Location: Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
The first few weeks of Uganda have been very eye-opening, yet there are still much more to learn. One concept I encountered multiple times was the problem with miscommunication. There are many factors that may seem to cause this: even though Ugandans speak English, their accent makes it hard to understand, and vice versa; the vocabulary used by both parties are completely different. For example, as discussed in a group meeting the other day, the word “funny” has a completely different concept describing George. In his stead, “funny” would describe someone who says one thing, but does another thing, basically breeding incompetence. There have been several occurrences where I have fallen into a pit of miscommunication.
As part of my experiences here, I wanted to incorporate an observational and experimentational project involving the community perception of quality of HIV/AIDS healthcare. In order to carry out this project, I wanted to be part of a renowed NGO, Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC). We had fair warning behind “Luganda time” before coming to this country. People will show up late and meetings will be canceled without prior communication. In the States, this would be considered rude, but here, it almost seems like an everyday activity. I went almost every day of this week to try to solidify my plans for the next few weeks, only to see that I am only treading water getting to a shore that doesn’t exist. Every time a formal report was presented, they would direct me to someone else of “higher importance” who needed to review my proposal before approving the research. It seems that the hierarchy is much less structured here and it would take months just to be active in the research I wanted to perform.
A second smaller involvement I wanted was an MDD (music, dance, and drama) training that involves a play by a group that communicates a significant life story or message. The past week, I met with a very nice and humble man named Charles who was the director of a professional MDD group named Sansa Troupe. I originally presented my project which involves being part of a performance in which they present to audience theories against stigma and violence against those with HIV/AIDS. I wanted to join a story in which people with HIV/AIDS was presented as normal. However, Charles had the impression that I would direct this group, bring them to Chicago, and present a tour of African/ Ugandan culture in Chicago. No matter how much I pushed the fact that I was a student with NO MONEY, provided that I only have a month’s time to do this project, he would consider me as a muzungu who had the ability to bring change. I was brought to him as a student, but he brought his mind to interpret me as a professional. He wanted me to write a program and story, and he would perform the MDD behind it. Obviously unable to develop something at such a large scale, this NGO, though effective and impressive, had to be scratched.
It’s difficult to stray away from the attention we attain from the way we dress, walk, and present ourselves, but it’s very important to try to learn their culture, not from the perspective of a muzungu, but as if you were one of them. Miscommunications tend to happen very often, and if you are never straight forward of your intentions, a humbling relationship could result in a disaster. There are always going to be preconceptions of you because of your skin tone, but the adjustment to their culture is undeniably something to strive for.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Week 3- American Attachments
Old habits die hard and maybe that's okay. It's been over 3 weeks since we arrived here in Uganda yet we're all still very much attached to the people and happenings in the United States. We're quick to check our email when we find a working internet connection, excited to set our computers up to download a new episode of some (mediocre... alright, probably awful) American television show overnight, and quick to keep up with friends and family via personal blogs, skype, telephone, etc.. We're all guilty of calling a friend before washing clothes or writing out our field notes. Yet, I think it's okay.
We've seen a lot of things here in Uganda that are exciting, new, incredible, and fun along with other things that are upsetting, unpredictable, and confusing. We've experienced the highs of spending and afternoon playing with a great group of kids and performing in front of a 100+ people to the lows of realizing that we can't change many of the inequalities we see and that many of us are still struggling to find a way to make a difference, even if it's small, while we're here. While we have a great group that often stays up late to chat or discuss our views over a long dinner at Club 5, we all need separate outlets that I think we're finding. Our American connections, whether through facebook, email, skype or blogging have given us all outlets to work through what we're seeing and hopefully educating others about Uganda.
In addition, we've found little slices of Americana here in Uganda. We've ordered "New York style" pizza from a local pizza place, discovered the few places that serve diet coke (coke light here), and had guitar jam sessions in our apartments. We've definitely embraced much of Ugandan culture and food (daily mandazis before Luganda class) while still keeping our American roots. Initially, I was concerned about not integrating more into Ugandan society but I think we've struck a good balance between comforts from home and embracing new ideas, cultures, and foods. I'm excited to see what the next 6 weeks bring and how much more we can learn about Ugandan culture. We've had opportunity to be in rural parts of Uganda, play with children from all over Uganda and try new things (African tea has been a great find). Yet, we're only 1/3 of the way through our trip and I'm sure we're going to explore a lot more. As of now, I'm embracing the American comforts I find but I'm also excited to explore new things throughout our travels.
Location: MISR, Kampala
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Week 3- project update
Location: Kampala
In the quarter preceding our departure to Uganda, we each had to develop an idea for some sort of independent project that we would carry out during our quarter here. This being a program with a focus on public health and performance, I decided to do a project that would explore this theme.
Uganda has been one of the most successful African countries in combating HIV/AIDS, and much of this success can be attributed the effectiveness of performance – music, dance, and drama – in sensitizing the public on important HIV/AIDS related health issues. I decided to use this as a premise for my project, and put together a Hip Hop album addressing social issues, focusing on the experiences of HIV/AIDS in Uganda. My plan was to collect stories of HIV/AIDS related experiences throughout Uganda, in the slums, clinics, on the streets, and portray these stories through a Hip Hop album, in order to shed light on the issues dealt with in the album.
Of course, I was initially very uncertain as to how this project would unfold once I reached Uganda. Much of the success depended on help from people here, because I was depending on them to introduce me to artists, producers, recording studios, instrumentalists, and so on. I was nervous, because if I did not receive help, it would be impossible for me to network with so many people during such a short period of time.
I am happy to say that my project has been very successful thus far, and though I do not want to prematurely say that it is going to be a success, I am optimistic that it will. Almost immediately upon my arrival in Kampala, I met with two people who my contacts in the States put me in touch with, and they have been so helpful in introducing me to people and showing me around Kampala, and we have also become good friends. With their help, my project has taken off faster than I ever imagined it would, and I have met so many interesting people, made many friends, and become comfortable and familiar with the city. I have even been able to meet some of the more famous artists in Uganda through the people I have met.
I am excited to continue working on my project, meeting new people, and familiarizing myself with the city. There is still so much to do (on top of my classes), but I am optimistic that this project will turn out well.
In the quarter preceding our departure to Uganda, we each had to develop an idea for some sort of independent project that we would carry out during our quarter here. This being a program with a focus on public health and performance, I decided to do a project that would explore this theme.
Uganda has been one of the most successful African countries in combating HIV/AIDS, and much of this success can be attributed the effectiveness of performance – music, dance, and drama – in sensitizing the public on important HIV/AIDS related health issues. I decided to use this as a premise for my project, and put together a Hip Hop album addressing social issues, focusing on the experiences of HIV/AIDS in Uganda. My plan was to collect stories of HIV/AIDS related experiences throughout Uganda, in the slums, clinics, on the streets, and portray these stories through a Hip Hop album, in order to shed light on the issues dealt with in the album.
Of course, I was initially very uncertain as to how this project would unfold once I reached Uganda. Much of the success depended on help from people here, because I was depending on them to introduce me to artists, producers, recording studios, instrumentalists, and so on. I was nervous, because if I did not receive help, it would be impossible for me to network with so many people during such a short period of time.
I am happy to say that my project has been very successful thus far, and though I do not want to prematurely say that it is going to be a success, I am optimistic that it will. Almost immediately upon my arrival in Kampala, I met with two people who my contacts in the States put me in touch with, and they have been so helpful in introducing me to people and showing me around Kampala, and we have also become good friends. With their help, my project has taken off faster than I ever imagined it would, and I have met so many interesting people, made many friends, and become comfortable and familiar with the city. I have even been able to meet some of the more famous artists in Uganda through the people I have met.
I am excited to continue working on my project, meeting new people, and familiarizing myself with the city. There is still so much to do (on top of my classes), but I am optimistic that this project will turn out well.
Week 3 - Kampala's Urban Refugees
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Background
Even before learning that I had been accepted to this program, I knew that my independent research project would in some way focus on refugees. Since 1990 alone, Uganda has hosted an estimated 200,000 refugees (Orach, Dubourg, and De Brouwere). Given Uganda’s status as a ‘haven’ for displaced persons and asylum seekers, I have been presented with and invaluable opportunity to learn from and interact with refugees from all over East Africa. Though individuals from neighboring Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda comprise the vast majority of said refugees, recent years have seen an increase in refugees from Burundi, Kenya, and Somalia as well (UNHCR).
Though the majority of refugees in Uganda—around 80 percent—live in “post-emergency phase settlements” in the West Nile districts of Adjumani, Arua and Moyo, my research for this project caused me to become intrigued by those who have chosen to defy this trend. With numbers surpassing 15,000, these urban refuges (largely escapees from wars in Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, the DRC, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia) are becoming an evermore-visible feature of Kampala (Orach, Dubourg, and De Brouwere; Macchiavello).
First Impressions of InterAid Uganda
After an arduous struggle with the “refugee bureaucracy” that is headed by UNHCR and the Office of the Prime Minister, I was finally granted permission to observe the activities of InterAid Uganda. As its implementing partner, InterAid Uganda LTD provides the services to Kampala’s refugees that an already overextended UNHCR simply does not have the capacity to deliver. As InterAid is technically a non-governmental organization, I was surprised that I had to jump though so many governmental hoops to gain this approval. Nonetheless, I am relieved that I have at last found an NGO that can assist me in my quest to learn about the struggles of urban refugees.
Among many other services, InterAid provides its clients with counseling on the process of gaining asylum, medication, skills training, and small loans. Though I wholeheartedly believe that InterAid is doing great work, the process by which it carries out its work troubles me in a way. In order to keep certain groups from feeling underserved, InterAid designates a specific day of the week to each refugee nationality. For example, the InterAid Urban Refuge Programme Office will only receive Congolese on Mondays (there are exceptions in cases of emergencies) while it will only see Eritreans and Sudanese on Wednesdays. Though InterAid seems to be trying its best to manage its extremely limited resources, this system leaves Kampala’s large Congolese population at a disadvantage. In order to make sure that they may be seen on their designated day, Congolese refugees must arrive at the Urban Refuge Programme when its doors open at 8:00AM, meaning that they must skip out on work and other obligations so that they can wait all day without any guarantee of being seen. If they are unable to get helped during their designated time, they must wait until the next week so that they can play the waiting day all over again. Though this study is still at an early stage, the difficulties faced by the urban refugees and the aid workers serve them in Kampala are already becoming very apparent. This project is picking up speed, and I look forward to continuing my research at InterAid.
References
-Macchiavello, Michela. "Livelihoods strategies of urban refugees in Kampala." Forced Migration Review 20 (2001): 26-27. Print.
-Orach, Christopher Garimoi, and Vincent De Brouwere. "Integrating refugee and host health services in West Nile districts, Uganda." Health Policy and Planning 21.1 (2005): 53-64. Print.
-UNCHR. "2010 UNHCR country operations profile - Uganda.". UN. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.
Background
Even before learning that I had been accepted to this program, I knew that my independent research project would in some way focus on refugees. Since 1990 alone, Uganda has hosted an estimated 200,000 refugees (Orach, Dubourg, and De Brouwere). Given Uganda’s status as a ‘haven’ for displaced persons and asylum seekers, I have been presented with and invaluable opportunity to learn from and interact with refugees from all over East Africa. Though individuals from neighboring Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda comprise the vast majority of said refugees, recent years have seen an increase in refugees from Burundi, Kenya, and Somalia as well (UNHCR).
Though the majority of refugees in Uganda—around 80 percent—live in “post-emergency phase settlements” in the West Nile districts of Adjumani, Arua and Moyo, my research for this project caused me to become intrigued by those who have chosen to defy this trend. With numbers surpassing 15,000, these urban refuges (largely escapees from wars in Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, the DRC, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia) are becoming an evermore-visible feature of Kampala (Orach, Dubourg, and De Brouwere; Macchiavello).
First Impressions of InterAid Uganda
After an arduous struggle with the “refugee bureaucracy” that is headed by UNHCR and the Office of the Prime Minister, I was finally granted permission to observe the activities of InterAid Uganda. As its implementing partner, InterAid Uganda LTD provides the services to Kampala’s refugees that an already overextended UNHCR simply does not have the capacity to deliver. As InterAid is technically a non-governmental organization, I was surprised that I had to jump though so many governmental hoops to gain this approval. Nonetheless, I am relieved that I have at last found an NGO that can assist me in my quest to learn about the struggles of urban refugees.
Among many other services, InterAid provides its clients with counseling on the process of gaining asylum, medication, skills training, and small loans. Though I wholeheartedly believe that InterAid is doing great work, the process by which it carries out its work troubles me in a way. In order to keep certain groups from feeling underserved, InterAid designates a specific day of the week to each refugee nationality. For example, the InterAid Urban Refuge Programme Office will only receive Congolese on Mondays (there are exceptions in cases of emergencies) while it will only see Eritreans and Sudanese on Wednesdays. Though InterAid seems to be trying its best to manage its extremely limited resources, this system leaves Kampala’s large Congolese population at a disadvantage. In order to make sure that they may be seen on their designated day, Congolese refugees must arrive at the Urban Refuge Programme when its doors open at 8:00AM, meaning that they must skip out on work and other obligations so that they can wait all day without any guarantee of being seen. If they are unable to get helped during their designated time, they must wait until the next week so that they can play the waiting day all over again. Though this study is still at an early stage, the difficulties faced by the urban refugees and the aid workers serve them in Kampala are already becoming very apparent. This project is picking up speed, and I look forward to continuing my research at InterAid.
References
-Macchiavello, Michela. "Livelihoods strategies of urban refugees in Kampala." Forced Migration Review 20 (2001): 26-27. Print.
-Orach, Christopher Garimoi, and Vincent De Brouwere. "Integrating refugee and host health services in West Nile districts, Uganda." Health Policy and Planning 21.1 (2005): 53-64. Print.
-UNCHR. "2010 UNHCR country operations profile - Uganda.". UN. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.
Week 3- Why I will not forget what I have seen here.
Location: Kampala, Uganda
How can I go from breakfast at my apartment to classes at a university to an AIDS support organization with tons of people to PCA with dancing hopeful kids with their inner sorrows masked by their smiles to a fancy dinner with mostly white people?
A professor once told me that “the world is a broken one, but full of grace and possibility. Its brokenness is what calls us to our duty to heal…Suffering of innocents, poverty, and yearning are all a part of our world. I have seen suffering, but I have also seen a great courage, warmth, kindness, joy and love, in the midst of suffering.” I think often of these words when I feel overwhelmed by the many injustices of the world, injustices that I am experiencing vividly now.
How can we go on living like we do when $75 would send one of the orphaned kids to school for an entire year? What do you do when they are living in the slums sniffing glue and drinking alcohol to pass away the time because they don’t want to return to their families or have no family to return to?
This is an excerpt from a letter I received from a teenage girl: “And you know I don’t care because I lost my parents but what thank God is that am schooling now and I know he will never let me down in all my life and I pray that he helps to get all the basic needs which I need for school.”
It is the poor who bear the largest burden of disease because they cannot afford hygiene, proper nutrition, or medical care. Often they are born poor and die due to this poverty. How is this just? Should I return to my life in America, knowing what I know and have always known, to live the American dream? How can we stand back and pretend like these things don’t exist, bury ourselves in the good things we were given and despair over our petty problems? The country went up in an uproar after September 11th when a couple thousand died. What about the AIDS epidemic that is killing off millions right now and leaving millions more as orphans without parents and without prospects for education or a real livelihood? Are they going to sell fruit or gum by the roadside the rest of their lives? Make beaded necklaces? It’s only going to get worse as more and more people die! But they’re not our problem; they aren’t our families or our friends. They are merely statistics a world away, right?
What about the children that die before the age of five from preventable illnesses? The 12 year old mothers that develop fistulas after being raped or forced into marriage and then ostracized from their communities? What about the men women and children forced to live in trash dumps in Asia with nowhere to go, and the hundreds of thousands of women stripped of their dignity, freedom, and identity in the sex slave trade? How are we going to fix this??
I realize my thoughts ramble and perhaps are illogically written. But I don’t know how else to create a sensible representation of what’s going on in my head. I have so many feelings running through me and this emotional rollercoaster changes so quickly. Some days I feel like nothing is wrong and everyday life here is just that- normal, everyday life within a separate culture. Other days I feel strongly impassioned by what I see. I’m not sure if I’m overthinking or underthinking, but I am surely overemotional. Am I just being melodramatic too?
Week 3: The Trip to Busabi
Week 3 - The Trip to Busabi from PublicHealth Uganda on Vimeo.
We finish off our third week in Uganda with a trip to Busabi for a performance with Hatagote.
week 3: slideshow
Week 3 - Photo Slideshow from PublicHealth Uganda on Vimeo.
A recap of our third week in Uganda with pictures
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Week 3 - Expectations
This past weekend we traveled to Busabi to participate in a music, dance, and drama performance with a group called Hatagote. The purpose of the performance was to educate the audience about sanitation. Around 100 or more people turned up to see the show, and I felt that it went really well. Everyone got a good laugh out of our singing and dancing, and they received an important message about maintaining a clean living environment in order to stay healthy.
When we were heading back to Kampala on Sunday, Dan and Centurio decided to take us on a quick detour to see the area in Eastern Uganda that had been affected by flooding. By now the water had receded and if I hadn't been told about the flooding, I probably would not have even known that the area had been effected. That's not to say that no damage was done. We picked up some local people to show us where the flooding had the greatest impact, and they pointed out places where homes used to be. We saw skeletons of new houses being built, and the trenches that had been dug to help divert the water. If you looked more closely, you could see where the water had risen on some homes and washed away the mud that once formed the exterior walls.
At one point, we pulled off of the road in this remote area and got off of the bus to look at the river. When the bus stopped, everyone from the homes nearby came to see who we were and what we were doing in their village. People kind of kept their distance and watched as we took pictures of the river. Dan talked to us about how high the river was and told us that relief had to be airlifted to the people in the area. After a short time, we got back on the bus and drove further down the road.
It felt strange to get off of the bus in this village and to interrupt the daily activities of these people with no explanation. The feelings I had reminded me a lot of the feelings that I had when we toured Mulago Hospital. It felt like we didn't belong. We were parading past people who needed help, and we had nothing to give.
This feeling was amplified when we drove back through the same part of that village. One woman called out to Dan, and he stopped the bus. Immediately, people crowded our open windows. Dan told us that these people had lost everything in the floods and they thought we brought relief. He explained that we didn't have anything for them, and he said maybe some aid would come later. One man looked at me and asked, "What is your problem?" I understood his question to mean, 'Why are you here?' because he followed his statement with, "Just touring?" I said, "Yes." I felt terrible as we drove off, leaving these people with unmet expectations.
I see poverty and need everyday here, and I know I am not the only one who struggles with this. Some days it comes closer than others. We have been told that it takes time to fully understand your place in this new society and to figure out how you can give back in a meaningful way. It's just very difficult in the meantime.
Location: Busabi
When we were heading back to Kampala on Sunday, Dan and Centurio decided to take us on a quick detour to see the area in Eastern Uganda that had been affected by flooding. By now the water had receded and if I hadn't been told about the flooding, I probably would not have even known that the area had been effected. That's not to say that no damage was done. We picked up some local people to show us where the flooding had the greatest impact, and they pointed out places where homes used to be. We saw skeletons of new houses being built, and the trenches that had been dug to help divert the water. If you looked more closely, you could see where the water had risen on some homes and washed away the mud that once formed the exterior walls.
At one point, we pulled off of the road in this remote area and got off of the bus to look at the river. When the bus stopped, everyone from the homes nearby came to see who we were and what we were doing in their village. People kind of kept their distance and watched as we took pictures of the river. Dan talked to us about how high the river was and told us that relief had to be airlifted to the people in the area. After a short time, we got back on the bus and drove further down the road.
It felt strange to get off of the bus in this village and to interrupt the daily activities of these people with no explanation. The feelings I had reminded me a lot of the feelings that I had when we toured Mulago Hospital. It felt like we didn't belong. We were parading past people who needed help, and we had nothing to give.
This feeling was amplified when we drove back through the same part of that village. One woman called out to Dan, and he stopped the bus. Immediately, people crowded our open windows. Dan told us that these people had lost everything in the floods and they thought we brought relief. He explained that we didn't have anything for them, and he said maybe some aid would come later. One man looked at me and asked, "What is your problem?" I understood his question to mean, 'Why are you here?' because he followed his statement with, "Just touring?" I said, "Yes." I felt terrible as we drove off, leaving these people with unmet expectations.
I see poverty and need everyday here, and I know I am not the only one who struggles with this. Some days it comes closer than others. We have been told that it takes time to fully understand your place in this new society and to figure out how you can give back in a meaningful way. It's just very difficult in the meantime.
Location: Busabi
Week 3- First Performance!!!
Location:Kampala and Busabi
Classes, homework, site visits, finding NGOs, in addition to a weekend performance made this week pretty eventful. I was really nervous about our performance because we only went through the whole dance once and never practiced certain speaking portions in the drama. Nevertheless, I was still excited to get away from the hustle and bustle of Kampala for the weekend and just enjoy nature!! The drive to Busabi was beautiful. It kind of makes me mad that the US is so developed because I would never see some of those sites at home. I love the fresh air and being able to see the stars every night. Once we arrived in Busabi it was pretty late so we did not practice with Hatagote. That was a bit concerning because Saturday would be our only practice before the performance later in the afternoon. Working with Hatagote was a wonderful experience. When we were dressing for the performance, I felt so peaceful and at home. The older women in the group took such good care of me and I was really proud to be able to dance and sing beside them. They were all so beautiful and kind and it made the weekend the best experience I've had so far. Everyone was so happy. It was contagious!!! I couldn't help but smile and laugh the entire time I was with them. Of course going into the rural side of life had its challenges because of the issues of flooding that devastated parts of the region BUT the fact that they still greeted us with a smile was a testament to their amazing spirits. Words can't express how happy I was to be there and I hope this trend will continue :)
Classes, homework, site visits, finding NGOs, in addition to a weekend performance made this week pretty eventful. I was really nervous about our performance because we only went through the whole dance once and never practiced certain speaking portions in the drama. Nevertheless, I was still excited to get away from the hustle and bustle of Kampala for the weekend and just enjoy nature!! The drive to Busabi was beautiful. It kind of makes me mad that the US is so developed because I would never see some of those sites at home. I love the fresh air and being able to see the stars every night. Once we arrived in Busabi it was pretty late so we did not practice with Hatagote. That was a bit concerning because Saturday would be our only practice before the performance later in the afternoon. Working with Hatagote was a wonderful experience. When we were dressing for the performance, I felt so peaceful and at home. The older women in the group took such good care of me and I was really proud to be able to dance and sing beside them. They were all so beautiful and kind and it made the weekend the best experience I've had so far. Everyone was so happy. It was contagious!!! I couldn't help but smile and laugh the entire time I was with them. Of course going into the rural side of life had its challenges because of the issues of flooding that devastated parts of the region BUT the fact that they still greeted us with a smile was a testament to their amazing spirits. Words can't express how happy I was to be there and I hope this trend will continue :)
Week 3 - The Rooster Dilemma and Other Animal Tales
Location: Kampala
The Devastating Anecdote:
On the morning of our Hatagote performance, we were rudely awakened at 4:30 AM by the incessant crowing of a rooster. His noises persisted well into breakfast, at which point everyone was ready to enact revenge. When we were asked what we wanted for dinner, many of us adamantly and half-seriously replied that we wanted to eat the rooster. Our message was delivered to the hotel staff and met with laughter, so we all assumed our request was taken in humor. However, after returning back to the hotel after our performance, we noticed the rooster was missing --and coincidentally we had chicken that night. It suddenly dawned on us that our earlier request was taken seriously. The next morning, curiosity overcame us, and we asked about the rooster's fate --sadly, but sure enough we had eaten him for dinner the night before. However, the hotel staff assured us that he had already been on the menu and was not cooked at our behest. I'm not sure I believe this last part, but in either case, this painfully sad episode has instilled an awareness about animal welfare in Uganda.
The Implication:
While, I'm no PETA fanatic, I must say that the treatment of many domesticated livestock especially in rural Uganda has left me emotionally torn. While I recognize that these animals are essential to the diet of many people, it has also been very disconcerting to see the live-action process of their day-to-day treatment. In the United States, while the majority of the population enjoys fried chicken and steak, we are seldom exposed to the mechanisms by which there dishes are prepared. Furthermore, unless we live on farmland, most of us are deeply removed from the animals themselves. By contrast, in Uganda, many of the soon-to-be eaten animals live in close proximity to people and I would venture to say have a much more personal relationship to them. For example, the hapless rooster lived at the hotel. I think the personalization of animals to people that one sees in Uganda makes their dietary purpose so much more difficult to swallow. In the United States, we're sheltered from this, whereas in Uganda it's out in the open. The major dilemma has been reconciling the legitimate need for food in Uganda with America's animal welfare promotional campaigns. I must say that if I lived in close proximity to animals, I could never eat them...but then again maybe the circumstances would be such that it would be necessary for survival.
The Devastating Anecdote:
On the morning of our Hatagote performance, we were rudely awakened at 4:30 AM by the incessant crowing of a rooster. His noises persisted well into breakfast, at which point everyone was ready to enact revenge. When we were asked what we wanted for dinner, many of us adamantly and half-seriously replied that we wanted to eat the rooster. Our message was delivered to the hotel staff and met with laughter, so we all assumed our request was taken in humor. However, after returning back to the hotel after our performance, we noticed the rooster was missing --and coincidentally we had chicken that night. It suddenly dawned on us that our earlier request was taken seriously. The next morning, curiosity overcame us, and we asked about the rooster's fate --sadly, but sure enough we had eaten him for dinner the night before. However, the hotel staff assured us that he had already been on the menu and was not cooked at our behest. I'm not sure I believe this last part, but in either case, this painfully sad episode has instilled an awareness about animal welfare in Uganda.
The Implication:
While, I'm no PETA fanatic, I must say that the treatment of many domesticated livestock especially in rural Uganda has left me emotionally torn. While I recognize that these animals are essential to the diet of many people, it has also been very disconcerting to see the live-action process of their day-to-day treatment. In the United States, while the majority of the population enjoys fried chicken and steak, we are seldom exposed to the mechanisms by which there dishes are prepared. Furthermore, unless we live on farmland, most of us are deeply removed from the animals themselves. By contrast, in Uganda, many of the soon-to-be eaten animals live in close proximity to people and I would venture to say have a much more personal relationship to them. For example, the hapless rooster lived at the hotel. I think the personalization of animals to people that one sees in Uganda makes their dietary purpose so much more difficult to swallow. In the United States, we're sheltered from this, whereas in Uganda it's out in the open. The major dilemma has been reconciling the legitimate need for food in Uganda with America's animal welfare promotional campaigns. I must say that if I lived in close proximity to animals, I could never eat them...but then again maybe the circumstances would be such that it would be necessary for survival.
Week 3- Theater for Development
Coming to Uganda, there was only one part of the program that I was really dreading: the performance. I don't particularly like getting up on stage in front of people and the thought of learning a completely foreign performance genre did not sound exciting. Our group was informed that we would be doing a performance--singing, dancing, and a short play--to educate the community about the importance of sanitation. In theory, I really like the idea of performance for development, a technique in which important public health information is conveyed through a popular recreational outlet. But, if it had been up to me, I would not have been one of the people to actually get up and perform. Unfortunately, that was part of the program I signed up for.
For the past two weeks we've had training sessions to learn the two songs, the dance routine, and our individual parts in the play. I hate to say this, but it was my least favorite part of the day. Since I wasn't really interested in the performance, I felt like I could have been using the time to do something that was more valuable to me. I will admit, perhaps I was too quick to judge and didn't give the performance a chance. Regardless, it was a long two weeks of rehearsals that I kept wishing would end. This past weekend, it was finally time to do the real performance.
On Saturday morning we met Hatagote, the performance group that we would be joining. We did a rehearsal of all the pieces and discovered that the way we were taught was not at all the way the group performed the pieces. That meant more time trying to learn the new routine and trying to sing and move faster since we had rehearsed at too slow a speed. At first I felt incredibly awkward, inept, and annoyed. Some of the Hatagote group members were very friendly and tried to help us navigate, but others just seemed to watch us amusedly. By the end of the rehearsal I was feeling slightly more capable of performing without making a complete fool of myself, but I still wouldn't say I was looking forward to it.
After a large lunch and a thunderstorm, we headed off to Busabi, a village in the east, to do the official performance. We dressed in traditional costumes and headed into the middle of a very large circle of people. Once the performance started, it actually turned out to be more enjoyable than I expected. There was a lot of energy and the crowd was clearly enjoying it. There were moments when I felt very out of place and like everyone was staring at the 9 muzungus doing a silly dance. But, at other times I felt like a member of the Hatagote group and forgot about the differences between us and the fact that we were a spectacle. Ultimately, the performance was not the horror that I had been dreading and was definitely better than all of the rehearsals leading up to it. I fully support the idea of theater for development, and if by having 9 foreigners there it drew a few more locals to see the performance, then perhaps it was worth it. Being different usually seems to be a bad thing, but in this case I think my status as a spectacle in Uganda was worth it. Regardless of whether I felt uncomfortable or not, I helped convey a very important message about sanitation. Here's to the unexpected!
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