Osama Bin Laden's Death and My (unpatriotic?) Reaction

"Are we seeking power for power's sake? Or are we seeking to make the world and our nation better places to live. If we seek the latter, violence can never provide the answer. The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."
A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.

For almost 3 years now I have lived outside of the U.S. During that time, I have spent significant time in Europe, (Spain) Africa (Uganda) and Oceania (New Zealand). From a new perspective, I have learned quite a bit about my country and what foreigners think about it, as well. I have spoken to people with very strong opinions and those who have little interest in what America does outside of its implications for them personally. I have also heard from people who put my knowledge of American politics to shame.

Living outside of the U.S has given me the opportunity to be an observer and I'd like to think, more open to opinions or thoughts not felt or not expressed while living and working in a small Michigan suburb. There have been many times I've felt subject to scrutiny and respect just for being an American. I can recall several instances where within minutes of meeting someone, I was told why "most Americans, not you of course (uh...ok) are ignorant, ethnocentric, etc. Other moments, specifically in Spain and Uganda around the time of Obama being sworn in as president, I was congratulated and privileged (or forced, however you want to look at it) to hear why Americans were so great and why our country was the best in the World. I feel both the respect and the scrutiny by people who know nothing about me is undeserving.

Thankfully most people, like many Americans, don’t lump an entire nation as one. I am aware however, that at times I have stood as a representative of over 250 million people and for conversation’s sake, been the spokesperson for an entire country. I’d like to think that in those instances, I do a fair job representing what an American is; open-minded, respectful of other cultures, and interested in world events. It also terrifies me to think that some Americans I know could be put in the same situation and viewed as “the typical American” spewing off a host of ignorant or rude statements.

Watching the Osama Bin Laden coverage from India and discussing it with Indians, South Africans, Kiwis and Brits has again provided me with a different perspective than had I experienced the events surrounding his death in America. Perhaps this is why my first feelings were not of pride or satisfaction but sadness; I can’t help but feel a bit sad when I see thousands of Americans in the streets screaming “hey hey hey, goodbye,” jubilant over the death of a human being. I admit, I’m not upset to see a man who clearly hated others for being different now unable to cause more terror and spew hateful propoganda under the guise of “God’s word,” but I also don’t understand how so many Americans, half whom likely do not support the death penalty, feel a massive celebration is in order. Yes, Osama Bin Laden stands symbolically as the evil behind the destruction of the twin towers. Yes, this may be a very sobering hit to terrorist cells viewing Bin Laden as untouchable or somehow protected by Allah’s favor and yes, I understand that a public celebration might be for many who have lost loved ones in war or 9/11 a peaceful way to let out so much sadness, anger and frustration. But is this justice? Will these celebrations seen not only by those who lost loved ones in 9/11 but those who continue to lose lives from American bombings and “collateral damage” raids, bring long term peace?

My unwillingness to rejoice or lack of understanding comes from what I think of as the hypocrisy of these demonstrations and outdoor celebrations. We have watched celebrations like these done by Muslims who believe the death of American soldiers brings justice to their loved ones and American media has condemned them. Some of these "celebrants have seen their families killed by American bombs or in some cases, unjustifiably murdered. Along with war comes trigger-happy young soldiers scared and unfamiliar with foreign people and foreign lands who invariably make horrible mistakes. What is the difference between their sadness and ours? What makes it ok to declare the death of one killer “justice” and the other simply a consequence of war?

When an American flag is burned, many of us are scared and angry at the inherent hatred we seem to think comes from Islamic countries yet our media shows images and video of Americans saying things including Bin Laden’s death is “a tribute to the millions of men and women in our armed forces and elsewhere who have fought so hard for our nation.” When did death become a tribute?

I don’t condone ANY act of terror and if I had to be honest, it probably is a better world with someone spewing so many messages of hate now unable to do so but does that make it right to send the message that killing is the answer or that killing is right? I hope that along with these messages of congratulations Americans continue to educate themselves on the issues and the reasons behind the evil of someone like Bin Laden. As one Senior Afghan official tells The Guardian’s Jon Boone;

"While thrilled to see the removal of the worst enemy of Islam who inflicted irreparable damage to image of Islam and Muslims, my concern is his death becomes the justification for US's premature disengagement from the region," one senior Afghan government official who specialises in foreign affairs said. "We should not forget the sad reality that the region has suffered immensely from al-Qaida and the early mistakes and policies of the West who helped his rise, though as an unintended consequences. We should also remember he left a sophisticated and extensive diffuse network in the region and thus the need to be cautious."

After reading an article written by Elisha Goldstein, her final comments stood out and seem to perfectly encompass my own feelings:

"So goodbye Osama Bin Laden may the families and friends who have suffered at your hands feel more at peace without you around. And may you be at peace with the wars that raged within you to the point where you held the misguided delusion that killing thousands of people was somehow a path in the right direction.

May we all be free from our misguided reactions to the wars within and help guide all people into a direction of greater empathy, compassion, and peace within ourselves and the world."

That's a whoooole lotta babies!

Wednesday like usual starts off at the Bbira Health Center where along with either Sam or Nicholas, I give a presentation to about 20-30 women regarding pre and post-natal care. At first it seemed kind of pointless togo through so thoroughly all the things to consider prior to childbirth when every women there had their young newborn in their arms coming to get vaccinated! My “words of wisdom” about morning sickness and trying to do the best they can to meet their nutritional needs seemed a little silly until I realized I was thinking like a Westerner; first of all, most of these women were young. Young like 18-22 young. Many have probably never been advised at all on what to do when pregnant especially if they don’t have the funds for check-ups at their local clinic. Secondly, there is probably a 95% chance this will NOT be their last child. On average, women with no education have 7.7 children while women with secondary education have 4.4. For simplicities sake, the general countrywide statistic is that the average Ugandan woman will have 6.6 children in her lifetime. (uh WHOA?!? Anyone with me on this one?) Compare this to the United States; on average a women gives birth to 2.3 children! If you’re really interested, there is also a large discrepancy between different ethnicities and income levels but I will leave something for you to Google yourself.

I can testify to the large number of children here by what I have witnessed on home visits. I do think it’s important to note however that while women may give birth to 7 children, it is not uncommon for one or more children to die of complications or disease. So getting out of my sheltered western thoughts, I do see the value in educating mothers for future births or even perhaps to act as counselors or advisors to others and their future daughters!

Along with the presentation, we leave enough time for questions. One question I had today was a really good one posed by a woman with a very young baby. Her question; “what doI do if my neighbors smoke all the time and it is impossible not to breathe the fumes?” I was really impressed with her because for most parents, this is a trivial concern. Cigarette smoke? Falls somewhere far after meeting nutritional needs and before sending their kid to Disney World. It was also obvious when I responded with the only suggestion I had (try to explain to these young men the danger to a young child’s developing lungs and do your best to avoid it) that my answer was far from sufficient. I thought her look of "ok foreign born speaker with no children of your own" look was quite the acceptable response. I don’t think she could see herself requesting them to find another spot to smoke so I decided maybe another solution would be better and I left it at this; “just tell them the crazy mzungu told you it was necessary.”

(Photo: 2 of the kids proudly showing off their pictures!)

My afternoon was spent at the orphanage and today I brought some of the materials I came to Uganda with for the kids anddecided today would be a great day to color! The kids not surprisingly agreed! I have brought some coloring book pages before but today was met with what I later came to view as a coloring Olympics; everyone was out to make THE BEST DRAWING EVER!Great for the kids, a little

insane for me. I had the idea to tape up their pictures on the wall to allow them to show off a little and to put some color up. This was before I realized I was in the coloring Olympics. About 15 minutes in, I was already overwhelmed. I couldn’tkeep up with the demand for tape and decided to delegate. Delegating to 6 year olds is a point I never thought I’d reach. I began cutting tape and just handing it to outreached hands yelling, “and me!” I did that until I thought of how when I taught English to the Spanish kids, I would make them say “please” before they could get/use anything and so thought I would incorporate it here. Please is rarely a used word in Luganda and in Luganda, the command form is used much more than polite form. For example, a child will tell a teacher “give me the paper” and that is not rude at all. It was hard trying to get across the reason for them to say please but they certainly enthusiastically said it! So enthusiastic that for some, one time was simply not sufficient. In fact half a dozen times was not enough. A chant of “tape please, tape please, tape please” (you get the picture) ensued for the next half hour. My favorite part was when I got so fed up when they all needed 4 pieces that I put a piece on a kids nose instead of his outstretchd finger. Apparently this was HILAAARIOUS and from that moment on, I would get kids reaching their noses out to get tape.

(Photo: Obvious storage spot for extra tape-the forehead.)

The other moment that really stood out was talking to some of the older kids. Carlos, perhaps the only child in Uganda taking an active interest in Spanish (hence, why he is obviously one of the coolest kids I know) mentioned to me the other day how he wantedto learn about Dinosaurs. I have 3 books I brought with me including one from the Ms. Frizzle collection (if you don’t know this woman your childhood was slightly less wonderful than it should have been.) and brought them to the orphanage for the kids to check out. For over an hour, Carlos was completely occupied and could not be bothered. He sat on a chair with one of the books and read it from front to back. He is a quiet and shy kid around me already and I have a hard time judging if he is excited over something or having a good time but his attention to this book left no room for doubt. It was awesome to see someone who really wanted to learn and provide the tools for them to do it! Like I mentioned, his love for spanish already makes him awesome in my eyes but being a book nerd too? If I was 13 he would be my best friend! They have a pretty good collection in their classroom of books so I was also amazed when he told me he has read every one. I don't doubt it. This is one person who is inspiring me with a love for reading and learning and I can't wait to see what other books I still have that he might be interested in!

(Photos: top-Future Paleontologists? bottom-My man Carlos lost in a new book.)

Murchison Falls 9/2-9/4

There is one trip I really wanted to make while in Uganda and that was to Murchison Falls National Park. Murchison is in the northeast of Uganda close to the DRC border. If you look in guidebooks for information, most still tell you they advise caution as several years ago, Murchison still had some issues with poachers as well as Joseph Kony and the LRA. Since it’s so close to the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) and the result of its’ massive size, Murchison Falls National Park has had to increase security and closely monitor borders. That being said, to give you a picture of its popularity now, I was not able to book a weekend trip until mid-October so I had to settle on a trip leaving on a Wednesday morning!

A quick history of the Park; Prior to the rule of Idi Amin, the park had provided enough land and vegetation for the animal population to boom. Unfortunately, it had reached a point where it was only a matter of time before the land would become a wasteland due to the animals overtaking and eating all plant-life. This changed dramatically when thousands of animals in the park were massacred changing the environment of the park completely. As awful as it sounds, there is one positive thing that came out of it; the vegetation was given enough time to recover and the park was more than capable of supporting the new population levels. Amin’s acts of murder and violence are one reason why the park today has so much natural vegetation!

Back to my trip, we left early Wednesday morning starting a ride that was about 6 hours. We stopped for lunch in Masindi, a small town halfway where I got yet another unique coffee drinking experience. The menu had two choices; african coffee or coffee. I know african coffee is coffee already mixed with mild and sometimes sugar so I figured I was getting black coffee. 10 minutes later, I received a tray carrying what must be the nicest way possible to present instant coffee. A pitcher of hot water next to a small bowl of what I thought was cinnamon and an empty mug. I thought it was cinnamon that is, until I noticed the pitcher had only water. It was definitely not what I expected but a new experience and also kind of put me back in my place from taking things for granted or making presumptions. The coffee certainly wasn't the worse I've had (see past blog and my

description of drinking the shells of the beans) but again, a simple thing like that made me grateful for the thousands of times I have not even thought about having to slightly grimace when I first try it! Our lunch break was relatively uneventful and Igot a chance to meet some of the other travelers; a couple from Germany, a Dutch woman who had recently decided to move back home after 10 years in Tanzania, a New Zealand backpacker and an Australian on holiday passionate about bird-watching.

(Photo: Sign inside the park on the way to our campsite. Reassuring.)
When we arrived at the park, my 12 year old instincts kicked in and since I was the only one who had never been to a game park or safari, every animal got me exci

ted! A warthog on the road and I was glued to it, a monkey in the tree and I was pointing it out. A GROUP of baboons in front of our van? Don’t bother talking to me, I won't hear you. I appreciated how no one rudely told me how spotting game animals in a GAME PARK is normal. Looking back, I must have seemed like a little kid at the theme park who goes nuts at spotting the tilt-a-whirl while all the other kids are looking around for the death drop or big rollercoasters but hey, this was my moment and I was going to enjoy it! :)

The drive through the park takes at least another 1 ½ hours to get to the campsite. Once there, you can’t ask for anything better. A view overlooking the park where you can order food and drinks and just stare out at some of the most incredible works of nature. My favorite part was their idea of sleeping in a tent. Of course there are better options but for my budget, the tent was going to be our home for the next 2 nights. When I think tent I think triangle big enough to sleep under and not much else. OUR “tent” had beds! It was amazing! Even a little nightstand where we could put a lantern in the evening.

(Photo: One of my favorite sights-giraffes! They are BEAUTIFUL to see)The next morning we went on a game drive. For those of you (like me) who were not sure what a game drive entails, It’s like an extreme zoo trip. Of “the big five” (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, and buffalo) FOUR can be found at this moment. Rhino’s can be seen if you pay for an additional excursion but perhaps by next year they will be reintroduced to the park. My favorite were the giraffes. They are incredible and so beautiful. It was really neat to see them in their natural habitat and not in an enclosed fence with their trainer feeding them nearby. There were hundreds and we watched some cross the dirt path right in front of our van! The elephants were a bit more shy but we managed to get very close to a family at one point and even had to move farther away from one who didn’t seem pleased to see us. I learned that when close to a group of elephants, the park wardens do not keep the engine running because the forgot or they don’t like you, they keep it running so if an elephant decides to charge the vehicle, you have a better chance of not getting rolled! Great to know.

Finally, the highlight for most was the lion sighting. They explained that it doesn’t always happen so we were lucky. We literally turned a corner to find a lone male lion right next to the road just staring at us! We were the first ones to see it so we had a few minutes by ourselves to be extremely impressed. We even saw his lioness after awhile come out of the bushes! As for the leopard, no luck. Those guys aren’t fans of paparazzi and as hard as I tried to spot them or their half-eaten prey in the trees, no luck.

The afternoon was our time to check out the animals along the Nile coming to drink. There are boats for about 20-25 people and a guide that explains what you are seeing and they take you along the banks of the Nile up to Murchison Falls and back. The whole trip is supposed to take about 3 hours-2 hours on the way and 1 for the ride back. I had walked down to the peer with 2 other girls only to find out that they had overbooked the boats when we arrived with another group. Things didn’t look good. They were already filled and we were still on the bank. Fortunately, the head of the company organizing this trip was there as well and after apologizing, told us we would have a special boat and go with only 5! Two minutes later, I am in a boat with my two friends and two other guys on a small speedboat. I truly think we got the best end of the deal. We got to get a little closer to land and we put on a little guilt-trip and he took us much closer to the Falls than he was supposed to! I had an incredible time and by being left out, I think I got the better experience!

(Photo: I got to see TONS of hippos on the boat trip! They are huuge!)
Friday morning was our chance to hike the Falls. This was amazing. I have never seen such a powerful force of water and the views were breathtaking. It was impossible not to feel like you were not in one of the most beautiful places on earth with a rainbow over the falls and no man-made objects save for the poorly constructed "safety rail" in sight. The water is so powerful that you might not even make it through one small rapid without losing some limbs! I think that Fall alone could power the country of Uganda!

(Photo: Non-doctored shot of what I got to look at for a few hours. A rainbow arched over Murchison Falls)

After taking close to a million photos (I'm a constant understater-probably more like a billion) we were ready to head back to Kampala. I didn't think there would be anything worthwhile to write about but I thought the chicken rush merited a small note. I'll explain; normally when you take a bus or even a matatu (taxi) there are stops along the road where there are people who will sell everything from "cold" water (I guess if it was chilled at some point in it's bottled existence, it is still appropriate to bill it as cold) to meat on a stick or roasted bananas. I can't say I have tried too many different things as I usually get irritated when it is shoved in my face and sometimes even feel slightly insulted when I politely say no and seconds later, the SAME GUY will come up to me and ask again like maybe I just wasn't sure that I didn't want the fresh pork on a stick. However, this was a new experience even for me. We pulled over on the side of the road next to several women selling fruits and vegetables because our driver wanted to purchase some tomatoes and avocados. After we politely declined three separate baskets of avocados, two children with tomatos and one women with tomatos AND avocados in the same weaved basket, they went back to their stands to wait for the next car. Minutes later I got to see what I can only describe as a chicken riot. Out of nowhere (I literally hadn't even seen these guys, I think they were all sleeping) about 20 men rush over to the other side of the road each holding 2-5 chickens! Try as I might, I still cannot understand the rationale behind this one. I attached the photos to allow you your best shot. Even if this car was going to their home to feed the entire village chicken, where would they all fit? Why would 20 fit and young men all sell chickens at the same spot and then overwhelm a car by pushing them all in the window? Even if they wanted to take 4 or 5, how would they even see what chickens were good when there are people fisting 4 sets of chicken legs and the chickens are all hanging upside-down smashed into each other? This is one I will have to think about for a little more time before I can give you my best response. I will tell you they did a very nice job of organizing themselves minutes later and lined up all the chickens on the ground so the driver could pick. I was way too fascinated at first to think of taking pictures while over 50 chickens were being held up to a window so my shots do not do the incredible scene much justice.

...Guess you had to be there.

(Photos: Mobile meat market. The boy in the first shot is one of the persistent ones who even after several men had left, he still thought he had a shot. I love how he sprinted to the car even though he was 5 minutes after everyone else!)

Why Travel? The People!

Are you one of those people with those "I have this one friend" narratives where you know you will impress people with the coolness of your not only interesting but true accounts? I am. Except I have about 1000 "my one friend" stories. Since coming to Uganda I have managed to pick up a few more and after thinking about it, I thought I would share by devoting a post to these types of people and my usual struggle to comprehend how I have had the fortune to meet them.

Interesting person #1 “Once I had to smuggle a scroll out of Tibet so Amnesty International would be able to document the atrocities committed against the Tibetan monks.” Me: Once I “smuggled” extra Splenda out of a Starbucks because I didn’t have any in my apartment so we’re pretty much the same.” 

Interesting person#2 “Well I never went to college but became a self-made millionaire with my own construction company. Then for retirement I had to choose between racing cars or doing volunteer work.” Me: “I went to college and majored in business only to quit my first job to teach English so we’re pretty much the same.” 

(Photo: Look closely. If you ever meet anyone from this group consider yourself blessed.)

Interesting person #3 “Oh weird, we will be in Dublin at the same time? Hmm I am from Ireland, let me give you an amazing tour of the city and you just tell me what you want to see and we will do it!” Me: “Wow thanks! Well I’m from the ‘burbs of Detroit so if you ever make it that way, I will give you a free walking tour also! Our half-day tour will encompass numerous identical houses and lawns, several fire hydrants, the (historical?!) Beaumont Hospital and Woodward Avenue. Keep your eye out for oversized cars and Hummers built for the overland destinations but driving on paved cement cement instead…It’s pretty much the same.” 

Interesting person #4 “Oh you have a layover in Dubai? Weird, I live there! Why don’t I just pick you up from the airport and show you the city and you can shower and eat at my apartment! Oh, you land at 12:30am and I wake up for work at 4:30? No problem!” Me: “THANKS! Oh, you fly through Detroit? No? Oh ok well enjoy your trip! (Pretty much the same) 

Interesting person #5: "Right after high school I moved to Madrid and now I am fluent in Spanish. Now as a flight attendant, I travel the world as part of my job!” Me: “Hmm after high school I took a semester of French and I know people who speak French sooo....we're pretty much the same."

(Photo: Emma, age 21. Trilingual and now working in Paris in the fashion industry. Paris as in France. France as in a country known for fashion. Poor girl probably cringes on the inside every time she sees my attempts at "new looks")

Ok you get the point. And so do I. I am not really (read: not even close to) the same but that’s not the important part; Not only is traveling amazing for the sights you see and the people you meet at your destinations, but the people you meet along the way! I have cometo believe that if you really think the best of people, it will be easy to find the best!  These are just some of the people I met while traveling and one person I was reacquainted with after about 12 years when she babysat my brothers!

Traveling lets you do that. I have to be honest and say that while I hope my future career involves traveling to reach places where I can help others, I would be lying if I didn’t say one of the best parts is meeting people along the way. Usually, my best stories are really second-hand stories where I never even EXPERIENCED the event! For example, I can only dream of something so exotic and exciting as photographing Bedouin tribes or living in Dubai but I get to hear of other people’s adventures and imagine myself able to do it one day! I could be famous for “my one friend” stories. If only I told them half as well as they did!

 (Photo: Janelle outside of the famous Island Hotel in Dubai...where she lives. It's like an automatic guarantee at being awesome.)

I’m only 25 so I don’t have a lot of advice to impart to others but if I thought I was capable of any type of “wisdom” I have learned it would be this; Never be closed-off to anyone regardless of age, gender or eccentricities on first meeting them. Ask a billion questions or maybe it’s wiser to say ask questions until their face looks like you asked a billion and finally, if at first they come off as rude or impolite, always assume it’s just a bad day. There have definitely been a few instances where after getting to know someone who first seemed awful turned out to be amazing. After looking back at it, I probably just smelled. Seriously.

Here are my favorite quotes (that I remember at this moment) from people I have met while traveling;

“I speak Farsi so it’s fun to watch Ahmadnijad on tv because I understand what he says”

“I am working with 30 Ugandans and then it’s me. I used to work for the U.N and (fill in a million other cool jobs). Now I live as an expat here and love it!”

(Photo: Clare, grew up with the Masai in Kenya, smuggled documents out of Tibet and now runs a Jamaican Villa, the usual.)

“Hmm I think this month I will save baby turtles in Costa Rica. I’ll be back in the U.S for _____(don't remember; it's some race that I find unimportant with cars and motors and stuff) and then I will be hiking Macchu Pichu”

“I was in Ethiopia and took a photo in a dark room where hundreds of people were sleeping on the floor. When I looked at the photo after, I noticed hundreds of eyes staring menacingly at me. I realized we needed to get out of there.”

“Oh this? This is my permit to drink in this area. Since it’s a Muslim country you need a license to drink but it only permits me to do so in this specific area of Dubai.”

“I'd like to visit the U.S but I can't imagine leaving my kids!” (spoken by an 18 year old director of an orphanage and street ministry program)

I may be biased but I think I have possibly met some of the coolest people EVER!

 (Photo: Suzi, a future bilingual executive and Umut, a trilingual Turkish clothing designer)

With nothing I can think of to compare, I have decided that my role can be to be “that friend,” the one who you tell others about and then they are aware of something they might otherwise not be so here is my “that friend” fact; When arriving in Uganda I had to use the bathroom which I knew would be a squat toilet. I was pointed towards the outhouse and had no idea what to expect so while confused, used a bathroom with a plastic floor and drain. Walking back upstairs, I was politely informed I had just used “the shower” and the toilet was next to it. I am that friend.

 (Photo: Eric, Jamie and Jo, 3 fabulous English teachers in Spain. After you talk with them for more than a minute, you will be completely blown away by how interesting they are!)

Thank You! 8/23/09

This update is a THANK YOU to all who have made this day possible. Today (FINALLY!) I had everything I needed to get the lady down the street started on her chapatti stand. This included the following;

Stove, wooden table, wooden display case with glass windows, frying pan, flat pan for (hopefully) future rolex making, coal bag the size of a large man, rolling pin, 6 bags of flour, baking powder, onions, cooking oil, plastic bags, and metal spatula/spoon

The cost for everything was less than $100.00 but for some here, that is a small fortune. There is no way she could have saved that amount of money by herself.

(Picture: Some of the supplies for our neighbor's new business including her table, glass case and coal stove.)

In a previous rambling update, I spoke a little bit about this woman and what I wanted to do. Like I mentioned, I see cases of extreme poverty every day and sometimes poverty to the point that people are literally starving. No one deserves to be in a situation like this and it is hard realizing I can’t help everyone at this very instant. One thing I have learned here is the difference between giving to help a person live verse giving to help a person live at this moment. After spending nearly a month here, I have definitely formed some opinions and feel confident being able to support what I believe. For example, some types of giving seem to be self-defeating. A lot of people come in and with a sense of guilt and feeling overwhelmed, want to give money to anyone they see. It may seem sweet and kind but stick around, and you see what unfortunately can happen. When I walk down the street in the morning, I will sometimes find the kids who can speak about 10 words of English-three of them happen to be “give me money” or, “give me something.” Of course when you see a child in rags holding out their skinny hand, you feel sad and maybe like you SHOULD give them something! But would you do that in the U.S or Spain or anywhere else? Probably not. These kids have homes, are being fed and may not have the luxuries we consider necessities but "mzungus" coming in and handing them candies and money leaves them believing they are entitled to it or that "all mzungus are rich and therefore should always give them something." What happens next is these kids are always looking for a handout rather than finding ways to earn it. Then there are the people who have very little but pride and so refuse to ask for anything even when they or their families are in need.

After talking to everyone from a Peace Corps Volunteer who has lived here for roughly 18 months, native Ugandans, Government health workers and fellow volunteers, it seems clear that the best way to give is in a way that there is a possibility your gift will go towards sustainability. I hope with the donation from my family and friends, I have helped a woman get the support she needed to get herself in a position to earn an income and now it is up to her to continue. Of course, following-up and making sure she is saving some of her profit for future purchases of supplies is important and I intend to help monitor that on a weekly basis while I am here (and of course buy some of the product!)

(Photo: "Jaja"-grandmother with her twin boys and her new business!)

I will keep you updated on what happens but regardless, you should know when receiving her new stove, table, etc. she became so overwhelmed she started to cry. In a culture where emotions are not always readily shared especially with non-family members (unless you are 3 year old Debbie, my boss' daughter going for a world record for sobbing) this woman likely had one of the most hopeful and wonderful days of her life!