Training for Beijing Olympics 2008

When we were in Tororo, I met James who works as a HIV counselor at CDC Uganda. On the side, he is training two boys out to run track & field in preparation for the Beijing Olympics. These two athletes, Stephen Odwar and Samuel Egadu, recently competed in the All-Africa Games in Algiers. James recently contacted me to see if it's possible to get bungee ropes (new or secondhand) for conditioning. I'm not sure what type is necessary or where I can find these bungee ropes for purchase. Can anyone offer some helpful advice? Point me in the right direction, please.

A World of Good

Went to watch a cricket match over the weekend. It was part of a tournament for the Kampala Kids League, which is a charity that organizes soccer (football), basketball and cricket for kids of all ages and incomes. Met with the founder of the Kids League who spoke about how sports help to break down barriers of all kinds.

There we also met Brother Prem from Missionaries of the Poor, who told us that 28 kids from his orphanage played on the teams. He invited me to visit his orphanage which is in the slums of Mengo Kissenyi. Most of the kids were in school but there are a number with physical and developmental disabilities. Brother Prem brought me to a girl lying in bed who is all bones and looked about nine. She is 16 and a Sudanese refugee who was abandoned on the street of the neighborhood. The orphanage only helps the poorest of the poor, and their funding comes a sister church in Jamaica, but they are in great need of food, toiletries, school uniforms and shoes.

School Days

Visited a school today in Tororo. I could hear the kids reciting the alphabet from outside the grounds and wandered into the area where a teacher escorted me into a classroom. The kids greeted me in unison, "You are welcome." I introduced myself and explained that I lived in America in a city called Atlanta, where the Olympics were once played. The children had never heard of the Olympics so I did my best to explain.

Traveling has reinforced my belief in the power of education. I see how schooling can change a child's life. That's why I am such a fan of Room to Read which has been so successful at building schools and libraries around the world. Room to Read also stresses the importance of girls' education, which you can see in this Frontline web special about a girl's life in Nepal. Click here.

Lost in Translation

The people I've met so far are kind and friendly. After an introduction, they will smile warmly and say, "You are most welcome."

Yesterday I took a matatu mini-bus around town, which was quite an adventure. Picture 15 passengers jammed into a small VW van which has seen much better days. The conductor (the person who collects the fare, not the driver) was speaking to me in a local dialect (Luganda, perhaps) and I didn't understand a word of it. Other passengers tried to intercede in English.

"Where did you come from?" one woman asked.
"From the United States," I responded, not catching her drift.
"No," she giggled, "What stop did you get on from?"

Right-o. Silly American.