Email Number 1, Kampala, Uganda 2008
February 2, 2008
Kampala, Uganda
Hi all,
The photos are which relate to this email are: Entrance to our house in Bugolobi; KCCC where we work; Nabuuso Hinda and Charles, (who named Peter); A young boy peeking in our bedroom window.
Once again we have traveled far from home to volunteer for the next 3 ½ months and see if we can be of a bit of help.
We arrived at Entebbe Sunday night and because of some communication snafu’s there was no one to meet us at the airport. So we called the AJWS representative who happened to be in Nairobi, who called her friend, a taxi driver, who happened to be standing next to us, and so we got to our destination.
We just moved into our very nice apartment today, which is very close to where we worked when we were here 4 years ago, nearly to the day. And so we will be able to see our old and good friends frequently, and in fact we saw them yesterday, and all of us were hugging, screaming, etc. Some of them knew we were coming, but not all and when we all saw each other we had a great and warm reunion. In fact one of our friends had seen us riding in the car the day before and thought she was hallucinating, and another told us he had a dream that we were coming. In fact, the same day we left Seattle, I took one of my favorite caps to give to him because he loves baseball hats, so perhaps there is such a thing as fate.
Last night we stayed in a guest house and there was a party within 3 feet of our window attended by over 2,000 people, who were dancing, drinking, and carousing until 1 a.m., and then the clean up crew came and stayed until 6 a.m., so there was not much sleep for us last night.
Our new digs are very very nice: lots of art work, nice comfortable furniture, nice garden and landscaping, and once again, very close to very close friends.
We are working at KCCC – Kamwokya (pronounced Kamoja, with the accent on the Ka) Christian Caring Community. Kamwokya is a slum of Kampala, and KCCC was founded in 1987. It is basically a slum and floods when the rains come. Many people live their in very basic kinds of housing with “jury rigged” power, and no running water or toilet facilities. There are open sewers, and as you well know, that brings on a multitude of diseases and other bad things.
There are some 150 employees, who serve several thousand clients in a number of programs including a medical clinic, dental clinic, savings bank and micro finance, an elementary school, youth programs, vocational schools, mental health, and more. As we get to know more we will tell you more. Our initial assignments are to help develop a fundraising plan, and to look at how the medical clinic operates, and to help develop a photographic essay about KCCC which will be put on their web page and used for other PR purposes. As is the case with us, we are doing capacity building, rather than producing, although there will be some of that also. Suffice it to say that the staff is very friendly and nice to us and to each other. That seems to be a hallmark of Uganda and is one of the reasons we are so
We have been given Ugandan names: Katende Peter which means “praise him and Nabuuso Hinda, which means “small eyes”. Of course we have to be of different clans, for if we were of the same clan we would be brother and sister, and since we have now been married for 47 years, we would have to get divorced. Thus, Peter is from the Lugave (Porcupine Clan), and Hinda from the Mushroom Clan, and both of us, (we think) are of the Muganda Tribe, and of course we are Abayudaya, (Jewish).
Late Thursday afternoon, Peter was called down to the medical clinic to photograph a 10 year old girl who had been severely beaten by her mother because she was “roaming around”, and he also photographed the mother – both for documentation purposes. The dilemma however is that if the woman is arrested and jailed for abuse, who will provide for the this girl and her siblings. By the way, she was hit in the head with a large stone among other things, and after leaving our clinic was taken to the hospital. So, this is just one thing that is a part of daily life in Kamokya
Each day we come to work at 8:15 and join the entire staff in song and prayer. We know that you will think it funny that we go for prayers every morning, but the singing, accompanied by drumming is very rousing, and very enjoyable. Once a month, the prayer service is a mass, so you can now readily guess that KCCC is a part of the Catholic church. Four years ago, we were in a different Catholic church in a different slum of Kampala.
Our computer is acting up, and this is getting a little lengthy, so we will close for now and send hugs and kisses to all. We miss all of you, but we know we will see you again in a few months. We have added a couple of photos to show you some of what we have been telling you.
Katende Peter and Nabuuso Hinda
Kampala, Uganda
Hi all,
The photos are which relate to this email are: Entrance to our house in Bugolobi; KCCC where we work; Nabuuso Hinda and Charles, (who named Peter); A young boy peeking in our bedroom window.
Once again we have traveled far from home to volunteer for the next 3 ½ months and see if we can be of a bit of help.
We arrived at Entebbe Sunday night and because of some communication snafu’s there was no one to meet us at the airport. So we called the AJWS representative who happened to be in Nairobi, who called her friend, a taxi driver, who happened to be standing next to us, and so we got to our destination.
We just moved into our very nice apartment today, which is very close to where we worked when we were here 4 years ago, nearly to the day. And so we will be able to see our old and good friends frequently, and in fact we saw them yesterday, and all of us were hugging, screaming, etc. Some of them knew we were coming, but not all and when we all saw each other we had a great and warm reunion. In fact one of our friends had seen us riding in the car the day before and thought she was hallucinating, and another told us he had a dream that we were coming. In fact, the same day we left Seattle, I took one of my favorite caps to give to him because he loves baseball hats, so perhaps there is such a thing as fate.
Last night we stayed in a guest house and there was a party within 3 feet of our window attended by over 2,000 people, who were dancing, drinking, and carousing until 1 a.m., and then the clean up crew came and stayed until 6 a.m., so there was not much sleep for us last night.
Our new digs are very very nice: lots of art work, nice comfortable furniture, nice garden and landscaping, and once again, very close to very close friends.
We are working at KCCC – Kamwokya (pronounced Kamoja, with the accent on the Ka) Christian Caring Community. Kamwokya is a slum of Kampala, and KCCC was founded in 1987. It is basically a slum and floods when the rains come. Many people live their in very basic kinds of housing with “jury rigged” power, and no running water or toilet facilities. There are open sewers, and as you well know, that brings on a multitude of diseases and other bad things.
There are some 150 employees, who serve several thousand clients in a number of programs including a medical clinic, dental clinic, savings bank and micro finance, an elementary school, youth programs, vocational schools, mental health, and more. As we get to know more we will tell you more. Our initial assignments are to help develop a fundraising plan, and to look at how the medical clinic operates, and to help develop a photographic essay about KCCC which will be put on their web page and used for other PR purposes. As is the case with us, we are doing capacity building, rather than producing, although there will be some of that also. Suffice it to say that the staff is very friendly and nice to us and to each other. That seems to be a hallmark of Uganda and is one of the reasons we are so
We have been given Ugandan names: Katende Peter which means “praise him and Nabuuso Hinda, which means “small eyes”. Of course we have to be of different clans, for if we were of the same clan we would be brother and sister, and since we have now been married for 47 years, we would have to get divorced. Thus, Peter is from the Lugave (Porcupine Clan), and Hinda from the Mushroom Clan, and both of us, (we think) are of the Muganda Tribe, and of course we are Abayudaya, (Jewish).
Late Thursday afternoon, Peter was called down to the medical clinic to photograph a 10 year old girl who had been severely beaten by her mother because she was “roaming around”, and he also photographed the mother – both for documentation purposes. The dilemma however is that if the woman is arrested and jailed for abuse, who will provide for the this girl and her siblings. By the way, she was hit in the head with a large stone among other things, and after leaving our clinic was taken to the hospital. So, this is just one thing that is a part of daily life in Kamokya
Each day we come to work at 8:15 and join the entire staff in song and prayer. We know that you will think it funny that we go for prayers every morning, but the singing, accompanied by drumming is very rousing, and very enjoyable. Once a month, the prayer service is a mass, so you can now readily guess that KCCC is a part of the Catholic church. Four years ago, we were in a different Catholic church in a different slum of Kampala.
Our computer is acting up, and this is getting a little lengthy, so we will close for now and send hugs and kisses to all. We miss all of you, but we know we will see you again in a few months. We have added a couple of photos to show you some of what we have been telling you.
Katende Peter and Nabuuso Hinda
posted by Peter and Hinda Schnurman at 12:15 AM
3 Comments:
Great entry! I'm so happy to hear that you are safe and sound and doing what you do best- helping others.
~Alece K.
Glad to hear you made it!! Sounds like you are settling in already. I can't wait to hear more stories of your time there.
I'm so happy to hear you again, it seems we will read another enjoyable novel which will be written by you.
Love you
hugs
Aylin
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