blog 2

September 7, 2009

Life continues well here in Kanungu, with each new day bringing more interest, more information and new experiences. We spent most of our first week trying to bring some focus to the various suggestions of things we might do while we are working for CHIFCOD. CHIFCOD stands for Child to Family Community Development Organisation, a local grassroots NGO that has established 4 primary schools, one secondary school and one college in this area. Through these schools, they are also involved in the delivery of local health care, water and micro-finance. There is a lot more information on CHIFCOD to be found at www.volunteeruganda.co.uk , the English charity under which it is registered. (I hope I have the website right, if not, it’s close!)

Paul’s first challenge has been to work with members of the Agri-Business faculty at the College to set up a collaboration with a regional agricultural research Institute, so that students at the college have an opportunity to experience hands-on laboratory research. This involves working with faculty from the College to design the program and write a research proposal to submit to the Institute. In addition, he is helping them to file appropriate applications with the government so they can be recognized as an “independent research service provider”. The extent of this challenge becomes clear when one recognizes that there isn’t even a laboratory at the College, and certainly no equipment or materials, yet,as with many other things around here,a vision of a better future is the first step towards a new reality!

As for me (Jessica), I will be dividing my time in several ways. One of the departments at the college is that of Tourism, a very important part of Uganda’s economic future. I will be teaching French to their first year students - possibly not so much grammar, but useful vocabulary and phrases that they can use when communicating with tourists from France and other francophone countries. Secondly, I will be doing some teaching in the Social Work Department. I have not started this yet but since social work is culturally based, I am hoping that the students will be willing to discuss subjects with me so that we can all benefit from some cross-cultural exchange. My third area of work will be in the CHIFCOD offices, as I try to develop a system they can use for recruiting volunteers through the internet and encouraging sponsorship of local children whose families can not afford to send them to school.

To give you a little more flavor of life here, you will be astonished to learn that electricity only came to Kanungu a few months ago, although some institutions and individuals had generators before that! Despite its arrival here, it is certainly unreliable, and we used flashlights on 4 of our 5 first nights here. There are a few computers at the College but high-speed internet only arrived last week and is not always functioning or available. (This is why the blog will be irregular!) There are several small shops in Kanungu, but the bank and a greater variety of shops is found in another town about a 40 minute drive from here. The bank contains the only ATM machine in the region but when we went there on Sunday, it had no money! We returned this morning (Monday) to find a long, slow line waiting for it and our attempt to get Uganda shillings, though successful, took an hour of patience!

On a light note, we have already been able to have some tourist fun in the area! Our host, the Reverend, is also an entrepreneur, who is part-owner of a beautiful lodge, where he generously offered us a night’s accommodation. It is at the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a thick rainforest and home to gorillas, and many other primates and birds. Having already been gorilla-trekking in Rwanda, with Becca, we spent our time at Bwindi walking through the jungle, hearing the bird calls and enjoying the fantastic scenery. The next day, our driver took us to Ishasha at the southern end of the Queen Elizabeth National Park. We arrived at the gate, paid our entrance fee and before proceeding were approached by a young man who asked if we could give him and his large branch of bananas a ride to the park canteen! Arriving at the park headquarters, we asked if we could have a guide to show us around the Park and were assured that we could. Where is your vehicle? we asked. I don’t have one, was the reply!! Fortunately our wonderful driver from CHIFCOD, who had taken us there, was willing to double as a Park driver and negotiated the deep ruts and mudholes of the Park. This small area is famous for its tree-climbing lions of which, apparently, there are only 40. We were lucky enough to see one, a female lounging across the broad branches of a sycamore fig tree, apparently without a care in the world - it was an awesome sight! Further on we saw elephants, cape buffalo, baboons, a unique local antelope called the Uganda kob and, arriving at the Ishasha River, were presented with two surprises. Firstly a number of hippos cooling off in the river, betraying their presence only with their eyes and ears above the water. Secondly we were calmly told that the opposite bank of this muddy 20-foot-wide river, was the Democratic Republic of Congo! In all it was a wonderful weekend and we have returned ready for our second week of work!

Greetings and peace to all,

Jessica and Paul