Jinja!

This week I got to spend time in Jinja working with UAPO (The Ugandan American Partnership Organization) at their main office.

I help out UAPO in Pajule, working with a women's group about 12 km from the town center. They weave grass mats that are later turned into handbags and sold internationally. The women in Jinja make paper beads necklaces and I got to take part in the monthly bead collection and paper sale. It was a lot of fun to meet the ladies and to see a different aspect of UAPO. Being in Jinja, the source of the Nile and a beautiful touristy town, wasn't so bad either. 

http://akolaproject.org/

Congrats to my BESTIE!

Janet is engaged!!! I couldn't be happier for her and her fiance, Jason. Can't wait to celebrate with the happy couple. Love you guys!

Baby Erin

My counterpart's wife, Janet, had her baby! And it's a girl! She was born last night and mother and baby are back at home today after less than 24 hours at the health center. When I asked her how long she was in labor, she replied '20 minutes.' Unfortunately, I wasn't around for the birth, since I'm still in Jinja doing some work with UAPO. Denis, her husband, also isn't at home because he's sitting for exams in Kitgum. Luckily Janet has her mother and other friends around and  I plan to be back in Pajule at the end of the week to see the new addition to her family.

When Janet called me to tell me the news, she told me that 'baby Erin has arrived!' I asked her if she was really going to name her Erin, and she said yes. I wonder what Denis has to say about it. No one in the village can pronounce the name... it's always Helen or Ellen or Irene or Erinie. It would be an honor to have a namesake, but I'd feel a little sorry for the kid. Regardless, it's a blessing to have a healthy addition to the Pajule family!

Janet at 9 months

Lake Bunyonyi

After camp, since we were down south anyway, we decided to go few more hours toward the Rwandan border to Lake Bunyonyi for some R&R. The lake is beautiful- it may be my new favorite place in Uganda. SO PRETTY!

Lake Bunyonyi
Max. length	25 km
Max. width	7 km
Max. depth	44 - 900 m
Surface elevation	1,962 m

Matt, Griffin, Robyn and me

 

Camp GLOW and BUILD

I know that I've been slacking on posts lately. I shattered my computer screen and have been traveling for the last two weeks or so. After coming back from Prague (I still need to post pics of that awesome vacay!), I was at site for a few days before heading back to Kampala and then all the way to Bushenyi in the South West for a youth empowerment camp. Now that my computer's fixed, on to the pictures!

Both Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) and Camp BUILD (Boys In Uganda in Leadership and Development) focus on leadership, development, and empowerment activities including health education, life skills, career goals, gender equality, sports, creative arts, and Ugandan men and women in leadership roles (business, government, etc). The activities help the youth gain skills to lead a happy, healthy and successful life. 150 campers attended from the South/Central and Southwestern regions of Uganda. The campers were between the ages of 11 and 18 and are either in primary school, secondary school or in other out-of-school programs. Peace Corps Volunteers ran the camp along with Ugandan male and female community members, who acted as both counselors and camp staff during the week-long event.

The also camp included campers,counselors and staff from a youth empowerment dance program called BPU (Breakdance Project Uganda). BPU encourages students and non-students to live healthy lifestyles and creates a positive community-driven environment for kids to get together and express themselves through dance. Many of the members are orphans who grew up in the slums and are now traveling the country to perform and teach about youth empowerment, promote leadership skills and social responsibility. BPU members were really encouraging of the other campers, and taught us all had to dance too.

For more about this great organization:
 https://www.facebook.com/breakdanceprojectuganda, or www.bouncingcats.com

One of the BPU dancers

TASO conducted HIV testing and counseling for everyone willing to participate 

Cooking for the masses

The school's tea field

A game called air, water, flour

The whole group

Home, Sweet Home

Sorry for the prolonged silence. It's been a crazy last few weeks, but I'm back in Uganda safe and sound after a fantastic vacation in Prague (pics to come as soon as I get free internet). Until then, here's a pic of the sun setting over the Baha'i temple in Kampala.

I'm back home in Pajule now, but only for a few days. On Friday I'll head back down to Kampala and then even further south to Bushenyi district to participate in Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World). More updates from the road!