On to the next thing...

Ab’omuka bali bata (How are the people at home?)

 

Teacher boot camp has ended and without missing a beat we’ve started language training (I’ll get into that later).

I had a great experience at Kira, the primary (elementary) school that we practiced our lessons at.

 Like I said I was really happy with my first week in the P-4!  My second week I was in P-7 and the ‘pupils’ were awesome! My lessons weren’t my best, but I certainly learned a lot; and if you know me at all you know I love to learn so it was another good experience.

P-7

The last day of boot camp was great.  We had celebrations and games.  We also had ‘college’ students who attend the local teachers’ college help us in the classroom.  The other half of my group are teaching these students for their teacher boot camp.  Maybe I just had the best students but the future teachers I instructed were amazing! It’s so delightful to see that within 2 weeks we are able to make such a positive and sustainable push towards better education in Uganda.  This again solidifies my purpose and makes me continue to feel like this is exactly where I should be in my life right now!

I also got some unexpected gifts from my pupils.  Avocados and mangos are like apples in America and the pupils give them to teachers.  I got a whole bag of mangos, some avocados, and oranges (which are green here) from so many of my pupils.  Ven, a veteran Ugandan teacher and Peace Corps staff said that the amount of fruits you get reflects how well you teach, so I’m feeling good : ).  I was also given a box of biscuits (cookies) and a lovely card from one of my pupils. 

Teacher Francis & I.  She was such a big help & a lovely women!

Whats next:

Language Training & homestay

For the next few days we are learning the very basics of language for the region we are going to.  Language will then continue in that region, and we will be staying with a host family.

I will be near the city of Kyenjojo.  Grandpa Ky ‘en’ Grandpa Jojo! They’re watching over me!

That is in western Uganda and there they speak Runyoro/Runtoro.  I’m very excited to learn the language because it will be a great way to integrate into my village.  I am not excited about the 8-10 hour days where we just learn the language, all day.  Peace Corps wasn’t kidding when they said ‘intense’ training.

I’m also super excited to stay with a host family.  One of my strategies to help me cope with missing my family was to build another Ugandan family.  I look forward to bonding with my host mom, dad and siblings and learning from them.  (Ang, Joe, Steven & Joc obvi nobody is replacing you!)

 

Random stuff:

I've been able to continue running.  I've always ran to explore the new places I've lived.  Recently I've discovered a comically steep hill so naturally  wanted to run up it?! The view from the top was amazing!

They also have a delicious road-side snack called a Rolex (picture coming soon). It's basically an omelet wrapped in a thin piece of fried dough... AMAZING!

Totally haven’t updated this bad boy in a while, my apologies.  I think the best way to address this gap in information is to quickly sum up a few big things.

Myself and 44 other Peace Corps trainees landed in Entebbe Airport early morning Nov 14 after 30+ hours of transit. I was a bit nervous about the people that would be joining me in this adventure but I did not need to fear.  There are so awesome people in this group and no two people are the same.  We’re all just a bunch of super cool nerds, with the best of intentions.  I’m glad to have such a great support system building here because I know I’ll be missing all of you over there. Also, 2 people have left already : /

For the first few weeks we stayed at an organic farm/hostel called ‘Kulika’ where we went through long days of training. 

For the past week (and into next week) we are staying at a teachers college about an hour outside of Kampala (the capital).

Ruth & I

Here we are in ‘teacher boot camp’ where I have been teaching at a local primary school (elementary school). Last week I taught a few lessons to a 4^th grade class.  They went very well, if I do say so myself.  This week I will be teaching middle school aged students.  Normally I’d be super pumped about this but my lessons are so obscure and not math related, so I’m a bit nervous.  For example tmrw I’ll be teaching a 40 minute lesson about the 2 types of magnets… without actual magnets.  Wish me luck. 

But less about me, let’s talk about where I am right now!

              The number of times I’ve said to myself, “I’m in Africa/Uganda right now” must be in the thousands.  I cannot believe I am lucky enough to be here.  I wish that everyone could had this opportunity to be in such a beautiful and welcoming country.  It’s so lusciously green!

The Crested Crane (bird in the middle of the Ugandan flag)

Lake Victoria

 

Kampala is a super cool city as well. Peace Corps Headquarter there is gorgeous.  We ate thanksgiving chicken there, because turkeys are too expensive.

Looking out at one of the 7 hills in Kampala from Peace Corps Headquarter

The local people here are so kind.  I’ve meet numerous people who have invited me to join them in a game of net ball (basketball without dribbling, I’m actually not horrible at it), into their homes, or open up a conversation.  ALSO, their skin is so beautifully dark, and their teeth are SO white!  I cannot speak highly enough toward the people of Uganda.

Unfortunately, they all suffer from EXTREME poverty (living on less than $1.50 a day) due mainly to the lack of jobs in country.  Something like 80% of the population is under the age of 30 so the job market is beyond competitive even if they do obtain a degree, which doesn’t happen a lot.  HIV/AIDS is very prevalent, around 7% of Ugandans have this disease. 

So since there is no guarantee of a job once a degree is obtained many students drop out. This is where I come in.  Millions of dollars are pumped into Peace Corps Uganda for Health, Education, and agriculture (respectively highest to lowest percentage).  As an education volunteer I will help to “promote a safe, healthier, and more sustainable future”.  Think: Give a man a fish he can eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he can eat for a lifetime.  I’m not in this third world country hoping to change it after my 27 months, I’ll (hopefully) be teaching, inspiring, and supporting future leaders, teachers, and positive role models for Uganda.

So, okay Rach, teachers do that everywhere, what else.  I’ll actually be a part of the first group of volunteers to begin the ‘Primary Literacy Project’ in Uganda.  This program focuses on literacy (in English) through all content knowledge.  For example throughout my math lessons last week I had my 60+ students (yes there are 60-100 students in a class) pronouncing, spelling, syllabicating, writing and reading ‘vocab’ words. Our group is a model for potential implementation in other countries around the world.

Fun Fact:  I now hand wash all my clothing, then hang them to dry.  While at Kulika we were taught proper technique and one of the Ugandans helped me out… her name was Ann (shout out to Gram!). Perfect example: this morning I woke up, went for a run then washed some of my clothes. BUT now (midafternoon) it’s about to STORM so I just ran down to my clothes to bring them inside.  Laundry day takes on a whole different meaning now.

What else:  Everybody knows I love to wear dresses and skirts so I’m fitting in well here.  The dress is very conservative: skirts/dresses below the knee, women don’t wear pants.  Super cool with me!

Also I’m pretty tan!!! Think of my next time you put a coat over your sweater, then put on a hat and gloves on ; )

Yup, this happened!!!

I have every intention of updating this a lot more and I look forward to your comments!

Miss & love you all xoxo

Hello & Good-bye

  “Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy. There will be no salary and allowances will be at a level sufficient only to maintain health and meet basic needs. Men and women will be expected to work and live alongside the nationals of the country in which they are stationed—doing the same work, eating the same food, talking the same language.

But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and satisfying. For every young American who participates in the Peace Corps—who works in a foreign land—will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace."

-John F. Kennedy Jr.

50 years after JFKs tragic death, his vision lives on and I’m so honored to be a part of it! Tomorrow I begin my journey as a Peace Corps volunteer teacher in Uganda…. FINALLY!

 

Pre-departure: The Saga

For those of you who are new, you just don’t understand; my journey to the actual journey, at this point, is comical. Long story short I’ve wanted to join the Peace Corps for a while and I applied in February… of 2012.  Things seemed to be going just fine. I interviewed and was accepted on the same day that June.  I was told, via e-mail, shortly after that they planned to send me to ‘sub-Saharan Africa’ in Spring of 2013 to teach math (!!!!), and I was to complete my medical clearance through their brand new online portal.  It sounded great, Peace Corps is going digital, but little did I know that this would be the ultimate test of my commitment to volunteer with this program. 

To sum it up, I spent 10 months in this medical approval labyrinth, getting nowhere.  I uploaded all my physicals, dental exams, prescriptions history, mental health check-ups, etc. to the online site, by fall of 2012.  I then sat waiting for months without any updates.  I would email whomever I could to check in from time to time but still nothing.  Friends, Family, co-workers, everyone constantly asked for updates, but I had none.  I even asked my not-so-thrilled-about-this-adventure-Mother if she sabotaged my acceptance!

June 2013 came around and I was beside myself; I’d been waiting for a full year without any news.

 

  At this point I called every number I could find related to Peace Corps, and I actually got the ball rolling again, so I thought.  A really nice lady at the D.C. office made my case her priority, and out of sheer sympathy for making me wait so long said I’d have an offer within a few days.  This was great, I was refreshing my e-mail while on hall duty during finals week (when I should have been grading finals) in anticipation of my official offer.  Then I got it! But when I read that I’d be in Jamaica, teaching English, leaving in March 2014 I ran to a co-workers office in tears (thanks Jen!).  Did I really just wait 12 months for a position that I had fewer skills for in a place that I hadn’t researched and though about? It was clear, that this wasn’t meant to be; I decided that I’d waiting this long, I can continue. 

Again, I called every number I could find and I was continually told that my ‘medical needs’ were limiting my options.  This lead to a confusing and in retrospect, hilarious, conversation with a PC nurse.  I mean, yeah, I only have one kidney, and I take the occasional Xanax, so what could be holding me back? Come to find out, somehow it was noted in my medical file that I needed to see a dermatologist once a month….. WHAT!? I’ve literally never been to a dermatologist!? So of course I wasn’t getting placed, that’s an impossible request.



Left: Roomie/BFF        Right: Adorable kiddies I nannie for

So that was cleared up and that same lovely lady continued to make my case a priority. The twist is that (refusing the wait around anymore) I moved to the city for the time being and was working as a nanny for a lovely family. So OF COURSE I was notified of my dream PC placement not 2 weeks after I moved down there. I was to leave for Uganda in November to teach math & SpEd!!!!

You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Okay great Rachel, you had to wait a while and some stuff got messed up but you’re in, you got this!” NOPE.  The government shutdown.  It shutdown a week before all of my final paperwork was due.  The final paperwork that ensures I have seat on the planes to Uganda.  The final paperwork that informs the medical teams over there of my history.  The final paperwork that verifies that I am Peace-Corps-worthy-eligible to teach math and SpEd. To say the least I was in shambles.  Peace Corps employees in D.C. couldn’t go to work, and the site I needed to upload all this paperwork to was shutdown, I seriously thought I wasn’t going to Uganda. I was sending e-mails to ANYONE at 2 in the morning because I couldn’t sleep.  If I was unable to go because the government was shutdown I would have lost it!

ALAS, I get a phone call from D.C. at 9am a few days after the panicked 2am emails.  Another amazing lady went into work during the shut down because a few people were in the same boat as me.  She saved me from almost losing my cool and helped me get all my paperwork to the right people.

 

It’s actually happening!!!

So here I am, mere hours from heading down to Philly for a quick 24 hour intensive staging program from which I go to J.F.K airport (very fitting) to start the 20+ hour journey to Kampala, Uganda!



I can’t post this without thanking everyone who’s supported me throughout this pre-journey. It means so much to me how so many people from every part of my life have been there for me and my parents.  I truly think that my parents are the bravest people for letting me go through with this (although I don’t remember asking them, it was more me straight up telling them).  But that is what makes them so great.  I tend to do what I want and they have always supported me.  Having both of them show so much love and concern make me feel like I may actually be able to change the world.  Mom & Dad, Ang & Joe, you don’t know how much everything you do for me means to me.  Your warm hearts, humor and unconditional love made me who I am today! 

 

 

You can always tell a Milford Man, Steve.

I also want to give a shout out to my brother and sister.  You two have shaped who I’ve become and I thank you.  Steve, you’re always my reality check when my mind dreams maybe a little too big.  Thanks for always bringing me back down to earth. & thanks for making me look cool because I’m related to you!  Joce, you are my best friend and you always brighten my day.  I really don’t know how I’m going to live without your quick wit, lack of emotions, or our binge eating when we’re together!

If I thanked everyone whom I appreciate and/or helped me get to this awesome point in my life I’d have to publish a book.  If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of them so give yourself a high five, I’m forever grateful!

 

 

 

 

Lastly: What I’ll Miss (materialistic version):

1. Food delivery
2. Hulu+ & Netflix
3. Exercise classes, mainly Soul Cycle & Baptise Yoga
4. J. Crew Style guide
5. Saunas
6. Twitter
7. Online Banking
8. Smoothies
9. Target
10. Weekends/summers at Oceans Edge Resort

 

Welp, that about does it for this post. I hope to contribute to this as much as I can over the next few years. I really look forward to your comments.  Tell me anything & everything.  Also, there is no such thing as a stupid question.  This whole thing a little complicated and constantly changing so chances are someone else is thinking the same thing.

Be well, I miss you all already!

Rachel

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