Building a Stove: The Final Installment PHOTOGRAPHS

Mud Recipe:
For every two parts soil add one part grass
Add water
Mix vigorously with your feet

















Muddy mixing feet
























Rolling Mud into a ball.

























The working pile that the mud was flung onto.
























Banana husks before they are shaped. They were cut out in the village of Namwendwu and transported to the dorm via bicycle.

















Cutting the banana husks into the appropriate shapes.

























Creating the chimney from Banana husks.


















Banana husk air duct. This piece is placed between the two middle burners.

























Simon, the builder, planning out the stove. In the back the chimney piece is put into place.

















Throwing mud into the stove shape.


















The final product! The burner to the far right will be used for the meal, the one directly next to it near the chimney will be used for water. Finally the last one will be used for veggies!

The two banana husks in the front of the stove will be were the charcoal/wood is fed into.



All photos by Sarah Morris

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Building a Stove: The Final Installment VIDEOS

Building a stove of this size is an all-day endeavour. Our day began at 7am sharp! We first started by preparing the mud.

Mud Recipe:
Two parts soil for every one part of grass
Add water gradually
Mix vigorously with your feet

The mud isn't just any type of mud--it is mixed to the perfect consistency. It's like mixing cake batter--if everything isn't proportional the cake won't rise. If the mud is watery it won't hold its form and if it is too dry it will crack very easily. The mud is constantly folded, mixed, and mashed. It takes a rhythmic stomping to make good mud. Once all parts are thoroughly incorporated the mud is rolled into large clumps and moved to the work space. Now I'm unsure if throwing the mud into a pile is necessary, but it is certainly fun! With all our might we each took turns hurling mud into our working pile.

Next the banana husks are shaped into the molds for various parts of the stove. The size and shape of the banana husks are essential to the overall structure and integrity of the stove. The mud will be molded around them and allowed to harden for two months. When the stove has its first fire whatever remains will simply burn away. All of the essential air ducts of the stove are molded with banana husks. Using a machete and easy to remember measurements such as the width of your hand each banana husk piece is formed.

After literally slinging mud we plan out the dimensions of this massive stove. It will consist of three individual burners-- one for the main meal, one for veggies, and one for boiling water. All three burners will be fed by two charcoal/wood openings, and will all exhaust out the same chimney. It takes a lot of thought and planning due to the fact that the hot air must travel efficiently through the stove to keep all the burners red hot. After sizing, measuring, and drawing the plan the banana husks are put into place on top of a base of mud that is aggressively thrown into place.

As the stove is built upwards rocks are added into various parts. The rocks will help conduct heat throughout the stove. The stove will be able to maintain a high temperature for a longer period of time, and will require less fuel. The mud is molded and shaped around the various banana molds, as well as, the saucepans that will be eventually be used for cooking. The saucepans allows the builder, Simon, to make the burners the exact size they need to be. They will remain in place for about seven days.

After the mud is thrown into place the final touches begin. Smoothing, leveling, and filling in the gaps around the stove. Using a machete as if it were a paint brush Simon, the builder, smooths the surface of the stove. Occasionally dipping it in water to make the mud slide across the surface more easily. This is a long and tedious process that cannot be taken lightly. The stove must be level for stability. The cracks are filled in and smoothed over. A constant back and forth for over an hour. Finally, Simon steps away from the stove and gives me a thumbs up.

The stove will be ready to use in January. It takes nearly two months to dry properly. Naturally cracks occur during the drying process, but can be easily mended. Now let's eat!

*Note: the videos do not have audio
*Photos are posted in an additional blog

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Building a Stove Pt. 2

Today's installment of Building a Stove revolves around grass. Grass is essential to building a fuel efficient stove. It adds strength a durability to the mud mixture that the stove is sculpted out of. The type of grass is very important as well. It needs to be tall, thick grass that is hard to rip apart. It is also the kind of grass that itches and cuts you up a bit!

So Franco, Madia, Nasimu, Brian, and I all headed down to the fields and harvested two big bags of grass. It was a very itchy experience! After packing our sacks full they were carried over to the Model farm. The sack was almost as big as Nasimu, and yet she carried it on her head looking poised the whole way!

Then it gets chopped up into small pieces so that it will more easily incorporate with the soil.

Stay tuned for the final installment of Build a Stove featuring how to make mud, and how to shape a stove!

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Building a Stove Pt. 1

Today, Franco and I headed out to collect the materials necessary to build a fuel-efficient stove for the dorm. We focused on collecting soil today. The soil we collected for the stove comes from a termite and white ant mound. Due to the elasticity of this particular soil it is perfect for making stoves. It will not crack over time due to the fact that it can expand and contract with heat.
Hidija & Nasimu were in the area and came out to help! They helped carry bag after bag of soil up to the model farm.
























As seen in upper left-hand picture, the girls would twist the excess bag to make a cushion for their heads. Then with a swift motion place the bag onto their heads and off they went! After about two hours of digging, collecting, and moving we had enough soil to build a large stove for the dorm. Tomorrow, Franco and I will be collecting the second ingredient: Grass. Keep an eye out for building a stove Pt. 2 coming soon!
















Pictured above is the soil plus a few termites. The termites are essential to making the soil the perfect consistency.

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Work & Play

Jambo!
This weekend was filled with excitement and learning! Saturday was a day based around our dorm. The kids, Franco, and I all got our hands dirty to make the compound look sharp. We built walls around our beautiful flower beds, and even planted some flowers the kids brought from home. Immaculate brought a beautiful bush with red flowers, and Ester brought a tomato plant! The whole compound looks very smart.

After a morning of work we sat on the front porch reading books. We read a book Ester brought called Mother & Kitty and also looked through a dictionary of science definitions Hanifa brought! We read, laughed, and discussed several words in detail pointing out examples around our dorm. Soon we relaxed in the shade of our courtyard tree eating fruits brought by the children. They were delicious!

















Then we began to play! Some of the children stayed the whole afternoon playing a variety of games. We jumped, skipped, and ran all afternoon. It was hard for me to keep up! After a long hot day I was glad for an afternoon rain which cooled everything and especially me down. After a long day full of work and play a quiet evening was a welcome respite.

On another note, I apologize for the blue text up top. When I inserted some of the photos it turned the text blue and was being very stubborn. I apologize for the inconvenience. All photos by Sarah Morris.

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Photos!

Above: Standing in the dorm watching the world go by.

Below: The kids enjoying the new dorm laptop with Dr. Frank. They all took turns writing their names, ages, and grade.

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Village Leaders

Jambo!

Yesterday, I went around the town of Kamuli on the back of Kaiso's Boda-Boda (motorcycle) and met with several of the town officials to discuss our dorm. It was a wonderful experience! All of the local leaders welcomed me warmly, as did the Headmaster of Kamuli Township School and the Deputy Head Master of St. Theresa. I think it is imperative for us to make connections, and show the community that we are taking the appropriate steps forward with the dorm.

Also yesterday, several of the girls stopped by to show my their test reports. I'm happy to report that all of the girls are doing exceedingly well, and I firmly believe that they will finish this school year strongly. GO GIRLS!

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Our Dorm

Greetings from Kamuli!
As I sit here drinking my morning tea with a delicious Rolex (chipati and egg wrap) I thought I would fill you in on this weekend.

I arrived on Friday from Jinja with Dr. Frank. When we pulled up to the dorm I was astonished at all the progress made. The construction is finished and most of the construction supplies have been removed. Monica prepared us a lovely meal of rice and beef as Frank and I settled in. Soon after Lucie arrived and helped me establish my room. After a quick bite to eat I headed off to bed.

Saturday morning I awoke at about half past six and readied myself for the day. At eight-thirty many of the children began to show up to the dorm. We established a plan of attack and started to scrub our dorm. Room by room we scrubbed our dorm clean until it shined! After a hard days work we all relaxed under the tree in the courtyard with juice and cakes. Also, we played with the new dorm computer! Everyone who cleaned had a turn using the computer to write their name, age, and grade. One by one the kids headed home after a good day and will be coming next Saturday to plant flowers around the perimeter of our dorm.

Sunday was a casual day. I took advantage of the fact that I could have a nice long sleep-in! After a mellow afternoon Lucie and I headed towards the meeting hall to watch the Manchester United versus Liverpool soccer match. The match was projected on the wall and we cheered on Manchester United with a crowd of 100+ people. Although Manchester United lost I had a wonderful time, but was happy to break out of the crowd for some fresh air!

Now here we are at the beginning of another busy day in Kamuli. More tomorrow plus some pictures of the fun we had with the laptop!

Cheers!

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Dorm Construction Video

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A Simple Introduction

As I sit in the airport on my way to Uganda I wanted to take a minute and introduce myself because I'll be posting regularly. I'm on my way to Kamuli to help establish the dorm, as well as, engineer a leadership program for the 52 Kids. This is a very exciting prospect! The sky is the limit and it will be an interesting adventure to see where we can go!

Cheers!

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Changing social economic environment-changing roles.

New social economic challenges have continued to affect and change roles and responsibilities traditional society prescribed to family and the community at large. Factors that have contributed to the social economic challenges include: Population increase, changing weather patterns, disease especially HIV/Aids, civil unrest, moral decay, poverty, modernization / westernization and policy among others. Many of the factors are interrelated with one factor aggravating the other.

Social –economic changes have stressed the traditional social system in which parents, grandparents, relatives and the community played different but mutual roles in children upbringing. Child upbringing was a collective community responsibility and it was intended to groom children into functional members of society. The system also provided for a social security system in which the young, vulnerable, disadvantaged were supported by other strong and productive members of the family and community.
Every parent strived to groom his/her children into productive and responsible members of society such that when he/she became older and weaker, his children would be able to take care of him or her. The parents had to provide for, love and take care of their families. “Family” in traditional society meant parents, children, grand parents and any other relatives. At family level, the man was in charge of family leadership, owned all family property and was responsible for all critical family decisions. The role of the woman was bearing children and taking care of the family. Women had limited access to education and productive resources say land, they lacked independence in decision making.
Parents taught their children skills relevant to their social gender roles. Boys learnt by working with fathers, while girls learnt by working alongside mothers. Boys learnt skills like metal works, carpentry, diviners, while girls learnt skills like basketry, pottery. Blame for a socially mal- adjusted child was put on the father or mother. Vocational skills like animal husbandry, farming, hunting, healing, rain making were passed on to children through apprenticeship hence were hereditary. Grandparents with diminished physical energy were supposed to be taken care of with their role inclined to passing on the cores of socialization to their grand children .They taught children stories that glorified and promoted socially acceptable behavior and disparaged undesirable behavior. They were integral and effective socializing agents because they combined personal life experiences and heroics with freedom to broach sensitive subjects like sex. This multi-generation social setup ensured a nearly flawless socialization of children in traditional society. In today society, most of the roles played by the traditional society to groom children like socialization,skills development, and teaching morals have been left to formal schools, however, school socialization often teaches skills and behaviour that are some times irrelevant to local needs.It also relies on a limited number of role models.

The HIV/Aids Scourge devastated communities in Uganda, especially during its peak period in the 1980’s and 90’s. The HIV prevalence rate peaked 35% of the Uganda population. HIV robbed children of their parents. Everybody in Uganda has lost a close relative to HIV/Aids. Its effects are typically evident in the number of total Orphans whose care is left to their grandparents.
In traditional society, the care of Orphans is the responsibility of a close relative especially an Uncle, or the grandparent. Many orphans end up in the care of grandparent since they tend to offer more social stability to the orphans. The devastation of HIV/aids has destroyed the “social security “system in Ugandan communities. Typically, Parents bear children whom they strive to shape into successful adults, who in turn take have to take care of the parents in their senile ages. Typically, it has created a generation gap which makes the traditional social system malfunctioned.

Nabirye Topista, a 68 year old single grandmother living in Buwanzu village takes care of 8 total orphans in the age bracket of 3 to 12. She clearly looks overstretched with her responsibilities. “They all lost their fathers. I am getting less strong every day but I do have to feed and provide for my grand children. We all have to work in the gardens every single day to provide food for us. With God’s grace we have been able to live on” explains Topista . Topista’s only wish is to have her grand children attain an education to help them attain a better future. The story is the same for several other grandparents and single mothers who have to struggle day to day to provide a life to the orphans they are taking care of. Clearly, Topista like many other grandparents in similar situation is going through a tough struggle. The role she is trying to play is neither prescribed in the traditional social system nor is it supported by the prevailing social system. Topista’s social security and "pension" was “robbed” by AIDS through which she lost most of her productive sons. She has to play the role of father, mother, and grandparent all at the same time yet society still looks at her as a “woman”- with no right to ownership of land or property and has never been to school.

Never before have family breakages been as frequent as they are in today society. Customary marriage practiced in traditional society did not provide for divorce or separation. While it is still practiced today, separation is common but there is no provision for divorce. Family breakages tend to negatively affect children and women much more negatively than they affect men. Moral decay leading to infidelity and economic strive are among leading factors for family breakages. This has increased the number of single mothers straining relentlessly to provide for their children. They have no jobs, do not own land or have right to property in most cases. The gender equality campaign by the Government has been misunderstood by the public in certain situations leading to family breakages. This has increase the number of single mothers who were unheard of traditional society.
While the traditional social system is still widely accepted as a basis for family and community management, the customs, beliefs and principles on which it was based have been grossly eroded, and in communities where it is still respected , the social set up does not appropriately allow for its functionality.

There exists a clear need for appropriate legislation to address social injustices which the weakened traditional social system has exposed or social economic changes have created. The domestic relations bill is meant to bridge the legislation gap left behind by the traditional social system but it will not be passes any soon to serve its purpose as it has met stiff resistance from different sections of society for the last 30 years.

Every change manifests with both challenges and opportunities. Solutions to challenges need to be sought and opportunities need to be exploited positively. Don’t you think it is the right time that we looked at grand parents as active and functional members of society who need to be empowered to become fully functional members of society to manage the wide range of responsibilities they take care of? How about single mothers struggling to provide a living and a future for their children? How about the need for a hybrid culture which combines useful aspects of traditional and western culture?

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" future" Walk.

Time check 5:00 am, little Brenda should have woken up by then to prepare for the "future " walk. 8 year old brenda lives furthest from St theresa School, the school that all primary school girls supported by the 52 kids foundation attend. She has to walk for 2 hours to school and 2 hours back every single day of school.

Brenda is under the care of a single mother."My mother wakes me up at 5:00 am, I bathe my body, clean my teeth, smear vaseline, comb my hair , put om my uniform and shoes, then , im ready to go. I normally leave home at 6: 00 am. I try to walk as fast as I can, and in between, I have to run. On a lucky day, I may hitch a ride from a sympathiser who is headed in the direction of Kamuli town." explains Brenda.

Winnie, Immaculate, Hilda, Aminsi, Benaleta, Tony ,George are some of the other 52 kids with similar stories. Atleast 25 of the 52 kids in primary school have to commit 4 hours every single day to the "future" walk.

" The journey back from school is much more fun than the journey to school . We always walk back in a group conversing,telling each other interesting stories. The morning journey is rushed everyone moves on his own most times. No one wants to be late for school because late comers are punished. " observes Benaleta.

The "future " walk has got its own challenges. Most of the kids who have to endure the "future "walk confess that it contributes to the toughest part of their day. The walk becomes tougher in the rain season especially if it rains in the morning when the kids have to walk to school.

Micheal Kisige was bitten by a stray dog one early morning as he was walking to school in 2008. Winnie is nursing superficial bruises she obtained when whe fell off a friend,s bicycle on their way to school in september 2009." I asked for a ride from a friend who insisted that I should ride, I do not have so much experience that is probably why we fell off the bicycle" explained Winnnie, looking at one of the healing bruises.

The Boda-Boda motor cyclists ride so recklessly and fast on the village roads and paths, pedestrians especially kids are at risk of getting knocked down.

Despite the challenges posed by the walk, the affected kids understand that it is the walk that is intended to transform their lives and those around them in future.

With the completion of the 52 kids dormitory, the face of the "future walk is expected tonever be the same for the 52 kids , who will be accomodated in the facility.

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Long Term Impacts

For two weeks in July and August of 2009 I spent my time in Kamuli with the 52 Kids Foundation. Up until that point I had my heart dead set on going to medical school to become a doctor. Going on the trip to Uganda, we were welcomed with incredibly open arms into the homes of every family we visited. We were showered with gratitude, affection and interest in our lives back in the United States. I was able to create friendships and relationships that I will always cherish and remember. After being home for about a month and a half my entire life perspective and plan for my future have changed. I crave the excitement of waking up each day in Kamuli, ready to see what experiences and people we would confront that day. Just seeing the smiles on each student's face as I give them a hug or play a game with them was enough to make me want to stay forever. Since my trip I have come to an amazing realization: the reason I wanted to study medicine was because I want to help people. After realizing this simple truth, I tried to connect my learning back to the 52 Kids Foundation. I realized that I don't need to sew up stitches and prescribe medications to make a difference in someone's life. The changes that The 52 Kids Foundation does to make a difference have to do with healthcare, sure. But they also go deeper than that. By changing the living situation, or improving the education of a child you are giving them hope for the future, you are giving them a basis for a more sustainable lifestyle where THEY can become the change that they want in their country! My trip to Uganda opened my eyes to a completely different approach to helping people. I realized that you have to start at the root of the problem, you have to address basic needs such as nutrition, a water source, a safe home, and an education before anything else. Since my trip I have started my college application process. When it asked me in the Common Application what my intended major was, I bypassed "pre-med" and went straight to "International Affairs". I believe with the knowledge that I took from my stay in Kamuli, I will be able to make a change in the world far greater than I ever expected. The 52 Kids Foundation allowed me to look at the world in a completely different way, and it has potentially changed my life and future forever.

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Ecominc Survival A Major Threat To Environmental Conservation In Kamuli.

Changing weather patterns are a challenge and threat to the human race in the present world more than ever before. Day to day man’s activities have directly or indirectly contributed to the deterioration of weather patterns.

Economic survival in Uganda is tougher today than ever before. This has compelled the population to engage in any activity which will improve their economic wellbeing with no or minimal regard to its environmental impact. Among the many activities that have been on the increase with minimal regard to its environmental impact is brick making.

Focus on brick making:
One of the most noticeable features as one moves around the villages surrounding Kamuli town are giant piles of bricks organized into a sort of oven, ready for firing. The amount of fire wood required to fire and harden bricks in a single oven is enormous.

The growing construction industry in Kamuli town is fueling the demand for bricks. Bricks are a key component in modern building construction. Before the use of bricks, wattle, poles and mud were used.
Among the youth, brick making is looked at as a quick way of making a living compared to traditional activities like agriculture. For many youth, agriculture is perceived as tiring, time consuming, and unreliable especially in the face of unpredictable weather patterns and absolute reliance on hand farming tools like hoes, machetes, etc.
At a cost of about 70shs per brick, a brick maker stands a chance

of making close to $ 70 ( shs 140,000) for a single oven with 2000 bricks made in a period of less than 2 months. With such levels of profitability, brick makers have been depleting trees in their localities to maintain their business. “If I see a good tree in some body’s land, I will buy it from him, make timber out of it and use the remains to fire my bricks.” explains a brick maker only identified as Waiswa. Few community members can decline trading their trees for money.

Big fruit trees like mangoes and jack fruit trees have not survived the determination of brick makers to provide wood for their businesses. It is common to find a fruit trees rid of all its branches. This implies that the tree cannot produce fruit until branches re-develop. Many families rely on fruit trees food. This trend of events is likely to interfere with the nutritional needs of many families and the most affected are kids.

For as long as the demand for fired bricks prevails, environmental degradation through deforestation will prevail unless intervention and mitigation plans are sought and implemented.

Intervention Plans:
The 52kids foundation through its "environmental recovery movement" is creating awareness in the communities it is involved about environmental conservation. Among the campaigns it has carried out is the “ plant a multi-purpose tree campaign” in which fruit shade trees were distributed to and planted by the 52 kids guardians in their homes. The campaign involved increasing the survival chances of the planted trees by erecting a fence around the tree to keep off domestic animals from eating up the tree leaves.

The foundation intends to encourage replanting of local species of trees by using locally available tree seeds. The 52 kids foundation and its partner Local nonprofit organization KAPIDA have worked with communities in Nawigulu sub county Kamuli district to promote fuel efficient stoves to save the number of trees cut down to provide wood fuel for domestic use and encouraged agro forestry

On many occasions the fact that specific challenges require specific interventions means that to reduce the impact of brick making on deforestation, technology to provide alternative bricks to fired bricks needs to be made available to local communities. For now, more trees will be lost to firing bricks in Kamuli by the day after all the demand for bricks remains high.

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Buwanzu community sustains 52kids established water project

Kids pump water from the 52 Kids well.

A 70 foot protected hand dug well, with a manual pump was successfully constructed in December 2008, through a partnership between the 52 kids foundation, and Buwanzu community.

Buwanzu village is located in Nabwigulu subcounty, Kamuli district Uganda. It is a community with a population of atleast 700 people.

It is one of the villages in which the 52 kids live .

The open well where the Buwanzu community previously collected water.

Cattle graze in the vicinity of the open well.

Prior to December 2008, the community's only source of domestic water was an open well. The well was shared by both humans and domestic animals like cattle and goats.

"We now get our domestic water from the "bore hole", we have left the open well to cattle and goats" explains Mr Tenywa, a 35 year old community resident who donated the land on which the well was constructed and current community elected well supervisor. " Gone are the days when one had to spend up to 3 hours to collect a 20 litre jerrycan of safe drinking water,life was tough,our children suffered bad skins and diarrhoea disease from bathing and drinking dirty water from the open well, they did not understand the effect of drinking dirty water," further explains Mr Tenywa.

Left: Mr. Tenywa, the borehole supervisor. Right: A girl happily carries away a 20 liter "jerrycan" of water from the borehole.

Mama Salaama, one of the 52kids guardians and community resident explains that she currently worries less about water and dedicates a lot of her time on other activities like garden work.

"I open the 'borehole' in the morning, lock it at mid day and later open it in the evening.This allows enough time for every family to collect enough water to use. We lock up the well in the night because no body can watch over it in the night," explains Mr Tenywa when asked why a padlock had been placed on a chain next to the pump handle.

The community has put in place a pool fund into which each family will contribute a basic monthly fee. We want that money to accumulate so that in case of any repairs, and maintenance, we can pay for the costs as a community.

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Back Again

PIt has been almost 5 days since we got back from Uganda and I am still readjusting back to home life. I really miss the place, the people and of course the food! The trip was incredible and now that I am home it is very hard to put into words. We met so many amazing people (kids and adults) and experienced so many different traditions (wabela...). I have been pounded with questions about my trip and I keep finding myself at a loss for words. It is strange for I am usually very talkative and am able to get across my excitement and emotions, but this trip was different. This trip moved me in ways I am unable to explain. The only way to truly understand is to experience it for yourself. All I know is that I have not stopped thinking about Kamuli and those 52 kids. I know that I will be tied to those kids and to Uganda for the rest of my life. I will be going back, that I am absolutely sure of.

I want also mention a person who had a real effect on me during my time in Uganda...

Benaleta is a fourteen year old girl who is part of the 52 kid foundation. The first time I met her, I overlooked her merely because I was surrounded by fifty or so other faces all greeting us. It was complete chaos, but as things began to settle down, there were some faces that stood out and some kids I would later get to know a lot better. One of those was Benaleta. She has a smile that takes your breath away and a laugh that is able to completely hide the impoverished life she leads. She is the most energetic girl I have ever met and I instantly grew attached to her. Over the course of the two weeks I saw her multiple times, one of those being at her house. Of all the home visits we made, Benaleta's home was one of the worst I had seen. It was hard to see the conditions in which such a brilliant girl lived. It also put much of my life into perspective for me, for here is a girl who is loving life simply because there is life to live, and not for the material things many of us deem necessary to be happy.

This girl is my role model and she does not even know it.

I miss seeing her and I can not wait until I am able to do so again.

I would also like to quickly thank John and Colleen for making all of this possible for me and giving hope to these children.

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Thanks to everybody

Our volunteers list keeps growing!! Thanks to Caleb, Collen, Lindsey, Madison, Sara and Zoe for all your efforts in volunteering your time in furthering the 52 Kids Foundation and its mission of helping the kids and families in Kamuli be self reliant. I know all kids in the foundation had a great time meeting everybody and the construction of the dorm gave the whole town a boost of confidence. Hope to see everybody soon and looking foward to those lemon bars. Your friend, smelly feet.

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Home (rejoice and regrets)

We arrived home last evening after a solid 30 hours of traveling. As we passed a replica of the Statue of Liberty in Newark, John teased Lindsay that she should salute. She said, "I'm not really sure I want to be back." It was a powerful experience, and I'm hoping we can post more photos and stories as we get our pictures and ourselves up and running.
Colleen

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Hey guys, Jahala here. (For those of you who do not know me, I made a similar visit to Kamuli last summer, 2008)

It's great to here from you all and know what you have been up to in Uganda. For me, it's just another way to stay connected. I'm happy for Zoey and Lindsay on participating in the home stay. This was one of the most important experiences I had in Kamuli. John urged Nick and I to take a hold of that opportunity and I'm so glad we did, as I am with you two. I stayed with Jacqueline, thirteen, I believe. Last year, we also carried water, and I was utterly embarrassed when a young girl, half my size, put the jug on her head and walked away smiling. Sounds like things are going well! Can't wait to here more, keep us posted!

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Carrying Water

A couple days ago, we got the pleasure to meet and help Rita's grandmother. We found her home with friends mourning the lost of her eldest child. They had set up the traditional approach which is very similar to sitting Shiva, where they sit and remember the individual for up to five straight days. We thought it would a helpful experience to carry water for them. It didn't seem like it would be that bad and as soon as we mentioned our plans, people came running to give us their Jerry Cans. These yellow containers, originally used for petrol, are about 5 or 6 gallons and are ubiquitously used for water carrying. Almost every family has multiple cans to hold and transport liquid. Our group, Colleen, John, Lindsay, Zoe, Sarah, a couple locals and I, all walked to the bore hole laden with multiple empty cans. It seemed like a fairly short walk, no more than a half mile, and in comparison with the distance many of the kids have to walk everyday, it was nothing. John didn't seem to think so and bet any girl 500 dollars they couldn't walk all the way back with a can on their head. I was surprised to see Colleen take up the challenge and after filling all of our cans and a couple for the locals who were waiting, she strode out undeterred. Although she had a smaller can, it was still impressive and funny to see try the African way of carrying things. Zoe, Linds, John and John all grabbed one of the big cans and I thought I could do two. As we set out from the bore hole the cans didn't feel two heavy and all of us were going pretty strong. Luckily the day wasn't to hot and it actually started to rain which cooled us all of but made the cans extremely slippery. Once we were about halfway back, it was a effort to keep going. These things got heavy fast. Soon I could manage 30 steps and then had to lay down the cans for a few seconds. Colleen didn't stop once and managed to hustle all the way back. Us mortals though soon felt the weight and struggled to maintain a good hold on the cans. Non the less we all made it back and were rewarded with hot tea, grounds nuts, hugs, smiles and thanks. Just doing this short walk once was enough to make all of us further respect the incredible work it takes just to get water every day.
Photos by Sarah Morris

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Homestay at Sharifa's Home

After only one day in Kamuli Lindsay and I hopped on the back of boda bodas (motorcycles). We were headed to the home of Sharifa, one of the 52 Kids. Upon arrival we were greeted warmly by her family, each person kneeling down and holding our hands. The women greeted us with the traditional welcoming shriek and giant loving embraces. Kaiso, one of the employees of 52 Kids here in Kamuli stuck around with us for a while and helped translate so we could get to know the family better. Before we knew it the sun had set, and we were without light. Luckily, Lindsay and I had brought headlamps which helped profusely as we played the Ugandan version of "UNO" with Sharifa's uncle, Daniel. At around 8:30 PM we were served a delicious snack of roasted groundnuts, which taste a lot like peanuts, and fresh tea. As we waited for the actual meal Lindsay and I played tons of games with Sharifa, her siblings and cousins, as well as two of the other 52 Kids, Gerald and Jesca. We played thumb wars, ring around the rosie, the slap game, and even the macarana. In turn they taught us a few Ugandan games, and soon we were all having the greatest time. For dinner we were served a feast. It included mashed plantains, baked casava (which is a type of flour that they use here), greens, beans, and chicken. The women had been slaving over the meal for hours, it was incredibly kind and generous of them. After eating it was almost 11:00 PM, so we decided to head into bed. Sharifa's family, along with the help of Josefine, had set up a beautiful looking bed for us to sleep in. We felt incredibly lucky to be able to experience such a wonderful family. In the morning we woke up so that we could walk around the village and meet other neighbors and friends of the family. Each time we were greeted warmly, and we even learned how to greet the proper way for a woman, kneeling down and saying "wasazo tia nyabo/sevo" (definitely not the right spelling!) We had such a great time talking to each family, and every time we were given a parting gift such as fruits, eggs, or groundnuts. Finally, it was time to leave. It was sad to say goodbye and it was hard to describe how thankful we were for their generosity and kindness. A few days later we returned to Sharifa's home to bring a thank you gift of sugar and a pan, the family again was so excited to see us, and we hope to visit them one more time before our departure!

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PR, surveys and the 'Breakthough Coach'

I just finished up summarizing the results of our survey about people's reaction to the HOUSE campaign, spear-headed by Peter Brady. The response (from nine different clients) was wonderful and overwhelmingly positive. My meetings with Alexandra from KSV (PR help) were also great, and she made a really nice customized PR strategy for the 52 Kids on PowerPoint. On Friday I'm going to be in Whitehall NY visiting Mal 'the breakthrough coach', who has been a regular supporter of the Foundation for over two years. I hope everybody in UG is having a good time and gaining from the experience. Please keep us posted.

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Internet, Pen Pal Letters, Music, and more...

I cannot believe that I am sitting in the dorm writing this blog! Sarah and John have been working with the internet connection in the dorm and it is working faster than we ever expected it to. This opens up so many possibilities... communication with our folks on the ground here, kids using technology while living in the dorm...it is huge! On Sunday we traveled to some of the homes of the kids to deliver the pen pal letters and give them the clothes that I have collected for them. I helped them read the letters and explain the questions that their pen pals asked. It was a very special moment with each kid. Today we are working on the song about self reliance with the group of musicians, and then teaching beading to a group of women. Later today we will go to Township to visit the 5 kids that are boarding students there. The teenagers are fading in energy a bit today but those of us that are tough are crusin along!

photo by Sarah Morris

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Summer Trip

This is a picture of the group in Uganda that I took at the airport in Burlington just before they left. I just moved into my new apartment with my wife in Rochester and am going to explore the city today. Later on tonight I have a meeting with a PR professional (Alexandra Tursi of KSV). Hopefully I'll learn about how to get the word out about 52 kids. John e-mailed home recently and said that the trip is going really well so far.

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Off to Kamuli

After spending two nights in Kampala we are finally leaving for Kamuli in just a few minutes! The past 36 hours have been filled with so many amazing experiences. As Lindsay mentioned, we visited Bead for Life which gave us a snapshot of how another nonprofit organization was trying to help out in Uganda. We were able to speak and observe so many motivated and wonderful women who were really trying to make a difference in their lives. Later that day we got to take a van down to Seeta Boarding School, where a fourteen year old girl Ritah, who is in the 52 Kids program is attending school. Ritah is really special, because right now John is in the process of adopting her. When we arrived Lindsay, Caleb and I had to wait outside the gates so that Colleen and John could get a chance to greet her alone. During those 20 or so minutes we were able to bypass language barriers, and begin playing a hilarious game of Simon Says with a group of little kids. By the end of the game they were jumping all over us asking for kisses and hugs! All of the sudden we saw a young girl start running full speed in a green dress towards us. Once she had reached us, she gave everyone a strong embrace; it was Ritah. As the last part of our visit to Seeta we were able to enter a classroom of about 60 students and interact with them for a while. The children were so eager to talk to us, and so welcoming a kind; this was surely one of the best parts of our day.
That night, after dinner with our whole group John, Kristin, Lindsay, Caleb and I decided to accompany Pichu, Collin and Frank to a bar near our hotel. We had so much fun talking, dancing, and shooting pool that we were out until 3:30 in the morning!
There's so many more stories to tell, but right now we have to go catch a bus to Kamuli. I am so excited to be here, the people are so welcoming and kind, the culture is so rich, and the country is so beautiful. I can't wait to see what's in store for me down in Kamuli!

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We are here!!

We are finally here. After almost thirty hours of plane flying and car riding, we arrived in Kampala around midnight here (that is about 5 o clock eastern time in the US). There is a seven hour time difference here, but after going overnight on our plane to Brussels, I have lost all sense of time. Our group is staying at a great hotel called the Speke Hotel, I highly recommend it to anyone who comes to visit Kampala. We met Dr. Frank Woitera, Collin and Pichu last night before bed. Everyone is so nice and welcoming. As I went up to introduce myself to Frank, I was a little intimidated, but when he shook my hand he swept me up into a huge welcoming hug that made my breath catch in my throat. Never had a been so warmly welcomed into such a foreign country. Those welcomings did not end there. All of today (July 28) wherever we went, we were welcomed with smiles. Our first journey through Kampala lead us to the Bead for Life head quarters. This foundation is the most organized project I have ever seen. I would also recommend visiting the website if you would like to find out more. All the women there are amazing beatiful people. They allowed us to take pictures and watch them work on beads, bags and bowls. Those who did not understand us merely smiled or giggled when we tried to address them. The bracelets, necklaces and various other products these women made were remarkable and gorgeous. I could not believe my eyes when I saw the final products. These women who live in poverty unlike any I have every seen, build a life for themseleves and their family by creating beads out of shiny, old magazine pages!!!
As we travel the streets of Kampala in an old bus, I find my eyes to be glued open. travel on the streets is absolute chaos. I can not believe the traffic and the crazy driving. You will be driving and venders will come right up to your window and heckle you to buy some of their products. There are a ton of motor bikes racing around sliding right by our big bus. Also, it was really cool that everyone drove in the left hand lane and on the left side of their car.
I have to say, I did not know what to expect from the people, food and culture, but I am thouroughly happy. I do not feel intimiated, instead I am quiet the opposite; I have been talking to Frank and many of the people freely and jokingly. I already feel as if I have been In Africa for weeks! Tomorrow we are giong to be heading to Kamuli for the next stage of our trip....
Until then,
Lindsay Kingston

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Final Preperations

As the three of us: Caleb Ladue, Lindsay Kingston, and Zoe Adams, come together at about 9 to finalize our packing and hopefully tie up all the loose ends, we have a mix of emotions. All three of us are about to leave for an adventure unlike anything we have done before and are seemingly apprehensive, a little stressed but overall curious for what lies ahead and elated to be given this opportunity. Like Zoe and Lindsay, I will be wrapping up my high school career with this oncoming academic year, being 17 as well, and am beginning to think about the future and what it may hold. In terms of minutes and hours, i will be boarding a plane to begin a perspective changing experience. In days I will be immersed in a foreign country, culture and climate with an expanse of new experiences, relationships and vistas. In weeks i will have returned, most definitely different that when i left, with a different persona and past. The more distant future will be full of unknowns that will be more easily accomplished by these next weeks.
I couldn't be more excited to embark on this journey and i am ready to write about, capture and share the experiences and stories i encounter.

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Uganda here we come!

In 24 hours we will be on our way. I am so excited to return to Uganda and see my friends. This is going to be an amazing adventure!
Colleen

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One more day!

Hi everybody! I'm Zoe Adams and I'm seventeen years old, about to be a senior at CVU. In just 36 hours our crew of nine will be boarding the plane in Burlington to begin our trip to Uganda. I am so excited for this trip, and I feel so lucky that I have been given the opportunity to be a part of such an eye-opening and life changing experience.

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Introduction

On July 27th 2009, I will be heading to Uganda, Africa. My name is Lindsay Kingston, I am 17 years old and heading into my senior year of high school. I am extremely excited for this trip and I know it is going to be an experience that will change my life. I am a bit nervous and this trip is a huge step for me personally, but I am going to be with two of my great friends (Zoe and Caleb). I can not believe the lift off date is only two days away! I still have a lot to do, but I thought I would take some time and introduce myself more personally than what is written on the website. I will be back later with more.

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Going to Leadership Seminar

Today, I will attending a leadership seminar at Rhino Foods, in Burlington Vt. run by Ted Castle (president and CEO) One of the goals is to establish a core competency that if improved on would better my leadership skills. The competency if have chosen (actually chosen for me) was patience. Will let you know how it comes out

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52 Kids Foundation selects 3 CVU students for Leadership Program

Lindsey Kingston, Caleb Ladue and Zoe Adams, all seniors attending Champlain Valley Union High school will be traveling to Kamuli, Uganda for a 2 week Leadership Program. While there they will see firsthand how the medical system works in a developing country by assisting nurses and doctors at the Kamuli Mission Hospital. The group will then be asked to form women's groups in local villages to discuss gender advancement, family planning as well as adult education. The final part of the trip will be learning then leading groups in building fuel efficient stoves as part of the environmental recovery movement initiated by the 52 Kids Foundation. This is the third year CVU students have participated in the Leadership Program. A second trip is planned for the winter break in February for interested applicants.

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Well project

May 2009

In March '09 we finished the construction of a 70-foot covered well, that pumps clean water to a village of over three thousand people. Four of the students that we support alerted the Foundation to the water situation in their home village; people were faced with the choice between a 1.5 hour walk (each way) to get clean water, or to use a water hole shared with livestock.

The Thursday Night Hockey group in Burlington Vermont took on the challenge of raising the $5,000 needed to build the well. After raising the funds, the Foundation worked with village leaders to find a suitable site and organize a maintenance scheme. The well is now in operation, and the video is from the ribbon cutting ceremony attended by John Koerner, Peter Brady, and Bill Butler, three members of the Thursday Night Hockey group.

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Fundraising 2008

The sum all of the donations for 2008 increased 10x, a remarkable increase from 2005 when we started with a small amount. In addition to raising more money, we are receiving donations from a more diverse group, including annual gifts from individuals, foundations, and events (like the Lobster dinner at CVU). Jagger recently got in contact with friend from the UK who is considering fundraising for us there, which would be our first international fundraiser! Donate now or through our H.O.U.S.E. campaign

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Home improvement projects

The home improvement projects at the families' homes are nearing completion. Together with Foundation employees and volunteers, the families have constructed fuel efficient stoves, water collection facilities, backyard gardens, pit latrines, and hand washing facilities at nearly all of the homes.

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Dorm construction underway

John, 52 Kid's Foundation program director, left for Uganda and is staying in Kamuli for approximately one month to oversee the construction of the dorm, and participate in meetings to gather ideas and generate consensus about how to best use this new space. He recently sent a brief e-mail home and reported that the trip has been very productive.

This is a picture of Monica's house. Monica is HIV positive as is her daughter Stella. Stella was born with the disease and is a member of the 52 Kids Foundation. Stella's father died of Aids several years ago and left the family this half completed building. The Foundation, Monica and her family (along with 4 other sisters) partnered to secure an affordable lease that would allow us to use this as a dorm and for her family to have a steady source of income. 52 Kids Foundation signed a 20-year lease giving Monica an income of $950/year, half the market rate (thank you Monica).

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Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors had its first online meeting last month that connected people from Vermont, New York, Connecticut, and Uganda via Skype. It was great to have everyone chatting and sharing ideas all at the same time.

Board of Directors

Jagger Koerner: I recently graduated from Cornell University, and am excited to start medical school in the coming fall at the University of Rochester and business school at the Simon Graduate School of Business. I live with my wife in Ithaca NY, and split my time between working at a pharmacy and working for the Foundation.

Kate Ittleman is a clinical research coordinator in the multiple myeloma unit at Dana Farber Cancer Institute based in Boston. She has her Masters in Public Health from Yale University and an undergraduate degree in biology and English from the University of Vermont. She has worked at the Harvard School of Public Health researching children affected by adversity and at the Office of Sustainability at Yale. She grew up in Charlotte, Vermont.

Dr. Frank Woitera: I graduated from Mulago School of orthopedics - Kampala Uganda, in 2007. I have committed a lot of my time since then implementing the ground activities of the Foundation with a lot of emphasis on the health care needs of the 52 kids, their families and the communities in which they live.

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