Homophobia in Africa Harms Us in More Ways than We Realize

In an age where globalization often blurs the line between cultures- Africans are steadfast in maintaining their traditions as it relates to family values. In the US and other Western societies public figures routinely "out" themselves and openly engage in same sex relationships.

However, most African communities vehemently oppose and even criminalize any form of homosexuality and openness often results in persecution and sometimes even death. This forces homosexuals to engage in high risk sexual relationships for fear of being exposed within their community. Many African countries are already battling high HIV/AIDS infection rates, this coupled with the increased level of transmission between men who have sex with men only further exacerbates an already strained situation.

The criminalization of homosexuality also poses a health problem for those that are already infected with HIV/AIDS. Many who are aware of their HIV/AIDS status are afraid to seek treatment for fear of being outted. Others are incarcerated for their sexual preference and die due to AIDS related infections due to lack of care while in prison. And some who are brave enough to seek care despite the repercussions are turned away from some health facilities because of the stigma associated with their sexuality.

In Uganda, during a global HIV/AIDS conference, gay rights activists staged a protest against the discrimination of homosexuals. As a result, the activists were arrested, tortured, and humiliated- an incident which has publicized by Human Rights Watch and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). However, the situation has been largely ignored by authorities because the Ugandan government promotes homophobia and homosexuals can be imprisoned for life.

As a result, Western countries that due not institutionally discriminate against homosexuals have found themselves in a precarious situation as it relates to African immigrants. In the UK, a campaign has been launched to prevent a Ugandan asylum seeker from being deported back on the basis of his fear of sexual persecution. And in the US, a Senegalese man was successfully granted asylum on the basis of his sexuality.

I can't help but feel that on both fronts, political resources should be better spent- like the protection of civilians from violent crimes, as opposed to moral ones. I do not believe that individuals should abandon their values, but in a time where the rampant spread of HIV/AIDS is impeding human development, I find it more beneficial for a society to increase their number of health and educational professionals, even if it means they be homosexuals as well. Africa cannot afford to continue to lose young lives, whether it be to death from infection, persecution, or because they simply flee to escape these ills. We do not have to completely lose ourselves within Western culture, but killing ourselves for the sake of tradition doesn't seem to be working either...

Union Government for Africa

In a quest to accelerate political and economic integration in Africa, 12 countries are meeting in Arusha to deliberate on a proposed Union Government for Africa. Member states set to attend are Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Libya, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, South Africa and Tanzania.
A union of this kind excites me for several reason. I hope that African leaders can begin to hold themselves accountable for democratic issues and human rights violations occurring in their countries, as there would be a direct effect on their economic stability and that of others in the union. I can only see such a union making countries stronger and making other African countries (especially those not in the union) less dependent on Western aid. I also hope that it would encourage a more communal spirit between nations. Though, I notice the only countries represented in the union that have a a bit of conflict are Cameroon and Nigeria (though it has been moderated through the ICC and has been fairly small scale), I would hope that a union such as this would help to reduce, if not obliterate violent conflict between states, especially members and those who seek to join. Ghana, being named the most peaceful country in Africa serves as a great leader for the continent and I hope to see the union succeed and flourish.

I Couldn't Have Said It Better, Myself!

I come from a family or farmers. For those who know me, this is definitely hard to believe considering, I am not the "agricultural" type. That's because I don't actually know how to farm, I just come from a family of them. Almost all of my family lives in Cameroon in a rural village and farms for a living. At least, they are supposed to. This is the dilemma. The new generation of children who are at the brink of their adult life do not want to be farmers. They have all moved into the city seeking jobs. But the problem is, there are none. So many of them have either completed school and have useless degrees or have dropped out of school in hopes of finding a job. Either way, they're almost all unemployed. I'm not sure who should take the blame for this issue, but I do know that if I grew up in an agricultural community and country without many job prospects, I would probably focus on farming.
Apparently, the King of Buganda, Kabaka Ronald Mutebi II, agrees with me! There is a great deal of idleness among youth in developing African nations, who move from their rural hometowns to the urban city centers, in search of jobs that don't exist. Once they realize they won't be getting employed anytime soon, they stay in the centers and usually turn to a life of idleness or crime.
I had a friend in Kampala, who realized the gold in the rural areas and hired workers to farm for him! It was a lazy, but smart move.
However, considering today's food crisis, the lack of farmers in predominantly agricultural societies is alarming. It makes no sense for countries with soil meant for growing, who were exploited by the West centuries ago, to be relying on the West to export items that they are equipped to grow themselves in abundance!
I think a healthy medium for youth uninterested in getting their hands dirty on the farm, would be for them to explore scientific ways to make farming easier.

Tony

One of my goals for the trip was to identify a child to sponsor. The younger children at MYDEL attend a makeshift school that the center setup. It is a single room, holding about 100 children at a time from ages 4-14. There are usually no more than 3 teachers available to instruct, but the pupils usually all stay the same material at the same time. This benefits the younger children as some of them are reading beyond their age level. But the older children are severely lagging behind. Twelve and thirteen year olds struggle to comprehend The Cat inn the Hat. I realize a read need for these kids to immediately enroll in a school with small classes and where they’d be separated by age group. Unfortunately, I’m able to sponsor only one child, so I faced a lot of challenges in deciding who I would choose
1. Therfe were hundresds of students to choose from. Besides theyounger children, there are youth enrolled in high school are also struggling to pay their school fees. There are also university students who volunteer at the center and have also approached me to help them find a sponsor to complete their degree. The need in the community is extremely high.
2. I wanted to identify a child who would benefit the most from a sponsorship. Many of the children have been out of school for years and re-entering into a formal education setting would not be beneficial. For example, a 13 year old who hadn’t been in school since the 3rd grade would find it extremely difficult to re-enter school and would most likely be unable to succeed in the 7th or 8th grade and would most definitely feel uncomfortable and perhaps a bit discouraged schooling with an 8 year old.
3. I needed to identify a child who was actually excited about learning and wanted to go to school. Sadly, some of the children only came to the center because it was something to do, they are fed breakfast, and their friends would be there. But while they were in class, they were extremely disruptive, uninterested in class material and clearly had no desire to be there.
I felt that the best way for me to identify the best pupil was to have impromptu interviews and perform assessments. I did all of this without the students being aware of my intentions because I wanted to get as accurate an understanding of them as possible.
I sat in on class one day and watched the children at work. Immediately, five stood out to me. They were extremely eager to learn and understand. They encouraged their classmates and even explained material to them that they couldn’t understand. After observing them for a few hours, I took time to speak to them individually about their lives, when they were last in school, etc. I also wrote a couple of stories and had them read and write to me in order to gauge their reading levels. Disappointedly, I realized that a couple of the students had the desire to learn, but were extremely far behind their age group because they hadn’t been in school for years.
Ultimately, I identified one young boy, Tony. He is nine, but hasn’t been in school since 2005. However, because of his tenacity to learn he has been able to stay on track in terms of reading and doesn’t seem to be far behind. Both of his parents are dead and he lives with his grandmother. The rest of his brothers and sisters are living with other family members. Besides his intellectual capacity, Tony stood out to me because of his discipline and overwhelming respect for authority and elders. Even when school is not in session and the children are enjoying their free time, Tony is extremely focused and holds himselfin an extremely esteemed manner. My next task is to find a school that is close to his home, but will offer quality education. Uganda has Universal Primary Education, however the quality of some government schools is not all that good. If I find a private boarding school that I can afford, that would be my best option.

Breakthrough

This week, I made major moves in my research. I randomly met the chairman of the Kampala Central Division on Wednesday. He asked me about my research and offered to link me with government officials, who would be able to provide me with the information that I have been looking for. This was a welcomed surprise because I had visited several offices numerous times and either I was unable to locate those that I needed to speak to, or when I did locate someone they were too busy to help me find the information I needed. It was just my luck to run into their boss and he was more than willing to help.
On Friday, I met him in his office and he called several of the officials that I was unsuccessful in locating or soliciting help from. One by one they came into his office and he instructed them to help me in anyway they good. It was surreal. In some ways I felt bad because I am sure that some of them were not too thrilled by the fact that I was able to go above their heads and have them ordered to help me, but this research game is a hustle, so I had to find a way to get what I needed.
Because of his help, on Monday I met with the Education Officer at the Kampala City Council, where I was furnished with primary public and private school enrollment numbers for several years. And on Wednesday the Kampala Central Division Education Officer is taking me to primary schools to speak with the headmasters and mistresses about the challenges they’ve faced since the inception of Universal Primary Education. At the end of the week I am doing home visits in Mengo, the slum area where many children at not enrolled in school. I have spoken to education officers about the challenges they’ve faced with UPE, but I am sure that headmasters and families will have a different perspective about the benefit and shortcomings of UPE.

No Paparazzi Allowed

Last night, I went out to a club in Ntinda. I’ve always enjoyed the nightlife in Kampala because the music is a mix of hits from all over the world. No matter which region it comes from, the deejays just want to play good music. This night, the dj was particularly on point as he played music from West Africa that made me feel at home in so many ways. An artist named Priscilla even came out and did a surprise performance. Her songs were really good and she could really dance! In the states we’re often amazed at Ciara’s talent and the control she has over her body when she dances, but I’ve seen so many artist here who would kill Ciara in a dance off. One girl in particular, named Aisha, at MYDEL has so much talent, I wish she had the avenues to become a wider known entertainer…
But back to my night out, I had a fabulous time! Another thing that surprised me about Priscilla’s performance was that though she was a well-known performer, the crowd wasn’t fazed by her presence. They enjoyed her performance, but they were no where near as star struck as Americans are when celebrities are around. She performed right on the dance floor of the club and once she was done she continued dancing in the club with the other patrons. She was treated and regarded as any other person in the club.
Towards the end of the night I decided to take pictures of the group. My friend had already told me that cameras are not allowed in the club, but I had a big pocket book and was able to smuggle it in. But in the midst of my photo shoot, I was stopped by a bouncer and told I couldn’t’ take anymore pictures. He wanted me to delete the ones I had already taken, but I quickly put my camera away and assured him that I wouldn’t take anymore.
I asked my friends why people weren’t allowed to take pics in clubs and they said that some people don’t want others to know that they go to clubs. Kampala is a fairly liberal city, but there are still some groups who are very traditional and believe that drinking and dancing is sacrilegious. Even though it is against their beliefs many people still sneak off to clubs and bars, sinfully. Funny enough, tabloids in the region seek to expose members of the community who claim to be righteous, but are out and about town drinking and dirty dancing. For this reason, clubs try to protect their patrons by banning cameras.

Luxurious

Today, I got the French manicure an dpedicure ever for $1.20. TOTAL! The nail technician was amazing and more meticulous with each nail than I have ever experienced. I wish there was a way I could bring him back with me. It’s instances like this that heighten my desire to live here. If you have enough money (which is average in US terms) you can live extremely comfortably here. At my friend’s house, we have a housekeeper who comes every morning to clean the house and do laundry. She is paid $60/month. I f I am able to become employed by a US organization, I will move here in a heartbeat.

New Kampala

Since Ive been here in Kampala, I have continued to see similarities with New York City.
For one, people are fairly rude in the streets, considering it’s an African society. As I walk through the streets people constantly stare, but don’t bother to greet you. This is definitely a New York City trait. Initially, I thought it was because they could tell I wasn’t from there, but then I realized that it was just their nature to observe people, but not bother to greet them. Even though I am American, and considered by other nationals to come from a rude society, I was bred in semi-southern hospitality. In my metropolitan area, it is courteous to greet and say hello to people you don’t know, especially if you catch them staring at you. It is not looked upon as odd to greet a stranger and you’ll even have strangers walk up to you and inquire about your day or ask if you’re alright if you don’t look kind enough in the face. So being who I am, whenever I catch someone staring at me, I smile or say hello, and I am greeted with an even blanker expression…
Another aspect of life in Kampala that immediately reminded me of New York is that immense traffic in the streets. The city is extremely overpopulated and streets are crowded at all times of the day. Pedestrians, cars, and motorbikes all fight to get through and no one is willing to give the other way. Instead of the streets being flooded with yellow cabs, they are filled with white minivan taxi buses. And just like in New York, automobiles do not respect pedestrians and will run you over. Taxi and motorbike drivers are constantly honking and cursing people out for walking on the streets, sometimes even the sidewalks. However, what’s even worse here is that there are no traffic signals so pedestrians are NEVER given the right of way and it’s every man for himself. I will never get used to crossing these streets and I’m constantly afraid of losing my life or a limb.
Kampala is also full of street vendors. You can buy almost everything on the streets and the nature of bargaining is similar to that of New York. If the vendor can tell that you’re not from the area, be prepared to pay an arm and a leg for everything. Certain locations also cater to certain goods. Wandegeya has the best and lowest priced braiders, while Owino is known for the amazing food market, and Nakasero has an immense collection of cloths and materials in every imaginable style for sewing.
Another aspect of Kampala life that is rampant and saddening is the amount of homeless people and beggars on the streets. On almost every street corner and in the main transportation centers, you find people peddling for money. They are so many of them, that they are largely overlooked.
Lastly, the night life here is amazing. Clubs and bars don’t close and they are everywhere. As in New York, spots in the deepest parts of the city are very overpriced and try extra hard to be exclusive, while the local spots are easier on the pockets, you feel most comfortable in, and you’re usually guaranteed to have a good time. But deejays are amazing and really take their jobs seriously.
I think that I couldn’t live in the center of Kampala for the same reasons that I couldn’t live in Manhattan. Life is entirely to hectic, loud, and fast paced for me. I appreciate being able to retreat to my borough, called Ntinda, and escape from it all.

Half-Way There

I can’t believe it’s already August. I don’t feel like the last two weeks has flown by, but 2007 in general is disappearing. It’s quite frightening because in the next few months I have so much to accomplish; much of it contingent on what I complete here.
Yesterday I took a semi-break from everything: research and volunteering. I woke up with all intentions of going back to the Ministry of Finance Library to continue reading, but once I got to the junction where I’d catch the bus there, something led me to my friend’s store instead. Once I got there, I chatted a bit with the people there and I became completely unmotivated to head into town.
Nonetheless, my day was still fairly productive because I read documents that I had previously downloaded onto my laptop and I began writing my literature review and drafting an outline for my thesis. This time off was helpful because I thought of some more avenues which I got explore in order to get the information I need. Next week I will definitely need to visit the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Economic Policy Research Center, and Transparency International’s Uganda Office. I found that beginning the writing process really helped me identify crucial information that I’m missing.
I also like spending time at the store because this is when I get to freely interact with Ugandans. While I’m traveling throughout the city I come into contact with people, but interaction is extremely formal and limited. At the store, people ask me whatever is on their minds and I am free to do the same as well.
For example, I have realized how much of an impact that American media has on not only American citizens, but the outside world as well. For leisure and entertainment, Ugandans prefer watching American movies and television shows on DVD as well as Nigerian movies (which I will tell you more about later). I knew that several American shows were syndicated internationally, but I was shocked to see the number of American shows that were watched here. They are not shown on television, but the local DVD rental shops all have pirated copies of the most popular movies and television shows. (Piracy is not at all regulated here.) Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, 24, Prison Break, Law and Order: SVU, the OC, and almost any other popular tv show you can think of. Also action movies are very popular among citizens, so much so that there are DVDs with about 5 or 6 compressed films of famous action stars like Bruce Willis, Jean Claude Van Dam, Steven Segal, the James Bond series, and others.
Ugandans enjoy watching these films and tv shows during the evening hours after work, but I noticed that the impressions they have left in citizen’s minds about US life is a bit disturbing. I have been asked on several instances if I own a gun. And each time I am taken aback by the question because I in no way evoke thuggery or violence in my demeanor. However, they mention the fact that in many movies and shows you find common and seemingly normal people committing heinous crimes. And when I really considered this perception, I found it to be true in a sense. Much of American tv is littered with random violence, but Americans often realize the drama associated with television and don’t take it for face value. But as a foreigner, I can see how one should assume that what is depicted is a reflection of that society.
What I wish was depicted more was the inequality in American society. Most people do not believe me when I try to explain how poor some Americans are. It’s true that what I’ve seen in the slums and ghettos here is worse than anything I’ve ever seen in ghettos in the US, however, many people I’ve come into contact with do not even believe that extreme poverty exists in the US. They do not believe that people live without electricity, struggle to find a meal, or only survive because of government subsistence. I wish that some of these images and realities where broadcast more and made as widely available as the comfortable and posh living depicted in the OC and Desperate Housewives.
The only problem with that is that shows that do show the realities of poverty and struggling are usually filled with violence. Imagine if The Wire were shown here. I think all of my friends would be afraid to visit me since I live in Maryland. I also think they’d assume that every young Black male they met had a gun and would use it vicariously. So I guess in this instance it’s a Catch 22. When will more socially conscious, yet wholesome shows of the 70s like Good Times and The Jefferson’s return?

Trying to Ward Off the Homesickness

Today has by far been the worst day of my trip. Nothing so serious happened, but the overall mood of the day really got me down and for a moment, I wished that Maryland was a bit closer so that I could go home for a couple of hours.
This is Uganda’s rainy season and thus far it has been very easy to bear because it doesn’t rain as much as I expected. Cameroon’s rainy season consists of very heavy downpours for about 8-12 hours a day every day. However, here in Uganda, it rains about 3-4 times a week and usually for about an hour or two during the day. It rains very hard when it does, so everyone avoids being caught outside, however, it usually lasts for such a short period that it’s quite soothing and doesn’t cause much disruption to the day.
Today, however, the rain was the longest, hardest, and came at the most inopportune time. I am staying in a house with a bunch of bachelors so there is almost always nothing to eat, ever. Luckily, African society is conducive to very well prepared and low priced street food. While in the states, I am not at all a proponent of street vendors, but I think this is because their food tends to be unhealthy, unsanitary, and usually overpriced. It is the complete opposite here. Great meals are cooked on the side of streets over firewood, make shift stoves (don’t ask me how they do it), and grills. It’s all slow-cooked right in front of you and tastes delicious. For dinner the last couple of nights I’ve had meals that cost less than $1 and consisted of grilled chicken, corn, and some pineapple for dessert. It’s great!
All this is to say that today I was looking forward to sleeping in late and then taking a stroll to the main road to grab some grilled chicken, fish, goat meat…whatever struck my fancy. But then it started raining, which initially didn’t faze me because I figured it would be over in about an hour…but not today. It rained long and hard for most of the day. By the time I was able to leave the house, I was extremely hungry and my stroll to the main road turned into a trudge through a very muddy path, where most of the vendors were not set up because of the weather.
I had to travel to the town center, which is about a 7 min drive.
I got on the taxi bus, which was packed beyond capacity, with four or five people sitting in a row of seats meant for three. This is not at all uncommon, however today, it was extra uncomfortable because people were wet and muddy.
I usually make an effort to have exact change or currency closest to the cost of services because once clerks here my accent, they usually try to cheat me. If I know the price, I usually just scold them for trying to cheat me and I get charged the standard price. But today on the taxi, my nerves were really tested. I had to pay the conductor with a large bill and after hearing my accent he employed a number of stunts to overcharge me, almost all of which were thwarted.
However, it wasn’t negotiating an already set transportation fare with the clerk that bothered me, it was the conversation that ensued between him and the other passengers in Luganda, once I challenged him. He proceeded to, what they call, “back bite” me, or talk about me behind my back with the other passengers. Only this time, it was right in my face and I was left helpless because I did not understand a word of what they were saying. They mimicked my English and thick accent and said a great deal of other things I did not understand, but knew was being said because an older lady on the taxi pleaded that they stop and leave me alone. I have never experienced such a thing before and the encounter was made more frustrating and humiliating by the fact that I did not understand a word of what was being said and could not defend myself. For 10 min I sat in silence while this went on and by the time I reached my destination, I was very upset.
I am trying to learn as much Luganda as possible since it is the vernacular of the region. This incident only made it more clear to me, how necessary it is for me to learn it because people say things to and about me on a daily basis that I do not understand and I am leaving myself entirely too vulnerable to exploitation and humiliation.
I can say, however, that my day wasn’t a total wash out. When I finally made it to the town center, I was happy to have extremely tasty grilled chicken ready and waiting for me!

The Politics of Capacity Building

This morning I attended a capacity building workshop at MYDEL. It was facilitated by a friend of the chairman who assisted him when he initially began to form the organization. He challenged the staff members to reexamine their roles and responsibility in the organization as well as the function of the different departments. Because I have only been volunteering with them for a couple of days, this workshop really gave me insight into their strengths and weaknesses as an organization.
As a community based organization they lack financial support on every level and depend solely on donations from visitors. This has greatly affected their capacity and as an organization they could be so much better if they had more money or had resources to share to community members in order to help them develop their own income generating activities. In the same breath, however, I see a dependency on donor aid being formed in the sense that they are not actively pursuing funding because they cannot even surmise it being available to them.
This workshop also revealed serious gaps and weaknesses in the structure of their organization. They have leaders in place, but it seems as though those leaders are unaware of their official responsibilities and everyone does what they feel needs to be done. This attitude can make an organization very strong because tasks are always completed, however when they aren’t no one is sure who is to be held accountable.
The chairman explained to me that this is another weakness of a community based organization with leaders who were born and raised in the community, which they serve. Members of the organization are so comfortable with their leaders that they often blur the lines of business and pleasure. Because he wants to be as inclusive as possible, he makes every function of the organization known to the community, including financial matters. Though this is a genuine attempt at openness, as a leader there has to be issues that are confidential and only known to the executive in order for things to function in an orderly fashion.
By the end of the workshop, I had several suggestions for the organization and felt myself referring back to protocol that I used while I led organizations in college. I’m happy that that experience is coming in useful. Sadly, however, when I presented my suggestions to the chairman he agreed that changes were needed, but seem reluctant to put them in place. I hope that in the course of the next couple of weeks I am able to influence him a bit otherwise or he will find great difficulty in taking his organization to the next level or achieving legitimacy in the eyes of international donors, who sometimes focus more on an organization’s structure and they way they present themselves, than on the actual work they do in the community. I applaud MYDEL for its dedication and overwhelming involvement in the lives of each of its members, however, in such a bureaucratic world, talking the talk is sometimes more important than walking the walk.

The Third Leg of My Trip

Today, I was encouraged to finally start the third leg of my trip. Thus far, I’ve really been consumed with spending time with my friends and volunteering at MYDEL. I’ve been so busy, that I almost forget one very important reason for my trip: RESEARCH. This semester I am writing my master’s thesis so that I can finally graduate and I have decided to focus my research on Uganda’s Public Expenditure Tracking System for Primary Education. While talking to people about my reasons for being here, I casually mentioned it and was chastised for not visiting any government offices yet. This was a much needed scolding and today I finally ventured out to three government offices. I visited the IGG (Inspector General of Government) Office, the KCC (Kampala City Council) and the MFEP (Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning).
At the IGG we got the run around and no one seemed to know what I was talking about or who I should even speak to. I wasn’t disappointed because I expected this, but I was annoyed that the so-called receptionists knew close to nothing about anything.
At the MFEP, the administrators were extremely helpful. They directed me to the resource center where I found a ton of books documenting the government’s allocation of funding in education. This was exactly what I was looking for. The down side was that I am not allowed to check out the books, so I will have to physically sit in the library everyday until I get all the information that I need.
At the KCC, we ran into a friend's friend who knew exactly who I needed to speak to, but he wasn’t in the office. He encouraged me to come back on Monday, but stated that I should only speak to that particular officer, as much of the information that I needed is public record, but the officers do not like to share it because it leads to further investigation about other things. This most certainly did not surprise me, considering my interest in the Public Expenditure Tracking System (PETS) stems from my interest in corruption.
PETS was established because even though education and other services are being subsidized by the government, poverty is still rampant and the infrastructure of many institutions does not reflect government subsidies. Officials and donors found it necessary to track where funds were going and how they were being utilized. Is it an issue of too little funds or are funds not reaching the most needy? The fact that officials in the KCC would like to keep public records of funding allocation to schools private, leads me to believe that perhaps it is the former.

The American Dream

My friend owns a store, which is the local hangout spot for his friends and other young people in town. Everyone convenes there in the evening after work and great ideas and conversation is constantly generated. There, we’ve talked about everything from bar crawling and the latest vodka on the market to solutions for Africa’s economic development problems and whose culture should be adopted in intercultural relationships.
This week, I’ve been running into one of his friends called, Mark. Mark has been very enthusiastic about talking to me about the US because he was recently granted an immigration visa and green card by the US government. He got it by entering into a drawing that is done every year, granting 50,000 green cards to applicants around the world. Millions of people apply for it and the chances of getting it are extremely slim. The process also takes a very long time. Mark applied in the summer of 2005 and was just granted his visa last month.
Anyways, he is naturally very excited but worried about what to expect in the US. I have tried to be as open and candid with him as possible, but it is still very difficult to debunk ideas that people have had fed to them for decades.
The US is widely viewed as the land of opportunity and foreigners I’ve come into contact with can’t seem to surmise the fact that it is possible to go to the US and not become successful. Most people believe that if you work hard enough you’ll make it. I try to explain racism and social barriers that have been put in place to hold Blacks down. Yes, institutionalized racism is no longer present, but there are other personal barriers that exist, that I try to explain to those who seek to travel to the US, that they understandably can’t conceive.
For his sake, I hope that he does make it and life in America turns into all that he has envisioned. But the sad reality is that it probably won’t for a very long time. He is already college-educated and a very successful advertising manager for a very popular newspaper in Kampala. He says that he no longer feels challenged at his job and would like to go to America so that he can get his MBA. His brother currently lives in New York making a six figure salary with an MBA from Wharton (a top-rated business school). He envisions that same future for himself, but doesn’t feel that he can reach that same pinnacle of success in Kampala.
My main concerns with his dreams are not so much that they aren’t attainable (because they are), but rather that for the next five years (or until he gets his MBA), he’ll be working in a job that’s equally or even less challenging than the one he has now. Sadly, African degrees are not valued in the US and many educated immigrants find themselves working jobs that barely require a high school diploma.
When I presented these issues to him, he cast them to the side saying he wouldn’t mind being a waiter for a few years until he was able to get on his feet. I guess I should admire his tenacity, but as a socialist, I can’t get over the fact that the hard work I’ve done is discredited simply because I am coming from a foreign land. I can’t stand for that, sorry.

Lim Loves the Kids

Today I gave the children the clothes that I collected. They were ecstatic. I was able to bring over 100 pieces of clothing and each child was able to receive at least one item. Even though only one item seems like it may not be much for the common person, to these children it is a great deal. Most of them wear the same items of clothing every single day. When the center was able to give them uniforms to give to school, they began to wear the uniforms during the day and using their single outfits as play clothes. Sadly enough, I am able to remember each child because they are usually wearing the same outfit each day. So having an additional shirt or bottom makes a huge difference to them.
They were also extremely grateful and I think they got more comfortable with me. One thing that has surprised me about working with this young people is the amount of respect they have for me and those around them. I think it may have a lot to do with the fact that this organization is community based, but I am so impressed by the way they conduct themselves in front of elders and those they respect. Each time they greet you or present you with something they bow in a sign of respect. I am so happy that even though a great deal of their family structure has been disrupted due to the death of their parents, they have maintained traditional customs and respect for elders. It is such a beautiful thing, and something that many youth in impoverished communities all over the world are lacking.

Why on Earth Do People Still Have Polio in 2007?

Today Mengo Youth Development Link co-sponsored an event with a Korean organization called Little Jesus International Gibbun Woori World and a Ugandan organization called Able the Disabled. It was an advocacy event to bring awareness to the community about the plight of the disabled. In Uganda, there are quite a number of people with disabilities. Many of them are homeless and live on the streets, trying to sustain their livelihoods through begging.
The saddest part of their illness is that much of it could have been prevented. Most westerners are not familiar with polio because we have been getting immunized for it for decades. Unfortunately, many families are too poor to immunize their children and many of them end up suffering from polio, severely handicapping them.
These three organizations decided to come together to donate wheelchairs to people with disabilities who have been struggling to transport themselves around town. Virtually none of the country is sensitive to the needs of people with disabilities and no accommodations are made for them. The recipients were ecstatic and blessed to receive the wheelchairs because life would be much easier for them. Since many of them were unable to walk on their legs because they were too weak or they had none, they walked on their hands. Many were unable to afford even crutches. It was very sad to see so many people in such a condition walk into the event, but it was very fulfilling to see them so happy for their gift once they left.
Of course not even was happy about the event. The recipients of the wheelchair were required to register for the event before they came to ensure that they had enough wheelchairs. However, when the word spread that wheelchairs were being given out for free, many people who were not pre-registered for the event came to try and get one. It was very difficult having to turn people away, but the organizers had a protocol to follow. Another challenged faced with the event was in the wheelchairs themselves. They were made too small for some people and they couldn’t fit into them. However, because of their financial situation, they were not willing to give them back to the organizers. They would rather keep them and try to sell them for profit or exchange them for ones that fit. It would have been nice if everyone who came was able to be served and to their satisfaction, but these are the challenges faced in many development projects, especially ones that are catering to communities where equipment needs to be custom made to fit them.

Day One at MYDEL

Today was my first day at Mengo Youth Development Link (MYDEL). I met with the director of the organization and his staff. Everyone was extremely welcoming and immediately made me feel happy to be there. We had a brief orientation and overview of their projects. I was surprised to see the size of the office and center considering how much they did for the community. However, they had created such a comfortable and positive environment that even though they were short in resources, the sense of community developed as a result of their efforts was overwhelming.
I instructed class in the center for about an hour in order to get better acquainted with the youth. The classroom where the students conduct most of their activities is not at all standard, even for a developing society. All of the students who come to MYDEL are orphaned or vulnerable and their families are unable to pay for them to go to school. Education is free in Uganda, but families still have to pay for supplies and their uniforms and those living in poverty are unable to afford it. Therefore, MYDEL provides instruction to the children in this community so that they are able to stay on track with their age group. However, due to a lack of resources, all of the students learn in one classroom. Even though they are divided by age group, they usually learn similar material simultaneously because there organization has a limited number of staff. While leading the reading and comprehension lesson, I faced a major challenge that I feel will impede my development efforts in many ways. Though most of the school-aged children speak English, it was difficult for them to understand me because of my accent.
I have also found challenges in day to day life because though English is the national language of Uganda, Luganda is more widely spoken. It is used in everyday life including general conversation, in stores, in offices, and the news is even read on tv in Luganda. I have learned a few words here and there, but I would be better able to communicate with and understand people if I knew more.
The older youth have been very helpful in translating for me, but many of the younger children are unable to fully express themselves in English and feel more comfortable speaking Luganda.
After orienting with the children and youth, I took an impromptu tour of downtown Kampala. I was on the search for mangos and peanuts, so my coworkers took me to the market.
Traveling through Kampala is quite an adventure. For one, there are no traffic lights, so traffic is fairly chaotic. Cars, trucks, motorbikes, and pedestrians weave in and out of traffic quite carelessly. Autos do not give pedestrians the right of way and they are left to fend for themselves. Crossing the street requires a great deal of effort, tact, and wit and it is quite frightening. I am very afraid of someone take off my foot as cars don’t brake for you if you’re crossing the streets (they just beep continuously as they increase their speed) and the motorbikes get extremely close to the sidewalks so even if you are walking with the flow of traffic on the sidewalk, you still risk being hit or clipped by the bike.
After visiting a few markets we went back to the office where the youth, were playing football and volleyball. They staff plays with the youth until dark and then takes them into the center, where they practice drama and dancing until well into the night. I left before the activities were completed and that was at close to 10pm. They staff stays up with the youth as late as possible so that they are kept occupied and do not become idle.
It is idleness which causes most of the ills in this community. People turn to drug use, promiscuity, and theft in order to fill their time since they are not in school or working. MYDEL staff works for over 16 hours a day to occupy the children and youth in the community so that they do not find time to participate in destructive behavior.
By the end of the day, I was surely tired, so I believe their plan is working.

Back to Basics

Today, I did the first thing that is usually on my mind when I visit the continent. I got my hair braided. I always take advantage of the fact that I can get my hair done exactly the way I like for an extremely small fraction of that which I would pay in the States to get it done very subpar. Of course, I sent my friend over ahead of me to bargain for the price because once the braiders heard my accent, I’d have a great deal of difficulty getting the local rate.
I was successful getting it done and I love it!
I also did the usual tasks like exchanging money, and got a cell phone.
I also met some of my friend’s family. He has a million and one brothers and they are all very nice. Their family store is the local hang out spot and when I got there, there were about 20 of his friends and family to meet. I apologized ahead of time because I knew that I would not be able to remember all of their names.
During this time I actually realized how horrible my memory has been getting. There were people that I met last year and who even met me at the airport the day before and I could not remember their faces, much less their names for the life of me!
The rest of the day was spent hanging out with friends. We watched music videos and had some drinks the earlier part of the evening. This was actually more enlightening for me because when I am home I rarely have time to watch television and definitely not videos. Here there is a music channel that plays videos all day long and a good majority of them are from the US, so I was able to put a face to the voices that I often hear on the radio and in the club.
The second part of the night we went to a bar in town and that was also a good time. The music was great. It reminded me why I like being here so much. They play the best songs, new or old and I love that.
Overall, it was a great way to start the trip.

Woo Hoo! I'm Finally an African!

Today’s arrival in Entebbe airport was very different from last year’s. Last year, I traveled with a group of about 20 American young people. Once we arrived at the airport, we went through the immigration check, got our luggage and were on our way. I always wondered, how Entebbe verified that arrivals were allowed to enter the country because there was no security gate or officers between the baggage claim and immigration check. Basically, you could pretend that had gone through immigration and just walk straight over to baggage claim with no issue and then out of the airport clean and clear. This year, however, because I was a black girl traveling alone, I received the authentic African treatment in the airport.
I first realized that something was different because when I was in line for the immigration check there was an African woman in front of me who was unable to get through. She presented the officer with her license and the officer immediately looked apprehensive. She asked the woman where else she had traveled that year and once the lady was unable to tell her, she told her that she would be unable to allow her into the country with that passport. She informed her that she would have to go to the immigration office before she was able to officially enter the country.
The whole time I was observing this, I wondered what wouldn’t stop the woman from retrieving her bags and simply walk out of the airport like I had done the previous year after my immigration check. Well I was soon to find out.
Once I passed through immigration, got my passport stamped, and claimed my bags, I was randomly stopped throughout the airport two more times. The officers asked to see my passport and they each verified that it had been stamped and I was indeed allowed to enter the country. I must say however, that once they saw it was a US passport, they didn’t look too intently for the stamp, but what caused their initial approach of me, was my Blackness.
Though this excited me because I was finally being treated like a local, it annoyed me that the year before I was able to walk through this same airport without interference because of my white travel mates. I wish that there will come a time when Africans do not treat White people as omniscient beings. Everyone no matter what race they associate with should receive the same treatment, especially in the eye of the law. White visitors should not be abstained from the verification of a visa and allowed to enter the country freely, while Africans are being scrutinized.
But in the same boat, I was happy to be finally viewed as an African because though this caused a bit of annoyance in the airport, I knew that for the next month it would benefit me because prices of goods would not be as inflated on the account of my Americanness.

It's Been A Long Time Coming

I know I've been away for quite a long time...almost a year, but a lot of things have incited my muse.
In two weeks I'll be returning to Uganda and this time for a month. I'll be going by myself this time, though I've got a great deal planned.
I'll be working on my master's thesis, so that I can finally graduate! (HOORAY!!!) I'll be volunteering at a youth development organization and orphanage. And I'll be spending time with all of the friends that I met during my first trip and having been longing to see for over a year.
I'm extremely excited to go back. I hope that everything is as good as I remember it being the first time. I am a bit apprehensive that because I stayed on Makerere's campus and we had a cook, driver, and guide, things may have been sugarcoated for me. Though I did make an effort to branch out on my own and try to experience native life, I am still sure that I was sheltered from or wasn't there long enough to experience everything. I just hope that whatever is to come in the month that I'm there will still leave me loving Kampala because I definitely still have an interest in moving there in the next year.
The director of the youth organization that I will be volunteering with seems very excited to have me visit and I also hope that is a great experience. I know that it will be challenging because thought I am very passionate about working with young people, I empathize with them quite a bit and am usually deeply and personally affected by their experiences. I appreciate having a vested interest in their livelihood, but this experience will definitely show me if I am able to have a hands on approach to their plight and still be effective on a larger, administrative scale.
I have decided to focus my research on corruption in the education system and more specifically the effects that the Public Expenditure Tracking System (PETS) has had on curbing corruption and ultimately increasing school resources and student access to education. Uganda has been heralded as becoming more transparent due to the PETS, but I wonder if this assertion is due to a series of reports generated by the government or if teachers and administrators of the PETS have felt that it was indeed effective and helpful.
This week I am also taking a one week course on Youth & Conflict. The instructor of the course, Randolph Carter, came in to speak to a class that I took last fall and he was amazing! Even though this course is being offered so close to the time that I leave for my trip, I just had to take it! I hope that I enjoy the course as much as I did his guest visit to my class. And hopefully it will incite some thoughts and generate ideas for me to share with everyone. It has surely been too long since I've done so!
However, though I have been MIA, I have been writing this spring, so I will post some excerpts from papers I've written and thoughts that I have been having in general in 2007.

BLACKOUT

Tonight was the best BBQ of the summer. We had a going away shindig that was tons of fun, besides a few bumps along the way. For one, Uganda has a series of power outages everday. We did not feel the full brunt of this issue because our dorm continuously ran on a generator, but most people were not so lucky and sat in darkness for most of the day. Just as we were set up to get our BBQ rolling, the power went out. So we had a candlelight BBQ, which felt very much like a vigil. Even though there wasn't booming music as planned, there was plenty of entertainment due to the excessive number of guests. The scope of the BBQ had been clearly misarticulated and everyone was under the impression that they could invite guests. And as the African way of doing things would require, each of those guests invited four or fice people. In the end, there were more than 100 people there, more than half of which program participants did not know. But it was a great time because of that. I met several new people. The best part of the night was the opportunity to have real, raw, and intimate conversations with Ugandan youth. I am already rather straightfoward when I talk to people, but after a couple of drinks, I was even surprised at how forthright I was with my questions. I had noticed that upon meeting a Ugandan, before you even got to a comfortable level of conversation, they'd adsk you "how you found life in the US". This question was problematic to me for a couple of reasons. 1. It's a fact that many times Africans befriend foreigners so that they can help them go abroad. 2. I didn't want my nationality to be a focal point on the trip. I wanted to experience a true immersion. So initially when asked this question, I'd dodge or brush it off with a generic answer. But tonight I was in the mood for intellectual stimulation and to challenge folks. So when asked the question, I'd ask them why they asked. Honestly, I was told that 1. They didn't like life in Uganda and wanted to leave and possibly go to America so they wanted to know what life was like there. 2. They were bombarded with American pop culture and wanted to know if that was how people really lived. I was happy to hear these answers because it gave me the opportunity to explain why the grass is not always greener on the other side. Yes, the financial quality of life in the US is more promising that most of Africa, but what many of the people I came across were unaware of was the social/racial inequality and challenges faced everyday. They had never been told that they'd be discriminated against because of their race, immigrant status, and being African. They couldn't understand why even though they'd have a degree from a very prestigious African university, it would probably mean nothing in the US. Or that I was living comfortably in Uganda because of the rate of exchange, but in the US I was STRUGGLING to pay my bills. These were things they never associated with the American Dream. So though I'm sure many of their initial goals were to capitalize off of meeting me, I was satisfied in knowing I had done something to broaden their understanding of life as a poor, black person in America.