Freedom and Recreation in Northern Uganda

One thing that has really touched me in the short week that we have been in Uganda is the different passions that these people have for the environment and betterment of their country in the post-war atmosphere. The friends that we have made and the friends that have helped with GSSAP in the past, all have some passion in one way or another to help their country and their fellow Ugandans. Today we were able to meet Ivan and his animals on his farm where he teaches children from the community and a nearby school about agriculture and farming. The title of the farm, Freedom and Recreation, fits the atmosphere of the farm perfect.

Ivan loved telling us all about his farm and the great things he is doing for the community.

As we all freaked out about seeing the largest pig most of us had ever seen in our lives, I was amazed at what Ivan told me. I asked if they ate the meat from the pigs, or what they did with them once they were grown. He told me that they raise these animals, and then sell most of them when they are too large or full-grown to support children to get higher education.

Another thing that stood out to me was the special pipelines that were made from a hole in the ground full of cow dung to the kitchen on the farm. They set up this invention to use the dung as fuel for electricity. They also used solar power on the farm. A whole new standard for going green!

The determination, creativity, and intelligence of the people of Uganda that I have met so far is amazing. They have already made such an impact, and I know it is only the beginning for these brave people!

"You are welcome."

Yes, that is a picture of me playing with a baby elephant. Yes, it does have its trunk wrapped around my arm and yes, for elephants that is a way of showing appreciation and that they like someone. However, this blog post is not about me spending an hour petting, playing, and trying to avoid getting stepped on from a very loving and outgoing elephant. This blog post is instead about what Charles the elephant and the once in a lifetime opportunity that I was given to spend time with him represents. On my second day in Uganda, I decided to walk to the wildlife sanctuary so that I could shake off some jet lag that I was having. So I made my thirty minute hike to the sanctuary and soon arrived at something more than I had even imagined. I could get feet away from rhinos to lions (behind a cage) and I was able to see animals in a way that I had never been able to before. I was alone and soon a young man that was a guide came up to me and started asking me how I was. I soon learned a lot about him, his life, his likes/dislikes, and many other things. I told him about the animals that were my favorite and least favorite (snakes) and then I asked him if they had any elephants. He told me that they had a baby elephant and the trainer would soon be bringing him close by me to walk him around. Well, we began talking more and then he got very excited and told me the elephant was coming and I should follow him. Low and behold, here comes a man walking a baby elephant back to its cage. So I began talking to this man and I asked him if I would be able to touch him. Instead, he told me to come into the pen with them! So I scrambled into the cage as quick as I could without upsetting Charles and began to pet him. Here I was, halfway around the world, in a wildlife sanctuary, with a baby elephant with its trunk around me and a man I had just met. Now I soon learned that this type was not for money or for appreciation but rather this is the culture. Then, as I was leaving he told me “You are welcome”. “What? I’m welcome?”, was this some snide comment because I hadn’t said “Thank you” more than twenty times? Well, I thought about this the entire walk back to my hostel from the wildlife sanctuary. During my walk, I made a stop at a craft store to look at the various items they had. As soon as I entered, I was told “You are welcome”. Hmm, strange since the elephant trainer had told me the same thing. Then, I returned to my hostel and I was received by a very boisterous man who said to me, you guessed it, “You are welcome”. I started asking mzungus, white people, why everyone kept saying that to me. Their response was simple, in Uganda, this phrase is not a form of gratitude as it so often is portrayed in the United States, instead it is a way of giving. The people of Uganda want me to know that I was welcome to their land. For many people, giving comes as a second nature to breathing. And, as I enter their homes, their communities, and their country, not only do they want me to know that they are happy that I am there, but also that they were giving me their welcome. Just as Charles the elephant’s trainer wanted me to know that I was welcome with him in the pen of his baby elephant, the people of Uganda remind me daily that I am welcome in their beautiful country. 

The Gang’s All Here (Almost): GSSAP 2014!

While friends, family, and the UT Center for International Education naturally worried about media reports of a possible terrorist attack on Entebbe International Airport, and while my dear friend, esteemed colleague, and GSSAP co-leader Professor Rosalind Hackett contended with travel snafus and long delays, Team 2014 happily (and safely) assembled at Backpacker’s Inn to celebrate the start of our collective adventure. 

Neither jetlag nor heightened airport security could deter our high spirits as Ph.D. student and GSSAP 2011 alumna Julia Hanebrink snapped this inaugural image. Slathered with sunblock and mosquito repellent we eagerly awaited the arrival of our friend Lawerence “Kim” Kayima of Green Youth Conservation Uganda to take us on an epic tour of Entebbe’s beautiful botanic garden. Charged with the energy of new experiences we prepared to set off on a journey of discovery, not just of Uganda’s rich natural beauty but of its wealth of cultural and historical resources. Our beaming faces tell the story of adventures yet to come, of knowledge waiting to be gained, of new understandings germinating in a chrysalis of potential. 

For me, this first image summarizes the intensity of inchoate experience. In the weeks to come, we will discover together something vital in the human condition: the tragedy and resilience of a society recovering from war and displacement, the tenacity and courage inherent in northern Ugandans’ collective pursuit of peace and social justice, and our shared capacities and desires to connect across language, culture, and disparate yet deeply intertwined histories. 

This is the GSSAP experience - and we owe it entirely to our friends and family in Uganda who share their lives, their joys, and their struggles with us. And although we are just setting out, we can already say thank you, Uganda; thank you, Gulu. . . Thank you for giving us the opportunity to glimpse the world through your eyes. You are beautiful. You are strong. You are exactly where we want to be. May we contribute something small to your unfolding story as you contribute  so much to ours.  Apwoyo Matek!

It's not Good-bye, but Come Again

Over the past weeks we have made friends that have invited us to their houses, eating their foods, hearing their stories, and most importantly, we have become a part of their lives. It is that bonding that we have created that leaves no space for noticing time.  

These five weeks have given us an experience of a lifetime. These are the moments that will be most highlighted and remarkable in our college experience. We are wondering how life will be like as we return to the States and continue our regular college classes. Our perspectives have changed, our eyes have been opened. With this experience, our canvases of life have been redefined. We have added deep profound colors and unique strokes of experience. Gulu has been forever etched in the hearts and lives of ourselves and those we have met.

Below are words of farewell from some of the members of GSSAP 2013.

Kelsey Landis – “Gulu was fantastic and the community is so open and welcoming. They treated us like we were at home. I hope that everyone stays positive and wonderful. Much love to you. Apoyo.”

Kelsey Baker – “Good-bye, Gulu town. Thank you for making me feel like I was at home. And thank you for allowing me to learn so much about myself and all of you.”

Hannah Johnson – “My time in Gulu was unforgettable. I’m so grateful for all the many friendships I have built. Maybe one day I will be able to come back and reunite with my new friends.”

Anna-Claire Daniels – “I have found my second home. It is hard to leave- the miles are so many. But I know I will be back again one day. And until then, my heart is always with these wonderful people in Gulu.”

Michaela Moore – “I have had a wonderful experience and time here in Gulu. There is no such thing as good-byes. See you later.”

Hajie Sesay – “It’s been a great experience. And great experiences need to be revisited. So I will be back sometime in the future.”

Co-Authored by Stephanie Ader and Hajie Sesay

My African Family

      There are so many memories that I will keep close to my heart from our trip.  One of the most memorable is working with and getting to know the social welfare officer from the Gulu Main Prison, Jolly, and her family.  I interned at PACTA, which is an alcohol awareness organization, and they provided an alcohol treatment program in the prison.  As a social work major myself, there are not words to describe how meaningful it was to me to get to interact with a social worker in Uganda.  I think we bonded right away due to the fact that she is and I will be a social worker. I found out through our conversations that she had not been paid her salary in two months from the government because they ‘did not have enough funds’ to pay her.  This put huge monetary stress on her.  She not only has a son of her own, but has adopted two girls that were orphaned during the war.  I would have never have known this by her actions.  She went to work everyday, worked through lunch, and ran errands for her clients after hours.    

Jolly has a huge passion for her job and takes it very seriously.  She also has a great love for people, especially her clients.  She took me under her wing and treated me like family.  Stephanie and I were invited to her house for dinner one afternoon.  We traveled with her after work to the market to buy dinner.  Buying dinner included purchasing the chicken we were going to cook!  She and her son, Timothy, guided us through the process of slaughtering, plucking, and cooking the chicken.  Timothy, who is three, actually did the killing.  I “chickened out” at the last moment!  We also prepared vegetables, rice, and other Ugandan dishes.  The entire process took about five hours and tasted delicious.  I ate two plates, which was the most I had eaten at one sitting since I had arrived in Africa.  

  Not only did I gain knowledge from her, but was shown how a friendship can be formed in a short amount of time, and can last a lifetime.  Jolly and Timothy attended the farewell party Thursday night and she showed me how to do some Ugandan dancing!  Timothy fell asleep early, so Stephanie and I took turns holding him.  Jolly later told me how grateful she was for an invitation to the event and how much fun she had.  It was a chance for her to relax and have fun.  I will always cherish our memories and one day will return to Gulu!

It's So Hard to Say GoodBye

From being nervous walking into our internships for the first time to crying the last day, it is so hard to say goodbye. Our going away party last night was such a bitter-sweet moment. Being able to see, eat, and party with the individuals we grew a very sturdy friendship with, under our internships, for the last night was a countless way to end our stay. Each and every one of us got to meet all of the internship directors and mentors. I could not believe the amount of people that showed up, it was the biggest parties that the study abroad has ever had. We all were dressed in our traditional attire and were very excited! Eating goat, dancing to a live performance from Jeff Korondo and B.S.G. Lobongo (two very known artist in northern Uganda), sharing smiles, laughs, and tears with each other really brought joy and happiness to each and every one that attended the party. I can truly say Monica, Brenda and all the young girls I met from Girls Kick It, Samuel and all the children from the St. Jude orphanage, the Kakanyero hotel staff, the few that I met from the prison, and the musicians and dance artists that I got to talk and interview with will most defiantly be missed. I have been with them throughout the entire study and service abroad program and it was truly hard to say good-bye. But as the Acholi say, “it’s not a good-bye, it’s a come again” and I most definitely will be coming back. 

A Visit to Steward's Village in Pabo

On Saturday, August 27, a few members of our team traveled to Pabo subdistrict in Amuru district. Pabo was the largest Internally Displaced Persons' (IDP) camps during the war, but is now dismantled. We went to Pabo to visit Steward Oyet and his family who recently moved back to this land that is owned by his great-aunt. Steward is a former employee of Kakanyero Hotel and friend to Dr. Rox and Dr. Trish. 

This is one of four huts in Steward's family's compound. Some of his family is standing in front.

Steward's mom made us fresh g-nut paste on a grinding stone. 

Some of his siblings giving the g-nut paste a taste test. 

Now it's our turn to give it a try, along with some sweet potatoes for dipping.

It was delicious!

Steward's family also taught us traditional dance. 

Dr. Rox brought some sweets to share with the kids. 

They loved it!

This is some of the supplies we brought as a gift to the family as a thank you for letting us visit. The supplies included sugar, salt, steel wool, soap, and more. 

They were so grateful for everything we brought.

After our gifts were given, they presented us with this goat as an appreciation for our visit. He will be part of our dinner tomorrow night at our farewell party.

Then it was time to eat again. They prepared us this feast of sweet potatoes, chicken stew, greens, g-nut paste, and millet bread. They were so kind to give us so much.

Our wonderful, fearless leaders: Dr. Rox and Jayanni.

This is the whole family with our team. It was such a great opportunity to be able to go to this village and meet Steward's wonderful family. This is a memory that I will always have!