A New Coordinator

A core volunteer since the early days, Sam completed his degree in Development Studies this past December. He is now taking on the responsibility of coordinating our activities in Buhugu.

Sam is also a key participant in the Low Cost Websites pilot, and has been in Nairobi for the past week, training, meeting partners and clients and building websites.

Now back in Uganda, Sam will spend time between Mbale and Buhugu working on both buhugu.org and buhugu.com.

Sam gazing into the rift valley from Ngong Hills, Kenya

The Computers are in a Box

Buhugu is without power, and has been for some months. The issue is over pay, we hear. The sub-county has been asked to pay some significant amount in arrears, and it doesn’t look like it will be resolved soon. At least, that’s what we have gathered from the various conversations.

So, for now, everyone is in darkness and we have packed most of the computers in a box and put them to rest. This is somewhat symbolic, as our approach is shifting from free access and training, to income generation and service delivery.

Mzei Ndugu, our “senior volunteer”, has offered to secure premises, with power, at the nearby trading center. Both he and his wife are strong supporters of our experiments, to say the least.

When the computers are resurrected, our focus will be on sustainability.

A look back at what they have achieved in a few years:

• Hundreds of young people have become computer literate.
• Trained tens of teachers, nursing students, government workers and those in the NGO sector.
• The total reach is estimated to be between five hundred and one thousand people.
  
• Provided the platform to experiment with rural IT outsourcing, that led to the launch of buhugu.com
• Helped identify young talent in the community, in whom we are making further targeted investments.
• Ultimately, they were the catalyst that brought the volunteers together and helped launch our other experiments.

Wangwe Rogers

It is true that the way we operate, our approach, is quite unorthodox, to say the least.

We don’t fundraise, we are team of volunteers and we are quite happy to try things, even when we think they have a small chance of succeeding, but feel it’s worth a try anyway.

All of this creates much confusion within the community. When they see a young man, working tirelessly, without pay, often against tough odds, they scratch their heads, or worse, assume that he is getting payment under the table.

Wangwe Rogers first came to our attention when during one of our first community meetings, he stood up and asked some biting questions to the leaders and elders present, such as: “you may be promising all this support to this project right now, but a year down the line, will your commitment still be there?” [paraphrased]. He was not yet twenty at that time.

He soon became one of our volunteers, though he was working fulltime at a nearby clinic. As the clinic closed towards the end of 2008, Rogers became a core volunteer spending more and more time at the computer center and the library.

We can now say that Rogers has single handedly ensured the continuity of our many experiments in Buhugu, during 2009. From liaising with the community members, managing community expectations, improving processes on the ground, taking care of the various assets, and generally being the face of the project in Buhugu, there are not enough words that can be said about how much he has contributed.

What drives him? He will laugh and say that he just wants to help people come up.

As mentioned in an earlier post, Rogers was recently hired by the Sironko District to work as an immunization coordinator at the rural health center at Buteza, some distance from Buhugu. However, Rogers now has a young family in Buhugu and we are happy that he will be near us when not in Buteza.

Thank your Rogers for all you have done, for us and others.

Together in Buhugu

A young man we met in Budadiri

Last week found many of the core volunteers of I Buhugu together for the first time in over a year.

Sam, Wangwe Rogers, Masiga Rogers (Geoffrey) and Sri were all in Buhugu during the week and it was good to take stock of things, talk about how far we have all travelled since first coming together, in ’07, and chat about the path ahead.

The young volunteers, Saad (in secondary school) and Wobaka Simon (final year of primary school) also joined in for some of our discussions.

Thank you to Carol and Beth for the good food!

And Happy New Year everyone!

buhugu.com Launched

.org goes .com! In preparation for the January 2010 pilot, we have just launched buhugu.com.

A Base in Nairobi, Kenya

Some of the volunteers have relocated to Nairobi and have been establishing a base from which to expand our experiments in Buhugu.

Nairobi is a dynamic, exciting city and things have moved very fast in the last couple of weeks.

We have been busy doing market research, building partnerships and laying the foundation for phase II of our rural outsourcing venture.

More on this soon.

Lunch or No Lunch

A couple of months ago, the volunteers in Buhugu put forth a proposal - to provide lunch for the children attending the nursery school, entirely subsidised by I Buhugu.

The deliberation was a difficult one. How does one quantify hunger, malnutrition or the general well being of children? How does it stack up on the priority list? Wouldn't it be better for the community to come up with a local solution? After all, agriculture is what Buhugu does best. However, we knew, instinctively and by studying other lunch programs, that sourcing the resources locally is not all that feasible given the logistics involved.

In the end, the vote was in favor of "sustainability" and the proposal was shelved.

Well, last week, this decision was seriously challenged by a couple of friends - a pediatrician and a pathologist. They stressed home the role nutrition plays in early childhood development. Even a temporary access to regular and balanced meals could potentially make a big difference, they argued. What more, they offered to contribute to the program if it were to be launched.

Grateful for their input, we are now reconsidering the decision. In the coming months before the next academic year, we will consult our advisors, have discussions with the parents and design program that addresses the immediate needs of the children, while challenging ourselves to come up with a more "sustainable" solution for the long run. Whether one exists or not remains to be seen.

Charles

As a co-initiator of I Buhugu, Charles has invested much energy and resources over the lifetime of the project.

Now, we are investing in him. Charles has been accepted to an evening MBA program at Makerere University and I Buhugu is contributing part of the fees.

Classes have begun and we wish Charles all the best as he juggles family, work (as Implementation Manager at Standard Chartered Bank, Kampala), studies and, of course, volunteering with I Buhugu.

As we expand our experiments with income generation in Buhugu, it is our expectation that Charles' newly acquired knowledge will be put to much use!

Words of Encouragement

"We were very impressed by what was happening at the Buhugu Resource Center and the enthusiasm of the young volunteers that manage it."

We are happy and encouraged to receive this email from our visitor from the US Mission in Kampala.

The Library Receives Visitors and Books

Mr Kintu of Mbale Public Library followed up on his promise and paid the library another visit. Travelling with him were visitors from the American Embassy in Uganda.

We very much appreciate them coming by and are grateful for the donation of books.

Mr Kintu is a dedicated librarian who truly strives to share his knowledge and resources, so more libraries could grow and flourish, especially where there are none.

If you are in the Mbale or Sironko area and would like to start a library in your community, do drop by at the Mbale public library (on Republic Street in Mbale town) and pay him a visit. His decades long experience in this field is invaluable and he shares what is at his disposal with enthusiasm and humility.

Briefs: Volunteer News

Congratulations to Wangwe Rogers, "the healer", who has been offered a position as a nursing assistant by the district government. He will be overseeing immunisations at the rural health center at Buteza. This is exciting news for all of us, knowing so well that getting a salaried position in Uganda is almost akin to winning the lottery. We are, however, losing someone who has overseen the operations on the ground so capably. Rogers will spend weekends in Buhugu and continue to volunteer at the center. Transition plans are underway.

Sam is returning for the last semester of his degree and will be fully supported by I Buhugu till graduation in December.

Some Quiet Time

This blog is going to be a little quieter over the next few months due to travel. However, the eventual destination is expected to be in the vicinity of Buhugu, so we'll bring you fresh posts after the break.

If you are not already subscribing to our feed, may we suggest you sign up to have new posts delivered to your inbox?

For those of you in the "North", have a great summer, and if you are in the "South", stay warm. And if you are in Uganda, well, it's always beautiful there, isn't it?

If You are in the Bay Area

We recently received a mail from Books For African Schools. They are currently holding a book drive to benefit Buhugu Senior Secondary School.

So, if you are in the Bay Area, and have books you'd like to donate, please consider dropping them off at their collection point at 1261 Campus Dr., Berkeley.

For a list of books that are most needed, please see their books we want section. Books that are not needed for the school, but can be sold locally, are also helpful, as they help cover the shipping costs.

Please help spread the word.

The No. 1 Book

So, what's the most popular book in the library?

"Where There is No Doctor" by David Werner et al.

We added it to the collection at the suggestion of a nearby school that trains primary health care workers. It is full of practical advice and suggestions and covers a comprehensive list of health related issues, with illustrations that are customised for the local context.

"This book is very famous. There was one time we tried to get it for the community, but we couldn't find a copy in any of the bookstores", Chairman Alex mentioned as soon as he saw the book. "You better lock it up and monitor who reads it", he added laughingly.

According to Wikipedia, this book is "the most widely used health education book in tropical and sub-tropical developing countries". Printed on what appears to be recycled paper, it costs around $10 in the bookshops in Kampala.

So, if you are planning on travelling to a place where there might be no doctor, we highly recommend you pick up a copy (there are different versions for different parts of the world). It might come in handy and when it is time for you to leave, leave the book behind!

Or if you are able and are so inclined, help to spread more copies of the book around to where ever it might be needed.

Low Cost Websites

March has been a good month for Buhugu IT. We've been kept busy by the launch of a couple of websites, website updates and transcription work.

After much research, we have identified a number of ways to deliver low cost websites to our clients. In doing so, we are hoping to provide avenues for individuals, organisations and businesses who are currently not part of the digital information archive (the Internet), to add their voices to it.

This, of course, in addition to creating opportunities for knowledge transfer and income generation for young people in Buhugu.

Project Spotlight - here are two websites we launched this month:

JNUinfo: An information portal for (foreign) students at the Jawarhalal Nehru University in Delhi, India. We created a new site for JNUinfo using content from an older site, improving the look and feel as well as making it simple for the client to make changes.

Country: India / Belgium


Joge Rescue Center: A brand new website for a community project in Kenya that provides services to orphaned children and widows.

Country: Kenya / USA

Briefs

• Meeting: last weekend, the volunteers gathered in Buhugu for a meeting. Charles travelled from Kampala for the occasion. The progress as well as the challenges were discussed. We are now processing this feedback and planning for the path ahead.

• Positive Feedback: students who sat for national exams last year have now received their results. We are getting feedback from the community that the library has had an impact. During exam season, students used the library resources, especially the text books, to prepare and the word is that it seems to have helped. The best performer in the final year (S6) at Masaba Secondary School, the main secondary school in the region, is from Buhugu.

• Sharon: one of our core volunteers, Sharon, also sat for the exam (S4). She passed, but not with great results. The advice she has received so far, from family, friends and mentors, is that she should not continue through the final two years of schooling, which is essential for those aspiring for university education. Keen to study further, she is considering her options from teaching, nursing to IT.

Mount Elgon

We have (finally!) launched the Mount Elgon website: http://mountelgon.net

Mount Elgon forms a graceful and inspiring backdrop in Buhugu. Tourism is not well developed in this part of Uganda and not many people have even heard of the mountain.

After much consultation with elders and volunteers in Buhugu, the staff at the Mount Elgon National Park and also people involved in the tourism sector in Budadiri (one of the bases for summit treks), we decided to launch an unofficial website featuring information about the mountain aimed at travellers.

It's a work in progress and hopefully will grow in to a comprehensive resource over time.

"The mesmerising beauty of the peaks in the early morning light, the rainbows after the rains, the bird songs, gorgeous sunsets, the glittering night sky, the Milky Way, the fireflies... At times it felt like we had stumbled upon a secret, and perhaps it was better to keep it that way." More on the about page.

Writing Our Own Manual

Last month we encountered a hitch - to do with money. Every month, the volunteers in Buhugu come up with a budget. It is discussed and items prioritised and the amount needed starts its journey from the US, via Kampala and Mbale before reaching Buhugu and being disbursed.

And last month, part of the money didn't reach its intended recipients. Many of the volunteers were discouraged at this news. We try, sometimes hard, to keep things honest and transparent, and this was a surely a blow.


But some reflection tempers the emotions and adds perspective. What does this piece of paper mean? For some, it's simply the equivalent of a few dollars. For others, it is something they can exchange for a product or service they dearly want or need. And for others, it represents a small fortune, an amount they have rarely possessed.

In Buhugu, the lives of all such people intersect. And as a result of this collision of worlds, the meaning of what this piece of paper means is regularly challenged.

Perhaps the hitch happened because there was a greater need (what if one's child was sick?). Or perhaps not. But, there are no quick conclusions.

How we deal with this will have a bearing on the "soul" of the project. What is our priority? Is it a clean balance sheet? Or is it achieving goals we set while pragmatically sweeping aside such indiscretions? Or is it openly sharing with each other the challenges, growing together, and seeing what comes of it?

It remains to be seen, for we are still talking about how to best resolve this. This is how one of the volunteers put it: "things are getting tricky but we will manage it... yes we can"

It hasn't been easy to share this publicly on this blog, for it is tempting to write only about what's good, the progress, the achievements. But that would be painting a skewed picture of the reality of things.

Sam

Sam, one of the core volunteers of I Buhugu, has just returned to university to start the final year of his degree program.

He is majoring in Development Studies at IUIU in Mbale (about an hour by road from Buhugu).

I Buhugu is partially supporting Sam's education through a scholarship.

We wish him all the best!

Briefs

• The nursery school reopened today, the start of the 2009 academic year!

• The computer centre and the library are also back in operation.
  

• However, the Internet saga continues. MTN has slapped us with the responsibility of tracing past records of payment which they are yet to reflect on our account. We have located some, but the search for the rest continues.
  
  It never occurred to us that the trickiest part of setting up Internet in the village would be the payment process. To quote Charles, in one of our emails to MTN: "An internet connection in village should be given priority just like any other or if you only attend to customers in your proximity you have to let us know."

Looking Back with Gratitude

A brief look at the year that has passed.

A library was launched and Internet came to the village. A nursery school opened its doors. Reading, art and sports each became a fad. IT services were delivered to the community and to clients in the US, and chickens were studied closely. Friends from near and far dropped by and kids wrote letters to each other.

We used our own resources, received help from friends and didn't apply for any funding.

We learned new things, made mistakes, at times worked hard, other times dodged work, we argued, played, laughed and even cried.

It has been a journey of discovering new horizons, of altering perspectives. It was a year of magic and mischief.

The Team:

Buhugu: Geoffrey (the chief), Rogers (the healer), Sam (the gangster), Sharon (the chick), Chairman Alex (the elder), Mzei Ndugu (the senior)

The travellers: Charles (the kayungirizi), Sri (the idiot), Oliver (the preacher), Nicole, Tristan

Kampala: Susan, Jeff

Virtual: N

Special Thanks:

Annet, Rebecca, Bulombi Simon, Saad and Wobaka Simon in Buhugu. All the young people who helped out with the renovation and continue to pitch in. The mums, Richard and Juliet for sharing their home with the travellers and the generous care. Esther and Zitah, the staff at the nursery school.

The elders and the leaders who so passionately made the case for this project to the community. The advisory committee for helping us steer this project. And everyone in Buhugu who supported the efforts and encouraged us.

Jeanne for visiting us in Buhugu with books and chocolates.

Peter, Dorothy and Don for the friendship, advice and support from three different continents.

Henk, Noah, Hyongjeen, Cindy, Moez, Ben and many others in the US for the laptops, books, support and encouragement.

And the readers of this blog, we sincerely thank you for sharing the journey!

It's a New Year

After a bit of a break, we are trying to reboot and swing back in to action.

Sam and Rogers are putting things in order at the library and computer center and opening the doors again.

Internet is down. We are wondering why it has to be so hard for MTN to account for money deposited in their account. Anyway, Getting this fixed is the biggest priority at the moment.

Otherwise, 2009 is promising to be an exciting year. More soon.

Education

Every volunteer has a story to tell about education and their struggle to have access to it. There are stories of not being able to afford pencils, years lost for lack of fees, cutting the journey short or putting dreams on hold. There are also stories of family, friends, strangers and even the government stepping in, lending a hand, in big and small ways.

The stories are by no means unique. Just about every young person in Buhugu, and numerous other communities around the world, has such a story. The difference is that the volunteers have gone further than most in their quest.

It is no surprise then that for each of us, education remains close to our hearts.

When looking at Buhugu through this lens, a layered challenge emerges:

• Literacy: statistics put the number at 30% - about 1 in three people, from children to those in positions of leadership, could potentially benefit from functional literacy programs

• Access to education: while primary education is now universal, only about 25% of those who complete primary education are able to advance to secondary schools, primarily due school fees.

• Quality and relevancy of education: Even where there is access to education, the quality and relevancy of the curriculum remains a challenge.

• Access to resources: especially in rural areas, students have extremely limited access to books, labs, computres and so on.

We started off by providing access to books and computers and then started tackling early childhood education in the form of a nursery school.

However, the challenge that is staring in our face is that most students are unable to afford secondary schooling. And the number grows even further when considering higher education.

Faced with a vast challenge as this, one has to prioritise and look for areas where the impact will be the most.

One such area, perhaps an obvious one, is emerging. It is to identify promising students (of all ages) and invest in them through scholarships.

This is likely to shape up to be a main focus for the coming new year.

Briefs

• It's been a little busy over the last weeks, hence the silence. On the up side, we are looking good financially for 2009, thanks to some interesting IT projects undertaken in the last couple of months.

• Oliver visited Buhugu briefly to say good bye. He has now relocated to England after an extended stay in Uganda. We all benefited greatly from having him around, and we wish him all the best. Hopefully it won't be too long before we all reconnect in Buhugu!
  

• New chicks! Alex has reported that the poultry project has produced a batch of new chicks. He will share a detailed update in the near future.

• The nursery school is planning for a "graduation ceremony" and in the meantime Geoffrey has been invited to attend a meeting next week at the district regarding nursery and private primary schools.

Talking Fish and Crops

Mzei Ndugu is a prominent member of the community and is much loved. His name is Mr. Wamala Samuel, but people affectionately calls him Mzei Ndugu (Mzei being a term of respect and Ndugu loosely meaning brother).

A headmaster, having worked at a number of schools in various parts of Uganda, he is now settled in Buhugu. He works on a number of projects in the community, ranging from education to agriculture.

He is also an I Buhugu volunteer and is on the advisory committee. He refers to himself as the "senior volunteer" - a joke on his age.

During Nicole's visit to Buhugu, she spent a day with Mzei Ndugu looking at the various agricultural activities that he coordinates. She took a camcorder along, and here's part 1 of what she filmed.



Thank you to Pradeep for lending us the camcorder that has allowed us to bring all the video clips so far.

Students as Facilitators

Paul, a Masaba Secondary School student, showing how it's done.
(Photo taken this week.)

"We are getting reports from Masaba SS that the students who come from this community are not learners but rather facilitators in the computer lab", said an elder (paraphrased here) during one of the community meetings held some months back.

He was presenting a case for why the community should continue to support the library and the computer centre.

Masaba SS, is one of the main secondary schools that students in Buhugu attend. It is impressive that the school even has a computer lab. However, the challenges the school faces are not unlike most other schools in this region:

• the computers are few, old, available during limited hours and rely on the unreliable power supply
• the teacher's knowledge of technology is limited (given the limited access to tools during teacher training)
• students spend most of the time copying down notes during class (given the absence of text books) which often refer to obsolete technology

With free access to the computers, and free to learn from the volunteers and each other, students who live in proximity to the computer centre are gaining practical knowledge that they then seem to be spreading in the schools they attend.

That in a way underlies the model of the centre: plant seeds of knowledge in the hope that they spread - exponentially.

On a related note: last week one of the leading dailies in Uganda, The Monitor, published an op-ed piece regarding the recently announced decision by the cabinet mandating Computer Science for secondary school students. It argues that "making the subject compulsory at school is a necessary first step, whatever the challenges".

Bi-Lingual Babes

A few days in to the launch of the nursery school, some of us volunteers dropped by - with a camcorder. We found the kids learning songs (in English and Lugisu) and learning to count (in English).

We thought we would share a couple of clips here:



And last week, Esther, the teacher, floated the suggestion that we organise an end of the year show with performances by the children. Now, that would be sweet.

The Short Term and the Long Term

The bulk of our running cost is generated by doing IT work for our clients, and we are currently in the process of doing some projects to ensure the continuity of the computer centre, the library and the nursery school through the end of next year (2009).

As the short term future is being tackled, we are also thinking about the longer term. One thing that is becoming clear is that it would be ideal to secure some premises that can host the various activities - for the longer term.

Currently the library and the computer centre are hosted in a community building that was originally built to house coffee (the main cash crop of the area), and the nursery school in a private house.

Well, this doesn't bode well for longer term planning or for expansion of the services offered, especially as the coffee cooperatives, once defunct, are now regrouping.

So, what to do? One of the options is to build. Perhaps the only option, as we can't yet think of another one. But, is that even a realistic option? It would blow our current lean and mean budget that smells of sustainability. And are we even capable of taking on this challenge?

Perhaps we won't really know until we try it. In any case, these are some of the thoughts that are circling in our heads these days.

"A Wordy But True Tale"

During Jeanne's visit to Buhugu some months back, she and Simon could often be seen at the library together. They connected over their love for literature and out of that came a story that was recently published in a magazine in South Africa (where Jeanne is based).

"Before I traveled to Uganda at the beginning of this winter (in south-eastern Uganda the end of the first of two annual rainy seasons) I did not suspect that there was anything as established as Ugandan English. That people speaking English in Uganda erred in definable ways, along marked pathways. Did not err, in fact. Ugandan English was something that Ugandans spoke well."

So the story begins. We have shared a version of the story here.

The Buhugu Tree

by Nicole "Namataka" Gilbo

Buhugu IT

Do you need a website? Or own one? Need to add some photos to your page? Or upload the latest news?

No need to sweat the small stuff.

From as little as $1, Buhugu IT offers services to help you with your IT needs.

Think of it like a bazaar. The price is unbeatable, you can buy just about anything and in the quantity you need, and you can even haggle!

"Thanks for doing this. It looks so professional!" - to quote one of our clients.

Drop us a note, no matter where you are in the world: it [at] buhugu [dot] org

Buhugu IT - bringing the village to the global marketplace.

Plotting the Future of a School

In launching the library, reading with the kids and helping students with their studies, we had uncovered much.

We were blown away by the talents of some. And were deeply troubled by the reading skills of a great many others.

Behind the scenes, some of the volunteers (especially Nicole) started to focus on those struggling. At the end of a long day, to sit down with a group of children, going over the alphabet and basic words, is not all that easy. Especially when one might feel that given the scale of the challenge, one's effort is feeble and fleeting. But, the children kept coming, and we kept improvising - flash cards, memory games and even alphabet pasta (which the kids started referring to as "organic" given the label on the box).

Charles, Wiki and Namataka in the foreground with the very popular pop-up Alphabet Book, sent by Bailey in Florida.

Well, recently we made the call to halt purchasing textbooks for the library. With over two hundred books catering to all age groups (from primary to tertiary) we felt that the library was sufficiently stocked for the time being, and resources would be better spent helping kids to learn to read.

So, we suggested to Prof Henk Monkhorst that we divert the remaining $500 of the library textbook fund to the Buhugu Education Centre aka the nursery school. He agreed and surprised us by matching that with another $500!

The bulk of the $1000 is earmarked for paying the salary of Namono Esther, the nursery school teacher till the end of next year (2009).

Currently we are exploring whether next year the Buhugu Education Centre could grow to include P1 - the first year of primary school.

The "Cult" of Encarta

Microsoft Encarta is quite the hit these days. Once school breaks, kids file in to the centre, and one by one the launching of Encarta is heard until just about every laptop has a group of kids huddled over flicking through the pages and watching multimedia clips - for hours.

Robina perusing the Kenya page on Microsoft Encarta.

We hadn't done anything to promote Encarta more than the other offline content that was available, which included:

• wikipedia (both a condensed version as well as the entire volume)
  
• podcasts and vodcasts downloaded from the web
  
• CDs/DVDs containing documentaries, movies, music videos and so on.
  

Ugandan music videos are perennially popular and we had to regulate when and how they could be played (only with earphones!) given their popularity. Rivaling this is the Encarta phenomenon, especially amongst school going children. It started with a few who discovered it on the laptops and spread fast.

We have some theories as to why it might have won over the other choices:

• Interactive: unlike watching movies/documentaries, they get to interact with the program, choosing for themselves what they want to read/watch. And if something doesn't capture their attention, they can move on to the next topic.
  

• Multimedia: many of the articles come with a multimedia collection. The video and sound clips are short and cover a range of topics. Listening to national anthems (especially the Ugandan one) is hugely popular.
  

• Language: Wikipedia articles, for example, can be quite technical and dry. Encarta by comparison is perhaps a bit easier to follow.
  

• Look and Feel: It's slick and allows for easy navigation of topics.
  

• Mutufu is on the map! Mutufu is the nearest trading centre, about 15 minute walk from the computer centre. You load up the world, zoom all the way in, and there it is. How much more relevant can it get? (For comparison, Google Maps, for example, doesn't go that deep.)
  

Some lessons to all of us who are trying to make content available offline where there is no/limited/slow connectivity - in short: make it easily navigable, relevant and interactive.

A special thanks to Oliver for adding Encarta to the mix.

Briefs

• Volunteer news: Charles and Susan became new parents, to a baby boy! Sharon is back in school and will soon sit for the national exam. Sam reported back to university to start the final year of his degree in Development Studies. Geoffrey and Rogers are holding down the fort in Buhugu.
  

• Holidays are over. The nursery school is back in operation this week.

• Internet is back, and has been for a couple of weeks now. It sort of resolved itself, so we are still not sure of the reasons for the hiccup.

Bridging Kids

Nicole made a return visit to Einstein Montessori (Gainesville, Florida) last week to deliver letters from a second Buhugu school, Bumatofu Primary, and I tagged along. Some kids knew us and about Buhugu, but some were learning about it all for the first time, through photos, videos, narratives and also currency and a batik brought back from Uganda.

They threw many questions at us, and here's a sample:

What plants do they grow?
Maize, beans, cassava, potatoes, peanuts (which are called gnuts - g for ground), tomatoes, cabbage, greens and much more. Their staple is a type of banana that you cook.

Do they have holidays like us?
Yes, they have public holidays. Just like you, they also celebrate Independence Day, for example.

What about Christmas?
Yes, it's a public holiday. Most Ugandans are Christians.

Do they celebrate things like birthdays?
No. Most kids don't know their birthdays.

But their parents know?
Usually no, though this is changing.

Are there many guns?
Thankfully no.

Snakes?
We didn't see any.

Is that the same guy you climbed the mountain with?
Yes!
(One of the children recognised Rogers in the video from a previous presentation. Nicole and he had hiked on Mt Elgon earlier this year.)

Do they hunt?
For food? No, not really.

Why is everyone brown?
People from south of the Sahara mostly look like this. Most of them are Black, though there are many other races also.

Is there a lot of mud there?
Yes! Oh yes. When it rains, it is like wet clay.

What can you buy with this coin? (Each of them got a 200 shilling coin to take home - it's about 1/8th of a dollar.)
Some vegetables, or fruit, a couple of pens or pencils, a notebook. But, not enough for a soda.

A special thanks to the teachers of Einstein Montessori, Buhugu Primary and Bumatofu Primary for taking part in this program - a small attempt to help the children learn about each other.

And here are some clips from Buhugu Primary School taken earlier this year when Nicole delivered letters from the students of Einstein Montessori:

Related Posts:
Buhugu Primary School
Creating Connections

Getting Some Advice

At a cafe in Kampala, one morning not long ago, three of us met for a conversation. Alex and I had travelled from Buhugu the previous day, and Dorothy had arrived from Mozambique on a late flight. She'd be leaving for the US in a matter of days, and made time to meet us - to talk about chickens.

Dorothy founded an organisation that's doing some interesting work in a rural community in Uganda (Jinja district). Women's Center for Job Creation (WCFJC) is all about partnering with low income women and helping them scale up their income generating activities. It's high powered business consulting meet resourceful rural women. An MBA and US corporate experience meet goat and poultry ventures. It's women (for the most part) figuring out how to break the patterns of the world they find themselves in.

The women of WCFJC having a discussion. Dressed in blue is Dorothy.

We count WCFJC among our friends, and also clients. The monthly news updates are delivered to the web by Buhugu IT. But, when we were thinking up our poultry project, it occurred to us that we could learn much from WCFJC.

Over coffee and soda, Alex and Dorothy discussed all things chicken. It was an open and spirited exchange. It's conversations like this that spark and mould ideas that eventually find expression as a "project".

There was something unusual about it too. It is not common to find people involved in grassroots initiatives sharing openly. Perhaps it's the competition for funding or perhaps it's a fear of admitting difficulties or failures. It's a pity. For by sharing with us her ideas, contacts, successes and also challenges, Dorothy, and WCFJC, have helped us better prepare for our experiment.

Thank you, Dorothy.

A Story from Behind the Scenes

"Bank of Uganda" in big bold letters. Some charts strewn about the Excel page. Eyes peeled to the screen, fingers clicking about the menus, lost to the world around him. We got used to seeing Rogers this way. His name is Abraham, but he told us he prefers Rogers. He is nine.

In a village where many school-going children struggle to read and many of the adults never had the chance to go to school, his abilities simply caught us by surprise. We watched in shock as he read his way through most of the books in the children's section, figuring out words he hadn't seen before. English is, after all, his second language.

He relishes the challenge of spelling. Agriculture. His face tightens, eyes narrow into concentration as he makes his way across the word. He's an ace. University students typing up their reports half jokingly ask him for help with words.

The computers are playthings in his hands. Guys a decade older than him ask him to show them the way, trying not to draw attention.

He's a fixture at the center. Coming as he pleases and leaving usually when he is "chased out" because someone thought he had spent too much time in front of a computer. Or more often is the case, he hadn't taken a bath.

An only child, Rogers' home situation is dire. Alcoholism, abuse, neglect are all part of the story. Often tending for himself, almost always dressed in a pair of blue shorts that is missing large portions at the rear, taking a bath is something he'd rather dodge. So, from the policeman to the volunteers, we keep up the pressure.

After months of watching his rear-less shorts, on a recent market day, a couple of the volunteers picked out a pair of (denim) shorts for Rogers and made a home delivery. A few days later, his father dropped a comment to one of us: "please take care of him like he is one of your own children".

He receives school uniforms and school supplies through a community project that receives help from further afield. From the headmaster of his school, to many others in the community, people are watching out for him. He's adopted the centre as a second home, and gravitates towards older smart kids who like to read. One afternoon, sitting next to Saad, he tried to lay his head on Saad's lap. Saad resisted at first, and then let him. And together they read.

Yet, the stark truth remains. There is no one who provides consistent care and attention to his wellbeing.

Enrolling him in a nearby boarding school is a suggestion that seems to be rising above all others. Shall we support him? We don't know, but we are thinking about it.

A small compilation of photos and videos of Rogers we found on the hard-drive.

The To-Do List

Here are some of the items on our list at the moment, besides the usual stuff:

• Sort out Internet: Internet's been off for about a week now. MTN, our provider, claims that the Eastern region is experiencing difficulties in general. But, we are not convinced. While we love their product (for the most part), the service is quite something else. Our guess is that they failed to process our payment on time (which has happened before) and ended up cutting us off. But, who knows. Losing the Internet, even for a short while, makes one realise just how essential it is.

• Get cocks from Kampala: the poultry pilot is being delayed a bit due to unexpected difficulties in obtaining the exotic cocks from nearby breeding centers (of which there are not many). So, Alex is planning a trip to Kampala to procure them from the larger breeding centers near the capital city.

• Organise furniture and uniforms: the kids at the nursery school are on a break after the three weeks of launch and orientation. In the meantime, Geoffrey is organising some furniture for the kids that can replace the makeshift ones and also uniforms.

Hitting the Pause Button

Besides providing website updates to clients (anywhere in the world) and Internet access, typesetting, printing and such services to folks in Buhugu, there was one more (ambitious) plan.

It was to set up a company in Uganda which would deliver high quality IT services to clients within Uganda.

The IT sector in Uganda is small, but growing, and we wanted to get on board, providing services that are not easily available. The company would also serve as a training ground for young people from Buhugu and elsewhere in the country, and a percentage of the profits would go towards the Buhugu Initiative. And once the company has established a reputation, it would be handed over to one or more of the young people who learned the ropes while growing the company.

We had a name, the mission and vision statements, had spent the better part of a week at a client's site fixing up things, and were on the verge of registering the company.

And then we hit the pause button. Why? The reasons are many, and here are some:

• Uganda's private sector is small and young, and hence the need for IT services is not strong.

• Clients are not necessarily willing to pay more for quality.

• Delivering services to a client doesn't guarantee payment. And we were reluctant to spend a lot of time "chasing" payment.

• Often it's the government and the NGO sectors which require IT services and we ideally didn't want to work with either sector.

There were other subtle and not-so-subtle reasons. But, in our guts, we felt that the time was not right. Not just yet.

E-Learning

Over the last five months, three of the volunteers have been doubling as IT interns. Sam, Geoffrey and Rogers have helped deliver websites updates for clients in Uganda and the US, receiving on the job training, and at the same time contributing to the sustainability of the project.

Since my return to the US last week, we are experimenting with continuing that process. The Internet - what a magical thing it is! - is making it all very possible.

With some guidance from across the Atlantic, Sam has wasted no time in using email, Skype and online resources such as W3 Schools, to continue the learning.

Introduction to CSS was the topic we explored this morning/evening (the time difference, currently, is 7 hours between the east coast and Uganda).

Oh the possibilities.

Return on Investment

Mai Nalongo during the construction of the poultry house.
Many of her grandchildren are under her care.

One of the debates surrounding the poultry project had been whether we should recover the investment and if so, how.

For example, during the pilot, each household is getting an injection of 60,000 shillings (about US$ 40). (This excludes services provided voluntarily.)

Provided the pilot is successful, should the women:

• return this amount to the project

• pass it on to someone else

• treat it as a donation

What we settled on was this: each household is expected to handover two mature (hybrid) hens which would be passed on to another household.

This is only a fraction of the value of the input. And the project itself will not recover any amount that is invested. Post pilot, the investment we are looking at is US$ 5000 (for 120 households). Not a small amount to simply give out.

So, how did we arrive at this? It came down to psychology (how people, in Buhugu in particular, relate to money and the management of finances) and logistics (what it would take to recover the input in bits and pieces).

Sure it is possible to design a project whereby the beneficiaries pay back the investment (with or without interest). But, given our understanding of the dynamics involved, we know, or feel strongly, that it will not work.

So, why go ahead with this? Well, because the return on investment, makes it a no-brainer. This project has the potential to:

• increase household incomes which has a direct impact on the education, health and well being of especially the children

• increase the protein intake especially of the household members (malnutrition is prevalent in Buhugu)

• impart management skills to women

• increase the information available within the community regarding poultry rearing

And it is our hope that once enough households are taking part in the project, neighbours and friends would take note and implement it themselves. After all, we are designing the project so that the monetary input necessary to get this going, per household, is as small as possible. But, perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves. First let's see what the pilot turns up.

More than a Nursery School

The term has ended after three weeks of operation. It's time for holidays!

As the teacher and the kids head home for the break, the Buhugu Education Centre is not all that quiet. During the two week long vacation, which coincides with other schools in the area, BEC is offering a "remedial programme" for about ten students who are currently enrolled in a nearby primary school - Bumatofu Primary.

This is an experiment in using the resources at our disposal towards improving the quality of education in Buhugu.

It is also a way for both us and the community to think about whether we want to grow from a nursery school into a primary school - whether delivering quality primary education is a challenge we want to and feel capable of taking on.

At a Crossroad

The journey so far has been marked by a sense of freedom that is almost unreal.

Life is dynamic here in Buhugu, each day bringing new discoveries, opportunities and challenges. We have been able to prioritise and optimise on the go precisely because we, the volunteers, together with the community, have complete control over the reins.

We've figured out a way to cover the operational costs by delivering IT services locally and internationally. Our friends have pitched in, some in small ways, others big, without putting restrictions on us, that has helped us to expand.

We've never applied for any funding.

Now that the nursery and the poultry pilots are underway, we are contemplating life after the pilots (which starts with the new year - 2009).

It is clear that if the nursery school is to deliver on its promise of quality, its operations have to be subsidised. And while the poultry project can run on its own, there is a need for heavy investment up front.

Should we now seek funding? Or should we continue to find ways to run on our own instead? Or should it be a bit of both?

There are compelling reasons to not seek funding, and for seeking it. The debate continues.

Images from this Morning

Esther and Aidah

For more images from the nursery school, taken this morning, please visit our photo album.

More About Chickens

It's a journey that started sometime last year.

When one sees a child staying home from school, because she couldn't buy a pen or a book to write on, the temptation to simply buy her the pen or the book is a natural one, but one that we are cautious about heeding.

More interestingly, it also raises the question: why are household incomes so low that even a pen, which costs 100 shillings (1/16th of a US dollar) can be difficult to purchase at times?

Since last year, we have been having numerous discussions around this topic. Jigga Alex, one of the core I Buhugu volunteers, has been working with farmers for a number of years and has a deep understanding of the dynamics affecting the economic situation of the households in Buhugu. His insight and experience is what gave birth to the poultry project.

Over the last few weeks, Alex has been busy identifying and organising the group of ten women who will conduct the pilot, which is to last six months. If the pilot is successful, as we hope it would be, then the idea can be implemented in a greater number of households (ideally 120).

Here are some of the characteristics of the poultry project, which is heavily customised to the conditions in Buhugu:

• Hybrid poultry (cross between indigenous hens and exotic cocks): to maintain a balance between productivity (number of eggs) and “hardiness” (dietary needs and resistance to diseases).

• Distributed management: each household is responsible for the management of the poultry in their care.

• Women owned

• Technical input from qualified personnel: such as a Field Extension Officer, a veterinarian and a business consultant.

• Close monitoring: regular visits to the households to monitor the progress and provide input.

Why Chickens?

So, why did we decide on the poultry project as a viable income generating venture? Here are some compelling reasons why chickens are it:

• Anyone can take care of them (unlike cows for which you need some serious muscles)

• Not weather dependant (unlike agriculture - and the rains are screwy these days)

• The market for them is hot and is expected to remain so

• They don't need much land, which is in short supply in Buhugu.

• They offer a steady source of income. (Instead of waiting for the harvest, or for the cow to give milk, one can sell a chicken every few weeks.)

There is one caveat, however. The cost of feed is rising and is related to the rising food prices around the world. We are busy crunching some numbers to customise the project so as to minimise the impact of this.

Some Updates

Some of the latest happenings, in brief:

• The nursery school has begun!

• The poultry pilot has also begun! Structures to house the chickens are nearing completion. Immunisations scheduled for this Saturday. More details to follow soon.

• The library has been the venue for a workshop on Organisational Management, by UNDP, for the last couple of days. Though the workshop was targeting another project based in Buhugu, some of the I Buhugu volunteers also took part.

Sunday Afternoon at the Library

A Small Beginning

As hinted in a previous post, we are starting a nursery school!

Why? Well, because we just can't get enough of the kids. They are so dang cute.

Well, that and a few other reasons:

• The quality of primary education in Buhugu needs to improve.
  


• The existing schools are inundated with children after free primary education was introduced in Uganda in the late nineties.
  


• While some students are being left behind, even failing to learn to read, others are being frustrated by lack of adequate stimulation.
  

The library and the computers have gone some way in addressing this challenge. However, children spend most of their time at the school, and the challenges they face there need to be addressed directly.

Well, we can't fix everything, of course. So, we are starting with what we can. A nursery school for 20 children.

The idea is the brainchild of Masiga Geoffrey Rogers, one of the I Buhugu core volunteers. As he moves ahead with his vision, the rest of the volunteers are right there with him helping in all the ways we can. it just so happens that our "senior volunteer" is a former headmaster with many years behind him as an educator, and his guidance has been essential.

Two rooms have already been painted and enrollment has begun.

It's a humble beginning, and the challenge a great one. But, the support the community has shown has given us much hope.

Art

Art continues to be a part of the library. The aligator is the latest offering by Saad, the master artist.

The seed Nicole planted is growing, though slowly without her presence. A big box of crayons sent to us by Noah as part of a care package has produced a myriad of animals (hippo, eland, rhino, springbok and a number of lions) which adorn the walls.

Needless to say, drawing on the computer, especially houses, continues unabated.

Kids and Chicks

It seemed like a good time to seek new challenges. Over the last few weeks the core volunteers of I Buhugu have been holding a number of discussions.

Now that the library is in place, countless have become comfortable with a computer and Buhugu is connected to the World Wide Web, what's next?

Some possibilities have emerged and we have just kick-started a couple of pilot initiatives.

One involves young children and another chickens!

It's a new phase in the short life of the Buhugu Initiative. We can't help but be excited about the new possibilities.

We look forward to sharing the journey with you as it unfolds.

The New Organic Buhugu Tee! Made in Uganda.

Annet and Sharon, I Buhugu volunteers.

The cotton is grown in Uganda. It's processed in Uganda. The t-shirt stitched to specification in Uganda. And it's 100% organic. It's the all new Buhugu Tee.

Get your own Buhugu tee today!

Simply send us an email. Or if you are in the US, you can also order them through our friends Aardvark Tee Shirt Emporium.

Proceeds to benefit I Buhugu of course.

Three Friends from Afar

Nicole came in March from the US and stayed for a couple of months. As we said goodbye to her, Tristan and Jeanne arrived from the US and South Africa respectively. We have just said goodbye to them.

We miss them all.

Each one of them brought a new perspective, shared much with us, helped shape the project and have left as dear friends to many here.

In their own words:
"Wondrous" - Jeanne
"An experience and a half." - Tristan
"You can't come here and leave unchanged." - Nicole

Moments that a camera didn't capture:
Nicole doing yoga (surya namaskar) surrounded by what seemed like a hundred children following suit outside the library.
Jeanne carrying a load of beans, which she harvested herself, on her back.
Tristan and Geoffrey storming up to Sasa River Camp inside Mt. Elgon National Park and down in record time.

We hope that you will continue to keep Buhugu in your mind and heart. And please come back.

A special thanks to the mums at home, Charles and friends in Kampala, the volunteers and many others who took care of the visitors and helped make their stay a special one.

Three laptops

In the last months, Buhugu IT has received three laptops from friends.

The brand new Asus EEE is a sweet addition - light, tough and versatile, it is particularly useful when on the move. It's been seen at Kampala hotspots, client's site and of course, around Buhugu. Thank you Ben.

Thank you to Cindy and Jennifer for the two Dell Inspirons - being used by students as we compose this post. Given that floppy disks are still in circulation in Uganda, the older laptops with floppy drives are often in demand.

Thank you also to Moez and T for the help in getting them here to Buhugu.

Sports and Games

We have so far initiated some games and sports at the Buhugu Initiative center. This helps us to keep all our dear students busy throughout the whole day.

Among these, we have Chess, Netball, Football, Volleyball, Frisbee, Etch-A-Sketch and many others. In the pipe line are other indoor games like Table Tennis.

All the volunteers are very ready to help those who don't know how to go about any of the games.

The Magic Yellow Box

The little yellow thing is our portal to the rest of the world. It lets us stay in touch, stay informed, learn and sometimes play.

Here you see, James, a teacher at Buhugu Primary School, surfing the net.

Slowly, people are getting introduced to the Internet here in Buhugu. And those who are already net-savvy are generous in thanking us for having brought the Internet to the village. Previously, to access the Internet, it involved a trip to Mbale, about an hour each way. Now we can all save money, time and energy and enjoy the magic right here in Buhugu.

A Genuine Yamaha Generator

Here in Uganda, buying a generator is not as easy as one might expect it to be.

The market is flooded with cheap brands and fake goods.

Having checked out a number of stores, we decided to head to the Yamaha dealer in Kampala. And what a different experience it was. Great service, knowledgeable staff, quality generators and the assurance of a warranty.

So, we are now in possession of a brand new, genuine, Yamaha generator with a maximum capacity of 550 Watts - enough to power three laptops and the printer.

We will soon put it to use as the electricity went off a few hours ago.

A very big thank you to N and friends for contributing the funds to purchase the machine!

More Books

A very heavy load of books arrived a few days ago at the library.

The contents had travelled from the US and South Africa, with some text books purchased in Kampala.

Much thanks to Noah, Cindy, Tristan, Jeanne and the rest of the crew for carefully selecting the books based on our recommendations, and for getting them all the way to us!

As we write this post from the library this morning, there are number of children who are reading the newly arrived books (it's Martyr's Day today in Uganda - so, no school!).

"Ignorance is expensive"

The Internet and the library were "officially" launched yesterday.

Young and senior volunteers were on hand to welcome visitors, show them around and also to demonstrate the use of the Internet.

We had a couple of friends, from Hawaii and South Africa, joins us online for a chat which spiced things up a bit. Otherwise, the Ugandan dailies' websites, New Vision and Monitor, as well as BBC proved to be popular.

During the speeches given, many encouraged the community members to make use of the facilities and services available. One quote in particular received much laughter and resonated with those present - "ignorance is expensive".

Thanks to all those who worked hard towards this, and all those who came, from near and far, to be part of the occassion.

Do check out some photos we'v uploaded to our album.

Changes and Milestones

We are getting ready for an "official" launch this Saturday. It is in part to thank all those who have helped us along the journey and also to celebrate some milestones:

• the first public library in Sironko district
• the first public access Internet in the district outside the main commercial town.

The pressure of the launch is motivating us to do things we might otherwise postpone, such as putting the house in order.

Nicole's days in Buhugu are numbered and there is a general anxiety among a number of children regarding this.

We have seen her hang from trees, stand with feet in the air and head on the ground, do a hundred sit ups after being challenged, meditate, do yoga with a mob of children, introduce some others to Grand Master Flash, draw some awesome pictures... It is going to be a different place without her for sure.

But hard to capture is the effort she has put in to the interactions with the children especially. The hours spent reading with them, inventing ways to teach those whom the "system" is leaving behind, patiently explaining the different realities that exist in this world, challenging herself to make the harder choices - all of this in a not all that familiar environment.

It is impossible to measure the impact. And words cannot express the gratitude.

Photos

We've uploaded some new photos to our Flickr album: http://flickr.com/buhugu

More coming soon!

Internship in Western Uganda

Rogers has just returned from Bushenyi in Western Uganda after completing a three week internship.

He contributed to a project aimed at networking the computers at the Bushenyi District Local Government office, and in the process learnt much. He worked under the guidance of Oliver, also a volunteer with the Buhugu Initiative.

"The whole training was so interesting." - Rogers.

We are happy to have him back.

Live From Buhugu

Power is back after some heavy rains knocked some electricity poles out. Internet is behaving itself. Life is good.

Currently only the volunteers have access to the Internet, while we create a plan for how to introduce it to the community. As part of the process, tomorrow a couple of us are visiting the district headquarters to inform the powers that be, about this new development, and seek their input.

We are really not sure what to expect once we go public. And given the pros and cons of the Internet, we are trying to put in some serious thought prior to any challenges arising.

Yes

A white pickup pulls up on a busy street corner. The passenger door opens. Cash and a package are exchanged. A traffic cop approaches. The driver hurriedly starts the car. I flash a smile and say a friendly hello. He stares briefly, says hello and moves on.

Contraband? Though the feeling is akin to that of having received a substance long denied and hard to find, it was a modem that was delivered by an MTN sales rep, Carol.

We are happy and rather excited to announce that this blog post is transmitted wirelessly via a small modem (that fits in one's palm). It hooks onto any machine that has a USB port and can transmit and receive data anywhere where there is a mobile phone network (belonging to MTN). Neat, don't you think?

Next week, the modem will travel to Buhugu. We can't wait to blog live from home-base!

Internet

It's been a long drawn out affair, though not completely unexpected.

After much research, we chose to get Internet over GPRS (mobile phone network) from MTN.

It's been a couple of weeks since we submitted the necessary documents and paid the security deposit, but we are still eagerly waiting for the delivery of the modem. Although somewhat amusing, the unprofessionalism of the MTN staff has been dealt with some harsh words from us, unfortunately.

Well, we've been promised delivery tomorrow. We are not holding our breath, but are hopeful.

A Home

Over twenty members of the community and a number of volunteers were present at the community meeting to discuss the past, the present and the future of the project.

The meeting was chaired by Alex Jigga (volunteer and LC II chairman) and lasted several hours. We received much support and encouragement from many present. They also elected to give us the keys to two rooms in a community building to host the Buhugu Libarary.

Furthermore, Buhugu Library will also host SDV (Sironko Digital Village) which will relocate from its current premises due to a number of challenges.

We have been busy over the last couple of days wiring, cleaning, putting in locks and shutters. It is time to start the painting.

Community Meeting

We have invited over thirty members of the community for a meeting this Saturday.

We want to update them on what's happened so far, answer their questions, and also get advice from them regarding the way forward.

Buhugu Primary School

Yesterday we toured the facilities of Buhugu Primary school and introduced ourselves to the students who will participate in the pen pal program with Einstein Montessori School in Gainesville.

We took photos, videos, and answered any questions the students had about the American School.

On Wednesday we will deliver the letters and drawings from the American students to the Ugandan students so they can begin corresponding. The letters will be translated into their local language, Lugisu, since the students are not yet fluent in English.

Sharon

Sharon has been enrolled at Masaba Secondary school and boards at the school, which provides a better learning environment than home for most students here.

We visited her at the school during last week's parents' day. She is doing well, working hard to catch up on the missed years and is grateful to be back at school.

The Library

Many members of the community have expressed their support for the Buhugu library, mentioning that it is one of the most important developments.

Negotiations are underway to secure a room to host the library. In the meantime, we have started purchasing textbooks. Using a list provided by the teachers of Masaba Secondary School, we have been scouring the bookshops in Kampala and have so far bought textbooks worth about UGS 700,000 (around $420).

Buhug IT - Doin' it from Buhugu

Buhugu IT has been in operation since the start of this year. The IT services, mostly web development, that we've so far delivered have provided the majority of the funds currently available for projects being implemented in Buhugu.

However, this week we reached a new milestone. For the first time Buhugu IT is delivering IT services from Buhugu!

The latest news updates on wcfjc.org were converted to HTML by two IT-consultants-in-training in Buhugu.

Part income-generation, part training and part generating resources towards community projects, Buhugu IT is starting play a central role in our activities here.

$1200 for Textbooks

It started with fifteen books taken from my bookshelf. A couple of months later forty more came, from Belgium. And then a few more.

Thus the seeds for the first public library in Buhugu were being sown.

One thing we noticed was that a number of students were asking for books related to what they were learning at school. We would try to find the book that best matched their topic of interest, or look it up on the digital encyclopedia. But it was becoming apparent that textbooks serve a purpose, and without access to them, the students were at a significant disadvantage.

So, how to equip the library with text books? They have to be purchased, in Uganda, as the books are specific to the country's curriculum. Books cost about the same in Uganda as they do, say in America. (Why books remain unaffordable to a vast number of people in this world is a puzzling question.)

We spoke with the teachers and started to compile a list of the most needed books. With the help of a distributor in Kampala, we came up with the initial cost estimates, not knowing where we would find the funds, but determined nevertheless.

And recently we received $1200 towards the initial purchase.

It was donated by Professor Henk Monkhorst of the University of Florida. Professor Monkhorst had taken an interest in the goings on at Buhugu some months back. Many questions and discussions followed, and he gave us much encouragement, advice and tried to link us to other resources that might be of help.

Getting started is often harder than making progress. And so, we are very grateful for this generous gift. Thank you Henk.

The Power Challenge

Solar power seemed quite promising. Clean. Maintenance free (just about). Long lasting. Reliable. All the discussions in Buhugu was taking us in this direction.

Oh but the cost! At around $5 for one watt, we will run up a bill of $17,500 for the projected 3.5 kilowatts. And that's just to get our hands on the panels. Then there is the matter of transportation and installation. Anyway, our entire operating budget currently is a mere fraction of this rather insane amount.

Why not seek funding? We could and we did, without much success. But, this not being a scalable solution, even if we were to get some funding, we started looking elsewhere.

Given that Buhugu is connected to the power grid (though the supply is erratic), some combination of a generator and car batteries would solve the immediate challenge. These are not ideal given the environmental impact and the continuous operating cost for fuel and maintenance.

So, for the long term, we are exploring such options as bio-gas.

Creating Connections

On Tuesday, February 5th Sri and I went to Einstein Montessori School here in Gainesville to speak to the 3rd and 7th grade classes about Buhugu and Uganda in general.

We did our best to allay each other's anxiety about giving a speech to the students. First we spoke to the 3rd grade class. They were all very enthusiastic and inquisitive about life in Uganda and Buhugu. We were impressed when we discovered that several of the students even remembered that Uganda is south of Sudan. Some of the questions they asked included: "Why do the girls shave their heads?", "What does their money look like?", and "Where do they buy their clothes?"

They all shrieked with delight when we came to a photo of a boy in our slide show who had the countenance of one of their classmates. We passed around some Ugandan Shillings for everyone to see and explained that 1 US Dollar is equal to about 1,700 Ugandan Shillings.

They had so many questions that we could scarcely answer them all and the class period seemed to fly by.

The seventh grade class asked many of the same questions as the third graders. After a question about where their clothing came from, Sri tried to explain to them how donated clothing can be detrimental to their economy. Used clothing is cheaper to buy than clothing that is made in Uganda which hampers the growth of the textile industry.

I secretly glanced at a poster of Gandhi spinning yarn and tried to explain in the most parsimonious way possible that manufacturing yarns, fabrics, and garments from cotton fibers is better for a country's economy than exporting it as a raw material.

Photos were taken of some of the students to show to the people in Uganda. We asked all of the students to write letters to the children in Buhugu describing their daily in school and out of school activities and asking them any other questions they could think of.

This Friday we will go to Einstein Montessori to pick up the letters the students wrote to Buhugu and soon they will start their long journey to Uganda via our luggage.

We plan to bring letters back to the U.S. from the children in Buhugu to Einstein Montessori School.

Just Who are We - Officially Speaking?

Are we a Community Based Organisation (CBO) or a Not-for Profit one? Should we register in Uganda only or also in the US? What about other countries from where we might receive help? If we register outside Uganda, will that compromise the role of the community members in Buhugu as partners?

What about Buhugu IT? Should it be registered as a limited liability company, even though all profits are to go towards funding community projects? Which countries should we register it in? Under what legal framework will the volunteers who contribute their skills and time to this company work?

There is much debate concerning these questions at the moment.

By next month we hope to have arrived at some answers and begin the various registration procedures.

It is important that whatever organisational entity we create enables us to work together as partners, not hinder it. It also matters that we don't end up serving the organisation, instead that the organisation serves to facilitate what we want to achieve.

The Money Business

Sending money to Uganda from the US has proved to be quite a challenge - till now.

We first tried Western Union, but gave it up in a hurry. Sending $100 currently costs $20 on top of an unfavourable exchange rate.

Bank transfers, are just about impossible.

So, we came up with a work around. Two members, one in the US and one in Uganda opened a joint bank account in the US. The process was rather simple and an ATM card was mailed out to the member in Uganda.

Now, transferring money is a breeze. Once the money is deposited in to the account in the US, it is available within minutes in Uganda at an ATM.

Though there is a small fee for using the ATM (we are not sure exactly how much this is yet, but think is around $2), the exchange rate is quite reasonable. And it comes with the excellent customer service of the bank in the US - they were happy to call a number in Uganda to resolve an issue.

But, this is a work around. The question remains. Why is it so expensive to send money? Especially given that remittances are incredibly important in many parts of the world.

"In Africa, the amount of money remitted by diaspora workers - $17 billion per year - is larger than the amount of foreign direct investment in Africa, and rivals official development assistance grants or loans ($25 billion per year)."

The quote is taken from an interesting post on this topic by Ethan Zuckerman.

In the Company of Volunteers

Buhugu IT is more an idea than a company.

It came about because we were pondering the following questions:

1. How to do the Buhugu Initiative with sustainability built in to it from the beginning?
2. How do we use our skills to generate funding for our projects?
3. How do we create jobs for young people in Buhugu?

Technology happens to be something we know something about. So, it is not a surprise that we got pulled in this direction.

But the idea as it stands now is interesting, exciting and new - for us.

Is it possible to create a company that delivers IT services and products and is in part run by volunteers from around the world and in part by young entrepreneurs from Buhugu?

We take inspiration from the open source development process, of course. But can we translate a distributed network of IT professionals and enthusiasts (albeit small) into real projects, real jobs and real transfer of skills in Buhugu?

As a step in exploring this, last weekend five of us from Chennai, Gainesville and Ann Arbor met online, talked, shared ideas, asked questions and resolved to try it out.

Sharon

Some members of the Buhugu Initiative and friends are coming together to provide a scholarship for Sharon.

Sharon has been through many challenges in her life, including losing both her parents a number of years ago. Unable to pay the fees, she dropped out of school.

Keenly aware of the need for education, especially for a girl, she dearly wanted to get back to school. The academic year is about to start and we are currently making the necessary arrangements for Sharon to start Senior 4 (the fourth year, out of six, of secondary education).

Live on Cyberspace

We are live at last!

Our aim is to share with you our journey in words and pictures. And we welcome you to share with us your thoughts and ideas.

The Beginning

This is the beginning.
Almost anything can happen.
This is where you find
the creation of light, a fish wriggling onto land,
the first word of Paradise Lost on an empty page.
Think of an egg, the letter A,
a woman ironing on a bare stage
as the heavy curtain rises.
This is the very beginning.

Billy Collins, “Aristotle” from Picnic, Lightning. Copyright © 1998 by Billy Collins.

Preparing for the Journey

"Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day, teach them how to fish and you feed them for a lifetime.", this is the underlying premise of the Buhugu Initiative. By focusing in-depth on Buhugu, teaching people a variety of skills, and granting them autonomy over the project we hope to better serve the community. In order to obtain autonomy over the project, the community will need a sustainable source of income. Sri is hoping that an IT company will provide the finances necessary for facilities like a library and computer center.

Meanwhile, as we prepare for the journey, Sri has been held hostage at Noah's and my apartment for several hours at a time answering myriad questions about Buhugu and Uganda in general. We have discussed topics ranging from writing utensils to the Ebola virus. Some of the most poignant ideas that have surfaced are the possibility of a pen pal program with an elementary school here in Gainesville, Florida and donations of primary school books.