water, volunteering, raymond

This week in Katosi has been busy, but also not busy at the same time. Avery and I have been resting and getting adjusted a lot of the time, but i feel like that also takes a lot of energy! Like this morning, we had to walk about two blocks to get water. Usually they have a gigantic rainwater collector right on the compound where we live, but it has not rained in a really long time here. So we ventured down the road to a shallow well, and filled up like 5 jerrycans of water. All of the children around were laughing at me, because they said I pumped the water so peacefully...haha! The cans were sooo heavy, I could only carry one at a time, and on the way home the entire village was laughing at me because I was struggling and spilling water all over myself. I guess it would be funny to see a tall american girl who is much weaker than the children here who can carry two at a time or the women who carry the cans on their heads! That made me realize even more how hard it is in a rural village to just do the tasks you need to survive (when I did my laundry from a bucket the other day, it literally took me an hour and a half). And it made me realize how important it is not to waste water! (if you take a bath out of a bucket, you'd be surprised that you only need like one bowl full of water!)

I also have really liked just walking around the village. All of the kids run after me, and I feel like everywhere I go I have a crew of children following me! I have waved at so many people that the other day, I almost waved at a goat. it was a cute goat though, haha.

Yesterday, I had my first experience volunteering! Avery, Heidi (the peace corps volunteer) and I got up really early and walked to one of the new primary schools outside Katosi. It took us an hour to walk there, and then Avery and I taught a few subjects to a fourth grade class! Math went well, we just did practice problems and things like that! But when I tried to teach about the solar system, everyone just looked at me like I was crazy! Maybe we could make a solar system as a class project...out of oranges or something..!? Avery and I are going to go back to the school two days a week! It was SO exhausting, and when i got home I thought I might die of thirst and my feet were dirty and swollen. I can't imagine having to walk so many miles barefoot everyday like most of the children in the area. but even though I was exhausted, it was definitely worth it. On the way home, we saw a spring where the neighboring village gets drinking water and washes their clothes. It was probably the size of two bathtubs, and it was so dirty. It made me sad, so I gave some of the little kids following us my bottle of water.

There is also a Ugandan guy, named Raymond, who is staying in our house for a couple of weeks. He is really cool, and he speaks english so we have had some interesting conversations! He taught me a lot about Ugandan ethnic groups, and he said that even though Africa has many different nationalities and ethnic groups, it is made up of one people. We talked a little about Ugandan politics too, especially about how a lot of the country has been happy with Museveni's rule but they still want him to step down and not run in the next election. Raymond said he likes Museveni, and thinks he should stay in power even though he has been ruling for about 20 years, because it would impossible to get anything done if the country changed leaders as often as the US. We also started talking about the Nile for some reason, and I commented on the fact that both Rwanda and Uganda claim to have the source of the Nile. I thought Uganda was right because the Nile starts at lake victoria, which isn't even in Rwanda! Raymond said that Rwanda claims one of its rivers that runs into lake victoria is the source, because when bodies were thrown into that river during the genocide, they were found in Uganda..even in the capital city. jesus.

But anyway, it has been fun to have raymond around, we have been playing cards and scrabble (although he likes to make up words and say "I just have a feeling that this should be a word!") haha. Avery and I are going with him and Heidi to Kampala next week to watch the opening match of the world cup!!!

-colleen
p.s. the man sitting next to me in the internet cafe has one of obama's speeches as his ringtone. how baller!