The Nile

Rafting on the Nile was one of the coolest things I have ever done. The thought of rafting always freaked me out, but it really isn't all that bad! In fact, it was so much fun, I'm already trying to plan where my next rafting adventure will be! You are welcome to join!! One of my favorite parts was the view we had as we traveled along this famous river. I can't possibly begin to describe the feeling of having an adventure on this river that I have learned about since childhood, and hoped to visit my whole live. Not only did I visit it, I was also submerged in it, drank gallons of it, and bled a little in it too! [Don't worry, just a minor cut from my paddle, but still, it counts!]

Today’s stories are of Sandra, Julious, and Osward: The student leaders of my peer-health education program.

Sandra, Julious, and Osward

Sandra’s Story:

I know that as a mature adult who is spending time with over 100 children every day it is not right for me to chose a favorite. Yet Sandra is hands down my favorite…just, please don’t tell the other kids.

She is ten years old and is already smart, witty, fluent in English, well versed in the entire Harry Potter series, and incredibly kind. Whenever a younger student cries, Sandra is always the first person to tend to their tears. She runs towards them, wraps her arm around their shoulder, and speaks with a gentle soothing voice until they feel better. Sandra wants to be a doctor when she grows up so she can, “treat poor peoples the way they deserve and so I can teach about health.” Perhaps you are beginning to understand why she has become my number one?



Sandra stays in the current housing facility at Future Diplomats even though she lives nearby and has both parents. Her reason is that if she goes home after school each day she cannot learn as much due to the demands of housework. In order to accomplish her goals in life, this ten year old asked her parents if she could stay at the school and get the most out of her education.



Julious’ Story:

Julious is 11 years old and a very soft-spoken young man. His English is minimal, but he is still always very eager to talk with me. Julious only has one sibling, an older brother. His younger sister died a few years ago. This is Julious’ first term at Future Diplomats. He boards at the school for the same reason as Sandra, to learn. He wants to become a lawyer some day. However, unlike Sandra, Julious lives about five hours away from the school. Future Diplomats is special for a rural school in that parents send their children very far to attend the school because it is one of the best.



Granted, teachers at a private school in Kampala probably have more education, experience, and expertise when it comes to teaching. However, for a rural school, Future Diplomats is a great bang for a parent/sponsor’s buck. It provides meals, housing [albeit currently limited], and teachers that do not use violence in the classroom. Julious may have to sacrifice time with his family, but the school guarantees meals, shelter, security, and an education.



Osward’s Story:

Sweet Osward [as I like to call him in my head] is 10 years old. He was very shy at first, but now that I have been around him during our peer-education training sessions, he is finally warming up to me. For the longest time, I thought he couldn’t speak English, as it turns out he speaks almost as well as Sandra. Just like Sandra, he wants to become a doctor when he grows up. For now, Osward is not fortunate enough to live at the school. Instead he leaves his house every morning at 6:00am [in the dark] to walk alone to school. When he gets home he must do the full days chores, and does not have any time for studies. It doesn’t seem fair that Sandra and Julious have a place to stay at school, but Osward still puts his life and education at risk to come to school every day.



Kids like Osward—with dreams of becoming doctors—deserve the opportunity to excel too.

With love and appreciation,

Kristen

How it works

I have received a few questions about how this “donation process” works. 

To clarify:

Step One- You recognize the need for the construction of this dormitory 

Step Two- You discuss with your partner (if applicable) or spend some time thinking on your own about the amount of money you would like to contribute to my Foundation

Step Three- Once you are sure you want to help this cause; you click on the “donate” button embedded on my blog

Step Four- The link takes you to PayPal, an online money-transferring site that is used by many businesses and corporations to ensure safe money exchange for both parties 

Step Five- You enter the amount you would like to donate and follow the billing instructions as you would for any online purchase

Step Six- I receive a notification via email and through the Foundation’s PayPal account that you (your name and email address appear on the account balance spreadsheet) have made a donation of $X.XX amount. 

Step Seven- I transfer the money into the Future Diplomats Education Centre Foundation’s bank account in America. 

Step Eight- Once an ample amount of money has been received, we will wire the funds to Uganda and construction can begin (this step will be repeated until construction is complete)

Step Nine- You receive a lifetime of my thanks and appreciation! Eventually you will also receive a picture of the completed dormitory that could not have been built without your generosity!    

9 simple steps to making this dream come true! I hope this helps! 

With love and appreciation,

Kristen 

The Power of Change

As a “poor, starving college student” I recognize how hard it is to separate yourself from your money. When I think about each of the bills I have in my wallet (or rather, in bag I am currently storing my American cash in my suitcase), I place a tangible value on each of them.

$1.00 could buy me an Erin Baker Breakfast Cookie as a mid-day snack on campus.

Or it can buy about 25 bricks in Uganda.

$5.00 could buy me a 12oz non-fat vanilla latté and a snack to keep me going late at the library.

Or it can purchase two strips of gutter for rain collection.

$10.00 could buy me either a Jumbo potato burrito with a happy hour drink at Casa Que Pasa or a Big Mama at Jalapeños.

Or it can purchase either a bag of cement or a sheet of iron roofing.

$20.00 could take Dan and me to the movies on a date.

Or it can purchase a bag of sand.

$50.00 could pay for my cable and electricity bills.

Or it can purchase all the ventilators for the dormitory.

$100.00 could buy a textbook or a one day park hopper pass to Disneyland or fill the tank of an SUV.

Or it can buy 5 rolls of pyres [a type of wood].

$500.00 could pay a month’s rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Bellingham.

Or it can pay for 5 triple bunk beds which would sleep 15 needy children.

$1,000.00 paid for 10 weeks of housing, food, and transportation for my trip this summer.

It can also pay for all the labor needed to construct the dormitory, 3 metal doors, and even 20 boxes of assorted nails.

I wish I had $16,000 sitting in a bank account somewhere just waiting to be spent on a good cause. Instead, I have thousands of dollars in student loans waiting for me to get a job and pay them off.

I can contribute my time, energy, and small amounts of latté money to construct the dormitory.

I just cannot do it alone.

I am asking as your colleague, sister, daughter, niece, cousin, and friend. Please help me bring a place of shelter and security for these children.

Even $1.00 can build this dream.

25 bricks at a time.

   

With love and appreciation,

Kristen 

Culture

We spent a lot of time throughout my degree program talking about “cultural competency.” The bottom line was always as simple and as difficult as this, “You can’t just read about culture, you must experience and digest culture to really understand it. You must also be aware that you can live for years among a culture that is different from your own and never fully understand it.”

After six weeks of living here, I can vouge for the truth of this explanation.

The other day I was lingering at the primary school after I had finished work, and I went into a classroom to sit and talk with some kids. That day’s lesson was still scribbled in big chalk letters on the blackboard:

“Today we learn about family”

Responsibilities of Children:

1.      Fetch water

2.      Listen to Mom and Dad

3.      Sweep and clean the house

4.      Take care of younger siblings

5.      Carry baby’s on back

6.      Go to school

                              

Responsibilities of Mom:

1.      Take care of children

2.      Prepare meals

3.      Clean the house

4.      Take care of husband

Responsibilities of Dad:

1.      Bring livelihood to the home

2.      Financially support family

At first glance, the small glimmer of light inside of me that subscribes to feminism exploded…then the logical and much more reasonable side of me took a step back to comprehend what was in front of me.

Yes, the children are overworked, but let us think about this:

1. The family needs water: The father is off at work from before sun up to after sun down. The mother is at home, so why doesn’t she do it? Oh, right, she has at least four children and chances are they are too young to be left alone, and taking a herd of children on a two-mile roundtrip jaunt to fetch water is out of the question. That leaves the oldest or strongest child(ren) to take on the responsibility of fetching water. There are no faucets with an unlimited supply of clean water to cook with, bathe with, drink, and wash clothes. They need water just as much as we do in America; the only difference is it takes more effort on a personal level to attain it.  
2. Yes, they have to sweep and clean the house, but so did I when I was little. I became a more responsible and independent person for it—no complaints from me on that one. 
3. Taking care of younger siblings and carrying them on their backs is not uncommon throughout the world. The sad difference is that it becomes a full-time job for some kids because they are not in school, and the mother and father are trying to bring in an income leaving the kids to take up the jobs of the home.

Therefore, my own conclusion is that the children lose a part of their childhood not because of cruel parenting, but because of the society in which they live. Chances are their parents were raised similarly; sadly enough, their children will probably live like this one day too.     

With love,

Kristen

Goodbye Harriet

Last week our maid, Harriet resigned in order to pursue her university education. This means that all the work that used to get done while Festus, Molly, and I were at work must now wait until we return around 5:00 each day.

Since [in my observations] men do not under any circumstances do “women’s work” that leaves Molly and me to accomplish a full days worth of chores in about 3 hours. Whatever doesn’t get done in the evening must be finished when we wake up.

By “we,” I actually mean Molly, because I don’t know how to do a lot of chores the “Ugandan way” and she keeps putting off teaching me. I have been told this is sort of job security—because if I could do all the things she does for me, what would her role be? It also has a lot to do with me being a guest in her home. I think I would have a hard time letting my guests do their own laundry and make my dinner. 

Another interesting belief I have learned is that people think all Mazungus don’t know how to cook or clean because we all have maids that do it for us, you know, because we are all so wealthy. I wish.

I do try to help her though, which seems to make Festus laugh a lot. They were floored last Tuesday when I showed them I knew how to make mashed potatoes and guacamole. Granted I used a butcher knife to peel the potatoes, and we boiled them in a tin pan over firewood. Then I made these little silver fish by “frying” them in another tin dish over a clay stove that is cylindryical and stands about a foot off the ground and is fueled by coal. Little do they know, I had to adlib quite a bit since I was so far away from my own, familiar kitchen.

Cooking like this takes practice. It sure makes me feel silly for thinking I am always limited to hot dogs and beans whenever I go camping. Unless of course we had our fully equipped trailer, then naturally we could make a feast in the wilderness.

People here work hard at every little task they do. I can already tell Molly is exhausted, but that doesn’t mean she is going to stop working. Hopefully in the next week or so she will start letting me help her get this work done!

On another note:

Thank you to my friends and family who have already so generously donated to my Foundation! As promised, I would like to share the stories of a few more students today.

The story of Adiya and Asia:

A couple weeks ago, I posted pictures that capture the journey home for several Future Diplomat students. After traveling that trail for the third time, I spoke with the Jja Jja [grandmother] of two students, Adiya and Asia. Adiya just turned nine and Asia is five. Their father died when Asia was still an infant. For reasons I cannot explain nor understand, their mother brought them to her mother in-law and left—never to return. The Jja Jja is now responsible for five of her grandchildren. Her husband died many years ago. In Uganda, this means her main source of income must be from selling part of her garden. This literally brings only enough money for these two girls to attend school (the other three children must stay at home to work). This family cannot afford to purchase food, and they cannot afford to eat too much from their crops. The girls are provided breakfast at school, cannot afford lunch, and then they eat Cassava every night for dinner. Their Jja Jja is very old and has a bad back, weak arms, and an almost immobile leg. She informed me this was probably her last year of work because she can barely move any more. Granted these children assist her a great deal with harvesting crops, housework, and fetching water. In fact, Adiya and Asia work to help their Jja Jja every day until the sun goes down [after being at school all day]. On the weekends, they work from sun-up till mid-day. These children are exhausted and have no time for schoolwork. If they were able to sleep in a dormitory at school, they would no longer need to work away their childhood. They would focus their energy on schoolwork allowing them to one day emerge from school with an education and escort them away from poverty. 

Angel’s story:

Angel is the newest student at Future Diplomats. When I first met her, she walked right up to me and gave me a hug. This is unusual for most kids, because they just want to touch my skin. Angel wanted more; she wanted to be my friend. I let her sit in my lap, and she immediately nuzzled her head into my neck. Melt my heart, why don’t you? This interaction happened before I knew her story. Now that I know her roots, I can’t believe how angelic she is. Last week, Festus heard a radio announcement pleading for help. The woman on the radio told the story of a woman whom an HIV+ man had raped five years ago. Nine months later, the woman was now HIV+ and the mother of Angel. She has done her best to raise Angel on her own. However, she can no longer afford to take care of her. The woman had nobody to turn to, so as a last resort, she asked the radio woman to tell her story in hopes that somebody would hear her. Of course, Festus not only heard her, he called the radio woman right away and offered Angel a place at Future Diplomats. The mother could not afford to bring her from Kampala, so the radio woman escorted the child to our village this last weekend. She even purchased Angel’s first pair of shoes, her meal fees, and a blanket for her new home. Festus has donated the rest of her necessities until he can locate a sponsor. The problem is, she is sleeping on a couch in the room of one of the teachers. There are no more available beds to meet the needs of these children.

Not yet anyway.

With love and appreciation,

Kristen 

     

A lot can happen in five weeks.

I often worry about the sustainability of my efforts while I am here. I find myself wondering, will 10 weeks be enough time to leave a lasting impact? Will Volset have the means to continue in the future? Will the children live happier, healthier, and longer lives because they learned from my peer-education program? Maybe, hopefully, but I don’t know.

Leaving a lasting impression on this village is not about “leaving my legacy.” I don’t need credit or recognition for what I am doing here. However, I do need peace of mind. I don’t think I can physically, mentally, or emotionally leave this place without knowing that I have aided in the sustainability of Volset. My supervisor and Director of Volset, Festus, is one of the most passionate, hard working, and caring men I have ever met. The same day I arrived in Uganda, a woman from America donated money to Volset but did not specify its purpose. Festus asked me to help him write an email asking her where she would like the money to go. I jokingly suggested that we tell her about his broken car. He quickly and sternly replied, “NO! All donations go to the children! I will have money to fix my car when the children are taken care of!” That was the moment Festus earned a lifetime of my respect, Volset earned my trust, and my heart became permanently invested in this organization.

Today’s blog is not going to be about me, or my five weeks’ worth of Ugandan experiences. Instead, I will share with you stories that hold much more meaning than my own. I want to tell you about Joseph, Joyce, and Molly; children of Volset.

Joseph’s Story:

 Joseph is a beautiful little boy whose age is estimated to be between 5 and 7. When he sees me, his face lights up and he freezes wherever he is and does this adorable sheepish smile. He is very small and yet his stomach is very big (I believe this is common among malnourished children). Joseph has been at Volset’s primary school, Future Diplomats Education Centre for as long as I have been in Uganda. A volunteer named David discovered him during a community outreach visit in my village. David was at the home of an HIV positive woman who was acting as caregiver for Joseph-despite the fact that she already had a houseful of hungry children to feed. She explained to David that she took Joseph in recently from the health center and he is HIV positive. He was found a few weeks earlier by community members, half-starved in the home with his dead parents and dead brother. Yes, their dead bodies were lying in the house while this poor, sick, and no doubt confused little boy was left all alone. If you are choosing to visualize this, please keep in mind that a typical Ugandan home consists of a 10x12 ft open space within the confines of a mud or wooden structure. Joseph was very ill and David’s big heart reached out to this young boy and brought him to be a student at Future Diplomats under a full sponsorship. Joseph now lives at the school and receives HIV medication, hot meals, sleeps in his own bed, and most importantly, he is loved by many. Future Diplomats Education Centre is as much a home to Joseph as it is a school. Sadly, many other children are just like Joseph, but have yet to meet their David. This leaves them orphaned and alone. 

The story of Joyce and Molly:

Joyce and Molly

 Molly and Joyce are nearly identical sisters, born a year apart in the district of Mukono. They are two of 14 children. Sadly, their father died when Joyce was 1^1/2 and Molly was 2^1/2. Their mother was left to support her children on her own. While in primary school, the girls met Festus, the man who would one day change their lives forever. He recognized that their mother would not be able to afford their education much longer, and he refused to accept that. Festus took it upon himself to locate a sponsor from Canada to support their education. Tragically, the girls’ mother passed away during their last year of primary school, leaving them orphaned at ages 12 and 13. The girls were able to live at their school dormitory until completing secondary school. At that point, Festus took them in and provided them with meals and a place to call home. Today, Joyce is 19 and Molly is 20. Both girls volunteer as teachers at Future Diplomats Education Centre and are able to stay in both the schools’ housing for teachers and the Volset volunteer house. With all due thanks to their sponsor, Roger, the girls will begin University in August. Joyce will major in Social Services, and Molly will major in Business Administration. Both have grown into beautiful, wise, and caring young women. This is with many thanks to the guidance and love from Festus and the countless other volunteers of Volset.

Volset and the Future Diplomats Education Centre change the meaning of the term, “orphan.” Yes, in all technicalities the term still means, “Without a mother or father.” However, it does not have to mean, “Without love, shelter, food, education, and security.” Do many of the children here have tragic pasts like Joseph, Joyce, and Molly? Yes. Will some of those children continue to live through hardships? Maybe. The difference however, is that now they will live through them with the support that they deserve.

As I have already shared in previous blogs, I keep finding myself wondering about that age-old question, “What is my purpose here on earth?” I still can’t explain to you why I was born in a world that is allowing me to earn a college education. I also can’t really explain to you what pulled me towards Uganda for an internship. I can tell you it wasn’t for an adventure, due to bravery, or for any form of recognition. It was just something my heart said I needed to do. Now that I am here, now that I have heard so many painful stories, now that I have seen some of the things I have seen…only now am I beginning to understand my purpose.

Five weeks ago, I was preparing for a trip of a lifetime as a young college student, eager to see the wonders of Africa and learn about myself, Uganda, and my place in this world.

Today, five weeks later, with many thanks to everyone who helped me get here [especially my Mom]; I am now the Director of a newly developed non-profit organization. With great pride and excitement, I introduce to the world the Future Diplomats Education Centre Foundation. 

Our first mission: Construct a dormitory for the children of Future Diplomats Education Centre.

Currently, the school has about fifteen beds for children who either have been orphaned or live far from home. Six of those beds don’t have mattresses, so two beds sleep three students each. Fifteen beds doesn’t come close to meeting the high need for student housing. There were 100 students on my first day of work five weeks ago; nine students have registered since my arrival. The parents and caretakers of approximately 50 children consistently offer to pay in full for their child to live at the boarding school just to ensure they will remain at a safe and secure location. I want to bring a place of shelter and security for the many orphans who attend Future Diplomats Education Centre. This will also be a place where children who live far away can sleep so they are no longer in danger of abduction or getting hit by vehicles along the dangerous roads leading them home.

Today’s blog is an introduction to my organization’s efforts to fundraise for this cause. I know many people in America and around the world wish they had the time, the know-how, or the means to help those in need. I want to make this as simple as possible for you! I have provided the venue, the reason, and the validation of trust and respect. The cause and need are present; the solution is clear. So many of you have given me support throughout the process of my travels, and you continue to support me as you stand alongside me throughout my journey here. I am asking you to please, spread your support by donating any amount of money to the Future Diplomats Education Centre Foundation. Whether you donate $1.00, $5.00, $50.00, or $500.00, please know that anything will help.

 

The dormitory, solar panels, and all furnishing will cost approximately $16,000 U.S. dollars and will house 33 girls, 33 boys, and a Matron to look over the children. The foundation was recently constructed using donations from the caring people at the WWU Foundation. 

You have read the stories of children who have been saved in many ways by the kindness of Volset and the Future Diplomats Education Centre. I will continue to share stories of these children in my blog. Together we have the power to save many children and leave a lasting impact on this community.

Please email me at pettet.kristen@gmail.com for more information. For those of you who are interested in helping further, I can provide information about student-sponsorship as well. Sponsoring a child to live in a dormitory at the primary school would cost $400 the first year and $340 each subsequent year after. 

If you are ready to donate to the dormitory today, please click on the link below. You will first be asked to submit the desired donation amount. Then if you do not currently have a membership to PayPal, find the link that says “Don't have a PayPal account?” and follow the billing instructions. If you have a PayPal account, you can login and send your donation through the existing account.

Thank you again for your support!

For more information about Future Diplomats Education Centre Foundation, click here.

With love and appreciation,

Kristen

Chapati on America Day

I really have no complaints about my internship family. A few weeks ago I told my supervisor that my favorite holiday was coming up. The Fourth of July, Independence Day, the day we Americans put aside our differences and willingly chose to gather as families (no presents or house cleaning required) to blow things up into the air to make millions of people say "oooh...ahhh" in unison.

He started asking me about what we eat on "America Day" and I told him we have BBQs, watermelon, corn on the cob, chips and dip, and really any other summer snack you enjoy! So last Monday rolls around and not only has Festus bought me a watermelon (which, sorry America, but fruit in Uganda is way more incredible than it is back home), mangoes, maize (that was toasted over a coal stove so it almost tasted like it was BBQ'd), guacamole, beans, and beef. Then he and Lydia also taught me how to make Chapati, which is my favorite Ugandan dish here. In return, I taught them how to make tortilla chips...over a coal burning stove in a tin bowl...using Johnny's as my only seasoning...hard but not impossible.

They took pictures of each step and I'd like to share them with you. Sorry, I don't have very good baking instructions because its a "dash here, splash there" kind of a country.

Shred two carrots...

Combine half of one sliced onion and half of one garlic clove with half a bag of flour and the carrots...

Knead with your hands. In my case, knead with your left hand only because you have seriously injured your right thumb on the cheese grater and don't want to bleed into the dish...

Roll the dough into balls...

Flatten balls...

Roll balls, but flip them after each roll so they don't stick to the bread board...

Look what I flattened!

Add a spoonful of oil to the tin pan and fry over your coal burning stove. I'm sure a "modern day" stove will work fine too...

Flip when instinct or Lydia tell you to...

Hold the finished treat up for the camera!

Shake hands with your Madam! We are sitting next to "Mukuano Oil" which means Friendship and a jar of Johnny's my mom insisted I would need!

And that is how it's done! I promise a bigger blog will come tomorrow. Happy Harry Potter Day!

With love,
Kristen