Ugandan Technology
Trip Start
Jun 22, 2008
1
31
36
Trip End
Jul 31, 2008
Gulu,
Uganda
Thursday, July 24, 2008
There must have been $$ signs flashing above my head as I walked through Gulu's streets. Everyone wanted to talk to me. At first, I attributed it to honest curiosity regarding a culture different from own. In reality they just wanted my money. Some were orphans, others victims of some calamity they could not fully explain. I earlier resolved that I could not help everyone. Therefore, I did not feel bad when refusing them the help they believed they needed. I had helped James with his final report, which was enough for the day.
I was stopped short of Pope Paul by an unfamiliar sight. Eight students huddled over a bowl of posho and beans. Using "tribal forks" (their fingers) they scavenged like birds over a dead carcass. They asked me to join. How could I refuse? It was quite a site to see- an American Teacher crouching over a meal with his Ugandan students. We soon became a public spectacle. Kids of all ages huddled around to see the Mzungu eat amidst a sea of Acholi. There is documented evidence to prove it. The photos will eventually be attached to this blog entry- look for them!
After our communal meal, I met James in the lounge to discuss our final lesson together. How appropriate the lesson would be with my favorite class: "The Superstars." I could hardly wait to enter the classroom. When the bell rang to begin class, James and I mad our way to the front and prepared the blackboard. Phil took pictures of the whole procession. The "Superstars" as usual were full of excitement. James began as he usually did with a brief review of the previous lesson while I monitored student behavior. Soon it was my turn in front. We left last week with only two groups having completed the activity. The activity was a facilitated discussion of mining in Eastern Africa using a ball of string. While the activity was well received last week, today the students soon grew restless of such redundancy. Determined to re- direct the energy flow, I related mining to the agriculture they all took part in. I inquired which crop they grew in abundance. In unison, they replied with "potatoes." Anecdotally I shared with them the story of hoeing in James' village. Unlike mining, potato farming was an easy process. The ground was fruitful and fertile. And while potatoes took a while to grow, they did not require ample conditions. Mineral Resources on the other hand were VERY difficult to access. This knowledge alone enriched the conversation amongst the Superstars. I was pleased.
Sophie wanted to one up George in the cooking category. She had this opportunity tonight as she invited all the American teachers over for dinner. I had missed Sophie's previous meal. Apparently she was an infamous cook. My mouth salivated on the boda ride over. I was yearning for a great home cooked meal. Tonight I would finally get one. I was greeted by Sophie's daughter. Trust me, if there was ever a beauty pageant for 2 year olds, she would win hands down. She was gorgeous and adorable! I didn't know what language she spoke, but whatever it was, it was beautiful. Sophie as usual was full of smiles upon seeing me. I love Sophie. Her joy is genuine and sincere. Her face exuded complete joy. She was the happy cook, and I was the grateful consumer.
Dinner arrived in an unprecedented amount of time. Within an hour of arriving, we were chowing down pasta salad, a spinach dish called "Bo," fresh cooked rice and beans. Hands down it was the best meal I had experienced in Uganda. This was music to Sophie's ears. She LOVED to serve. When leaving her house, we all agreed that she was our favorite Ugandan teacher.
Our greeting at Christ the King was not as pleasant as our greeting at Sophie's; that is of course unless you like bats. It was hard to identify it at first. We thought it was either a large insect or small bird. Without electricity, you could see where we would have trouble. When we were certain however that it was a bat, the girls screamed and ran out of the house. Being the only male of the bunch, I was delegated as the "bat catcher." My first strategy proved very unsuccessful: I would close the bathroom door, walk around the back, open the window and hope the bat flew out. That would have worked had it not been for the criss- crossing bars guarding the exit. The bat would be lucky to get a wing out of the space let alone its entire body. Plan B: Scare him out. This strategy was also problematic. It required the captor to be more self- assured than the prey. In this case, I was the prey. While the bat didn't exactly follow me, it did fly in a figure eight formation in close proximity to my HEAD! Running out much like the girls did previously, the bat soon followed, and I was again the hero.
We toasted to our success with the bat. Our bottle of wine provided the perfect opportunity to reminisce over our experience in Uganda. While we were excited to be returning home soon, we were sad to be leaving such an impactful place.
