City Tour/Owino Market

Recap:
Today we started the day off by meeting the MUBS students. After getting to know them we got on the big blue bus that has been our mode of transportation since we arrived in Uganda and headed to exchange our dollars for shillings. As we rode the bus we were able to see a lot of what the city of Kampala looks like. This was our first day time look at the city. I had the pleasure of sitting by one of the MUBS students, Sharon, on this bus ride. She had lots to share about the city. She pointed out the many hotels in the area such as the Kampala Serena Hotel which had a beautiful landscape. She also talked about an area beyond a wall that we passed that held several different types of restaurants which she called fast food restaurants. She said you could find almost any type of food that you would want there. Lastly she pointed out an important building to note, the Ugandan Bank of Commerce. We were then dropped off at a Shell station right next to the Grand Imperial Hotel where we exchanged our dollars for shillings. After all of us did this we headed for a walk to our lunch destination, Nandos. This place served a variety of burgers, chicken, and wraps. Many of us learned that sweet and sour sauce tastes good with fries since ketchup appeared to be replaced with this restaurant. The meal process took a while but once we had all eaten we gathered and split into several small groups. Each group of Drake students also had two to three MUBS students in them. These groups were to travel together to the Owino Market. My group was led by MUBS students Robinah and Miria. When we split off into our groups is when everyone’s experiences and sights they saw really differed. The route we took to this market was one I would never be able to repeat. We took several streets creating a maze as we walked between parked cars, motorcycles, and bikes. Along these roads were several shops and stands selling anything and everything you could think of. We even went through the old part of the market we were heading to. We finally made it there with a half hour to explore. We were told to keep our belongings close and that if someone tries to get close to get you to buy something to pretend that they do not bother you and to keep walking. No one in my group was prepared for what we were about to enter. The market had a tiny walk way that was scattered with people and the items they were selling. Every vendor was selling a variety of items. The entire market contained items from food to electronics to clothing. Every vendor wanted you to buy something and maneuvering through the market was a difficult and draining task. After winding our way through the market for a short period of time my group was ready to go. After meeting back up with the rest of the Drake and MUBS students and faculty we were told that this market would be our biggest culture shock here and we completely agreed.
Questions:
What sights did you see on the quick city tour or what information did one of the MUBS students provided you with during this tour? How were you feeling while walking through the Owino Market? What stood out to you? How can you connect what you learned in the city tour and the Owino Market to sustainable development in Uganda?

First Impressions

If I were being perfectly honest, my Ugandan impression as we walked out of the airport was one of the overwhelming, sweltering heat and the immediate onslaught of insects. As the night went on and we got more comfortable and onto the bus, I definitely cooled down both mentally and physically. I don’t know what it was that I noticed first – maybe the immense blanket of dark night sky, the particular smell (that of bonfire mixed with salt and the scent of the city), or the fact that the Ugandan community was still bustling despite the late hour – but needless to say I spent that first bus ride immersed in the act of trying to absorb as much of the Ugandan countryside as possible. Despite the fact that the open window was blowing cold air on me, to the point of raising goose bumps all up and down my arms, I simply could not pull myself away.

While sitting on that bus seat in the dark, I tried to figure out what it was about the countryside that had me so captivated. Originally, I thought that it was the fact that I was in a new country – one strange and completely different from my own, but as time went on I realized that it wasn’t because my surroundings were outside of my ordinary. It was because despite the fact that everything was new and different to me, they were things that were completely ordinary for others. Driving past the Ugandan landscape and citizens, I only saw a slight glimpse of their lives and even though their way of living seems so out of the ordinary for me, I was so captivated because their day to day lives were being laid out in front of me just on the other side of that window.

After meeting the MUBS students, this captivation was simply enhanced. I learned about their lives and their communities, their likes and their dislikes. I learned bits and pieces of what living life in Uganda was like and as the events of the day pressed on, I learned about the culture even more.

In the end, despite the fact that this course is about sustainable development in Uganda, for me it is about the people here. This is more important to me because in the end, all development is implemented for the benefit of the people. Their day to day lives are affected by the development of this country and that is why sustainability is so important for their community.

-Katrina Widener

THE PARTY BEGINS

Friends it is good to see you all here, it is quite a sight especially the big number you but this just spices up the excitement. I am recalling the arrival at the airport yesterday and congratulations for having made it through Europe! I am informed that Wednesday night and part of thursday morning was PIZZA time, well it is time we took out for Luwombo and Mulokony, oh maybe Rolex!!

On a good note, welcome back from Owino; Yes it was a cultural awakening but that what i also got a few weeks ago in Des Moines. No People on the streets. However, I did not see any buys with anyone from our Walmart store!

I hope you all have wonderful days ahead.

MEETING WITH MUBS STUDENTS

Today at 3pm we had a brief meeting with MUBS students about the Drake Visit and all of them are very enthusiastic to see you all. They are interested in knowing about Drake and IOWA.

WELCOME TO UGANDA AND BON VOYAGE

Dear All,

As you get ready to come to Uganda;I would like to welcome you to Uganda and wish you all a safe Flight. We are all awaiting you eagerly and the weather is just perfect for your stay here.

We have lots of things on the program for you and we all hope that you will enjoy this year's trip.

On behalf of my colleagues and students, Karibuni Sana! Safari Njema!

Getting Back to Uganda and Giving Back

We are getting close to the departure date and everyone is excited to finish finals and head to Uganda.  Since the last post we have added a service day at a primary school which we have visited in the past.  This year we will spend a portion of the time painting and working on cleaning up one of the school blocks.  The money for this endeavor was raised almost entirely by the family of one of the students on the trip (more on that in a later post - thank you so much!)!  Additionally one of the sororities on campus added some funds.  We are looking forward to giving back to the school which has been such a wonderful host in years past.  I hope this is the first of many such endeavors we will attempt in future years.  The faculty are excited for the opportunity to help out our colleagues in Uganda and looking forward to continue to work on formalizing  our relationship with MUBS so we can hopefully begin faculty and student exchanges.  Next week you will start to see posts from the students as this year's trip gets fully under way!

Great Expectations in 2010

Students and Faculty from Drake will be returning to Kampala in May, 2010! The faculty are excited to return to Uganda and see our friends and colleagues in Uganda. It is their help and guidance that has makes this experience such a wonderful learning opportunity for the students from both universities. We have high expectations for this year's trip. Officials from MUBS are visiting the Drake campus this spring and we are hoping to work out details of future exchanges which may allow students and faculty from both universities the chance to spend extended time at each others campus. We stated the goal last year of finding ways to get MUBS students to Drake, this is a giant step in that direction. This year we have a large group with 28 students from Drake excited to arrive in Uganda in May. Just as the talks between the universities have progressed since our last post in June, much has happened in Uganda and in its efforts toward sustainable development since the last post. In preparing for the trip the students traveling this year have been keeping track of current events in Uganda. I would like each of the Drake students to comment to this entry with a description of something they have recently learned about Uganda and how it has impacted their expectations for the trip in May. What questions have developed from your readings and research? What events are you most looking forward to? What questions do you have that will help you develop your research papers?