I've been back in the states for 3 weeks today. I really did mean to post one last hurrah of a blog post, but things just didn't work out that way in my last few weeks in Biikira as a Peace Corps Volunteer. My time was spent with my community, my health center, and my neighbors. I traveled around the country a few last times to say goodbye to my fellow cohort best members. I planned the end of my projects and assessed how they would fare without me. I tried my best to imagine what my life would be like once I was home and no longer called Nakajubi every day. I didn't realize how much I would ache for my village and my friends back in the UG. My last few weeks in Uganda were blissful and amazing and heartbreaking. I love being home with my family, but my heart is in two places now.
Finishing up work on the library and computer training in Biikira was a big job. I went through and assessed the skills each health worker had learned and how they could apply them with data entry and emailing reports. I'm happy to say by the end of my service, nearly all the health workers felt comfortable entering encounters and sending reports. This is a great thing because now if new nurses come in, they can be trained by the current staff and be able to use the computers as well. I sometimes felt as if I didn't do enough work directly at my health center. It was, after all, my main assignment. But I'm proud of the work I did do, and I feel it was important.
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| My house |
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| My office |
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| Inside my house |
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| View of Ugandan countryside |
One of my favorite days in Biikira was about 3 weeks before I left. I had a meeting up at the library with Teddy, the head teacher, and Joseph, the chairman of the schools. It was an 8AM meeting, and I finished my workout and got ready early in case people showed up on time. Crossing the street, a boda drives by, raises his right hand, and calls out "Naka!" as he drives by. I wave back, not knowing who he was, but happy he knew my local name. It was a bright crisp morning (as per usual) and a nice walk up to the library. My team members didn't show up until after 8:30, but I had a chance to take pictures of the completed space and make sure the books were in order. Once they arrived, the meeting was seamless. We were bouncing ideas off one another for the grand opening tea party. Appropriate how we start and end with tea, right? Tea is essential to Ugandan life. We decided to have students come to the party and demonstrate how they would use the library, and what a great idea that was. The tea party kicked off with speeches and thank yous and 7 girls who came to show off their reading skills. Each one took her turn to pick out a book and read a passage; some in English, some in Luganda. Everyone was impressed.
The only downside to the tea party was that the power was out all across the country the moment the sun went down. So we had tea in the dark and couldn't show off the fact that we had electricity installed. Oh well, it was still a success and everyone enjoyed it. The head teacher even presented me with a plaque made of bark cloth, thanking me for the help. I was moved, and thankful to be a part of such an important project at the school.
It was hard coming to terms with leaving the place where I had built a life and a routine. I reveled in waking up before the sun to make tea and watch Biikira come to life on my front step while I listened to the same Lumineers song 80 times in a row. I loved walking into the health center every morning to greet everyone and catch up on the town gossip before heading to my office to make lists for the week and work on project planning. I miss sitting in the tea time gazebo with the health staff laughing about the differences in our countries and understanding how alike we really are as a whole. I remember my last taxi ride from Masaka to Biikira. I had the front seat by the window, and the sun was just going down over the hills. The wind helped keep my eyes dry because I was trying not to weep in front of the driver. Taxis are a love/hate thing for me. When they're bad, they're bad. But those moments I get the front seat and get to admire the Ugandan landscape are the moments I treasure. I loved waiting with Bena for her son Benja to come home from school on the bus and getting to play with baby Benita as we waited (they're a family of B's, can you tell?). I miss the days Steven would come back from Kyotera to hang out and surprise me with a watermelon he got from the market for us to share. And the mornings when I wake up with the rain and Bilbo curled up next to me as the little spoon are the peaceful moments I'll miss the most.
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| Baby Benita |
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| Easter with the Sisters |
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| Steven's introduction ceremony |
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| Steven and his fiance Harriet |
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| Drawing with Benja |
Before I get the PETA activists scolding me for abandoning my cat, let me just say that he's in good hands. Steven is taking care of him until my replacement PCV gets there, and she's said she'll take good care of him during her service. He's an African cat who likes to hunt in the gardens and would be super sad being cooped up inside my mom's house. Plus, he'd probably get hit by a car so actually I saved him by leaving him in Biikira.
I finished my Peace Corps service on July 13th. We had a small gonging out ceremony where I hit a literal gong in front of the HQ staff and fellow PCVs.
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| Clicking the button to become an RPCV |
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| Mackenzie, James, Me |
I was never supposed to go to Uganda. With my French background, I was supposed to serve in a Francophone country and fine-tune my language skills. But even after being wait-listed for 5 months and getting the call to serve a mere 30 days before staging, I can say I am so grateful that everything happened the way it did. Uganda gave me a better understanding of myself and the world. It broke my heart and discouraged me at times, but always showed me the love people have to share with others. This was the hardest, most frustrating, thrilling, amazing job I've ever had. Uganda has left its mark on me, and I hope I left a small mark in Biikira as well.
Thank you doesn't fit right now, so webale nyo. I am forever thankful for Uganda and its people.
That's it, kids.
Thanks for tuning in.
Welaaba,
Kelly
