Post #2: Settling In

Greetings from Uganda!!

I’ve arrived safely and have been welcomed so lovingly by the group hosting me! It’s only been a couple of days, but let me tell you a little bit about my time here so far:

After 2 long days of travel, I was thrilled to finally reach the ground when my plane landed in Entebbe Monday afternoon! I was greeted by Derrick who works with A Broader View. He and his coworker, George Michael, are from nearby villages and have fully devoted themselves to the betterment of this community (Bulenga and the Wakiso district as a whole). More about them later. As a Grey’s Anatomy and Arrested Development fan, I was excited that these were the first 2 names I learned!

After driving about an hour from Entebbe, we arrived at the volunteer house! This house is kept secure with a locked gate and was recently redone. It’s beautiful! Pictures below! The 4 girls who run the home greeted me. Shakira 1 and Shakira 2 are in university (both in their final year)! They’ve had to work very hard to make it where they are. Shadia and Sammy, 15 and 13 respectively, help out as well and are so much fun. We all sleep in a room together (3 bunk beds + suitcases) with the other volunteer here this fall, Mo. The six of us live out of this room. The house also contains a small kitchen, toilet & shower, and main room that serves as the living room, KACCAD office, and dinning room. It’s very different from a typical American house/apartment but in comparison to most houses in Bulenga, it’s luxurious! I’m still getting used to having an occasional cockroach scurry by, but besides that, feel very settled!

My first night was very relaxed! Shadia, Sammy, and I passed a volleyball back and forth for a few hours! I asked them tons questions about themselves, the volunteer house, and lifestyle in Uganda as we volleyed. They’ve gotten to know a number of Americans through hosting A Broader View volunteers so they were really great at explaining some of the key differences here. They made me a delicious dinner of spaghetti and potatoes and the 3 of us ate it while watching some of the DVD’s I brought with me- Frozen and Princess Diaries.

Tuesday and Wednesday, George Michael led me through orientation. He and Derrick lead KACCAD [Kyosiga Community Christian Association for Development], which supports a number of projects that seek to raise the standard of living of the underprivileged people in Bulenga. They received help from A Broader View volunteers and are partnered with a couple of other organizations with similar visions.  Orientation meant that George Michael took me around the village to learn about the different projects.

Walking through Bulenga the first time was very difficult.  I’ve seen pictures and heard stories of “poverty”. Seeing it living and breathing right in front of my eyes though absolutely broke my heart and continues to shatter it. I can’t figure out the best way to explain the standard of living in Bulenga but as I spend more time here, I will try to get more pictures and stories to give you a glimpse of what it’s like. Despite what I consider tragic living conditions, people here aren’t walking around crying “my life is so miserable!”. The ones I’ve met so far are very hopeful and content with the simplicity of having very little. They aren’t waiting around wishing for things to get better. They’re working hard and making the best of what they have.

As I walked with George Michael, he introduced me to projects past and present. We started at a nearby well that has provided clean water for residents of Bulenga and nearby villages. “Nothing will ever get done if people don’t have water”, George Michael explained. This man is incredible at his job. In a place with so many huge needs, he’s able to pinpoint which are the most critical.

After the well, we went to the health clinic which has an emergency room, delivery room, and vaccination room. It’s extremely limited in both resources and space. I was shocked to see that the emergency room is simply a closet-sized room with a bed and less tools than you’d find in a “Baby’s First Doctor Bag” toy.  The clinic is equipped with a refrigerator, which allows for vaccinations to be given. Additionally, there is a huge emphasis placed on education. HIV/AIDS and sanitation awareness are both key to keeping people out of the clinic and healthy on their own.

I spent most of yesterday (Wednesday) at Sew Much Hope, a sewing shop that employs women with disabilities. I met Rita and Winnie who both have difficulty hearing and speaking. They are able to support themselves through their jobs at Sew Much Hope. They make shoes and bags in addition to repairing clothes that people bring in. The man who runs the store, Hidden, communicates with them using some sign language and various facial expressions. It’s incredible what they are able to get done there.

The biggest challenge I’ve had adjusting to life in Uganda has been meeting people. While many people here speak English, it is not the same as the English I’m used to. Additionally, most of them learned Luganda first and that is the language they use to chat and talk to others on a day to day basic. The girls in the house and KACCAD peers are able to converse easily with me using english, but most people I’ve met in the village only use English formally.  As a result, most of my conversations with others stop after a “hello”, “my name is”, “how are you”, and “fine”.  I miss easygoing conversations, catching up, and heart to hearts, but am slowly learning to communicate and connect better with those I meet here! (Having George Mike and  Derrick to translate in addition to Mo, the other volunteer from the US also help a ton in the mean time)

My day spent at Sew Much Hope was very eye opening. Getting to know Rita and Winnie showed me that speech is not essential in interactions and communication. Although it’s difficult to exchange words with the people here, we can still share smiles, high fives, laughs, and nods of agreement.  Rita and Winnie and I had a day filled with laughter and learning without any talking! They taught me how to make sandals! It was a day long “craft” filled with labor and lots of recycled materials, but I really enjoyed spending time there!

Orientation wrapped up with visits to the orphanages I’ll be spending most of my time at! I’ll write about that next post J

I have so much more to say but you’re probably getting tired of reading and I’m getting tired of writing so I’ll save all that for the next post. I’m so grateful for the encouragement I’ve received and mounds of love, prayers, and support from home <3 thank you all! Feel free to reach out to me with questions and/or comments!

Love,

Hannah

PS I don't really think the "subscription" feature is working currently so I apologize if you didn't receive a "new post" notification! I will try to get that fixed ASAP! In the mean time, feel free to shoot me your email address at hannahkraus253@gmail.com and I'll add you to a mailing list to notify you when there's a new post!

The volunteer home/KACCAD office/vollleyball court

Shadia and Sammy after styling my hair into a pipe cleaner crown! They love selfies ;)

The lovely Rita with some sandals she's made! They currently can't afford the electricity to use the sewing machines but are able to hand sew things in the mean time! 

The sandals I made!