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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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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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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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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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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