Namataka and Namataka

When Nicole came to Buhugu in '08, she became Namataka, christened by the mums with whom she stayed.

Over the two months she was in Buhugu, she engaged with numerous young people through art, sport, reading and much more.

It was almost time for her to leave Buhugu, when Namataka crossed path with Namataka.

A young precocious girl, Namataka defies explanation. That she was bright was obvious. She figured her way around the computer with lightning speed. Though children in Buhugu are generally independent and self-assured, Namataka seemed to take it to a new level. However, in her disobedience we sensed a spirit that wanted to explore beyond the boundaries of her young life.

The two Namatakas connected almost instantly and became close in the short time they spent together. Did they recognise something of themselves in each other?!

When she left, Nicole left Namataka a gift - a pocket dictionary - a most thoughtful gift.

Young Namataka just graduated from P7, the final year of primary school, coming top of her school - Buhugu Primary.

Nicole-Namataka is now teaching in East Asia, currently Taiwan.

And the two of them are in touch, writing letters to each other.

And all of us are waiting in the wings, watching young Namataka's progress through her schooling. Her family background is such that, it is almost inevitable that she will struggle for fees and much else. And where necessary, we will do what we can to make sure that she gets through it.

Namataka in Buhgu

Nicole, and the Buhugu-Tee, in Cambodia.

"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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.