Gulu week 2 part 2

The last part of week two has been involved because we are finally on a schedule. I have started teaching with my two partner teachers. They know what they are teaching and I was encouraged to see that there were books for the kids through “Invisible Children.” It was the abridged-abridged version of Tom Sawyer…but they had a story in front of them. We worked on some reading strategies and John Kennedy (one of my partner teachers) was already taking notes on how to teach reading comprehension. That part was encouraging and I am excited to see him carry out the lesson in his own way. I also saw some kids getting caned-another reminder that the school system IS different than ours in America…but I still could not look directly as it was happening.

On Saturday, we prepared to have our cultural exchange day where all of the Ugandan and American teachers were to get together and exchange dances, stories, music, and food. I hit the town beforehand with Erin and Pakou…It was one of those moments that almost felt surreal. We were walking down alleys to get to different stores…and we were greeted by children and adults in these shanty-towns. The welcoming spirit amongst these people is astounding.

The cultural exchange was a success and everyone had a great time. We had a great introductory game by Mama Cat and Lindsey…People were sharing about themselves and some were getting so personal. My partner teacher shared that he had been abducted, and another shared that he was a former child soldier. They seemed to come alive during the music and games, however. I loved seeing them get up and dance around and lead activities. Some of these people have had so many responsibilities from childhood that they missed out on the process of growing up. Shaaroni showed us how to do a hula dance. I lead us in the Cupid Shuffle. John Kennedy lead us in two games. Then we danced with the Awere dancers. My other teacher Niaalo was giving me a hard time, and Sara (another Layibi teacher) said that I dance like I am in a pop video but that I did well. It brought everyone closer together because it was about building friendships…I am glad that we have already been able to take the teacher relationships beyond the professional level.

Gulu week 2 part 1

We started off week two by going to Mother Theresa’s on Sunday. So many members of the exchange group came out. The kids were thrilled, and Sister Helen was happy. We spent a couple of hours playing with the kids. Hope stayed with me the whole time…she is the little one that I wanted to bring home with me last year. She is five years old this year, and remembers me from last year. She asked me to bring her home with me. I so wish I could. The deaf kids remembered me as well. They remembered my sign name and came up for hugs. It is probably my favorite place in the whole world. I am so glad that I was able to share it with this awesome group of people. The best part about our group going out to Momma T’s was that everyone was able to cover a group of kids and do different activity. Love everywhere…it was awesome. And even though Pablo and Joe could not sign, they really made a connection with the older deaf boys. I was so happy to re-connect with Momma T’s and Hope…This is a place that I will be seeing a lot of while I am here.

Pablo and I started Layibi on Monday. We had our first round table and we were shown a tour of the school. It is an all-boys boarding school. With “Invisible Children” they are now in the top 100 for schools in Uganda. They are 54. It is such a huge difference from Pabo. This school actually can feed the students and the teachers. There is a lot more money coming in. They also have a complete computer lab with internet (I will definitely set up a skype account so that my American and Ugandan students can communicate. The teachers take Pablo and I to a different room to feed us every day. At first, it was hard to come to a school that seems well off (for Uganda) when there are schools like Pabo out there…which has so much spirit but is so poor and in the middle of an IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camp. We had to convince ourselves that seeing the difference between the high end and low end schools would be good for us….It would be something new that we could experience as well. I still struggled with figuring out how we can make much a difference to a school that seems to have it all figured out. I have to keep reminding myself that this program has contributed to their success and has gotten them back into the top 100. As the students are attending a high-end school, these are the students that will get high-end positions in the future. If we can make a difference in the future leaders of Uganda, then that is where change will take place. I just have to keep remembering to give it my all.

Overall, the environment seems to be a bit different than last year. I think that the atmosphere of the World Cup changed quite a few things. We don’t have electricity very often for one thing. The water has also been off for days! I went from Friday until Tuesday without a shower (keep in mind I was playing in an orphanage and leading Zumba classes every day. Hello baby wipes!!! Tuesday night, after Momma T’s and another Zumba class, I finally gave in to a jerry can shower. It’s like Pabo all over again…Home sweet home.

Gulu Week 1

Week 1 in Gulu was our orientation week, which was still informative (although we had been through the orientation last year). We arrived at the house, which was not the same house as last year. It was a nice surprise though because we had room…A LOT more room. It was so nice to see old friends and make some new ones as well. I loved seeing Lorna, and she already came to BJz with us where we tore up that dance floor! I love that the roomies love dancing. I also started some Zumba classes, so the teachers are staying fit. We decided to make up a workout schedule so we can have some Zumba times. That means that I had to rush by the Coffee Hut and (slowly) download one song at a time.

The nerves started creeping up as we were getting ready to meet our teachers for dinner at the Acholi Inn. It was a bit like getting ready for a blind date…we didn’t know what to expect. Pablo and I waited for our teachers for a while (they were late because the track meets were going on). While we were waiting we saw not one, not two…but eight or nine Pabo teachers show up. It was one of the biggest and most spirited tables. It was so amazing to see those teachers again. It was a bit like seeing family again. I was so happy to see Alex and Big Joe and Otim and Christine. After we had many hugs they went to sit with the two teachers they are working with this year. My heart broke and I kept enviously staring at that table. It was awesome to see the energy and the number of teachers who showed up. Pabo has a strong representation in the Teacher Exchange program this year. It made me so proud. We also realized that they were three generations of American teachers who taught at Pabo. Justine and Lance taught the year before Pablo and I…Pablo and I taught there last year…and Nick and Sharoni would be teaching there this year. So many teachers and three generations. The teachers from Pabo also told me that my posters were still in the staffroom and my strategies were still being used. It reminded me again about how sustainable this program is and how changes can be made. I miss Pabo so much. I walked away with Catherine with tears for the past in my eyes and hope for the future in my heart.

Heart on the line

Once we finally reached Entebbe we met up with Joe and Pablo, which was a super-exciting reunion. People bought cell phones that would work in Africa and then we headed out to Babavuka. As always, the place was amazing. It takes kids and teenagers off the streets of Kampala and helps them discover/develop their skills and interests. The boys sang, did dancing, ballin, and guitar-playing for us. Then they gave us lunch. It was called a rolex which is chapatti and egg….finally I got to eat chapatti again!!! When everyone was shopping and talking I met up with the boy who played guitar and sang for us. When he was playing for the whole group he explained that he had not felt well and went to the doctor, where he discovered that he had heart issues. He has to pay 10,000 American dollars or he will die. He does not have that much money or any means of getting it, so he is trying to sell cds to raise the money…literally so he can live. So I met up with this boy called Moses and we played the guitar and shared different songs that we knew. He learned some Justin Beiber and Jason Derulo. He wanted to give me one of his cds for nothing…I gave him as much money that he would accept (10,000 shillings which is equivalent to about 5 American dollars). As we were leaving, he handed me a bracelet that he wanted me to have so that I could remember him. The group climbed back into the coaster and we started to drive home (a house we had not seen yet). The ride was great! Even though people were jetlagged and some would fall asleep once and a while, everyone got along…there were many sing-alongs. There are two girls on this trip who have never been out of the country, but they are so strong and have such good-spirits, that I am not worried at all. The group dynamic between these 15 people is incredible. I am so happy at the relationships that have already formed between everybody….which was a relief because I was worried about how the group would get along. We arrived at the house (there are literally TWO houses and three bathrooms/showers…what?!) There is much more space which was exciting, because I was hoping for last year’s house…not anymore! So the girls called dibs on their rooms…Lauren, Christina, Sharoni , and I grabbed a room. Apparently, we are the loud ones? That night we all sat in the common room eating and discussing our experience at Babavuka. Many people mentioned that it was hard to decide who to buy from because all of the boys needed money for something…but how do you say no to one who needs a heart surgery and cannot get it? It is such a wake-up call. Where we live, it is not a question of life or death. But here, stuff like that happens all the time. People die from something that can be so easily fixed. Now this issue had a name and a face…and that is Moses. Catherine said that she is going to start up a fundraising link so that we can raise money for our new friend’s heart. That is a mission that I think anyone can be a part of.

Worth the wait!

So after a year has flown by, it is already time to back to my second home in Gulu-town. For me, the only bummer was that there was no layover in London this year. We only had an hour or so to get on another plane in Heathrow, so there would be no opportunity to tour. I had to stay the night in New York because we had an 8:00 flight to Heathrow the next morning. Luckily, I met Lindsey (one of our awesome leaders) and we stayed at a hotel. I probably would have been lost without her! We dragged ourselves out of bed at 4:30 in the morning and headed back to the airport. As we walked up to greet Catherine and Nick, we were told that our flight was delayed. The reason that this was a problem was because our layover in Heathrow was only an hour and a half, which meant that we were going to miss our flight to Uganda. It all worked out though, because British Airways put us on a flight the next night and put us up in a hotel in London. So a few of us got up early and hit up the city. Before we took The Underground (mind the gap) we bought tickets that would allow admission to any of the historical places. We saw Big Ben first, then headed to Westminster Abbey (yes, where Wills and Kate were just married…SO EXCITING!!!). We got an audio tour of Westminster and learned a ton of awesome things. One of the ceilings is actually a world wonder, Chaucer and a ton of other amazing writers are buried there, and the body of the unknown warrior….it was incredible. We also hit up a couple of local pubs, and a “scary” tour of the catacombs of London, which taught us a lot about London Bridge. Then we went and toured the Globe Theater, which was so exciting for Lauren and me because we are such English nerds. We wrapped up our day in London by hitting up Buckingham Palace….You know, a typical Monday. ;O)