March 2019
In march I was still in the same project since January called “Green Colleges Initiative”. Though this month I wanted to get to know the project from another perspective, that is why I joined the NGO SATNET for two weeks which is based in Fort Portal and is working in the same project as well as Kiima Foods, which is a partner of VUGA. The sole purpose of joining SATNET is that they planned to implement a labour market study to find out which green jobs are demanded by the market, in that I was very interested and wanted to be part of the process. Please check out the new website of SATNET: www.satnet.or.ug
During the first week I was with SATNET the activities were still delaying, so I used the time to get to know to SATNET probably, also to the KRC Pilot Project which is based next to the SATNET office.
Fortunately, I attended a meeting at SATNET convened by PELUM Uganda (Participatory Ecology Land Use Management). In this meeting different stakeholders were invited to learn about the principle of agroecology which is the study of relation of agriculture crops and the environment and includes the thinking, that the problem of unfair distribution is not a change of production but a change of the food system. The bigger goal is to create a more sustainable agrosystem which is cultural and traditional adaptable and improving the climate. The facilitators of PELUM informed all the members about the national symposium in May, in which the concept of agroecology will be introduced to delegated farmers of each region as well as to politicians. Together there will be a strategy developed to include this concept at different levels, mobilizing regional actors, influence the national politics and push the topics to the international symposium in Kenya. They want to offer an alternative concept to the government because 10% of the national budget is put in agriculture but without strategy, this strategy they want to evolve together. Also, they want to target big industries which are harming the local environment through monoculture, genetic engineering…. and to put the farmers first. For that purpose, PELUM is collecting regional issues in the agriculture sector because agroecology is able to improve the issues. This topic really attracted me and motivated me to learn more about agroecology.
Finally, the team of “Green Colleges” opened the applications for the consultant who is going to implement the labour market study. It was very interesting to get to know the approach of a selection. Furthermore, we had a meeting with JESE, SATNET, Kiima Foods and Welthungerhilfe together in Kasese, at the office of Kiima Foods, where they planned the activities for the next quarter. I had the opportunity to present some ideas the team of JESE evolved about green jobs for the project: One idea about producing an alternative to plastic bags and another one about processing upcycled products. The team discussed them and came to the result that they shall kept in mind and developed more, because they are still lacking improvement.
Furthermore, Amelie and me had our examination of Rutooro and we are still waiting for the results.
Luckily, I have met a person who is playing the violin, he is a prospective pastor at the national seminary of the catholic church Uganda which is based in Fort Portal. He gave me the opportunity to practice sometimes about what I am very happy.
Seminar in Entebbe
In the last week of March all volunteers of VUGA met at Trina´s place in Entebbe for the in-between seminar because the five of us have been in Uganda for six months now, that means it is half time. It was an opportunity for us to share our experience, find together solutions for problems and see each other since it has been long. Different organizations which are cooperating with VUGA and hosting volunteers gave us input about different topics during the week. Among others also JESE was represented by my supervisor Allan who gave a presentation about “Sustainable agriculture, youth and climate change adaption”. Apart from him we listened to the topics “Girl child and women rights”, “How can NGOs effectively involve the community” and last but not least “Work and stress management”.
Apart from the partners also two members of the board of VUGA from Germany came to Uganda for the seminar. They had prepared some modules about stereotypes and prejudices as well as some leaded self-reflection about what we learnt so far and what are our further goals for the following time at our workplace and in our private life.
Furthermore, we talked about how to write and talk about Uganda and Africa when we are back home in Germany and telling people about our time here. Because it is very easy to reproduce prejudices and racist images about Africa if you are not careful enough like for example in Africa there is only poverty, violence and no education. To avoid this, it is very important to be aware of the typical imaginations of Africa and to tell considered another story which deconstructs fixed ways of thinking.
Besides personal issues and experience in our private life and at the workplace we also discussed a lot about political topics. The aim in doing so was to get new input for the topic which is heading our internship in Uganda: Learning to think in a global dimension. Being specific we discussed about Postcolonialism and which position we are in as white interns coming for one year to Uganda to work voluntary in different areas. Not only but also about the bad effects of development aid of countries of the Global North to countries of the Global South, and last but not least about the global system and how decisions are made in the world politics. The highlight was a rap battle among us in which we debated about pro and contra of the German volunteer service named “weltwaerts” which is partly sponsored by the German federal ministry of economic co-operation and development and supports volunteers like us.
For the practical part we watched some movies about certain topics, for example about Germans in Namibia and the movie “Color of fear” in which different people with different backgrounds and skin colours are discussing about racism. This movie really moved me and is a must-watch for everyone!
Apart from concentrating, learning, and heavily discussing we used the free time for sharing experiences and continuing the discussions of the day. Fortunately, we had extremely nice food for lunch, because Trina´s mother is into catering. For breakfast and supper, we cooked ourselves. It was the perfect remedy for exhausted brains. All in all, it was an extremely fruitful week with a lot of inspiration for me and my following months in Fort Portal and it is also a marking for a new phase of my time here.
The following weekend I spent the time in Kampala and visited the Baha´i Temple, which is a religious centre of the Baha´i faith. I have never heard of this faith before. It is about thinking all religions and prophets of the world all one. Each continent has one temple and the one of Africa is based in Kampala.
After the seminar Hye-Seon invited me to join her, her sister, and her sister´s boyfriend, who were visiting Hye-Seon for some days to accompany them to the Ssese-Islands. I was very happy about the opportunity to enjoy some holidays and wind down a bit after the seminar and all the information we had gotten. We went by ferry to Kalangala where we stayed for two nights and discovered the island by Boda Bodas. The view was pretty beautiful apart from all the palm oil monocultures which are covering 80 % of the island. It was very interesting to get to know how palm oil trees look like and how the fruits are grown, especially because we discussed at the seminar some case of land grabbing and huge deforestation caused by monocultures of palm oil trees on the islands of Indonesia.
The month of March passed unbelievably fast, I am scared all the following months will also pass so fast like this one.
February 2019
In February I was one more month with the team of the new project “Green Colleges Initiative”. Initial my supervisor and me planned that I am the first months in another project so I get to know to JESE, but I was interested in the Green Colleges Project that’s why I stayed one more month with them.
At the end of this month JESE organized a 3-day training for all the staff about gender equity and diversity. The facilitators were from CARE International and had incredible training skills so the workshop was nothing like boring, but very practical and interactive. Trough different training units I got to know better to the members of JESE. I learnt so much, but especially about another understanding of gender, which was easy for me to deal with, but in the end, I was more able to accept, dialogue skills, workstyles and JESE´s structure.
Mid-February a workmate of mine invited me to join her to a short weekend trip to Kisoro. I was happy about the opportunity to take a few days off and to explore the south of Uganda. We travelled to the Mgahinga National Park in Kisoro and climbed the mountain Sabinyo, an extinct volcano. When we reached the summit on 3689 m after 7 hours of hiking, we were rewarded with a view on three countries at the same time, because the peak marks the intersection of the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
January 2019
My new year started with a few new beginnings. The office has opened again, I feel like I have started “living” after three months in Uganda. I have joined a new project at JESE called “Green Colleges Initiative”, which is funded by Welthungerhilfe. It is about improving the employability and income level of youth by promoting vocational training in environmentally sustainable business in the Rwenzori region. Because it has only just started this month, I am very interested how to realise a project, which is right now only on paper. I was allowed to attend the team for familization meetings at the sub country and town council level, where I took minutes. Even though it always was the same introduction of the project, it was an opportunity for me to get to know to the details of the project and to the political structures in the region.
In the mid of January Trina called us for a meeting at the Toro Club in Fort Portal. It was very nice to meet each other again at the same place and to enjoy the sunset at the palace, which has a very nice view.
December 2018
In December and November, I was under the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) – Department with my supervisor. Now I can start freshly in another department in the new year. We are doing an endline survey in the field of a project which is about to finish. A highlight for me was a meeting in Kibiito with all organizations, that work together with WASH themes in the district. It was very interesting for me, because I got a wider picture of all the efforts to improve the current situations.
Hye-Seon visited Fort Portal and we went for some short holidays to celebrate my birthday at a beautiful accommodation next to a crater lake. It was a perfect opportunity to relax in the time of Advent.
Furthermore, I started to take lessons in sewing from a tailor.
Christmas was a nice experience, I enjoyed it a lot. It was a big party, like in Germany with too much food and a lot of family time. My host family and me made some Advent wreath together and baked a lot of German Christmas biscuits.
November 2018
After I have arrived in Uganda end of October, three months later than the other volunteers, now almost two months have passed and I can’t believe how fast time has passed already. Besides many new and unusual impressions in my first weeks, now I already feel at home in Fort Portal.
I was very happy to meet Trina, Hye-Seon, Amelie, Jonathan, Eva und Lucy at the orientation seminar again, which Trina organized. She repeated with us all the information, that I needed to have a smooth start in Uganda and which the others already had gone through on their first seminar. I´m very grateful that this was possible and that they shared their experience with me, which was very helpful. Also, on the trip we did with Trina’s husband Michael afterwards, they explained me a lot. They made my start very pleasant and I enjoyed the time with them.
During the trip we visited also the organisations YAWE and JESE, where I am going to work in the future and I was also introduced to my host family. I was really happy that I could unpack my suitcases. In the following weeks I got to know a lot of the extended family members at an Introduction and I felt at home fast. Furthermore, I really enjoy the time with my little brothers.
The first week at my new workplace at JESE was pretty quiet, because the staff did office work. That´s why I didn´t have something specific to do, but still it was a good opportunity to get know the staff members, work and structure of JESE.
The following weeks I was allowed to accompany my supervisor to the field work and I was able to see and experience in practice what I have been only reading before in theory about the current project. I am very grateful for many encounters I had and for being able to get an insight into the life of the people at the country side. Besides, I enjoyed being on the road, because every day was different and full of surprises. Fortunately, our lessons in Rutooro have already started, so that with a few greeting words I was able to weaken a bit the feeling of being out of place and not really entitled to get an insight into the hygiene standards of the households.
There are many situations in which I can practice what I have learned. The best way to practice greeting in Rutooro is to go jogging. I got feedback very quickly when I accidentally said good evening instead of good morning all the time. . . In the Kung-Fu class Amelie and I joined together, we can learn very well how to count.
When we picked up our work permit in Kampala, I took the chance to visit EWAD and Huyslinci in Entebbe, which are partner organizations of VUGA, where Hye-Seon hosted me and I tried the boxing training of Jonathan and Manu. It was very exhausting, but I had a lot of fun.
In my first weeks in Uganda I have learned that I should not judge people because they will always surprise you when you get to know them better and that I have a lot to learn. I´m happy to be finally in Uganda, to start living here and I´m looking forward to adapt more to the everyday life and work.
Germanya 