It's crazy how fast certain things that would appall you in the US can so easily become the "norm". I've only been here for about two weeks, but things that I never would have considered part of my daily life are suddenly thrust upon me that it is hard to accept them all at once.
The sight of children collecting water from polluted streams and puddles in plastic "jerry cans" and carrying them up giant hills back to their homes. Living next to an orphanage where some children are taken care of, but then also seeing kids in the neighborhood with no one to take care of them. I live in the middle of an interesting neighborhood on the outskirts of Kampala. I say it is interesting because it is part slum, part shanty-town, part gated homes. All together in an area no bigger than 5 acres. Some of the people live in small "homes" consisting only of tin walls and a tin roof, a structure smaller than my own bedroom. There's no telling how many people try and cram in there at night. Others live in somewhat bigger more permanent homes, but there are no doors or window coverings, simply concrete walls and a concrete floor, no electricity or running water. And then, right next door, could be a gated home with electricity and running water (granted the running water comes from a rain water harvesting tank that is elevated 30 feet above ground to prevent stealing and contamination). But all these people and homes are all shoved together on one plot of land. At first, it was a little strange to see the juxtaposition of wealth and socio-economic status, but that doesn't seem to bother anyone here. Or at least they don't talk about it.
It's hard to be culturally relevant and try and fit in with the culture while still being painfully aware that I am very very different from everyone. Anywhere I go, I hear whispers of "mzungo" (meaning, white person). Little children yell out to me as I walk by, "Mzungo mzungo!!" An unneeded reminder that I am different from all of them. My roommate is Chinese and she is not altogether culturally sensitive, but maybe I am too much? It's hard to tell. We are an interesting pair. A 18-year old chinese girl who is young and oblivious to all her surroundings (and germaphobic) and a 21-year old american who is all too aware of everything happening around her and sometimes far too concerned with how the locals view her.
It's hard to say how we are accepted here. I know that the people in our office are welcoming and want us here, but I just don't know how other Ugandans feel. Even the women who clean and cook for us seem distant. Maybe they are afraid of us, or maybe they have just never really interacted with white people before. There certainly are no other white people anywhere around where we live. I guess I expected everyone to be very warm and inviting and want to talk to me about everything, but people seem very reserved and hesitant.
This is one of my more serious and thoughtful updates. I guess I've just been thinking a lot about things and trying to process them as I go instead of waiting until I get back to America.
I want to make the most of my time here and learn as much as I can from this culture.
Uganda is just one part of Africa and it is so different everywhere you go. You get a different perspective based on where you are and what you are doing. I'm not working with children in an orphanage, or with patients in a clinic, or building a school in the bush. I'm in an office, writing grants and project proposals for a CBO that is doing some great work in rural Uganda. I'm hesitant to call this the "real" Africa, but I think that people, Americans especially, have a skewed perspective of "Africa". They either picture orphans or they picture people in tribal dress beating drums around a fire or wild animals roaming on the plain. While much of Africa is like that, there is so much more also. There are people living in urban slums next to people living in houses next to children playing soccer on a clay field next to a cell phone tower (everyone here has cell phones. One lady I work with carries around 3..unclear why). I don't know how I'm supposed to picture Africa, but my guess is that whatever your mental image is of where I am, is probably not entirely accurate.
My brain is starting to hurt from all this processing, so I'm going to go back to working on my 19 page grant application for the Japan Embassy of Uganda on grassroots projects for green development initiatives. Longest application of my life.
Oh, and it rains here. Almost everyday.
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