Hey/How are you/Hello_________ (fill in the blank)
- Mzungu (most common)
- America
- Baby
- Mama
- Wife
- Sista
- Obama
- Obama's wife
- Customa
- Jennifer/Sarah/Kate/other very white names
Friday, December 4, 2009
Things I've been called
Wow two posts in one night. Crazy. Thought I'd write about some of the names I've been called by people here, specifically boda drivers and street vendors.
Hey/How are you/Hello_________ (fill in the blank)
Hey/How are you/Hello_________ (fill in the blank)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Have I mentioned....
Pollution
It's ridiculous. First of all, in the States we do quite a bit of stuff to help the environment even if you don't think we do, we have emission regulations, we recycle and we have garbage dumps. Now, we do all this while there are still debates about whether or not global warming is actually occurring.
Here, everybody believes in global warming, it's on the radio, in the newspapers and people talk about it. They talk about how it's because of global warming that the crops aren't doing well. In the newspaper they always bring up proof for the global warming that is occurring here in Africa. So with all this "there is global warming and it's going to kill us" you'd think they'd be concerned with their impact.
Not the case.
Ironically, the president of Uganda declared that Kampala should be dust free. Really? I highly doubt that's going to happen anytime soon. Anyhow, with them feeling all the effects of global warming, I don't think they're doing anything to clean the city.
Just my thoughts.
It's ridiculous. First of all, in the States we do quite a bit of stuff to help the environment even if you don't think we do, we have emission regulations, we recycle and we have garbage dumps. Now, we do all this while there are still debates about whether or not global warming is actually occurring.
Here, everybody believes in global warming, it's on the radio, in the newspapers and people talk about it. They talk about how it's because of global warming that the crops aren't doing well. In the newspaper they always bring up proof for the global warming that is occurring here in Africa. So with all this "there is global warming and it's going to kill us" you'd think they'd be concerned with their impact.
Not the case.
- Vehicles drive down the road with absolutely black exhaust trailing behind them.
- People burn a ton of charcoal to cook their food.
- Trash is not taken to a dump to be disposed of, it is instead burned. All of it. On the side of the roads, in fields and in our backyard.
- When people are in cars or even walking, they don't ever look for a trash can, anything that they have that they don't want they just throw it to the side of the road. Culturally there just isn't any pressure to keep the environment clean.
- And, nothing is recycled.
- The only thing that is good is that they use glass soda (pop for all my Pittsburghers) bottles that you take back to be reused when you want another.
Ironically, the president of Uganda declared that Kampala should be dust free. Really? I highly doubt that's going to happen anytime soon. Anyhow, with them feeling all the effects of global warming, I don't think they're doing anything to clean the city.
Just my thoughts.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Have I mentioned....
So I realized that there are some things that have become so normal to my daily life that I haven't talked about them here. So now I'm going to.
Street Kids
They are all over the place.
Just walking down the street, small children (I've seen some as young as 2) come up to you and put their little hands out and look at you with begging eyes. When you don't give them anything they walk right next to you still begging for a couple blocks before finally giving up. It's extremely sad and the thing is that giving them anything will just perpetuate the circumstances. We've been told "do not give the street kids any money" because it just encourages them to keep begging and not get help from the few organizations who have set up programs for them. But it's so hard. One dollar would feed them for two days yet it would also encourage them to stay out of schools and out of programs. It's a lose-lose situation.
The other things is that there is apparently a specific region in Uganda where parents are actually forced to sell one of their children or the children have to leave to try and find a better life. So they come to Kampala. They don't come by themselves though, I've heard, from reputable sources, that there is a man/group of people who get the kids, bring them to Kampala and force them to turn in the money they received at the end of the day. For this they might get a little bit of food and avoid a beating.
This horrendous cycle keeps the kids out of school and robs them of the innocence and childhood that they should have.
Street Kids
They are all over the place.
Just walking down the street, small children (I've seen some as young as 2) come up to you and put their little hands out and look at you with begging eyes. When you don't give them anything they walk right next to you still begging for a couple blocks before finally giving up. It's extremely sad and the thing is that giving them anything will just perpetuate the circumstances. We've been told "do not give the street kids any money" because it just encourages them to keep begging and not get help from the few organizations who have set up programs for them. But it's so hard. One dollar would feed them for two days yet it would also encourage them to stay out of schools and out of programs. It's a lose-lose situation.
The other things is that there is apparently a specific region in Uganda where parents are actually forced to sell one of their children or the children have to leave to try and find a better life. So they come to Kampala. They don't come by themselves though, I've heard, from reputable sources, that there is a man/group of people who get the kids, bring them to Kampala and force them to turn in the money they received at the end of the day. For this they might get a little bit of food and avoid a beating.
This horrendous cycle keeps the kids out of school and robs them of the innocence and childhood that they should have.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
