10. Will You Think Twice Before You Turn on the Faucet?

Minutes after entering the house that I would be living in for the next three months, I learned that the water from the faucet doesn't go in your mouth or onto any sores or open cuts and scrapes.

Food and water are the most basic necessities of life. A person on average can only live without water for three days. It becomes less surprising that people would resort to ingesting any type of water they can find. Even if that water is contaminated with deadly diseases and bacteria.

The water in Uganda is contaminated with dirt, fecal matter, waste and disease. Stagnant water holes breed mosquitos who carry malaria. People and animals both bathe and defecate in a river which then carries that waste down stream where another family is collecting jerry cans of water for drinking.

Dirty water.

My team kept a large supply of clean drinking water at our house to refill our water bottles. Each jerry can of water was used for cooking, teeth brushing and drinking. We would wash our hands with faucet water and then use anti-bacterial hand sanitizer after.

At any given time you could see children trekking down the road with yellow cans on their heads, preparing to collect water from the river to bring back to their mothers. It is a child's job to fetch water from the closest river whenever it is needed.

Heading to get water.

The most common illnesses in Africa are transferred through the contaminated water: typhoid, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis and diarrhea. It is completely preventable too.

If clean water can't be found or afforded, purifying water only takes minutes. Filter the contaminated water at least once and then bring it to a rolling boil for at least one minute. When the water has cooled it is safe to drink.

Those extra moments of work can really save a lot of heartache and devastation and illness.

9. How Bad Do You Need to See a Doctor?

Hospital trash pile being burned only yards from the main building of the hospital.

If you are a citizen of America, you have a high chance of seeing that doctor. In the United States there are 2.67 doctors per 1000 people. In Uganda there are 0.12 doctors per 1000 people. San Marino, a tiny landlocked country in Italy of 32,000 people, has 47 doctors per 1000 people.

San Marino has no one living with HIV/AIDS, no major infectious diseases, no water sanitation issues and a life expectancy of 83 while only using 7.1 percent of the countries income on health expenditures.

Uganda has...well, let's compare San Marino to the United States first.

The United States has 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS, no major infectious diseases, 33.9 percent of the population is obese, mild water sanitation issues with 1 percent of the population and a life expectancy of 78 while using 16.2 percent of the countries income on health expenditures.

Now Uganda. Uganda also has 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS. There is a very high risk of infectious diseases such as malaria, plague, African sleeping sickness, rabies, hepatitis A and typhoid fever. Approximately 33 percent of the population lives without access to clean drinking water with an average of 6.7 children born per woman in the country. The country spends 8.2 percent of its income on health for citizens, who are only expected to live until age 53.

Pediatric Ward at Kawolo Hospital in Lugazi. Patients' families hang clothes and linens to dry in the sun.

After doing the calculations, I found out that there is approximately one doctor per 8,333 people in Uganda. The population is approximately 34.7 million thus meaning there are 4,164 doctors in the entire country of Uganda.

During the Fall 2010 semester at Brigham Young University-Idaho there were 14,944 students enrolled. There were approximately 3.6 times more students at BYU-Idaho then there are doctors in Uganda.

Uganda currently has five medical universities with two more planned to open in 2012 and 2015. Medicine is not seen as a prestigious profession. Doctors and nurses are underpaid, mistreated and occasionally corrupt.

At the Kawolo Hospital in Lugazi, Uganda there were two doctors, about seven clinicians and less than 40 nurses. One doctor was the medical director of the hospital as well, so I don't believe he practiced much medicine.

Maternity Wing/NICU at Kawolo Hospital

At Methodist Hospital in Sacramento, California, it is estimated that there are 75 doctors and around 300 nurses. They are licensed for 169 beds.

Karl Marx, the father of Socialism, argued about the unequal distribution of resources and the need to properly distribute. This same principle should be applied to the distribution of doctors.

If there are numerous infectious diseases running rampant in a country that only has one doctor for every 8,333 people, how is anyone expecting these diseases to be eradicated? Should we give up on these people and their potential because there isn't a way for them to help themselves?

Doctors Without Borders is an amazing organization devoted to providing the medical attention that is needed throughout the world. Volunteer doctors and nurses travel to over 60 countries to provide life-sustaining assistance to those threatened by violence, neglect or catastrophe.

Hand washing station, reserve water tanks, tomorrow's dinner roaming around.

With Uganda building two more medical universities in their country, hopefully those graduates will fight in Uganda to end the medical crisis that they face. It will be those devoted Ugandan men and women who will finally bring the revolution to Uganda ... finally ending the poverty that has plagued them for generations.

8. HIV/AIDS: Prevalent in Uganda and America

The first time I ever heard anything about HIV and AIDS was from the musical RENT. I did not know very much, I later found out when a clinician in Uganda named Emmanuel proceeded to teach me everything he knows about the conditions.

**This is not a complete history, discussion, or analysis of HIV/AIDS. For more information visit the CDC website for up-to-date facts and discoveries.**

Human Immunodeficiency Virus is the virus that causes AIDS. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is a disease interfering with the immune systems ability to defend the body. People with AIDS are more likely to get other common infections and opportunistic infections that a healthy immune system would be able to fight off, such as pneumonia or tuberculosis.

Transmission of HIV is through bodily fluids: blood, semen or vaginal fluid and breast milk. Sexual transmission is most common, through unsafe sex. Blood transfusions used to be common but they have been virtually eradicated through increased screening processes.

There is no known vaccination for HIV or cure for HIV/AIDS. Prevention is the most efficient way to avoid the disease but there is hope for those who have been exposed. Antiretroviral treatments have been developed to successfully increase the quality of life and prolong the lives of those infected.

At the HOPE Orphanage in Ssetta, they had four HIV positive orphans.

AIDS was first reported in Los Angeles, California in 1981. It is commonly thought to be only prevalent in homosexual individuals because it was first diagnosed in five homosexual men and the most high profile cases were famous homosexual men. HIV/AIDS does not know sexual orientation though. It also does not know race. While HIV is rampant around Africa, there are still 1.2 million people living in the United States with HIV.

When I was in Uganda, I worked with Emmanuel doing HIV tests at the Lugazi University Clinic. We offered free tests to University students and their families as well as counseling about HIV prevention and treatments. Testing is very simple and cost-friendly. You prick the finger of the patient to release a small amount of blood that is then put onto a test strip. After waiting about five minutes, the strips can be read: one line means negative while two lines means positive. A positive test calls for a secondary test to rule-out false positives. If this second test says positive then it is sure but if it says negative, a third "tie-breaker" test is performed.

The test is checking for antibodies for HIV in your blood. If those antibodies are present, then you are positive. It does take some time for the antibodies to develop in the body, so if infection just occurred, a secondary testing session six months later is necessary.

University workers waiting for test results in the clinic.

The Ugandan government has successfully adopted the ABC campaign for teaching about HIV/AIDS: Abstinence, Be faithful, Contraceptive (if a and b fail). Promoting this campaign in schools, hospitals, and clinics has dramatically decreased the percentage of HIV infected citizens but HIV/AIDS in Uganda is still considered to be an issue.

There is still a lack of knowledge among people in Uganda about the dangers of HIV even with all of the informational campaigns circulating. The availability of treatment drugs and prevention tactics are little known in rural villages. Contrast that with all the knowledge about the dangers and difficulties of HIV that we know here in America and this next fact will shock you.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention released a new estimate that only 28 percent of the 1.2 million people living with HIV in the US are receiving treatments.

With all our knowledge and information, why are 72 percent of infected individuals not being treated?

Equipment required for HIV testing: test strips, antiseptic wipes, clean and sterile needles.

HIV is highly contagious when you come in contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual. During one HIV testing session in the village of Kyunga, Uganda, clinician Emmanuel pricked a patient's finger to draw his blood and dropped the contaminated needle onto his foot, drawing a small amount of his own blood. That small interaction of blood could have proved devastating for Emmanuel if the patient had tested HIV positive. Luckily for all involved, the patient was negative. But Emmanuel still needed to be aware that he needed a follow-up test six months later to be sure that there was no transmission of the virus.

I met a 22 year old man named Henry during my first time working with Emmanuel at the University clinic. I spoke with Henry about why he was getting tested. He said that he wanted to know his status. It is important to know your HIV status because that can drastically change your whole life. A positive status pretty much means a death sentence. There are pills and treatments and counseling but there are also immense risks and dangers involved with having HIV. He didn't want to be in dark anymore about where his life was going.

Then he asked if I had been tested. I said no. He asked why I didn't want to know my status. I told him I already knew I was negative because I had not participated in the risky behavior that leads to transmission. But after I explained that, I still felt uneasy. The next time I worked with Emmanuel, I asked him to test me. After sterilizing my finger and opening a new needle and testing strip, Emmanuel administered the test and I was able to experience the unease that each other person in the waiting room felt while waiting for their results. The unknown.

The others who were tested on the day that I was. Three other volunteers on my team were tested.

During my results consultation, I was informed that I was negative. It really was a surprisingly big relief to hear the words even though I already knew. The weight of the unknown was off my shoulders and I could then say with certainty that I was HIV-negative.

Negative tests in hand with Emmanuel after we all found out our results.

There are still millions of people who cannot say those words though. People who live with the weight of HIV on them each day. Holding their status in their hands and knowing that it will eventually kill them. HIV/AIDS is still majorly prevalent in the world, even in the United States.

December 1 is World AIDS Day. The one day a year to focus purely on AIDS. To spread awareness. To let the victims of HIV/AIDS know that they are not alone, and that someone cares about them. So this year Represent to Prevent and help us get to zero.

What People are Doing: Invisible Children

Invisible Children has been involved in the fight against the civil war in Uganda since 2003. During the past eight years, they have done all they could to bring the issue to the news and to develop ways to provide help to the people of Uganda. The following video shows the progress they have made.

.peace.

Two More Stories

John:

I met John during my weekend in Gulu last summer. He consented to tell his story in hopes that those that heard it would bring the horror back to America.

John was kidnapped when he was only 12 years old. He was hiding in the bush (the tall weeds and grass that surrounds the displacement camps) one night because he was too exhausted to walk all the way into town, which was about 3 miles away. He heard from his hiding spot as the army attacked his camp. He stayed as still as possible in hopes that they wouldn't find him. But they did. When John thought that the army had fled the camp, he started to leave his hiding spot and two men grabbed him threatening him with guns.

John was told that his whole family had been killed, so his best option was the "security" of the Lord's Resistance Army. John was a soldier in the army for 9 years. He worked closely with the leader, Joseph Kony, and he knew intimate details about the organization of the rebel army.

John blocked the terrible acts he committed from his memory. He is still effected each day by the things he was forced to do to innocent children and families. But each time he did, he knew that he was one day closer to freedom.

During an attack, John was shot in the leg and deemed useless to the army. Because he was such a faithful soldier, Kony allowed him to live and be taken back to his home. No one in his family survived in Gulu so John was taken to a recovery center to rehabilitate. He was given medical help and therapy to discuss what he went through. When he was allowed back into civilization, he experienced a personal stigma from other people. They believed he was still the enemy because he had been with the army for so long. It is hard for him to get a job because of this stigma.

Edward:

I met Edward at the rehabilitation center World Visions. He was still unable to leave the center because he suffered from severe post-traumatic stress, even years after escaping. He told us this story.

Edward was a soldier in the army for only a few weeks, when his commanding officer forced him to prove his loyalty to the army. They ambushed a small village and kidnapped a few women. The officer picked one woman and told Edward that if he was truly loyal to the cause he would have to use a machete to cut off her nose, lips, ears, and fingertips.

Edward was only 13 when the officer made him do this. He reluctantly accomplished the task and the army left the woman there to die.

Four months later, Edward escaped from the army during a direct battle with Ugandan government military. Edward was brought to World Vision to be treated medically and mentally. A few days after he was there, he spoke with a therapist about this "loyalty initiation."

Days later, a woman approached him from behind and said hello. This woman was the same woman that Edward had mutilated months before. She had somehow crawled to a main road a mile from where the army abandoned her and she was picked up hours later and brought to World Vision. When she told him this, Edward burst into tears. The woman looked at him and told him not to cry. She was alive and recovering. She did not blame him and was not at all angry with him for what he did. She forgave him immediately after the event occurred, and now hoped that he could forgive himself.

Days after that encounter, Edward tried to escape World Vision, and his life, by jumping off the retaining wall. During the next few months he attempted suicide three more times.

When I met Edward in 2010, he had been living at World Vision for two years. He was not able to leave the center because he was believed to be a danger to himself.

James' Story

Over the years, news crews have brought attention to the tragedy happening in Uganda and have asked victims to recount their story for the world to read.

James is a school teacher in one of the Internally Displaced Persons camps in the outskirts of Gulu. He was asked to narrate his story under a different name for safety purposes.

My name is Kilambus Charles. I come from Gulu district, which is found in northern Uganda. This district has been affected by the continuing civil war that has made great impact on the people living in the region.

I was abducted by rebels together with my wife in the middle of 2003 and stayed with them for 3 months.

It was around 9:00 p.m. and I was asleep in my room. Suddenly we were surrounded by rebels and I heard a kick at the door and was ordered to open it. Two rebels forced their way inside my room and tied my arms behind my back using my shirt. They looted my clothes, mobile phone, camera, bed sheet and many other things including the original of my exam certificate. They ordered my wife to carry all those properties and bring them out while the other rebels were busy looting properties from my mother's and brother's house.

They took us to join about 70 other people who had been rounded up. I was tied around the waist with one person and they put my wife close to me and ordered me to take care of her. If she escaped, I would be killed.

They took us to the next village and put us there while other rebels went back to collect food that was given to us and carried it with them. We walked a distance of 50 kilometers that night without resting and carrying bean seeds of 75 kg. Those who were unable to carry such weight were killed.

On our way, two of the former rebels whose feet were swollen and the skin was peeling off were killed and they told us that the same thing may happen to any one who could not walk.

We were going towards Sudan straight away. We walked for four days without eating anything and with the heavy load. I got tired and my feet started to swell and peel off as a result of walking a long distance. I was weak already. Life was terrible.

The rebel commander ordered that we had to increase the speed of walking because the Ugandan army, UPDF, was following us. But I couldn't walk. So I was beaten seriously and they ordered me to run quickly if I didn't want to be killed. So I had to do it. During the process of beating, I was given dislocation in the bone and seriously injured in my body.

When we entered in the camp, we were welcomed by other rebels. In the morning the rebel commander ordered us in line. They started selecting young girls who were 10 to 15 years old to be the rebel's wives, which is a violation of children's rights and at the same time is child abuse. Those who were not beautiful or had problems in their legs or body so that they could not manage what ever was needed, must be killed and they did it. Now, with those serious killings we found it normal. Staying with them, I started learning from them how the rebels behave compared to home. But there was no way I could escape.

Once day around 10:00 am we were attacked by an army helicopter gunship. We continued moving and taking cover in the tall grass and under trees. The rebel commander ordered killed people who were dressed in white and red since those colors would eaisily be seen by the soldiers in the helicopter. Two of the abducted girls were killed there and then. I had on white shorts and a green t-shirt. I feared I was the next person to be killed. But I was ordered to remove the shorts and remain half naked. I had to walk like that in the tall grass until we arrested some civilians who had a good pair of trousers.

This is how I escaped from the rebels: One day I was chosen to be among the 150 people to participate in a battle with army soldiers. When we met with those soldiers and the battle was terrible, I was among the 30 abduted who luckily narrowly escaped death."

7. The War in Northern Uganda Examined

I am going to use the city of Gulu to represent the entire northern region of Uganda. Gulu was the epicenter for the terror that was inflicted upon the people of Uganda by Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army beginning in 1987 and continuing until 2007, though there is still a threat today as Kony and the LRA have only moved one country over to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Uganda

Kony began his reign of terror, taking over for Alice Lakwena when her efforts were thwarted during an attack in southern Uganda, claiming he was possessed by the Spirit of God and instructed to overthrow the government with the help of the Acholi people (the main inhabitants of Gulu).

To accomplish this governmental overhaul, Kony recruited people who believed in him to build up his army. Without much luck in recruiting people to "the cause," Kony and his comrades took to kidnapping children and pillaging towns and villages. The LRA is most infamously known for ravaging northern Uganda and creating such an extreme fear in the people, that they were forced into Internally Displaced Peoples camps.

These camps were eventually created by the government in an effort to protect the people. They erected temporary hut dwellings for multiple families to live in. At one time there were an estimated 2 million people living in the displacement camps. There were a few government sanctioned soldiers guarding the camps, but, when night fell, it didn't really matter. Soldiers abandoned their posts and the camps were left vulnerable.

Internally Displaced Peoples Camp

Kony's army was very strategic about their recruitment. Adults were hard to control, so they were killed or mercilessly beaten. Children could be kidnapped with great ease and brainwashed into compliance. Children were also in abundance and easily replaceable. Machetes were a popular tool among soldiers and were easily wielded by small children.

The Lord's Resistance Army's tactic was to ambush villages or camps, pillage homes, kill or severely maim adults and kidnap the young children for soldiers or wives. Girls were taken to "please" the high ranking officers.

Temporary camp dwellings people were forced to live in

To avoid being abducted, kids became "night commuters." As the sun went down, they would walk from their small villages or displacement camps into the big cities to sleep. Cities were safer because there was a more consistent military presence and the rebel army was less incline to attack. The night commuters would sleep under store awnings or in alley ways. When morning came, the children would commute back to their homes, hopeful to find their parents safe.

The founders of the organization Invisible Children created an informational video about the terror that struck the area and it bled into the hearts of thousands of Americans. The video focused on the children night commuters that were effected by the war.

Kidnap victim. He escaped and is now receiving medical care and therapy.

This went on for years. Children weren't able to go to school because of the need to commute and the poor conditions in the camps. Millions lived in fear for their lives with each passing day. The Ugandan government did what they could to keep the people safe, but even that effort was not enough to destroy Kony and his army.

I have heard horror stories about the intimidation that the army utilized to manipulate these innocent children into doing their bidding. Stories of children being forced to kill their own parents to show loyalty or forced to kill or maim another kid to save their own life are common. Kony is featured on Forbes' list of The World's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives. He is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes among other charges.

While Kony and the rebel army have fled Uganda, they are still rampant in parts of Sudan and especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo. How many more people need to suffer and die before we, as brothers and sisters of these victims, realize the change that needs to be made?

6. The Nodding Disease Epidemic

When the average person thinks about prevalent diseases in Africa, the top three choices are malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. If we magnify just Central Africa, these same diseases would prevail. But what about a disease with no known cause? And no official name? And the fact that it only affects small children in Uganda and Sudan?

Have you heard of it? It is informally known as "nodding disease." I had never heard of it either.

Nodding symptoms date back into the 1960's in Sudan and more recent years in northern Uganda. Areas of Tanzania have also reported similar symptoms but there is still speculation about a connection.

Nodding disease affects children ages 5-15. It is a brain disease that starts with an involuntary nodding of the head (similar to dozing off) and develops into severe seizures, stunted growth and extreme mental retardation.

Kids who look like they are 5 or maybe 6-years-old, are actually 12 or 13. These children are losing their adolescence. A child who is supposed to be in school or kicking a ball with friends is tethered to his house so he doesn't wander off. Because they do not fit "social norms," some children with nodding symptoms are considered dangerous and scary. The mental retardation that develops is so severe that they are kicked out of schools and parents are forced to spend every minute watching a child to prevent their death.

A growing number of these children have been dying because of a lack of supervision. Falling into fires and walking into traffic are common causes of death, as well as parents abandoning children on the road side when symptoms first appear. With the poor conditions that families already live in, some parents find no other option than to relieve themselves of the burden of a sick child.

There is no known cause. There is no effective cure. Members of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have been tirelessly researching nodding disease and have yet to come up with more than basic theories about the origin. Some theories include post-traumatic stress disorder (from the horrific events in northern Uganda and Sudan initiated by Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army), vitamin deficiencies or malnutrition and rampant genetic disorders. Each theory brings about questions of validity. Why aren't these symptoms arising in other African countries ravaged by war? Why is it only in Uganda and parts of Sudan that malnutrition would cause this disease?

Research continues steadily, but there is an issue with funding and where resources will come from in the future.

Unfortunately, if this disease appeared in America, there would be no end to the funding that is given. With all the money that the world spends on military each year ($780 billion US), protecting ourselves from each other, imagine how many children could possibly be cured of nodding disease. Or given a better life situation ... one where they aren't tethered to their home for days on end.

HELP International: Uganda, Lugazi 2010

Here's a little plug for my HELP International team.

Lugazi, Uganda 2010

I just wish everyone could experience something like this once in their life.

The world would be a completely different place.

.peace.

5. How Time Really Affects Us

As of 2009, the life expectancy in America was almost 79. In Uganda, the latest statistics show life expectancy around 49. A 30 year difference.

Imagine how much knowledge, how much experience, how much love a person can gain in that 30 year difference. When the average Ugandan is dying, the average American hasn't even retired; the average American isn't even considered a senior citizen yet. Americans are not even beginning to think about social security. And Ugandans are dying.

Thirty years is 360 months. Thirty years is 1, 565 weeks. Thirty years is 10, 957 days. Thirty years is 262, 974 hours. Thirty years is 15, 778, 463 minutes. Thirty years is 946, 707, 779 seconds.

Every three seconds a child dies from hunger related to poverty. How many children die during those 30 years? How many children die in one year? One month? One week? How about just one minute? 20. Twenty children die from hunger in just one minute.

Here is my new favorite statistic: Americans spend approximately $2 billion each year on candy during Halloween. Just on candy. Just for Halloween.

Compare that number to this one: it would take only $6 billion to provide education for the developing world. Three years of Halloween candy or education for the whole world? There are 121 million children without education worldwide.

Does anyone's stomach hurt?

Think of this: I just ate a "fun-sized" Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and it took me 17 seconds. How many children died while I ate that? Almost six.

I was in Uganda for three months. About 11 weeks. 80 days. 1920 hours. 115, 200 minutes. 6, 912, 000 seconds of my life living in Uganda, Africa. And if I die at age 79 I will have spent the last 59 years of my life thinking about Uganda.

When I arrived home from Uganda, I immediately knew that I was supposed to go back. I know that my "calling" on this earth is to help people. It only takes one person to change the world. But if we each were that one person, imagine how much more change could happen.

4. Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill

With the political debates broadcast across the American nation, I find it hard not to remember the impact that the 2008 Proposition 8 campaign had on America. Will there be another nasty separation in our nation with these new political candidates?

Proposition 8 put into effect that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Of this same likeness, there is a law in Uganda that penalizes homosexual behavior and activity with jail time. In 2009, anti-homosexual extremists proposed a new legislation that would increase the penalty of these acts to life-time incarceration and even death. The proposed bill is officially known as the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" but is also referred to as the "Kill the Gays Bill."

Since homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda, the 2009 bill added extreme punishment for the behavior. It acts against homosexuality with minors or disabled persons and has added penalty if the accused has HIV/AIDS. Relatives or friends who fail to report the homosexual activities of a person can also receive jail time.

Homosexuality is seen as an abomination or "un-African" by a good majority of other African countries, but Uganda is the most infamously known country to attack the rights of homosexuals.

Parliament building in Kampala, Uganda

Since Uganda heavily relies on foreign aid (approximately 30 percent of their budget comes from foreign aid), there have been an increasing number of countries threatening to withdraw aid if this anti-homosexuality bill were to pass. With full knowledge of that fact, Ugandan citizens continue to rally in the streets and protest against homosexuality. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni received increasing pressure to pass the bill from Ugandan activists but equal pressure from foreign influencers to silence the bill.

The legislation has been pushed aside and parliament meetings as recent as May 2011 have adjourned without voting on the bill. Uganda still receives the aid it needs to function as a country since the bill has yet to be decided on.

When I arrived in Uganda in May 2010, I had not actually heard about this bill. In my research of the country this bill apparently became invisible to me. Upon my arrival, we had a team meeting where we were informed of how intensely anti-gay the country was. Being a liberal minded free-thinker, I asked a trusted partner about the issue a month after being in Uganda. After a long moment of quiet contemplation, he looked at me and said, "We just do not like that. It is not ok. We do not talk about it here either. It is not a safe matter." Reprimanded, I did not press the issue any further during my stay.

Boys at the HOPE Orphanage

After seeing what Prop 8 could do to a country that is largely considered to be educated and open-minded, it is easy to see how another anti-homosexuality legislation can destroy a country that is considered to be "third-world."

http://www.thegrio.com/opinion/homophobia-in-africa-raises-questions-about-foreign-aid.php

Without the education and tolerance that we are supposed to have in America for all people, Uganda is bound to have civil distress over an issue such as this. But then why did that same distress come to America? What type of culture are we creating for our children to grow up in? One of tolerance and peace...or one of disdain and discrimination?

It's shocking to see the similarities between two countries that seem so vastly different, isn't it?

3.Gender Equality is Really an Issue

Women in America make an average of 0.76 cents for every dollar that men make in the same position or rank. Gender inequality is not a new concept for anyone, but it is especially prevalent in Uganda. Women are given jobs that require them to serve men; waitressing and cleaning are popular female jobs. Men also will not perform tasks that are seen as a woman's job, such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, child care, and shopping.

You would almost never see a man doing this

In 2008, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa released a progress report document entitled, "Action: On Gender Equality, Women's Empowerment and Ending Violence Against Women in Africa." In the Economic Participation section of the report it states, "Women in Africa experience greater challenges in accessing decent jobs than men. Women's share of employment in the formal sector is still lower relative to men and their pay is on average lower than man's pay for the same work." The same issues of gender inequality in the work place that we experience here in America, are happening in Africa, though a major difference is that women in America have more of a voice against it than women in Africa.

Our partner Emanuel felt moderately uncomfortable sitting next to me on a level field but it was okay because I am white.

The UNECA report gives a reason why women have such a hard time finding work in Africa. The "lack of education, inadequate access to training, discrimination and cultural attitudes about (women) in the work place" all contribute to their lack of employment. Women are typically "overrepresented in low-income, less secure employment" and "amongst the unemployed." There is a lack of focus on the necessity to educate and train women because of the social inclination against women in the workforce.

As a female in American society, I am appalled by the social stigmatization of working women in Africa and America. The gender roles that we all submit to have been around for generations and so has the gender discrimination that comes with it.

In the UNECA report, they state a definition of gender equality: "women having equal access to social, economic, political and cultural opportunities as men. It does not mean that women and men are the same, but rather that their similarities and differences are recognized and equally valued." It seems that at times people want to say that creating gender equality would blur the line between the genders, but as this definition states, equality means equally valued not necessarily the same.

Our favorite lady at the Patron Hotel, a common lunch spot.

If you take a moment to look throughout history, some of the most influential and inspirational people are women. Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mother Theresa. It is because they had the courage and gumption to stand up for themselves and the rest of the female population. So why is this still happening?

Yes, you can argue that it's Africa. The inherent cultural differences between Uganda and America explain the continuing gender discrimination in Uganda (and all of Africa). But then, what is there to explain the fact that women in America receive the same disrespect?

To read the full UNECA report, visit the website below.

http://www.uneca.org/adfvi/documents/ADFVI_Progress_Report_ENG.pdf

2. Have You Experienced the Terrors of Public Transport?

As a born and raised Californian, I thought I had seen it all when it came to bad driving. It's the "well known" stereotype that California drivers are the worst. I want to challenge that by throwing a new group into the mix: Ugandan taxi drivers. That is not completely fair. I should say all Ugandan drivers in general.

Lugazi taxi park

Minutes out of the airport and into the parking lot, I encountered my very first Ugandan taxi. Taxi drivers rent their van-like taxis by the day if they do not own their own (which is not very common). There are two key players in a taxi: the driver and the conductor. The driver does just that, drives. The conductor is where the fun work comes in. This man (yes always a man, in Southern Uganda at least) sits at the back door with the window open yelling at people, asking them if they need a ride. A personal favorite yell was "Jinja, Kawolo! Jinja, Kawolo!" Jinja is a tourist town about a 45 minute drive from Lugazi (Lugazi was the center of my world, so everything is a sprout off from Lugazi), and Kawolo is the area surrounding Lugazi. It is the conductors job to get passengers onto the taxi, to tell the driver when to stop, to load any extra luggage a passenger has and to collect money from passengers before they get off.

Question: How many mzungus can you pack into one taxi? Answer: 18

It is all about making money. Getting as many people into your taxi as you can and driving fast to drop them and pick up more paying customers. A regular sized taxi is supposed to fit ten people in addition to the conductor and the driver. A taxi doesn't normally run without at least 13 passengers besides the conductor and driver--and that is still relatively comfortable. Let's just say, Africans aren't the smallest of people, or the cleanest. But when you need to get somewhere, personal bubbles are popped and you breathe through your mouth. The most passengers in one taxi that I had the pleasure of riding on was 20...double the necessary capacity. Taxis are considered to be a relatively safe means of travel. With all those people packed in there like sardines, no one is going anywhere if a crash happens. Taxis can only go so fast as well.

Small taxi. Still fits at least 15 passengers.

Another, less safe, means of transport is a boda boda. My personal favorite. A little road bike/motorcycle type of vehicle. Boda drivers sit on their bikes outside of popular shops: supermarkets, gas stations, outskirts of the taxi park, and hospitals or clinics. All you need to do is say "Hey Boda Man. Sseta. 1000 shillings?" and any boda in the vicinity will flock to you. Two things to remember when boda riding: 1. know your pricing. Any ride less than 10 minutes should never cost you more than 1000 shillings, and boda drivers will try to get as much money as possible (especially from a mzungu). 2. be in control of your ride. Tell the boda man to drive slow and make sure to keep telling him. There are no helmets or seat belts on bodas and if it crashes, it is road rash city all over your body. "Slow, sebo. Very slow for the mzungu!"

Three passenger boda. Not comfy for anyone involved.

Transportation is a decent way to make a living in Uganda if you can be an independent contractor. If you own your taxi or your boda, you are set to go. Otherwise, you pay almost as much as you make in a day. Taxis have to be rented, gas purchased, conductors compensated, and taxi park fees taken care of all before any wages are taken home by a driver. Boda bodas are a hit and miss market. If it rains, bodas are out. If it is a long ride, bodas are out. If you have time, you can walk. If you want to stay relatively clean, bodas are out. And that's still excluding the fact that there are SO many boda drivers, you have stiff competition.

See anything wrong with this picture? That's the road down there and the door is tied shut with twine to hold the bags of fish inside. Thanks you Conductor.

The safest means of transport is your own two legs. Walking. Though watch yourself because pedestrians have no rights, taxi do not stop unless you are getting on and sidewalks do not exist. With that said, on a taxi, always watch your ankles. There is no telling when a goat, loose chicken or bag of fish is going to roll up at your feet.

1. Kids Living on Streets of Uganda

Sixteen months, three weeks, and six days ago a 20 year old girl basking in a life of naivety stepped off a plane in Entebbe, Uganda, Africa not knowing that from that day forward, life would not be the same.

After three months of living in a third-world country, my life was changed. Almost a year and a half later, I am still affected everyday by what I saw and experienced.

The people in the town of Lugazi live in utter poverty. The average family resides in a one or two room hut without electricity, a door, and a dirt floor. There are usually between five and seven adults and children living, cooking, and defecating in and around this small space. An average family in the United States lives in a three bedroom, two bathroom house with a television, a computer, a flushing toilet, and a lock on the door. Feel guilty yet? Oh and the average house size is now 2.59, according to the US census.

Above average house in Lugazi.

Let's add a little more on top of that. In Lugazi there is large population of "street kids." These are kids averaging between ages 4 and 10, who could not get into an orphanage and now have to live on the street in alleyways or under store awnings. Street kids have to beg, steal, and pillage to survive and support other street kids--their family. They scour the city for odd jobs to get a few shillings to buy bananas and steal what they can't afford. A street kid will boldly approach a white person (Mzungu, we are called) and beg for money. Their swollen bellies and boney bodies are hard to walk away from, when you know fully well that you have shillings to spare in your pocket.

Street kids enthralled by Mzungu cameras.

The money exchange is approximately 2,800 shillings for one US dollar. A bunch of 6-8 bananas runs about 1,000 shillings while a large bottle of clean, cold water is about 1,200 shillings. I walked around with anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 shillings in my bag (depending on when I went to the bank last) and I could afford to buy anything I wanted for anyone I wanted. But that can't be done.

Those kids understand the value of a dollar or a shilling because they don't have any. They know that money means food and food means less stomach pain while they try to sleep on the side of a road under the stars.

Do our American kids at age 8 or even age 15 know that value of a dollar? Are they being taught that "money doesn't grow on trees?" Or do they think that you just swipe a card and get anything you want?

Does the $10 salad at Cafe Rio or the $7 mixed drink at the bar taste good because it costs so much? Next time you throw away your leftovers at a restaurant or even at home, think about how many bananas you could have bought for kids in Lugazi, Uganda. Or how many water bottles could have been distributed among them. Think about how far your dollar could actually go in the life of a child.

Mathius, a Mzungu's best friend