Equator

Today we went to visit the equator. It was cool because there was an actual line across the ground to show where it was, and on either side of the line was a type of bowl with a hole in the bottom, to demonstrate the way water drains in different directions in the different hemispheres. There was also a bowl right on the line, and apparently in that one the water drains straight down.
We spent a lot of time perusing and purchasing at the shops along the road, and all of us left with fun souvenirs. In Uganda, most purchases involve a process of bartering, so the stated price my not be the price you wind up paying. Many of the shops sold the same or similar items, but each of them was asking a different price. What do you think are the positive and negative effects of multiple vendors selling the same items for different prices? Do you think that a strong, sustainable business model can be made utilizing the barter system, and do you think it hurts a business if they refuse to barter in a culture where it is expected?

Ugandan Martyrs

Religion is an important aspect of the Ugandan lifestyle and on Saturday, we had the opportunity to visit two different Martyrs Shrines. In the late 1800's, many missionaries traveled into Uganda with the hopes of converting Ugandan citizens to the Christian faith. This act was considered a great offense to the kingdom and those who chose to participate suffered grave consequences. In the year 1886, 22 Ugandan Martyrs (those who became Chrisitans) were killed by the order of King Mwanga because they refused to condemn their Christian faith. Now, the site of the holocaust is a place of pilgrimage and remembrance. Can you think of any stories in other cultures that are similar to the Ugandan Martyrs? How does religion play a role in sustainable development?

Patrick Bitature

Patrick Bitature met with the group at the Protea Hotel, which he owns.  He spoke to the group about what he is doing to help sustainable development as an entrepreneur in Uganda.  He is the founder of many businesses, one of them is Simba Telecom.  Simba Telecom is one of the largest providers of cellular service in Africa.  He spent a lot of time talking about sustainable projects that have a social impact.  An example of this is a farm that he is planning to build in Northern Uganda.  This farm would help the economy and bring a living to people in this region that have struggled with conflict recently.  He is also finding ways to bring more energy to Uganda.  Mr. Bitature believes that habits of success make people successful.  He also said that good attitude and hard work make successful entrepreneurs.  What did Patrick Bitature say that will stay with you as you continue this journey in Uganda?  What endeavors do you think Mr. Bitature should involve himself in to create sustainable development in Uganda?

Thank you Dean Sserwanga!

Today was a very full day.  After leaving for breakfast at 7:45 we were honored to meet with Patrick Bitature, widely considered to be the most successful entrepreneur in Uganda.  In the afternoon we visited two shrines in Namugongo honoring the Ugandan Martyrs who were executed because of their religious beliefs.  Posts for both of those events will be coming tomorrow.  Following the shrines, the Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Arthur Sserwanga, hosted us at his family's farm.  The farm is on the edge of Kampala and is starting to be overtaken by urban sprawl.  Dean Sserwanga explained the role of the family homestead in Ugandan society and gave us a tour of his family's dairy operation.  His explanations provided a number of excellent cultural lessons for all of us.  Starting from his father's home, we walked through the acreage to the other side of the farm to his home which he recently finished building. Once there we were greeted by his family and had for a wonderful dinner prepared by his wife and her sisters.   Following dinner a few students started playing a game based upon everyone's name.  If you made a mistake the group got to choose a task for you to perform - such as dancing or singing a song.  Before long almost all 31 Drake and MUBS students we playing as well as the Dean, his children, and the Drake professors.  The game then changed to an updated version of musical chairs, described by the students as "train wreck".  Before we knew it, it was about 10:30 pm and we decided to call it a night and return home (tomorrow starts even earlier)  Thank you Dean Ssserwanga for a wonderful and fun evening!  Students -- please comment on what you learned from his talk and also your favorite moments from the games of the evening. 

Today after meeting and eating with the MUBS students, we headed to Owino Market.  The best way to describe the market is crowded!  We had to be careful of people pick-pocketing us.  Everyone was staring at us and wanted to talk to us to try and get us to buy their products.  I expected the market to be crowded, but not as bad as it was.  It was stressful trying to push through all of the people and very overwhelming!  The exposed food had an indescribable smell!  Overall, the market was very unsanitary (open meat sitting next to random organs, tomatoes, other food, shoes, etc)!  I cannot come up with any American market as an comparison to Owino Market, students, can you?  How did your expectations differ from what the market actually was? 
-Micah Garton

One Week Away

Everyone is finishing final exams and busy packing for our departure to Uganda in one week.  The professors are looking forward to seeing all of our friends at MUBS and in Uganda.  It very much feels like a home away from homeand we are excited to catch up with everyone.  Students -- What are you most looking forward to?  What concerns (if any) do you have?

Exciting News for 2012

As plans for the sixth annual Uganda seminar evolve it is a good time to reflect on the past year.  When we left Uganda last summer there were many plans in place to move our partnership forward.  While we failed to accomplish some of these plans others succeeded.  A few highlights of the past year:  In December Dr. Bishop returned to Kampala and participated in an Entrepreneurship Conference hosted by MUBS.  In January Drake was pleased to welcome 10 students from MUBS to campus for a study seminar in the US.  We were thrilled to show our Ugandan colleagues the Drake campus and Des Moines.  They enjoyed the snow and brisk cold air and we hope that we can host a similar experience every year.  It is exciting to see the partnership continue to develop into such a long-term multifaceted relationship!

The plans for the Uganda portion of the exchange continue to evolve with some exciting new events and learning opportunities during the summer of 2012.  This year students are working on multiple service learning projects with our partners in Uganda.  It is exciting to see the addition of these projects that embody the concept of sustainable development.  We are thrilled to also be partnering with the Shinning City Foundation to help finance some of our new initiatives.