families. 

                Secondly, because I had my parents there, I was continually reminded of how different my Ugandan life is from my life in Colorado.  The whole day I was thinking about how different Jolene’s upbringing was from Herbert’s.  Undoubtedly, their marriage can work, but will most likely experience some additional challenges that may not have been an issue if the two cultures were a little more similar.  Maybe it had been the constant questioning of whether I would marry a Ugandan that made me put myself in Jolene’s shoes and made this issue hit home a little harder than it may have otherwise.  Regardless, I am happy for Jolene and Herbert, but I don’t know if I could make the same decision and commitment as Jolene to live in Uganda as a Ugandan for the rest of my life.  I think come July, I will be ready to return to my semi-normal life.

                Apart from the wedding, we took advantage of the journey north and stopped at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.  Although Uganda used to have over 2,000 rhinos, poachers essentially made the Ugandan rhino population extinct.  Now, only 11 rhinos exist in Uganda – 9 at Ziwa and 2 at the zoo.

My dad and I at Ziwa - notice the rhinos in the background

We were told to stay near trees so we could climb them in case the rhinos decided to charge.  They seemed pretty harmless at the moment...I still stayed near the trees.

Like the rest of Uganda, Ziwa also is somewhat obsessed with Obama.  Since one of the rhinos in the sanctuary has a mom from America and a dad from Kenya, he was appropriately named Obama.

                Our trip to Lira marked the end of our whirlwind of a tour through Uganda.  Although pictures give an idea of how life is here, there really is no way to understand it apart from actually coming and seeing for yourself.  Because of this, I was happy to have my parents come for a while so they might better understand what I do and see every day.  I was sad to see them go, but there are only a couple months before I return to them and the rest of my friends and family.  I will be happy when I return, but am not quite done living life in Uganda.  There is still work to be done, people to meet, and places to go the next couple of months J

Fort Portal - Visiting Christ Aid

                Although our time in Queen Elizabeth was over, it was not quite time to return to Kampala.  An organization my parents’ church had been supporting for the last ten years was only two hours away, so we decided to drive to Fort Portal to check it out.  Over the next 24 hours, we were introduced to the excellent work that was being done by Christ Aid.  Their programs ranged from bringing water to the village, building a school and a church, and financially supporting a group of grandmas.

                When visiting Christ Aid’s school, my parents and I were given the most memorable introduction of our lives – never have we been (and probably will we ever be) so warmly welcomed.  As we pulled up to the school, three hundred children lined the road dressed in purple school uniforms singing at the top of their lungs, dancing, and drumming – all in an effort to make us feel welcome.  Upon closer observation, there were three little girls each holding a bouquet of flowers; a bouquet for my mom, dad, and myself.

My parents with David Mporampora, the founder of Christ Aid.  I guess if we were celebrities, this is how everyday life would feel.

The principal with his students

Margaret and Margaret

Hanging out with some of the students over the weekend.  One of the little girls was showing me her doll made of banana leaves.

                As our visit to the school was just about over, the teachers revealed that they had a surprise in store for me.  I was asked to come outside to discuss something with one of the faculty members.  As soon as I stepped outside, I found the three hundred students gathered around my birthday cake and were singing to me.  I have had some pretty memorable birthdays, but this may beat them all.

Enjoying cake together

                After visiting the school, we went to visit Christ Aid’s Adopt a Grandma Program.  Although many organizations sponsor African children, Christ Aid saw a need to support the African grandmas.  It is these women who often use all of their resources to support the children in the community.  Therefore, by supporting one grandma, a sponsor is actually able to support several children.

Our visit was appropriately timed - it was the day for the grandmas to receive their sponsorship.  We saw the gratitude and appreciation each one had as we handed an envelope to every grandma.



My family with all the grandmas

                After being briefly introduced to only two of Christ Aid’s projects, it became apparent that this organization is doing great things and is positively impacting the entire community.  Because of the work David Mporampora has been doing, he has gained recognition and has made some pretty important connections in Uganda.  One of these connections was revealed to my family when we showed up at our “hotel”.  David had arranged for us to stay in a bed and breakfast which ended up being the home of the former Ugandan ambassador for the United Nations.  When I saw a picture of him shaking Nelson Mandela’s hand, it was pretty obvious that he was an important man…

The ambassador's wife, her housestaff, my parents, and me

                Hopefully, as the good work of Christ Aid continues, they will be further recognized and further supported so they can continue providing for and positively impacting the community.