for sunshine and smiles everywhere

HEALS has always been a sort of refuge for me in Gulu. With brightly painted walls, a library, and smiling kids—lots of smiling kids, it has always been one of my favorite places to come. It’s the site of many of my favorite Ugandan memories—learning cultural dances, singing songs in Luo, rocking a baby to sleep—have happened within the tiny compound. Knowing what joy I always get when I visit, I decided to volunteer with some administrative needs the fledgling NGO has.
It’s been an eye opening experience. My first task was to type up some of the beneficiaries’ information, including their life story. It’s heartbreaking—stories of parents lost to AIDS, fathers killed by rebel activities, mothers working long hours to try and scrape up money for the family’s daily bread. To read children’s worries that they won’t be able to eat tomorrow, that their mother suffering from HIV won’t be there next year, that they’ll get kicked out of school again for not paying their school fees…
And that’s where my heart squeezes even tighter. Seeing receipts for school fee payments… The cost for one term of primary school runs anywhere from 3,000 to 15,000 Uganda Shillings—at the current rate of exchange (it was 1720 shillings to a dollar the last time I checked) that’s from $1.75 to just under $9. These children, ranging in ages 5-18, are worried about scraping together 2 dollars in order to get a basic education.
So, I’m trying to think of ways to help. Sustainable ways, more than a car wash or a can drive (both of which I may end up doing when I’m back in the states: heads up!). Joly, the country director of both Invisible Children and HEALS, wants to try and get some of the children’s stories on the internet, in hopes that people will read them and donate money. I know you can do a “cause” on Facebook, which will allow people to donate to an organization, and we’re hoping to sign up HEALS as one… I don’t have any web skills, really, but maybe someone knows how to set up a simple HTML one? There is also the fact that HEALS isn’t a registered non-profit in the U.S., so I don’t think donations made to the organization would be tax deductible…
It’s a lot to think about and figure out, but it’s worth it. Most definitely worth it.

My Own Top 3

Late (possibly too late) last night, Jamie and I were talking, and he asked me an out of the blue question…

“Betsy, what are the top 3 best things about being white and single in Gulu?”

I told him I needed some time to think about some AND answers. Single in Gulu is one thing; White in Gulu is another, so I took a few minutes to construct my answer. Here’s what I came up with:

The Number 3 Best Thing about Being Single and White in Gulu:

A few weeks after arriving in Gulu, you are giving this handy dandy pair of “Gulu Goggles.” They soon weld themselves to your head, and perform the miraculous task of making everyone you encounter more attractive, including yourself. Before you leave for work in the morning, a quick glance in the mirror confirms what you already knew: You Look Fabulous. The one downside of Gulu Goggles is their inability to stay in place once you depart from Gulu… so when you arrive back in the States and look at pictures of yourself, you are appalled that you ever left the house with your hair like that.

The Number 2 Best Thing about Being Single and White in Gulu:

How shocked the Acholi are when they find out you are single. The nice shocked “you ARE?!” as though they can’t imagine a person as beautiful and white as you are being unattached. It’s so nice, being viewed like you must have beaten people off with a stick to remain unmarried. So much better than the pity in the eyes of people in the US when you tell them no, you didn’t have a date for New Years… or Valentine’s Day… or almost every other day this year.

But the Number 1 Best Thing about Being Single and White in Gulu is…

Knowing you could be Married and White in Gulu tomorrow, if only you so desired. :)

Love you all. Have a great weekend!
betsy

Walkin' in Memphis ain't got nothing on Gulu

Last night after work, I walked home with Jamie. First we had to make a couple of detours…

First stop, Betty’s house. Living right next store to the IC office, she knows most of the IC staff—Muzugu’s and Ugandans alike. With a smile and a wave, she’s the marker for the drawing of every one of my walks to the office. Even though she has had her own set of troubles, she’s still managing to help others, meeting with single mothers from Gulu and helping them get their lives on track.

Next, a quick stop at HEALS, to pick up something for Kope Café, watch some traditional dancing and setting up a time for me to come and do some administrative work. I’d forgotten how much I love that place.

A quick jaunt through town, a stop over at Kope, and we walked home as the sun set on the horizon…

I love this place. So much it’s hard to convey in black and white.

who are the people in your neighborhood?

One of the [many] things I love about being in Uganda is meeting all the different mzungu's (white people).

We have quite the "international community," and it's been wonderful getting to know people from all around the world. Everyone has these amazing stories of where they've been and inspiring plans for where they're going. Last night there was a goodbye party for Hilda, one of our friends from the Netherlands, who has been in Gulu for the last 6 months preforming research for her thesis. Looking around at the assorted group of long term Gulu-ites, short term vistors and middling interns, I thought about how I would have never imagined meeting such a diverse group of people, all brought together by our love for the people of Uganda.

It's been such a blessing allowing them to speak wisdom, comfort and truth into my life.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This week at the office has been crazy busy [which, oddly enough, I love], but I've gotten a lot accomplished. I'm heading back down to Kampala this weekend to attend the wedding of our HR representative, Jerry, which should be a blast.

I love you all, you're in my thoughts and prayers.
-betsy

safe and [relatively] sound

So, I have made it to Gulu and am back at the IC office. :) It's been an interesting adventure arriving here, between rescheduled plane take-offs, the loss of luggage, a broken shower door and rocketing gas prices, but I'm here and feeling so blessed.

Due to a personnel loss within the Schools for Schools program, my work load seems to have increased exponentially, so I don't have a lot of time to update all of you, but I wanted to say thanks again for all your prayers and support. I love you all

Here's a little something I wrote yesterday, at Kope Cafe during and after an unexpected rainstorm...

In Gulu, life stops for rain.

A culture transported by feet, bicycles and boda bodas (motorcycles) in a climate that is normally very warm, the people don’t want to be out. A storm in the morning is an accepted excuse for being late to work, you can’t hire a boda to take you anywhere, the streets become deserted—no one wants to travel in the rain.

So they don’t. When the drizzle begins, feet move faster, eyes begin searching for shelter.

And when the downpour starts, they stop. Boda drivers find refuge in store fronts, cyclists in front porches, walkers under school eves.

And as their distaste for cold pushes them further inside, their love for community pushes people together.

Strike what I said earlier… in Gulu, life begins with rain.

As the rain hammers down on the street outside; laughter fills the indoors. Tea is brewed, stories are shared, relationships are started; strangers become friends.

And even I, a girl who was so excited to leave California because I was so tired for rain, am a bit saddened to hear the downpour return to a drizzle, the drizzle fade into silence.

So I start… looking to the sky for a rain cloud and laughter.

For life to begin again.

leaving on a jet plane

well, I'm off again. :)

please be in prayer for the situation in Kenya, and for the January 31st deadline.

I love you all.
betsy