Another day in paradise...

Hello everyone,

So it is Monday here in Kyetume. I can hardly believe how fast time is flying by…
Saturday after teaching computer class to primary students, Maureen and I went to one of the villages to speak with the women about health issues. The women are wonderful and have been so welcoming. I can’t really describe how beautiful the village was (really all villages). It reminds me a bit of an old western movie with nobody in sight and dusty roads, with cows roaming and children walking in small groups through the tall grass.
I’ve uploaded some pictures of the village as well as some views of a rainstorm coming in over the hills.

When talking with Maureen about how the women’s movement is going here in Uganda, she stresses that for things to change, men are going to have to loosen their hold on the power cords and become involved with women’s rights. Furthermore, I’m struck by how rampant polygamy seems to be (even if it is not official, it traditionally still happens in rural areas quite often). Uganda, by tremendous numbers, has the highest growth rate in the world currently. Women here average between 10-15 children, a thought one from home can barely imagine. The population largely depends on agriculture and this year, with fewer rains falling during the wet season, the bean and maize crops are feeling the painful effects of climate change. Unfortunately the rural areas aren’t equipped with running water, and therefore lack the capacity to harness irrigation techniques that would alleviate these issues. Uganda’s infrastructure is barely growing to accommodate current needs, and with the population growing so rapidly the recipe will only lead to disaster.

How could I forget to mention that the adventures of Kim and Emma continued Saturday evening… as we were walking to the school in the late afternoon we suddenly heard a cow exhale deeply and start to charge us! We scattered to the left and right running from the cow; who would’ve known I would’ve participated in the running of the bull here in Uganda, not Spain! It certainly got our blood pumping…

Sunday we headed to Lake Nabugabo, just east of Masaka and just before Lake Victoria. It was about a 20-30 minute boda boda ride, and a gorgeous one at that. The views from Sandy beach were unlike any lake I’ve seen in the states… only Canada Lake in the Adirondacks could rival them. It was the first day I felt the equator’s heat burning down on us… There were donkeys roaming around as we ate lunch, one even threatened to eat one volunteer’s book… After lunch we walked along the shores trying to spot monkeys. While we didn’t spot monkeys, the walk was a beautifully relaxing one. The area around the lake was so lush, with plentiful flowers and so many birds.

Later, the three of us got on a boda boda, totaling four on one motorcycle. This turned out to be a disaster when we crashed on our way back to Nyendo. It wasn’t a bad crash but still, only in Africa . Just some more bruises to add to my ongoing collection.

That is all for now, back to work… but wanted to give everyone an update.

Much love,

Kim