Sorry it has been a while since my last post. My
life here has settled into somewhat of a rhythm, and things that once felt new
and uncertain now feel normal and routine. It’s a nice feeling to feel settled.
Work:
YOFAFO is trying to get on a site called
Globalgiving.org, which would allow easy online fundraising for specific
projects. YOFAFO is doing amazingly well with very little resources, but it
would be really great if they could have a new platform for fundraising. The
first few weeks I was here was focused on helping Valence and Amy get the
proper documents in order to submit for the Global Giving deadline at the end
of the month. A couple of weeks were also focused on helping with a grant
YOFAFO is applying for through the US Embassy Small Grants program. Now that
both of these are finished, my work has gone back to focusing on the Social
Media side: Facebook, Twitter, making flyers, newsletters, etc.
Life in Lugazi/Uganda:
Lugazi is a nice little town to live in, but it
has also been nice to get out to Jinja or Kampala at least once a week or so,
just for a change. Kampala has some great coffee, and we have found that Jinja,
along with having the source of the Nile, has a couple of really great places
to eat, as well as some stores that sell tons of movies. It has been fun to do
some exploring in both of these cities.
The power goes out pretty frequently, which makes
things interesting. As my work here revolves around Social Media, a computer is
very necessary to get anything done. There has been many a day so far when I
can’t really do much because the power goes out and my computer dies. I am
definitely learning to be flexible.
There was a week or so when we were getting a ton
of rain- and when it rains it usually pours. Unlike in Seattle, where people go
about their business despite the weather, things here usually stop when it
rains- for good reason. The roads become slick with mud, the raindrops are so
big they cause the mud to splash up onto your legs, and enough rain often
indicates a coming power outage.
You may have heard about the recent Ebola scare
in Uganda, but it seems to have been contained before it spread very far.
Honestly, people in this area didn’t seem very worried at all, as we are quite
a ways from Western Uganda, where the outbreak started. My Canadian friends and
I were a little nervous at first, and were careful about where we were
travelling, but the scare seems to have died down.
In other news:
A couple of weeks ago we met two American guys
here filming a documentary about the local Little League team. Apparently the
team has made it to the Little League World Series in the US, and will be the
first African team to actually play in the history of the Little League World
Series. I guess a different team from Uganda made it a couple of years ago, but
then their Visas were denied and they weren’t able to go. A documentary was
made about their team as well, and Kristina and Melissa (the Canadian girls
living here) watched it before they came, and used it to fundraise.
We ran into them again several days ago, and they
told us this crazy story. Apparently they ran into this boy who saw their
cameras and asked them to film him. They got a couple of shots of him doing
different things, and went on their way. Later, he kept showing up at the
baseball field when they were filming or watching. Eventually, they started
talking to him (through a Ugandan friend of theirs, as he didn’t speak
English). He told them that his mother had sold him as a child laborer to a
woman here in Lugazi. He makes the equivalent of about $10 a day, but sees less
than $0.50 for himself, and the woman who he works for takes the rest. He had
to quit school, and is living in very poor conditions with two other boys in
the same position. The two American guys and their Ugandan friend interviewed
the boy and filmed his living conditions, as evidence to turn into the police.
They are hopeful that something will be done about it, and already talked to
the boy’s aunt, who agreed that he can live with her and go back to school. We
met the little boy one evening, and he had such a sweet face. It’s so heartbreaking
to think of how often these types of situations occur without anyone caring or
having the resources to change their circumstances. It’s also amazing to think
how much this boy’s life and circumstances will change if and when he gets out
of this situation and is able to be back in school instead of working all day. It
will definitely give him a better shot at a positive future.
Well, that’s all for now. As I write it is
POURING rain, and I’m anticipating a power outage in the very near future. It’s
also really windy, which is unusual but reminds me of home. Thanks for keeping
up with me and I’ll try to write more frequently in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment