One of my favorite organizations in the area, LifeStitches is a PMTCT (prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV) family support group that teaches women tailoring and bicycle repair skills so that they can earn money to support themselves and their families.
Some of the women are now “senior mothers,” have acquired the skills they need, and are ready to graduate from the program and open their own tailoring businesses. This will leave space for new mothers to come in and learn these same skills. In an effort to keep this tightly sewn group together even as women are moving out to their own businesses, I’ve been asked to work with the group on health and business education to bring them all together at least twice a month.
This afternoon, we kicked off with a session on goal setting. We talked about how thinking about our futures will motivate us in staying healthy and working hard at our businesses and the group learned how to set SMART goals. Each mother drew a personal goal and shared it with the group - from building her own house or owning her own sewing machine to ensuring her children have school fees for their education, these ladies have both the dreams and the drive to reach where they want to go.
I sat at the table, shoulder to shoulder with Ugandan mentors who were chosen by our youth at Camp StartUp North. With the camps over, our young innovators have gone back to their communities and identified mentors to help guide them as they build their business ideas. At the front of the table stood Sam, a representative of our national partner, Youth Alive, talking about StartUp Uganda. I’ve lived and breathed this idea for the last 10 months. Dreamed about it and have had it keep me awake many nights. And now, the idea has been shared and was being talked about, owned, by someone other than me and my core team. Sitting on the sidelines, it was a surreal, beautiful moment to reflect on where we started to how far we’ve come in a short amount of time. And how we continue to move forward, creating opportunities to connect Ugandan entrepreneurs, ideas, and empowering youth to launch their ideas. 🚀
The first week after she was born, I held this little girl, wondering what things her life would hold for her. Would she be a happy baby? Would she learn to walk quickly? What personality will she have as a toddler? Will she be a confident young woman? What activities will she be involved in at school? ..will she have the opportunity to finish school?
The girl child in Uganda, and in many parts of the world, face an immense number of challenges. Among children not attending school, there are two times as many girls outside of the classroom than there are boys. Girls are forced to remain at home, helping with chores and children or are married off at an early age. They’re taught to be obedient. To be seen and not heard.
But there is a future where each and every girl knows and realizes her potential. Where education is accessible and each girl reaches her graduation day. Where girls can explore their creativity, passion, and be anything they choose. A future where both parents are equally involved in her life and show her love, build her confidence, and tell her that her voice matters. That she matters.
“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.” –
Thank you, Red Thread, for connected me with these beautiful souls for the last 22 months and forever. 🌻❤️🌍
My sister is currently in the Peace Corps in Uganda, and at the beginning of April she found some abandoned puppies in the middle of the road. She ended up finding homes for all seven of them, and kept a little girl for herself!
This is Noni, my niece puppy, at 1.5 weeks, 5 weeks, 8 weeks and 10 weeks. Interestingly, we don’t know her breed, since Ugandan dogs don’t exactly have them – they’re descended from wild dogs and European settlers’ dogs. What does she look like to you?
So, African village dogs are sort of a thing all their own – a locally adapted indigenous type that is not a “breed” in the sense most Westerners use the term, but also isn’t a mix of breeds either. In a sense, they’re the kind of dog that exists before breeds happen. It’s not too much of a stretch to say they’re a modern-day example of the Original Dog, Dog in the Raw, Dog 2.0. They’re the kind of dog that most dogs were, for much of our species’ shared history together. And globally speaking, in many parts of the world, they’re still the kind of dog most dogs are.
Pretty much wherever humans live, there are dogs. They are on every continent save Antarctica, in grasslands, deserts, tundra, and jungles (both tropical and urban). The majority of the dogs are free-ranging “village” or “pariah” dogs that are not selectively bred by humans but instead scavenge and survive in human-dominated environments. Our notion of dogs as pets is probably an exception rather than rule; the day-to-day subsistence of village dogs is probably a good approximation of early dogs’ lives were like. The behavior and ecology of these animals are poorly understood, but through the efforts of researchers like Sunil Pal, we can start to gain insights into what the lives of early dogs must have been like.
Geneticists too are interested in these dogs. Many of these village dog populations are direct descendants of early dogs that have largely escaped the genetic distortions caused by strong artificial selection. Other village dog populations are mixes of various purebred lines that have escaped human dominion and resumed a feral lifestyle. Using modern genetic techniques, we have shown that the majority of village and street dog populations in Africa and elsewhere are descended from early indigenous dog populations and trace little if any genetic ancestry to modern breeds.
Most of the Ugandan dogs they sampled were genotyped as being indigenous village dogs, but some showed mixture with foreign breeds.
It’s very likely Noni is an African village dog descended from a long, long line of village dogs, a very cool thing in its own right! The coolest, if you ask me!
In conclusion, YAY PEACE CORPS PUPPIES.
Can’t get enough of these Ugandan puppies? Apply to our Community Agribusiness Program and you could begin service in Uganda in May 2017.
One year ago today, I officially swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
One year ago today, I was launching into an adventure and future that I was entering blindly, unsure of what was ahead of me.
One year ago, I never knew I would be standing where I am today - officially kicking off an idea that started coming to life in January. Working with incredible Ugandan business leaders and facilitators who believe in the youth of their country and know they can make a difference. Working alongside fellow PCVs and laying the foundation for StartUp Uganda. Doing the work I love and having a blast through this whole crazy ride.
“What am I working on?
What have I accomplished today?
Was I able to check everything off of my to-do list?
Has any of it made a difference in my community?
Am I doing enough?”
What I “do” and my work defines a big part of who I am. If a day goes by and I didn’t get to give that health talk or I’m not working on the next lesson, program, or document, I’m not satisfied. If I’m not busy, I’m not fulfilled.
In a village that operates at a different pace and style than what I’m used to, often meaning unexpected visitors and invasion of my work time, personal time, and space, I’ve had to take a new look at myself, my expectations, and how I find value in my days.
And in those unexpected visits that make me stop working, there is something much more fulfilling and much more important. There’s the human experience of someone coming by because we both need the company. Of sharing the silence and space as she works on her homework. Of laughing over burnt pancakes and explaining all of the weird and interesting American things in my pantry.
So much of what being here means isn’t about what I accomplish. It’s the people, relationships, and experiences outside of the work itself that are the things that matter.
I’ll still have my to-do list. Still have my lessons to plan and programs to manage. But. I’m working on it.
Huge congratulations to our #UgandaSpellingBee team. Today the Minister of Education passed over the #Uganda #flag for them to wave in South Africa as they represent Uganda in the #AfricaSpellingBee. #ASB2016
