Day 6: Visits to Monitor Publications and the pool

Slums, food, marketplaces. We have instantly recognized many of the sights in Uganda as very different from those we see on a day-to-day basis in the U.S. But our visit this morning to the headquarters of Monitor Publications Ltd. in Kampala included a lot of scenes similar to newsrooms back home. This may seem surprising because in contrast to the United States, the Ugandan media faces a lot of government intervention and interference. But as we made our way upstairs to the conference room where our meeting took place, the view looked very much like that of walking through the Des Moines Register newsroom.

People were talking on phones and taking notes as we moved past. Computer monitors around the room displayed Facebook newsfeeds and the websites of other news organizations, such as BBC and The New York Times. There were HPs, Dells and the graphic designers were all working on pages using Macs and Adobe InDesign software. However, we also learned more about the significant differences between the Ugandan media and the environment in which The Monitor operates, and that of the U.S.

The Monitor newspaper is an independent publication and the majority shareholder is the Africa-based Nation Media Group. In contrast to its main competitor and mostly government-run newspaper The New Vision, The Monitor is known for its reporters’ investigative journalism work and for publishing things as they really are, as opposed to how the government would like to present them. We heard from Monitor news editor Alex Atuhaire and weekend edition managing editor Fredrick Masiga about when they receive calls and letters from government officials demanding that certain photographs be removed from the website or that a particular article is not published. But they print it anyway.

“Independence is one of our core values,” Atuhaire told us, adding that he keeps the Monitor’s editorial policy book on his desk at all times.

During the current “Walk to Work” protests Ugandans are conducting to voice disapproval of raising food and gas prices, The Monitor has not been shy in publishing photographs of the riots and reporting on leader of the opposition Kizza Besigye’s arrests, Masiga told us. He said some Monitor reporters had been denied access by the men guarding Besigye’s house and had their equipment stolen. He and Atuhaire also mentioned the government has tried several times to persecute The Monitor in the Constitutional Court for some of the work it has published because the Ugandan Constitution assures freedom of speech and of the press. For this reason, Masiga said, the Court has always ruled in favor of the media.

“We always find a way of winning our cases because we do everything within the law,” Masiga said. “People should be able to express themselves across the board, whether online or whatever.”

The Monitor’s market is also small in comparison to American papers and its circulation is based mostly on street sales rather than subscriptions. Atuhaire estimated that 25,000 to 35,000 copies are distributed each day, making the paper the second most read in the nation behind The New Vision.

Atuhaire and Masiga demonstrated a real passion for truth seeking and investigative reporting as they talked with us and described what they saw as the responsibilities of The Monitor and its staff. This discussion tied in well with our course theme of sustainable development. A society must have stable government the people trust to thrive, and its assets must be used in reasonable and effective ways. Even with a government that gives them only “relative freedom,” the paper sees it as its duty to ensure government resources are allocated and used according to agreed proceedings, Masiga and Atuhaire said. Reporters and editors work to make certain that’s what is happening by exposing any corruption and giving people in the knowledge they need to fight it.

A sustainable society includes a mechanism that serves as a check on the government and elected officials and allows people access to reliable information about their community and its people. The Monitor representatives we met with today certainly illustrated dedication to those goals.

But people also like to be entertained, right? After talking to Masiga and Atuhaire, we were shown another one of Monitor Publications’ mediums, KFM Radio. A guide took us through the recording studios and explained that the station played “a little bit of everything” in terms of music. The DJs also read news bulletins regularly, but she said the stories are not necessarily those found in the pages of the newspaper because the radio has a different editorial board. She also commented on the timeliness of the news shared on the radio, a medium that is extremely popular with Ugandans. While the newspaper staff might have hours to work out the details of a story, she said, the radio relays much more instantly relevant information.

On our way out, we also stopped to examine the printing press. Many of us took photos and videos as the huge machines roared and dozens of printed Monitor sections rushed past us on the conveyor belt.

After a busy morning, we headed to Ridar Hotel for an afternoon of fun. We spent the hours after lunch at the mid-sized resort on the outskirts of the city laying in the sun by the pool and using the hotel gym. It became clear how close we’re beginning to get to our new friends from Makerere University Business School when we realized how happy we were they were able to join us. The relationships we’re developing with them are one of the most valuable parts of the trip so far.

The pool area at Ridar Hotel was fairly congested for a while when a large group of local school children joined us. Dozens of them ran around the deck laughing, screaming and splashing. They definitely added some amusement to our day as we watched them have fun and receive swimming instructions from a couple of their teachers. After they left, Evelyn (who is a lifeguard back in the States) even taught a few of our MUBS friends a bit about getting around in the water. Hopefully, her impromptu swimming lessons and back float tutorials paid off.

We’ve also been receiving some instruction from them as they teach the Drake students Luganda, the local language. Even though they giggle at our horrendous pronunciation errors, they’ve been helping us learn basic phrases and fun words.

We made use of one of these tonight as we left the bus to go to bed back at the hostel: Sula bulunge! (Good night!)

Day 5 – markets, and fire trucks, and artifacts OH MY!

The day started on a bright note with everyone being able to sleep in until 9:30, what a treat. The first activity of the day was a personal choice between a fire department, museum and the Uganda Stock Exchange. When we split up I traveled to the local Kampala fire department with Nate.

At the fire department we met with the Inspector General and Assistant Inspector of the department, Mr. Egwedu and Mr. Munguacel. In Uganda their department is part of the police force. They firefighters must first go through 9 months of police training and then an additional 3 months of firefighter training. This is very different from the U. S. where our firefighters are not part of the police. Sense they are apart of the police they have the same power to enforce laws, but mainly they will only testify in court. In addition to having firefighters on the grounds there were also armed police officers and officers in riot gear.

To tell the fire department about a fire citizens must call 999, but many are unaware of this number. When calling this number people first connected to the local police department, and then must be transferred to the fire department. This process can be time consuming, and when they are contacted it can be hard to locate where the fire is because not all the streets have names, and most buildings are not numbered. To try and accommodate for these problems the department has many maps of the city showing unmarked streets, and also the locations of the fire hydrants. They have maps of the fire hydrants because they are underground and in certain areas be hard to find, if t he area even has one.

Once the fire department is informed of the fire they then start their process of getting ready to leave fore the fire. This is very different from the U. S. where most fire departments where they try to arrive at a fire with they try to reach 80% of the fires within 8 minutes. In Uganda they don’t have a standard time that they try and reach the fires. They didn’t mention a reason as to why they do not have their uniforms laid out like they do in the U.S., but to my knowledge it would be because that is not how they were trained. There is a noticeable difference between the training in Uganda and the training in the U.S. because in the U.S. they have training on a regular basis, usually monthly, and in Uganda regular training is rare.

Once the department leaves for a fire they face more problems with traffic and road names. In Uganda they lack many road signs, and traffic lights are usually ignored because during the day traffic officers are used to direct traffic. When going to a fire the officers must look at many maps to locate the fire, and the hydrants underground. The street sizes and composition also pose a problem, because many are very narrow and lined with businesses and people are all over the street. Also most streets are made of dirt and gravel rather than concrete, and are covered in pot-holes that drivers try and dodge because there are no designated lanes.

Being a firefighter in Uganda is a very unsustainable environment, because it changes day to day and they have little regulations. I think it could become a successful part of the economy if it was separate from the police, because too much time is spent on focusing on the police, and little funds go towards the fire department.

During the day students also visited the largest Ugandan museum. The museum was started in 1908 and has had 2 previous locations. There are only 3 total museums in Uganda today. While at the museum students were able to learn about 6 different sections of Ugandan culture: history, culture, nature history, ethnography, science and industry and exhibition.

Students received a personal tour from a knowledgably guide named Adolf and learned about fumigation. Which is a process of burning grass over milk in order to make the milk smell and taste better.

Students that visited the Ugandan Stock Exchange learned about how stock in general works, and how it works in small third world countries. In Uganda they only have 14 stocks, which started in 1998. One special trait about stocks is that the brokers have to wear red in order to make a stock exchange, and the employees must wear green to make the stock exchange.

This shows how Uganda is still very much developing, because of the low number of stocks that are available. In the U. S. there are tens of thousands of stocks that people are able to invest in with help from brokers.

The stock exchange showed how primitive this department of the economy was and how much more development can take place. I think it is possible to make the stock market a sustainable market in Uganda, but they need to be very analytical about where they advance from here and what fields that they invest into from this point.

In the afternoon the class attended a meeting with the Ugandan Investment Authority and learned about how the Ugandans try to attract many people into their market to create industry and jobs. They try and attract them in many fields: manufacturing, agribusiness, transportation, ICT, energy, mining, petroleum, services, and tourism.

They work as the main agency for the country trying to attract investors from Uganda and the world to invest in different markets. They try to attract them by highlighting how many natural resources are here, how much land is available, how malleable the people are to learning new jobs, and how new the market is.

The company’s goal is to increase jobs in the market place fore Uganda and increase the sustainable development. They do a good job in many ways by attracting new businesses to the country, but they are not able to attract everyone to the country. I do feel that they need to me environmentally aware with their projects, and make sure that when they open these new factories and business that they are environmentally friendly. Many of the people would tell us that they are taking environmentally friendly practices, but until they are seen in the country it is hard to trust anything that people tell us when we see so much pollution on an everyday basis.

Day 4, Part Two; School Children and Smart Casual

The students gave us a whole new perspective on what life is like in the Ugandan school systems. During lunch, we were given the opportunity to talk with the children and young adults about school, their life and culture, and social norms. The students of the secondary school had a lot of questions, and we shared with them what we knew. They asked questions that ranged from what music we liked, to what relationships were like in the US, to what kind of food we ate. They were eager to learn about our lives, as we were eager to learn about theirs and about the atmosphere of a school surrounded by walls with sayings such as “No Gain Without Pain” and “Think Twice Life is Precious” written on them.

After lunch, we engaged with the students in discussions about what we believe are the issues that ace the youth of our culture. Issues such as the pressures of sex, homosexuality, and internet usage among others were discussed, and the students seemed to enjoy realizing that there are similarities between these two cultures that seem so different. After discussions, we were given a tour of the grounds, including the chickens, piggery, crops, and fish pond. You’d think that what with our school being from Iowa and all the pigs and farm animals would have been no big deal, but we still took pictures and cooed at the piglets.
The school seems to have a good handle on the idea of sustainable development within their own compound. Their whole system seems well thought out, from feeding the animals to feeding the students, each process uses as little as possible. The fish are fed chicken droppings and the fish, chickens, turkeys, and pigs are used for food for students as well as the eggs and other such products gained from animals. The cows, chickens, and turkeys wander freely on campus, which makes for an interesting view when you look out the windows.

After the tour, students from all three schools (Drake, MUBS, and the secondary school) were invited to play volleyball in a friendly match. Drake won one set, with the secondary school team squarely winning, but all in good fun and with a wonderful sense of humor and friendship. After the game, we were taken around to view the female dormitories, where a bunk bed with small amounts of personalization to each bed distinguishes the beds from each other. With no air conditioning, personal space, privacy, or attached bathroom, I believe that some of our students may be rethinking complaining about the on campus housing we lived in our first two years at Drake. After the last dormitory, we were taken to a building on campus where the school presented us with a small statue showing their gratitude in being involved with our education and allowing them to be the representation of Uganda’s educational system. After signing the guest book for the school, saying our last goodbyes to those students who we had made especially good friends with, and marching our exhausted bodies to the bus, it was time to head back to Kampala.
By the end of our school visitation, the Drake students had experienced another culture’s school system and learned about a child’s view of Americans. The questions were shocking, the children inquisitive, and the experience unforgettable. Overall, I believe that the opportunity is what most people in our group would describe as eye opening.

If you think our day ended there though, than you, my friend would be quite silly. After driving back through the traffic (that always seems to be jammed in just the direction we are going), we all rushed back to our cabins and hurriedly changed into dressier clothes (or what was called “smart casual”, which turns out to be about business casual) and headed to the opening dinner of the Commonwealth Association of Polytechnics in Africa (CAPA), a convention which allows five different African countries to join together over issues of education and discuss. This year, it was held in Uganda and the principal of MUBS invited us to join in the dinner. Due to traffic and staying a little late with our secondary school friends, we arrived at the dinner later than we expected, and it was a shuffle to in without causing a scene. But we were all seated and enjoyed delicious food and beautiful music and dancing performed by MUBS students. We were separated among many different tables fill with people from some of the five participating countries including Kenya and other parts of Uganda, and even Scotland! There were also students from a college in India there as well, and both groups were invited by the principal of the college to enjoy to diversity and entertainment of the night.

I think I speak for all of us when I say that as long as today was, it was a richly rewarding experience full of new people, laughter, and discoveries that will alter how we see our own education system and culture as well as those of Uganda.

Day 4: Secondary Schools Morning Session

As we pulled up in the bus to City Secondary School, a private boarding school, we were greeted with a sign that said, "City Secondary School Welcomes Students of Drake University of USA to the Interact Day." Next we started hearing music that was played by the brass band of the school, which was such a warm welcome. Many Drake students felt moved and touched by the welcome, some even said they got a little teary eyed. After the band escorted us to the main room of the school, the Drake students sat in the front where we were introduced and welcomed again. Next, the Head teacher of the school made a speech and started it off by saying, “Next time you come, don’t call, and just come! We love having extraordinary people of your caliber.” He then proceeded on giving us a brief background of the school and education in Uganda. Some things that he touched on were that they have a primary level which is ages 6-12, and then the secondary level, ages 12-18. At the secondary level they have 16-20 subjects, but the required ones are; Math, English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Geography. There are two different levels in the school, A-level which is the advanced students, and the O-level which is all of the other students called the Ordinary level. He later discussed how they are trying to improve their sustainability by teaching the students and having them learn. Without this they would not have an education so they are able to sustain themselves in the future as well as educate their future children. In education when students are embedded with sustainable themes within the curriculum, and in the life of the school, it develops the children as global citizens and equips them with skills, values and attributes for learning, life and work.

After that our professors from Drake University were able to speak a little to the students. One thing that Professor McKnight said is that they all call us extraordinary people, but we all agreed that it was the Ugandans that are the ones that make us feel like extraordinary people, like today when the band came out to welcome us. After that we were then able to watch two of the native tribal dances. The first dance was from the Buganda tribe, where they sang and danced to the rhythm of the drums. The next dance was from a tribe in the west, and we noticed that it was more of a story they were telling with their dance. All of the outfits were extremely beautiful and unique to each tribe. The all had more material around their hips so when they move their hips it is more of a dramatic movement. Talking with the Drake students after, a lot of us discussed how we have nothing like this in America and how much we love that their tribal dance is a tradition that has and will last for a long time.

After the dances, a group of students put on a small skit about HIV and AIDS. All of the Drake students and the Secondary students really enjoyed the skit that they put on. There were a lot of parts that were very funny and creative, but the message in the end was very strong. In the skit a young girl hangs out with a friend that is not a good influence. This friend ends up taking her to a club where she gets drunk off of red wine and starts dancing with a guy. Throughout the play the young girls sisters is very upset with her sisters actions and how she had been lying to her mom, but in the end the sisters words were not enough to keep the young girl away from all of the problems. She ended up having sex with the boy she was dancing with that night. Later on in the skit she went to the doctors and has tested for HIV and AIDS. They also showed her sister and the girl that was a bad influence getting a test too. In the end the young girl was 2 months pregnant and was HIV positive, and the girl that was the bad influence was also positive. The good sister ended up being HIV negative because she made smart choices throughout the skit. In the end the skit had a powerful message for the students so they realize how important it is to practice abstinence so they do not end up in situations like the young girl. It was also interesting as a Drake student because a lot of us in school did similar skits at the secondary level. A lot of our schools would put on skits about alcohol and drug abuse, which is more of a problem in America. So I enjoyed seeing how we both have the similar approaches of teaching and creating skits to help the students understand how important these topics are.

After the skit we were able to go up to the art room and look at some of the art projects that the students have done. A lot of us were very impressed with the quality of the artwork and you could see how much time the students put into it. I really liked seeing that they still encouraged a lot of fine arts in Uganda, something that we are struggling to keep alive in America right now. Not only was there the artwork, but the skit, the dancing as well as the students singing all exemplified the fine arts. After that we were able to participate in doing a traditional art project that a lot of people do in Uganda. The project was something very similar to tye-dying in America, but the process was very different. We got our pieces of cloth wet and then scrunched them together and used a dye that they mixed together and randomly poured it onto the cloth. Some students used a variety of colors, while others just used one color. After pouring on the dye we washed the cloth again and then let them out to dry, and they turned into beautiful cloths of art. Talking to some of the students from MUBS they said that some people are so talented that they use this process to make designs and animals on the cloth, which a lot of us believed would be very difficult.

After we did out artwork we got into groups and headed to lunch, where we were able to connect with a group of secondary students. They were able to ask us a lot of questions about our background and America, while we were able to find out more about them and their culture. A lot of the students loved getting to know us and wanted to take picture after picture with all of us, which none of us really minded. Overall I think a lot of people enjoyed this day the most so far because of the connections and friendships that we made with the students. All of the students truly touched our hearts and I hope we did the same for them.

Day 3: Entebbe Botanical Gardens and Visiting the Equator

Today, our group traveled to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens and finished the day with a trip to southwestern Uganda to visit the Equator, a significant global point at which the northern and southern hemisphere are separated by an invisible division. The day’s activities played into everyone’s tourist side as we took pictures at the Gardens and visited the village shops at the Equator, which was a nice change of pace to start the week off with.

After breakfast at the MUBS canteen, we took time to discuss some of things we had learned about life in Uganda and some of the issues the country faces. Both Drake and MUBS students and our professors took time to reflect on the differences between our education systems, the election and operation of the Ugandan Parliament in comparison to other legislative systems including the United States’, our experiences from the Owino Market, and the concepts and issues Ugandan entrepreneur Patrick Bitature discussed. This open dialogue helped us answer each other’s questions and relate each activity to either helping or hurting Uganda’s path toward sustainable development.

After the discussion, a bus ride took us to the NARO Entebbe Botanical Gardens tucked into the countryside outside of Entebbe. Many of us were surprised to learn that the gardens were located in a park in an outside, open area. This falls in stark contrast to the Botanical Gardens in Des Moines, where they are located within an artificial environment in a large biodome. Here in Uganda, we were surrounded by the natural beauty of the country’s flora in its native environment.

We toured the park, observing the fragile ecosystem that exists in the country. There were 5-feet-tall termite hills and we were constantly surrounded by a swarm of two or three species of dragonflies. Our tour guide explained that when visitors walk through the gardens, it helps the dragonflies survive by stirring up flies from the ground, which they then consume. This is one of the few places in Uganda where humans are not considered a negative intrusion.

When talking to the tourist guide, he told us that he was not paid for his job and only received tips from visitors as payment for his work. I then wondered where the funds went from the admission we paid to enter the gardens. If they’re not paying their employees, where is the money going to? Is it going back into the garden, which would be a positive contribution to sustainable development, or is it “disappearing?”

We saw many different species of flora including eucalyptus and camphor trees, which leaves are used to help treat illnesses like the flu or a cold. Many of the trees were most commonly known by their nickname, usually due to their appearance or the features of its leaves or fruits. We encountered the Alligator Tree, whose roots look like giant resting alligators on the ground; the Rabbit Fur Tree, whose leaves are covered in “fur” and when dried look like a rabbit or mouse skin; and the Sandpaper Tree, whose leaves are rough and are used by rural women to file their nails.

We also found a flower called the Angel’s Trumpet, an Arizona Cactus, and a ground plant whose leaves close when touched just as a Venus Flytrap’s do. We walked on a path and climbed up a stairway through a natural canopy featuring swinging vines where the original 1930’s Tarzan and Jane was filmed. As some of us were not excited about, we also managed to find a couple dragon spiders, one of which had caught a dragonfly in its nest—a feast conquered for the day.

As I was walking through this beautiful landscape of natural plants and wildlife, I was reminded of the fragility of the country’s ecosystem and its need for protection. As the population has shot up dramatically, the people of Uganda have shown a general disregard for the protection of this ecosystem. Housing developments have cut into the areas where wildlife once thrived, and poor waste disposal has contaminated the water and soil that can be used to support not only the Ugandan people themselves, but also to enable producers to increase exports. Policies to support the preservation of the country’s ecosystem as well as building a solid infrastructure to support proper waste disposal will help Uganda reach their sustainable development goals.

After this visit, we took a long bus ride to the southwestern region of Uganda to visit the Equator. Most of us had never even stepped foot into the southern hemisphere of the world, so this part of our trip was a moment that will never be forgotten. When you reach this point, it is clear that it is a significant tourist attraction because there are shops along both sides of the road for a city block-long stretch.

These shops feature gifts and crafts that tourists look for when coming to Africa—small and large animal figurines, painted and carved wooden crafts, jewelry made out of natural materials, animal hide drums, scarves, bowls, and other trinkets. As we started to walk through these shops, it was easy to tell that the majority of them had almost identical merchandise. Little differentiation existed between one shop and its neighbors, so we had to go in and out of each shop to figure out which were the best things to purchase.

This undifferentiated selling method perplexed me. In the United States’ capitalist system, one business prospers above the others by providing a competitive advantage for customers in order to ensure business. The only reason for a customer choosing to buy from a certain shop in this system was because one of the similar products was slightly different or its characteristics better suited to its purchaser. There is no potential for sustainable development with this undifferentiated strategy.

In addition to their unsustainable selling practices, these business owners also base their livelihood on the fact that tourists will continue to regularly visit this site year-round. As any business person can tell you, when the economy goes down, tourism goes down. Tourism is an industry based on the expendable income of the population. When the economy goes down, this expendable income decreases or, in some cases, is even depleted, leaving less or no money for people to travel and visit these attractions.

These business owners cannot base their livelihood off of tourists, because they may or may not come. Since this tourist attraction is buried deep in southwestern Uganda in a continent that is expensive to reach in the first place, this income from tourists cannot be guaranteed. These owners also do not possess any resources to provide any leverage for them to counteract their decreased income during these slower times.

Their undifferentiated selling practice and the instability of the income they base their livelihood upon leads me to believe that these Equator shops do not positively contribute to sustainable development. Sustainable development can only be achieved when these business owners figure out a way to ensure a steady income for their family through leveraging these slower times. In order for Uganda to reach a level of sustainable development, people like these small business owners must use business practices that ensure continued growth instead of focusing on instant gratification.

Day Two: Entrepreneurship, the Owino Market, Martyrs and Chinese food

I think it goes for everyone when I say that today was a culturally intense experience. We had a day packed with entrepreneurship, matoke, batik paintings, crowded marketplaces, martyrs, and Chinese food. Sounds like a mix, right? Well, it all came together quite nicely.

We started out our day at 8:30 with a bus ride to MUBS to meet up with the Ugandan students. We enjoyed a breakfast of toast, juice/coffee/tea, cereal, and fruit. Conversation with our Ugandan peers has proven to be the best way to start the morning. After a quick bite to eat, we headed over to the Protea Hotel, owned by the extremely successful entrepreneur, Patrick Bitature.

To us, illegally transporting sugarcane from Kenya to Uganda to sell to neighbors would not be a good start in the world of entrepreneurship, but Patrick Bitature took the world head on with this entrance. After realizing that "where there is a need, you can provide a service," Mr. Bitature moved on to selling shoes, electronics, owning parts of the Money Transfer Network (MTN), and finally owning several luxury hotels in Uganda. Although the beginning was tough with multiple loan denials, today he has realized that being who he wants to be is the most important attitude to maintain. His presentation discussed grabbing opportunities, creating a strong business base, the importance of entrepreneurship in a country, and how to be a successful entrepreneur among other corresponding topics.

He had a great analogy when it comes to getting ahead and becoming a successful entrepreneur. "You almost get out of the cockroach jar, but then you are pulled back down. Getting out of the jar isn't the success, helping your economy is." A successful entrepreneur caters to the economy. He or she attempts at creating a sustainable process for future development. Mr. Bitature has given out micro-loans to many Ugandans. Not only does this help create a stronger economy, but the presence of a loan tax creates a professional habit among small business.

When it comes to Uganda, three percent of the population is made up of entrepreneurs. Mr. Bitature believes that every country's population should house at least 2-3 percent of entrepreneurs. Uganda is a developing country, and Mr. Bitature discussed many issues preventing entrepreneurial practices within the country:

·      poor/weak value system

·      lack of creativity

·      absence of a savings culture, more focused on instant gratification

·      absence of institutional memory/generation transition

·      absence of contractual committment

·      lack of preparation, tax is never factored in to business plans

·      hostile media environment

When these aspects are worked upon, more small loans ($100-200) can be given out, and these entrepreneurs can grow to own and contribute to larger markets, thus creating a more sustainable means of business and economy. In the words of Mr. Bitature, in a world of globalization, you have to “adapt or die.” Finding a stability that allows the flexibility to improve as a country is the success in entrepreneurship.

After all of this food for thought, our stomachs quickly found themselves empty, and we headed back to MUBS for a lunch at the canteen. We enjoyed a traditional mashed plantain dish, matoke, and fish among many other things. A student also came over to sell his gorgeous batik art. We headed over to the Owino Market after filling up, and none of us had any clue just how chaotic it would be.

The bus dropped us off on the edge of the market, and after fighting our way through the traffic mess without injuries we headed off into the marketplace—which is supposed to hold up to 50,000 people—in our groups. There are products everywhere—clothing, food, electronics, books, and shoes among other things. It’s a sensory overload. There are people calling out prices, products, and “muzungu” (white person), in an attempt to get you to their items. Despite the nickname, everyone is very inviting, especially if you reply to his or her calls and hold a quick conversation. I quickly learned a few phrases—“odiatia”: How are you and “jendi”: I’m fine. I was also asked how Obama was quite a few times—like we’re best friends, or something. The most shocking thing to me was the variety of goods at the market. You can find a live chicken in one area, and Converse All-Stars twenty feet away. And the prices are incredible—for Americans, at least. Sustainably, this market is a prime example of the practice. The food that is sold at the market comes directly from the fields—with no interference from pesticides or other chemicals. Grown food in place of produced food sets the path for a very sustainable country that will always have access to food—as long as the know how to grow it.

Our last stop of the day was to the Uganda Martyr Shrine. This holy area is the place in which 14 of 22 Ugandan martyrs were burned alive because of the resistance to adhere to the laws disabling religious conversion. The building is gorgeous. The cone-like structure consisted of maple wood on the inside and copper on the outside showcasing a large cross. The overall image was to be one of a hut. Besides the building itself, the structure expanded out to a lake with an additional platform surround by water for larger congregations. This area will be used on Martyr’s Day (June 3). Judges, the president, MPs, elected officials, Ugandan citizens, and believers from far away will congregate to celebrate and remember the suffering and mission of the martyrs. People walk from as far as Kenya to be at the martyr shrine on June 3. They walk instead of driving, because the wish to pay tribute to the martyrs suffering. Speaking sustainably, when people have a strong belief, it gives them trust and faith to answer the “unknowns.” This helps create community, and with community comes unity.

We ended the day at Fang Fang Chinese Restaurant to enjoy some food closer to our American diets. Although exhausted, we had some great conversation before heading back to Red Chilli for the night.

May 20th, 2011 - Day One: MUBS Orientation and Parliament

Today was our first day in Uganda. Since we arrived here late at night, this morning’s bus ride brought with it reality: We are finally here! As we drove to MUBS at 8:30 this morning, we all got a glimpse of Kampala in the daylight. Everyone scrambled for a window seat, eager to look out on the culture so different from our own. We were in awe of the juxtaposition of the mountainside on our left and the hustle-and-bustle of the capital city on our right. It was a truly beautiful sight.

Our welcoming at MUBS could not have been more warm and friendly. We were greeted by smiling faces with a breakfast of fresh fruit and toast. In speaking with the MUBS students, I realized how much we will learn in these next few weeks. The students here really aren’t much different from us; they are all eager to share their culture, learn about ours, and meet new friends.

We got a chance to meet with the principal of MUBS, Wasswa Balunywa. He told us that this trip will impact how we relate to others and how we view the world. He said one thing that really stuck out to me. As he spoke a bit about the country, he said, “There is not much wealth around, but people are happy.” That is beautiful. In the United States we put so much emphasis on money; your income determines your success. I love being in a place where the emphasis is on happiness rather than wealth. The people here love their country. They are proud of its beauty, its people, and its traditions.

The issue of wealth has caused a few barriers in the MUBS program. They wish to travel to visit us at Drake, but finances have kept them from doing so. Thankfully, they hope to be able to put together a program for next year. They would also like to have more online education opportunities, but their computer to student ratio it one to every ten. This differs completely from our schooling in the United States. Each student at Drake has his own computer, and almost everything is online. We use BlueView for nearly all student affairs, and many of our classes use online resources. This technological barrier would completely alter the way our education system operates. As they gain more technology at their university, they will be able to expand their online resources. Expanding resources brings about new opportunities and discoveries, which provides a chance for change and improvement. The administration at MUBS has goals and a vision for the program. They are working towards sustainable development by seeing flaws in the system and finding ways to improve it. We have already seen the mature and intelligent young people that attend this university, so I can only imagine what their students will be like as the system continues to improve.

After a delicious lunch provided by our gracious hosts, our next stop was the Ugandan parliament. Their overall governmental system is much similar to ours, with three branches: judicial, legislative, and executive. I learned about their political parties from some of the MUBS students. They said that there are around eight major political parties, making elections very hectic. The National Resistance Movement is the ruling party and is most greatly represented in Parliament. The students were talking about their frustration that since there are so many parties, no one is able to compromise. If each party had a broader platform, they could cut down the number of parties competing and work toward a common goal within the government. Having so many different viewpoints is detrimental because time is spent arguing and not acting.

Parliament is lead by the Speaker of the House and is similar to our House of Representatives in the sense that each district, like each state, votes on their representatives. One main difference, though, is that each district votes for a male and female candidate. I love the idea of an almost equal representation of males and females in their legislative branch. Another big difference is the high number of members of Parliament. There are 112 districts with two representatives each (male and female), along with representatives from other special interest groups. These groups represent things like the youth, women’s rights, or the disabled. The members total around 350. While the benefit of this system is that so many people are represented, a problem is that there are so many members. Much like their political parties, having so many different members with different viewpoints can lead to long discussions with little conclusion.

On the topic of sustainable development, the government is a vital place to start. Narrowing down the number of representatives or trying to combine political parties may help create more effective debates. The man who gave us our tour of Parliament was talking about riots that break out occasionally. He discussed the difference between a demonstration and a riot, stating that demonstrations can get a point across respectfully, while riots result in chaos. The best part of the Ugandan Parliamentary system is that they listen to the people. Each group has a voice in legislature. While this is commendable, sometimes so many different voices drown each other out and result in a stagnant society. Change is what sustainable development is based on. The development of a society that adapts to what the people need and improvement of things that are unsuccessful. Providing civil education for citizens and modeling how to inspire change and express differing viewpoints would be extremely beneficial. If people know how to argue respectfully and effectively, more will be accomplished and improvements can be made.