I've got a bit of time finally, so i'll post again. Sorry that i suck at keeping this updated, but i swear i can change.
CUBS ARE IN FIRST PLACE!!! magic number is 4. WVU is still undefeated (although we've been jumped twice now in the rankings) as are the colts. in short, i've picked a wonderful time to leave the country.
of course, no one reads my blog for sports news, so i should talk a bit about uganda.
a lot of people have been asking about the flooding that has rocked eastern and northern uganda. actually, this isn't true at all. only my parents have asked me. that's okay though, i'll respond as if to a flood of concerned e-mails, texts, and sky-writings.
the floods have washed out several improtant bridges and main roads. this has made travel difficult, but it is still possible and safe. also, i live on a hill ("mukura" actually is derived from the ateso word for hill) so i'm not really in any danger. the big concern is how it will decimate the economy of our region. the vast majority of people around me are subsistence farmers, and the floods have ruined thousands of acres of crops in low-lying areas. many of these people don't have any other source of income, so our region is going to be in a lot of trouble. this is compounded by the fact that eastern and northern uganda have been the regions most affected by the insurgencies and cattle raids of the last twenty years.
this situation made me think about how horrible it is to be completely reliant on agriculture in a world with increasingly unstable climate patterns (earlier in the year crops were ruined by a drought). i've decided that i am going to attempt to build a computer training center in my village, to provide training for youth who are pretty much locked into a life of farming, and to provide vocational training for adults. this project is in its most formative stages, and will probably look pretty different when implemented, but i'm cautiously optimistic about its feasibility and sustainability.
sustainability is an enormous concern in all NGOs and international aid, but specifically peace corps due to our short terms of service. many volunteers just work for their organizations for two years and leave, which limits their impact to the duration of their service. ideally, we should train people to work in a better capacity, creating opportunities for future development once we have left.
anyways, enough of that shit. onto humorous anecdotes:
my gustatory exploits are limited, but exquisite. aside from the aforementioned rolex, i partake in many local delicacies such as posho (picture dried cream of wheat), matooke (picture mashed plantains), and beans (picture beans). some more american dishes that i cook myself are grilled cheese, mashed potatoes, and porridge. my diet is sensational. i dabble in some stranger foods, like white ants (a winged ant-like insect), termites, and various parts of animals that we tend to avoid.
also, rwanda has just entered into some sort of east african trade agreement, so we're going to get rwandan beers!!!!
i made the newspaper!!! the luganda paper (the bukedde) printed a picture of me at the Uganda v. Niger football match. i had painted my face, wore a soccer ball hat, and draped a flag across my back, thus turning an ordinary muhindi into a spectacle. the picture is of me getting my face painted. i'll be sure to show you when you visit.
happy birthday to the rest of my family!!! my sister, mother, and father, all have been born in the week of sept 18-24th, and i hope you all send them your best wishes.
okay, thanks for reading, that's all for now.
-rishi
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5 comments:
Good hearing from ya again, I need more updates otherwise I end up sinking into a deep deep depression.
I like your idea for a vocational training center! You can found UIT!
-Patrick
First time visitor.
Unfortunately in a 'mood' so long, rambling comment ahead. :-)
Being Ugandan, I totally understand the implications of an agriculture-based economy. But while I applaud your desire to build a computer training center, I can't help by wonder about some of the same sustainability issues you raise.
By now you are fully aware of Uganda's electricity 'crisis'. With the insufficient electricity, what will the computer center run on? There are a few trained computer technicians in Uganda, but from experience I know they are rarely any good in maintaining and repairing equipment.
I am not rubbishing your idea ... absolutely not. Uganda could do with all the friends possible. I guess the key to sustainability is to create sufficient goodwill and community ownership of a program. If people are a part of a program from the start (i.e they have been consulted on the need for it, feasibility, etc) and are trained and given decision-making roles it, it is more likely to succeed.
But this is stuff you have already been told and you already know.
Maybe I just wanted to show off.
Haha.
Eid Mubarak.
Uganda Institue of Technology.....
sounds good....
go for it......
actually tumwijuke, we're running the entire operation on solar power, which gives consistant electricity. more importantly, it vastly improves our sustainability by cutting out monthly UMEME power costs.
as for ownership of the program, the idea was proposed by several people in my village a few months ago, but i only decided to take it on as a project recently. there is a strong community board backing it, and community contributions are already being raised quickly. my role is to facilitate the grant writing process, and to set up a business plan, not to attempt to run the lab. that is being done entirely by community members.
finally, i've conducted a full feasibility study and believe that it is well within our means and abilities to create a sustainable model based on similar exisiting computer labs in mukuju, soroti, ngora, kasambya, and ibanda. a vast amount of research has been put into this project, and we have been working closely with the newly formed ministry of ICT to maximize the probability of success of this project.
Vendors have been contacted that are interested in development projects, and have committed to assisting our project with technical support, and hardware repair.
But maybe i'm just showing off.
Thanks for visiting, and thanks for your comment!
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