Protected: Tradition and Change
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Volunteering in Uganda was quite the educational experience, but it was not always easy. Early during our stay, I had a nasty foot injury that basically prevented me from doing any serious walks (not that I’m usually a big fan of exercise, as you might now) – and I was really bummed that it would…
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It was time for another class. I’d noticed, at the school competition, that the students loved the plays so much, they had a tendency to push over the barriers and crush the judges and photographers in their eagerness to get closer to the “stage.” So, as a review exercise, I divided the class into two…
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Now for the hard part. The sun was high in the sky and the temperature—already sweltering—was still rising, but it was the humidity that made it nearly unbearable. After trudging up and up for an hour or so we stopped for lunch. I was grateful for the rest, but unable to eat much. I sat…
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Joseph procured a permit for me for Wednesday, to enter the Impenetrable Forest from Rushaga to see the Nkuringo gorilla group. Unfortunately, Karel was having some foot trouble and wouldn’t be able to join me. Nick helped with the arrangements, including a packed lunch and a bota driver for the chilly (temps in the low…
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A taste of the coming wet season came through in the night, lighting up the ridges with lightning and briefly drenching the hillsides. It left behind a heavy mist. We were awakened by the cries of a dying dinosaur, its death throes echoing eerily off the steep walls of the valley. Actually, it turned out…
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Among our varied assignments as volunteers, Big Beyond asked me to help several local business efforts with developing a business plan, marketing, packaging, and so on. I had an MBA and some experience. I was happy to try. In the West, markets, supply chains, contract laws, and all the tools and infrastructure needed for business…
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I decided to start walking back to Ruguburi. One of the race monitors (her job was to check off the runners as they came by and point them down the correct route) and a couple of other young women decided to join me. I’m not sure, but I think this was in part to ensure…
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We roused ourselves early and headed down to the village while the morning mist was still floating through the valleys. The scouts arrived in their bus, in which we loaded cases of bottled water for transport to the big playing field, where the races would be staged. Yoly asked me to keep an eye on…
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It just so happened that our first weekend in Rubugiri coincided with Big Beyond’s major event of the year, the annual Mountain Gorilla Trail Run. This was the fourth(?) year of the event, and for the first time would feature a 21k race, in addition to the usual 5k, 10k, and a 1k for young…
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When we reviewed the footage we had captured of the MDD school competition, we realized that we had a priceless record of some of the traditional music and dance of this region of Uganda. I offered to make recordings of the next round; this would be a good volunteer project. Nick agreed whole-heartedly, but first…
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On my third day on the job, I was informed that I would be teaching a class later that day. Who am I teaching? Where? How long? On what topic? Go ask Sunday was the only answer. I knew Sunday was in charge of the garden, but he wasn’t to be found there until after…
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On our third day we were treated to a traditional lunch at a neighbor’s house. That was how we met, and fell in love with, Josephine. She proudly showed us her kitchen (with indoor and outdoor cooking fires), garden, and family, told stories, and sang songs. Her husband played a traditional stringed instrument and offered…
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During breakfast on the second day, Nick surprised us by encouraging us to attend the school competition that day. He already had arranged transport to the local school where the event was taking place – so it was really easy to say yes. We didn’t know at all what to expect, but one should simply…
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On our first morning in Rubuguri we were awakened by the sound of children at the nearby primary school, singing and drumming. After a delicious breakfast of fresh eggs, home-baked bread, and outrageously good coffee from one of Big Beyond’s local economic development projects, we had a mini-class in local customs and the work in…
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For our next adventure, we headed to a village in Uganda, Rubuguri, where we would volunteer with an organization called Big Beyond. Getting there from Madagascar, via Rwanda, took two days and involved two flights (the second of which we shared with the Uganda National Rugby Team, whose exuberant personalities took up even more space…
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