SubscribeSweat, dust and a massive backpack squished to my face for 4 hours. A lovely return journey back to the village. I must say, enthusiasm for work and village life was on a low. The holidays had been slightly too much fun!
A few too many memories (some which would be better forgotten):
- Chatting to a 92 year old American woman who owned an orphanage. On our first encounter she flashed me her entire body brace. Charming.
- Having to release my bladder on the side of the road IN FRONT OF A FULL COACH. How lovely.
- Clubbing with my Ugandan placement partners! Madness.
- Going on a 6 hour extreme mountain biking trip…with an AWFULL hangover. I must say, it is quite the cure! Oh yes.
- Meeting a crazy old French man who has spent the last month on a merchant ship traveling across The Congo. What a dude.
- Using fairy washing up liquid at Pam and Jays. You have NO IDEA how much this reminded me of home. Bazaar.
- Ballroom dancing in a ghetto Ugandan bar. Humiliatingly fun!
- Almost drowning in the Nile. Scary.
- Drinking Pims at the side of the pool. Yes please.
- Pondering over a naked bungee jump. Moment never occurred. I promise you it will in the future!
Joyce was a little depressed homesick rag by the time she reached Kigandalo. 2 months still remaining on placement? She needed a survival plan.
So here is was – jump into your work with every last drop of enthusiasm, happiness and motivation you still hold. Wow, it has done wonders.
Over the past 2 weeks I feel my team has made some awesome achievements. For once I’m actually seeing HOPE FOR SUSTAINABILITY. I never thought I’d be saying those last 3 words. One of the greatest challenges we have faced has been the training and handover of SPW work to the community. How do I put this politely? Well….the community members of Kigandalo really need a good kick up the but before they actually do something. Every member just expects to be given things (without any personal effort). Finally, we’ve started to change that attitude. About a week ago we had a ‘Youth Resource Corner Training’ session. Now, what is a Youth Resource Corner you may ask?
A Youth Resource Corner is a room we’ve set up in the local health centre. It is a place where youth are welcome to come and seek advice (about health, social and economic challenges), find referrals (to other NGOs, health workers etc), receive advice on HIV and STI prevention (including condom demonstrations and distributions) and receive reading materials on health and agriculture topics.
For the past 3 months the SPW volunteers have been running the corner. Visitors have been lacking, however, the ones we have received have been a joy to help. For example an AIDS orphan who wanted me to come with him for a HIV test and a couple (another jumping up for joy moment – people NEVER do anything as a couple here) that came for a condom demonstration. The woman had 12 children and was desperate to learn how to prevent even more kiddywinks forming in her belly.
As the SPW volunteers won’t be here forever, we wanted to train some community members on how to run the YRC. We had a long training session with two secondary school pupils. We trained them on sexual reproductive health knowledge, economics and agriculture, referrals and condom demonstrations. Both were very alert and keen. They said they would take on the responsibility the following weekend. Expecting a no show, I was gob smacked when I saw them working all day Saturday AND Sunday. They brought SO many visitors as they encouraged all of their school and community friends to come along.
I can’t begin to express how excited this makes me! I feel like we have really done something that is going to last. I really really hope these boys keep up the great work once we are gone.
The positive work has really lifted my spirits. I’ve found myself bouncing round the community during the day and dancing under the stars at night. The neighbours and starting to think I’m a tad loony.
