Somewhere but Nowhere: Rukungiri. Miranda Memorial. The Village.

Almost two years ago after swearing in as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda I traveled for 9 hours on a bus bound for Rukungiri in the southern hemisphere. Back then I had everything I owned in Uganda crammed into two large bags and a backpack, today I could fill the back of a pickup truck. The longer I have been here the more crap I accumulate. It feels good to say goodbye to it all. When I leave Uganda in a few weeks I will be traveling for nearly 2 and a half (2.5) months with nothing but a backpack. I decided to sell my hiking backpack and opt for a smaller backpack that I can take as a carry on while flying. I'm attempting the minimalist traveler lifestyle until I accumulate local crafts and momentos to bring back home. This shall be interesting but it is something I look forward to. Roughing it with a few change of clothes and what I think I need to get by. Then when I reach Taiwan to start my new job teaching English (why not?), I will accumulate a bunch of crap again.

Over the past few weeks I have been reflecting on my site quite a bit. I’ve had some good times, decent times, and rough times here in my little village. Two years ago I arrived at a primary school that was doomed to fail because the directors already had plans to close it down the following school year. Most volunteers would deem that worthy of a site change. Not having a defined role. No designated counterpart. Let us start off with the fact that I am NOT and Education volunteer. I guess that could actually be a good thing looking back…

I set up my house and walked to town often. I would walk to town 6-7 times a week which is about a 10 minute car ride or a 40 minute walk. When it would get late enough in the day I would walk back with my bag full of groceries and a watermelon under my arm.

During the dry season I would fetch my own water located at the school which is a quarter mile from my house. Some days I would carry 20 liters other days I would carry 160 liters and add it to my water tank. Each 20 liter jerrycan weighs about 40lb. You do the math. Now picture a track field… that is walking the complete circle of the track once. May not seem too far to some of you but this water is in a plastic container (jerrycan) with handles that dig into your skin and you are carrying one in each hand (80lb). The school used to have a bore hole with a bucket attached to a rope that would have to be pulled up. Now the school has a proper water pump. I still fetch my own water but it is easier to reach. During the wet season I have the roof and gutters to thank for feeding my 220 liter water tank.

Things may not have worked out with the primary school and it is unfortunate that a lot of my effort and time was washed away trying to improve something that didn’t have a future. I thought a few times about looking for a new organization to work with but for some reason I always made the decision to stay. They gave me freedom here to do what projects I wanted and to leave often to discover something new about Uganda. I made relationships throughout town that took months to form. I kept myself busy with camps and helping other volunteers with their successful events. After working hard and co-directing the National Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) last fall I needed something new.

I was back at site with little to do. I decided to write a grant for a playground. Great... but what if the school closes due to lack of funds. I am no omushabuzi (business women) and tried to help a local tailor with some new ideas and products but that failed. I tried encouraging the school to teach the kids how to make something worth selling for profit. Fail. I felt lost. But I can’t say I didn’t try. Lucky for me, a year and a half into my service (January 2014) instead of the school completely failing they decided to turn the school into a PTC (Primary Teachers College). At first I was upset that they took my kids away but then I got over it and realized that this school is actually working. The new principal is great, the students are more responsible, the teachers no longer board at the school, the students actually pay their school fees, and the school has enough money to build real dorms. This also posed a problem that I have no connections with this new group of people. I got to know the students and the staff of the primary school. They knew who I was. These people have no idea who I am and why I am here. They don’t know that I have considered this place home for the past two years and that they are encroaching on my home. I felt violated at times being called Mzungu (foreigner/ white person/ etc) at the school I have worked at for almost two years. The staff would ask me for things because I somehow look like I have money with my dirty jeans and worn out shoes. For the first few weeks it was almost unbearable. This made me distance myself from getting to know the staff and students. I knew I was leaving soon and it would have made it harder for me to leave.

I have 4 days left at site. I am finishing my playground , selling my things, and packing out. It is bittersweet. At times this place really really sucked but when I came back after a few weeks or a long weekend I felt at home. The people in my village greet me by my name. The kids all know me because they attended the school. I always greet the traffic police on my walk to town and they always ask how Sipi (my dog) is doing. The first thing people ask me in town is either ‘Where is Sipi?’ or ‘How is Miranda?’ (the school I am at).

I like it here but I am ready to leave. My time here in Rukungiri is coming to an end. Maybe someday I will be back… but there are so many other places in this world I look forward to seeing more. I have accomplished my goal and left a footprint. People know me and many of them know what I have done here. I taught lessons about life skills at the local community church and explored Planet Earth with the students at Miranda. I have succeeded if even one individual made reusable menstrual pads because I was able to pass on the knowledge. Everyone saw how well I treated a dog and some of them even began to understand why I was so compassionate to such a 'beast.' Lastly, I have built a dream and created a playground…fitting for someone who has a degree in Parks & Recreation.

Next week I will start my nomadic life for the next 3 months. Until I leave Uganda, I will spend a few days encouraging others that there is an end to this seemingly long journey and I get a week with my fuzzball Sipi before we part.

Here’s to tomorrow! Hoping to have a nearly completed playground ready to use!