Page 5

November

Author: Charles December 4, 2016

Who needs a truck when you have a boda boda?

Sorry to be negligent about the blog recently. I’ve been a bit sick and had some low mental energy. It’s normal according to Peace Corps. Perhaps while I was gone for three weeks, my mind minimized some of the frustrations of my experience here. There is also distress about current events back home, a very late but moderate rainy season being so disruptive to the town’s grid and my meetings, and the challenge finding my niche in our new project to help youth groups. Its hard to ignore the internet, but reading books is a good distraction..

I finally gave up on my smart phone, replacing it with new cheap one which I hope will get me through to the end of service. Photography might suffer, although I might still use my crippled phone for that. This Phone Doctor place in Jinja had my phone for a week. I lost a great picture of a lady transferring the SIM card that didn’t work on my phone to test it in her own phone, all the while nursing her baby.

ATEFO’s new contract required us to put in place nearly 600 “backyard gardens” This an ideal opportunity to spread the gospel of permagardens. However, the approach by the field staff is to get out there and slap gardens down, without the little bit of extra work to dig a permagarden, which ultimately will mean less work to maintain over the long haul and more resiliency during dry season. My counterpart and master gardener Matthews says the permagardens we dug recently are thriving. I chide Adams a bit, but ultimately what ATEFO does is a business, and profit trumps what would be best for the beneficiaries. There are many boxes the trainers will have to tick off to complete the contract, so corners will get cut.

While Matthews runs around spraying pesticides, I have gone out to visit the youth groups with a different counterpart, Amos. Each group has chosen a business, such as tomato growing, poultry rearing, vegetable selling, and candle or soap making. ATEFO provides funds to each group for start-up capital, but before they get it, I worked with a few of them to make a budget, and teach them to keep a cash book to account for it. These kids are usually very deficient in education, and not surprising, some of the money has not been accounted for very well. Amos is easier to understand as a translator, but he prefers to summarize a long conversation to real time translations,

Meanwhile I press forward to facilitate Rotary grant funding to renovate Hindocha Primary School, basically by nudging the relevant actors in the Clubs in Bugiri, Colorado and California. I really want to show something for my effort before the end of next summer, but it’s a bit of a slog.My cohort has passed the 2/3 mark, 18 months down, 9 to go. The PCVs of the Education cohort from the Fall of 2014 are starting to go home this month. It’s hard to believe my own cohort will soon to be the most experienced.

These are coffee beans getting scooped up into bags.

Carpenter shops. On the left beds to sleep, on the right coffins for that final sleep.

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Cute kids outside my place

More cute kids.

I haven’t published too many pictures of other volunteers. Some of us celebrated a pot luck Thanksgiving in Jinja. All three guys from my cohort on the right have not cut their hair since arrival. Coy in the middle is a “no shave in 2016” guy.

Peace Corps Ladies. Carm in the middle is leaving soon, she’s been filling out applications for grad school.

Birds land in front of my mirrored window and can’t see me.

First picture with the new phone. A selfie in Kampala with Aine, the director of the Blue House girls orphanage in Kazo which my sister Karen and I are planning to visit next year. We might do a Peace Corps camp there. I picked up a new pair of glasses while I was there. Each PCV gets a new pair during service. The dust and grit scratch them horribly. Forget about contact lenses.

Blair’s treatments are going quite well, based on a recent PET scan to evaluate it. She sent me this photo from a recent chemo session. Her last chemo is February 2. She will be happy to stop being sick every two weeks, and looks forward to growing her hair back.

General

adversity, ATEFO (my NGO), children, Rotary Club, volunteers, Youth Group

Adams got Married.

Author: Charles October 12, 2016

Adams really wanted me to return in time to attend his Introduction Ceremony and wedding. On Friday a Bugiri delegation set off on a day long journey to Mbarara in the west, a very large town. The festivities on Saturday were another two hours to the southwest. The Introduction Ceremony was similar to what I described when I attended one for Matthews’ daughter. Tents are set up. The families and friends of the bride “host” the groom’s family and friends, sitting in their reserved section, with food, music and dances, facilitated by two wise-cracking MCs. The patter would be in the local language, not always understood by the Lusoga-speaking visitors. Not that it mattered to me. I heard the word “Muzungu” a couple of times followed by laughter and everyone looking at me. I just laughed like a good sport. I was told later he called me out because I appeared to be bored. Sorry.

At the end of the Introduction Adams disappeared into the house for a few minutes and then emerged a married man with his bride a few minutes later. I guess that is often the Muslim way, unlike the church wedding held a week later for Matthews‘ daughter. I understand further that some Muslim men use a mosque, but in any case, the bride is never an active participant. She’s either waiting in the back or in an entirely different room.

While the concept of the Introduction Ceremony is to allow the families to become acquainted, there was never an opportunity to actually socialize and intermix. I never got the chance to meet the bride. I understand she works in Kampala and will remain there.

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General

ATEFO (my NGO), Uganda Culture

Back to the Future

Author: Charles October 12, 2016

My sister suggested I write a Blog post about what it was like to be home. The word that comes to mind is “Jolting”. Returning volunteers gradually get used to the notion they will be coming home in three months, two months, one month. I felt like the guy who meets his ancestors during a near death experience but knows “it is not my time yet.” Things just seemed out of kilter while I was back.

I didn’t miss a chance to do some Peace Corps work. A few days before I returned to Uganda, I presented a power point presentation to my Northglenn-Thornton Rotary Club about the Rotary Projects in Bugiri. They were expecting me to Skype, so it was a fun surprise. I met later with the President, International Service Director and Assistant District Governor to learn how to advance the ball to securing Rotary Foundation funding from the district. I am grateful for the continuing support my club gives me.

I had a few “It’s been 15 months since I …” moments, starting with seeing HD televisions at DIA. Some things were not so welcome: Driving again, in the crowded Denver traffic, was maddening. I missed seeing lots of children. That’s a two edged sword of course. No chickens and goats everywhere either. I had developed a habit of greeting everyone I pass–it didn’t seem as comfortable in Denver. I think it’s because in Bugiri I am aware everyone is looking at me and they enjoy my acknowledgment. I’ll admit the women volunteers here will not miss unwanted attention.

I would have been happier to miss election advertising. And why did I torture myself watching that first Presidential debate? Colorado allows online voting if you are out of the country, and I should get a ballot this week. I need to learn about the referendums since the commercials were obviously deceptive.

I have gained some weight back, and being home didn’t help. Blair had purchased a lot of comfort food, which she excused as a reaction to her circumstances. Clearly, self-discipline in my eating will always be a challenge.

There were piles of unopened mail. My law license had been suspended by the Colorado Supreme Court. I had not been aware of an unpaid annual “Inactivity Fee” assessed in January. I don’t intend to practice law again, but suspension followed by disbarment seemed an ignoble way to end a 36 year career. I coughed up the money and then applied for a retroactive waiver of some of the penalties. I was able to put in my affidavit that my monthly income was only $225!
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Of course there were some good things. I enjoyed visiting my Mom. I took her to see the Queen of Katwe. I would not say it was Oscar worthy, but the Ugandan scenes are pretty familiar. My brothers came by to watch the Broncos, fun to see during daylight hours.

It’s nice to use a dishwasher, and a washing machine for laundry, although I will likely hang my clothes to dry in the future. My skin cleared up from all the bug bites. It was the first thing Adams noticed when I returned (Matthews noticed I was fatter).

No doubt, I liked using water out of the taps, even hot water, without filtering or boiling it. Western flushing toilets are better than squatting in pit latrines. Bathrooms are available everywhere (except at 7-11s 🙂 ). The other day in Iganga I asked a shopkeeper where I might take a “short call”. He took me to a lot out back and said to choose my spot. Peeing outdoors instead of using pit latrines is not a sacrifice.

I was able to re-evaluate my condo in Capitol Hill which I had purchased a couple of months before I left. I used the second bedroom and bath. RPCVs will be my guests passing through Denver in the future, so it was good to see a future visitor’s perspective. My kitchen and veranda needs renovation.

I got a glimpse of my future retirement: Morning coffee reading the paper on the veranda; walks to Cheeseman Park; the nearby Mayan or Esquire for afternoon movies at senior discounts; listening to music from my favorite radio station, CPR’s “Open Air” at 102.3. (Check it out!). However, it’s pretty plain, when I return next year, I will need a plan to stay active. I have lots of ideas, but will share more about that next summer.

General

Detours

Author: Charles October 12, 2016

It was my intention to return to the USA only upon the end of my service in September 2017. Only three scenarios could change that…civil unrest in Uganda; something happening to my physical well-being; or a serious issue affecting one of my children.

Unfortunately in late August, scans revealed a large tumor “wrapped around” my daughter Blair’s heart. After a biopsy and further tests, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a form of cancer. Notwithstanding that it is Stage 4, and in a scary location, her oncologist assures me she has a very good prognosis. A tried and true treatment regimen has been established for Hodgkin’s, making it one of the most curable forms of cancer.

Blair will require chemotherapy every two weeks for six months, possibly followed by radiation treatment. Similar to my wife Jan’s breast cancer in 2001, each chemo session really knocks her down for a few days (fatigue and nausea), followed by recovery, then chemo, recovery, chemo, etc. I recall that Jan’s chemo lasted 3-4 months. At six months, this will be a challenging phase of Blair’s life.

Blair is lucky she won the “birth lottery” and can get the treatment she needs. Recall I participated in the Uganda Rotary Cancer walk to replace the only radiation treatment machine in Uganda (And there are now controversies about that).

We stayed a couple of nights at a cabin in the foothills, as guests of her boyfriend’s family. Blair figured if she would going to lose her hair in a few weeks, she would first dye it purple!

I wanted to go home to support Blair through her initial chemo treatments. The Peace Corps has been very supportive, advancing my unearned vacation time to me. My new country director Sean (from Pittsburgh) sent me a YouTube link showing Mario Lemieux (of Pittsburgh) scoring his first goal after missing three seasons with Hodgkin’s. (I guess they have gradually improved the treatment regimen since Lemieux’s case. Eric Berry of the Kansas City Chiefs recently had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, missed only one season, and was All-Pro upon his return last year.)

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Before her first chemo session Monday morning, Blair went early to her office at Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, where she works as a case manager. She was tying up loose ends before taking the week off. While I sat there waiting, everyone on the staff was very solicitous of me, offering coffee and muffins. Blair said, with my beard and shaggy Ugandan haircut, they thought I was one of her homeless clients!

Excuse the indulgence to brag a bit about my daughter. Blair’s supervisor told me Blair was someone she “never had to worry about” (Leave that to her dad, who is uncomfortable she interacts in the field with so many people with drug, alcohol and mental problems). Blair has worked at the Coalition for less than a year, so she is not protected under the Family Medical Leave Act. However, the Coalition values her enough to keep her on a part-time schedule to work when she gets her strength back between chemo sessions. Her future sessions were switched to Thursdays, so the following weekend will absorb the brunt of each recovery. It will also help keep her health coverage. Her immune system will be compromised, so she needs to be careful in the field. She will be able do more administrative tasks for her team from home.

My visit gave me insight into Blair’s current employment. Her team works with homeless clients to place them in permanent accommodations. It is sort of like the “third world” of Denver. They have to go into their clients’ environment and make sure they get to necessary medical and counseling appointments, take advantage of job opportunities, and receive whatever other assistance is necessary, culminating in having a place to live in dignity as productive members of society. It is fighting a rising tide, but without this help there will be more crime, more panhandlers, more harmful drugs, and other deleterious impacts and burdens on the community. Blair has succeeded in placing dozens of homeless people in accommodations. Like many jobs in the social sector, our so-called free market economy does not compensate enough for this valuable work.

The Saturday before I left was the annual “Walk to Defeat ALS” at Sloan’s Lake. I volunteered at 6 a.m. to help with set-up. I was happy to greet my dear friends from the Rocky Mountain ALS staff again (they all subscribe to my blog). Blair rustled up some “Jan’s Fans” to represent her memory and continue to support a cure. I got interviewed on Channel 9 (which was actually shown on Channel 20- anyone see me?)

This interlude was a rare opportunity to interact with Blair, who has grown up into a confident, independent, humorous, fascinating, lovely 27 year old lady. Her mother would be so proud. Blair has shown good spirits, and is resilient. She is ready to take on the challenge of this journey. Originally I wanted Blair to take a vacation trip to Uganda and Cape Town in November. Instead, we will target that trip for next September upon Cessation of Service.

General

adversity, background

Permagarden 101

Author: Charles September 20, 2016

Matthews likes to add banana leaves for protection of the tomato seedlings. We also planted spinach, carrots, and cabbages. The slope runs toward the people, the holes trap some of the flow from a heavy downpour, and the beds are dug two feet deep to trap more water and allow the roots to go straight down and allow for closer planting.

As I had indicated in an earlier post, ATEFO has a new contract to work with 1500 youth in 110 groups in Bugiri and Iganga. Part of the contract is to teach and dig 600 household gardens before the contract expires in July next year. These would provide a steady source of nutrition for the household with minimal maintenance. It’s a daunting goal.

Becky shows how deep the top soil is, about an inch, before the double digging allowed more manure and air to permit the stick to go down two feet. I particularly enjoyed the fact that Becky could teach this, as I have been chiding Adams that he only hired male trainers for the new contract. He blames it on the lack of skilled female motorcycle drivers to get into the deep villages.

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Carson talks to the group.

Matthews and I organized trainings in Iganga and Bugiri for the ATEFO trainers to learn about digging permagardens. For the first training near Iganga, I recruited fellow Peace Corps volunteers from my Lusoga Language cohort, Becky and Carson, to help out. They had been trainers for the new Agri-business cohort that just arrived in June, and had received a permagarden refresher from my hero, Peter Jenson. It was a great session. I think the ATEFO trainers present were impressed, and most of all, Matthews is sold on it. I had dug such a garden last year at the office, but this lesson connected the dots better for him.

The next day Matthews and I dug a smaller garden, with two beds instead of three, for the Bugiri Trainers. Slipping back into Uganda’s ways, that day’s program was plagued by time conflicts, and poor communication, which resulted in some trainers and youth not attending either session. So a challenge remains to spreading the word for 600 permagardens. You want to connect with at least one “early adapter” in each youth or farmer group, who will appreciate the demo garden we dig, then dig his own, then perhaps help a neighbor dig another one too. That’s how to get to 600. While digging these gardens we continue to teach sack gardens.

General

agriculture, garden, perma-garden, Teaching, volunteers

Signs

Author: Charles September 20, 2016

On a rainy afternoon, my frequent roommate Dave (left) drew a caricature of the three elders from our cohort. We have always referred to ourselves as the Fossils. Ron on the right is a bit outdated. He has lost a lot of weight.

My June 2015 cohort had a three day mid-service conference. It was enjoyable to see fellow volunteers, and get caught up. More than a few have transferred to other orgs or towns, for various reasons. They tested all of us for language, again, and only a few passed. My instructor was happy I could understand what he was asking, even if I was lousy at answering.

One day, we did an arts and crafts project. It copied an idea from a departing volunteer. We prepared discs to be used as introduction aids to our farmer and youth groups. I started using my new discs for the first time the other day, during permagarden training. I should be able to say most of what these discs reflect in Lusoga but I need to practice.

This is the brand new logo for the Peace Corps

We’ve been in Uganda almost since the beginning, interrupted only a few years by Idi Amin, and some other civil unrest.

Sometimes I am asked to show where New York or Hollywood are on this map.

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I never get tired of hearing people guess I am only in my 40’s :-). Nakyewa, pronounced ‘Na-cheer-wa’ means volunteer.

My background and skills

About my NGO

I prefer not to use this one but sometimes people think I am there to to hand out money, so if I hear that, I can pull it out.

I use this one in conjunction with the previous one.

General

ATEFO (my NGO), background, Lusoga, volunteers, working

Two New Shirts, One Sunday

Author: Charles September 20, 2016

I’m with Dennis, from Centenary Bank, and Abram, a soon to be new member from First Touch Salon.

Adams limbers up

On a recent Sunday, most of the Rotary Clubs throughout Uganda sponsored 8K Cancer Runs in their communities. Proceeds are to be used to purchase a radiation machine to treat cancer. It will be the only radiation machine in this country of 37 million people. The old one has broken down, so wealthy patients go to Kenya or South Africa . Otherwise you do without. This run required a minimum donation for a sleeveless T-shirt and then do the 8K. No way did I run 8k of course, but I had plenty of company walking.

Post-race snack, meat on a stick!

I am in a WhatsApp group for the Bugiri Club and Adams posted the following recently: “As Ugandan Rotarians struggle to raise 13.5 billion to buy a cancer machine to treat Ugandans, the Ugandan parliament has approved 64 billion tax payers money to buy cars for MPs. Its a shame……….”

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The Bugiri Corporate football team parades through town.

Posing back at home with my new Bugiri shirt. It was literally the first time I wore shorts outdoors in public.

This is a good way to attract the townsfolk to the game. I told the coach I would only play if the team was behind or ahead by three goals. Considering my skill level, no one argued.

In 1979 after finishing law school, I hitchhiked around the USA via truckers who transferred me by communicating on their CB radios . Recently, at a taxi stage, with help from Matthews, I snagged a ride with this Kenyan trucker, hauling Chinese steel from Nairobi to Kampala. Here we are crossing the Nile River.

General

health, Rotary Club

Seeds of Opportunity, Seeds of Conflict

Author: Charles August 23, 2016

These ladies are one of the new youth groups we are taking on. learning how to style hair at “Brego’s Saloon”. (sic 😉 ) They can run this business from their home. Their little town is west of Bugiri and a popular night stop for truck drivers, with all that entails.

I am sitting in a hotel in Seeta, just outside of Kampala. It is time for a week of Mid-Service Training (MST). I haven’t seén most of my cohort since January. We are going to get re-tested on our language skills! I brought my notes from last year to study on the taxi ride to Seeta. I will flunk for sure. Sorry sorry.

Apparently the accommodations get upgraded for each training of the cohort. This place has a gym and a pool, and free wi-fi. I’m low on data, so I am taking advantage of the free wi-fi for today’s posts.

They say it takes a year for a PCV to get established, then you can get more things done the second year. I have some new optimism about my work in the next year. ATEFO just entered into a contract to work with an NGO which has purportedly established 110 youth groups in Bugiri and Iganga during the past year, teaching various occupational skills. This NGO wants ATEFO to take on these groups and teach record keeping, leadership, marketing etc. Another part of the curriculum is teaching household gardens. I have lobbied Adams to allow some PCVs to come out to Iganga to help me teach the trainers how to dig and teach permagardens. He seems agreeable, but in Uganda they always seem agreeable. We will also probably teach sack gardens. The contract runs through next July, shortly before my service ends. I am being pretty aggressive about getting some good roles to play in this project in the next year. While I am away this week, ATEFO has hired additional trainers for the project, and they are to mapping out the youth groups to confirm they are there, and establish rapport.

In the meantime, I am also working with the Bugiri Rotary Club to obtain grants from Rotary International to assist two projects. The first is the “Love Project”, boosting a primary school for disabled students. They are blind, deaf, handicapped, and autistic. The campus needs some minor renovations, including a wall for security around the school compound, and equipment and materials, such as braille machines, glasses, hearing aids, tactile globes, white canes, text books etc. I am also desirous of putting on a camp for these kids with my follow PCV, Becky, with the assistance of another PCV who has experience with camps for disabled kids..

A room at Hindocha Primary School.

The second project is to aid renovations of Hindocha Primary School, which is located right behind my office at ATEFO . A tour of Hindocha revealed terrible conditions at this 70+ year old school. Every room has a leaky roof for example. I will go into more detail as these two projects develop.

A graduate of Hindocha is member of the Riverside California. Rotary Club. He runs a technical training school here in Bugiri and goes back and forth between the two countries. He has asked for forms to request a new Peace Corps volunteer. He has chided the Bugiri Club for identifying the two projects a year ago and making no progress. I am his ally now to push things along. I have told my club I have a year left and the grant process takes a while, so we have to push push push. I have tentatively recruited my home Northglenn-Thornton club to be an International partner for one or both of these projects. I can be their boots on the ground to ensure the money is spent properly.

Endocrinology treatment in Australia costs very less and the best results that viagra purchase on line this medicine gives. Extrovert type of see content buy cheap cialis people can openly describe their problem to intercourse partner, doctor, physician but the introvert type of people will not even feel to tell their erectile dysfunction problem to his partner as well. Daytona International Speedway implemented a text messaging system this season to push out weather updates to cialis properien fans’ cellphones during race weekends. Coffee: Packed with caffeine, coffee not only serves as an eye opener every morning, it also boosts the stamina. generic levitra In the meantime, Azedy my landlord, has been struggling to get full-time work. Fortunately, his wife Margaret is teaching full time. To make extra money, Azedy and Margaret are working on the field behind their house to grow sweet potatoes and a few other crops, which I have written about in recent posts.

In a newer project, Azedy is growing 20,000 orange tree seedlings. You start with lemon seeds, which grow into a very hardy tree, but then graft orange buds on to the seedlings to produce hardy orange trees. Can you imagine doing that 20,00 times? I can’t wait to see this, and will try to learn how, mainly just out of curiosity, He believes the government has programs to buy these seedlings or direct certain suppliers to him. He is hiring some boys to help him put the seedlings in little bags of fertilized dirt. The other day, Margaret discovered that these boys had dug up some of “her” recently planted dirt for the seedling bags. Voices were raised that night!

Azedy is able to use his neighbor’s half built walls to get protection from goats and thieves.

Recently, I went to visit my home stay parents in Iganga, Hellen and Simon. Much to my surprise, Hellen has embarked on an identical orange seedling project, including the grafting of orange buds to lemon trees. She is making 30,000 seedlings and has plans to get up to 100,000 of them. I was sad to point out to both Azedy and Hellen that they were doing identical projects, but hated not to say anything.. I am worried about an over-supply, and now so are they. If I know two people who are doing this, how many others are there? Margaret and Simon are friends too, through their teaching careers. The seedling sales will probably occur January through March, I will keep you posted.

These are Hellen’s seedlings. Some relation told her about this opportunity and she has jumped right in. At least both of the seedling projects are hiring some boys to do most of the work.

You might recall Adrian had a close brush with mortality. As he struggled, an uncle asked him what he would want if he got better. Adrian said a bicycle. The uncle had just delivered it, sparking a round of sibling jealously. I remember my first picture of these kids a year ago. They were playing with rocks!

Adams is getting married! The normal way to raise money for your your introduction ceremony is to hand out a budget. I’ve been given budgets for graduation parties too. This one was accompanied by a pledge card. If you care to blow this photo up, you will see on the first two lines that Adams is contributing 7 cows and 4 goats as the dowry he negotiated with the bride’s parents.

General

agriculture, ATEFO (my NGO), Entreprenuership, host parents, Rotary Club, Uganda Culture, working, Youth Group

Swapping Spit with the Neighbors

Author: Charles August 23, 2016

Mine is the pink one.

When I shifted to my new site last May, I soon noticed, at the huts right next door, a nightly gathering of people who partake in the Ugandan cultural social tradition of sipping from a communal pot with long straws. This was something I just had to try, though the practice certainly contributes to the high rate of alcoholism in this country. Joining my new neighbors helps me integrate too.

Some of the straws are like rigid aluminum. Mine is a flexible rubber tube attached to bamboo.

After the initial tastes, I generally faked sipping to avoid the inevitable sharing of saliva.

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There is a metal filter attached. The participants just take and return a straw to a barrel. I suppose they might be identifiable. I took mine home and boiled it in the rice cooker.

A sound system plays music to lend itself to a party atmosphere and there is a bit of dancing, I watched a mother suckle her child while she indulged (ugh).

It was interesting, but not something I would do too often. Azedy tells me there is another regular group next to the hospital composed of doctors, engineers and other professionals. He says I might find the conversation with them to be more stimulating, so I hope to give my straw another workout in the future.

General

alcohol, living site, Uganda Culture

Basoga Heritage

Author: Charles August 23, 2016

A stone marker to recall the British had a “fort” here. It was actually an encampment of tents, as opposed to a structure.

As a side benefit of my evening with the straw sippers, Azedy connected with the son of the current, 37th, Royal Chief of the Bukooli clan. Azedy arranged a tour of cultural sites and artifacts on Saturday with this son as our guide. We set off for a village about 15 minutes south of Bugiri.

Much of the tour involved the 34^th Royal Chief, Kauhe Wakoli. He was unhappy that his people could not understand the English language of the missionaries, so he spent three years from 1891-93 translating the Bible into Luganda language. Luganda is the most popular of the dozens of dialects in Uganda and very similar to Lusoga. The guide kept giving Kauhe Wakoli sole credit for the translation, but just recopying the Bible in English would take years, let alone his chiefly duties, so I have to guess he had some help. There is no remnant of this translation.

The tomb of Kauhe Wakoli, 34th Royal Chief of the Bakooli. When he died, he said “Don’t bury my head, and the people should not cry until it is not attached. Thus the mound on the left.

That is the top of the now disconnected skull of Kauhe Wakoli

Bugiri is the ancestral capital of the Busoga Kingdom, where they speak Lusoga. An individual from the Busoga region is a Musoga, and the people are the Basoga. There are 11 counties (clans) in Busoga Kingdom, which encompasses Bugiri, Iganga, Jinja, Kilaro, and Nambatumba (towns with PCVs) in addition to scores of villages. The Kingdom normally rotates its clans to agree on successor to the King. However, Azedy and the chief’s son said that the NRM (Museveni’s political party) politically appointed the current King from Kamuli in order to attract votes from there. The NRM also built for him a palace in Kamuli. The Basoga people have never accepted this King, and he has never visited or communicated with the area I was touring, perhaps because he fears for his life. When I spoke to Matthews, who is from this King’s town of Kamuli, about this, he laughed and said that wasn’t the truth at all. Whatever, it’s all more than you need to know.

A Wakoli is the Royal Chief of the Bukooli clan of the Busoga Kingdom (The Educate Club I support is at Bukooli College). The 37th Royal Chief is now quite old and lives in Bugiri.

A photo of the current 37th Royal Chief on a 2016 calendar. The crown is a hand-me-down from Queen Victoria. She is pictured on the upper left

Click to blow this one up. I thought these close-ups of the 34th, 35th, and 36th Royal Chiefs were interesting based on their alleged life spans alone!

These two drums are four feet tall. BOOM boom, “the British are coming!” I forgot to ask of they also employed smoke signals back in the day.

In the House of Twins, I was allowed to make an offering and a request. 5,000 shillings and some coffee beans. I requested good health for my family. If my request is granted, I have to go back and give thanks. Those are sea shells surrounding the pot from the Red Sea and Indian Ocean

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We took a walk up a hill with some impressive rock formations. You can squeeze at least ten people into a small sheltered area in that lower gap. It was a good place to go during times of strife.

At the top of the hill was this lake about five feet wide. It goes deep into the mountain and is never dry. During heavy rain the hill top is submerged. The clan would throw a baby into the lake. If he came out the spring on the other end alive, he was a true member of the clan. The rock on the left is Salongo, father of twins. On the right is Nalongo, mother of twins. The middle rock represents a wall. The twin rocks, not pictured, are behind..

It’s a lot easier and faster climbing up the slick rocks than going down.

A ceremonial room, where a clan judge sits to arbitrate disputes

Another ceremonial room

Next we headed to a place where parliament sits every December 31. First you have to pass this entrance and announce who you are, and remove your shoes,

Our guide for this tour of parliament. She smoked a pipe.

On New Years Eve, the clan gathers and sits on rocks strewn about in front of a cave. Maybe Ill go and get those thanks out of the way.

Entering the cave

This rock cave was fantastic. It is where the parliament sits. The photo does not do it justice.

General

history, Lusoga, Uganda Culture

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