Week 1...Mburara International School

So it has been just over a week since I arrived in Mbarara and the University Inn. Things have continued to improve everyday. That first weekend was a bit slow, even by Mbarara standards. The town has very little to offer in the way of entertainment, especially during the day. I am finding out more and more everyday though, and I may even go golfing tomorrow which I had never expected to do. I found someone who wants to take up golfing and since they have a nine hole course and I think it costs about $5 including the club rentals, I figured it would be a good way to spend a couple hours.

This week I continued to meet a lot of people who work for Uganda Research Initiative (URI) and I am having a hard time keeping them all straight. They are all very friendly though and are really excited to meet a white american lad. Not too many of those around here. I am sure I could count the number on one hand. I am constantly stared at as I walk around town and those who are friendly enough, shout out "Mzungu" and wave to me and laugh to themselves at such a strange cite. The kids especially. They sit there in awe with a big smile on their face.

Speaking of the kids, I went to Mburara International school three days this week and I am really excited about helping out there. There are a bunch of young guys who teach there who are really excited to have me there. They are asking questions about my travels and America and all sorts of things. They let me help out in class and join them in activities during lunch and P.E. They obviously play a lot of soccer, but surprisingly, a lot of the kids have taken a keen interest in volleyball. One of the teachers, Michael, played soccer through university, but while he was there, because the soccer team wasn't so great, took up volleyball. The kids and teachers have really come to like it a lot. While I haven't played volleyball with them yet, I did have to show them a thing or two on the soccer field. And I use the term field very loosely. It is a very overgrown, small piece of land that slopes down into a garden that is surrounded by a wooden, barbed wire fence. The only way to cut the grass is for one of the workers to use a modified machete. It was shocking to see, but that is how they cut all the grass and plants around here. A man and his machete. Whether it is the grass next to the highway or someone's back yard. I have seen two lawn mowers, one for the Mbarara University soccer field and one for the golf course. Makes you appreciate how easy it is to mow the lawn back home. So Jake, stop complaining.

I got to teach a class at the school on Wednesday which was a lot of fun. The kids were extremely engaged and had tons of questions. It is a good thing I know a bit about European Soccer, otherwise I don't know what we would have talked about. All of the kids support either Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, or my favorite, Liverpool. The lesson I taught worked on their listening skills as I read out certain mathematical sentences that they had to then solve. It was something a little different for them, which was good. Next week I think I am going to teach each class (Kindergarten through P6) a lesson using the one microscope they had donated to their school. Hopefully I can remember how to use one...let alone figure out a whole lesson to do using it...

The kids really are great and bring a smile to my face. They all run up to me and fight over who gets to hold my hand. In class, when I walk by they all stop paying attention to smile to me (which isn't the greatest thing for the teachers). They ask me everyday when they will get to see me next. I am looking forward to getting to help out. They have asked me to help do some fundraising, so we are in discussions about that right now. They have purchased a plot of land to build a new school on, but don't have the money to build anything yet. They are currently renting a large house that has been divided up into different classes, with three classes being taught in what was the living room. They put up a wooden wall to divide the room, but the wall doesn't even go up to the ceiling. The kids are all able to focus on their teacher pretty well, but I struggled mightily when I was sitting in on one of the classes. French was being taught to my right and Science to my left while Art class was going on behind me. The Principal's office is the kitchen. 

I am not exactly sure how the fund raising will go yet, but I am in the midst of talking with my good friend Ross about what he has done in Tanzania. When he is able to send me the link to the website, I will post it here. Quite exciting stuff.

Well, I am now off to a meeting to go over a proposal for a research study. I will likely post some information about the study once I have finished the proposal. They are trying to implement some pretty interesting technology here to help in the monitoring of HIV patients and their adherence to their medication.

Arrival

I made it. After an exhausting travel experience for no reason other than the shear length of the travels. The flights all went smoothly. I woke up on the second flight at about 5:45 AM local Ugandan time to see the sun starting to rise as a number of thunderclouds loomed on the horizon with lightning illuminating them.

I was spending the first night in the capital, Kampala. I was shocked by the amount of traffic and exhaust that filled the air on the drive to the hotel. Driving rules were non-existent as sometimes there were 3 lanes and other times just 1. There were young soldiers almost every 200 meters the entire 30-minute drive. Motorcycles were diving in and out and between traffic. I even saw one with a father driving his the young children on the back, without helmets, navigating their way through the traffic jam.

We passed by a lot of small villages with shops lining the streets advertising Coke products and such. There were mounds of green bananas lying on the ground waiting to be sold. These green bananas are used to make what is known as Matoke. They are steamed and then mashed. I just tried it tonight; it is extremely bland and flavorless but abundant nevertheless. The first time I wanted to try it, my waiter flat out denied it to me. He asked if I had ever had it, and when I said "No", he told me he would bring me Irish potatoes instead.

The next morning I left from Kampala to head down to Mbarara with my driver, Ibrahim or Ibra for short. Dr. Bangsberg and his team here hired Ibra about a year and a half ago when they were finally able to get the funding to buy a car. It is a beat up, but sturdy Toyota SUV. Ibra makes the 4-hour dive (8 hours round trip) between Mbarara and Kampala up to 15 times per month, picking up doctors and volunteers. He knows the roads well and so for my worrisome parents and grandparents, I was in very good hands and was never worried about my safety.

The drive was beautiful. I had told many of you that Uganda is apparently a very lush country with a lot of green growth dominating the hills. Despite having been told this, I am still shocked by just how green it is. I finally arrived at my hotel, The University Inn. The accommodations are much nicer than I had expected and I have quite a bit of room. I am about a 10-minute walk from the office I will be working out of about half the week. The offices are pretty nice too. The building is new and has nice marble floors.

The other half of the week I am going to be helping out at the Mbarara International Elementary School. I will initially be helping to set up their website while also helping with after school athletics and in the classes. As I get a better feel for the school, I will begin to increase my role and possibly help out with a project for the first graders. I will go into the school in more detail once I have work there for a bit (meaning in another blog later). After sharing some tea with the founder of the school, Miss K, I realized this was going to be quite an experience getting to work with all these kids.

Departure...

In 48 hours I will be arriving at Logan Airport to begin my long journey to Uganda. Getting there is going to be half the adventure as I will not be getting to my "hotel" room in Mbarara until Thursday around lunch time. Approximately 66 hours after I leave home.

I am anxious and excited to arrive and see what the community is like. I will be the first to admit that I am a little terrified as well, but it is adding to the excitement. Stomach is churning, palms getting a bit sweaty...although not Darren level yet...

Anyway, I just wanted to get the first post out of the way. I hope that by posting to this blog, I will be able to provide everyone with a little bit of insight into my stay in Uganda and the work I will be doing. I plan and expect to be able to post pictures as well.

I will have fairly regular access to email, so if you do have any questions or just want to say hi, feel free to drop me an email (josh.kahane@gmail.com).

As some of you know, the plan is for me to be back in Boston on December 26th. If things have gone well up until that point, I will most likely be returning to Uganda shortly thereafter, but because of all the uncertainty surrounding my program (meaning they haven't done this before) Dr. Bangsberg and I agreed this would be a good way to test it out. Anyway, time to start packing...

Mweraba