Trip to Bountiful Bukedea

Visiting a friend’s home in Uganda is an important event that is usually seen as a gesture of trust and caring for the host and guest.  Principal Stephen, the leader of the Bududa Vocational Academy (BVA), comes from the Bukedea area, about 3 hours northwest from the school.  He, like several other BVA faculty that live a distance from school, rents a room in Bududa during the week and returns to his family each Friday-Sunday. Stephen invited Karen and me to visit his home some time ago and we finally organized a visit last week.  We decided to not only visit Stephen, but to take the opportunity to visit several other vocational schools along the way. 

Stephen and his wonderful family: Wife, Dorothy, and Faith, Elijah, Elisha, Grace and Caleb

Any journey in Uganda, even a walk to school, can be filled with the unexpected and always demands some greater effort than we typically face at home.  At home, by jumping in our own car, we can usually plan on a fairly exact arrival time and the trip is pretty smooth.  Here is a brief unfolding of our journey to Bukedea and it is not your typical US roll-on-down-the-road excursion.  Enjoy the journey as we certainly did:

Trip summary:  Distance covered: round-trip about 120 miles; Time taken: about 7 hours in total; Vehicles taken:  3 different Boda-Bodas ( 200 CC motor bikes), 2 Mutatus (14 passenger van-style taxis usually filled to 20-22 people), and 2 hired car rides with Rashid,  Wait time in between various rides: about 1 hour.

We begin our journey to Bukedea by walking from the guesthouse to the main road to hail a Boda Boda, a 250CC passenger motorcycle. Boda Bodas are usually driven by young men and the country has seen a huge increase in their use since we were last here in 2006.  Once a Boda is hailed, then you have to make sure the price is set before taking off.  We ride the 3 miles on the Boda to the Bududa Hospital entrance where we wait for a Mutatu, a 14 passenger Toyota van taxi that is usually filled with 18-22 people and can include big bundles and even chickens.  When the Mutatu arrived, we set out to Mbale, our regional city.  Mutatu fares are pretty fixed, but you must always stay alert to being over charged as a Muzunga. The ride, much of it on poor dirt roads, takes about an hour and there can be many stops to load and unload passengers and goods.  The day we traveled was very dry, so the roads were very dusty.  We finally arrived in Mbale with enough time to enjoy a cup of coffee while we waited for Rashid, a terrific man who has driven us many places during our stay.  We have arranged with him to drive us from Mbale to Bukedea.  He picks us up at the appointed time and we journey about 45 minutes on a tar road to Bukedea.  Once there we meet Stephen on the main street and walk about 15 minutes to his house on a quiet side street off the main tar road. 

Approaching Stephen's house on the back streets of Bukedea

A Bukedea group enjoying the local brew 

At Stephen’s, we sit in his front room that has a few chairs, a mattress and mosquito net in one corner and the records and files for his church in several large cabinets.  There we met his family and a few friends and eventually enjoy an afternoon snack of rice, Irish potatoes, and fresh fruit juice.  As is the custom, his wife, Dorothy, and female children prepare the food and remain in the back of the house while we visit and eat in the front room. Stephen and Dorothy have 5 wonderful children ages 3-17.  After our meal, we go on long, leisurely two-hour walk around the town.  The land here is flat and open, a bit warmer and drier than in Bududa.  This is a place for farming in larger plots of land and raising cattle and other livestock. At one point we must seek shelter under a roof to get out of a rain shower.  Stephen showed us a plot of land he owns with plans one day to build a home.  He and Dorothy currently rent the space they are living in. On returning to his home we take some family photos and we are surprised to have an evening meal, complete with chicken, which is usually reserved as a special treat for guests.  It’s now past dark and we go across the street to bed down at the Barak Hotel.  With a house full of children, there is little room for guests.  The hotel was very comfortable, but my feet hung out of the bottom of our short bed by a foot!

On the front porch of Stephen's home

The end of a beautiful day in Bukedea

The following morning we head back to Stephen’s for breakfast and to once again greet and thank his family for hosting us.  We then take a walking tour of the Bukedea market, one of the biggest markets in eastern Uganda.  It is a feast for the senses! Then, after saying goodbyes, we walk to the main road and board Boda-Bodas for the 20minute ride to the Bukedea Comprehensive School.  This is a brand new school funded by the local Minister of Parliament to be both a secondary school and a vocational school.  The buildings under construction are impressive, but there are just a small number of secondary students and only tailoring and construction/carpentry courses have been offered.  The school is founded on a good concept, but they have a long journey ahead of them.  After our tour we headed back to the main road to hail a Mutatu for Mbale. An hour later we arrive again in Mbale, take a short coffee/lunch break and hail Boda-Bodas to take the 15-minute ride to Mbale Polytechnical School (MBS). MBS is a vocational school in Mbale that has six Children of Bududa students attending and Teacher Paul, our BVA Math Teacher, working there.  Once at MPS we are met by Teacher Paul, get a nice tour with him, and meet and photograph four of the COB students.  The school offers several vocational courses BVA does not and it is a government school that has been in existence since 2004.  It is a good school, but a bit worn around the edges. After our tour Rashid meets us again and drives us to first shop at BAM, a larger Mbale supermarket and then we all finally head back to Bududa.  With Rashid at the wheel we dropped Stephen off in Bududa and arrived up to the guesthouse in Konakoyi by about 5pm. 

Ankole cattle at the Bukedea market.  Their horns get tied up in the truck for safety 

The cabbage section at market

The colorful fabric section at market

The smoked fish section at market:  mudfish (catfish) and talapia

The tomato section at market

Agriculture class at Mbale Polytechnical.  Ivan, from the Children of Bududa standing in class

Luke, a Children of Bududa, stands in front of his auto mechanics workshop at
Mbale Polytechnical

The equipment room for auto mechanics at Mbale Polytechnical

We had an amazing two days traveling and experiencing the way things are done in Uganda.  We had a very good night’s sleep to end our trip!

Meditations on Reading: Part II

Truth be told, I didn’t give much of my free time to reading as a child.  I was too busy sloshing around in the creek or playing some game of sport.  Remember Kick the Can?  I spent hours trying to perfect my play in that game. Sometime in my later teens books and reading became good friends to me. Eldridge Cleaver’s Soul On Ice talked to me in a way books before this did not. The books Karen and I have read while in Africa have added greatly to our understanding and experience here.  We devoted an earlier blog post to what we were reading at the time.  We’d like to update our reading list, invite you to give us any further reading suggestions you may have, and we hope you will enjoy reading some the books listed if they are new to you or you are moved to revisit previous reads.

A large theme/influence that the region wrestles with is trying to integrate or throw off the influences from outside nations and groups. In the past, it was predominantly European countries that exerted the greatest influence. Today, the United States, China, Russia, and elements of various Islamic states are the main players.  Influence is often exerted through outside alignment with specific tribal or religious groups. This alignment often takes advantage of the European past as well as each region’s own difficulty with accepting differences in others.  Within the East African region, each country keeps active, vested interests within each other country, often following the scheme of putting one group above some others.  In Bududa, factors in daily life include proximity to Kenya, being in the district of Bududa, being in the eastern part of the country, surviving the nation’s difficult path since independence in 1962, and being led by the current national government since 1986..  On any given day, factors from all of these influences listed above may blend into a thick forest of influences that create some opportunity, but more often create real hardship. Trying to make sense of all this can be like trying to spot a small greenish bird in a dense jungle forest----one is lucky to see a fleeting glimpse of green fly by!    

We wrote in the previous blog: “We try the best we can to hear the truth of today’s Uganda being shared with us…” (through personal stories, our own experiences, and the books and papers we are reading).  We continue to listen and reflect, and hope that our efforts bring us some better understanding.  Bududa and Uganda and East Africa are special and complex places.  We remain so grateful for being able to live here during this time in our lives. 

Each book we have read, while we surely look to be entertained, also gives us a new perspective on some of the big themes/influences we are experiencing in the region and in our lives today.

Reads listed from our previous blog post:

The White Nile:  Alan Moorehead (1960/1971))

The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi:  Authur Japin (1997/2000))

West with the Night:  Beryl Markham (1942/1983)

The State of Africa:  Martin Meredith (2005)

Jock of the Bushveld:  Sir Percy Fitzpatrick (1907)

The Teeth May Smile But The Heart Does Not Forget:  Andrew Rice (2009)

Say You’re One Of Them:  Uwen Akpan (2008)

Bradt Travel Guide to Uganda, History Section:  Philip Briggs (2009)

New Reads (and reads not included in our previous post) :

The High Mountains of Portugal:  Yann Martel; 2016

Beatrice and Virgil: Yann Martel; 2011

War and Peace: Leo Tolstoy; 1869

The Brothers Karamazov: Fyodor Dostoyevsky; 1880

Moby Dick: Herman Melville; 1851

The Tenth Parallel:  Eliza Griswold; 2010

Kintu: Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi; 2014

The Chwezi Code:Nick Twinamatsiko; 2010

Too Close to the Sun; The Life and Times of Denys Finch Hatton: Sara Wheeler; 2007

The Pigment of Your Imagination: Joy M. Zarembka; 2007

Tribe:  Sebastian Junger; 2016

Game Of Thrones: George R.R. Martin; 1996

Another Fine Mess:  Helen C. Epstein; 2017

Love Africa:  Jeffrey Gettleman; 2017

The Thing Around Your Neck: Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche; 2009

When The Walking Defeats You:  Ledio Cakaj: 2016

The Price of Stones: Twesigye Jackson Kaguri

Peace Corp Uganda Cookbook; 2008

Peace Corp Lumasaaba Language Manual

Birds Of East Africa:  Terry Stevenson and John Fanshawe; 2002.  Reprinted edition 2009

While all these books are worth a look, here are a few of my favorites:

For understanding eastern and southern Africa:

Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi

Jock of the Bushveld

Luxurious Hearses from Say Your One Of Them

The Teeth May Smile But The Heart Does Not Forget

When The Walking Defeats You

For good writing with a surreal touch:

The High Mountains of Portugal

For understanding the deeper roots of colonialism and everything human:

Moby Dick, War and Peace, and The Brothers Karamazov

I share some of David’s favorites. The High Mountains of Portugal was a Christmas gift from Derek and Courtney when we were all in Portugal together for the holidays. It is truly an amazing, quirky, touching story that takes place in Portugal and it captivated me. I will say no more except…read it.

Another favorite, The Teeth May Smile But The Heart Does Not Forget, is probably the best historical overview of modern day Uganda (20^th into the 21^st century) I have read, interlaced in a tragic story of horrific leadership, dashed hopes, tribal conflicts and brutal killings that have plagued Uganda for decades.

West with the Night is a great read about a remarkable woman who led a fascinating life in East Africa and became the first person to fly nonstop from Europe to America.

And finally, The Price of Stones was hard to put down. In this day and age of so much help from outsiders, it was refreshing to read about a Ugandan who has created a thriving free school for HIV/AIDS orphans in his hometown in western Uganda.

Quakerism's enduring, strong support

For over 400 years, the Religious Society of Friends has been creating meaningful change throughout the world. Its programs have been based on a living connection with God, equality, peace, and integrity.  Historically, having a relatively small number of members, Friends, none-the-less, have had significant influence on world affairs as well as the affairs of nations, states, local regions and individuals. The quiet, consistent voice of integrity that Quakers exhibit has made real and positive change. As a good example, explore the life of Steve Cary.  Of Steve’s many contributions, he helped lead the Quaker relief effort throughout Europe after WWII, the American Quaker Relief Operation.  The Operation received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947 for its humanitarian service. He also worked closely with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).  In Steve’s words, “….every great challenge in expanding the dimensions of human freedom has come from a very small original beginning: somebody said no.”

Keeping with that spirit, the foundation for the Bududa Learning Center has come from a host of supportive Quaker connections that began even before the first work camp in 2003. Here is a listing of some of the Quaker-based support:

   

African Greats Lake Initiative and Friends Peace Teams (AGLI):  This Quaker organization is the seed from which BLC has sprung. The program began in 1975 by conducting Alternative to Violence workshops (AVP) in US prisons. In 1999, a group calling themselves Friends Peace Teams (FPT) sent a delegation to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, bringing the AVP format to help with reconciliation work in East Africa.  They focused on peace building, conflict resolution, and trauma healing. David Zarembka, a leader in this delegation, then helped to form the African Great Lakes Initiative (AGLI) to continue this work in East Africa. These groups all worked from the idea that, “Those who understand community best are those that live there.”  AGLI then began to organize more permanent programs in areas of East Africa, including the BLC in Bududa, Uganda. AGLI also collaborated with the American Friends Service Committee.

David and his wife Gladys.  They now live in Kenya

 Peter Yeomans, a member of the Germantown Monthly Meeting, first came to East Africa with the Friends Peace Teams.  He used the research from this experience to complete his Masters in Psychology.  While in Uganda for FPT, Peter connected with local Quakers in Bududa to put the BLC plan into action.  He was also a member of the first work camp in Bududa in 2003 and has kept his connection to AGLI and BLC ever since. Peter’s wife, Kate, and daughter, Ada, have been a part of the program, too (see below under Germantown Friends School).

Peter's daughter, Ada O'Shea, volunteering at BLC, 2018

Germantown Monthly Meeting:  This Meeting has been a center of US support for BLC since BLC’s beginning in 2003.  They have provided Clearness Committees for those going to Bududa and have given space for presentations, discussions, and potlucks for fundraising.  They have sent members, both younger and older, to Bududa to work and help.  In 2014, Karen Lightner represented the Meeting at the BLC dedication and brought a large picture of all Meeting members that now hangs at school. They have also provided folks, like Gay Johnson, who have given generous financial support.

Reunion of 2033 work campers in Bududa in 2018:  Barbara Wybar, Kate O'Shea, DK, and David Z.

Germantown Monthly Meeting photo given to BLC

Barbara Wybar: Barbara is a member of Germantown Monthly Meeting and as the Executive Director of BLC has been the heart and soul of the program since she came to the first work camp in 2003. She has led the program since 2007 and has twice overseen moving the school’s campus.  The current location was dedicated in 2014 and was a wonderful celebration that Barbara organized and led.  It included a guest visiting by helicopter, a first for Bududa, and a full brass band!  She also was a parent at Germantown Friends School and Penn Charter as well as an assistant teacher at GFS. 

Barbara (center) with Karen and DK

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting: They have provided funding support through the Pemberton Fund.

East African Quakers:  There are as many East African Quakers as there are Quakers in the US. Many Ugandan, Kenyan, Burundian, and Rwandan Quakers have worked in the program; people like Justine, who runs the guesthouse and has a child in COB, and Pastor John, a local Quaker Pastor, who has been involved since 2003 and also had a child, Agnes, in the program.  The support of local Quakers for BLC is a true strength of the program.

Justine:  Guesthouse Manager, mother of COB Betty, and Ugandan Quaker

Agnes, original COB, daughter of Quaker Pastor John, and  herself a Ugandan Quaker

Simon and wife Evelyn, with Kate, Ada, DK and KV.  Evelyn now works for BLC and Simon was a leader in the early work camps.  Both are Uganda Quakers.

Quaker Schools:

Germantown Friends School: (GFS):  GFS has been a main supporter by sending volunteers: we Kerns, the Yeomans, Dave Mraz, , Mia Samuel (plus two other GFS students who created murals around the school), Janet Stern, Malia Paulmier, among others.  They have also sent along soccer balls, games and supplies, and clothing. GFS has had many sponsors for the COB and has even helped with yard sales to raise needed money for the program.  Megan Hess’s second grade class also partnered with COB. This summer Kate O’Shea and daughter Ada are visiting.  Ada is a member of Germantown Monthly Meeting and this year will be a freshman at GFS.  Kate is also a member of Germantown Monthly Meeting, is a current member of the GFS School Committee, and was a member of the first work camp in 2003. Peter Yeomans (see above under AGLI) is Kate’s husband and Ada’s father.

GFS volunteers made a lasting impression by creating maps and murals throughout BLC

William Penn Charter School (PC):  Barbara W. sent her two boys to PC and the school has been a constant supporter. They have sent over soccer shoes/balls, sneakers collected by the Girls On The Run program for BVA’s netball team, held several clothing drives, and even sent along a few baseball gloves/balls.  In addition, teachers Eve Schwartz and Kevin Berkoff, along with his son Cooper, are visiting this summer.  Orit Netter’s first grade class has connected to us through our blog, and when Karen and I were home for a month this spring we were treated to dinner at Darryl and Gail Ford’s house and we gave an assembly on BLC to the Lower School.

Eve, PC Science teacher and 2018 BLC volunteer and Cyrus

 Plymouth Meeting Friends School (PMFS):  Over the years, PMFS has provided sponsors for COB and more recently gave T-shirts to COB.  In addition, Varley Paul’s 6^th grade class connected with us through our blog.

COB students wearing a gift of PMFS T-shirts

 I’m sure there are other Quaker connections that have given support to BLC and if I have missed some, please know it was not intentional. I trust this listing does give a good sense of how much of BLC’s foundation lies in Quaker hands.

“I hope the day will be a lighter highway

For Friends are found on every road.

Can you ever think of any better way

For the lost and weary traveler to go?

Making friends for the world to see,

Let the people know that you got what you need,

With a Friend at hand you will see the light,

And if your Friends are there than everything is alright.”

(Original lyrics by Bernie Taupin and Elton John)