Life In The Rainy Season

There are only two seasons in Uganda: rainy and dry. Twice a year for two or three months it rains every day—not all day every day, but it does rain part of the day. Sometimes the rain is very heavy with loud thunder and lightening while other times it is just a light summer rain, but nevertheless it rains every day. At the moment we are in the middle of the first rainy season. It starts in early April and lasts through mid June. The temperature stays in the mid 80’s, so it is hot whether it rains or shines. That is the beauty of living on the equator. Can you find the equator on the map?

I spend most of my days visiting widows and helping them with their various needs. Some are sick and need medical help or someone to just sit with them to encourage them. Some of them are in need of food for themselves and their children. Right now food prices in the world are going up dramatically. People here eat rice, beans, spinach, potatoes, and matooke (a type of banana that can be cooked and mashed like potatoes). Each of these foods have doubled in price in the last month, really putting pressure on families who are earning less than a dollar a day. I am trying to help provide food for these families so they can eat a good meal every day. In fact, some people in Eastern Uganda have been dying of starvation. This issue of food prices is truly having devastating effects for the poorest people here.

All the widows need help paying school fees for their children. School in Uganda is not free. Even the public schools require the parents to pay for their children’s education. The cheapest school is $90 a year, which is an impossible amount to pay for those who earn so little. Therefore, I am helping to find sponsors for these children so they can go back to school. When we get sponsors to pay the school fees of a child, they get so excited many of the children start singing and dancing! Some have had to sit at home for years, so they are thrilled to have the opportunity to learn. It is their only chance to have a better future.

The widow’s bead business is slowly earning them more money to help pay for food, medical care and school fees. In fact some churches and businesses in Minneapolis have now ordered beaded jewelry from them. It has become a way for many of them to earn money on a consistent basis. At our last widow’s meeting, we sang and danced for an hour. It was a time filled with joy and laughter!

Over the last few months, Kampala has really become my home and I am so happy here. The weather is beautiful, the people are lovely and life is always exciting! I have made so many widow friends. I just love spending time with those women!

I hope you are all getting excited for summer vacation!

Ms. Miller

A Vacation In Gulu

A couple weeks ago I went to Gulu, Uganda. Gulu is located in the Northern part of Uganda. Can you find it on the map? Gulu can be translated as “heaven” and let me tell you it so beautiful there that you think you are in heaven. Each banana tree, each palm tree, each small plant is a deep green and the flowers are radiant. Each flower is like a burst of color. It is truly a beauty you only see in a tropical climate. Gulu is also not far from the Nile River. It is a mighty river full of waterfalls, intense rapids and incredible animal life. The river serves as a water source for hippos, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, elephants and baboons. In fact as the bus crossed the bridge spanning the mighty Nile, several baboons and their young sat along the road staring as we drove by.

With all this beauty and a name like heaven, it is hard to believe that war has been a part of this place for the last 20 years. The Lords Resistance Army (LRA) has been fighting the National Ugandan forces for what for many children here seems like a lifetime. The LRA gets more soldiers by kidnapping children as young as 8 years and forcing them to join them. These children are taken from their families and often forced to kill their family and neighbors. They are hurt if they try to escape, yet some do escape. They are the lucky ones. However, they often have no family left to go home to, so many organizations, like Cornerstone, have created homes for them to live in. While I was in Gulu, I stayed at one of those homes. I ate with those formerly abducted children. I played games with them. (Susan, I brought the games you gave me to them and they loved them! Thank you for your kindness!) I watched some movies on the computer with them. I watched as they danced their traditional Acholi dance. I let them take pictures with my camera. I really loved being with them and seeing how the therapy they are now experiencing is helping them heal from the bad things that have happened to them. They are slowly learning to be kids again!

Since I have returned from Gulu, I have been helping more widows. Two widows were very sick with AIDS, but have now regained some strength and are now doing better. There are now 3 widows that have been able to send their children back to school and still more who have now started a jewelry making business. It is exciting to help people and to watch them get better! Most of my days are spent visiting these widows and being their friend.

On Thursday, I will be going back to the International School to substitute teach for another class. It will be fun to see all the students there again!

If you want to see pictures of Gulu, please go to http://picasaweb.google.com/kari.lisa101271 and look for the Gulu folder.

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the warmer weather! I know I am!

Ms. Miller

The International School Of Uganda

The International School of Uganda is located about 8 kilometers (Can you find out how many miles that is?) from the city of Kampala. It is a sprawling campus on top of a very large hill. All the classrooms have two doors that lead directly outside. In fact there are picnic tables outside the classroom where students can work on projects or with volunteers. There are no hallways but only paths through beautiful gardens complete with small ponds with turtles, fish and gorgeous flowers. So, in order to get to the gym, the pool, the music room or the computer lab, you walk outside along the paths. It was so fun to take my little class of 10 students through campus to music or to recess.

Once inside the classroom all the students take off their shoes and go barefoot. It is so dusty here, that it helps keep the classroom clean to not wear shoes inside. Plus it is very hot—no air conditioning. They also have swimming lessons once a week instead of a regular PE class, so often we have wet swimsuits and clothes hanging out side the classroom. Otherwise the classroom looks very much like ours.

The kids who attend this school are from all over the world. They are living in Uganda because their parents are diplomats, business owners, missionaries or working abroad. I had kids in my class from England, Denmark, Ethiopia, Israel, Mexico, Liberia, Egypt and the United States. In each class almost all the students are from a different country, which makes it so interesting. I learned a lot about how other people live around the world. In order to better understand each other, the common language everyone speaks is English. Our classroom was filled with English yet we all had different home countries. It was a lot of fun!

The students are using the IB model and in the middle of their 4th PYP unit for the year. We are investigating the biomes of the world. What they are, what makes them different, why the world needs that kind of environment. It was fascinating to investigate thei topic with them. The students lead the learning through interesting questions. I feel like I learned just as much as the students!

All in all, I had a great week at the International School and I hope I get a chance to sub there again. I had some trouble uploading pictures so if you want to see pictures of the school, you can go to http://picasaweb.google.com/kari.lisa101271 and look for the International School folder.

Now that I am done subbing, I am back helping the widows. Several of them have been very sick, so I have been helping them get medicine so they can get better. I have also helped some of their children pay their school fees so they can go back to school. It feels really good to help people.

I hope you all are doing well and studying hard!
Ms. Miller

I have enjoyed settling back into my life here in Kampala. Uganda is a beautiful place to live. It is about 85 degrees every day and the sun feels very, very hot. There is hardly a cloud in the sky. They have two seasons here: dry and wet. Right now we are in the dry season where it is hot and sunny every day. I have been using a lot of sunscreen so I don’t burn, but it feels so great to be out in the warm sunshine!

Many of you may be wondering what I eat while I am here. I actually love the food here because it is so fresh. Everyday I go across the street from my house and buy fresh onions, green peppers, carrots, peas, avocadoes, pineapples, watermelons, papayas or tomatoes. The picture above shows what this market looks like. You can also go to grocery stores and buy rice, spaghetti, juice, soda, bread and many of the same things you can buy in the US. This week I fried some fish fillets and ate it with rice and avocado. I also made a vegetable soup from fresh tomatoes, carrots, peppers and onions that I served over rice. It was very good. Last night I went to a restaurant in town and had roasted chicken and potatoes. After dinner each night I eat some fresh fruit. It is so yummy; in fact it is the best fruit I have ever tasted!

This week I did not work at the International School as no subs were needed, but I did spend time with the widows I have been trying to help. They are really struggling to feed their children, pay their school fees and to pay their rent. Some of them are very sick with HIV and other diseases. I have tried to help them get more food and to help them get sponsors so their children can get to school. Even though they have many problems, they are determined to love their children and to do the best they can. Sometimes I cry when I think of how difficult life is for them, but it just makes me more determined to help them.

Next week I will substitute for a 2nd grade teacher at the International School. They are also doing PYP units just like you! It will be fun to see how their school works! I will make sure to give you a full report next week.

If you read my blog last week, I told you how I get around town. One way I get around town is on a “boda, boda.” One of the pictures I put up for you shows me riding on a boda, boda. Can you guess what that is?

Keep studying hard!
Ms. Miller

Back Home In Kampala

I am so happy to be back in Kampala, Uganda where the weather is always sunny and hot. It is such a nice change after the freezing cold temperatures in Minnesota. I heard it was still only 0 degrees yesterday. Yikes! I am so glad to be free of the cold!

I live in the same house with the same family that I lived with last year. The house is located on a main road just outside the city limits. I do not have a car here so I use public transportation. There are currently 3 ways for me to get around town: a large van called a "taxi", on the back of a motorbike called a "boda boda," or to walk. I have used all three forms of transportation in the last week and I am happy to say that I feel very comfortable. The scariest form of transportation is the boda boda. Typically, you ride on the back of the motorcycle and then proceed to weave in and out of traffic. They drive fast and very close to other cars. It is dangerous, so I am very careful about when I take them.

I went to the International School today and met some of the teachers that I will be subbing for. My first subbing job will be for Ms. Infield, a teacher originally from the UK. She teaches 2nd grade and only has 10 students in her class. That's right 10 students plus a full time teacher's aide. Can you imagine if you only had 10 students in your class? As part of their PE class, they go swimming every day in the beautiful outdoor pool. It is so beautiful! I will try to include some pictures next time I write to you.

This afternoon, I will be visiting some very special ladies. I got to know some widows last year. Widows are women whose husbands have died. Most of these ladies are sick with a disease called HIV and are struggling to care for 5 or more children. They are living in poverty. Poverty is when you can't meet two of your three basic needs. That means that most of these women are unable to feed, clothe or provide shelter for themselves and their children. I spent a lot of time last year trying to help these ladies, so this afternoon I will visit some of them to see how they are doing.

I hope you all are working hard at school and being good for Ms. Graef! Feel free to email questions or comments. I would love to hear from you!

Ms. Miller

Have A Great Summer!

I know all of you are excited about your upcoming summer vacation! I hope you all have a great last week of school! Just know that I am as hot as you are—there is no air conditioning here. Every day you pray for a gentle breeze and for some cloud cover. The sun here is very hot because it is so direct. I am closer to the sun here than you are, so you can burn very easily. I am always careful to put on sunscreen. I am getting used to sleeping in this extreme heat, but it is hard to never be able to escape the heat.

This last week, I enjoyed teaching the boys at the orphan home. I was teaching them how to say things in English then they were teaching me how to say things in L’Ugandan. I am really enjoying learning a new language and to being able to understand more of what people are saying. It is amazing how quickly you can pick up a new language if you are immersed in it. I am also feeling so much more confident in moving around the city. I have learned which road goes where and where things are located. I often ride a taxi-bus, which looks like a small van with 4 rows of seats. Often they can cram 20 people in the bus, so you sit very, very close to the person next to you. Then when you want to get off the bus, you shout “Conductor, massou.” The bus then pulls to the side of the road and you get off. Each ride is about $0.25, so it is an economical way of getting around town. I always have to pay close attention though, so I get off the bus at the right place.

Today, I went shopping in the heart of Kampala. I was looking for some pajamas. The interesting thing about shopping in Uganda is that everything is negotiable. When you want something, you begin bartering. Usually the seller suggests a price for the item, and then you suggest another price. This goes on for 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Finally, when you are okay with the price, you pay the seller or you walk away and say no thank you. When you walk away, the seller may then accept your price or let you walk away. Bartering for everything from food to clothing has been hard to get used to. I was not skilled at knowing how to get a good price for what I wanted, but I am learning and getting better at it.

Next week I am heading up to Gulu where most people live in refugee camps. Refugee camps are places where people live when a war is being fought on their land. They can no longer live in their hometowns, so they have to move to a “temporary” place. This war has been going on for 20 years, so some kids have only known the refugee camp as home. Ugandan soldiers guard these refugee camps, so that they people are safe from the rebels. It is important to stay close to the camp because the rebels like to kidnap children and force them to become soldiers. I will spend the night with a widow in a refugee camp, so that I can know the suffering of these people. It will be an emotional experience, but it is always important to care about the suffering of others.

I will also be visiting 3 homes that take care of former child soldiers and AIDS orphans in Gulu. These kids have had some really traumatizing things happen to them, but they are now in an environment where they can get some counseling. The mentors that live with them are slowly helping them get better. They are now going back to school or learning a trade. The picture at the top is of Laker, the director of the program, and one of the kids at the home. They are kids just like you with the same hopes and dreams who want a normal life. Many of them have lost their parents due to war or to AIDS. It is hard for them, but they are determined to take school seriously and get a better life for themselves.

So, dear students be thankful that you live in a country where there is no war and where school is free to everyone!! You are the luckiest children in the world!

I hope you all enjoy your summer break!! I will see you in the fall!!

Much love,
Ms. Miller

Living Day to Day

Today, I experienced the greatest rainstorm of my life. Suddenly the sky became dark and the rain came so heavy and the wind so powerful I thought it might blow the windows in. Luckily, it passed over in about 20 minutes or so. It was my first real tropical storm. Whenever it rains here the people say today it is “winter.” It always makes me giggle inside as we know winter as something much, much, much colder.

I am also getting used to eating rice, beans, matooke (a cross between bananas and mashed potatoes) every day. We usually eat the same meal every day. There is very little variety mostly because the food is inexpensive to cook and because they really love it. It is amazing after two months how I am actually starting to crave it too. However, there are restaurants here too. Sometimes I treat myself to a “western” meal. They have a good hamburger place and great Indian food.

This weekend I went somewhere special. A Ugandan friend of mine is getting married this October and there are some traditional ceremonies that the couple goes through before the marriage ceremony. One of the ceremonies is called the Introduction Ceremony—this is the English word for it. It has a name in Lugandan but I don’t remember what it is. During this ceremony, the couple go back to the village that the girl’s family is from. The whole family gets dressed in traditional clothing and is formally introduced to the boyfriend. The man must bring gifts for each member of the family to show respect for the family. Then the father and the whole clan must approve of the marriage. Then there is music, dancing and lots of food. It is rare for a westerner to be invited to an Introduction Ceremony, so I feel very honored. I traveled about 4 hours to the village and then stayed there overnight. It was an amazing experience. I have uploaded the pictures on my web site http://picasaweb.google.com/kari.lisa101271/

I am still teaching English to the street orphans and really enjoying getting to know them. I have also been involved with a group of 100 widows who are refugees from the war zone in the north. I am helping them get some land to live on. It feels really good to be helping them.

I hope you all enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend! School is almost out!! I hope you enjoy your last couple of weeks!

Much love,
Ms. Miller