My Silver Lining: Blame it on the taxis.

Before we arrived in Uganda, we were warned continually to get used to Ugandan time. Apparently Ugandans are not as “uptight” as we Americans, and appointments and arrival times are merely a suggestion. I had created a picture in my head of how relaxed and easygoing Ugandans must be and how I could not wait to learn to relax beneath a banana tree, take in the scenery, and maybe enjoy a book while waiting for a partner organization to show up. My dreams were promptly shattered when Nicole and I attempted to get to our first partner meeting. A walk, two boda boda (small motorcycles) rides and a taxi later, we arrived in Lugazi (40 km away from jinja) three hours after we left, and two hours late to our meeting with The Youth Outreach Mission, and Mr. Laker Wilson. Wilson was very understanding, but didn’t fail to make note of our tardiness. “I know how careful Americans are about time. I want to be very considerate of your time. My manager asked when you would arrive and I said 10 a.m. and he replied “But it is already midday!” I told him it must be the transportation.” Thanks Wilson for covering for us. First lesson of the day: Leave at least two hours for public transport. And know where you are going before you walk out of the house in the morning. Check.

TYOM: So, our meeting with TYOM was awesome. HELP International began working with TYOM back in 2008 when Jackie Skinner (my roommate) was a Country Director for HELP. TYOM was about 6 months into its life as an organization, and they have an incredible story. Founded by Laker Wilson, an 18 year old university student at the time, TYOM has a mission to educate and sensitize the youth of Uganda to the dangers and issues of HIV/AIDS. They believe the key to Uganda’s future resides with the youth, and that is their responsibility to spread a positive message. They seek to mobilize their communities, based from Lugazi and encourage the youth to be hard-working, productive and sustainable members of their communities. They have an incredibly insightful awareness of the issues of not only Uganda, but of youth in general. It is official that I will be learning far from these people than I will leave behind. Wilson is so eager to partner with us, it is so flattering. And yet, he is 22 years old and already the president of an organization that has contacts all throughout Uganda, and tremendous support from the locals. We talked about projects, issues and just got to know each other. He has been so helpful in helping us to find housing, as well as just helping to familiarize us with Lugazi, and Uganda in general. I finally got a cell phone, purchased from shed of a shop in an alley for $60,000 shillings, approx. $30 USD. It’s no Iphone, in fact it’s a Nokia with the old-school Nokia ring that I haven’t heard since about seventh grade. Cell phones in Uganda are…funny. A lot of people have them because they are relatively inexpensive, but, airtime (purchased on cards individually) is expensive and a lot of people can’t afford minutes. Incoming calls though are free, so they will call you, let it ring, and then hang up and expect you to call them back. Everyone asks for our phone numbers, even little kids in villages. They must like to have a Mzungu’s number in their contacts and they call randomly at all hours. After one partner meeting, Nicole got a call with a man we had just met. He was just calling to say hello, oh, and have Nicole say hi to every member of his family. So funny. Oh, and when your phone rings, you answer it. No matter where you are. Packed into a taxi? Answer your phone. In the middle of a meeting? Answer it. None of this ignoring calls business or not having your phone on you at all times, the person calling does not understand why you would have anything better to do besides answer your phone, after all why else would you have one?

Anyway, after spending the afternoon with Wilson in Lugazi, we finally headed back to Mugembe (village just past Jinja) to Kimi’s. Beans and rice for dinner with the children, bucket shower, bed (in a mosquito net, of course).