The sunsets here are to die for

I have been at Hope North for almost three weeks now, and I am pretty accustomed to my life here. It is somewhat isolated, but if I am looking for noise all I have to do is look outside the curtain of our hut. The first morning after we arrived, I was sitting in our common area and all the sudden I could hear something banging, rather loudly I might add, on our door. I was terrified. Come to find out the three goats that roam around campus (including a baby goat, or kid to be more appropriately correct, which is the cutest thing you've ever seen) were responsible. Apparently this activity of banging against doors is one of their favorite past times. Around five o'clock in the afternoon you can hear the students of Hope North playing futbol or dancing and singing in Acholi (the main language spoken at Hope North and in the surrounding community). I have been told that Acholi is the easiest language to learn and that if I try hard enough I could learn it in two months. I was not so convinced seeing as it has taken me about ten years to become somewhat proficient in Spanish. Also, let me tell you that the dancing and music here is pretty legit and very beautiful. The girls have tried to get me to learn, but I am willing to let them look good doing it without me (HA).

The front gate which has since been repainted

Every day I get up around 8:30 A.M., drink a steaming cup of instant coffee, eat two pieces of chiboti (which is basically pita bread but waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better), and read a book. Around ten we start working on whatever tasks we have to accomplish for the day. One of the things that I have had trouble getting used to here is managing my levels of productivity. Our project director, Joe Schafer, has said previously that if he manages to get one thing done a day then he is doing alright. I would feel very lazy in the US if I only accomplished one thing per day, but that is just how productivity is measured here. I am working on a number of projects which currently include: determining the placement and design of hand washing stations, redesigning the Hope North gate, and eventually designing an overall campus plan. We have set up two temporary hand washing stations so that the students can become acclimated to using them.

Our temporary hand washing station! 

               

The hand washing stations are a very important piece of this project for a number of reasons. I am about to get pretty real with y’all so if you are not in the mood to hear about the conditions at Hope North, I suggest you skip over this paragraph. There are six latrines here for 300 students; three for the girls and three for the boys. When I say latrines I mean a hut with two partitions between three holes in the ground. No toilet paper, no satisfying flushing sound at the end of doing your business. Moreover, there is no medium for the students to clean themselves with after using the restroom so they use their hands. There have been several cases of typhoid here and this is most likely the main reason and why it is so important that hand washing stations be installed. Two of my travel companions and me have been working on developing a hands free system in order to prevent more germs from spreading. I am rather excited and hopeful about this project.

My favorite tree in all the land

Apart from that, the students of Hope North are incredibly happy individuals. About two weeks ago we were able to sit in on the prefect campaigns. This is kind of the equivalent to student council in American high schools or if you have ever read Harry Potter you have some idea. After witnessing the elected students come up and give their speeches with an entourage that was putting glasses on them and wiping the sweat off their brows, I knew that high school is pretty much the same around the world. It reminded me of being at a Hot Springs High School pep rally.

We have managed to travel off campus and explore the surrounding area. About two weekends ago we walked nearly two hours to the nearby town of Bweyale to see what it was all about. Somehow though, we ended up pushing the Hope North tricycle down the main street in Bweyale so that a different mechanic could repair it. If Bweyale has a newspaper I am sure that the next day’s headlines would read “Muzngus Push Bike through Main Street” (Muzungu is the word for white person in case you were curious).  We were quite the spectacle, and even though it was strange to be laughed at by a bunch of people, I am glad that I could put a smile on their faces. Okello Sam was also nice enough to take us on a trip to Gulu which is about two and a half hours away from here. We had the best time and are very excited to return.

Dani and Bolton modeling our mouse traps

Even though I love living here and experiencing the culture, it does not come without its challenges. I have never been very skittish about bugs in the States (except for spiders), but here is a different story. I have no idea what any of the insects are here, and as such I am terrified that one of them might kill me. Call me dramatic, but it is how it is. I could also play connect the dots with all the ant and mosquito bites on my body, but like I said it is what it is. We have also experienced an infestation of rats and mice that are currently living in our ceiling. I have also been rather dramatic about this because I have a fear of rats. They have been getting into our food, pooping everywhere, and just causing a ruckus while we are sleeping. Mr. Ray, the superintendent of Hope North, managed to get us some mouse traps. Let me preface this by saying that mouse traps in Africa are not the same as mouse traps in the States. Dani, Bolton, and I had quite the laugh attempting to set them (see adjacent picture).

I hope to be posting more often now that we have wifi. Previously I was using a thing that I like to call an internet stick. It is very slow so I could really only check my email while I was using it. Ericsson, a Swedish technology company, came last week and fixed the wifi and installed a number of new systems in preparation for the arrival of Forest Whitaker. Forest travels to different organizations to manage workshops that encourage peace building. Ericsson works in conjunction with his foundation, the Whitaker Peace and Development Foundation. It was an awesome experience to meet Forest Whitaker. He is very tall and has the most joyful smile you have ever seen.

I have about five weeks left in Uganda which is insane to me. Time has flown by since I’ve been here. Hopefully I will be able to post more about my experience. Thanks for reading, friends!