To be a sick muzungu in Uganda

These two months in Uganda has given me a lot of new experiences, both good and bad. In Kisoro I experienced to fell sick and go to the hospital for my first time. I am lucky since I am a muzungu (white person) and a muzungu does not have to stand in a queue to see the doctor.

 So after being driven the few minutes to the hospital I could just walk strait in to see the nurse, even if the waiting room was full of people who needed medical help. It was Sunday, the doctor was not at work, but since a muzungu was sick, he came to check on me. The doctor said I had a starting pneumonia, so I got some antibiotic and hoped to be better soon.

Since I did not feel well I traveled back to Kampala two days before we had planed. In Kampala I was taken to a clinic called the Surgery. When I came in to the clinic there was almost only muzungus in there, because this was the best clinic in Kampala. There were actually white doctors there as well. After two visits and some tests they finally found out that it was not pneumonia I had, but a parasite called amoeba. So they gave me a lot of drugs and hopefully it will make me healthy again. 

Even if I am very grateful that I did not have to wait for a long time to see a doctor and have the best doctors to check on, it feels so wrong.  There is too many people getting different serious diseases here in Uganda, so they should use the small recourses they have to prioritize their own citizen. It just felt so wrong, because I know that if an African got sick in Norway, he had to go in the back of the queue and wait. Because Norway with all it recourses, prioritize its own citizens. To see a doctor at the Surgery is expensive in Uganda, but since I am a muzungu I don’t have to think about the money, because I have incurrence that will pay my medical bills. This experience just show how unfair the world is and why we have to do something about it…..

The countryside of Uganda

Last week we traveled to Kisoro and Kabale to attend the closer of the football/ volleyball league, have a workshop about teambuilding and CHRISC school program. I had been looking forward to this trip for a long time, both to see more of the work that CHRISC does and to see Marte and Oda again.

The bus trip from Kampala to Kisoro was supposed to take 10 hours.  After 13 hours in the bus we finally reached Kisoro 8 am, tired after a sleepless night.  Our program in Kisoro did not start until Saturday, so we had a quiet day with some sleep and walking around town. Kisoro lies in the west of Uganda and has a beautiful nature. In the evening we had a small walk up to one of the many hills and the view was some of the most beautiful I have seen.

 On Saturday we attended the closer of the CHRISC league in Kisoro. After seen the youths playing and having fun, I can see more and more that CHRISC offers these youths some much more the just an opportunity to do sport. The sport is just a tool to gather the youths and give them an opportunity to improve their skills in sport, leadership and give them a foundation of good values to build their life on.

Because I fell sick I could not attend the workshop on Monday and Tuesday, but the Peter, Justus and Serina had a very good workshop with 15 engaged youths from Kisosro district. The theme for the workshop was teambuilding and CHRISC school program (life skills). With a mix between presentation and games the two days were successful.  

On Wednesday we left for Kabale and new adventures. My adventure in Kabale did not last for more then two days. But it was very fun to meet the girls again and to see some of the town. Before I go back to Norway I have to go back to Kabale to experience the nature around.

If you want to know what I was suppose to do in Kisoro and Kabale, take a look at Serinas blog, www.serinaiuganda.blogspot.com

Afrika – en vakker dag

Den siste månaden har eg lest Afrika, en vakker dag av Tomm Kristiansen. Det er ein utruleg fascinerande og spennande bok, som gir deg eit annerledes bilde av Afrika. Boka tar blant anna føre seg folkemordet i Rwanda og situasjonen etter 1994 i Rwanda og nabolanda. Det var utruleg sterkt og lese korleis naboar og venner kunne drepe kvarandre fordi dei var av feil folkegruppe. Sjølv om dette er ein grusom handling, skildra forfattaren konflikten med ein verdigheit som er imponerande og gir rom for ettertanke. Han gir verkleg lesaren eit innblikk i kva som skjedde dei 100 dagane i 1994, kor venner og familie drap kvarandre med machetar og Lake Victoria var full av lik.

Men dette er ikkje min kvardag i Afrika. Dette var noko som skjedde for over 10 år sidan i eit anna land. Men plutseleg på vei heim frå jobb møter eg ein kar som spør om eg snakkar engelsk eller fransk. Han viser meg id kortet sitt som seier at han er flyktning frå Rwanda som bur på eit flyktning prosjekt her i Kampala. Johnbosw er hutu og flykta til Uganda etter folkemordet. Faren hans sit i fengsel i Arusha og venter på rettssak etter folkemordet. Resten av hans familie flykta til Kongo, kor dei blei drepen av tutsiar som hemn etter folkemordet. Johnbosw kan ikkje reise tilbake til Rwanda, fordi då vil han bli arrestert, mistenkt for folkemord. Her står han, i enden av mi gata i trygge Kampala og spør etter litt pengar slik at han kan kjøpe seg eit teppe til å ha over seg når han søv.

Kva skal ein gjere når ein flyktning som du ikkje veit om har vore ein del av noko av det grusommste verda har sett, ber om pengar til å kjøpe eit teppe for å holde varmen om natta? Eg klarte ikkje gå i frå han. Sjølv om eit veit at eg ikkje burde gi han pengar, er det lettare sagt enn gjort. Så nå er det store spørsmålet, gjekk dei shillingane til stakkar flyktning utan familie eller ein folkemordar som drap landsmenn med machetar.

My friend Denis

Denis is one of the pupils from school. For 6 weeks Serina and I had his class in PE and lifeskills two times a week. When we had our last day at school last week, Denis came over to me and said: ” do not forget me Denis and may God bless you in the christmas holliday” It really touched my heart, and I am looking forward to go back to school in february!

Bilder frå Uganda

Mbale

After a month in Kampala, it was good to come out from the big town and all the noice. The trip started early friday morning and 6 o`clock am two muzongos and one kenyan was on the bus ready to go to Mbale. Even if the clock only was 6 in the morning, a man was very eager to sell toothpaste, moisture, some minte drops and a medicin that could cure all kinds of diseases. The funniest part was that people actually bought the tings that he was selling.  Since non of us had ever been to Mbale before, we did not know when we were suppose to arrive or where to go of, and when we finaly went of the bus we did not have any clue of were in Mbale we were.  But after some time we finaly meet Silje and Marthe.

Fist they showed us CRO were they are working, and presented us for the staff and the kids. Around midday we went to the field to play some football with the kids. After lunch we stayed at CRO and played with the kids before we left and went to Marthe and Siljes place. Back at their place we ate chiapati pizza and firekløver (siste norske sjokoladen me hadde med oss når me reiste). We had a good time and talked about what had happend the last month.

On saturday we sleept for a long and had a good breakfast before we went to town. In town we went to the marked and me and Serina bought some traditinal african cloths, before we ate indian food for lunch. On our way back to their place we meet some of the players at CROs football team, incredible cool people. After joining them to watch the football match we went back to Marthe and Siljes place to eat brownis and chat.

Sunday morning we were up early to attend church. So in african time, 15 minutts late four muzongos came to the church in their beautifull african cloths. The church were celebrating the women in the congregation, so that was the reason why we had traditional cloths on. After church we had agreed to take to bus back to Kampala with Mike. So me and Serina went to meet him at the busspot. The only problem was that the next bus was not leaving before 2 hours later. So after some help from our friend Tomm, the two muzongos and the kenyan was travaling together with on ugandan in a privat car with a friend of a friend of our friend Tomm. We arrived Kampala safely and ready for a new week at the shool;)

Høsttur i gatene i Kampala

Back home in Norway I really enjoy to hike in our beautifull nature. I love the quiet and clam atmoshpere, and it gives me time to just let my minds flow and think about big and small thoughts. At home I use to bring my dog Prins as company and then we have our usual round that we walk. Here in Uganda I have missed my eveningswalks, so yeasterday I found out that I needed to just take a walk for my self to try to process all the experiences that I have had for the last mounth.

So I found my ipod and turned my music and started to walk. I must look very strange for the local people to see a muzongo (kviting) who is waking very fast with music in her ears. At my eveningstrips in Norway i often do not meet people at all. But here in Kampala there is people everywhere. There is kids who is screaming: hei/bye muzongo, and people are greating and asking how I am doing. Even if it is not what I am used back home in Norway, I liked my trip last night. It was nice to just walk in muzongo speed and let my thoughts buzz around in my head.

Kaia does things she do not know, part 1

After 3 weeks in Africa I have done a lot of things that I do not know how to do. And I have made a motto for this year. This is going to be the year I am going to take the challenge to do things that I do not know with a smile.

At the school we have started a CHRISC league in football. So each afternoon from 3.30 to around 5 we are at Mulago field to have to matches very day. Since it is only Serina, Rogers, Robert and I who are responsible for this league, there is a lot to do. So one time I was the coach for two teams at the same time, while I to day was a referee for my first time. It was funny but strange experience. Some times it was very confusing, because both the teams was communicating in luganda, so I did not know what they said and if they were happy with my referee or something else. But I had fun and I hope that this was not the last time I am a football referee or a coach for two teams at the same time. Even if it can be very frustration that thing are not that organized as I am used to in Norway, I think it is very charming and I am looking forward to spend some more afternoon at Mulago field together with the kids and Rogers and Robert!

Utfordringer i Afrika

Det å leve i ein anna kultur har allereie gitt oss nokon utfordringer. På skulen som me arbeider har me 3-5 kl i gym og lifeskils. Denne veka tenkte me at me ville fokusera på koordinasjon og fair play i gym timane. Så me kjørte i gang med kortstokk staffet og tenkte at dette skulle går bra. Men det viste seg at ikkje alle afrikanske unger er klar for at når me har staffet, så er det bare ein og ein om gongen som skal springe. Så midt i staffeten starter plutseleg alle å springe for å snu kort. Når alle først har starta med å springe fungerer det ikkje å få dei til å følgje reglane igjen.

Nå har me hatt det same opplegget i 4 ulike klasser og nesten alle klassane har midt i leiken starta å springe fleire for å hente kort. Det er eigentleg ganske frustrerande å være lærar når ungane ikkje følgjer enkle reglar og gjer slik me seier. Men me har vell eigentleg funnet ut at når ting ikkje går som me har planlagt er det bare å gjere det beste ut av det. Så derfor har me funnet ut at me kan bruke kortstokk staffeten til å vise ungane at det er kjekkere å ha leikar når dei følgjer reglane!

Sånn ellers står det veldig bra til her i Uganda! Det er veldig herlig å kjenne at me høyre heime her og at me ikkje skal være på ferie i 7 månder!

So what am I doing her in Uganda?

Now it has almost gone 2 weeks since we left Norway, and we are starting to get used to the daily life her in Kampala. The life heir in Uganda is very different from home. We are working from 8.30 to around 5 pm. We are working from Monday to Thursday, and Friday is our study day. Before lunch we have PE and lifeskills classes at St Martin`s primary school. The children are very sweet, eager to learn and full of energy! But it is a challange to be a teacher for 40-50 children and to speak english with them.

The afternoons we spent at the offices with our supervisor Peter and Justus. We use the time at the offices to plan tomorrow’s classes, some paperwork, checking mails and what ever the “big boss” Peter wants us to do. I dont think that we have left the office without laughing on day, so they are taking really good care of us!