I'm sure you're wondering what I'm doing

My placement here is with an organization called YOFAFO, which is Youth Focus Africa Organization, and they have a few different projects in the surrounding villages.  We are based in Lugazi, and live with the organizations founder and his family.  BTW, when I say 'we' I am referring to me and Stephanie, who is the other volunteer placed with me.  Stephanie is from San Francisco, and is awesome! 
My main project involves helping to start a public health program in the village of Bulumagi.  At the moment they are trying to figure out what is needed most, so I am making home visits with the local midwife to survey the families about what affects them.  It is quite daunting to see the very basic things that they either don't know, ignore, or their lifestyle and environment make it difficult to do, that would make a big difference in preventing some of their issues.  Basics, like not letting your children eat dirt, or fruit that hasn't been cleaned.  Or, not letting all the sick kids play with everyone else. 
Once done with the surveys, we'll be making recommendations on what is needed and hopefully setting up talks for the community to cover some of the topics + more.  Unfortunately I likely won't be here for much of this, a month is definitely not enough!
The other project we're working on is in a village called Kitoola where we are running a children's holiday program - which is basically doing activities with the kids during their break from school.  This is sooooo out of my realm, as I'm sure you can guess!  Besides my obvious lack of kid knowledge, there are many factors making this difficult - most of them don't speak english (thank god for the young teacher who joins us and translates!), there are NO supplies (we have to purchase anything we come up with), they have been very shy to start out, and many of them have to bring their very young, often sick siblings that they have to look after. 
But, I think we've done okay so far - I've even - don't stroke out- sung and taught twinkle twinkle little star and the itsy bitsy spider!  We've drawn, made paper airplanes, hopscotch (minor disaster), played tag and duck duck goose, amongst others!

Now, I haven't really asked for any donations for this volunteering bit, but now I'm going to.  Now I can tell you exactly where it's going and that it's a great cause, and even just $10 goes a really long way here!  We need some craft supplies and I would love to buy the boys a real soccer ball....or a few!  If you have any interest at all, please let me know! 

I'm running out of time, but there is an awesome women's program to tell you about too!

The anti-Atkins diet

Ugandans only seem to really acknowledge one food group, and that is carbs...unfortunately.  They have about 3 staples that they consider food - Posho - some kind starchy thing from maize (i think), Matooke - mashed unripened bananas, and Rice - white, but it has more the consistency of brown.  So, it's not even any grainy, good for you carbs.  Oh, and Cassava too, which they tend to chop up and serve with pinto beans.  Any kind of protein is extra or part of the sauce they serve with the food.  And, you're lucky if you get anything green!  And, they serve the most massive portions you've ever seen, even for American standards.  I think my eyes bugged out when I saw my first few plates, but then our "mom" started asking us how much - thankfully. 
It's also quite bland most of the time, rather difficult for the girl addicted to salt!  They call wheat bread 'brown bread' and it doesn't appear anyone really likes or wants it; our family usually has white bread with butter for breakfast, so we had to go buy peanut butter and honey, b/c that definitely wasn't going to cut it.  As, breakfast is usually around 9 and lunch isn't until 2 or 3 - lately 3pm!  Then dinner is between 8 and 9pm - usually later, it's all basically the opposite of anything we do in the States!  Aggghhhhh! 

But, I'll tell you about rolexes  next time - delicious!

I found all the Rav 4's.....

They are in Uganda!  Actually all of the Toyotas might be here, it's rather unbelievable - they don't die they just go to Uganda. I was picked up by the program director in her Rav 4, as we were driving I noticed that just about every other vehicle we passed was a Rav 4.  Then all of the taxis here, Matatus, seem to be some kind of old Toyota van from the 70's - at least the interiors - definitely some hideous 70's upholstery. BTW, anything and everything seems to be allowed in these - people get in them with their chickens - live chickens.  And everyone else drives a sedan, usually a Corolla, or a Corona(do we get that model in the States?).  But these sedans aren't just driven on the regular streets and highways, they are off-roaded too.  Mmm hmmm, that's right, they drive these damn, old ass sedans on the craziest, rutted out dirt roads you can imagine; stuff that we we would only drive the FJ on, we would never dream of taking a car on any of these roads, but they think NOTHING of it, while I'm sitting there thinking - Oh shit, we are so never gonna make this! 
The other typical form of transport is a Boda boda, this is a motorcycle, used to transport EVERYTHING!  We've seen tons of bananas strapped to one, a kid with a full size goat, 4 children, and a twin-sized bed frame to name a few.  Not to mention people in general, including me.  Stephanie, the other volunteer placed with me, and I saw all of this and figured it should be NBD for us, haha.  J/k, it went totally fine, little bit of a sketchy start but it's been fine ever since - even on the dirt roads out to one of the villages we work in.  Although it had rained all night last night and a couple times this morning I fully thought we were going to eat shit in the mud! Pics and video of this to come soon!
Btw, the power goes out here on a regular basis and the internet is maddeningly slow, hence the trouble getting these posts up!

I'm finally live....gotta go!

Hi ya'll!  I'm finally live, but my internet time is about up!  I promise to post tomorrow, with pictures even!
XO,

Me