City Secondary School!

We knew we were in for quite a treat today when the students from City Secondary School greeted us when we stepped off the bus with a marching band. After the warm greeting we got to learn about the history and make-up of their school, the education system in Uganda, as well as a few of the 55 cultures that are represented at their school through dance and comedy. We were then showed their art room and given the opportunity to create some of our own art. Many of us had tie-dyed before, but I think the method we used was new and quite different than what we were used to. Following tie-dying we got a brief preview of the school campus before breaking off into groups for lunch and discussions. For lunch we had the opportunity to begin interacting with the students and having various conversations about culture, how school is different in the two countries, and what we like to do in our spare time. Once we finished eating, we continued getting to know the students. Some groups played American games, taught American dance moves, and some listened to American music. The education majors and professors also had a chance to talk with their teachers about differences in schooling and what it takes to obtain a degree. To wrap our visit up we interacted some more with their students by playing volleyball and futbol (soccer). Our visit ended with saying goodbye to the students we met. How does education play a role in sustainable development? What specifically does City Secondary School do to promote this? Was there anything that surprised you from the visit today? What comparisons or contradictions can you make between their schooling and our schooling?

Amazing Talent!

If you could have seen us today you would have been very impressed! After our journey to the equator we headed to the Ndere Dance Cultural Center (www.ndere.com).We were treated to two hours of training as a dance troupe. After learning the fundamentals of Ugandan music and dance steps from the troupe members we divided into groups to develop our amazing talent. My instrument was the bass udungu. Others learned drums or  musical instruments as the dancers learned their steps. At the end of the session we regrouped to put it all together. The dancers were amazing but Kristiana and Michael stole the show with their performance on the Uganda keyboard. Braeden impressed the troupe musicians so that he may have a second career option. Parents, be sure to ask your student what role they played in the Drake dance troupe. Arthur, thanks for arranging this amazing experience. The evening culminated with a buffet and the incredible display of talent from the Ndere Dance Troupe. We are exhausted and head to the secondary school for the day tomorrow. Students, what surprised you most about the experience today? What did you learn about the role this troupe plays in sustainable development?

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