Go to the People, Live with them, Love them...

Go to the People

Live with them

Love them

Learn from them

Work with them

Start with what they have

Build on what they know

And in the end

When the work is done

The People will rejoice:

"We have done it ourselves!"

-Lao Tzu

We got this quote from a man we met today. A man who has spent the last 17 years building a foundation to serve the underserved communities here in Mbale. Throughout the conversations we have had with many of the Ugandans, I am inspired by people here who were raise in an impoverished community and are fighting to change the future for others. Their motivations are pure and their sacrifice is real. I want to be a part of that. 

The beginning of our summer from Salt Lake...

Our house we bought...

Some of the girls I met in the slum. They just kept staring at us, so we finally went over and sat next to them and became good friends with them. 

My current living quarters

Todd looking good as ever with windblown hair :) His name is a bit hard to say here so everyone calls him Toddy!

The view from the rooftop. Africa is a beautiful country, Mbale especially.

Rolex - essentially it is the African version of a breakfast burrito. AKA my favorite food.

Now for a quick recap: 

One week ago, Todd and I were just arriving in Mbale after a long flight, two nights in Istanbul, and a six-hour drive on a pot-hole road. Our task in these two weeks is to lay the groundwork for a successful summer. Within a few days, we have met with a number of partners (both previous and new) and start thinking in terms of development, where our team can make the greatest impact for good. 

We have also found a house to rent for the summer (that is an adventure in itself), are in the process of hiring a security guard, and will continue to build and strengthen partnerships while trying to immerse ourselves in the area and the culture itself. 

I'm learning how to adjust to sleeping in a mosquito-net bed, riding side-saddle on a boda-boda motorcycle in skirt, using a squatter to go to the bathroom, wearing a headlamp when the electricity goes out (about 3-4 times a day), learning how to use a phone with airtime, shaking hands with the locals (similar to a "bro" handshake, having little kids follow you and yell "Mzungu" or white person as you walk by, the negotiating for everything, learning the local dialect Luganda, and getting stared at all day. 

Even though there are a few adjustments and things I am still getting used to, I love these people. From the moment we walked off the plane, the airport security guard kindly greeted us and asked how we are doing. There is a strong community feel here. Everyone knows everyone and relationships are important here. The African people are very kind and welcoming. 

Yesterday we went to one of the slums we will be working in and today we went to a regional hospital in the area where free healthcare is available. I don't think I fully understood the level of poverty that I would see. It was a humbling experience to see the challenges that people face. I have no concept of that lifestyle and I feel selfish for having so much. My perspective on life and priorities within a matter of days have been at the forefront of my mind as I have been here. 

Just as a few examples - the other day, we were speaking to a school administrator who told us that one of the challenges here is the kids who are starving and can't focus during school. I asked if they are given lunch and he said only the ones who pay. The other kids sit outside under the trees and wait while their classmates eat. This morning, I sat and spoke to a women who has worked to help women with obstetric fistulas. She told me about a 14-year old girl who was raped on her way to church and became pregnant. When she was close to delivery, because she didn't have the medical services available, the baby died and the girl developed a fistula and had to drop out of school and was shunned by those in her family, village and community. The organization was created by a woman here to give those types of women and girls the medical treatment they need so that they can reintegrate themselves into society. They are commonly shunned and oftentimes their husbands will leave them and take the other children and find another wife. Today, we learned that the organization no longer runs here because the only funding was the woman's personal income she was using. It made me sick to think that there is nothing being done in this area. I hope that we can be the means of change for girls and women dealing with this problem.  

At times, I feel overwhelmed with what is expected, however I also feel a strong motivation knowing that there is so much potential for change and that we are in a position to be those change agents. Luckily, I have the best co-director Todd. He and I have worked together for the past year and I couldn't ask for a better partner in the journey we are beginning!