Uganda Field Team - 2005
by Karl Schaefer
February 10, 2005
Page 1
: Overview and Itinerary
Eight North Carolina educators will be traveling to Uganda as part of the
North Carolina Zoo's UNITE program. The team—composed of six K-12
teachers and two Zoo educators—will leave the United States on January
24, and will remain in Uganda through February 11. During this time, they
will work with Ugandan teachers to develop new ways to teach conservation
topics, and share ideas for integrating those strategies into the day-to-day
teaching of math, social studies and other academic subjects.
The team will also visit schools in western Uganda to see their
colleagues in action, and will journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park and
Kibale National Forest as well.
Karl Schaefer, a teacher at Durham Academy (and a UNITE
veteran), will be tracking the team as it makes its way across Uganda. The
team will send Karl journal entires, and perhaps some photos, via satellite
modem; those entries will be posted as part of this article.
Team members include:
Beth Carter, Fran Hamilton, Joy Hamlin, Laura Hendrix, Lib
Keeter, Juliette Jones, Mark MacAllister, Delores Maxen (U.S. support) and
Sarah McCorcle.
Itinerary
|
Date
|
Location
|
| 1/24 |
Fly to London |
| 1/25 |
London/Heathrow Airport |
| 1/26 |
Arrive Entebbe |
| 1/27 |
Travel to Crater Valley Kibale |
| 1/28 |
CVK |
| 1/29 |
CVK |
| 1/30 |
CVK |
| 1/31 |
CVK |
| 2/1 |
CVK/Depart for Queen
Elizabeth NP |
| 2/2 |
Queen Elizabeth National
Park |
| 2/3 |
Queen Elizabeth National
Park |
| 2/4 |
Travel to Kibale National
Park |
| 2/5 |
Kibale NP |
| 2/6 |
Kibale NP |
| 2/7 |
Visit UNITE schools |
| 2/8 |
Visit UNITE schools |
| 2/9 |
Travel to Kampala |
| 2/10 |
In Kampala |
| 2/11 |
Depart Entebbe |
| 2/12 |
Depart London/Arrive
Greensboro |
| | |
Page 2
: Final Entry from Uganda Team
February 10, 2005
Message from Sarah McCorcle at CFCI in Wilmington, N.C.
Hi friends! On Tuesday, we went to Bigodi Primary and Secondary
Schools, and we also had lunch at Stella's mother's home.;Bigodi Primary gave
us a tour of the classroom and library building that the UNITE Project built for
them over a year ago. We went to each classroom, and two of the classrooms
sang "Happy Birthday" to me, as it was my 30th birthday! I can't imagine a
more exotic place to celebrate the big 3-0. The students performed all types
of dances and songs for us, and some recited poems. At Stella's lunch, we
enjoyed pineapple, bananas, jackfruit, papayas, mangoes, and THEN came the
real lunch! We had rice and chiapati, yams and cassava, beef stew, chicken
stew, groundnut sauce and matooke (always), and dodo (pronounced doh-
doh), which is steamed greens. Alex and Julius and Salivia, Bigodi Primary
teachers, came to eat with us. After lunch, the Bigodi Secondary School choir
sang the birthday song to me, also, and we answered their questions about
North Carolina for about an hour. The students at Bigodi Secondary all wore
uniforms and had shoes, which was different from the other schools. We all
feel that improving the sanitation at these schools (both bathroom facilities
and trash pick up) is a crying need...without being more specific, let me just
say that there are NO bathrooms in North Carolina like these. They consist of
just a hole in the earth and a wooden block to push over the hole when you
leave the bathroom.
That night, my fellow UNITE travelers surprised me by decorating the
canteen with balloons, and then with a lovely golden birthday crown and a
purple metallic boa. They forced me to wear them all night. I had french fries
(they call them "chips") and mixed vegetables for dinner, and a Digestive
cookie was my birthday cake. Justin and Annie, we leave tomorrow morning!
See you Saturday night! To my class, I'll see you Tuesday!
Message from Beth Carter, CFCI
J, K, and R...2 more days! Give the pups a hug for me. Kat...how WAS that
dance? Ma Jo and Papa, thanks for supporting this project and me in my crazy
pursuits. Amye, Rob, Chris, Randy and Drew...I'll teach you how to be good
mzungus! Clarissa, I hear the weight is heavy on your shoulders...I've missed
you and the kids. Stay the course...lmg, yes, Sarah and I have taken care of
each other...we'll explain more fully. Love to all!
Message from Fran Hamilton, Randleman Middle School
I'm looking forward to getting back to school and sharing the knowledge
I've gained with students and teachers. There is so much to share! The people
we've met in Uganda really appreciate the financial support we were able to
send them through the profits from the pen/pencil sales.Thanks to all of you
at Randleman Middle School for making that possible. Mrs. Johnson, a big
hug and sincere thanks goes to you, and to Audrey, Robin, and Louise for
allowing me to have this experience!! See you bright and early Monday
morning.
Juliette Jones from CIS says that she's not leaving! Juliette enjoyed all
aspects of the trip, but is happy to report that she was able to visit the
Rwettera Primary School. This is the sister school to CIS. The Headmaster
was happy to receive her and she promised to be in communication with the
school in order to strengthen the bond that UNITE has created. She looks
forward to seeing her students and sends lots of love!
Lib Keeter from Randleman Middle School
Ellen! Haven't got to phone and so far everything is on schedule for the
flights....is Robert Earl expecting us:) I look forward to sharing all the bike
stories with you, Kristen and Georgia! We went to a high school day before
yesterday...that was our first.....we all sat under the trees and watched the
students sing and dance....they really kick the dirt up! After that we had a
question and answer time......we moved closer to the students and pulled up
a mud brick to sit on...one question we about our chemical medicines and did
we use traditional trees and bark for healing.....this student had just
presented a poem about traditional medicine using a limb of the medicine
tree to demonstrate his point.....the natural flow of creative expression is very
attractive! I handed out seeds to plant for body parts to all and plan to do the
same in North Carolina.....beets, kale, turnip, lettuce, broccoli are some of
them......this will be an experiment to see how they do in both places and to
unite in the oneness of planting seeds for the future!.........I love you all and
will see you and talk with you when we meet again! Namaste!
| | |
Page 3
: Rugonjo School Visit and other Adventures
February 7th, 2005
Entry from Beth Carter from Cape Fear Center for Inquiry
Today we visited Rugonjo Primary School where our new friend,
Kobusingye Christine, and also at the school is a marvelous music teacher
named Emmanuel Mbabazi. The school was very clean, but had dirt floors and
all of the students wore bright blue uniforms and were barefoot.
The older students did traditional dances from the Chichiga and Rotoro
cultures, and some students played musical instruments made by Emmanuel
himself. Some of these instruments are made of polished cow horn, sorghum
reed, a string coated with resin, and a bow and neck made of wood. We went
to Emmanuel's shop and bought some of his "horn fiddles" to bring back to
America. Emmanuel was walking with a crutch because he had been bitten by
a Puff Adder while walking at night. He has missed 6 months of school, but
is healing. Next, we went Rwengobe Primary School where our friend, Deo,
teaches. The P6 class also did a traditonal dance, and they explained to us
that they need magnifying glasses to understand better how plants grow.
They usually have 50 students in each classroom, but that number is often
higher based on teachers and availability of space. We had lunch with
Tinka John who coordinates the UNITE Project in Uganda. He served us coffee
and beans, when we arrived, which is a sign of hospitality when someone
visits a home. We had to crack them with our teeth to get to the bean! He
served us a huge lunch of cassava chips (like french fries), rice, mixed
vegetables, ground nut sauce with cabbage, and boiled eggs from Bigodi
chickens. Tomorrow we will go to Bigodi Primary and Secondary schools to
visit CFCI's partner school. To my family: I love you and I'll see you in less
than a week! YEA! To my class: I bought some musical instruments for us to
practice with, and will bring back seeds for us to grow in our garden for
spring.
Message from Fran Hamilton:
Today we visited Rwengobe Primary School, the Randleman Middle
School partner institution in Uganda. The students there planted an Emertia
tree in honor of our visit. I plan to organize a reciprocal planting ceremony at
our school in the near future. Soccer team... look for a suprise when I return.
To my family and friends: love and I'll see you in a matter of days.
Message from Lib Keeter:
Hellos to everyone! Today during our school visit, the spirit of UNITE was
present. As I handed out seeds I bought here in Uganda and explained how
each food produced supports various glands, organs, and systems of the
body. I found myself in two places at once. Our hope is to plant the same
seeds in the North Carolina schools, and carry out a partner project. The
shining faces of the students are the same as yours! I love you all so much!
Namaste, Ms. Keeter.
Message from Julliette Jones of CIS:
I have camped in many places, but never in the jungle. Our bandas are
enclosed on all sides by trees so we experience many forest sounds all night
long. What are they? Monkeys? Chimps? Bugs? If it is early in the morning the
songs of birds fill the air. If it is late in the evening, it may be mice crawling
through the rafters keeping you awake. Whatever the sounds, I enjoy them
and appreciate the opportunity to rest in such a wild wonderful place.
Message from Sarah McCorcle of CFCI:
Yesterday, we got to take a walk through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.
We were able to see a variety of plants and animals. The wetlands here are
much different than the wetlands of Wilmington. We were also able to see the
local farmers' crops and fields. I was able to see, first hand, the importance
of protecting this land as the farmers have cut and burned the land for
farming right up to the trail for the wetland walk. Seeing this helped me
remember the importance of the message of conservation that UNITE spreads
as we are here. To my family, friends, and sixth grade: I miss all of you! I'll be
home soon. Love to all. Mom- thanks for all the hard work you did for me
30 years ago.
| | |
Page 4
: Kibale National Park
Editor's Note: The images that are being used were taken last year by
Karl Schaefer when he was a participating NC teacher. We have yet to transmit
any images this year.
Lib Keeter entry representing Randleman Middle School:
Greetings to you my students currently, students from when I taught the
cultures class and students I had in previous years as well as all the wonderful
teachers, principals, custodians and cafeteria staff. This is an entry of this
morning in the rain forest. We stand under a gigantic fig tree, called Ficus
Mucuso. The chimps love this one very much. We watch a male chimp who
tries to get to a female in estrus, it fears the big male sitting close by so it
cries loud.....eee eee eee in a shreeky kinda sound. The others run and play
over our heads, one has just touched the ground about 10 feet away...what a
blessing. They mix the juice from the fruit with leaves, this makes them
drunk...the fruit is high smelling..like what I imagine strong beer smells like
before it is bottled.
The chimps are relaxed now as they spit and pee a warm shower over us.
They all join in grunts and screams at the entrance of another chimp...now
they all come down. They fall gracefully from limb to vine. They all take the
same route down to the floor of the forest where we are standing. They hear
us moving towards them and bark like a dog. We walk and walk and walk.
Through the sound of the leaves crackling under our feet Astone (our guide
and friend) can hear the chimps. He says, "they have just passed here." "How
can you tell?", I ask. "See the small flies, that shows they have just passed
here." I'm in a state of wonder. We take another step, we stop, and there sits
one just relaxing. We watch for a moment, relaxing ourselves. The chimp
moves on and so do we. The part we are walking through is not a trail, it is
like our woods behind the school during summer in some ways. It would be
like going off the trail and walking through the thicket, blazing a new trail.
The sounds are different, more, we hear 372 different birds talking. The
African Grey Parrot is one. We are glad we saw the chimps feed, come down
and scream. Love to all. Namaste
Fran Hamilton reports that she spent the morning watching a red colobus
monkey forage for food in the trees outside her banda. She was fascinated
with the agility and intellegence of the animal. She looks forward to seeing
family and friends when she returns.
Juliette Jones from CIS says:
If I were to choose a magic spot
here in the Kibale National Forest I would choose to sit under the large fig
tree, nestled between the butress roots that support the tree. I would watch
for the many beautiful butterflies that live here. I would also watch the
monkeys that are as common here as squirrels are back home. The monkeys
act more like cats, though, climbing with grace and caution, their long tails
trailing behind them. Lots of love. :)
Sarah McCorcle from CFCI:
Hello to everyone! Today we will go
on a chimp trek with Astone through the Kibale National Park. We will see
various types of primates, as well as learn about the plants in the forest. Love
to family and friends. Hugs and kisses!
Beth Carter from CFCI:
We went to Edvine's school yesterday in
Ft. Portal. Her 7th graders sang for us and the Wildlife Club did a traditional
dance with grass skirts on the girls and gourd shakers on the boys' legs.
Astone gave me a pack of letters for the Leaping Lizards. I went for a long
walk this morning by myself and saw grey-cheeked mangabees (monkey)
some little bush pigs and a red tailed monkey. Kat- have fun at your dance!
Clarissa- hang in there! I miss you J, K and R!
| | | Media Gallery |
Female Chimp
|
|
Page 5
: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Editor's Note: The images that are being used were taken last year by
Karl Schaefer when he was a participating NC teacher. We have yet to transmit
any images this year.
February 3, 2005
From Fran Hamilton:
After a highly successful and enlightening four-day workshop with our
Ugandan Unite counterpart teachers, our tight-knit American group set off
for Queen Elizabeth National Park. Saying goodbye to new found friends was
difficult, especially in view of the fact that our closing session was so full of
emotional moments that accompanied the reality that most of us will never
see many of these teachers again. It's amazing that such close bonds can be
forged in a relatively short span of hours. We look forward to the final week
of the trip when we'll visit four UNITE teachers and schools and finally have
the opportunity to meet the wonderful students we heard so much about in
Uganda. Randleman Middle School seventh graders from the Fitz, Brown, and
Enloe team signed soccer balls for Ugandan schools, and Mrs. Hamilton and
Ms. Keeter will see first hand the impact this generous gift will have on the
students in Uganda. Randleman Middle School students should also be proud
of the fact that every time they buy a pencil or pen in the library, the profits
benefit extremely needy students in this developing part of the world. Keep
those quarters coming!! Finally, thanks to my coworkers for making it
possible for me to be here. To my family and friends....love, and one more
week and counting!
Beth Carter and Sarah McCorcle from CFCI write:
Yesterday, we
took a boat trip down the Kazinga Channel to look at wildlife. If you look on a
good map, you'll find the names of the two lakes that this natural channel
connects. We were amazed at the numbers of birds - fish eagles, snake
eagles, pied kingfisher, saddlebill stork, yellow stork, white pelicans, and
many white herons that look like our snowy and Great American Egrets. We
also saw between 50 and 100 hippos, who were munching all types of
vegetation on the edge of the river. They make loud sounds when they
surface to breathe and blow water up into the air. Sarah wants her students to
know that we were up close to many elephants today, and met a young
elephant named Mary... she lost her mother when she was a baby, and hangs
around the lodge to be near friendly people. We both say hello to our classes
and families, and are looking forward to seeing our teacher friends an d
meeting their students.
Juliette Jones from CIS writes:
We did indeed see a lot of
wildlife, yesterday. Most impressive were the Fish Eagles. They are very
majestic birds who mate for life. We saw many sets of these birds in the trees
that lined the water. Today I saw a chameleon! He was perched in the bushes
in front of our room. I will be on the lookout for more animals to write about
as our adventure continues.
LIB KEETER from Randleman Middle School writes:
Yesterday
we took a boat trip...The most amazing thing to me was the Hippo..........you
all know how I love the Humpback Whale...well...I have met it's relative....the
Hippo with its deep brown eyes looks into mine as if to say, "Namaste", just
like the whales (and dolphins). The Hippo can hold its breathe for 5
minutes......love all...
| | | Media Gallery |
Hippopotamus
|
Fish Eagle Couple
|
3 Generations of Elephants
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Page 6
: 3rd Annual Workshop is a Success
Editor's Note: The images that are being used were taken last year by
Karl Schaefer when he was a participating NC teacher. We have yet to transmit
any images this year.
January 31, 2005
Message from Juliette Jones of Carolina International School
"It's hot in Africa," a UNITE teacher exclaimed! Yes it is. :)
Today we went on a field experience exploring natural caves and crater lakes.
It was a great opportunity to investigate the beautiful (but hot) Ugandan
countryside. The workshop has been very successful. I was surprised and
encouraged by the excitement of the Ugandan teachers. They have embraced
the ideas of conservation presented at the workshop. Many teachers have
already been incorporating the concept encouraged by UNITE; students have
planted trees and one school is working to preserve wetlands near their
school. NC Teachers shared an Earth Education curriculum with the Ugandan
teachers. The curriculum centers around five secrets of the earth. The
Ugandan teachers learned these secrets and then worked in small groups to
create lessons so that they could teach these secrets to their class of 100
students. Wow! We enjoyed the role-playing of lions eating a giraffe, a
dramatization of deforestation, and songs about mother earth. I was also
happy to hear that the teachers here can use all the lessons that I taught
about air, water, and soil cycles as the concepts of cycling have just been
introduced to their curriculum.
NC teachers also learned much from the Ugandans. I think that we all
have a better understanding of and love for Uganda. We have much to share
with our students at home. School supplies bought with donated monies were
also distributed as well as pen pal letters. Sister schools will be created and
students will have a pen pal to communicate with so that our connection to
these Ugandan schools continues to grow. The fifth secret of the workshop
was: You can make a difference. Ugandan teachers discussed how
student groups such as their Wildlife Clubs could help to clean up around the
schools and educate the community about conservation. How can YOU make
a difference at home in America as well as here in Uganda?
Personal Note: Happy early Birthday to my brother Aaron. I will bring you
back something fancy from Africa! I also send my love to my family, friends
and especially my students in the states.
P.S. I enjoyed the world's best avocado and pineapple, today. Yummy!
Message from Lib Keeter of Randleman Middle School
Today we all dressed in our U.N.I.T.E. T-shirts, loaded in the vans and
took a fieldtrip to the caves. There I learned yet another source of calcium to
build strong bones and teeth. We walked deep into the forest floor and came
upon a cave of stalagmites (which grow up from the ground. they "mite" reach
the roof of the cave) and the stalactites (which grow down from the roof of
the caved). When the two meet this produces a single column. There is a
constant trickle of white liquid that drops from the stalagtite, this liquid is
calcium. There is an African story that goes along with this of which I will
share in the African oral tradition when I see you all again! To the left of the
cave we came upon a big water fall.... several Ugandans and I climbed behind
the water and caught the water in bottles, we got wonderfully wet in the
process...and guess what, this water contains natural calcium pouring directly
from our Mother Earth. My new friend, Kakai (which means the small calabash
for porridge to be stored in at the time of her birth there was a great harvest
of millet and sorghum to make the porridge and that is how she got her
name) and I were the ones who collected the water.... we laughed a lot as we
gathered and drank the water. Kakai is taking some for her children to drink
as a supplement to build strong bones and teeth.
The most amazing cultural education I've come upon is that of the
bicycle. They carry everything upon this bodaboda...today I saw a bed frame
being tied on one, seven banana bunches (3 feet long and 1 and a half feet
wide) and notebooks for schools (school began today for the students in
Uganda). I met a young boy named David, he has a bike, and he let me ride
down the good red dirt roads. I smiled the whole time! Love to you all and
Namaste!
Message from Fran Hamilton of Randleman Middle School
News flash!! The power's out and I'm typing this message from the
moonlight!! Mr. Fitz, Ms. Brown, and Ms. Enloe.... your soccer balls will be
delivered tomorrow, and you can look forward to a surprise in return!! Fitz,
you get something personal for yourself!! To my family and friends in the USA
and Australia...I miss you and love you all. Be safe, and I'll be home soon!
Message from Sarah McCorcle of Cape Fear Center of Inquiry
Hello again everyone! To the sixth graders- I have learned so much
about Ugandan culture in the past two days. Yesterday, the Ugandan teachers
taught us about the naming ceremony that every person has when they are
born. They are given names according to what is going on during the time of
their birth. Some of the names meant: on the way, be patient, thank God, and
Gods mercy, not yet, you get what you ask for, and everything will be all
right. I wrote them all down and will share them with you when I return. Also,
they shared folktales (remember we learned about these???) that they tell to
teach lessons. Guess what, you will be learning about them in RWW when I
get back!!!
To my family- I took a look at the stars last night and thought of all of
you- we are far away, but under the same sky. All my love. Justin- keep your
phone with you the next few days! Faculty. We miss you, and are brining back
a special surprise for our clan. You WILL be weirded out.
Message from Beth Carter at CFCI
Hello, all dolphins, my family, and special greetings to first grade at
CFCI. Brian, er uh, Brain...you would have been proud of Sarah and me as we
presented Day 1 of the workshop. I thought of you as we guided discussion.
The Ugandan teachers did role-plays, visual charts and flow maps, charades,
and wrote in their journals in reflection quite a bit. Your spirit is here. They
want to meet Grayson and Joanne. To my class: I am trusting that you are
working hard on the animal books and are making Clarissa and Ms. Raddack
proud of you, and that you are proud of yourselves! Today, we walked
through a herd of about 20 cows on our hike. One calf had no hair, and the
Ugandans told us that when a calf is born with no hair, it is descended from
the King's cows. A l2 year old boy was herding them with a piece of a
machete...I think he had the job of herding and cutting bushes at the same
time. We see funny monkeys each day in the trees near dark. J, K, and R, I
hope you are having a good week...I miss you and the pups.
| | | Media Gallery |
Bodaboda
|
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Page 7
: Teachers Arrive for Workshop
Editor's Note: The images that are being used were taken last year by
Karl Schaefer when he was a participating NC teacher. We have yet to transmit
any images this year.
1/29/05
Message from Sarah McCorcle from Cape Fear Center for Inquiry
Yesterday, we experienced something wonderful; We were able
to visit Edvine's home and meet her family. (Edvine is one of the Ugandan
UNITE teachers that visited the US this past October). It was such
a unique experience- I am still trying to process all that I saw and did. We
were able to walk to her family's home from CVK. The walk took about 45
minutes, and we passed through beautiful land. We saw tea fields, local
homes, and a wide array of wildlife. We walked on the road for about 25
minutes, and then turned off onto a trail that led us up and down several
hills. When we were close to arriving, several children saw us coming and ran
up the hill announcing our arrival. A hike up a steep hill brought us to
Edvine's home. The welcome they gave us was heart warming. Many of
Edvine's family members came running to greet us with smiles and hugs. We
walked around her home that consisted of several smaller semi-permenant
houses, an outdoor kitchen, and crops on the surrounding land. Several of us
were given personal tours of the area around the house. I was able to taste
sugar cane straight from the plant during my tour! As a special treat, Edvine
and her siblings and cousins prepared songs and dancing for our
entertainment! That was my personal highlight of the visit. We ate a feast for
lunch consisting of several typical African foods and fresh fruit from the area.
Our visit lasted about 4 hours, and then it was time to leave. We said goodbye
with hugs, smiles and many thanks. As I walked down the steep hill we had
acended hours before, I truely felt as if I had new friends in this part of
world.
Later that evening, we greeted the 17 UNITE teachers who arrived by
foot, bike, and car to the workshop. We shared our first meal
together at dinner, and went to bed with excitement of today's start of the
workshop. We began the workshop today,and from my perspective it went
well. I will leave the details for another UNITE to share with you.
Personal message: to my family- I think about you each day and can't
wait to share my adventures with you. Lots of love to you. To the sixth grade-
this evening I watched 6 monkeys climbing through the trees. How cool!
Juliette Jones from CIS was very excited to spot two new types of animals
today: blue-headed agama lizards and green monkeys. This area is so full of
wonderful creatures it would be difficult not to find something new everytime
you look. She is also very happy to be here among friends: Stella, Edvine, Alex
and Astone.
Fran Hamilton is now investigating traditional folk tales of the region that
deal with animals. Her hope is to be able to share this information with the
United States and her school. She is curious about how African tales passed
by oral tradition are used to teach about wildlife. Fran hopes that all of her
friends and family are warm during the recent snow fall, just as we are
warmed by a fire circle complete with songs, dancing and laughter.
Beth Carter from CFCI: This morning I got up early and walked down to
the lake. There was fog settled down on the surface of the water, and two
fishermen were up fishing early. It was beautiful to see them paddling
through the fog, and singing while they worked. And hey, CFCI...Ms. McCorcle
just taught everyone here the Hokey Pokey by the fire! It was a good day...we
miss you!
Lib Keeter is sharing Native American traditional song and our
Randleman Middle School Cultural Unity bracelets. I think of my students
often when sharing. We are doing some of the same things as we have done
in class; Cultures class, Ms. Morgan's class, Mr. Routhe and all the great
students in that class! Tomorrow I will be teaching about the foods for the
brain, heart and the rest of the body. Eat for your good health my friends.
Love to all! Namaste!
From Laura Hendrix: Greetings to everyone at Greensboro Day School! I
miss you all and can't wait to get back to share my experiences with you....we
are sitting by a big fire and the Ugandan teachers are sharing some
traditional songs, stories and dances....its' magical. The African night sky is
as clear and full of stars as always, and a chorus of tree frogs provides the
background music for our evening. I am so excited to bring those of you on
the trip next June here, The teachers and I are planning lots of activities for
you with their students. I hope all is well with everyone!
P.S. Mrs Hendrix was DEFINITELY NOT leading any dancing and singing
last night..
| | | Media Gallery |
Agama lizards
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Page 8
: Team Arrives at CVK on January 28, 2004
Message from Beth Carter, First Grade teacher at Cape Fear Center for Inquiry
in Wilmington, N.C., AND all of the Project UNITE teachers in Uganda
Greetings! We are safe and happy to be in Crater Valley Kibale conference
center here near Ft. Portal, Uganda. Sorry we have not been able to post
messages thus far...Mark tells us it is very expensive to connect to the
satellite, and so we'll be able to write perhaps 6 messages, and include bits
from each teacher who wants to contribute.
My teaching partner Brian Brinkley came to Uganda last year, and he tried
to prepare me for what I would see and experience. I even saw his pictures,
but I was NOT in the least prepared for the smells, the tastes, and the
emotions that Uganda evokes. We flew into the Entebbe airport on Wednesday
morning (Jan. 26), and immediately we smelled the scent of Africa...that of
smoke, of brush and trees and trash burning. Africa is growing and moving
and evolving rapidly, and yet not rapidly. The people are constantly burning
off new plots of land so that they can plant more bananas, casava, yams,
maize, peanuts (ground nuts), tea, and even wheat. As we drove to Kampala,
the capital city, we could smell the fires, and see the people traveling by
bicycle, motorbike, taxi, bus, and mostly by walking, walking, walking
everywhere. The teenagers ride bikes with boxes on the back full of
pineapples or bananas, or they might push carts filled with yams or
watermelons. The people seem very young and thin and used to walking.
There seem to be no older people, which reminds me of the reality that
Ugandans do not have a long life expectancy...around 42 years old.
The first night we stayed in a place called Red Chille's Hideaway. It is a
campground for backpackers and overlanders who are traveling in Uganda.
There were mine-sweeping United Nations (UN) trucks there, and we think
the workers were sweeping mines in Rwanda to the south. They always keep
the place closed by a big gate...and there are even guards there and at some
businesses. But we feel very safe with our teaching friends. They are taking
good care of us.
The dirt is mostly very red and full of iron..it looks like Piedmont North
Carolina. The soil seems to grow everything readily. The smell of the rain on
the dusty, red unpaved road reminded me of home.
The tastes! Our first Ugandan lunch included matooke (muh -toe-kee)
with "g-nut sauce", which means groundnut sauce, or peanut sauce. It is
purplish in color, and delicious. The matooke is a kind of mashed up
plantains, which are like bananas. We've also tried white yams (like our red
ones), papaya, mango, avocado, a cabbage and tomato and cauliflower
mixture, Ugandan tea and coffee (strong!!!), and fruit juices of all kinds.
Bananas are served with every meal, and my favorite has been the pineapple -
the best I've ever tasted!
We are sleeping under mosquito nets so that we are not bitten by
mosquitoes that carry disease. We've had cold showers mostly, and the
electricity in our resort is only turned on at dark.We are drinking lots of water,
and today are planning for the teacher workshop we'll begin tonight.
Special hellos to my family (John, Katherine and Rachel), Drew Cagle at
Battle Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and my class in Wilmington. We
gave the quilts to Stella and Edvine, and they are hanging on the wall where
we will be for the workshop. I think you are on a fieldtrip today to the Cape
Fear Museum. Hope it was fun! I miss you and know you are doing your best!
Sarah McCorcle writes to 6th grade at CFCI : Hi everyone! We just had the
most amazing day - we ate lunch at Edvine's house! We met her brothers and
sisters and family (more details to come!). It was an excellent meal. I miss all
of you and have so much to tell you!
Lib Keeter writes to Randallman Middle School in Asheboro, N.C. :
Greetings to all students, friends, and family from the land of banana, mango,
and avacado trees, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, and peanuts. What do all of
these foods have in common? Answer: I had them for lunch at Edvine's family
home. Love to all and remember to think about what you eat.
Fran Hamilton has been searching for baskets and African native
costumes to bring back to the students to use in cultural activities. She is the
most prepared traveler among us and really enjoys Africa.
Juliette Jones from the Carolina International School in Harrisburg, NC
wants her students to know that we heard some horrific noises on our roof
yesterday, which turned out to be galloping colobus monkeys that leapt into
the trees by our cabin. She got great pictures of them, and she loves the little
geckos that seem to be peeking at us from everywhere.
Laura Hendrix from Greensboro Day School sends greetings. She has
promised us that she will dance for everyone tomorrow at the workshop. She
has made all the travel arrangements for the trip, and the taxis and the
driver, Sam, are great.
| | |
Page 9
: Uganda Field Team Arrives
| The Uganda Field Team arrived in Kampala, Uganda. Their flight arrived a
little late but otherwise no problems. They leave for Fort Portal and Crater
Valley Kibale campground tomorrow (Thursday 1/27) and will be there for
four/five nights. Please note that Uganda time is eight hours ahead of United
States East Coast time. | | |
About the author:
Karl Schaefer is a teacher at Durham Academy in Durham,
North Carolina.
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