The Real Africa

Uganda is not a bad place, Africa is not a bad place.  Honestly, I feel more safe here than when I lived in Baltimore!  Things do happen, yes (mostly at night), but things happen everywhere.  I had no idea what to think about or picture before I came here, but it's nothing like what the Western world makes it out to be.  Life here is so similar to parts of the U.S...but different.  Everyone has their own struggles and their own successes, they're just manifest in a different light.  They have their own economy, their own romances, their own friendships, their own social structure.  People (who can afford it) dress way nicer than Americans!  They wear Sunday best every day!  Americans are actually notorious here for having terrible style, because we assume "Oh Africa, wear crappy clothing."  But that's so far from the truth.  Yes it does get dusty, but we look terrible compared to the locals haha.  Things aren't as nice and elaborate as they are in the states, but they're there.  (Except for common knowledge about medical issues- non existent!).

Honestly, I'm pretty ashamed at myself because I assumed that all Africans weren't very educated.  Boy was I wrong!  In the villages, it is very hard to come across well educated people.  Most don't have enough money for school fees and have to drop out of school by first or second grade.  In town, however, most people have at least graduated high school and many that I have spoken with have gone to University (which is 3 years after high school for them).  They know so much!  And not only that but most people speak THREE languages!  (English, Lugesu, and Luganda).  How many Americans can do that?!  

I've gotten to know a lot of people through networking, projects, my soccer team, etc.  I've become close with a guy named Emma.  His story illustrates how similar some of the issues here are to the U.S.  Emma is great!  He wears band t-shirts like "The Who", jokes around a lot, and is very eloquent in his speech.  He's pretty much a typical 23 year old man.  I love talking to him because he reminds me of boys back home.   He knows I'm oblivious to cultural differences (and makes fun of me for it) and he understands sarcasm (which btw, is NOT a normal concept in Africa- watch what you say!).  He's been graduated from University for six months now with a degree in Accounting, and he's very smart.  However, he's frustrated with his current situation because he's living at home with his parents because he can't find work.  He tells me how annoying it is because he hates having to ask for his dad for money when he's an educated man and should be able to fend for himself. In the U.S. people are struggling with the same issue- even those with high levels of education are finding themselves out of work.

It's not all rainbows and butterflies here, that's for sure!  But it's not all bad either. I have posted of a lot of scary and disheartening things, but that's kind of what I'm here to do- I'm in a Environmental Health internship so I see the worst of the worst.  There are people who could go through the U.S. as well and scrutinize (even though the conclusions might be lest drastic).  Every culture, nation, people has their own struggles- some are just more extreme than others. Even the villagers who don't seem to have a lot of basic concept of anything that would be deemed "common knowledge" in the U.S...the amount of drive that they have to do physical labor just fascinates me.  I have so much respect for them.  They are working machines!  They are willing to sacrifice their body, get literally three hours of sleep most nights, sleep on dirt floors, work barefoot..they just don't stop working!
Africans are not dumb, they're just uninformed.  Africans are not lazy, they just haven't been raised with time management or analytic thinking skills.  Africans ARE hard working, loving, welcoming, happy.

The last couple days have been extreme physical labor as we mixed and poured cement, carried rocks and launched them off the mountain, dug through the mountain side, painted walls, and much more to finish up our health clinic.  I'm very excited for this clinic!  It's going to be so impact full and will literally save many lives.

A restaurant had PANCAKES!!! American food?!  What a dream!

            This is my friend Emma that I wrote about in this post. Yes I am wearing makeup.  Yes this is rare!

                             This is the love of my life and favorite Africa girl- Brenda :)  We were hanging out up in her home village (where the clinic is) which is about an hour and half from our house in town.

                                                                   The market in Mbale

                                                                          BRENDA!

                                  

                                                                 Market in Mbale, #2

All white everything- white sheets, white blanket, white shirt, white shorts...all in a land that doesn't even have paved roads.  What was I thinking?!  It's legitimate work trying to keep this all clean at night especially since I'm usually covered in dirt (I just took a shower in this picture...a rare occasion to say the least.  No hot showers= no drive to shower).