no more question marks

Well, the "unemployment projects" were short lived. Why, you may ask? Well, its because I got a job!

I just finished my first week working at Raven+Lily, an ethical fashion company that sells jewelry made by co-ops of women in India and Ethiopia. The jewelry from Ethiopia is made from melted down bullet casings to make pieces like the beautiful craftsmanship you can see below.

If that's not a picture of redemption, I don't know what is. And on top of that, the women in the co-op are all living outside the city in an HIV positive community. What an amazing group of women to be supporting...

I was honestly really worried that after leaving Sseko I wouldn't be able to find a job that I felt was meaningful to me. I had psyched myself up to be okay with a typical desk job or waitressing or something else I wasn't particularly passionate about. I was pretty seriously doubting whether or not that kind of working experience would come along more than once... But it has and I feel so blessed. And not only that, but I found my dream working situation in less than a month! That just doesn't happen.... It has seriously been amazing to see God's provision in my life.

A few months ago my post-Uganda life felt like one big question mark, but slowly the blanks have been filled in..... the last few very quickly. The same day I got the job with Raven+Lily, I also became a small group leader for College Young Life at UT.

I've never done Young Life before, but I heard they needed more leaders and felt like this was the perfect opportunity to be involved in the lives of some freshman girls. That was one thing I did really miss when I lived in Uganda.... I was the youngest person in my friend group and everyone was in their 20's. There wasn't any older-pouring-into-younger going on anywhere... so that was something I had resolved to make a priority when I moved back to the States.

With all these blanks filled in and no more remaining question marks, I'm really starting to feel settled into my life in Austin. Even though I miss Uganda, I really feel like this is exactly where I'm supposed to be. And I'm really loving every minute of it.

the unemployment projects

When you return back to your own culture after being in a different one, its something different than the "culture shock" you experience in a new place. Because nothing is particularly shocking, per se. I lived in America for 22 years before I moved to Uganda, so I'm familiar with how things work over here.... its just a lot to be completely submerged into it after being in such a foreign land. So it feels a bit more like "culture whiplash."

But I'm back and adjusting.... and thought I'd share a bit of my life.

This is my new house in Austin that I share with my lovely roommate, Kristy.

To state the obvious, our yard is in despicable shape. This is because of the drought going on in Texas right now; I've returned to triple digit heat and wild fires (no joke). We need some serious rain to recover. But besides that, the house is little but cozy and I love it.

I've been painting furniture, hanging pictures, rearranging sofas, sewing throw pillows, and doing various home improvement projects to keep myself busy. Because right now, all I have is time on my hands. Home-improvement is time-consumption project #1.

Keep-Cameron-from-losing-her-mind-due-to-boredom project #2 is a little cuter. Her name is Kona and she is a 2 month old Australian Shepherd/Catahoula mix puppy. Kristy and I adopted Kona last weekend and are enjoying her presence in the house oh-so-much. She gets super hyper-active around 7:00am and 10:00pm, but during the in between times she's a cuddly, sassy smarty-pants. Seriously, I'm a little afraid of this dog's intelligence level. Kona has already figured out that if she brings a chew toy with her when she sits by the couch, we'll be a lot less likely to suspect her of gnawing on the sofa-cover (which has become her favorite pastime). Needless to say, teaching Kona to do things like walk on a leash have been great time-fillers.

Unemployment project #3: pretend like you're employed. I just started volunteering for a start-up fair trade, organic clothing company called Good & Fair. I'm helping the founder organize his books and inventory and ordering systems and whatnot. So this afternoon I brought home the company laptop to do some work on QuickBooks, and I'll probably spend a good portion of the day tomorrow in a coffee shop, pretending like I'm working on a deadline of some sort.

Most-important-time-filling project #4: find a real job. I've probably applied for at least 20 jobs in the past week and a half. Now I'm in the oh-so-fun waiting phase to see if I've landed any interviews.... And of course during this waiting phase, I'll be hunting around even more for open positions. I try to apply for at least a couple jobs a day. Hopefully some one will want to hire me soon.

I'm not one of those people that can just sit idle.... I get too antsy. Hence the unemployment projects.

But these projects don't mean that I didn't watch the entire season of Happy Endings last week. Calling that "time well-spent" might be pushing it, but I have to make the most of all this free time somehow.

We'll see how long I have to keep coming up with unemployment projects.... so for now: to be continued...

back on 'merican soil

I've been back in the US for a week now..... so I thought I'd share some of the adjustments I've been experiencing.

Adjustment #1: air conditioning. The temperature in Kampala was pretty consistently around 80 degrees. Houston's weather is a bit more extreme. It was 107 outside earlier this week, but a cool 65 indoors. Going back and forth between such a climate variation has left me perplexed about my wardrobe. I've landed on wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but carrying a sweater around with me for the particularly cold air-conditioned buildings.

Adjustment #2: customer service. Its no longer a pleasant surprise to have my order come out right or in a timely manner. It's just normal. Expected.

Adjustment #3: driving. This has been the best adjustment: reuniting with my car. It's amazing the independence it allows. If I want to go somewhere, I can just drive myself. I don't have to worry about going through the hassle of negotiating with a boda, or worry about an oncoming rainstorm, or think about safety issues like intoxicated boda drivers at night. I can go anywhere, anytime.... and have a new appreciation for how awesome driving is.

Adjustment #4: minority no more. There's not little kids following me around like I'm the pied piper. No one calling "byeeee muzungu!" No special treatment or unwanted attention. I blend in because "Americans" can look like just about anything. And even if I didn't blend in for some reason, no one would say anything. People here seem to keep to themselves.

Adjustment #5: cleanliness and order. America is a clean place. I don't see burning trash on the side of the roads, litter on the streets, or clouds of exhaust coming out of tailpipes. When I shower, there's no brown water circling the drain. And not only is everything impeccably clean, its orderly to boot. People follow traffic laws and stand in lines.

I really do think that #5 is the biggest adjustment.... In America, I haven't had to see or smell anything unpleasant in the past week. {Correction: I did smell something pretty rank when walking down the hallway of my little brother's dorm building..... but that's been the exception to my otherwise well-scented experience} And it got me to thinking about how the whole cleanliness and order thing changes the entire way I would describe a place. Words I would use for the America I'm seeing with post-Uganda eyes: clean, shiny, artificial, tame, orderly, pristine, comfortable, regulated, attentive, creative, and... did I mention clean? Words I would use for Kampala: bustling, overwhelming-the-senses, crowded, chaotic, raw, dirty, lively, resourceful, and gritty. Very different places.

One isn't necessarily better than the other, but they are enjoyable for very different reasons. America for its order and cleanliness and comfort. Uganda for its liveliness and authenticity. I love them both, and its hard not to compare them to each other.

the goodbyes

Goodbyes are never fun... Especially when you've been somewhere for awhile. So I have a tendency to pretend that they aren't happening. And for the most part the whole denial-thing works.... That is until it actually comes down to the moment when you have to say goodbye.

The day I left Uganda, I had a farewell lunch with the Sseko ladies. In Ugandan tradition, they each stood up and gave little speeches about me.... about how much they loved me, what they have learned from me, wishing me a safe journey.... there were some tears.... honestly, it was little bit like being at your own funeral.

So many nice things were said.... As each girl got up I was alternating between laughing and crying. I think the comment I will always remember during those speeches was from Agnes. She said that I was "like a black woman and a white woman"... That I could work on the computer and manage and coordinate, but I also wasn't afraid to work with my hands or lift heavy things or carry bags a long way through the market. Having an African woman say that was such a huge compliment.

It was so special hearing from those women, because they were the reason I was in Uganda. Loving and serving and managing and learning from those women... Over the past year and a half we changed each other for the better.

And luckily I left the Sseko workshop on a happy note. I got group pictures with all the ladies... was tackled by all 25 of them.... and before I knew it they had lifted me off my feet, all of us laughing and cheering. A moment I'll never forget.

It was good for me to have some finality with the Sseko women... To recognize that me leaving was really happening... Because I didn't really do that with anyone else, to be honest. I just pretended like I wasn't leaving... even on the ride to the airport. My wonderful roommates rode out with me, and during the hour and a half drive we were chatting and joking- completely lighthearted. Then I got out of the car with my luggage, hugged Dani, Julie and Kelsey, and waved as I walked through security. And just like that I was gone. Up until the last hug and wave, we hadn't acknowledged or acted like I was leaving.... and with them, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I wanted my memories with them to be of the normal moments.

But I did end up crying in the airport after I got through security.... I made the mistake of reading the letters the Sseko ladies had written for me. I looked like such a mess.... sitting there waiting for my flight to be called with tears streaming down my face. I always wonder what people are crying about when I see them sobbing at the airport.... and in that moment I was the girl that I would have been speculating about. But thankfully I pulled myself together and stopped crying before I boarded the plane, saving the boy sitting in seat 16F from a very awkward 8 hour flight.

I haven't even been back in the States a whole 24 hours yet, and I already miss work, and the Sseko ladies, and my roommates, and the rest of my Ugandan community.... I think the reality that I'm living in American again (not just visiting) and that my time in Uganda is officially over will set in pretty slowly. This isn't a two week trip back for a wedding or Christmas, its a move.

So farewell, Uganda... and hello, America.

genocide

It's an unsettling word... "genocide." And visiting the genocide memorial museum in Rwanda is an equally unsettling experience.

Since I'm about to move back to the US, I wanted to visit Rwanda before I left the East Africa region. My friends Wendy and Phil have been living in Kigali for the past year, and I thought it was about time that I made my way down there.

Kigali is a pretty incredible city.... but you would probably only think so if you've frequented other large African cities. The roads are pothole free. The streets are clean and trash-less. There seems to be organization and security- people following the rules. Which is most shocking when you know where the country has come from...

Which brings me back to the genocide memorial...

I knew a bit about what happened in Rwanda in the 90's just from general knowledge, from living in Uganda and hearing the events of our neighboring country referenced, and (mostly) from watching Hotel Rwanda. But still the memorial was really educational and helped me understand the conflict even further.... For example, I didn't realize that the genocide took place almost 30 years after independence- when the whole Tutsi/Hutu divide really emerged. The hate and tribalism had been brewing in Rwanda for three decades. It wasn't just an automatic switch over to the dehumanization of the opposing tribe. It takes time for that kind of view to develop, and it shed light on why the killing of almost a million people had taken place so quickly- it honestly seems like it had been a long time coming with all the hate that had been building up.

There were a lot of graphic images and descriptions in the memorial that gives you a really negative sentiment about mankind after going through the exhibits. And not just being appalled that my fellow man could be capable of such atrocities, but I actually found myself thinking that it was "those people" who were so monstrous. Making that mental separation.... thinking of Rwandans as "those people"... it directed my distaste towards a specific people group and made me feel like I wasn't part of it. I just kept thinking "I can't believe they did this to each other.."

But then, after you leave the exhibit, there is a second one upstairs that is dedicated to instances of genocide that have happened over the past hundred years all over the world. And even though it was hard to see, it was honestly good to be reminded that tragic events of this magnitude are not limited to Rwanda or even Africa. The exhibit had pictures of the genocide that took place in Germany, Kosovo, Armenia, Cambodia.... Mass murders that I had no knowledge of before going through that exhibit. And it seems like the extinction of people groups has happened on every continent that people live in... Even on our own (lest we forget how our American ancestors whipped out the Native Americans and took their land).

So I ended up walking away from that memorial with a fresh view of the evils that humans are capable of committing towards each other.... all humans. And the common thread I saw in all the different cases of genocide was dehumanization. Whether the dominant group called the persecuted ones cockroaches, or savages, or vermin.... They took steps to make them seem less human, which makes committing such crimes against them feel less wrong. If you don't view someone as being human like you, it becomes easier to hack them with a machete or escort them into a gas chamber. The results of taking a group's humanity away are terrifying.

I know this post has been far more dark and twisty than my usual blogs.... but it was an experience that impacted me in a way that brought about some dark and twisty thoughts about our situation as humans and what happens when we forget that we are all the same. All created in God's image. All people with feelings and souls and life stories. So let us not forget.

for hire

Unemployment is a pretty massive problem in Uganda. I would say that someone asks me for a job on a weekly basis. Friends of friends, relatives of employees, people on the street…. People in Uganda want the opportunity to work. From the uneducated to the most educated, this stands true.

This past week, we held interviews for four new positions on our production team. The day before interviews, we told our staff and a couple friends that we were taking open applications. We ended up interviewing 23 people. And their life/work experience was all over the board. Some were young women who never finished primary school and had been working in factories or in the worst case as prostitutes. Some were elderly widows with countless mouths to feed and bills to worry about. And (most shocking to me) some were recent university graduates. These bright young women with bachelor’s degrees were applying to make sandals, to work with their hands 40 hours a week.

Why? Because in Uganda, even if you get a university education, that doesn’t ensure a sustainable job. I talked about this issue to one of our managers, Agnes, who is a recent grad… She said that out of the 20 people who recently finished her same degree plan, only 3 now have jobs in that field. The rest are doing jobs that are unrelated to their degrees, or waiting tables, or unemployed and moving back to the village.

Yes, attending university is a HUGE stepping stone. And yes, our girls at Sseko are far FAR better off getting their degrees, than if they weren’t pursuing higher education… because it actually gives them a chance at success. So don’t worry, I’m not second guessing Sseko’s mission- I’m still fully supportive of it and clearly incredibly passionate about this main mission of Sseko, but our secondary vision of employing vulnerable women is quickly gaining in my esteem.

For the most part, people in this country really want to work. There just aren't good opportunities out there... So if I'm being totally honest, I'd be so much more excited to support someone coming to Uganda to do business development than just about anything else. Yes, operating a company in Uganda is incredibly challenging, but its also incredibly rewarding. But if you're not the entrepreneurial type, then support these business in Uganda who together are employing hundreds of women and making an incredible difference in this country.

Sseko Designs (obviously)

Krochet Kids International

31 Bits

Ember Arts

One Mango Tree

Mend

one month

At our staff meeting on Monday, I announced to the Sseko-ladies that I'm moving back to the US. I thought that I could stand up there, totally casually, and just you know, relay the information. Keep it cool. Keep it classy. But I totally started crying. I was standing up there, looking into their beautiful faces, and got that cracking, high pitched, crying-girl voice as I told them that I loved them and have loved my past year-plus of working along side them at Sseko. But then I pulled it together enough to use my normal voice and apologize for getting emotional a month early... and then we all laughed over my teary eyes and moved on with the weekly announcements.

But telling the girls made it real... that in less than a month I'll be moving back to the US. I'll be in Austin, looking for a new job, learning a new place, and making new friends. This is going to be a big transition. And I've been feeling all over the map about it. The feelings of excitement are mingled in with feelings of sadness.

I'm not going to write a "reflections" blog just yet, because I still have time here. I don't want to start a count down or anything like that, because I want to be present where I am. And making that hard announcement to the Sseko ladies made me want that even more... Not to check out. To stay engaged in my work and my relationships here until I board the plan... To really soak up my last month in Uganda.

A month can be full of so many things, and I am so looking forward to exploring this one.

you are what you eat

There have been a lot of changes in my life since moving to Uganda... but one change I don't think I've ever mentioned is my diet. What I cook and what I eat have changed pretty dramatically since moving to Kampala... And there are various factors that have forced this change upon me. One being that there significantly less pre-made food options at the grocery stores. And by "significantly less," I mean almost none at all. No frozen dinners, soup cans, or cookie dough in a tub. So, that means making everything from scratch. And then another significant factor is the lack of an oven. For the past year, I've done all my cooking on the stove-top. So I've had to learn to cook a completely different range of items, which has actually been pretty great!

Another interesting observation is that if you look at what I cook, I'm practically a vegetarian. This might be pretty shocking for those of you who know me well... Because I used to cringe at the sight of raw onions and always picked tomatoes off my sandwiches. But no longer. I might eat meat a couple times a month, if I get a chicken dish when we go out for Indian food or the rare cheeseburger-occasion at Apple Ice. But I used to eat meat every day. Often multiple times a day. In fact, most times I didn't really feel like I had eaten a meal if it didn't have some sort of meat in it.

And surprisingly, I like the change. Don't get me wrong- I still love the taste of meat, and I'm not giving it up all together, but this change in my eating habits is something I'd like to bring back with me to America when I return.

Kind of along the same lines, I've been doing some reading recently about the food industry in the US.... This book called Eating Animals is kind of haunting me.... It gives several moral arguments about the mistreatment of animals at factory farms, but what really got me turned off from eating as much meat as I used to was the fact that chickens are being genetically altered and medicated to grow faster and larger for more consumption (and therefore profit). The majority of the chickens we eat in America are drugged up mutants. Scary.

In Uganda, you might see the chicken you eat running around a few hours before the meal: free-range to the max. And I feel like this is a case of life here being more simple and somehow ahead of the US eating habits. The big trends of eating local or organic or free-range are all happening in Africa already! So funnily enough, as people in the US are moving in that direction, people in Africa are ahead of the eating-trend curve. And I think that's something I really am going to miss and hope to somehow recreate in America.... Eating more fresh produce, making things from scratched, less preservatives... It will definitely be an adjustment, but it's one I'm looking forward to making. Especially once I have an oven again!

so forgetful

Living overseas creates this strange phenomenon where at times you feel more in touch with the world (i.e. outside the bubble of America and seeing the way that the majority of people on this planet live), but at other times feel so out of touch with the world (i.e. no idea about current events or pop culture). And then other times you just forget about what your life in America used to be like... there were things I used to think about and wrestle through before I lived in Uganda that just don't often come to mind anymore.

One of those things is responsible consumerism.

I am aware of how ironic that sounds, since I work for a not-just-for-profit business that is all about social consumerism. But its different.... because I don't often have to think about how I am personally being a responsible consumer, since my purchasing habits in Uganda are so vastly different than in the US. I buy my produce from my neighbor Josephine, any clothes I get are from the second-hand market, and all the gifts I buy are from local artisans.

But yesterday I read a blog post by Heather Hendrick entitled "Hi, my name is Heather, and I'm a recovering modern-day slave owner" and it brought up all the old issues I dealt with when shopping in the US. The question: "did slaves make this?" Because there is slavery in this world. STILL. And that's what really blows my mind.

I jumped on the responsible-consumerism bandwagon a couple years ago and really put for an effort to educate myself about the brands I was buying and where my dollars were going. But that was two years ago. And believe me, I wasn't the first one to start thinking about this issue.... people have been talking about it for years and years. But living here, I forget that it is still a massive issue... and that some people are still unaware of what the companies they buy from are doing, and where their stuff is really coming from.

Yes, I've witnessed a massive improvement and so many more companies making socially conscious decisions in the past few years... but why is this still an issue? Seriously. Why isn't everyone on the responsible-consumerism bandwagon?

And I think that a lot of times it's honestly just easier not to ask the hard questions... to live in blissful ignorance... to just imagine that all the manufacturers of our products are over 18, well paid, well cared for, and working by choice. Because then you don't have to change your behavior.

Well, I'm going to have to change my behavior all over again when I move back to the US in a couple months, and honestly it's something I'm having mixed feelings about... Its almost effortless to live simply and in a socially conscious way in Uganda, but there's no challenge in that. Like I said, I actually forgot that this was something that occupied my mind on a regular basis in the US. So I think even though it will be a challenge, it will be good for me to reengage in this conversation that's still going on in the States.

TED talk to share

Every Monday night, a bunch of us ex-pats get together and a community group of sorts.... we cook dinner together and then watch a TED talk. Well, this past week was my week to pick the talk we were going to watch together, but I was ill-prepared. I had watched Malcolm Gladwell give a talk, in hopes that it would be an interesting option... but he just talked about spaghetti sauce and how it revolutionized the food industry with its many flavor options. Humorous at times, but not particularly thought provoking.... so that left me with nothing prepared for my TED talk. I decided to wing it, and ended up getting lucky with a talk from the "jaw dropping" section by Hans Rosling, called "Insights on Poverty."

I wanted to share this video, because I think it gives a really interesting view of economic development, and the rate at which things are happening in the world..... How far we've come and how far we have to go.... And how we can get there. Something interesting that this researcher points out is that he makes a distinction between the avenues by which we achieve development, and the end goals we have. For example, education and economic growth are avenues toward the end goals of human rights and a strong culture. That was a distinction I had never made before, and I think it's an important one..... because all the factors of development can become quite overwhelming at times, to the point where it can become quite discouraging.

The longer I live in Uganda, the more I realize that there is not simple answer to the issue of poverty. I often think of Richard Stearns' quote: "There's a tendency to say, 'This ain't rocket science. People are hungry; feed them.' Well, the deeper you get into relief and development, you realize it is rocket science, because you are dealing with all kinds of social, cultural, political, and religious landmines. What have you really accomplished if you haven't gotten beneath the surface and started to wrestle with the root causes?" I appreciate those words, and I hope that the insights in this video give a clearer image of just how complicated and yet hopeful economic development can be.

singles-awareness

On Friday, before the hour of 10:00am, I had already been asked twice why I was unmarried and childless.

First it was a woman I was talking with about my plans to move back to the States... she asked if I was moving back to get married. After answering "no," she proceeded to tell me that she had a daughter my age who just got married and that for her boys it was fine for them to wait, but for girls... well... and then she kind of trailed off and gave me a knowing glance.

Then I went for a business meeting with a man who worked at a government office downtown. While we were waiting for his secretary to print off some papers, he asks me if I'm married. After hearing my negative response, he says- what about children? I say that I'm waiting until I'm married to have children, and then he gives me a glance over and tells me that its best to have children while I'm still young. {Just to reemphasize, this was a professional meeting.} I'm pretty sure in the US that would qualify as sexual harassment, while in Uganda its just a conversation starter.

Now don't get me wrong, I want to get married and have children. I'm all for it. But it seems that in Uganda its all that's expected of women. And that somehow I'm not a "woman" because I'm single and childless.... And professionally, I'm not taken seriously.

There are plenty of women's issues that I could talk about that go on in Uganda.... like how its not uncommon for husbands to beat their wives, or how the girl is often the one shamed when an unwanted pregnancy occurs out of wedlock, or how a widow's property can be confiscated after her husband dies... I could go off on a tangent about any of those issues. But its the constant conversations like the ones I had on Friday that are examples of the small way that I'm personally most effected by the male dominated culture here.

It makes me thankful in a way I've never been before for the way that women are treated in the US. I know its not perfect, but we have rights and opportunities and fewer prejudices to overcome than women living in Uganda.

Even on the streets in America, I feel infinitely more respected. You might get a whistle from a passing car once in a blue moon, but most places I've traveled outside the US the catcalling is so much more abrasive. In Italy I didn't mind it so much, because "Ciao bella!" feels more like a compliment... In Spain it was "Eeehhhh guapa!" in a guttural growling sort of voice- not my favorite. But I think the common Ugandan catcall "Just my size!" takes the cake for most objectifying. Its things like this that make me grateful for things I didn't even recognize about daily life in the States. Maybe there are deeper rooted women's issues that we still need to work out in the US, but at least I can walk down the street in peace.

All that to say, even though my patience for these singles-awareness encounters often runs out, I am thankful for the opportunity to show them something different.... To be a young woman who moved to a foreign country alone, to work for a company she was passionate about. I'm not naive enough to think that I'm going to play much of a part in changing stereotypes or cultural norms in Uganda, but I do hope that more and more young women here can be taken seriously and feel valued in society.

CLA at last

I've lived in Uganda for over a year now, and until yesterday I had never visited Cornerstone Leadership Academy. This has been a significant missing piece in my Uganda experience, because CLA is the school that Sseko partners with and where most of the ladies I work with come from.

The school is about thirty minutes outside the city, and even though I've driven by the entrance sign on my way to Gulu, I'd never stepped foot on the grounds. So when our photo and video interns were heading out to the campus to get some shots of the girls, I made sure I was along for the ride.

I had the opportunity to interview a few of the girls, and it was incredible to see how hopeful they were about their futures... Most of them said that they wouldn't have been able to finish high school without the full-ride that CLA provides, which means that they never would have had a shot at attending university. But now its part of all their plans. We asked each of the girls what they wanted to be when they grew up and got quite the variety of answers. From professor, to accountant, to lawyer, to doctor... these girls have high hopes.

Then I asked a few of them how they thought they would fund their university level educations... and most were hoping for the government sponsored scholarships, which unfortunately are few and far between... Having these conversations with the girls at CLA was such a good reminder for me of why Sseko exists. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day grind, but having these beautiful, hopefully girls in front of me.... it was such a refresher.

And as happy as that experience was, I left feeling a little twinge of sadness... because I knew that I wouldn't get to work with those girls firsthand. Some of the girls I talked to yesterday will be hired to work with Sseko next year, but by then I'll be back in America... But I had to remind myself that this would always be the case.... there will always be a fresh group of bright-eyed CLA graduates recruited for Sseko each year, and that's the beauty of it. I've been blessed enough to know two generations of Sseko women, and even though I'll be watching from afar, I can't wait to see who the new faces of Sseko are! The fact that they are probably in this picture gives me serious goosebumps... and I wouldn't have it any other way.

baby whack

There is a little boy who lives in our neighborhood that Julie and I have fondly dubbed "Baby Whack." Why do we refer to him by this strange nickname, you may ask? Well, it has something to do with the fact that he is probably only one and a half years old, and he carries around a small machete. His parents have a produce stand on our street, and its common to see Baby Whack, knife in hand, sitting on the ground next to it chopping away at something, keeping himself entertained.

Can you imagine how mortified an American parent would be to see their child sitting on the side of a ditch on a dirty road playing with a rusty machete? But the funny thing is that Baby Whack has probably never cut himself with that old knife... In fact, his little hands are quite capable. Because he's probably been playing with that knife for awhile now. He's seen his parents cutting the pineapples and potatoes that they sell, and he's just imitating them.

American children do the same thing. Julie was telling me that one of her friends recently told her a story about her two year old daughter. The little girl picked up her mom's iPod and started making a small, circular motion with her thumb. While Baby Whack is learning how to chop things, this baby girl is learning how to select a song on an iPod. Amazing.

All children learn different motor skills early on, and its been so fascinating to see how the culture you grow up in dramatically effects that. I'll give another example.... One of our new summer interns, Meagan, has been living at the workshop with our two Ugandan managers, Emma and Agnes. Meagan decided that she wanted to learn how to hand-wash her clothes, since washing machines are virtually non-existent here. {side note: I tried to wash my own clothes by hand for the first three months I was here, but caved and now have a woman come once a week to wash for me... I got tired of being dirty all the time and having stained clothes} Anyway, Meagan was an eager pupil, and Agnes went out to observe the lesson.

The next week at work, Agi was telling me all about the lesson and cracking up. She said "my little sister is better at washing clothes than Meagan, and she's only 6!" She thought it was hilarious that Meagan didn't know how to do a chore that in Uganda is so common and simple. This lead to an interesting conversation with Agi.... I told her that I didn't know how to wash clothes by hand either... And bet you would have a hard time finding any American (child or adult) who knows how to wash clothes like that. Maybe they can work the washing machine, but the idea of washing by hand is pretty foreign to Americans.

So I told Agnes that we learn other skills early.... like skills with electronics. Most kids in elementary school know how to work Tivo (better than their parents in some cases!) and can pre-set the TV to make sure they catch their favorite shows. And I had learned how to type and use a computer by the time I was in late elementary school.... And I'm sure that kids these days are learning even earlier. But what about in Uganda? We've been giving the Sseko ladies typing lessons and trying to teach them basic computer skills, because most of them have never had access to computers before... So what if I flipped the situation on Anges, and while watching her type said something like "Any American kid could use a computer better than you!" First of all, I would never say that because I think its rude even though it may be true, but also I understand that we just learned different skills and were exposed to different things as children.

What started out as a funny conversation about Meagan's inability to washing clothes turned into a fascinating conversation between Agnes and I about cultural differences and experiences. The conclusion we came to was that being understanding and graceful in situations like that is always best... because you never know why someone doesn't know how to do something.... whether its an adult's inability to perform "children's" chores, or a baby's impressive skills with wielding a knife.

a boss.... me?

I had never been anyone's boss before I started working for Sseko. And I've come to realize that being a boss is not easy... but not in a bad way. Managing the Sseko ladies has been both challenging and extremely rewarding.

This past week we started doing employee reviews with the women... it was the first time we had tried anything like this and it was a really great experience. It gave us the opportunity to tell them areas they needed improvement, but also to praise areas of excellence. And let me tell you, we have some praise-worthy employees! Over the past 6 months, and especially in the last weeks since we moved to the new workshop, we have seen them really step up their game: busting out record-breaking production numbers, catching quality issues early, working overtime to make sure goals are met... They really are awesome and such a pleasure to work with.

It's funny though to reflect back where we were a year ago with some of these same women... And where I was as a manager... And I think those reflections are really revealing. It's not like there has been some massive transformation or dramatic change because things were a wreck a year ago. No, no.... nothing like that. The Sseko team in Uganda was great last year, but this year things are just so much better. And I really think a lot of that is due to the attitude change Julie and I have had as managers... Last year we tended to think "Well, we've never done this before... so .... I guess we'll do it this way." But this year we have been operating with much more intention and confidence..... and vision.

As a management team we read a book called Switch (I highly recommend it!), that really had a big impact on us and the way we viewed our position as managers. The book is about creating change, when change is hard. It gives some really simple steps to follow that make so much sense when you think about them and put them into practice. Things like "smoothing the path"... for us, that meant if we wanted our employees to follow the rules we set, we had to make it easy for them to do their jobs well and follow the rules we put into place.

I think we saw the effects of this most strongly with our newest class of girls from Cornerstone Leadership Academy. The first step to smoothing a path is making a path. That means providing some kind of structure. And let me just say that nothing makes me feel more like I can relate to how it must feel to be a parent than when I think about creating structure.... With kids and with employees I think it's the same principle: they can be smothered by too much structure, but might walk all over you if you don't give enough. But, I've seen firsthand, that when you give them just the right amount, structure is freeing and they really thrive in it. This year when we had orientation for the CLA girls, we handed them a Human Resources manual, we had training stations sets, we had protocol, we had expectations, we were organized and professional. How have they responded to what we presented them with? They respect it. They take us seriously. They take their jobs seriously, and take pride in their work. It's amazing.

When Julie and I sat down to discuss the reviews for the CLA girls, for each one we couldn't think of any instances of behavioral issues or rule-breaking.... For each girl we said: "She works really hard and is a great addition to the team." And that is partially due to the fact that they are awesome girls, but also I think part of it is because we set them up to be awesome employees. And when you get to do employee reviews like that, it makes being "the boss" so much fun.... because I get to sit across from each of them and say "job well done!"

I still have SO much to learn about being a manager, but I am incredibly thankful for what the past year of being a first-time "boss" has taught me.... and that I still have time with the Sseko ladies to keep learning from my experiences with them... so, so thankful.

happy anniversary

I realized today as I was sitting in the office doing quality checks on a seemingly endless pile of sandals, that yesterday as my one year anniversary in Uganda.

One year. One whole year.

In some senses a year is a long time.... like when I think about how long I've been away from my family and community in the States. But in a lot of ways it doesn't feel that long, when I think about people who have lived here for five years or twenty years or their whole lives.... and when I think about how much I still have to learn about Uganda and how much I want to experience here....

One year. 365 days.

I've learned a lot in the past year, and this place has become familiar. I know the names of all the neighborhoods in the city from Ntinda to Munyonyo.... I know that you pronounce "kirombe" like "cheer-om-bay"... I am no long intimidated by the idea of going down town and finding my way through the taxi park... I have a set of favorite restaurants I like to go to with my friends.... I have roommates that I love, that I have lived with for a year now...

I feel like a year gives me the right to look back on this time and say that I "lived" in Uganda. A month or so I would categorize as a visit.... And when I talk about my time in Spain I might say that I lived there for a summer, but I wouldn't ever say "Oh yeah, I lived in Spain for awhile." To me, saying you lived somewhere is a heavier term than just a quick jaunt or a dabble in a place. It implies that you put down some kind of roots. That the place feels like home.

When people ask me where I'm from, I always have a bit of a challenging time answering them. I could say I grew up in North Carolina, but most recently lived in Texas. Or I could say that I was born in Dallas, or that now my parents live in Houston (but I've never really lived there), or that I'll be moving to Austin when I move back to the States.... But I don't really have a particular home-base, which I suppose is pretty natural after living somewhere else for a year. And I'm fine with that. Because I have enjoy this year. Immensely. And I can't think of somewhere else I would rather have spent it.

So happy anniversary, Uganda. It's been a good one!

a move of the sseko-variety

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, how many words is a video worth?



I realized today that I told you that Sseko moved, but I didn't actually give you the details. It's true. We've moved. And it's also true that my new office has an amazing view of Lake Victoria!

For almost a year, Julie and I lived at work. We often walked into our living room to find it covered with stacks of shoes from the previous day's quality check. At the end of the day, the next day's work was always staring at me from the office right off our kitchen. There were definitely benefits of work {like being able to roll out of bed and start the work day five minutes later when you sleep late because your phone died in the middle of the night and no alarm went off to wake you up} but I think ultimately that I'm glad to have work and home spaces separate now.

These days Julie and I have to hop on a taxi back into town for about a 20 minute commute. But don't worry- we've made good use of this time. We're currently listening to the 7th Harry Potter book on my iPod during the drive home each evening.

And if you didn't notice from the video, the new Sseko Workshop is pretty legit. It really feels as if it was custom made for us. So we absolutely love working there each day. It's hard to believe we've only been working there one week! It feel so familiar, so homey, and so right already.

home sweet home (the second)

This week my roomies and I moved to a new house.... We had been planning on moving for awhile, because we wanted to be closer to the new Sseko workshop in Munyonyo. The new location of our house is only a 20 minute commute instead of the previous 45. Massive improvement is an understatement.

Strangely enough though, our move felt rather impromptu: we got home from work and decided that we wanted to move later that night. It was a flurry of boxes and packing and shoving things in the back of trucks.... and we didn't really get a chance to say a proper farewell to the Kikoni house the we had fondly dubbed "Sparkles the House."

But for some reason, leaving the place that had been my home for almost a year wasn't all that hard... And here are a few reasons:

1) the riots: any time a riot happens in town, the students at the university near my house tend to join in on the "fun" by doing stupid things like throwing rocks and the police or starting fires in the middle of the road with old tires. The riots were particularly near a couple Fridays ago.... the day that happened to also be the day that Kate and Prince William were married. We decided to splurge on our internet usage and stream part of the royal wedding live... And to make ourselves feel closer to London, we pretended that the sounds of gun shots and tear gas canisters exploding were actually just fireworks and confetti cannons being set of in celebration of the royal family's big day.

2) power outage: we were without electricity for six days straight. Then the power came on for about half a day and it left again..... Only to return in small spurts for the remaining four days. This led to a smelly, rotten fridge and lots of days spent working at coffee shops to use their power outlets.

3) landlord drama: our landlady is crazy. She does things like shows up without warning, threatens to kick us off her property, and then claims that we are like daughters to her. Schizophrenic much? And on top of all that, she's been over charging us on rent for the past five months.... And normally I wouldn't feel bad confronting someone about a situation like this. But here's the catch: she's old. Like ancient old and decrepit. She is always having health issues and seems so fragile that I feel like I can't chew her out for being completely unreasonable.

Needless to say, we were all glad to be out of the place that we had started calling "The Hell Hole." And all that made the small, teensy-weensy, insignificant problems of the new house seem like nothing at all.

Here's a link to Julie's blog with a picture of our new casa. (Sorry to have to send you elsewhere for a picture, but my Internet is currently acting up and won't allow the upload).

Lovely, isn't it? We sure think so....

The only bad experience I've had in it so far involved a rat. The story begins with a sleep over. Since we had just moved in, my bed frame hadn't been assembled properly so I moved my mattress onto the floor of Dani and Julie's new room. We thought a roomie slumber party would be the perfect way to celebrate our first night in the new house. Well, around 3:00am I woke up with a jolt. I wasn't sure what happened... if it had been a dream or not.... I prayed that it had been a dream. But I thought that a rat had just scurried across my legs. So for obvious reasons, I couldn't fall back asleep. I went out to the couch in the living room and finished the night there.

I told my roommates about it the next morning and couldn't remember the details.... only that it involved a rat and I wasn't sure about it being dream or reality. Well, the reality part was confirmed when Dani was unpacking her things and found said rat hiding her her suitcase.

For obvious reasons, I will never sleep on a floor in Uganda again.

But besides all that rat drama, I love love LOVE our new house. The location is so much closer to work, it's local without being so loud and susceptible to riots, it's a few blocks from the US Embassy (a little slice of American soil!), and we get hot water + amazing water pressure at the same time.

And when it comes down to it, little things like that add up to making a big difference.

absence makes the heart....

The phrase is supposed to be "absence makes the heart grow fonder"..... which I suppose is true. But experiencing friends departing here is so different than anything else I've experienced..... I think it makes me want to change the phrase to "absence makes the heart ache, and then move on."

Some of my best and longest friends left Kampala yesterday. Jon and Amanda had been in Kampala for 10 months.

Katie had been here 9 months. In a place where people are constantly coming and going, they were the stable ones. But now they're gone..... And even though I woke up this morning knowing that my life here had changed over night, I don't want this blog to become some sobfest or pity party, thinking "woe is me, my friends are gone!" Because I still have a good number of long term friends here. I still have my roommates, Dani and Julie, who will be around even after I leave.... and then I'll be the one who is the stable-long-term-friend that's leaving.

It's sad to see people go, and it changes the ebb and flow of life.... one person's presence (or in this case absence) can have a dramatic effect on the feel of our friend group. But then that's also the thing that makes this place exciting..... You never know who's coming next.

The summer-rush is about to come. We're getting our Sseko-Summer-Interns. Other friends' organizations are getting new interns. Random people will be backpacking through and sleep on our couch for a week. Cornerstone visitors will fill up the basement and we'll see new faces there every few days. The summer always brings in the masses. Some of these people will be interesting. Some I'll click with. Some I'll think are strange and won't understand. Some I'll share stories with and hear better stories in return. Some I'll watch come and go. Some will watch me leave this place. And that's just how things go here.... But you have to learn to love it.

I have to choose to get excited about the next round of people coming in. I can be sad about my friends who just left, reflect on the memories of all our good times, and know that the element they brought to my life here won't be replaced..... but also recognize that something else is always just around the corner.

I miss my freshly-vanished friends already, but I am choosing to look toward the next landing airplane and wonder who will exit the air craft and walk into my life here.

bunyonyi or bust

This is the place I had the pleasure of spending Easter weekend... And I think it ranks at the top of most beautiful places I've been. Luckily for my friends and I, Uganda celebrates Easter with a four day weekend, which gave us time to make the trek out to Lake Bunyonyi (in the southwest corner of the country, near the boarders of Congo and Rwanda). Some of us camped, some of us stayed in hut-like half domes that opened up to the lake. We went hiking, boating, and rope-swinging. It was pretty magical to be always surrounded by such beautiful sights.

I think what made Bunyonyi so stunning was that it seemed so unspoiled. Yes, there were tourists, but it felt different somehow... Like it hasn't been ruined yet by the tourist attention that it draws. It's things like the absence of guard-rails and trail markers and flashy billboards and swanky restaurants. I felt so spoiled by the weekend, but not because of the indulgences... but because of the time away spent with good friends and the amazing scenery that surrounded us.

It seems that we often have a tendency to want to mass-produce and package experiences like this... But what makes this on in particular so great is that it can't be done. Part of this is because of inaccessibility: I'm sure not everyone is willing to sit on a Ugandan bus for 10 hours to make it to a vacation spot. But for those who are, the trip is totally worth it. And the other factor is exactly what I said before about the unspoiled quality.... If people were herded in on cushy buses to see the lake, and the place was built up with high rises, I think it's development would be it's downfall.... Because so much of the draw to Lake Bunyonyi is it's untainted charm.

And I hope it stays just the way it is.

a world away

Today Uganda feels so far away... I'm in the States at the moment for my college-roommate's wedding. Going back and forth between the US and Uganda has always been an interesting experience.... they always feel like different worlds, but today I am experiencing an even stronger sense of that.

There are riots in Kampala right now. I heard about them yesterday (here's BBC article for more info), and honestly wasn't too concerned.... The presidential candidate who lost the election to the 25-year reigning Museveni was organizing some protests about the rising food and fuel prices. My roommates back in Kampala said that things were pretty tense and they heard gunshots throughout the day, but that just seemed like some of the post-election violence we experienced about a month ago.

Today was a different story though. The riots hit close to home: students at Makerere University began protesting rumored tuition increases. They started burning tires in the street and making a general ruckus... and not just on any street. But our street. Nanfumbambi Road. Apparently those acts were more fascinating than frightening, but then the police showed up to subdue the protesters and the intensity rose.

I got a full report of the events that took place in our neighborhood from Julie over skype this morning. I was sitting on the couch in College Station, Texas... about to leave for a manicure appointment with the other bridesmaids, and I was hearing stories about gunshots on our street and tear gas canisters that exploded on our compound.

My friends are all safe, just shaken up... But it was so strange for me being here, and them being there.... experiencing that.

So today, Uganda feels far.

the other shoe company

"Oh, so you're like TOMS Shoes?!" This is the response I often get when I tell people about the work I do with Sseko.

So I figured it was about time I did a post about TOMS Shoes.... For those of you who aren't familiar with TOMS, they are a shoe company that has a "one for one" policy: every time you buy a pair of shoes, they give a pair to a child in need. Sounds great, right? Style and a cause?.... I thought so too, when I first heard of TOMS. I bought a pair. Wore them proudly and spread the word. I even applied to be a summer intern with them (just fyi, I made it half-way through the selection process, but had to drop out because of another internship offer I accepted... so don't worry, this is not coming from disgruntled, rejected place). However, the more I learned about social business, economic development, and giving... the more I realize that I have some pretty serious issues with the TOMS business model.

Here's the first: what happens to local shoes salesmen in the places that TOMS drops shoes? The issue in these developing economies isn't access to shoes. There are shoes available in local shops in all of these countries. This issue is that parents can't afford to buy them for their kids. So shouldn't the solution to be helping the parents provide for their kids? I believe that some like providing vocational training or employment opportunities would do much more for the communities than free shoes. In fact, free shoes can be harmful to local economies. Who would buy shoes from a local salesman when they get them for free from TOMS?

{side note} Zambia is a classic example of the "free stuff" issue- they used to have a growing clothing manufacturing industry, but since the country started allowing containers of free second hand clothes to enter the country, all of the industry progress that had been made was shut down. Years later, there are now no textile or clothing manufacturers in the country. "The skills, the infrastructure and the capital of an entire industry are now virtually extinct" (quote from an interesting article). The country now has an abundance of low-priced, second hand clothes... but at what price? Maybe they can buy a 1998 Chicago Bulls Championship t-shirt for 50 cents, but what about all those potential jobs lost with the exit of a clothing manufacturing sector? ... I'm not saying that the impact of TOMS is this severe, but this is just an example of how giving things away can do more harm than good.

The second issue I take with TOMS is the issue of dignity. Since living in Uganda, I've come to realize how important it is for people to know that they have value, that they are capable, that they are people just like you and me. That's not the message I get though when I see well-off trendy white 20-somethings putting shoes on the feet of brown and black little kids. To me, this image just furthers the expectation that the white man will come in to save the day. This is a mindset that our company has tried to battle while working in Uganda. We try to preach the message that we believe in our girls, and that they are helping us just as much as we are helping them.

This conversation isn't new to the social-business scene.... but for those of you who aren't involved in that sector and are just the average consumer, my intention with this topic is to challenge the way you think about what you buy, and even to question the companies that appear to have a good cause. And I hope you don't get discouraged in this process. There are fantastic companies out there that making an amazing social impact on the world.

And with all my criticisms, I would like to say that I still believe that TOMS has good intentions... But I'd love to see them make some changes to their model, so they can be part of a movement that is truly allowing consumers to change the world we live in.

subtle but important

I just got home from a bus ride down from Gulu, and since my friends and I boarded the bus as it was pulling away from the bus-park, we did not have the pleasure of sitting together on the 5 hour trek back to Kampala. That being said, I had plenty of time for day dreaming and reflection about the weekend, conversations had, and recent experiences in Uganda.

I had a conversation with some friends while making dinner about how subtle, seemingly small cultural differences can actually have large implications. Language is one of those things. Even though English is spoken in Uganda and all of the Sseko-girls speak it fluently, I still tend to run into language barrier issues.

One of the biggest sources of frustration has become the lack of the word "please" in Ugandan English. I've been told that in African languages spoken here, the please is often implied with the tone, not as a spoken word, and that many sentences are said in a command form. It also might just be the case that growing up in a Southern home of yes-ma'ams and yes-sir's and thank you's and pleases has made me more sensitive to the lack of what I consider to be polite language. I get a lot of "You come here!" and "Bring that for me!" instead of "Come here, please" or even "Would you bring that for me?" The difference is important to me (and I think many Americans) because it ends up being a respect issue.

I was talking with some friends who work for similar socially-minded companies this past weekend about it, and the way that some of the women who work for us talk when they address us. Our initial reaction when some one tells me something in a command form is "who does she think she is?!" I feel bossed around and disrespected... But its pretty likely that this woman has no idea that I feel this way, because she thought she was being perfectly polite because before demanding something of me, she called me "Aunie Cameron." It's very important here to address "big" (ie important/respected) people appropriately... So I've come to regard the auntie thing sort of like an African "yes ma'am." They soften their speech with that form of respect instead of the one I'm used to. It still sounds harsh to my ears sometimes, but I'm trying to get used to and remember that recognizing this will keep me from taking unneeded offense.

And this is the case in other languages as well... when things are said in a different way that changes the connotation. For example, when living in Spain I realized that when people were explaining how a glass broke they said that it fell out of their hand, instead of saying they dropped it. My perception of this language difference is that it's shifting blame from the person to the glass.... but I don't think that is necessarily the case. Just because a Spaniard says it that way doesn't mean they are trying to shirk responsibility for the broken glass and say "Yeah, I don't know what happened... It just jumped out of my hand!" That may seem like a silly example, but I was reminded of it during our conversation last night... because the issue of language and connotation and intention seemed similar.

Whether something seems rude or irresponsible, sometimes its just a matter of understanding that you're speaking different languages... even when the language being spoken is English! And this has been an important lesson learned for many of us ex-pats.

"i want to buy a boda boda"

Before Ben and Liz left Uganda, we had a company farewell dinner, during which they asked Julie and I a few questions.... One of them was "What moment has been the most rewarding for you in your work with Sseko thus far?"

It didn't take me long to think of an answer. I was immediately reminded of a wonderful afternoon I spent helping all our women come up with personal financial plans. I know, I know... the words "wonderful afternoon" and "financial plans" shouldn't be in the same sentence. But let me explain myself.

In college I majored in finance, but it wasn't because I just loved the subject. It was because I thought that one day I could help people with it. I went through accounting classes, banking classes, investment analysis classes... the works. And I knew I wasn't going to enter a traditional financey-type-job. I wasn't going to work for a big four accounting firm, on Wall street, or the trading floor of and oil and gas company. I was going to work for a not-just-for-profit company in Africa. Were these skills I was learning in class going to translate? I didn't know for sure.... but I hoped.

Well, turns out they do. I was able to sit down with each of the girls and help them make up personal savings plans. I got to sit across the table from each of them and hear about their savings-dreams.... Amelia wants to save so she can buy her mom some furniture for their house. Betty wants to save so she can afford to stay in a dorm close to campus next semester. Allen wants to save so she can send her daughter to school. And Joyce, well Joyce's savings-dream was my favorite. Joyce wants to buy a boda boda- a taxi-type motorcycle that can be rented out to drivers and provide a steady stream of income for her and her family. It's going to take her about a year and a half to save for her boda, but I believe she can do it.

Making a plan to achieve your dreams makes them far less daunting and out of reach. And because of my education, I was able to help the girls set forth that plan.

Not everything I learned in school is applicable here... I've never had to look for arbitrage opportunities in the stock market and I've never had to analyze trends for a commercial bank.... but who actually gets to apply everything they learn in college anyways? I'm just thankful that I'm seeing opportunities to use my degree in finance for the betterment of the Sseko ladies... because it makes my education mean something to me. It makes me more thankful for it. And it makes me even more excited for these girls to receive university-level education as well.

it's the most wonderful time of the year

Just for the sake of consistency, I'm going to post another video. Because on the Sseko compound this is the most wonderful time of the year, and no picture would do today justice.

The most beautiful moment happened on our compound today: all of the new Sseko girls found out their exam results. Now let me explain something.... these exams are hardcore and determine so much for these girls. Think SAT's, but if you only got to take them once. And if only those scores determined which school you got into and what you got to study. That's a whole heck of a lot of pressure for an 18 year old girl to bear on her shoulders. And today, all that pressure was relieved.

Just to explain the video a little bit, the girls scores were sent to their school and then they were able to call in and get the numeric score for each section of the tests. I had the pleasure of being present for each of these moments, and I think that today will be a day I will always remember.... I started crying tears of joy and pride right along with these girls.

It's official. The Sseko girls are going to attend university in the fall. And I couldn't be more proud.

paper people production

It seems like it's becoming a week for video's on my blog... I'm not going to resist it, because I want to share a little production that Julie and I put together last weekend....

In case you're unaware, Julie and I made paper dolls out of the extra passport pictures we had of ourselves and our bosses (Ben and Liz). Every month or so, we give the paper people new outfits: Thanksgiving festive wear, birthday celebration clothes, and even company Polo's! We mostly use the paper people as a joke between our little team of Sseko employees, but Julie and I always get a huge kick out of making them and then having paper people photo shoots to send to Ben and Liz.

Well, this week we are doing a bit of promoting for our Summer 2011 internships, and naturally, Juls and I were called upon to get the paper people involved. I never would have thought that I would have a boss who would ask me to make a movie of paper dolls to kick off the promo for Summer interns, but that's just how company culture at Sseko is and I love it!

So here are the results of the fun Saturday afternoon Juls and I spent putting the paper people production together:

And THIS is the link to a blog post Liz wrote about the paper people. They are getting so much publicity these days! .... I hope it doesn't get to their heads.....

{p.s. I'll do a little shameless promoting: everyone should apply for the Sseko Internships! You too can be a paper person.... I solemnly swear to make one of your passport photo if you join team Sseko!}

just a little video...

here's a link to a video that holly (one of my zanzibar traveling-companions) made of our trip:



ENJOY!

"thanks"... from the old man in the hat

Along with the rest of the nation, I received a text from the recently reelected Uganda President, Yoweri Museveni, and it read as follows:

"This is the old man with a hat, thank you for voting for me & the NRM. Let's work together for a better Uganda. Congratulations on the NRM victory."

Photo courtesy of Julie Beckstrom and her blog.

If you're wondering what the hat reference is all about, see the below photo of Museveni's campaign posters.... I'm not quite sure why he's wearing a sombrero. After months of these posters being scattered on every surface in town, no one has ever explained to me what the hat is all about.

But anyway, Museveni won by a pretty hefty majority and will continue in his reign that has lasted 25 years so far. Since then there have been massive celebrations in the city but also a few protest along the way and people chanting songs about how he rigged the vote. But all in all, the elections were relatively peaceful because there was an incredibly strong military presence, which has been continued to be seen in the city (sorry, no picture evidence for this one).

Part of the reason the military is still around is because elections for local officials still need to take place. The elections for mayor were supposed to happen last Wednesday. In fact, a spontaneous public holiday was called for the occasion. However, the voting was called off because by about 10:00 in the morning there had already been shading happenings. Apparently several of the candidates were blatantly stuffing votes. One even showed up with a truck-full of ballots already filled out with his endorsement! So elections are being drawn out in hopes that the cheatery will be put to a stop. Let's hope....

Julie and I were talking about elections the other night and she observed that it seems to be a trend in Africa that if elections are corrupt they are usually peaceful, but its the violent ones that bring justice. I thought it was an interesting observation given the recent events in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen. It seems that in order for change to happen, violence and revolution are often the only means to get it accomplished.

It really makes me thankful for the regulation that America (and many other nations) has about length of rule. If a president is corrupt, the maximum amount of damage he can do is in an 8 year span. That simple law keeps those in power from being able to stay in power for too long. Checks and balances. Limitations of power. But if that is not the precedent, it is hard to keep those in power in check.

Anyway, enough about politics. I just hope that in the remaining elections the Ugandan people experience both fair and peaceful elections.

hakuna matata

In case anyone was curious, "hakuna matata" really does mean no worries, and it is a Swahili phrase that is actually used. In real life. Not just in the Lion King. I discovered this on my first venture outside the country of Uganda, into other parts of East Africa.

First, there was Kenya. I had the pleasure of accompanying my boss, Liz, to Nairobi for a business trip. And it was quite successful, if I do say so myself. The point of the trip was to explore alternatives for suppliers, and boy does Kenya have options! What I discovered on my trip to Nairobi was how much more the business sector and the city in general were developed. There were multiple options for suppliers in each area of need we had. The city had sky scrapers and well-paved roads (residents of Nairobi may argue with me here, but all I have to say is come visit Kampala). And there was even a distinction in how business was handled.... We had suppliers tell us up front that they had certain limitations and couldn't make this or that product. We had people with real expertise respond to us honestly and on time. We had people tell us "hakuna matata," don't worry about that, we'll handle it no problem..... Not that this never happens in Uganda, but it's definitely rare... Needless to say, this aspect of our trip was pretty exciting for us and gave us a lot of hope for our partnership with companies in Nairobi.

Enough about business though, I also got to do some pretty cool things in the city. First, Liz and I took an afternoon off on Sunday and visited the giraffe reserve. We were able to feed them, and yes, the picture below shows the after effects of Liz allowing one to take a piece of food from between her lips.

Yes, I admittedly did the same.... It wasn't quite as gross as it looks. It was just so fun to be close to animals that you hear about, see on TV, in the Lion King, at the zoo... and be able to touch them and even get some lip action if you so desired.

My last day in Nairobi, I got to visit several other companies/organizations that focus on empowering women through providing sustainable employment. My favorite was Amani Ya Juu. It started in 1996 with only three women, but since then has spread to four countries and has been able to employ around 300 women! They have an amazing workshop and they produce 200+ products. It was fun to visit Amani and dream of what Sseko could look like after it's been around for 15 years. What countries will we be in? What products will we be making? How many women's lives will we have impacted? These are questions I love to think about...

So that was Kenya. It made a good impression.

Then I was off to Zanzibar. Yes, it was as exotic as it sounds. Zanzibar is an island off the coast of Tanzania. I spent most of my time there on the beach.... or wandering around the island on a spice tour..... or meandering through the narrow cobblestone streets of Stone Town. It was a magical few days.

This picture I took out of the window on my plane ride in does not do it justice.

I had planned my trip to Zanzibar to flee the city of Kampala during the week of elections. There ended up not being any riots in Kampala... There were some minor issues in other parts of the country, but I am happy to report that we have had a surprisingly peaceful election season in spite of the turmoil in other parts of the continent. So no worries. Hakuna Matata.

impossible is nothing

That's the slogan for Adidas these days: "impossible is nothing." Since I'm not super into sports brands, I heard that for the first time last week.... and it took me a bit my surprise to be honest. Because in Uganda, a phrase I commonly hear is "it's not possible."

I have countless examples of this.... but I'll give the most recent one I heard of. My boss, Liz, is here from the states and went shopping the in craft market last week for some paper beads. She found a necklace she liked, but it was too short. So naturally, she asked the woman selling it if she had a longer option. The woman adamantly replied that it was not possible to make a necklace like that in a longer fashion. Liz was shocked, and not convinced. She thought that it was completely possible.... and wanted to try. She asked the woman to hand her two of the necklaces, and then instead of clasping them individually, she clasped the pieces together to form a necklace twice as long. All the women in the market were hooting and hawing, as Liz held up the long necklace and showed them all that it was not impossible.

As I said I have had countless examples of this... I've probably heard the word "impossible" almost every day since I arrived here. And I think I've finally come up with an explanation as to why, when I think about what I see most commonly in my interactions here: I have seen that Ugandans are not lacking in creative thinking; that is not the issue when they say that something cannot be done. I think it is that the culture here is incredibly resourceful, but not innovative.

Now, I realize that those words may sound like synonyms, but there is a distinction and I think that is where the explanation lies. Resourcefulness has to do with the ability to deal skillfully in new situations with what you have, while innovation has to do with making something new, changing what is established, or really any type of forward thinking.

I have seen the most resourceful things here... You would not believe what people can do with old bicycle parts, or how much can be piled on top of a boda boda, or how just about anything that the average American would have thrown out can be reused with some creative refurbishing. This way of thinking seems to stop though when you start dealing with things they don't have... For example, making a fabric in a new color, or printing on a different type of material, or accomplishing something by a certain deadline. This creative thinking pattern doesn't seem to transition into forward thinking, and as an American living in this culture, its quite fascinating.

American companies, for example, are a stark contrast... They tell their customers (maybe to a fault), that with them, anything is possible.... or in Adidas' case "impossible is nothing." Our culture prides itself on innovation and thinking up new things. It is from that context that I found myself entering Uganda, and at first was taken aback when people would say they would "try," instead of just saying they would do it. Or saying that something was impossible just because they had never done it before....

The strange thing is that the more people keep telling you something is impossible, the more you start to believe it. My co-worker, Julie, and I have often talked about how easy it would be to just agree and say "you're probably right... it is impossible to get this done here." But then we have to shake ourselves out of it and continue to issue the challenge to try to do something that's never been done before.... and guess what?! Sometimes, it actually happens! Sseko itself is a testament to that.... But it really has been great over the past year to see suppliers and contacts thinking outside the box to get things accomplished. There are definitely some people here in Uganda thinking creatively about the future, and I hope that during my time here that is something I continue to see.

kampala: captured on film

A guy named Adam came through Kampala while I was in the States and did some filming. I never got to meet him, but I just watched a sneak preview of the film he's making and I was pretty impressed.

Shake the Dust is the title of it, and its about the hip hop/ break dancing culture in unlikely places around the world. From Uganda he went to Yemen... definitely not what I would think of as a hip hop capital. So not only is it a cool concept, but I think this clip captures a really great glimpse of Kampala. To me, this video kindles a fondness in my heart for this place and I think its because of the familiarity of all the scenes. Owino Market. The football fields. The taxi park. A neighborhood that looks just like mine.

This is it.

Enjoy.

not easy

We've started a book club of sorts here in Kampala.... A group of fellow Americans are going through Tim Keller's book Generous Justice, and even though we're only in our second week, its brought up some very interesting/challenging conversations.

As we were talking the other night, a really hard truth to face came up. It was this....

It's easier to love on African orphans and widows than the truly marginalized in my own society.

At least this is the case for me.

For some people, coming to live in Uganda would seem like this massive sacrifice. I suppose it is in some ways, but I don't really view it that way... I'm doing work that I absolutely love, I'm traveling, experiencing a new culture... Being in Uganda is quite enjoyable for me. In fact, I can safely say that there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be at this point in time. So when some people back in the States talk about how brave I am or how sacrificial, it puzzles me a bit. But I do understand that this isn't every one's "thing." All that to say, working with widows and orphans (most of Sseko's employees fall into this category) in Uganda isn't something that makes me squeamish or hesitant or consider telling God "nope, sorry... not goin' there!" But there are other things that do make me feel that way... and they shouldn't.

A few people in our group of friends even said that they would have a harder time if God called them to live in the States than if he kept them abroad. {disclaimer: I realize that this group of people is not typical.... and that since they are already ex-pats this point of view isn't all that surprising.} But between all of us, the question came up of do we have to be abroad to be living out what we believe about social justice?

And the answer we came to was no.... no, you don't have to go to Africa to be involved in social justice. God's command is for us to show love to the marginalized in society, including the American society I come from. And sometimes its even harder to do in your own backyard.

During this conversation, I was struck with the example of my friend, Kellie, whom I had the pleasure of living with for most of Christmas break.

Kellie hangs out with strippers.

She brought an organization to College Station, Texas, called Jesus Said Love. The whole premise of this small group of people is to build relationships with women who work in the local strip clubs. First of all, I've never heard of anyone talking to strippers before... I feel like for the most part even talking about them is taboo. We like to keep things like this at arms length... pretend that the Silk Stocking strip joint isn't just around the corner. I've honestly never once thought about the women who work there, who are inevitably living in my community.

But Kellie talks to them. She buys them Christmas presents. She prays for them. She gets coffee with them. She hangs out with them in the club before business picks up. I admire Kellie.... because for me, the idea of coming to Uganda and living out social justice here seems far easier than doing it in College Station, Texas, where the marginalized happen to be strippers.

I think a little part of that is the fact that the poor are often romanticized... I find this to be especially true of the African poor. But you can't really romanticize the idea of hanging out with strippers. It's more raw... gritty. And ultimately, when you get to Uganda and actually get to know members of the group of people you thought of as "the poor," you see that it isn't all that romantic after all. Some of them are happy and joyful (like you see in the non-profit ad's). But some of them are tough and sassy. Some of them are lazy and rude. Just like people anywhere else, they aren't all the same.

I guess its just funny to think that one way to live out social justice is trendier or more attractive than another... I'm just grateful to have people like Kellie in my life to challenge my view of social justice and to go against the grain in the way they approach it.

NOT charity

I work for a company.... This is a simple fact, but it is commonly misunderstood. A lot of people seem to think that if you're doing something in Africa it obviously must be a charity or a non-profit of some sort. But that's not what Sseko is. We are a social business. And a lot of our fellow expats either work for similar companies or understand the concept of what we are doing.... But I've found that this is at times difficult to explain to Ugandans. The only interaction many of them have had with white people is through charity, i.e. hand-outs.

This past week I was faced with an instance of this misunderstanding. Right now at Sseko we are undergoing a lot of changes and one of those is the method in which we pay our women. It was my job to explain the change to them and then have one on one meetings to answer any questions or concerns. I met with a woman who is one of the "aunties" who works for us. She started working for Sseko last spring and before that had been doing a little bead making on the side for a local widows group.

This woman came to me and I told her again the rough amount she would be paid each month (depending on if she met her work production or not), and it was actually more than she had been making in the past.... but she had some questions for me.... She wanted to know if she would be getting any extra money to pay for transportation since she lived far away. {Note: this woman has lived far away for her entire employment and has never received extra money for transport}

I told her that the policy was as it always had been and that she would have to pay for her transport out of her wages, because it would be unfair for us to pay her more just because she lived farther when she was doing the exact same work as the other women who work for Sseko. And then a phrase came out of my mouth that I had never put together before... I said "Pay at Sseko is based on work, not on need." That was the first time I was truly able to articulate the difference between what we do as a social business and what the traditional charities these women have had past experience with do....

For some time I have known that no matter how much we pay the widowed aunties who work for us, it will never be enough. One of them is HIV positive, has a daughter that is as well, and nine other children of her own to care for.... not to mention some of her children's children, and other extended family form whom she is responsible. The culture here is incredibly community based, and everyone is responsible for everyone else.... so even if these women were getting paid the salary of a government official, it wouldn't be enough.

But these women aren't getting paid the salaries of government officials.... that would be utterly ridiculous. They are relatively uneducated, have little work experience, and one of them barely speaks English and is illiterate. They are getting paid the equivalent of a teacher's salary to make shoes, which is more than they would make doing anything else... Working with Sseko is a pretty amazing opportunity for them, and they know that and are so appreciative for the jobs we have provided for them. But, there come times like these when I have to yet again explain that we are employers. Sseko is not a charity. We are certainly understanding to our employees and their needs, but I'll say again that pay at Sseko is based on work, not on need.

It's honestly almost a relief for me to be able to put that into words.... because at times the line gets blurred and when I personally know these women, I wish I could cater to all their needs. But I can't afford to and neither can Sseko... what we can do is give them great jobs and a way to earn a living... what we can give is opportunity.