Food Post #2- Ugandan Food

This will be the last post solely about Uganda, but I know everyone loves thinking about food so I couldn't skip it.  I though the food would would be pretty similar to Rwanda's, but Uganda has a lot more variety. And they have a bigger lake so they eat fish!  They don’t have such an aversion to cold things, so I had yogurt and ice cream basically everyday.  That was a nice change of pace. They also had chocolate milk! In Rwanda, street food is outlawed but it is plentiful here.  However, we were warned repeatedly by everyone not to eat the street food or to risk getting sick, so we regrettably did not take part.

Meals

I completely screwed this order up. Boths are the sauces you get for entrees, so I bought two entrees, and then I was expecting cassava bread, but instead I just got boiled cassava roots.  So they ended up bringing me rice also, likely out of pity for the stupid bazungu.  Nonetheless, I got fish! Which I hadn’t had in a few months.

I will go clockwise starting at the 12 o’clock position:

12:00 Eggplant (look like little lime things)

1:00 Bananas (starchy like in Rwanda, but they wrap chopped bananas in banana leaves and steam it in a pot)

3:00 Dodo (green, under the silverware)

4:00 Fried shredded potatoes (looks like a hush puppy)

6:00 Cabbage (orange and white, looks like cheese)

8:00 beans

9:00 Pumpkin (delicious! Orangey, yellow)

10:00 Sweet potato (purple for some reason)

CENTER Rice pilau (nice change from the Rwandan rice which is always plain white)

Drinks

Pineapple soda, which is delicious. They don’t have this in Rwanda. It provides 56% of your daily sugar!

Of course I can't go on a trip without Fanta!

Snacks for the road

I’m still not sure what it was.  Kind of like garlicky cereal?

Banana chips! I loved Banana chips in Ghana but they don’t have them in Rwanda, despite all their bananas.  I hoarded them in Uganda.

Catholic Brothers and Sisters in East Africa

St. Joseph's Primary School library, run by Benebikira Sisters

Before I came to Rwanda, I thought of Catholic nuns and brothers as people who spend all day at church praying quietly but my viewpoint has done a complete 180 since I got here.  Catholic congregations seem to be the most organized, motivated, and capable local forces in existence in East Africa.  These professionals use their network and connections to complete the much needed projects for their communities.  

Maranyundo Girls School is run by the Benebikira Sisters, along with 21 other schools.  They have a special interest in women’s and children’s education and health.  Among their projects, these 400 women also run six health centers and hold countless administrative positions in hospitals. They financed, built and maintain a women’s dormitory at the National University of Rwanda to support more female enrollment in higher education.  The sisters are doctors, nurses, entrepreneurs, public health professionals, teachers, administrators, headmistresses…the list goes on and on.  According to their website, their “charisma is to evangelize by example…[their] spirituality is based on the Jesuit model of contemplation in action, seeing God in all things.”    

It may seem they might try to proselytize to the students, but I truly believe they want the girls to aspire to be doctors and engineers and shape Rwanda for the better.  It almost seems to be (I’m worried I might create waves here though) that women take vows as both a personal and professional decision.  They have goals to advance their country and can be real forces in their communities.  It allows them to develop ambitions noticeably further than they could without the church’s resources.

  

Until I went to Uganda I thought the Benebikira Sisters were unique in this objective.  We stayed at Kisubi Brothers University College, run by the Kisubi Brothers and these brothers are just as impressive!  We were given tours of the university and a neighboring, notable secondary school for boys, St. Mary's College Kisubi.  The secondary school was extraordinary: over 100 years old and one of the best in Uganda.  Both institutions had technology, library and intellectual resources I thought would be unavailable in the country.  They had many nuns studying at the university to become trained in mental health for the hospitals where they worked.  And almost every time we were introduced to another brother, he told us which American university he had attended.

Many not only studied in the United States, but also maintained side projects to continue helping their community in Uganda.  Our main contact was Brother John who studied in Ohio and had book drives every weekend to collect textbooks (which as anyone who has been to college knows, are unreasonably expensive) for schools in Uganda.  Now he has two store rooms full of diverse books available to any school who needs them!  For the Benebikira Sisters, Sister Juvenal, the headmistress of Maranyundo, and Sister Augusta, the CFO of the congregation, have both studied in Boston.  

  Those are the ones I know, I’m sure there are more.  Of course, higher education is not inexpensive, but they have a goal for themselves and their communities and find ways to fulfill it. If they have a vision, they get it done.  I respect them so much.

Uganda #2- Most important part of your heritage?

Let me continue sharing about Uganda, although I’m getting long winded, the trip unexpectedly gave me so much to think about and redefined my view of Rwanda, East Africa, wealth, aspirations, and education.  Pretty impressive for a four day excursion!

The day after we went to visit Robert’s family, we went to the Uganda Wildlife Education Center, a zoo, and I was very impressed.  The prices were very reasonable, especially with my East Africa resident discount.  Because of the low prices, the park was filled with Ugandan families and students more than foreign tourists.  The zoo itself was nicer than I expected, with roomy enclosures, information about each animal and a playground for children.  

However, there was a sign addressed to Ugandans saying “This is the most important part of your heritage”.  I really did not like that because it is kind of ridiculous to value animals more than.  I see that tourism is very important to the economy and their ecosystem appeals to NGOs.  Still, it struck me as a very paternalistic and demeaning view of the culture. Nonetheless, I was impressed with the number of Africans there since most Ugandans cannot afford a traditional safari experience 

These nasty birds are everywhere and go through the trash. They are huge.

These are beautiful birds that are on the Ugandan flag! They are wild, not part of the zoo.

The next day in Kampala, we went to the museum.  The museum was very nice and I was again impressed by the inexpensive fees and the number of Ugandans visiting. The museum was set up by the English colonists in the early twentieth century and the information was a bit dated but I loved the science and culture section.  The Rwandan National Museum, in contrast, is somewhat pricey and the attendant had to turn on the generators when I walked in because we were the only ones in the building. It is exciting that Uganda puts so much effort into making the information accessible to all and had such an expansive building with many exhibits.

That evening we went to Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa and spent our time watching the monkeys swing around in the trees, the fishermen, and a peaceful sunset, which was a great contrast to the hectic day in Kampala.

The next morning we headed home and by the time I was in Kigali I was feeling very confident and in love with Rwanda and its structure.  I loved that I could get around independently, knew where I was and what to expect, and that there weren’t several people trying to sell me things at every moment.  But right when we got home one of the sisters shared a sobering story from one of the memorial events. A woman had shared her horrifying account as a child from the genocide while listeners were carried off screaming as they internally relived their own memories.  Yes, we are back in Rwanda and it is comfortable and orderly.  But I need to make sure not to forget the painful history that helped build this order.  This is Rwanda, complete with both charm and heartache.

Uganda #1- Getting around

During the three week break to commemorate the genocide, I took advantage of an invitation to Uganda by Robert, a former Maranyundo teacher.  Before going to Uganda I’d heard it is cold (untrue), flat (untrue), big (semi-true) and ‘free’ (VERY true). Considering it borders Rwanda, I assumed it would be comparable to going from the US to Canada.  That could not be further from the truth.  

After a ten hour bus ride over bumpy, dirt roads and breathtaking views and after our bus driver seamlessly switched from the right side of the road in Rwanda to the left in Uganda, we stopped in Rakai, close to where Robert’s family lives. 

We chose to get the higher quality hotel room with running water for $5 more, for a grand total of $25/night

this is from Rwanda, but it is the same concept of overfilling the taxis

The next morning we hired a car to go to visit Robert’s family, who tends cows.  After turning off the recently constructed dirt road, we started driving over what can only be described as a grassy field.  The crazy thing is the driver didn’t even seem fazed by the request to go that way.  It is clearly very common to navigate these conditions.

The next morning we headed to Entebbe to stay at Kisubi Brothers University College. A man suggested we take his taxi (a minibus) and so we hopped into a pretty full bus.  However, then the driver spent about 30 minutes driving around the same block to fill the bus just a little bit more.  I honestly have never seen people work so hard and long for such a small amount of money.  Finally there were four or five people in rows that should have sat three, so we took off toward Kampala.  Every person negotiates for the fare, so no one pays the same amount.

After Entebbe we went to the capital, Kampala, to see the city and go to the museum. Kampala was…intimidating. I have never been in a place with so many people and where the traffic is so crazy.  The motorcycles (none of whom had helmets, very illegal in Rwanda) were at the bottom of the traffic totem pole and basically had to avoid all the cars and taxis almost hitting them.  People were also pretty low and if a motorcycle or car decided he was tired of waiting he would go onto the sidewalk to pass while people jumped out of the way.  There were people EVERYWHERE, many of them hawking in the streets and trying to sell taxi rides, snacks, jewelry, street food, clothes, etc.  The city was huge and had clearly had exponential growth; entire roads had been shut down by stationary taxis waiting to fill.  I didn’t even get any pictures of Kampala because I was constantly being shoved along and was honestly too overwhelmed to stop and shoot.

Today we are all Hokies

We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly,
we are brave enough to bend to cry,
and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again.

We are Virginia Tech.

-Nikki Giovanni
April 17, 2007

Nyamata Church

Maranyundo students waiting for mass to start

The last post was about the old Nyamata Catholic church but now I want to talk about the stunning present day church.  The country over half Catholic and Nyamata appears to be no exception. There are three brimming masses every Sunday, including every student from Maranyundo (with her parent’s permission).

  

One of my favorite parts of being raised Catholic is that I can go to any mass in the world and know what is going on despite language differences. The structure is virtually identical but there are a few negligible differences here.  There is more clapping and fast music by the weekly rotating school choirs, which is very refreshing.

Donations are much more public which I find interesting in an impoverished culture

It seems a bit less formal because people do not always stand, sit or line up at the same time.  During the offertory people walk to the nearest altar server holding a basket rather than waiting for the basket to come to them.

You also go up to get in line for Eucharist whenever you want rather than having a planned procession by row.  My favorite difference is that the church claps loudly after the gospel is read and after the bread and wine has been transformed into Eucharist.  I like their enthusiasm!

At first glance the church is huge and beautiful, but unfinished.  Construction on the present building began 15 years ago and continues sporadically as funds come in.  It may seem kind of pathetic they have still been unable to finish it, but it was clearly a struggle until now.  Here you can see the floor has been packed with bottles and rocks to serve as a filler.

Their most pressing need right now according to the priest are more benches.  They have three masses, as I said before, but they are so full and people are often sitting shoulder to shoulder with no room to move at all.  Each bench costs 17,000 rfw which converts to $25. I’m hoping to raise some money to contribute at least a little to their need.

This building is at odds with the poverty of the area but to me it correlates strongly with the hope, perseverance and ambition I see in everyone to overcome the painful history.  In fact, visiting Rwandans are often surprised by the massive, beautiful structure because the Bugesara district is very poor, even by Rwandan standards. During a recent meeting with Fr. Emmanuel, one of three priests, I learned the archdiocese paid for and finished the roof and virtually everything else has come from the generosity and dedication of the congregation.  

People working on the building during a recent weekday when I met Fr. Emmanuel

People donate as much as they can monetarily (which is often very little).  But the most interesting part to me is individuals contribute unpaid, skilled labor as well.  While I was there, parishioners were working on the windows and painting.  I am astounded by how dedicated people are in completing this building.  Despite any excuses they may wish to come up with, they have made the sanctuary an undeniably priority in their lives and a place for the entire community to rally around as they heal from the genocide.

The Rwandan Genocide

Nyamata Memorial Site

I haven’t really talked about the genocide very much in my blog, because it seems the only thing associated with the country. Yet the nation is doing so well that there are many better things to talk about that are not so well known. The genocide really isn’t at the forefront of my mind throughout a typical day when there are so many promising indications that people are moving forward.

However, sometimes it is undeniable. The genocide began in April 1994 so this year is the 20^th anniversary. Every April things basically shut down for the commemoration events (right now there is a three week holiday from school). It’s hard to overplay the consequences. Many individuals were the only survivors of their entire family and almost everyone in the country witnessed some sort of violence, leading to severe emotional problems for both Hutus and Tutsis. For the country as a whole, the strongest and most educated of the populace were decimated. Nyamata, where Maranyundo Girls’ School is located, was affected particularly harshly.

Before the genocide, the area was willfully and extremely impoverished by the anti-Tutsi government at the time. Tutsis were sent to the region with the understanding that many would die from malnutrition or Malaria. It is now notorious as one of the most horrifying massacres of the genocide. When it started, many people went to their local places of worship, expecting safety and a humanity within the slaughterers to never kill in a house of God. Ten thousand people were in and around the Nyamata church compound on April 10, 1994. Ten thousand. Think about that. It is difficult to comprehend such a large number. That is everyone I know and more. On April 11, almost every man, woman and child of the 10,000 in the church’s vicinity were killed. After throwing grenades into the building, the government and Hutu militia came in to finish the job with machetes and rifles.

I haven’t been in the building yet, although I plan to go soon. It is now an official genocide memorial and people in Nyamata currently worship in a partially constructed sanctuary across the dirt road, a few hundred yards from the site. Behind the building, adjacent to the road, are a few crypts serving as mass graves. I walk past it every Sunday on my way to church and I would be lying if I said it doesn’t consistently give me goose bumps. Yet, it contrasts strongly with what else I see on the walk: laughing children with full bellies, dapper businessmen, sparkly cars, and manicured streets. They honor these victims, not by forgetting, but by living to their potential. Despite the devastation and memories, they can’t avoid being hopeful.

For pictures of the memorial and more information, including quite disturbing witness accounts:

http://bachersblog.com/nyamata-catholic-church-genocide-memorial/

http://www.genocidearchiverwanda.org.rw/index.php?title=Nyamata

http://www.orwelltoday.com/bugeserachurch.shtml

http://www.orwelltoday.com/rwandainkotanyisurvivors.shtml
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=15325&a=65859

Macaroni and Cheese in Rwanda?

My attempt to make mac and cheese with my birthday cheese.  Apparently this cheese, although delicious, turns into a cheez whiz consistency when melted.