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.