Teachers

I am teaching some of the sisters to use their computers during this holiday. As we spent a few hours hours in a hot computer room the other day—yes there are no seasons in Uganda—I felt that I wasted two hours of my life. I could have been reading or researching or making money or taking time with friends or exercising. I could be in medical school if I really wanted to be. Then I thought about the sisters I’m teaching. They are teachers, they spend their whole lives teaching. Taking information and giving it to others—that is selfless. What about mothers? They spend endless hours prattling with their one year olds, carrying them on their backs, waking up nights, cleaning endless baby clothes (think about it—cultural taboos against nakedness+ cultural taboos against diapers+ no running water or power+ washing machine—what is that??= suffering). What would happen, however, if I only pursued things that added to me? I would do nothing, become nothing. For a person to reach anywhere, he or she must live a life of giving. When athletes reach the Olympics, they benefit their home countries and their fans. When a doctor becomes good, he is helping others. “It is in giving that we receive, it is in dying that we are born again to everlasting life.” St. Francis. When I teach others, I give myself and I live on in those students. This is why I meet so many Ugandans in their 40’s and 50’s who tell me “Yes… Peace Corps… I had a teacher from Peace Corps, his/her name was ….. and I loved him/ her so much… I really like Americans….. now I am a successful….” It is, after all, the seeds planted, not the big cement houses, not the “life changing” devices, and not the money we give, that grow into trees

Dandelion Love

Many times, when I think about all of the girls in the schools around me, all of the people in the parish, and all of the people that greet me in town, I feel as though my heart is too small to love every one. Love, however, is not a cup of water, to be poured into the dry soil of parched hearts. Love is a dandelion seed. When it is flying overhead, seeing the hundreds of grass blades around, it does nothing. But, when it lands and germinates in one small plot; it grows, it reproduces, and is eventually able to take over entire fields. I have a friend in the Peace Corps that is currently dating someone. They spend so much time together and on the phone talking to each other that I wonder how they have time for anyone else. It is, in fact, the opposite; as their love germinates, it grows, and I often feel that they do more for me than I do for them.

What am I doing?

Sorry for the delay in blogging here. . . there are a million excuses but, you’ve probably heard them all… the people at the MTN store didn’t load my internet even though I paid them… I don’t have power and the nearby town with power is undergoing indefinite grid repair, I’ve been traveling to the village where there is neither power, nor reception, nor toilet paper, etc. so I won’t go over them.
Recently, as you know, new PCV’s came to our sites. Energetic, focused, dedicated, parasite- free and oh so clean, they love to ask; “So, what are you doing?” What can I really say? That I am doing a holiday adult computer course in January and that I am planning an agricultural seminar and follow up activities for February and that my grant finally came through for improved water tanks in March, and that along the way I am continuing with my classes; that my business class is moving to the market, and my life skills class can hopefully include more schools? Then they down look at me from their lofty ambitions of changing the world and say, “Oh, is that all?”
I started wondering, what am I doing? What have I done? Well, first of all, I’ve wasted time on trial and error. Take the agric. seminars. First, we organized mens’ groups—each of which involved one visit or two; (staying in villages with no abovementioned toilet paper during weekends) and including multiple cancellations and changes. At that point, we conducted needs assessments, which identified health and agriculture. We sensitized the men about HIV/AIDs, testing, and living positively. Then everything fell apart with internal organizational politics, and now, finally, things might come together to fulfill the other part of the needs assessment; using the group structures for co-ops and improved agriculture. One part of the seminar is the small bee project I am getting involved in. I wanted to do bees when I first came to site but everyone was scared of them. Then I found a boy, named Didas, who had bees, got some wax from him and made a few candles. Then he disappeared into the village and seemed to not want to work with me. Finally, two months ago, I casually suggested bees to a teacher; he got excited and got some land (near a few monkeys?). We went to visit it and found Didas nearby. After some free honey—Didas approves of me after all-- and visits to three other bee farmers deep in the village, we are setting up one small apiary tomorrow. One year and four months after I initially got the idea. One year and four months after I tried the first time.
Don’t even ask me about applying for grants for my school’s water tanks. After applying for a grant in April (for which I was supposed to receive feedback in May, have the cash in August, and be finished with the project in September) and never hearing back or getting responses to emails, I applied for a different one with a different plan and method. After qualifying for the second grant, I heard back from the initial grant organization LAST WEEK, 6 MONTHS LATE. This was from an American organization! And we think that Ugandans are late!
So now, when they ask me what I am doing, I just say that I am eating papaya and taking long walks. When they ask me what I’ve done, I say that I’ve almost finished War and Peace. What am I going to do?.... beats me!