Where has the time gone!!!????!!!!

Hey everyone!

I feel like its been weeks since I last posted on here. Here are a few updates on what I have been doing:

As part of my study abroad program, I am going to be doing either an ISP (Independent Study Project) or Practicum (basically an internship). I have chosen to do a combination of the two. Anyhow, two weeks ago I was busy meeting with my AD Martha to discuss my idea and meeting with some people who could make my ISP/practicum dream a reality.

Last week (the true reason I’m blogging today) was a week long excursion to Eastern Uganda. On Sunday we all piled into 3 vans and traveled 4 hours away from Kampala to the eastern city of Mbale. But before reaching Jinja we passed over the Nile River! Unfortunately we didn’t know that we couldn’t take pictures at this particular site (due to there being some government buildings there) and so we were delayed by some army men who wanted to take one of the kids on the program to the army barracks! After about 10 minutes of intense discussion the army men decided to let us go so long as we deleted the pictures taken from our camera.

The next day we visited the TASO Mbale site (TASO is a nationwide organization for Aids patients in Uganda) and the Child Restoration Organization (CRO), an organization for street children. We first went to the CRO where we learned about the work of the organization. Basically what they do is they take in street children aged 5 to 18. They provide education, health education, counseling and etc. to the kids before attempting to resettle them with family members or foster families from their community. An interesting fact about some of the street kids is that some come from Kenya (Mbale is basically a border town) but the CRO takes them in nonetheless. We then toured the facility: I saw some kids in class, the kitchen where they cook the children’s food and the playground that receives much love from the kids!

After visiting the CRO we then visited TASO Mbale. Like the CRO we started our visit to TASO Mbale by having the director of the facility explain the history and mission of the organization. After listening to his lecture we went outside where the TASO Mbale music/dance group performed some songs/skits on issues like family planning, staying safe and etc. They were so good. By the time they did two songs we had a very big crowd of kids and adults who also decided to listen in. At the end of their performance we were asked to dance with them and I’m proud to say that we “danced very well”

On Tuesday we traveled to Sipi Falls. We slept in very nice log cabins and hiked to a really pretty waterfall. Ever mindful of my camera (my last one broke at a waterfall site) I wisely choose not to trek down to the waterfall but instead enjoyed the view. That next afternoon we traveled to Busia (another town in Eastern Uganda) and our rural home stay!

We were all partnered up and sent out to various home stays in rural villages around Busia town. Hopefully the pictures will post so you can see…but I basically slept in this really neat hut for three nights and got to experience life in a very rural African village. My only regret from my rural home stay is that I got sick on the last day because it got really cold at night and I didn’t have adequate clothing or bedding. What I really enjoyed about my rural home stay was meeting the local women’s representative for the LC1 (the smallest level of government) and playing soccer with my host siblings.

After our stay in the rural home stay. We traveled to Buyengo where one of our directors is from and camped out at their family home. That night we had an amazing dance party and lots of people from the area came to dance with us. It was sooo much fun!!! I wish I had pictures but my camera was dead (lack of electricity for 3 days) and so I only have my memories.

On the way back to Kampala we stopped at this resort on the Nile and so we finally got to take legal pictures of the Nile. Yay lol.

Anyways, I’m back at my urban home stay in Kampala now. It’s my last week with my family before I move to a hostel to begin my practicum. So this week will be very hectic as I not only try to register for classes back home but also try to tie together the last strings for my ISP/practicum.



5 Things I love about Uganda!
I love the weather – not too hot and not too cold
I love the food – Matooke is great. I eat it everyday by choice!!
I love being able to walk around Kampala with a sense of familiarity
I love learning Luganda and speaking it with my home stay family (Muli Mutya! How are ya’ll)
I love love love the music – my favorite songs are: Yoyo, Zuena, Bbusu and etc.

5 Things I don’t love about Uganda…
When I come up with one I’ll let you know…lol


***Okay I meant to upload this blog on Monday but I couldn't until today. I don't have much time to write but I do want to say that today I visited the Ugandan parliament and got to sit in on a session of parliament. It was sooo amazing! Ill try to post a blog about that experience later. Tata for now