On Monday June 21, I woke up 5 AM to pick the Mack family up from the airport. It was the least I could do for Annie “Mack Attack” who connected me with EAC. When I entered the bus, I found about 10 of the EAC children passed out sleeping in their seats. Driving to the airport was a treat because when we arrived in Kampala, it was dark outside. In the light, I could see Lake Victoria, God’s Flowers Primary School (This was my favorite school name until I saw Teletubbie Primary School today), and beautiful greenery. Alexis – EAC’s founder – was seated next to me. When we were approaching the airport, she pointed out where the United Nations headquartered many of their aid missions during the genocide in Rwanda (really pronounced Ronda by the way) and still use.

I was surprised to find my favorite funny man – Jengo – outside. He had been sound asleep at the front of the bus during the ride. After walking through security, we had a great conversation about how cool it would be if we were filming a movie in which we had to bust through security with weapons to save people in the airport. Jengo turned to me and said, “I know I could do the acting well.” I told him, “I know.” With his imagination and wit, he has the potential to be a terrific actor and hysterical comedian.

When the Mack’s entered into the lobby where we were waiting for them in the airport, I only saw 5 of 7. Annie was missing! Unfortunately for the “Mack Attack,” so was her luggage. Fortunately, it was eventually found. On the bus ride to Kampala, I told Annie and her sister Molly all about living in the city.

After spending an hour in the office with Nick, we reunited with the visitors at Nakasero Market – a Mecca of fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, live chickens, hanging meat, grains, and fried insects. Fried grasshoppers, a Ugandan deliquesce, is one of the foods I promised many people I would try before leaving Kampala. Seeing people plucking the wings off these creatures so they could be fried caused me to consider backing down from this pledge. I did not. On the bus, I fulfilled my promise. Zziwa – EAC’s driver and comedian – asked Nick and I at the beginning of our stay if we had ever tried grasshoppers. My answer was, “No. What does it taste like?” I expected him to say “chicken.” He said, “ . . . Insect,” smiled, and let out a giggle. Jeremy told me they tasted like oil. If you ask me, I will say “Insect Oil (and crunchy like fish gills).”

As the Coaster (bus) approached the EAC Children’s home, I could hear the sound of drums beating. Suddenly, the gates opened to reveal the EAC children in costume performing a routine from the Spirit of Uganda – an exhilarating display of dance and music. Children from the neighborhood joined our group outside the gate to watch. When they finished, we walked onto the compound. Each child greeted us with a handshake. Faith jokingly re-introduced herself to me. As we shook hands, Brian told me he would give me a hug, but he was sweating. I said, “Does it look like I care?” I so overjoyed by the performance I wanted to give every single performer a hug and a foot massage (the ground looked painful to dance on). Luckily, I was told sit down so they could perform a few more numbers.

Over the previous weeks, Nick and I had been told time and time again about the Spirit of Uganda. We had worked hard to produce drafts of models to measure the programs success. Yet, we had never seen the children perform. While I wish I could have seen the show on tour, I am happy I saw the performance in Uganda on the ground where the training happens. The organic nature of the setup allowed for the natural beauty of the beats and talents of the children to shine. Fancy lighting systems, sets and union stagehands were not needed for me to lose myself in this performance. The mob scene of children banging on the gate during the performance illustrates the amount of energy being produced by the children of EAC.

After the performance and lunch, we went on buses with the children back to school. Despite knowing the importance of school attendance, I did not want to say goodbye. When Jengo and Moses took me to see their dormitories, I asked if I could stay. Jengo said, “Sure. Physics is in the morning.” Unfortunately, rules would not permit.

- Feldman

The Bright Side

Over the past two weeks, EAC supporters have been traveling to Kampala to see the wonderful work that Empower African Children does. The Kampala staff created a packed schedule of events for the visitors to attend to learn more about the culture of Uganda and understand how EAC is making a difference. So, Michael and I tagged along a few times and learned a lot ourselves. I'll highlight a few of the many experiences.

We visited Sharon's home. Sharon is one of the girls I went around with on report card day. She's very bright, always has a smile on her face, and is absolutely beautiful. Sharon has an infectious laugh that always cracks me up. She's fun to be around. At school, she's running to be a senator for her house. Needless to say, she's pretty amazing. Because of the great care that EAC provides and Sharon's graceful spirit, it's sometimes difficult for me to imagine her background. But, when we visited her house, I was quickly reminded.

After swerving through the bumpy, rugged, dusty of roads outside of Kampala, our bus finally arrived to the place Sharon called home. Outside, we were greeted by her mother and two brothers. Her aunts from Tanzania were visiting for a little while. We presented Sharon's mother with gifts of a chicken, matoke, bananas, sugar, and rice for her home. She was very appreciative and hugged each of us. I was a bit confused, because we were right in front of a bar. "Where is her home?" I wondered. As we edged forward, we approached a room that was attached to the noisy bar. That room was Sharon's home. With two bunk beds hidden by hung sheets, a neat stack of dishes, and a shelf holding a television that didn't work, everything that Sharon's family owned was contained in a room that only 5 people could see at a time. The room was cleaned from top to bottom, and everything had its specific place. Sharon's mother took great pride in making her house a home for herself and her 4 children. As victims of the genocide in Rwanda, this was home for them.

Outside, I began talking to Sharon's brother, Abbi. He's in primary school, and had on his freshly cleaned white and blue uniform. Above his knees, where his shorts stopped, were ink drawings on his legs. "What kind of drawings are those? Did your girlfriend draw those on you?" I asked, jokingly. "No, it's just where I did my math problem today." He giggled nonchalantly.

Abbi was very bright. He began to patiently teach me how to count in Luganda. He said I was a good student. He told me all about his school and how he enjoyed it. He looked up to Sharon because she was so smart and well-taken care of. It made him happy that she had a chance to get a quality education. Because of her, he wanted to continue to strive for better. He was soo proud of his sister and had so much joy when she arrived.

Despite how difficult life was for Sharon's family, they had a sense of happiness that I think many of the richest Americans don't hold. They may not possess a fancy house or brand-named clothes, but they do possess a spirit of resilience and understand the value of making the best. It's not helplessness, it's understanding the value of things that really matter. As Faith, an EAC student, told me, "We have much to be sad about, but we have even more to be happy about." It's inspiring to be surrounded by people who have such an optimistic view of life and understand how to look on the brightside.

Me and Sharon at the EAC office before heading out to her house.

-Nick

I'm a Visual Person...

I noticed our blog is getting a little wordy, so here are a few pictures to spice things up a bit.

Nick and Rajab acting silly on the bus to Taibah.

A small glimpse of Spirit of Uganda, a program of EAC. They're phenomenal!

A few new friends who like to show off their muscles and make silly faces.

Michael, Jengo, and Bryan. Supposedly, Jengo got all the rings onto the stand on his first try. Key word: supposedly :)

Nick taking a pose with Uganda's Next Top Models, the lovely ladies of EAC.

Zahara, Sylvia, and Miriam struggling to keep the egg uncracked and balanced!

-Nick

Sundays

This post about the last 2 Sundays. I will tell what happened between in upcoming posts.

June 20
I entered Agnes' car on Sunday morning wearing dirt covered pants. This was not the first time. At the house where we are staying lives a 6-month year old dog named Bosco. He's brown, average looking, jumpy and overly rambunctious because during the day he is locked in a dog house. Many morning, they forget to control him and he likes me much more than Nick as I engaged him at the beginning of our stay. Because it rained Saturday night, his paws were extra dirty Sunday morning. I walked out the door. He jumped. I pushed him off. He went behind me and jumped. Both sides of my khakis became the color of Kampala soil - a little browner, darker than sand. I had to grab a new pair of pants and change in the car.

After a short drive, we arrived at church a little late, shuffled onto a bunch, and listened to the priest deliver his sermon. The church has a young following, which is reflected in the vibrancy of the music. At the end of the service, before and during the final song, everyone in the congregation turned to each other and said, "Peace be with you." I am glad I did not slip and say "Shabbat Shalom!"

Last Thursday, Alexis and Jeremy arrived in Kampala from Dallas with the first of visitors who will be trickling in until July 2. One of the benefits of having visitors is the EAC children get to spend more time at the EAC house. While I had met many of the older children, this was my first time to meet the younger. They were in attendance at church and greeted us at the end of the service with smiles and hugs. The children EAC serve are enthusiastic, confident, and mature. Creating a logic model to measure success would be much easier if we only had to collect qualitative data. The social abilities of the children are proof of the organization’s success. Unfortunately, quantitative data needs to be assessed as well.

From church, we headed to the EAC Children's home for the day. There was so much to do. On the yard, many of the children played games including horseshoe and egg toss. Inside, Jimmy, Nicholas and Moses - three of the older boys - taught Jeremy, Nick and I chords on a Ugandan string instrument called the adungu. My lack of eye-hand coordination was outmatched by the patience of my teachers. After a few minutes, I could play the first 4 chords of the instrument.

I took a brief break from music and went outside to watch the younger children play games. Moses stood with me, and we had a wonderful conversation about his experience in the United States, school, and sports. He is soft-spoken and one of the most genuine people I have ever conversed with. His demeanor exudes wisdom, a drive for knowledge, and love. When we heard song coming from inside the house, we went to join. While I only had the ability to watch, Moses enhanced the music by playing the flute. Jimmy has a beautiful soothing voice, which he used to lead the group in a composition full of call-and-response. I dubbed him the singing master.

Soon after, we ate lunch – a wonderful buffet of local foods including Aunt Sarah and Aunt Justine’s wonderful cabbage! Before eating, we held hands in a circle for song led by Joan – one of the children – and a prayer. I ate with Jimmy and Rajab. We had a very interesting conversation about school and caning. One of them missed the practice because the threat of the punishment inspired them to work harder. I thought this was an interesting view of what I think is a horrifying practice.

Following lunch, we played a series of fun games including a game where you run around until someone says a number and you have to find that many people to hold hands with or you are out, a staring game, a staring game, and Badu Badu – a game where someone in the middle says one of three words, which indicate where you put your hands. Rajab acted as the man in the middle. During the game, he would say a word while putting his hand in the wrong position. While this is what the person in the middle is supposed to do, I do not think anyone could have been trickier. He has a fantastic playful sense of humor.

Florence is one of the younger EAC girls. Somehow, we ended up playing with a red beanbag together in the late afternoon. She is mischievous in a fun way, which caused my goofiness to come out. We tried throwing the beanbag so the other couldn’t catch, as far as we could, and even to the sky. Our games were broken up by the departure of the guests and the approaching World Cup Match.

Jengo, the Bryans, Daniel, Simon, and a few other of the older EAC boys joined Nick and I to watch the Italy-New Zealand World Cup match at Cheri’s – a bar in Kabalaga at 5:30. On the walk back, Jengo and I developed a game, which we have continued to play. We switch names. Both of us get confused, usually fail to answer to our other names, and resort back to our given title; however, it can be pretty funny. We are still wondering if my passport will work for Jengo.

June 27

I arrived at the EAC children’s home by Boda at 8:45 on Sunday morning to learn about Ugandan cooking and help Aunt Justine and Aunt Sarah prepare lunch for the US visitors. My first job was to cut cabbage. I now know why my mom sometimes buys the pre-cut cabbage for coleslaw. It’s hard to cut – especially to the small size needed for the recipe. I may or may not have slightly cut one of my fingers as a result of the knife slipping on the very moist vegetable. My second task was to sort through the rice to remove all the “funny stuff” as Aunt Justine calls it. The most fun assignment involved g-nuts. G-nut sauce – a staple of Ugandan cooking is grounded peanuts with water, salt and other additives. This particular time we were mixing the paste with greens. My first job involving the sauce was to thin it out with water. The ground peanuts were placed into a pot with water, which I placed my hands into and kneaded until the water and paste became one. After this mixture was heated, the greens – Gobi (I think they are Collard Greens) – were added. I stirred for about 5 minutes until the sauce was allowed to rest on the charcoal stove alone. One of the benefits of cooking instead of going to church was I got to eat a plate of peas (my favorite), beef stew, and rice at 10:30.

Guests arrived around 11 from church, and the children performed at 12. I will go into detail about the children’s performing in a future post. For now, let me just tell you they are amazing.

Following the performance, we ate lunch. Because Donna was turning 10 on Monday, we sang happy birthday to her. Then, the children received gifts from the US visitors who they would not see again. In thanks, they sang two beautiful songs. I have found singing in Uganda to be powerful because it is seen as a gift not just something to entertain. As they sang, I became sad for the first time since arriving in Kampala because I began thinking about how we only had 3 more weeks until we returned home. While it’s easy to say I will return next summer, the reality is I do not know when I will have the opportunity to hang out with my new friends again.

After the guests hugged the children goodbye, we departed to Taibah to drop them off for a week at school. Moses and I walked from the lower school to the upper school together. We dropped off his stuff in his room. He is learning how to play guitar and plucked out all of the chords for me. Somehow, I ended up in the school office with a teacher who thought I was there to sign Moses in. It was very humorous because the teacher thought Moses was Willington – another EAC student. Moses was just trying to show me the computer lab.

We then went to the dining hall to check the score of the Germany-England game. I met Moses’ English teacher and explained to him how the US Congress works. Moses joked as we were walking to our next destination – the football (not American) field – that we shouldn’t go check the score again because the teacher will ask me too many more questions. At the soccer field, I said goodbye to Daniel and Jengo. As we were walking away, Daniel scored a goal, which was cool to see.

Our time at Taibah ended with Nick and I playing an intense game of monkey in the middle with Sharon – another EAC student. I was so proud of myself. When I ended up in the middle, one of the girls joked I would never get out. I proved her wrong by catching the ball the first time Sharon threw it.

As we were leaving the children’s home for Taibah, I told Aunt Justine that I was going to come by to say “hi” at night. She didn’t believe me so after dinner I returned to prove her wrong. I think she was shocked.

In the “special” (the word used for a private taxi) on the way home, I witnessed an exciting fit of road rage. The road that leads into our neighborhood is currently being reconstructed, which makes it difficult for the traffic dance, which I talked about in one of my early posts, to happen smoothly. My trustworthy driver exited his car to tell someone to backup after about 6 minutes of waiting. When the people finally did what he said, he entered the car. Unfortunately, he forgot to put on his blinker when he re-entered the car. The people he corrected earlier took the opportunity to start yelling at him. The only words I could decipher were “you are stupid.” Although everything happened in Luganda, I knew exactly what was happening. David, my driver, was right. These people were being ridiculous. At least, I was entertained!

The reason I started this posting with the story of Bosco is because with the exception of my pants, nothing about the last two Sundays needed to be changed.

- Feldman

A Letter in Honor of Jonathan's Birthday

The second time I took a boda boda - motorcycle taxis - the driver turned to me and said, "You look really scared." I was. Nevertheless, on Saturday, I hopped back on one to go to the Kampala Rugby Park. For the first time, I relaxed and really enjoyed my ride. There is no better way to see the city of Kampala than in the open air with a driver who takes you through little used side roads. Also, as long as I ask the driver to go slow and be careful, I will be safe. Over and over again, other bodas passed us - a clear sign the driver was taking my direction.

We were meeting another of Aggie's cool friends, Patrick, to watch Uganda take on Zimbabwe in rugby. This is where my blog takes a turn. Instead of writing for everyone I have a note for a particular person. . .

Dear Jerry,

Last year, you opened the most expensive stadium in the world. I haven't been. Yet, the jealously I felt toward my brother Jeffrey for having the chance to see my favorite team play in their new palace washed away at the Kampala Rugby Park - a venue less sophisticated than many of America's high school stadiums. A bar, some stands, chairs, grills and a score board controlled by person with a stick-like thing (forgot the technical word) was the extent of the physical structures needed for people to be spirited and have fun. The spectators didn't even need a clock to keep time. They kept it themselves.

In terms of the game, I had no idea what was going on. Uganda won. How? I don't really know except that somehow they scored touchdowns and extra points (terms you and I understand, but again probably not the technical terms). What went on in between teams scoring seemed chaotic with men grabbing, tackling, and shoving each other while a ball was being kicked or thrown for no apparent purpose.

The good news is that not knowing what was going on really didn't matter. I had the best time because the people at the game were having the best time. There were chants, playful arguments, high fives, horns (the annoying kind plaguing the World Cup) creatively used by Ugandans, waves, and yells at the referee ("Referee, Who is your mother?" or something like that). All of this happened between complete strangers. At the end of the game, the crowd did not rush out of the stadium as they do yours. Instead, they stayed to continue having fun. I went to games at the old, now demolished Texas Stadium, which was more complex than the Kampala Rugby Park, and the spirit was never as high.

I learned something very important on Saturday. Structure is less important than passion. Next season, I think one of the Cowboys' games should be re-located to a field with makeshift stands, score boards, and not even a 1 yard screen. I am sure there are many fields in Arlington like this. If that is too extreme, simply move your team back to its city at the Cotton Bowl for a game, make the parking and tickets cheap. I think you will find true fans who don't need a 60 yard screen to watch their team and might be able to match the spirit of Ugandan Rugby fans.

Send my regards to your favorite "bum" - Wade, and please return to my blog in the next few days for an update on Sunday - one of if not my favorite day since arriving in Kampala.

Best,

Feldman

"Baby, Are You Ready to Come Home Yet?"

That's the question my grandma asked me over the phone. "Uhhh....not quite." I said, not sure how to respond. Of course I miss car rides to Schnucks and Target with Mama, Daddy dragging me out of bed on Saturday to cut the grass, long chats with Olivia, Sherell rolling her eyes at my silliness, inside "buddy" jokes with Trevor, random bro-talks with Jonathan, and everything/one else that comes from home; but, I'm learning so much about myself and others in this beautiful place that I gotta soak it all in while I'm here.

It's been a while since I posted, so this might be a long one. Take a deep breath. Brace yourself. There are pictures at the end as a reward!

On Thursday, Michael and I went to Taibah to check on the children. It was the dreaded report mid-term report issuance day. The kids got their reports and presented them to Edith, the social counselor. We then proceeded to walk around to different stations and talk to each of their teachers personally about their reports. While most were doing very well in their classes, there were definitely areas for improvement. I went around with two very smart and sweet girls. It was strange for me to act as their "parent" checking on their progress. I understood the struggles of math and chemistry. They're hard! So, I tried to sound like a good, responsible, wise parent (of 19 yrs to a sophomore in high school lol) when I talked to the teachers, but the girls usually just giggled at me and shook their heads at my attempts. But, the teachers had such positive things to say about the students and their work. For many of them, they were leaders in the classroom and had great time management skills. My daughters of 15 ,minutes made me a proud father. Don't worry, Mom, I'm still in no hurry to become a father!

On Saturday, Michael and I went to a Rugby game between Zimbabwe and Uganda. Tightly seated shoulder-to-shoulder on wooden bleachers, we were in the middle of an intense group of Ugandan fans, giving us the best seats in the house. Hands down. With horns in hand, the field was ablaze with energy as fans cheered on the nation. Grills sizzled with muchomo (sticks of pork and chicken) and delicious smells filled the air, reminding me of the Tennessee State Fair. Having never seen a rugby match, I was thoroughly confused to say the least. It was still fun to watch. Seeing guys hoist their team mates high in the air, then watching a guy fly out of nowhere to tackle an unaware player, then following the oddly-shaped ball sail into the air was fun to learn about. However, the real show wasn't going on in the fields. Oh no, it was all about the fan stands. Hilarious chants against the refs with slightly inappropriate jeers at his mother made the evening exciting. No matter where you are, people love their sports. It was funny to watch one guy hop the fence, wave his flag with pride, and then get kicked off by the policemen as he argued intensely. Good times, great memories.

On Sunday, after church, we visited the EAC House in Kisugu, where all the kids were. Michael and I had met a few of them briefly at Taibah, but this was the first time we were with everyone for an extended period of time. And what a time we had! We started playing games, watching school performances, and just hanging out. There's something about youthfulness that brings so much joy. With high-pitched laughs, toothless smiles, and tireless kids running around, we had the time of our lives. Rajab, my new "best", taught us how to play Ba, Badu, Badubadu, a game where you have to follow what the leader says, not does. It was alot of fun. Ya'll know how much I love games, so I'm definitely bringing it back home to teach. Can't wait!

While there, I decided to learn how to do laundry. No, not putting it into the washer and dryer. Like, legit doing laundry. Jengo was washing his clothes, so I decided to help. Still in my Sunday clothes, I slipped off my shoes and socks, rolled up my pants and shirt sleeves and began to learn how to scrub the famous African clay out of Jengo's scrub. First, you soak the shirts in a bucket of water and begin scrubbing with a bar of soap. With soap suds covering the fabric, you rub the pieces together, while stringing out the water. It's a constant process, especially if there's a stain. After, you think you've gotten it all out, you rinse with clean water. Then, you make sure you didn't miss any spots. If you notice that you did (this happened a lot for me), then you repeat the previous step. Finally, you hang out the clothes to dry on a string across the yard. Whew, all I can say is, thank God for Whirpool. It was tough! Jengo laughed at me, and when we got to the jeans, he just shook his head and said, "Nick, you can't handle those. Stick to the shirts." Well, I'm pretty good at socks and shirts, maybe I'll progress to jeans another day.

I always talk about lessons I've learned while I've been here. One of the most helpful lessons I've learned is to listen. Sometimes, we're in such a hurry to share our world with others that we forget to learn. But in between playing games, doing laundry, and eating delicious food, I've begun to observe how others live. To step back and realize that this project is more than me and what I can provide. It's an opportunity to understand others. There's a quote by Dr. Cornel West that I always love to use that I learned at the Tavis Smiley Leadership Institute. "You can't lead the people if you don't love the people. You can't save the people unless you serve the people." In order to truly connect with people, there has to be a relationship, a common understanding. Growing up in America, I've always been taught to be efficient, to move, and be a mover and shaker. But, to be effective, you sometimes have to step back, listen, and wait. You learn so much about what makes a person happy, sad, laugh, cringe, or uncomfortable. Once you understand a group of people, then you are able to better serve.

Our service project may be to create logic models to show program success, but I think beyond that, it's just being present. Going to watch the World Cup, doing laundry together, shopping at the market, learning to play/sing a local song, going to church, and taking a walk all cause us to become connected in a way that sitting in an office deciding whether to use the word "psychological" or "psychosocial" for the model simply doesn't.

I can remember sitting in circle back at Vanderbilt during an Ingram discussion. I can't remember who, but someone said that service is just being. I didn't grasp that concept at the time, but slowly I'm beginning to understand that simple, but complex notion of being...

-Nick






All of us around the house playing games. A geography classroom at Taibah.

Me getting seconds for a newfound snack: GRASSHOPPERS. It was much tastier than fried ant. They seasoned it with onion. Actually not bad.

A Day at the Rugby match with our two tickets. By the way, 2,000 USX=1 US Dollar So, tickets are about $2.50/person

An In(complete) Post II

When we arrived at Taibah, we said goodbye to everybody on the bus and went to the dining hall. Teachers with signs that had their names and subject were on the walls and pillars of the room. They sat on benches at the long tables, which lined the room. Students with their parents sat speaking with a teacher or waiting in line for an update. Samali and I went with one of the EAC girls. For the most part, the teachers thought she was doing very well; however, they thought her potential was even higher than her already very good performance. This was a testament to EAC. The teachers think very highly of the children EAC sends to their school and believe in their abilities.

I was touched by the way Samali spoke with the students. She was gentle and firm as she asked questions about how the student intended to plan her time and live up to the teachers expecations. The conversation she had was almost identical to the conversations I have with my parents, which confirms my belief that any child if given the right tools and care can do great things.

After the first student, Samali and I split to go around with different students. The girl I went with was told by every teacher that she was excellent, easy to have in the classroom, and attetive, but could still work harder. I've concluded no matter how well a student does in the classroom the teachers at Taibah will always push their students.

Leaving Taibah was hard. The EAC students are so much fun to be with. Jengo and I bonded as we were trying to depart because he has a wonderful sense of humor. We joked around about the World Cup and my experience in Uganda so far. As we spoke, his hand was either on my shoulder or we were shaking hands. He is so friendly. I am convinced he is going to be a comedian. Later that week, we discussed this idea as I will in my next blog.

- Feldman