Social work @ Kittengessa Secondery School

My practicum at Kittengesa Secondary School has been really amazing and rewarding. We are working with a group of 12 youth to do social work projects in the community. They are working with a disability group in the village to teach english, business, games & educating them on several relevant social issues that the people of uganda face. They have been working with families in need in the villages with various projects such as farming.Today was quite an eventful social work day we did some home visits and some outreach work. WE embarked on some sustainable farming projects in two homes where both caregivers could not afford to feed their families, so we supplied them with seeds & supplies.As well we took a very sick relative to the hospital. She had a broken back and in the advanced stages of HIV. She was in so much pain and could not afford medical treatment for three months. We avocated for her with her docotor and arranged for transport with her to the hospital. The hospital was a whole nother experience so many people in tough situations and not enough doctors & nurses. The social worker & I launched into more work while at the hospital such as carrying patients into the emergency room doors and fixing iv drips. After the events I experienced today as much as I was exhausted & overwlemed I had this sense of amazement & hope watching these social work students give back to their community & the gratitude of the people recieving the support was so deep. Our next project will be this thursday the big trip to town for the youth to connect with the services & gain more support. Also they will be teaching valuable lessons on drug abuse, hiv/aids, health/nutrtion, & education. Stay tuned.Michelle

feel the energy and the movement!

happiness

Last Sunday, the Introduction was another interesting cultural experience. There were over 200 people there for the celebration, many of which walked miles in their shiny outfits (the gomez) to be a part of it. It was my first Ugandan-Muslim Introduction so I do not have anything to compare it to, but from what the locals were saying, it was quite extravagant. There were live performances, a drama put on by the bride and groom's families, and a procession of gifts that was over one hundred people long--complete with a truck full of cows, goats and chickens that were a gift from the grooms family to the bride. Wearing a gomez was fun... but terribly uncomfortable. It is all about the hips and butt in Uganda** so underneath the gomez I had to wear a skirt, a thin blanket folded over twice and then the dress on top of it--in order to create the illusion that I was curvy. I thought I was going to feel ridiculous but I am so glad that I wore it otherwise I would have been the only woman out of hundreds that was not dressed appropriately for the occasion. There was a lot of laughing and finger pointing when I entered the wedding accompanied by two other Muzungus in traditional garb, but many people told me that I "looked smart" and they thanked us Muzungus for putting in the effort.
**For those women out there who are unhappy with their curvy figures, come to Uganda--your beautiful body will be loved and appreciated!

My week began with an exciting celebration on Nurse's Day up at the new hotel in Masaka. The Schizophrenia Fellowship choir/performance group had been practicing all week to be the opening performers in front of nurses and health workers from all across Uganda. They had organized costumes, choreographed dancing and rented drums. As I have mentioned before, the choir is made up of people that are dealing with mental illness, caretakers, family members and friends of those with an illness. The amount of support is incredible. The performance began and it blew everyone away from start to finish. The energy coming from the group was like nothing I have ever seen before. They really put their all into the performance. They had the audience up and dancing and people were throwing money at them! When they finished every member was grinning from ear to ear and hugging each other--their sense of pride was infectious.

Over the past weekend we took a trip to Lake Bunyoni and Queen Elizabeth Park. It was a great wellness weekend complete with a sunset canoe ride and a day lying around a pool, sunbathing and swimming. We went on two safaris where we got to see a lioness and her three sweet little cubs! When we arrived home from our first safari on Friday night we drove up to our hostel and were face to face with a male lion!!!! He was just sauntering around the hostel checking things out.... Once he was gone and we got settled in bed we could hear him roaring and making loud snorting noises all night. It sure had our adrenaline pumping!

It is hard to believe that we have been here for a month already. I feel settled and happy with my life here. I also feel very comfortable at the Schizophrenia Fellowship so walking up to the hospital each morning to start my day of work isn’t so anxiety provoking anymore. I have developed relationships with many of the patients so it is nice to be greeted and welcomed by familiar faces each morning. I have also been practicing my Luganda--a Muzungu speaking Luganda is quite funny to the locals and it works as a great ice breaker when greeting patients. There is nothing easy about living here, but life in Uganda is not easy for many people so I do not expect it to be any different for me. -K

gotta love ugandan children

the children of uganda are inspiring. they are independant, strong, agile little people who care for themselves and others like no other children i have ever met before. it's as if there is an upspoken social code that teaches these children to care for anyone smaller than themselves. for these reasons, working at the daycare has become one of the highlights of each week. i look forward to the days i get to spend playing with, teaching, and learning from the children at the center.

i'm currently spending mondays, tuesdays and fridays at the daycare center. we have structured activities in the morning (i.e. crafts, storytime, writing and mathematics), offer a limited but adequate lunch (i.e. african tea, buns and fruit), and have general play each afternoon. the facility consists of a tent (approximately 20x15ft.) with 2 benches and a large grassy area equipped with 4 swings, a merry-go-round, a teater-totter, and 2 slides. materials and supplies are also limited but adequate since 95% of the time the children graciously share everything amongst themselves.

since i began my work at the center i have had some opportunities to chat with parents, guardians and older siblings of children who use the service. everyone expresses their great appreciation for the daycare and their gratitude for my contribution to the service. at times i do not feel as though i have a wealth of knowledge or experience to bring to the daycare since i am not trained in early childhood education or other related services. however i do have love and compassion that i bring with me each day, and i am beginning to understand that this is enough.

each day as i walk onto the hospital grounds i here the children calling my name from the center which is located at the top of a hill. they wave with excitement as i make my way up to them and run for me once i reach their location. they love to hold my hands, stand near me, feel my skin as different from theirs, and investigate everything about me. i do anything from pushing them on the swings, teaching them games, to comforting them when they are upset. it truly amazing to witness the lives of these children. they have so many challenges to face in life yet they are so happy and thankful for the lives they have been given. i only hope to grow to love life as much as they do, and to always remember their beautiful smiling faces.

thanks for listening. till next time...

-rachel-

week 2

Well week two @ CRO was incredible. I went on their camp to Kalangala island with 105 street children which was definitely one of the most challenging & rewarding things I have ever done. The opportunity to connect with these children on the camp was so great. I believe by going on the camp I have connections that I would not have otherwise. The journey was quite remarkable as all the children were loaded in a local transport truck to endure quite the long haul. At first I was concerned about their safety & then it occurred to me the reality the face every day is much more dangerous. They were so excited to be going on the camp & they had the chance to be children again. We arrived to the camp i.e. Ssese farm school to face some adversity as it was quite late & there was no water on site. The team was incredible & the older children pitched in to help feed the masses. The first night was a difficult one & there was a savage fight between two boys. The nurse operated on the one boy who took a club to the head for many hours & she was able to stop the bleeding. Again I was amazed at the resourcefulness & skill of the workers. On the camp the children were able to sing, dance, play football & not have to worry about food, shelter or the harsh conditions of the street. Even the group of children that take drugs had a few days clean. I really made an effort to connect with these children as they are difficult to reach & as it is my speciality in Canada I thought I would give it a try. The language barrier is great as most of these children cannot speak any English as they have not been in school, so good thing I can connect in creative ways. I found the boys playing poker in the jungle so I pulled out a deck of cards & started to play cards with them a bit risky yet successful. While we were there one of the boys spotted a monkey which was a great chance for a photo shot so I showed a few of them how to use the camera. The oldest really enjoyed it & asked to use it on other occasions. I knew I could trust him, yet it was still a risk as if we were back in Masaka he could fetch a fair price for my camera. (I did have a moment of clarity & was glad the boy had not used drugs that day or he might have acted differently.) We went to the beach one day which was so amazing to see the children filled with excitement & happiness. They played on the playground, in the sand, swam & went for a canoe ride. Beach day was definitely the highlight of the trip. The next day there was a football game between the CRO team and the local village team (which was hardly fair as they were men & CRO were boys) Despite the challenges i.e. no shoes & facing the giants, they played quite well. Each group performed a presentation on the finally night which was so incredible. They sang, acted, and performed so well. Some children wrote songs & poems & despite not understanding the language as it was all in Luganda I really appreciated the chance to be there & felt honoured & inspired by their lives. I contributed with my group & did some very bad dance moves which everyone loved & laughed needless to say I heard a lot of dance Mazongoo dance after that. The last day was a relief for some children & a sad time for others to be going back to the streets. One boy ran away after getting of the ferry. I ran after him & thought to myself what I can do I don’t speak Luganda & he does not speak English. However after calling his name several times & luring back with candy & a hug he got back on the bus. We arrived home safe & exhausted, yet the camp was totally worth every minute & hopefully lives were changed & the children have hope for their future & if not then even a small break from their painful harsh lives was worth the effort. Yet I can’t help feeling overwhelmed & sadden by the harshness of the lives these children have had to face. They have definitely taught me even in the toughest of places there is still hope. I am looking forward to building the connections I have made on this camp & hope that I can make some difference even it is only a drop in the bucket as with every drop there is a ripple effect. Stay tuned...

Michelle

week 1

Today was such an amazing yet challenging day at Child Restoration Outreach. There were children as young as five who are living on the streets. The social worker took me into the slums to look for some of the missing children from the center which was an eye opening experience. The level of poverty and desperation is like none I have ever seen and yet the people have this incredible resiliency and heart that most of us could learn from. Regardless of the language barriers there is still the unspoken language of the heart which was how I got through most of the day. It is so easy to connect with most of these children because they are craving attention so desperately. One boy told me I had a face like a mother which spoke volumes to me that what they are looking for is someone to care for them. The journey thus far has had some challenges, i.e. lost luggage, jet leg, lack of sleep ... yet being at CRO today made up for all of that and then some. I am excited for the opportunities to come and will keep you updated as much as I can.

Michelle

experiencing uganda

hmm where to start... i guess i should let you know that my health has stabilized. ugandan food is no longer upsetting me as it once was and actually i'm beginning to grow quite fond of it. who knew fried flat bread (chapatti) and bioled beans would become a staple part of my diet, and that i would actually like it?

anyways... since i first blogged i have experienced many exciting, challenging, and simply interesting things. for example:

1) i had to visit a local clinic which was quite a cultural learning experience. coming from canada it is hard to adjust to ugandan life and my clinic encounter definitly challenged my ability to do so. there are no formal line ups so patients are expected to maintain order amongst themselves as they wait to see the doctor. as well, there are numerous different waiting areas which patients are directed to for various clinical services. i personally felt lost within the entire system but ugandan people seem to understand how to navigate these situations quite well. what seemed chaotic to me appeared to make perfect sense to individuals who live here. i'm sure i will become more comfortable with this system as time goes on.

2) i've developed a great appreciation for automatic washers and dryers. it is a daunting task washing clothes by hand but it is and important aspect of my cultural experience while here in uganda. i've only taken on the washing challenge twice since i arrived, as it can be quite painful since my knuckles get small cuts from scrubbing the red dirt out of my clothes. i have learned very quickly that wearing outfits 2-3 times before washing them is very reasonable considering the cleaning process that follows deeming an article "dirty". canadian and ugandan standards for cleanliness are quite different. i wish i could find the words to explain my thoughts better but i'm afraid i cannot. all i can say it that by ugandan standards my dirty shoes or shirt is acceptable or even above average compared to what is considering normal here in uganda.

3) lacey and i were followed home by young child yesterday. we took a moment to wait and let them catch up to us after approximately 15 minutes of being stalked. they had a well prepared message about needing money to continue their studies as they have no family and live on the streets. it was difficult to listen to this young child (12yrs old?) explain their situation but i did not feel compelled to start dishing out cash. lacey was carrying a gift of corn so she shared one cob with the child and explained that this is what she had to offer. i agree with her choice to give in this way because i know how the corn will be used. i do not believe that handing money to children on the street is an answer to their problem though it may help them in the short term (i.e. buy them something to eat). i feel as if giving money will only perpetuate a cycle of dependance and teach this young child that hands out are the answer to all of life's problems which i don't believe to be true. the child continued to follow us but i feel as ease with the way the situation ended.

so much for shortening the length this time. i guess i had a lot to say. thanks for tuning in.

-rachel-