HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST NIECE IN THE WORLD! I can't wait to nuzzle you in person, Emma Gray!!!
'Long time' as they say in Uganda. Or, 'I have been lost.'
The internet in Pajule has been terrible at best. I still plan to post pics from Ethiopia, etc. when internet improves... I'm also borrowing a computer that doesn't have enough memory to open much, so that makes things tough too. I'm buying someones computer in the next week or so, so my communication should be much improved then.
I spent my first week back at site manually drilling a borehole at our piggery site in Pajule. My muscles were sore and I was covered in cow poop every day. It's a glamorous life. Luckily, I was able to hire 6 locals to help with the manual labor. The well is almost done- we're just waiting on the fabricators in Gulu to finish making the hand pump so that the we can finish up and cement everything down. Power has been intermittent everywhere, and the welders rely on power for their machines, so.... it may be another week before it's done. It was a great learning experience and will hopefully fill a pretty serious need. Not only will our pigs be able to wallow and cool off in the dry season, but 14 households (about 100 people) will have a close and clean water source. And all for under $2,000 (machine drilled boreholes cost about $25,000).
PTU had a 'program' last Sunday to celebrate our 6th anniversary as an organization. The local schools performed traditional dances and speeches were made by local gov't officials, religious leaders and by other civil society organizations. I got to spend some time with some friends from Lira, Gulu, Patongo and Pader that I don't see too often and got some good quality time with baby Erin. She's already 2 months old!
The board decided to slaughter one of our pigs for the event (but were sure not to kill my favorite pig, Petunia- who really is like a pet) and I was on board with the idea. These pigs are bred for meat after all and our anniversary party is something to celebrate... and people aren't often treated to roasted pork. Anyway, I thought it would be ok until I saw it happening. I was surprised by my reaction (which included tears... super embarrassing), but I was also surprised by the brutality and unnecessary meanness of it all. Unfortunately, sharp knives don't exist in Uganda. Anyway, I couldn't eat it although it did smell good... and it put a cloud on the whole day for me. It's funny that chickens getting slaughtered don't bother me (although I still haven't killed one myself), but that pig was too much. I guess when you spend 2 years trying to keep something alive and healthy, it's pretty tough to see your 'work' being treated so terribly.
Anyway, I'm now in Gulu, where internet is a bit more reliable and there are restaurants with generators so that I can charge my computer. I've had a meeting with our PTU student's group from Gulu University, helped my friend Nancy at her children's library project by rearranging furniture, general cleaning (which included burning and giving away newspapers dating back to 1996!!! We also found a family of kittens, lots of rat poop and plenty of mold), and today I'm having lunch with my friend who is a former child soldier. I've connected him with a generous woman in the US who provides his school fees every semester so I just want to check in and see how he's doing while I'm in town. He's a pretty amazing guy and is about to finish up his junior year at school. He plans to be an engineer. He has a ridiculously inspiring story that deserves it's own blog post. I'm so proud of him and feel so lucky to have gotten to know him. There sure are some amazing people in Uganda!
Hope all is well stateside and wherever you may be... I'll try to get some pics up soon!
'Long time' as they say in Uganda. Or, 'I have been lost.'
The internet in Pajule has been terrible at best. I still plan to post pics from Ethiopia, etc. when internet improves... I'm also borrowing a computer that doesn't have enough memory to open much, so that makes things tough too. I'm buying someones computer in the next week or so, so my communication should be much improved then.
I spent my first week back at site manually drilling a borehole at our piggery site in Pajule. My muscles were sore and I was covered in cow poop every day. It's a glamorous life. Luckily, I was able to hire 6 locals to help with the manual labor. The well is almost done- we're just waiting on the fabricators in Gulu to finish making the hand pump so that the we can finish up and cement everything down. Power has been intermittent everywhere, and the welders rely on power for their machines, so.... it may be another week before it's done. It was a great learning experience and will hopefully fill a pretty serious need. Not only will our pigs be able to wallow and cool off in the dry season, but 14 households (about 100 people) will have a close and clean water source. And all for under $2,000 (machine drilled boreholes cost about $25,000).
PTU had a 'program' last Sunday to celebrate our 6th anniversary as an organization. The local schools performed traditional dances and speeches were made by local gov't officials, religious leaders and by other civil society organizations. I got to spend some time with some friends from Lira, Gulu, Patongo and Pader that I don't see too often and got some good quality time with baby Erin. She's already 2 months old!
The board decided to slaughter one of our pigs for the event (but were sure not to kill my favorite pig, Petunia- who really is like a pet) and I was on board with the idea. These pigs are bred for meat after all and our anniversary party is something to celebrate... and people aren't often treated to roasted pork. Anyway, I thought it would be ok until I saw it happening. I was surprised by my reaction (which included tears... super embarrassing), but I was also surprised by the brutality and unnecessary meanness of it all. Unfortunately, sharp knives don't exist in Uganda. Anyway, I couldn't eat it although it did smell good... and it put a cloud on the whole day for me. It's funny that chickens getting slaughtered don't bother me (although I still haven't killed one myself), but that pig was too much. I guess when you spend 2 years trying to keep something alive and healthy, it's pretty tough to see your 'work' being treated so terribly.
Anyway, I'm now in Gulu, where internet is a bit more reliable and there are restaurants with generators so that I can charge my computer. I've had a meeting with our PTU student's group from Gulu University, helped my friend Nancy at her children's library project by rearranging furniture, general cleaning (which included burning and giving away newspapers dating back to 1996!!! We also found a family of kittens, lots of rat poop and plenty of mold), and today I'm having lunch with my friend who is a former child soldier. I've connected him with a generous woman in the US who provides his school fees every semester so I just want to check in and see how he's doing while I'm in town. He's a pretty amazing guy and is about to finish up his junior year at school. He plans to be an engineer. He has a ridiculously inspiring story that deserves it's own blog post. I'm so proud of him and feel so lucky to have gotten to know him. There sure are some amazing people in Uganda!
Hope all is well stateside and wherever you may be... I'll try to get some pics up soon!
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