Update email to Family and Friends 5

Dear friends and family of VS Uganda,

It was another fantastic week for our volunteers in the field.

You may have seen in the news over the past few days, articles talking about violence in Kenya from Somali insurgents. Please know that this is taking place on the southeastern border of Kenya next to Somalia . Our group in Uganda is very close to the northwest border with Kenya , over 600 miles away from the border of Somalia .

At present, the political situation has not filtered into Uganda . American Jewish World Service is committed to maintaining safe and meaningful programs for all of our volunteer program participants. At this time, we feel confident that the Uganda group is safe and secure in their community. We will continue to monitor the situation and consult with a number of sources including International SOS, the US State Department, and AJWS’s in-country staff. If it’s determined that the security situation in Uganda has changed as a result of the political situation in Kenya , we will notify you immediately.

Please email or call me if you have any questions.

Shabbat shalom,

Alexis

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VS Uganda – July 22^nd

Dearest friends and family,

Our summer in Uganda has just passed the half way point, and we can only marvel at how fast the time is flying. We’ve had enlightening education session- towards the end of last week, one of our very own participants, Leran, and Kenneth, and UORDP employee and compound resident, both taught the group about the ongoing turmoil in Sudan . Then Opio (another UORDP employee) spoke about the conflict in Northern Uganda with regards to the Lord’s Resistance Army and the use of child soldiers.

This past Shabbat was spent in Ramogi, with our Friday night services, singing kabbalat Shabbat and a Saturday morning session contemplating our approaches to time and work. On Sunday, we went to the Kenyan boarder, we took a quick drive from the town of Tororo to walk aside the “no-man’s land” and take pictures with the Kenyan flag. We then hiked Tororo Rock, a very steep climb with a rewarding view of the expanses of Uganda and Kenya .

Week day education sessions and speakers have turned more outwardly, covering action and downstream issues in development, the cost and benefits of short term service trips, and even micro-finance groups and institutions. We have even had the opportunity of meeting a women’s micro-finance circle and a savings and credit officer from a local Uganda bank.

Gender inequality is an apparent issue in these rural parts, but the women of Volunteer Summer ‘09 and of Ramogi Village had an enlightening heart to heart talk one quiet afternoon. We discussed topics ranging from marriage and relationships, age of marriage, childbirth and education: topics they felt they couldn’t speak freely about in front of men. We’ve noticed when we go to community meetings it is mostly only the men who speak. Tomorrow we are going to have our women’s circle again and will go and visit with our new friends in their homes. While the VS women are discussing gender topics, the men in our group have various alternative programming.

And finally, we were visited by a local medicine man (who is an MD as well), who brought along with him samples of local herbal remedies.

In work project news, this past Tuesday, we finished the Makaur Primary School walls for three classrooms we’ve been working on. The teacher, students, community leaders and government officials arranged for an elaborate thank you celebration, complete with original songs and coca-cola, which lasted 5 hours!

We are now looking forward to our upcoming work project, which is building a church roof and painting an Early Childhood Development Center . We are looking forward to our new work, but will miss the students and teachers we’ve become friends with over the past few weeks.

It has been an amazing and fulfilling week and we look forward to sharing with you all our new escapades in a week’s time. (Spoiler alert: it will include details of spending Shabbat with the Abuyudaya, Uganda ’s Jewish community.)

Missing you,

VS Uganda

Written by: Faigy Abdelhak

Update email to Family & Friends 4

I may have missed posting one, sorry Leran...
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Enjoy this week’s update from our group in Uganda!

Shabbat shalom,

Alexis

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VS Uganda – July 16th 2009

Yoga!

As we further settle into our life here in Ramogi, we are beginning to know Uganda in new and exciting ways. As we walk through the community each day, more and more of the children refer to us by name, further solidifying our closeness with the people here. At the work site, our progress at the school is evident as there becomes less and less work for us to do on this project. We were recently told that before we arrived, the construction for this building had been halted for 15 years, which makes the work we have done in completing the school during the past two weeks all the more meaningful.

Our sweat filled work days are not all work and no play, though – our daily break coincides with the students’ morning recess which means a lot of Dhopadhoan singing, drumming and dancing circles (some of us are starting to get the Uganda moves) and many, many games. We further interact with the school community through guest lectures run by the participants of Volunteer Summer each day. Though we have loved our time at the Makaur Primary School and we are excited to move to the Ramogi campus next week to work on the church roof.

While we have truly made a home for ourselves in Ramogi, this weekend we had a chance to see some of Uganda’s breathtaking natural beauty – Sipi Falls. When we first arrived we took showers (warm ones!), ate new food (avocado salad) in the company of the first Muzungus (white people) we’ve encountered since we came to Uganda. They were Canadians and students from the US. All of this, though, pales in comparison to the highlight of our weekend: the hike on Saturday morning. We saw stunning views and splashed around at the bottom of two waterfalls (one of which was over 300 feet high).

We finished our weekend get-a-way with an afternoon in Mbale, the largest city in south eastern Uganda. We went to Nurali’s Café for a delicious Indian lunch. Though our trip was wonderful, one of the most special moments we had was when we returned to the Ramogi Center where we are staying, where we were warmly welcomed by our friends from UORDP. As the bus pulled in, we sang Wanika (we are here) as we hugged our Uganda family.

It took an expedition away from Ramogi to help us focus on the true connection that we have made with the people and this land. We look forward to our remaining four weeks here, which are sure to be filled with more laughter, intensity, change, exploration and growth.

Till next week!

VS Uganda

Written by: Rachel Greenspan

P.S. Rachel celebrated her birthday this week and Philippa got great news about her exams.

Week 3 Update

This week I wrote some great things in my journal, but forgot it on the bus... so I'll try to give y'all a quick update before it is time to head back. This week has been jammed pack so of course I'll go into more detail later.

Tororo: In my last post I mentioned I want in Tororo. While the village has been eye opening, Tororo materialized all that I had read about an African city. Banks were housed in pristine first world style buildings while other shops were jammed into tiny rooms with overflowing items. To get to the marketplace we had to walk down narrow alley ways lined with small outdoor shops. Every smaller alleyway intersecting with the main one revealed shanty town style huts with women washing dishes or laundry. Rural poverty has affected our thoughts on development greatly, but is masked by the land... in the city poverty is right smack in your face.

Birthday: As most of you might know, especially all my facebooking friends... Wednesday was my birthday and while I missed being near many of you, I had one of the most spectacular birthdays ever. I was woken up by two of the group members banging on my door singing happy birthday. From that point until yesterday I was constantly barraged by happy birthday wishes by the 18 members of the group along with many of the NGO staff. The director of the NGO even told me that if it wasn't for dietary restrictions of kashrut (kosher) they would have slaughted a chicken, a turkey AND a goat to prepare for a feast in my honor.

Thursday we had an extremely beautiful celebration of the four group member's birthdays that have happened or will happen during our trip in addition to one birthday from the NGO staff... Seth, one of the most compassionate men I've ever met. It was moving to celebrate my birthday with such fantastic people. Two years in a row with such company over two continents!

Sipi Falls: My time is almost out and I promise I will be sharing more about Sipi Falls soon, but google about it and find some images. I have seen some amazing places in Israel and the States, but this was beyond breathtaking.

I have to go, but looking forward to seeing and talking to you all soon. Although I love this place!

Week 2 Update

My fear has come true and I have failed at keeping up with my journal about 8 or 9 days ago. I will continue to push myself, but there is so much to do and so little time. When I get some downtime when we still have light I have ended up reading or talking with people. Don't worry, I will absolutely continue to share the best highlights on here when I get a chance to update. I'll make this one quick though:

Our first project: We have started helping to build a four classroom building at Makaur Primary School, a highly connected village adjacent to Ramogi. Well, emphasis on helping since we mostly have just carried bricks from a pile about 500 yards away or from one side of the site to another while the Ugandans do the real construction work. We're glad to be assisting while experiencing their culture.

My Ugandan name: After a few days of work we were promised to be given Ugandan names, or more accurately, Dipadola names. Dipadola being the dialect spoken in Ramogi and Makaur. My name is Jaweri which means a boy born during a song, the closest possible name to Leran which means "my song"

My city trip buddy is waiting patiently so I will wrap up now. I'm safe and very happy although I definitely miss some luxuries such as reliable light and certain foods. Surprisingly it has been very easy to go without internet. My friends are taking many pictures so I will fill in the huge gaps for all of you when I return.

Afoyo! (Dipadola for thank you)

Ramogi Resource Center

Written 6/27

The center is a gorgeous facilty focused around a main house where Apollo lives wit his family which inlcudes rambunctious boy named Isaac who has quickly become our unofficial masoct. The quest rooms are located in four wings: Toronto (where the men sleep), New York (where the women sleep), Milan and an almost complete one named after Apollo's mother. He warmly described her as a strong and compassionate woman.

The rooms are much nicer than we expected: we share with only two other people, have beds with sheets, blankets and bathrooms with FLUSH toilets. We even (on most days) have lights after sundown. On our first night the door handle snapped so the bathroom door won't stay shut on its down, nothing to complain about overall.

The center also includes a beatiful gathering spot built more traditionally with a thatched roof, an outdoor kitchen, farm land and various animals including a cute dog named Tiger. Much of the food we eat is grown here and despite our fears the food is wonderful.

The center is located near the heart of the village and right next to the Ramogi Primary School, Ramogi Early Childhood Development center and the Protestant Church. Almost immediately we're swarmed by children who want to play with us, learn English and teach us Dipadola (the local language). Kenya is less than 20 minutes walk which provides for an extra excitement when gazing at the already breathtaking view.

On the Bus in Uganda

Written 6/25

Currently sitting outside the very comfy Sohpie's Motel, the place we spent our first night in Uganda. The staff was extremely friendly, breakfast delicious and the rooms equivalent to US 3 star standards. Overall a great welcome.
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This morning we met some of the staff from the Uganda Orphans Rural Development Program, the NGO we are working with in Uganda. These few staffers are riding with us from Entebbe to Ramgoi and immedaitely their dedication and passion shines through along with their warm smiles.

We first stop in Kampala in order for the group leaders to buy snacks from the ride and for us to exchange money. The city is very similar to what I imagined in a developing country. Simultaneously signsof growth and moderity along with sings of subsistence. Goats, chickens and cows are seen all over, but so are vehicles (mostly motorbikes carrying 2 or 3 riders) are also abundant. Many Ugandans are on foot while others zoom by alll the stores and billboards. Coca-Cola, unsurprisingly, is as popular here as it is everywhere else in the world.

These signs extend well out of the city. The road we're on is lined with stores, resturants and gathering spaces. It seems every few minutes another building is brightly with colored with ads for Coke, paint, cell phones, cooking oil and even investment banking! Billboards are a constant sight as evident by the GIANT Bell Beer (a local brand) ad in what we could only describe as the middle of nowhere even in Ugandan standards.

About halfway through the drive we pass over the Nile in Jina, not from where it originates from Lake Victoria. After passing a police check and slowing down by some men who try to sell us corn via the windows, the stores slowly become fewer and structures more characteristic of developing communities. We even spot a few baboons in a heavily wooded area along the road!

Finally we turn off in Tooro, the roads degrade into semi-passable conditions and we're definitely no longer on a highway, Entebbe or Kampla. We're clearly in a bustling city nestled in a rural district nonetheless. Apollo, the executive director of UORDP, boards our bus . He is a strong looking man wearing a large glowing smile and a suite. After a quick hello we depart for Ramogi.

Update email to Family & Friends 2

Dear family and friends of VS Uganda,

I hope this e-mail finds you well.

I received an update from our volunteers in Ramogi Village . They are eager to tell you about their incredibly exciting week, full of new experiences, hands-on work and discussions about the community, the politics of the region and the Jewish motivation for doing social justice work.

I hope you have a wonderful July 4^th weekend. The AJWS office will be closed on Friday, July 3^rd, so if you need to reach me for any reason, please call the 24-hour emergency line at 212.736.XXXX (does not need to be posted in a blog), and ask to speak with me.

Best,

Alexis

VS Uganda – July 1^st

Yoga!

That is hello in Dopadollah, the local language here in Ramogi. We are all doing quite well, bonding with our fellow participants and group leaders, working hard at the work site, doing our daily chores, taking bucket baths, and interacting with our host community.

Our group has only spent 5 days in this village and we’ve already come face-to-face with many of the challenges and joys of being “the visitor”. The community has gone to great lengths to welcome us, especially through their singing and dancing. We have been greeted by dozens of children, who have offered their hands as we walk by the local primary school and in a formal ceremony with representatives from the local community.

Everyone from our group has acknowledged our privilege to be able to travel and live in Uganda for 7 weeks. We know that this cultural exchange experience is unique. This trip provides us with many glimpses into an extremely different life style that we could not fully appreciate from a university lecture or newspaper article. In spite of how remarkable the beginning of our journey has been, the group continues to grapple with many difficult questions:

How do we best express our gratitude toward our hosts who constantly tell us to feel at home? How do we strike the delicate balance between integrating our selves into the surrounding community, while still respecting others’ culture and space? And finally, what do the local inhabitants think of us, as Americans, as Jews and as representatives of the “developed world”? While these complex questions can sometimes lead to moments of frustration and discomfort, they also provide us with innumerable opportunities for personal growth and newly gained perspectives.

As we took our first bucket baths and take turns pumping water from the local well, we are forced to reconsider water conservation. As we walk past Ugandan natives working in their fields without shoes, we are faced with people’s struggles for basic resources. And when we take our malaria pills, we realize that we are extremely fortunate to have access to medicines that many of the local Ugandans must live without.

While some of the images of poverty that we see every day in Ramogi are heartbreaking, we are also experiencing a plethora of warmth and joy. The connection we experience when we play “London Bridges Falling down” with dozens of Uganda children is undeniable.

Another powerful moment for us occurred at our welcome ceremony when the director of our partner NGO (non-government organization), Apollo Jaramogi, asked each of the AJW participants to explain our chosen majors in school, in hopes of inspiring the adolescent girls to continue their own schooling.

While we have begun to experience the lifestyle of the residence here, learned some of the local language, and received our native names, we have so many issues we still have to explore. We are eager to learn more about the community, through both formal and informal conversations.

The coming weeks will require much physical, mental and emotional stamina. The benefits we will gain are intangible.

Love from VS Uganda