Matuga hill

I have liked Matuga hill ever since I first time topped it. It is very near to home and I have announced it as my own spot. From up there, you can see all over the village (pic1).

When ever I go running I attract lots of attention because of being mzungu (non-black). Apart from us HCF volunteers, I have seen no white people around here. Therefore, when ever I run children, as well as often adults, come to see me. I am constantly greeted with shouts "See you Mzungu!" or "Bye Mzungu!" and it is polite to reply. At times it gets tiring to be a local celebrity. People seem to be interested in me because of my skin color (and assumed wealth), not because of my character. While pointing and laughing at different people may be rude in the western culture, here people are just showing their curiosity. Besides, I think it is healthy for me to experience how it feels like to stick out from the mainstream. I can hardly imagine how bad the targets of actual racism must feel.

Last Friday I headed towards Matuga hill, listening to my iPod and in hope to meet absolutely no more curious people. But instead I bumped into a welcomed person. He is a local marathoner, who led for me an effective workout up the hill. Afterwards we talked only about running related stuff and I appreciated being treated as a runner, not as a white person. I got home with a smile on my face, feeling that my running enthusiasm was finally returning after being lost for a few years.

This week we hosted a visitor volunteer, another rock climber! Yet again I got to witness how easy it is to bond with climbers. Yesterday we went to discover what Matuga hill has to offer climbing wise (pic2). We found a handful of around 10m high routes, which could be bolted and graded anywhere between 4 and 7. We did a little bit of bare foot bouldering and it felt so good to be in touch with rock again (pics 3&4).

I have a feeling that me and Matuga hill will grow even closer as time passes. And after I have returned home, I will for sure memorize the times spent up there.

Epic adventure on Nile River

Last weekend I attended my first trip with the Mountain Club of Uganda (MCU). It organizes variable outdoor activities around the country and its members are mostly Western expats and volunteers living in Kampala.

We met early on Saturday morning at Café Java, and loaded with cappucinos our four cars headed towards Hairy Lemon, a world class kayaking place at the source of Nile River (pics1&2). Together with eight other beginners I participated in an intro day. Our morning program consisted of learning basic kayaking skills - paddling, entering and exiting currents, being rescued - on flat water. Compared to long distance kayaks, our short river kayaks felt light and agile (pic3).

After lunch it was time to put our newly learned skills into practice. We moved on the river crossing both down and upstream currents, finishing at the famous Nile Special rapids (class 3/4). For once I decided not to be fuzzy but attempt at going down the powerful rapids. Since the water is deep and there are no rocks, it is almost impossible to get hurt.

My experience: cross one rapid...cross another rapid...oops flip over...yey back upwards again, paddle...yet another rapid...turn...damn flip over again...get out of kayak...grasp for breath...more rapids...rescued on a guide's kayak.

Others' description: successful first rapids...back flip...get on surf...attempt 360...give up. Apparently I unintentionally managed to perform some freestyle tricks! After getting back ashore I enjoyed a well deserved beer, considering my Nile Special attempt as the day's grande finale. Little did I know back then.

As we had just began our return to the centre, it started storming heavily. Sun was going down quickly. I was hell scared being out on the water when it was thundering and lighting right above us. When our guides spotted a suitable place, we dragged our kayaks ashore and sat as close to each other as possible, shivering in pouring rain. The best we could do was to open our remaining beers and sodas, singing "we are the champions, no time for lightning, we are the champions of Nile". I acknowledged that particular moment as one to be remembered long afterwards.

It was getting darker and darker. Our guides decided we needed to cross the last stretch when we could still see something. So we got back into the water and kayaked to the centre, as every now and then lighting lit up the sky. We made it back just in time, as it was already pitch dark when we carried our kayaks to their stalls. Right at arrival, soaked wet but relieved, we got a round of sambucca shots on the house. In consensus, we stated that the day had been epic.

After putting on dry clothes we ate dinner with good appetite and continued the night with dancing and chatting. The next day most of us just relaxed with sunbathing, swimming and reading. Too soon it was time to return to real life from the beautifulness of Hairy Lemon.

Here is a cool video of our adventure: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdEka_7hX1s&feature=YouTube.beg

Living in the present

One of my reasons in coming here was to get rid of unnecessary planning and hurrying. Back home I tend to schedule everything well in advance; work, training, meeting friends, doing laundry, watching a movie, everything. With systematic planning I have time to perform that everything. I wanted to change that, at least for a while. I dreamt of a morning with no day program in my head - just getting up to sit under a tree doing nothing more than thinking.

Matuga village is the perfect place for that because there are not many distracting entertainments around, not even if I wanted to. I feel I need to be forced to stay still so that I can listen to my inner thoughts. I have a lot in my mind and in order to process it I must seek solitude in a peaceful place.

I imagined that after arriving in a simple place calming down would be easy. No way. I keep bouncing with alternative plans for this half-a-year. Should I move around and change projects? How do I best meet cool, like minded people? When will I run out of money? What national parks should I discover? I am more occupied in planning the future than living in the present. I constantly miss the message of this moment. For instance, right now I am sitting at the front porch alone, drinking mint tea. It is dark and I am accompanied by a single lamp. Air feels warm and soft, and I can only hear insects around me. Come on and grab this one specific moment!

With determination I will adapt to a slower lifestyle enabling me to get closer to finding myself, I believe. I am working with this belief: "Things will happen as destined and for a reason. Accept them." The cool thing about life is that you cannot predict the future. In order to find out, you must keep living day by day. When unpleasant things happen they seem unfair, but later on you may realize that they actually opened doors to other things or at least gave you a good lesson.

Pictured are sunset at Lake Victoria and Saturday afternoon at Serena hotel (a moment when I was fully present - finally, after a week's grawing, cold beer at a quiet terrace).

Ways of commuting

Apart from owning a car, the most convenient transportation here is matatu taxi. These minibuses fit around 15 people and as soon as they are full they leave for their designed destination, stopping on their way to drop and pick up passengers as requested. The challenge is figuring out right spots to catch taxis to different villages and suburbs, especially in cases when you need to transfer several times. Taxi prices do not kill you financially, as for example the journey from Matuga (home) to Kampala's main taxi hub, a crazy valley with hundreds of vehicles (pic1), costs around 0,5 euros.

The only notable disadvantage when taking a taxi is getting stuck in traffic jams, which happens pretty much every time. Due to this, it normally takes an hour for me to get from home to downtown, despite the distance being just 15km. Bodabodas (motorcycle rides) are as cheap as taxis and capable of going around stuck cars. However, since they frequently get into serious accidents I have chosen to avoid them when possible. Locals seem more relaxed, as by holding babies they can fit a whole family on one bodaboda (pic2).

Pretty much comparable to bodabodas are bicycles. Some locals show highly developed balancing skills by transporting large, heavy items on their bikes in innovative ways (pic3). Maybe even more impressing is head carrying. Mostly only women seem to have mastered this skill, and they may also have a baby tied to their back (pic4).

Naturally, the most basic way is going by foot. I very much enjoy walking through villages; observing all the movement and sound created by people, animals and vehicles. There are very many children here. They run around with little supervision and I often see toddles playing right next to a busy road with dangerous looking objects. Festive type of music is always present, lifting up the spirit of everyday life. Ugandan streets are full of life (pic5)!

Math of guilt

After being here for some days I had a sleepless night. I was coming to fully realize the huge life standard difference between me and poor people here.

Last summer I was in the United States and felt like visiting a posh Apple store. I bought an iPad without much considering its price, which was less than a tenth of my monthly salary. One evening here I was sitting in the living room downloading pictures, when my host family mother came to familiarize herself with the iPad she had not seen before. She told that for her, a government school teacher, it would take a year and half to save enough money for an iPad.

We continued the discussion about importance of IT skills in today's work life. In order to perform almost any job, you must know the basics like typing, printing and searching the internet. Most of the Hope children have never used a computer, thus to lack of equipment funds. Before my departure I took two retired (slowed down) laptops to recycling. I wish I had brought the better one with me, as the school cannot afford to buy a similar one. That got me thinking, would it be possible to distribute obsolete but still functioning computers from companies and private people to organizations such as Hope?

In need hierarchy computers are still way above eating. Not all children at the school are served lunch. Boarding Hope children get free lunch, while students commuting from home must pay, taken that their families can afford it. That leaves some children hungry and unable to concentrate during afternoon hours. The daily lunch fee is approximately 0,3 euros. If I donated the amount I spend on one restaurant dinner in Finland I could feed 100 children for a day.

Even though I do pay for getting to do free work, I feel guilty. I have saved money for touring Uganda and its neighboring countries. Safaris and guided hikes in national parks are big investments even for me. If I gave up climbing the Rwenzori mountains I could pay a fourth of what HCF needs to buy land for its own school. But I am selfish and hold onto my money.

My original intention coming here has been to donate mainly my time, to help by sharing my knowledge and skills. Now I do not feel like a happy helper because I am not giving also my money. It does not feel justified that I was born in a welfare country, raised by academic middle class parents, smart enough to get an university degree and hard working to progress in my career. I have traveled almost all continents, pursued the hobbies that most interest me and have free time for socializing, reading and thinking. All my friends back home have that. Is it wrong? Maybe, because there would be thousands of people capable of achieving the same if they were given a similar change, but they are not.

Research shows that the most fruitful motive for being ethical is the joy of giving. Also guilt keeps you going for a while but eventually you get tired of it. I should accept that I cannot help everyone with all I have but do what little I can, feeling satisfied about it. I should appreciate being privileged by my nationality, family background and achievements, enjoying the life standard that brings me. That is easier said than done.

The first two pictures are of preparing and enjoying lunch at the school. The last one is my favorite shot!

A school day

6:30 Wake up and breakfast. The sun rises at seven.

7:30-8:30 Drive to school. Mr. Kalema drives me and the other volunteers between Matuga (home) and Kigoma, where the school is located. (pic1)

The Kigoma Adventist Primary School is funded primarily by the HCF and supported by Kigoma Seventhday Adventist Church. It includes a nursery section (3-6yrs) and primary 1-7 classes (7-14yrs), altogether 180 children and 8 teachers. The HCF functions within the school. It boards 60 orphan, otherwise homeless children behind the classroom building (pic2). They are provided with basic clothing, food and caring. Other students live at their generally poor homes and walk to the school within a 2,5km range.

8:30-9:30 Learn Luganda.The head teacher gives us volunteers daily Luganda lessons. Even though English is the official language everyone in Southern Uganda speaks Luganda as the first language. Learning is fun, bulungi!

10:00-11:00 Physical education. All children gather to the grass field and form a circle (pic3). They do different kinds of stretches and jumps, followed by games. I get sweaty trying to beat some of the kids in running.

11:00-13:00 Teach English. I have been assigned to primary 6 class. Never before have teenagers greeted me with hugs and smiles as I enter their classroom! Studying material consists of one teacher's book, a blackboard and students' notebooks. I write everything on the blackboard and my 15 students copy it to their notebooks. I wish I had more material for reading and listening comprehension, as well as a good variety of differing exercises. However, not having ready text and practice books makes me more creative in coming up with new teaching methods. And, I do have what is most important - students who are willing to learn and behave excellently (pic4).

13:00-14:00 Lunch break. Schedules vary each day. So far I have not figured out when classes and breaks are supposed to start and end, thus this text being just an example.

14:00-16:00 Mathematics / social science / art & craft / music & drama / vocational skills / sports & games. On Thursdays the children perform Ugandan songs and dances (pic5). They have such a good sense of rhythm!

16:30-18:00 Pick up and drive home. It gets dark here at around seven.

18:00-21:30 Running, going to the nearby internet cafe, dinner, writing, reading.

21:30 Sleep.

Thank you colleagues and friends for the clothes, toys, games and pens you sent to the children. They were happy to receive them! (pics6&7)

First impressions

(Development request to the Blogger application: Support adding photos between text)

Welcome to live broadcast from Matuga village...

(Look at pic1) Let's start our tour from the basic unit; naturally my own bed. Before falling asleep I lay under the idyllic mosquito net (a.k.a malaria net) and hear the bustling sounds of forest insects.

(Pic 2) The bed is located in this house. I am hosted by the foundation director's family. Along with the friendly Kalema family here are four other volunteers, ideally exchanging best practices of African and European customs. I feel being a part of an Ugandan family will give me valuable insight to their culture, which varies greatly from mine.

(Pic 3) We reside in Matuga, approximately 15km and 45minutes from the capital Kampala. Matuga has its own shopping centre crowded with people and stores and stalls, but our near neighborhood is peaceful. The picture is taken at our home street.

(Pic 4) Now, take a look at my dinner. After being here for one whole week, I can tell that Ugandan home food consists of rice, matoke (cooked unsweet banana), potatoes, vegetables, sauce and a selection of beans, stewed meat, chicken or fish. As probably no big surprise, I am pleased to tell that fruits here are super juicy. Pineapple, mango, banana, jackfruit and sugarcane are being sold at every corner with cheap prices.

(Pic 5) Even though Uganda is a major coffee exporter locals prefer tea. I have even managed to overcome my morning coffee addiction, partly thanks to my favorite breakfast dish, chapatti.

(Pic 6) Food is being cooked outside at this backyard terrace. As the sun is setting, air feels comfortably warm and soft. We sit on a mat preparing dishes and chatting, and in the background a radio plays local music. That is one of my favorite moments of the daily life here.

(Pic 7) The view from the terrace looks like this. There are many hills here, filled with tense green vegetation. Now it is rainy season until June. It rains heavily for a few hours each day and the rest of the time it is sunny. The temperature is comfortably around 25C.

It whas come time to end this tour. I hope you enjoyed it, as more will follow...

As a bonus, there are a few pictures taken last weekend. We participated in the local Christian church's field trip in Entebbe.
Pic 8: Beach resort at Lake Victoria. Unfortunately swimming is prohibited due to dirty water.
Pic 9: My favorite animal at the zoo - sleeping crocodile with clouds of mosquitos.