tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6900024717324792812024-03-13T13:51:29.527-07:00Dunn with America, onto UgandaMy life as a Peace Corps VolunteerAshley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-19073610269404097522012-08-24T22:06:00.003-07:002012-08-24T22:59:26.023-07:00End of a Chapter/Longest Post EVER!Wow it has been ridiculously long since my last post. Not for lack of excitement, that's for sure. Where to begin...<br /><br />SE Asia was amazing (and so was my travel buddy, Charlene!). It completely reaffirmed my addiction to travel and just made me thirsty for more. I got back home in May and had a few days in Chicago with Renee before finally landing in San Antonio after almost 2 and a half years. <br /><br />Fast forward to now. I've been home 3 months and can say that I am pretty much re-acclimated to living in America. It's definitely been a process but I didn't have as hard of a time as I originally anticipated. To be completely honest, I'm struggling more now where I currently find myself career-wise than I was with the initial reverse culture shock and transition to living in America. But more on that later.<br /><br />The following are some of the most significant reflections taken from my journal in terms of moving back home:<br /><br />The most obvious difference and adjustment, and easiest to dramatize, is without a doubt technology. IPhones were everywhere! And I didn't even know what a "Droid" was or what swipe meant for a long time. It's never been easier to stay in touch with people. I was able to essentially skype with my nephew in the palm of my hand. Insane. Some aspects are a bit extravagant and unnecessary, true, but still very cool. And if I can self-teach how to use an iPhone anyone can.<br /><br />Funny confession: the first shower I took at home I turned off the water while I lathered my hair and body then turned it back on to rinse. I didn't even think twice about it until I was finished. <br /><br />I love love LOVE the transitions between relationships in Uganda and America. I can talk about this forever. I had a solid core group of truly phenomenal friends that became family in Uganda. Continuing and strengthening these relationships in America has been wonderful. We now have different things going on as we establish our lives here and we have so much more to talk about! I've also been fortunate to get to know a few volunteers' families and I can't even begin to explain how great it is to have the opportunity to see where people come from. There wasn't a doubt in my mind these connections and relationships would continue in America but I am so happy they have gotten even deeper. To all my PC fam, I love each and every one of you guys! And I continue to enjoy the group texts and picture texts and emails. You are a very unique and amazing group of people and I will forever be grateful to have been a part of the Feb. 2010 training group.<br /><br />I have finally started to reach the point where I am able to let go of the negativity while holding on to everything that is good about Uganda and my experience there. I will admit I find myself still jaded at times, but definitely not anywhere near the amount I was when I first got back. I'm able to blend my life in Uganda and who I was there with who I am here and thread the two experiences into one. I've been able to redefine who I am with all the unique experiences I had in a way that still fits who I was before I left. And I've also been tremendously blessed to have supportive friends and family who are accepting of who I am. That has been the best and easiest part of my transition home. <br /><br />Without two of the most wonderful people I know (Mar and Ang) reminding me of the things that are and aren't normal or socially appropriate I'm not sure that my readjustment would have gone as smoothly. Having teenage sisters in this case has been clutch. It was easy to get out of the house when I had sisters who didn't mind spending 20 minutes with me in the shampoo aisle while I smelled just about every bottle and gawked at the absurd price of conditioner. Love you girls!<br /><br />I'm now up in Austin, living by myself, and I have my own PreK classroom at the school I was student teaching at 3 years ago. I can't help feeling a little anxious at the fact that I am "locked" in for the next year or two and it makes my urge to run away and go somewhere new and exciting that much stronger. I still miss certain parts of Uganda, mainly the simplicity and sense of community, and I think part of me always will. I miss being immersed in a new culture and more so being accepted as part of that culture. I don't like the materialism that is evident everywhere you look in America. I'm struggling with how close-minded some people are. <br /><br />It continues to be a process and I still sometimes feel like I'm on vacation waiting to go back to Uganda. I know without a doubt that I will have another international experience. I don't know when and I have some ideas as to where, but it is going to happen. I love the vagabond lifestyle way too much to give it up now. The world is a big and exciting place full of potential and opportunity. After Africa, I can truly do anything. My favorite quote right now is from Into the Wild, "Nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future."<br /><br />I haven't decided if I want to keep up with a blog now that I'm back home so it may be a while before another post, if one at all. Thoughts? I've said it a million times but stand by it: this experience wouldn't have been nearly as successful without the support and encouragement of each and every one of you. You guys are amazing and you have no idea how many times I pulled from your reassuring emails and letters to find my own strength. Thanks you for being a part of the most unique two years of my life so far; thank you for being a part of the best decision I've ever made.<br />Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-29023365596186664252012-03-23T00:13:00.003-07:002012-03-23T00:55:24.721-07:00Soaking it all inI've spent my last couple weeks in country winding up and saying good bye. I made the trip down to Rakai to visit everyone one last time and was welcomed with a potluck style lunch and some very happy faces. We shared a meal, exchanged farwells, and with one last group picture we parted ways. I can't even begin to express how satisfying it was to get that closure. Rakai changed my life and when I look back on my time spent in Uganda, it will always be home to me and the people there will always be my family. <br /><br />I've also been traveling around the country a bit as an opportunity to spend time with my fellow PCVs, who have also become family to me over the past 2 years. We climbed a volcano and experienced being in 3 places at one time: the borders of Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda all met at the peak. We had one last killer holiday party for St. Patrick's day and stumbled upon a Bobi Wine (famous Ugandan singer) concert, front row of course. <br /><br />Mount Sabinyo<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4TVyqwR7oHaeR9BhPydPY6AS38mWoz5pIYWNmdjkvscdh0kMkpFkH-re4TB_pxzLN__PUtbdFi0FWdMKgq3HkT1G8yzYETi0pHsNTyluT8wqsy6Vc2C8gATQYCBBqIIEXvY7lBc1Hmg/s1600/IMG_8883.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4TVyqwR7oHaeR9BhPydPY6AS38mWoz5pIYWNmdjkvscdh0kMkpFkH-re4TB_pxzLN__PUtbdFi0FWdMKgq3HkT1G8yzYETi0pHsNTyluT8wqsy6Vc2C8gATQYCBBqIIEXvY7lBc1Hmg/s320/IMG_8883.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722997151100532130" /></a><br /><br /><br />St. Patrick's Day 2012, Peace Corps style<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTqs6MA9KVC1rGuzfFVHkRJYIyetng_EEwT3srKTwH0EXZOYDstcOBne-kL2Wz_k1EzuhLE6TRu7sb-zhqEiXyTMkGqLLxX_wMO-Htzwr-r9-AF6aBXR4qMxn7jvq8fmkkBfeavH33hU/s1600/P1040820.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTqs6MA9KVC1rGuzfFVHkRJYIyetng_EEwT3srKTwH0EXZOYDstcOBne-kL2Wz_k1EzuhLE6TRu7sb-zhqEiXyTMkGqLLxX_wMO-Htzwr-r9-AF6aBXR4qMxn7jvq8fmkkBfeavH33hU/s320/P1040820.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722997875421397202" /></a><br /><br /><br />I took part in an ajon (local brew common in Eastern Uganda) circle with another PCV and his neighbor, Miriam. She cooked a simple local meal for us and we sat in her kitchen and enjoyed it with our hands. I'm really going to miss the simple way of life here. Sitting outside, no power, with thousands of stars above our heads and just enjoying each others' company. No obligations, just living in the here and now. I've loved the sense of community and being welcomed into homes and invited to share meals. When we left Miriam's house she embraced me with a genuine hug and wished me a safe trip back to America and told me she'd be sending me positive thoughts. I felt so much pure and honest emotion from this woman, whom I've met maybe 3 times. I am thankful for these experiences and so many more.<br /><br />I have a little over a week left in Uganda. There will be a silent disco, aka, headphone party where everyone is given a headset and literally dances to their own beat. I'll have a send off meal out East, with both American and Ugandan food, with an amazing parish that has considered me a part of them for the past year and a half. I'll finish up with a week in Kampala full of admin meetings, medical, and paperwork. Then it's off to Nairobi next Friday. From Nairobi there are 4 of us traveling together in SE Asia. <br /><br />Here's what we have so far for our next adventure...<br /><br />April 3 arrive in Bangkok, Thailand<br />We'll have a night or 2 to explore the city and get our visas in order before heading South.<br /><br />April 5-7 full moon party in Kho Pha Ngan<br />On a Southern island, the full moon party is famous worldwide. I've been told people start pre-partying up to 3 days before the and on the night of the full moon the party goes until 11am. There are notorious buckets of vodka and redbull, glowsticks, battling djs, thousands of people. We'll have a day or 2 to recover before we get PADI certified.<br /><br />April 13-17 Chang Mai for Songkran, Thai New Years<br />The biggest water fight in the world. The entire country shuts down for the festival and it is celebrated nation wide. We're making the trek North to experience the main location where the celebration takes place. Squirt guns, water balloons, buckets of water...bring it on!<br /><br />From Thailand we're heading to Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. We'll do a little more time in S. Thailand before flying out of Vietnam and into Chicago, to meet up with another volunteer. After a few days in Chicago I'll be back in Texas on May 20th.<br /><br />Can't wait to see everyone in person and to catch up on all the hugs I've been missing over the past 2 years. That's it on my end right now. What's been going on with you? Email me dunn.ashleymarie@gmail.com<br /><br />AshleyAshley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-43630169512943836322012-03-08T03:01:00.003-08:002012-03-08T03:19:19.479-08:00The Good StuffAs a PCV, at the end of your service you have a final conference. Similar to the ones we had 3 months in and half way through, my close of service (COS) conference was at the end of January. It was at a swanky hotel in Entebbe and consisted of sessions on readjustment, saying goodbye, and winding things down, to name a few. <br /><br />COS was emotional in the sense it was the last time our entire training group was together in one place. A few volunteers worked really hard putting together a slideshow that encapsulated our last 2 years here. Looking through all the pictures made it really hit me that I have in fact been here for 2 years. Such a significant amount of time though it feels like it could have been days. <br /> <br />On the last night of the conference we had a nicer dinner outside under the gazebo and we all dressed up. I was walking back from dinner when one of the workers stopped me. I thought there may be a problem with the room or something and, I'm ashamed to admit, I was prepared to get fairly annoyed at whatever problem could have possibly come up. I couldn't have been more wrong. She was a student of mine from the vocational school in Rakai and she came up to me to thank me for teaching her cooking classes! She graduated and was able to get a job with the hotel. I was shocked. It was definitely one of my highest moments in country. A previous student not only recognized me among 27 other white people staying at the hotel but called me by my local name and embraced me in a genuine hug to thank me for what I taught her. <br /><br />A volunteer recently asked me to recall some of my best experiences over the past 2 years and this was one of them. The other was when I was signing in campers at camp GLOW and so many of them remembered me from giving AFRIpads presentations at their schools. <br /><br />That's why I'm in Uganda. And I've loved every minute of it.<br /><br />Getting ready to leave my site and packing up and selling things has been kind of an emotional whirlwind. I never got the chance to say bye to my community and friends in Rakai (something I hope to rectify next week)and honestly I don't feel that Nakaseke has been as much of a home to me as Rakai was. <br /><br />Even so, getting ready to leave I had an unexpected amazing time the other night just hanging out with teachers behind the staff housing. They were all cooking dinner together and standing around talking. I contributed a few pineapples and we all enjoyed them together. They were talking candidly with me about my time in Uganda and thanking me for giving up so much to help their country. What almost brought tears to my eyes was when my counterpart took my hand and held it while thanking me for teaching him how to be a better teacher. He said I inspired him and reminded him to teach the students with passion. I've only known this man for a few months but I will never forget him or his kind words.<br /><br />2 years. It's been one of the most life changing experiences I've ever had and definitely the best decision I've ever made.<br /><br />Next up: Thailand and SE Asia. Itinerary to come soon. Mark your calendars, I'm back in Texas on May 20th!<br /><br />Much Love,<br />AAshley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-56734971188679144532012-01-16T07:04:00.001-08:002012-01-16T08:16:07.945-08:00The Power of "Glee"Since being back at site I haven't really had much work to do. The term doesn't begin for another few weeks and most of the tutors are away at a workshop. I've been spending a lot of time with Fina, the college secretary. I nominated her for a counselor position at camp GLOW and since then her and I have gotten really close. She's educated, progressive, and has a sense of humor. I really enjoy spending time with her. <br /><br />The past week we started watching Glee together. Some of you know homosexuality is illegal in Uganda and has even been punished by death. It's a very sensitive topic and one I try to avoid discussing with Ugandans. I'm pretty close to Fina and gave her a disclaimer before we started watching it. She assured me it was fine and that she'd have no problem. <br /><br />I have to be honest, I wish I would have watched it with her a long time ago. I never would have thought watching an American TV program, much less Glee, with a Ugandan would be such a cross-cultural educational tool. I wouldn't recommend doing it with someone you don't trust or don't know very well but it's really opened doors to a plethora of topics we've never discussed. <br /><br />Since watching Glee we've talked about homosexuality, body image and crash diets, parents talking to kids about dating, adoption, dating someone without having sex, marriage and fidelity, cheerleaders, divorce, learning disorders, down syndrome, wheelchairs, bullying, crying in public, and explaining artists like Lady Gaga and Kiss. <br /><br />Fina's old perception of what it means to be gay was taken from the style channel. You should know that not many Ugandans, hardly any, have access to the style channel and this fact alone says a lot about Fina and her level of education. Even though I consider her to be a very educated Ugandan, she is also very ignorant. She thought that all gay men wear makeup and style hair. Can you blame her? If I lived in a country that refused to acknowledge the existence of homosexuality and the only exposure I got was the style channel, I might have similar beliefs. We had a really open and honest discussion about relationships and physical/emotional attraction. She asked if a man can be gay even though he doesn't have a boyfriend and she couldn't really grasp the concept. I asked her if she broke up with her boyfriend would she still be straight. She started to understand a bit more then. <br /><br />I was surprised at the amount of genuine curiosity she had. She's 25 years old and is pursuing an advanced secretarial degree which requires her to spend a lot of time in the capital. I guess I've really taken for granted the importance of asking questions in America. We're taught from elementary school and before that if you don't understand something you ask questions. <br /><br />Homosexuality wasn't the only topic we discussed. Another one I really enjoyed was explaining how Americans tend to be a bit more free with their emotions. I've had some pretty rough days over my past 2 years spent here and I've learned that Ugandans hate seeing me cry. It makes them so uncomfortable! I found out that they hide their emotions because they don't want their enemies to see them cry because then they will get joy out of it...or something to that degree. I explained that in America it's common for me to talk about how you feel, with friends and family especially. <br /><br />Be it explaining why the men of Kiss wear makeup on their faces and have long hair, even though they're men, or how if you get pregnant in America you can still continue your studies, Glee has been an invaluable tool in opening the lines of communication on tricky and culturally sensitive topics. Who would have thought?Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-49241702086659394992012-01-16T07:04:00.000-08:002012-01-16T08:41:02.357-08:00Holidays 2011This Christmas/New Year's was one of the most unique and memorable holidays I've ever had. I traveled overland from Kampala to Dar es Salaam with 4 other PCVs, the "Fab 5" (Matt, Dave, Charlene, and Lisa). We eventually met up with a bigger group of PCVs on Zanzibar Island to celebrate New Year's together. As stunning as Zanzibar was, and it was absolutely breathtaking, I really enjoyed and appreciated my time in Dar. <br /><br />After living in Uganda for close to 2 years, it doesn't take a lot to impress me. Don't get me wrong, I love it here...but it's not always easy. The capital is filthy, harassment is an every day occurrence, you have to bargain like mad just to buy a head of cabbage in the market, you always assume people are ripping you off. It can be wearing. I was so ready for a vacation (especially after being evacuated from my last 2...) but I also didn't have terribly high expectations. We were traveling by bus most of the way to get there, and it's still Africa, right? Wrong.<br /><br />Yes the traveling wasn't ideal. It was even less than ideal when we found out the train wasn't working due to flooding in Dar and that we'd have to take an even longer bus to get there. Honestly, we were so excited to be on vacation that the traveling didn't really get to us...until the last day...when it took us 4 hours to travel less than 100km. By then we were more than ready to get off that damn bus! We endured hours of speed bumps that didn't even make a blip on our driver's radar. It was kind of fun at first, especially since we were at the back of the bus. But by about the 2nd or 3rd hour, when we were trying to nap a bit, it wasn't fun anymore, especially since we were at the back of the bus. The driver didn't even pretend to slow down over the bumps. In fact, I'm pretty sure he accelerated before going over them! It was so bad that other passengers were complaining to the patrol officer when he pulled us over...for going to fast. That was a first for me. Combine this with sitting behind a speaker (the only speaker on the bus) blaring Bollywood music for hours on end and you can maybe begin to get a glimpse of just how uncomfortable this bus ride was. <br /><br />Fast forward to Dar, <span style="font-weight:bold;">Christmas Eve.</span> It was our first time being in a place for more than a night and we were more than ready to relax and really let our vacation begin. The streets were clean, the roads were marked and posted with street signs, boda bodas weren't allowed in the city center, the people were friendly, all the buildings and shops had signs. It was organized! And did I mention clean? I was in love. We checked into our hotel and explored the town a bit before finding ourselves on the rooftop bar/restaurant of the Holiday Inn. I don't think I'll ever be able to capture in words just how special this night was to me. It was my first time spending Christmas without family and here I was, in Africa, sitting on the rooftop smoking shisha, just enjoying the company of those around me and thankful to have finally showered. I was so happy! It got even better when Matt's dad called him and read "The Night Before Christmas" over the phone to us. Being able to glimpse into someone else's tradition was an amazing feeling. I almost started crying not because I was sad to be missing Christmas with my family but because I was so happy to be spending Christmas with my family, my Peace Corps family. It was such a surreal experience and one that I will always cherish.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cLpiqxCiB_JdpwIWUaDwtZtQchi5DmDW1Ogv0RutSJZBIdgN1b9uNsxJZGZdf6LumlyhuiyRLYhM_ysV4SdtYVVWnbdMZDADByc6izrpou_bAaZL-kXS3Poyl-U4H8WhsGRDq7NcuiI/s1600/IMG_8392.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cLpiqxCiB_JdpwIWUaDwtZtQchi5DmDW1Ogv0RutSJZBIdgN1b9uNsxJZGZdf6LumlyhuiyRLYhM_ysV4SdtYVVWnbdMZDADByc6izrpou_bAaZL-kXS3Poyl-U4H8WhsGRDq7NcuiI/s320/IMG_8392.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698265444844554290" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Christmas day</span> we took a ferry to Kigamboni and spent the day on Kipepeo beach. First Christmas ever where I drank out of a coconut and barely wore anything other than my swim suit the entire day. We took advantage of the absurdity of our celebrating and had a photo shoot. The Christmas tree is courtesy of Dave's grandma and it survived the transit from KLA to Dar. We took the ferry back to mainland and decided to check out the fish market for dinner. It was closed but some of the street vendors were cooking FRESH octopus, squid, and fish and there was a man making chapati which meant only one thing...FISH TACOS! We stuffed our faces. You may be sketched out at the idea of buying and eating fish cooked at the side of the road by a group of men that barely understand English, but we were ecstatic! You can't get decent seafood in Uganda! One of the best parts was when Lisa, Charlene and I sat with a group of men and greeted them with out limited Kiswahili. They men were so excited to share a meal with us they gave us half of their fish. I have no idea what kind of fish it was but it was fantastic. My Christmas dinner consisted of octopus tacos and fish that I ate with my bare hands. After dinner we cleaned up and found a club to go dancing. The cover was a bit steep (we were still used to being in Peace Corps mode at this point, which means being painfully cheap) but we decided to pay it anyway and enjoy ourselves. We danced until close to 3 in the morning. Another first for me: dancing to a Christmas carol at the club. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtHJLBi5rsZoQ5SQ_4-tI3zuERjrjdS6EwmNlx47HHFDO3nKUIJ6mk0wZG4AX7BVsjRKDCGLJaI5Gr-3XFFwGknZqCen4FPLVydrX-cbd5Ortp9E-TRjd-RhLPIU1JKj3l8_w7oYiLdc/s1600/IMG_8447.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtHJLBi5rsZoQ5SQ_4-tI3zuERjrjdS6EwmNlx47HHFDO3nKUIJ6mk0wZG4AX7BVsjRKDCGLJaI5Gr-3XFFwGknZqCen4FPLVydrX-cbd5Ortp9E-TRjd-RhLPIU1JKj3l8_w7oYiLdc/s320/IMG_8447.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698267357537200290" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvrM0_1kKGo4och3rVgap9ip_DSYoCPX6rgtADF0r5oISnYB7ZlX_gyydxaHQOVQYpyru6lki01fNbCrTXN2imPt4ViyiyLZS7nwfs1hq9r33DNym-H9Qh_e53XTFggz_OqqMkvE8JPE/s1600/IMG_8406.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvrM0_1kKGo4och3rVgap9ip_DSYoCPX6rgtADF0r5oISnYB7ZlX_gyydxaHQOVQYpyru6lki01fNbCrTXN2imPt4ViyiyLZS7nwfs1hq9r33DNym-H9Qh_e53XTFggz_OqqMkvE8JPE/s320/IMG_8406.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698267353301107090" /></a><br /><br />We spent Boxing day in Dar and then left for Stone Town on the 27th. On Boxing day we were able to go to the fish market. BEST LUNCH OF MY LIFE. We picked out fresh from the sea, just caught snapper, squid, crab, scallops, etc. At one point we didn't even want fish but the the men dropped the prices so low we couldn't turn them down. I've never had such fresh seafood before. I already miss it. Below are the before and after pictures.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRotwqVzBvMqeQ8HnHxStOSWGPpjYuFdooS7CVhqmGlVgcIpE1kLEbsWb08GnII7V0lByJymIyASVGGRDMNo-FdMpiiSuozp1ariTt3KXfQSKGyqWB2b9njcPIIRmqu5lhRbLiThh1Ig/s1600/IMG_8479.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRotwqVzBvMqeQ8HnHxStOSWGPpjYuFdooS7CVhqmGlVgcIpE1kLEbsWb08GnII7V0lByJymIyASVGGRDMNo-FdMpiiSuozp1ariTt3KXfQSKGyqWB2b9njcPIIRmqu5lhRbLiThh1Ig/s320/IMG_8479.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698268177425828546" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKsegq5AreAKq88UvN-aRHoOQCts3t7XBCuTme-DRpjioMN-tXhwO5G7hKtednij0jsZqA7wRedGndYaY8Hl43qqgRWno5WGObrGIHhMxkI89Ym0CJpo2u5uZNH9lfcwnUxCm9SPMEfs/s1600/IMG_8482.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKsegq5AreAKq88UvN-aRHoOQCts3t7XBCuTme-DRpjioMN-tXhwO5G7hKtednij0jsZqA7wRedGndYaY8Hl43qqgRWno5WGObrGIHhMxkI89Ym0CJpo2u5uZNH9lfcwnUxCm9SPMEfs/s320/IMG_8482.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698268181494886466" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifAdLLxkaiWukvwrJqcRnPGoXjo__6YrHngawHd18m03SiAWOaGOYvLzED0bWd8dQF5NfGcKXeUS908J3uyEvHgpDN7xvq5UcrU7EihhwQsnLI6_Q6LOvmhbXrQGcIGaRXnBpM_Dbf2s/s1600/IMG_8484.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifAdLLxkaiWukvwrJqcRnPGoXjo__6YrHngawHd18m03SiAWOaGOYvLzED0bWd8dQF5NfGcKXeUS908J3uyEvHgpDN7xvq5UcrU7EihhwQsnLI6_Q6LOvmhbXrQGcIGaRXnBpM_Dbf2s/s320/IMG_8484.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698268200600155666" /></a><br /><br />We met a few different groups of Peace Corps volunteers from Zambia and Namibia. It was really refreshing to see how we automatically have this unspoken bond and friendship with each other. I've never experienced something like that in America and it makes me excited to meet returned PCVs when I come home. We did a spice tour in Stone Town and I learned all about cinnamon, vanilla, pepper, nutmeg, etc. It was actually really educational.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9dUz3CDA3zTm1ByNlchcC7me4bCIxLpYk_GVNTSCgSrSNd7RJifWbb-HO2jLIYURj4wEBhsrqDBy3-dm0Wvkm8or_Enx1c9XB6qX-4QfRa_lVM3QNKVM3iYERZgqr9-C9Q3Jvh7hvKI/s1600/IMG_8518.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9dUz3CDA3zTm1ByNlchcC7me4bCIxLpYk_GVNTSCgSrSNd7RJifWbb-HO2jLIYURj4wEBhsrqDBy3-dm0Wvkm8or_Enx1c9XB6qX-4QfRa_lVM3QNKVM3iYERZgqr9-C9Q3Jvh7hvKI/s320/IMG_8518.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698269229209959826" /></a><br /><br />We left for the beach on the 29th and stayed in Bwejuu until the 4th, when we flew back to Uganda. Honestly most of the days blurred together. It was a whole lot of being lazy, lounging on the beach, taking naps, swimming, and hanging out. Matt introduced us to "Zanziball," the beach form of Bocce ball and everyone spent a lot of time playing that. The tide had really extreme highs and lows and we could only swim during the high tide. We went snorkeling and kayaking on the ocean. I got my first ever massage. It was truly what I needed...a relaxing vacation. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQ8RjiGO13WNshnkg6olxKqA-0jJvZ_gqYFeVOWJxPn2zSI-Sw2hhfWBrGcuS6GEy5At3ZLfKelhHDQb3dtFab8hq1FYm8mT61GZdGSuReN5O58B9lkIWitU8kycCBBI_62vyiXxuSLk/s1600/IMG_8568.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQ8RjiGO13WNshnkg6olxKqA-0jJvZ_gqYFeVOWJxPn2zSI-Sw2hhfWBrGcuS6GEy5At3ZLfKelhHDQb3dtFab8hq1FYm8mT61GZdGSuReN5O58B9lkIWitU8kycCBBI_62vyiXxuSLk/s320/IMG_8568.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698270585298420946" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJK6pesEuBmfboy1oZE6BPg3InL7x9Cd00cVWN_NV5N-DLYB_QwweZBYIeLUIxvxwAjWcdRrflpwR43m6OyzD-kzz8fDnoRoxlu5bHuVfdv30Mgi0VeYm7nQrkKQ98qOnY0qAi2NxLBBI/s1600/IMG_8571.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJK6pesEuBmfboy1oZE6BPg3InL7x9Cd00cVWN_NV5N-DLYB_QwweZBYIeLUIxvxwAjWcdRrflpwR43m6OyzD-kzz8fDnoRoxlu5bHuVfdv30Mgi0VeYm7nQrkKQ98qOnY0qAi2NxLBBI/s320/IMG_8571.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698270579229869074" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgLDvZxP5dr5D7hOU19wSFSXtaCfj7lrHmqNcQSJ5I-8yxGkAMLyFH8qvZIIXDCD-vKiYhqGuBpjN9IfJixyjfOl_-qE-VcaLTrdvfKgdfczE6geBXfr0NTf0iRykv3xvLSAcUH6VtwQ/s1600/IMG_8583.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgLDvZxP5dr5D7hOU19wSFSXtaCfj7lrHmqNcQSJ5I-8yxGkAMLyFH8qvZIIXDCD-vKiYhqGuBpjN9IfJixyjfOl_-qE-VcaLTrdvfKgdfczE6geBXfr0NTf0iRykv3xvLSAcUH6VtwQ/s320/IMG_8583.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698270575638176338" /></a><br /><br />Here I am back in Uganda and starting to think about what comes next. For the longest time I didn't have to think about COS (close of service) until after GLOW, until after Zanzibar. Now it's after GLOW and Zanzibar. <br /><br />I'm here finishing up projects until the end of March when I leave for 6 weeks in Thailand for one last adventure before coming home. Then I'll be back in May. Get ready for it!Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-68240346438626458012012-01-16T00:16:00.001-08:002012-01-16T07:28:43.962-08:00Camp GLOW 2011I've been terrible about giving consistent updates. So sorry. Yes I did have malaria. Yes it was awful and I got pretty sick and lost a bit of weight from it. Yes I do think it's kind of cool to be able to tell people that I had malaria while living in Africa but YES I AM TAKING MY MEDICINE and have no intention of getting it again before I leave.<br /><br />Onto more exciting things...<br /><br />Camp GLOW was a HUGE success! I feel even more proud of it's success this year than I did last year. I think it may have something to do with the fact that I was one of the co-directors. Bottom line: Alyssa and I killed it. We overcame every obstacle thrown our way (and there were a lot!) and managed to put together a week long camp that not only changed the girls' lives, but impacted the women and PCVs involved as well as my own life too. This camp has such a positive message and I can't help but get giddy when I talk about it. It's definitely one of the best things I have been involved in during my time here and it's been one of the most gratifying.<br /><br />The set up was pretty much the same as last year, with a few minor scheduling changes to make it feel more like a summer camp and take some of the emphasis away from classroom learning. If you want a more detailed break down check out the website http://glowuganda2011.drupalgardens.com/ Fellow PCV Tony worked really hard getting everything together and a special thanks to our media crew (Dave, Tony, Stevie) for all the awesome pictures!<br /><br />I want to give a few of my personal highlights from the week:<br /><br />-checking in girls during the registration on the first day and having them remember me from an AFRIpads presentation I gave at their school<br /><br />-not being called madame and just being and equal with all the girls and women involved<br /><br />-the camp GLOW song. I rewrote the words to Shakira's "Waka Waka" and I can't even explain how amazing it felt hearing all the girls and counselors (and male staff!) sing in unison when we welcomed the boys from camp BUILD during our field day<br /><br />-being told we set the bar high for next year's camp<br /><br />-giving the AFRIpads presentation, passing out a donated kit to each girl, and watching them get excited for Judith, a tailor from AFRIpads, to give her motivational presentation<br /><br />-hearing the group cheers<br /><br />-a group of girls returning a 50 shilling piece (less than 10 cents) they found in their bags and realized didn't belong to them (we had a small issue with money missing during the week...)<br /><br />-watching the counselors bond with their girls<br /><br />-the sense of teamwork that developed as the week went on<br /><br />-doing the Cupid Shuffle with all the staff and counselors during our talent show<br /><br />-having girls come up to me to personally thank me for all the work we put into planning the camp<br /><br />-getting a beer at 11am after all the girls left on the last day of camp. Tony bought our first round and then gave a toast saying how working at GLOW was something he'd been really looking forward to. Our staff was really phenomenal.Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-53393451773606363732011-11-09T09:00:00.001-08:002011-11-09T09:00:42.943-08:00When bad days turn goodWhat started as a crappy day (hearing the DPP ask students what to ask the visitor to donate to the college, having a 20 minute conversation with a GROWN man explaining why it's challenging to be harrassed on a daily basis and how sometimes the thought of going to the market just puts me in a bad mood because it means leaving the safety bubble of the college, stress over planning GLOW, realizing I'm actually leaving Uganda soon with no plans in sight, a persistent headache I've had the past 3 days that just won't go away, etc.) turned into one of the best evenings I've had with my students.<br /><br />I've gotten really close to Fina, the college secretary, the past few weeks. She's come to my house for baking, invited me to her house for dinner, given me a chicken, continues to give me bananas and eggs, and is just a fun, easygoing person. She's my age, progressive, and, honestly, reminds me more of an American than she does a Ugandan. Needless to say, I love spending time with her. <br /><br />Anyway, after the whirlwind of a day that consisted of a program set around our "visitor from Sweden" ($$$), Fina told me we were playing volleyball with the students. I grabbed Buzi and my new frisbee (best Peace Corps grab box find!) and headed to the field. I've been trying to play with the students since I got here...2 months ago. <br /><br />Seeing Madame Kirabo head to the field with dog in tow definitely brought in a crowd. We quickly had a game set up and my team dominated! I like to think it was from my killer serves...as soon as they realized I could serve over the net, that became my designated position and I didn't rotate the rest of the game. <br /><br />There was something about running around in the grass and mud barefoot that melted away my bad mood. Walking barefoot in the grass is something I need to start doing more of. It feels amazing and immediately brings me back to summers in Texas, sitting on the back porch swing, eating watermelon and drinking lemonade. <br /><br />My students also surprised me. They usually speak a mix of Luganda/English pretty much all the time. A few were surprised I could "handle the ball" and when I busted out with "Kitufu, manyi kuzannya. Kati, mugambe oluzungu!" (It's true, I know how to play. Now speak English!) they were beside themselves. For the rest of the game they were correcting each other whenever they slipped into speaking local language. That and having Buzi run on and off the "court" without scaring any of them absolutely made my day. Students finally saw me as more than just the white lady who teaches PES and gets pissed at them if they're late to class.<br /><br /><br /><br />The good: During the first half of the volleyball game there was a gorgeous rainbow over the hills behind the school. Have I mentioned I live in what I like to describe as a zen yoga retreat oasis, complete with hills and greenery as far as you can see? Breathtaking.<br /><br />I also sold 25 AFRIpads to my girls. In two hours.<br /><br /><br />The bad: I ripped my skirt while playing volleyball. I'd like to say I had an intense move where I face planted into the ground to save the ball, but what really happened is my spaz of a dog got too excited and bit/tore my skirt. He was tied all day. Can't blame him.<br /><br /><br />The ugly: The pump is broken. I don't have a latrine. Bucket flushing your toilet once a day (sometimes once every 2 days) sucks. Enough said.<br /><br /><br />Sorry for not posting in over a month. Will work on that. And congratulations to Mar, got accepted to UNT! So proud!<br /><br />AshAshley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-59145989391438389732011-09-24T05:04:00.000-07:002011-09-24T05:07:07.783-07:00The quality isn't the best, but you get the idea. <br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnn2sY0gNkAAshley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-60939706946842707872011-09-18T22:02:00.000-07:002011-09-22T10:08:28.850-07:00Finding the Silver LiningI've been awful at updating this thing. I wanted to wait until something amazing happened at my new place or until I had some really cool integration story, but nothing like that's happened yet. I keep forgetting that my posts don't always have to be positive and a lot of the times I try to avoid writing a negative post, no matter how honest or accurate it may be, because things sound so much worse back home and I don't want anyone worrying about me. <br /><br />Having completed more than half of my service I'm definitely guilty of having the mentality that I'm entitled. It's the sense of having earned something. You put in the effort, and you get acceptance and respect. Makes sense. Changing sites knocks you to the very bottom of the totem pole and forces you to do the work all over again. <br /><br />In the timeline of PC service, right about now is when I'd be handing over projects and stepping back even more than I had been. Getting my site ready for life without me there or, in otherwords, making all of my work sustainable. The last 6 months are supposed to be easier, fun, and a time to really enjoy and appreciate all the work and effort you've put into the past year and a half you've spent with your community. It's not typical for a volunteer to start over with so little time left in their service. To put it bluntly, site changes completely suck. Especially when you don't want one. I'm trying my best to stay positive, but lately I'm feeling a little bitter. <br /><br />It was hard to leave behind my old site and to leave behind students that I've taught my entire time here. It was even worse not being able to observe them during their final school practice (student teaching) and get them ready to apply for jobs. It was difficult not being able to say goodbye to the people that took me in and made me a part of the community. But I got over it, or at least I accepted that it was something I had to do. <br /><br />Now I'm struggling with being seen as a new volunteer when I've already gone through all the work and growing pains of establishing myself as a legitimate member of a community. Sometimes you have days when you feel like you never want to leave this place. Everything clicks...you have work, you're busy, projects are successful, everyone knows you, and you even have a social life in the village. These days are what I live for. It also takes a lot of work and dedication to get to that level of integration. As awful as it sounds, right now I'm not motivated to do that work.<br /><br />I know what I have to do to be not only accepted into a community, but also to be happy in the village. I've done it before, and I've done it correctly. I'm having this terrible inner struggle with myself where I know the work that needs to be done, but I feel like I shouldn't have to do it again. It's that awful and selfish sense of entitlement I was talking about before. I'm indirectly taking out all my frustrations on my new community by not giving them the same effort I gave to Kyotera. While my situation is by no means fair, the way I am reacting is completely unfair to Nakaseke.<br /><br />I've been too negative lately and I'm working to focus on the positives and how fortunate I am to be at such a well-off school where the tutors are qualified. Today is just one of those days where I woke up and thought I was back in Rakai. Being homesick for a place in Uganda is something I never thought I would experience. <br /><br />I guess with all the negativity and bitterness and pent up resentment I'm waiting to find the opportunity that I know has to be right in front of my face. I've taken my time to be upset and to mope around. It's way past time for me to get motivated and find out where I'm needed here. They say there's a silver lining to every dark cloud; I'm just waiting to find mine.Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-76734668681125014732011-09-11T10:21:00.000-07:002011-09-11T10:22:46.185-07:00I've moved!More to come soon, but I am officially a tutor at Nakaseke Core Primary Teachers' college in Nakaseke, Luweero district. <br /><br />**I have a new mailing address: P.O. Box 26 Wobulenzi, Uganda**<br /><br />I'll write a longer update soon. Know that I am ok and have transitioned as best as possible. Miss you guys.Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-91310653157581328282011-08-09T05:38:00.001-07:002011-08-09T05:51:55.439-07:00I've been up an down lately. With all the difficulties I've been experiencing, both personally and professionally, I have lost focus of why I'm here. I feel like I'm going crazy. My emotions have gone haywire and I cry almost every time someone asks me about my site. I hate not having control and not being able to keep myself in check. I'm not that person, and I don't want to become that person.
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<br />Yes, I am here for myself...to a certain extent. I'm here to learn about myself, to push myself outside of my comfort zone, to grow, and to to get the experience of a lifetime. After living here for a year, I can confidently say I know myself better than I ever have before and that I have changed. Africa changes you. Peace Corps changes you. I think it's change for the better, though.
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<br />So while I am here for myself, more importantly I am here for my community. For the little boy sitting next to me on my taxi ride home who I share a muffin with. For the kids who greet me at my doorstep. For the shop owners who offer a genuine smile and handshake every time I stop by to buy eggs or bread. For the voices calling "Bye, Kirabo!" from the matooke fields as I pass by on my way home. For the lady who gives me a free pineapple because I greeted her in the local language. For my students whose scores have dramatically improved since I started teaching them. For the girls and women all over Uganda who I have been educating end empowering to be able to take care of their bodies. For the brothers who now know how to bake. For the children's ward in the health center. For the sisters who feed me dinner every Sunday night. For teaching scrabble. For playing volleyball. For being invited to visit family members. For every member of Biikira Parish who picked up a paint brush to help complete 8 murals in the village and for every person who reads the messages from these murals.
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<br />That's why I'm here. Life is difficult and messy and right now I seem to be getting hit from all angles, but I've spent enough time being sad. It's time to pick myself back up and make the best of my situation. I love my village and my community too much to give up on them now. Does that make me crazy? Maybe, but I know they love and respect me just as much, if not more. And maybe that makes them crazy. Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-79896322576250450452011-08-07T23:26:00.000-07:002011-08-09T06:11:39.054-07:00The Third GenderBeing a woman in Uganda is challenging. Living here has made me realize how much I took for granted being a women in America. Uganda is a country where women are still seen as lesser than men. This is apparent when you see any Ugandan woman greet a man...she kneels down, lowers her eyes, and shakes his hand. It's the way the culture is here and while I may not agree with it, I'm by no means in any position to try and change it.
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<br />What's more challenging is being a white woman in Uganda. Sure the sexual harassment and the negative attention are a lot to deal with, but I've learned to tolerate them (most of the time). What I still sometimes struggle with is being part of a "third gender." The Ugandan man is definitely at the top and the Ugandan woman is definitely at the bottom. Based on the color of my skin and all that it implies (that I have money, that I'm educated, etc.) I fall somewhere in the middle where I'm not quite equal to a man but I'm treated with more respect than a woman. I understand this, but it doesn't make it any easier.
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<br />Sometimes I am treated like a man out of respect but I definitely don't get the same privileges. As a woman if I speak my mind I have to be very careful of what I say and who I say it to. If I have an idea that I know will benefit the community I need to make sure it comes from a man if I every want to implement it. Other times I am separated from the women, again out of respect, because as a "visitor" you are expected to talk and eat with members of higher class, ie men, and not those who prepare the meals and clean, ie, women.
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<br />Just something interesting to think about. Uganda is behind America in terms of gender equality (Ugandan men can't believe male Peace Corps volunteers cook for me or help me wash dishes!). Being a part of this culture has made me appreciate how I am viewed and treated in America. Definitely something I'm looking forward to coming home to.Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-74107303386164980652011-07-19T06:21:00.000-07:002011-07-19T07:24:38.462-07:00What makes a good Peace Corps Volunteer?This is a topic I’ve been contemplating, especially since my latest coping mechanism involves dodging site. We all joined Peace Corps with notions of what our lives should or shouldn’t be like. A year and a half later I still don’t know if there’s a set definition for what it means to be a PCV, much less a good one.<br /><br />When I found out I was coming to Uganda, I researched as much as I could about this tiny country. I thought I’d be living in a mud hut, isolated from civilization, never speaking English, and eating bugs with my neighbors. Aside from the bug eating part, I couldn’t have been farther from the truth. I live in the doctor’s quarters of a health center in a house that is bigger than my apartment in America. Granted, I don’t have running water or consistent electricity, but my house is pretty ballin’. Life here is nothing like I expected it would be.<br /><br />I didn’t think I’d get super close to other volunteers and was genuinely shocked at how quickly I became part of a family with my training group. These people have been the foundation to my success here and without them my life here would have been bearable, but not nearly as enriched.<br /><br />As volunteers, we tend to get a complex about being a “good PCV.” Does it mean we’re not supposed to leave site to socialize with each other? Does it mean we shouldn’t splurge every once in a while on “American” food and luxuries, like Heinz ketchup instead of tomato sauce, and decent shampoo? Does it mean we shouldn’t allow ourselves access to daily internet? The longer I spend here the more I realize I don’t have to deprive myself from the things that give me joy, I don’t have to limit my happiness in order to be a good PCV.<br /><br />Does being a good PCV mean you close yourself off to the outside world? Absolutely not. To me, it’s about sharing experiences and growing as a person. I’ve learned more about myself in the last year and a half than I did in all of my college years. I’ve changed as a person. I’ve begun to realize how short life really is and just how quickly time passes (I only have 9 months left??). I’ve stopped holding back as much and I’ve opened myself up and shared myself with people.<br /><br />So what If some of us pay for someone to cook us dinner or to wash our clothes, does that mean we’re not “Peace Corps”? If something contributes to your overall wellbeing and doesn’t harm anyone in the process, then do it. I’m tired of getting caught up in the immense guilt of constantly trying to “be more PC.” Life here is hard enough as it is and only gets unnecessarily harder if I limit myself by falling victim to this mindset. <br /><br />I like to think I’m a good PCV, but then again I’m biased. I have a dog and an internet modem and make up that makes me feel feminine and pretty when I wear it. I have 2 phones and 4 different network sim cards to be able to connect and stay in touch with volunteers here. Communication keeps me sane and reminds me that I’m still at least a little normal and haven’t turned into a total freak show here. I have a truly incredible boyfriend who continues to help me grow into a better person, and a better volunteer. Without that constant support and encouragement from him and my best friends here, I wouldn’t be happy. I wouldn’t be as strong as I have been to deal with what Uganda, and life for that matter, throw at me. <br /><br />I would still be “PC,” but my life wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying as it is now. If I am happy and emotionally and mentally stable, I get more work done and more fulfillment out of the work that I do. If I’m not happy and emotionally sound, then I’m not worth anything to the people here. <br /><br />The one thing I know with absolutely certainty is that I refuse to close myself off to happiness. PC doesn’t always have to mean suffering. Of course life here is way harder than it is in America, but at the end of the day, I know I’m doing good things here. I’m focused and determined and I know when I need to take a mental break from site. To me, being able to maintain that balance is what it means to be a good PCV.Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-63053010952913838742011-07-08T23:59:00.000-07:002011-07-15T05:55:15.815-07:00When it rains it poursThere are two things I hate the most in Uganda: getting sick and transport. These past few days the stars aligned and I was fortunate enough to be blessed with both. <br /><br />Since my PTC shut down, I've been out East doing AFRIpads presentations. 11 presentations, 400+ pads, and hundreds of girls in two weeks. It's been equally awesome and exhausting. <br /><br />Towards the end of my Eastern trek, I managed to get some sort of nasty cold as well as some pretty wicked flu symptoms. Being away from site and being sick just puts me in a crappy, negative, even depressed mood. Traveling is exahusting and, when paired with being sick, it's downright debilitating. <br /><br />Turns out I had a bladder infection and schisto. Fun stuff. I was looking forward to getting back to site, turning off my phone, taking a boatload of meds, and getting back into the swing of things. Aside from taking a boatload of meds, everything else was a disaster.<br /><br />Long story short: My principal continues to be a very corrupt man, "mismanaging finances." And it turns out he was transferred from the last college he worked FOR THE SAME REASON. Peace Corps knew this and willingly gave him another volunteer. What I didn't know was that the Ministry of Education only wanted him to get another volunteer to help correct the budget and money management. Woah, I'm finding out a year later this is what I'm supposed to be doing? No thanks. <br /><br />The list goes on...Brother Lawrence turned in his keys and quit because, big surprise, the principal refused to pay him. My principal made a blatant pass at me bordering on sexual harrassment in the middle of my having, what I thought was, a serious conversation with him. On top of all this I took my last round of schisto meds and passed out for a good two days. I'm talking didn't get out of bed and barely woke up. Nasty stuff, I felt like death. <br /><br />Throw in my post office closing down (again), the secondary school calling to say Buzi killed 3 sheep and that they are going to kill him (when the brothers watching him said they didn't know anything about this and Buzi has been well behaved the whole time), and someone stealing a brand new roll of TP from my latrine (I've been here a year+ and have never had to lock my latrine!) It's been a hell of a week. <br /><br />Oh, and did I mention that Peace Corps wants me to "seriously consider moving sites" due to all the financial crap going down at the college? After integrating into my community and becoming family with some of the people there the thought of moving brings me to tears. <br /><br />Such is the continuous roller coaster that is Peace Corps. You have incredible highs, and then you have incredible lows. This is definitely one of my lowest. Not to worry, I'll get through it...I always do. <br /><br />Missing everyone.Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-61216724897351200712011-06-27T06:28:00.000-07:002011-06-27T06:45:49.510-07:0050 BooksI just finished reading my 50th book in country (the ones with stars are my favorites):<br /><br />*Educating Esme (Esme Raji Codell)<br />The 10th Circle (Jodi Picoult)<br />The Alchemist (Paulo Coelino)<br />A Wrinkle in Time (L'Engle)<br />Last Summer of You and Me (Ann Brasheares)<br />The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (Mark Haddan)<br />*The Glass Castle (Jeanette Walls)<br />House of Sand and Fog (Andre DuBus III)<br />Life of Pi (Yann Martel)<br />Three Junes (Julia Glass)<br />*Running with Scissors (Augusten Burroughs)<br />Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood (Rebecca Wells)<br />*The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein)<br />The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)<br />The Pact (Jodi Picoult)<br />*The Giver (Lois Lowry)<br />Boy Meets Girl (Meg Cabot)<br />Queen of Babble in the Big City (Meg Cabot)<br />The Beach House (Jan Green)<br />Three Cups of Tea (Greg Mortenson)<br />Cesar's Way (Cesar Milan)<br />Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)<br />*Mister Pip (Lloyd Jones)<br />*Naked (David Sedaris)<br />The Fall (Albert Camus)<br />Picture Perfect (Jodi Picoult)<br />*Same Kind of Different as Me (Ron Hall and Denver Moore)<br />Bloodsucking Fiends (Christopher Moore)<br />The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitsgerald)<br />*The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)<br />Disgrace (J.M. Coetzee)<br />*Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Jonathan Safran Foer)<br />For One More Day (mitch Albom)<br />The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)<br />In the Time of the Butterflies (Julia Alvarez)<br />The Indian in the Cupboard (Lynne Reid Banks)<br />The Post-Birthday World (Lionel Shriver)<br />The Hour I First Believed (Wally Lamb)<br />Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov)<br />The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)<br />The Book Thief (Markus Zusak)<br />The Time Traveler's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)<br />The Devil in the White City (Erik Larson)<br />*A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hosseini)<br />Conversations with my Dog (Zig Ziglar)<br />*The Forgotten Garden (Kate Morton)<br />*Little Bee (Chris Cleave)<br />*5 Quarters of the Orange (Joanne Harris)<br />The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Stieg Larson)<br />B is for Beer (Tom Robbins)Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-80171148344395092352011-06-25T07:14:00.000-07:002011-06-25T12:18:24.909-07:0041 PCVs + 36 cans of paint + Ugandan students + 8 walls = best and most productive weekend ever<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoctNcr0Jsu5VZ-4V2Il9PlUTh7iJClya4OUicRoXU_voiBmUIE8E7ZzOaU_UPDxYRxKV3KVMDsywbejufe5NWX9BHvT-UATuJgEsvi1oxQL1f9saRCR1fCuJU8FoVa3Vhqa7YimZJ1lU/s1600/IMGP2543.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoctNcr0Jsu5VZ-4V2Il9PlUTh7iJClya4OUicRoXU_voiBmUIE8E7ZzOaU_UPDxYRxKV3KVMDsywbejufe5NWX9BHvT-UATuJgEsvi1oxQL1f9saRCR1fCuJU8FoVa3Vhqa7YimZJ1lU/s320/IMGP2543.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622235799780622418" /></a><br /><br />I've delayed. I know. But the story (and more importantly, the pictures!) is finally here. As of 2 weeks ago I finished up my huge mural painting project. The idea was to get people talking about how to avoid the spread HIV/AIDS. My students drew pictures depicting situations that can potentially lead to spreading HIV, such as sharing needles and having multiple sexual partners. Aside from the planning and organizing, I really can't take that much credit for it. My students did the majority of the prep work and, with the help of some truly amazing Peace Corps volunteers, we finished up the painting in one day. The pictures are posted on facebook, from the beginning of the project to the (almost) end. We still have to put a few messages in local language up, but we're getting there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uk_33raxnZAzo2oDpw0na_8UeCHNApc78NMvGjQMrKE6TelJfzVfEhsRYpKxnQOKKHZq5t_CTbHQoDVLf0Do0phFZKFO4Imufcgrf6wf60E7SEWUnelnnYGMKFJ6Mon7sDM_1sAMPHQ/s1600/IMGP2711.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uk_33raxnZAzo2oDpw0na_8UeCHNApc78NMvGjQMrKE6TelJfzVfEhsRYpKxnQOKKHZq5t_CTbHQoDVLf0Do0phFZKFO4Imufcgrf6wf60E7SEWUnelnnYGMKFJ6Mon7sDM_1sAMPHQ/s320/IMGP2711.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622236923415854034" /></a><br /><br />The entire weekend was a huge success. I was anticipating a few bumps along the way, but honestly it couldn't have run more smoothly. I hosted about 28 PCVs at my house and when everyone arrived Friday night we ate 4 kilos of rice (and who knows how many grilled veggies) out of a huge pot, family style. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zPJKqTeDwJwVW2Fd7NKSRRr66mcpXbdIGiWoy9UvXNjcQyw68p87JQVssitfS34xgq1dUZoBcz7h5s8T0V-s6VDymrwWRJuWbDu4MPo0Lek7952I3zd3bGx1M9Jt4jerm0H480NwiIc/s1600/IMGP2710.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zPJKqTeDwJwVW2Fd7NKSRRr66mcpXbdIGiWoy9UvXNjcQyw68p87JQVssitfS34xgq1dUZoBcz7h5s8T0V-s6VDymrwWRJuWbDu4MPo0Lek7952I3zd3bGx1M9Jt4jerm0H480NwiIc/s320/IMGP2710.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622236918066353602" /></a><br /><br />Saturday was painting day! Each of the 8 painting sites had 2-3 PCVs and several students from the college. By the time I finished running around making sure people had paintbrushes, mixing containers, paint thinner, etc., most of the work was finished! I can't even begin to express my gratitude to the group of PCVs who came down to help out. Even more amazing was how proud my students were of their work. They were the artists and had a lot of say in how they wanted their pictures colored. It was one of the best days I've had at site.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY69IN-BtbNgh04XbjPNKirhCmQs0y2QhHgaXxaXlA6nGyH-6DaXnpmxp8rqGcXz1DNxnnD2J1gDCX8tS8aLAt0lnsIGa1-KL1c_JUKskKSdPcAto-HgpJ6gWiFaPHzhgMao0QHlsXRs4/s1600/IMGP2708.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY69IN-BtbNgh04XbjPNKirhCmQs0y2QhHgaXxaXlA6nGyH-6DaXnpmxp8rqGcXz1DNxnnD2J1gDCX8tS8aLAt0lnsIGa1-KL1c_JUKskKSdPcAto-HgpJ6gWiFaPHzhgMao0QHlsXRs4/s320/IMGP2708.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622236910948944210" /></a><br /><br />As a thank you to having everyone come down and help, we roasted 2 goats and a chicken on Sunday. We also had a football match, PCVs vs. Rakai PTC students. Sunday was pretty much a day to relax and hang out. We had another family style meal while we were waiting for the meat to cook, this time an appetizer of guacamole. I think at least 20 avocados went into the mix! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4ABaQQk_Sq1GvzdUP9YZQbmm4ynCWd_Wq_D1LhPyPYSN3GtJtw_aA05Un3MmMem_SOfLUojiVKxUr0DNy8Pwx5XsfXCqiKPvba03kHCAuftpFSF3yIKCXFWb97gLtRgzgGU6XDM3Q5s/s1600/JoesPictures+429.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4ABaQQk_Sq1GvzdUP9YZQbmm4ynCWd_Wq_D1LhPyPYSN3GtJtw_aA05Un3MmMem_SOfLUojiVKxUr0DNy8Pwx5XsfXCqiKPvba03kHCAuftpFSF3yIKCXFWb97gLtRgzgGU6XDM3Q5s/s320/JoesPictures+429.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622238627973901362" /></a><br /><br />Thanks for everyone's support throughout this project. Feedback is welcome!<br /><br />Ashley<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8Nu27lM6m0avgWM-J9ImvbjfnTL6O-RKdO1L0aLilDkGx18XyvsFMd8Q6HkUtdYohE62sn9L_eLHnpz7ViEph4QUA2d5sIethC2yQRHcStD8KJXk9zKzYhsojvi0b13SSco-QgVK78M/s1600/JoesPictures+420.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8Nu27lM6m0avgWM-J9ImvbjfnTL6O-RKdO1L0aLilDkGx18XyvsFMd8Q6HkUtdYohE62sn9L_eLHnpz7ViEph4QUA2d5sIethC2yQRHcStD8KJXk9zKzYhsojvi0b13SSco-QgVK78M/s320/JoesPictures+420.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622238629762100034" /></a>Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-26313923843328725832011-06-05T12:36:00.000-07:002011-06-05T12:38:46.778-07:00Laziness takes on a whole new meaningThis past week has been my busiest since I’ve been in country. I’ve been waking up at 6 to try and squeeze in a work out before spending the better half of the day at the college (on average from 8-6 every day). My students have been phenomenal. We managed to paint, grid, and draw all 8 pictures on the mural sites in 3 days. I thought drawing the pictures would take us all weekend and part of Monday to finish…my students finished on Thursday! When I told them to break for lunch, they told me they were going to finish before eating. I was shocked; I’ve never gotten that sort of response from anyone here! In my experience, they try and find any excuse they can to get out of working. It really made me realize how pumped my students are about this project. Joan, one of the second year girls in my girls club, came up to me and said how proud she was to be involved in the project and how it was going to do amazing things for the community by spreading educational messages. This whole week I have been busting with pride. I can’t stop smiling! This magnificent high I’ve been riding is still around, and I ‘m freaking loving it. To feel this good about work for this long is a foreign concept for me, but I really hope it continues to last. My community is coming alive and I can’t wait to see how they interact with the 35+ Peace Corps volunteers that are coming down my way next weekend to help us paint. <br /><br />Now for the downside…getting all the work done on Thursday meant I really didn’t have much to do over the weekend. I decided I’d take Friday off and have a “me day.” Bad idea. Laziness here is like this terrible black hole. It sucks you in without warning and before you know it you’ve watched 8 episodes of Freaks and Geeks, had 5 cups of hot chocolate, and devoured an entire 2.5 serving pasta meal. Did I just confess to that? Oops. But it’s true. And after the awesome productive week I had I felt so disgusted with myself after Friday. And guilty. I felt like such a waste of a human being and I really didn’t like it. I didn’t leave my house and I don’t even think I changed out of my pajamas all day. I guess days like that are good every once in a while, but they’re also dangerous. It’s terrifyingly easy to slip into that mindset of “just one more episode…” and the next thing you know it’s 8:00 at night and you haven’t done a single productive thing all day. <br /> <br />I’m definitely going to make up for it this week, though. Before Friday I have to slash my yard, clear the walk ways, clean the latrine, empty out and clean the neighboring house, clean my house, arrange to have 20 mattresses delivered, teach 7 lessons at the college, pay for and pick up the 2 goats we’ll be roasting at the celebration on Sunday, make sure the football pitch is ready for the tournament, sensitize my kids about proper behavior around visitors (ie, not begging for money or calling them mazungu), and have a meal ready for the 24 people staying at my house by the time they all get here Friday evening. Just another week in Uganda!<br /><br />Wish me luck! Completed mural pictures to come soon!<br /><br />Love y’all,<br />AshAshley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-3948024009857402352011-05-23T06:13:00.000-07:002011-05-23T08:14:05.346-07:00All you need is loveLove is a funny thing. It takes seconds to fall in love but years to fully understand what love is. It’s that warmth that pulses through your veins and makes you feel fuzzy. It seeps out of every pore of your body. It means accepting something for what it is, flaws and all. It’s irrational. It makes you feel invincible and ready to take on the world. It makes you venerable and open to the possibility of hurt but even more wonderful it opens you to the opportunity of feeling pure happiness.<br /><br />Ask me on a different day when I’ve been woken up on a bus by getting a face full of curdled yogurt vomit slewn in through the window by someone retching out the window two rows in front of me (which really happened, by the way) and I may deny what I’m about to say, but right now where I am, I am genuinely in love with my life in Uganda. It’s been a roller coaster full of ups, downs, dips and turns, but it’s led me to one of the most rewarding places I’ve ever been.<br /><br />I’ve been in a sort of “non-funk” lately and it took some quality time with a group of amazing people and a home cooked Chinese meal by a very respected fellow PCV to make me realize just how negative I’ve been. As volunteers, we go through a sometimes vicious cycle of ups and downs. Peace Corps service truly is love hate. I recently had my mid-service conference and after talking with the other volunteers from my training class, I was able to step back and reflect on my overall outlook on my life. I didn’t like what I saw. I saw this jaded and cynical person. That’s not who I am. <br /><br />I’ve been holding onto this irrational sense of entitlement. So I’ve been living here for a year, who cares? To everyone else I’m just another white person, just another short term volunteer to take advantage of and earn a few extra shillings from. Just another dollar sign with the potential of paying for school fees or another sachet of Waragi. Can I blame them? Honestly, not really. With the amount of foreign aid that’s been dumped into this country it’s no wonder (most) Ugandans think white people are the cure all. Why should I work when the mzungu is going to come in and build a school for me? This is the bitter cynical side I’ve been talking about. But if letting go of my pride and even some of my feeling of self worth means I’ll have an overall more enjoyable and rewarding experience here then sign me up. I need to stop being so sensitive to the general population’s view of me. What matters is how I present myself to those I actually respect, the people I see on a daily basis, my colleagues and friends. <br /><br />I’ve decided to do whatever it takes to make this next year truly count. I’m having the most unforgettable experience I could ever hope for and I’m finished taking it for granted. The last few weeks I’ve taken the time to think about my life. I live in a beautiful country. I’m able to see the stars more clearly than I ever have before. I’ve seen some of the most breathtaking sunrises. I’ve seen pure and undeveloped nature. I’ve gotten closer to people in the last 15 months than I have with some people my entire life. I’ve felt comfortable in my own skin and grown less afraid and skeptical of change. I am so privileged to be where I am.<br /><br />I made sure to come back to site with this outlook and it’s been fantastic. I’m taking the time to do the things that I’ve for some reason or another been putting off. I managed to invite myself to dinner with the sisters last night and ended up having one of the loveliest evenings I’ve ever had. They are genuine people and were so happy to have my company for dinner. You invite yourself over to dinner in America and you’re not always greeted with the same hospitality. Now I have a dinner date every Sunday at the convent. Even better, through casual conversation they presented ideas for new projects and now we’re going to work together to train the community health workers to be able to issue ARVs to the HIV positive patients in the area. <br /><br />My best friend, Brother Lawrence, is back. He’s Kenyan and therefore doesn’t get paid by the Ugandan government. For the past year he’s basically been teaching for free because the principal hasn’t been paying him. He finally had enough and decided to leave the college to finish his studies. The University is on holiday for the summer months so he came back to volunteer at the college the next few months. I went to greet him today and ended up spending the entire morning and afternoon playing scrabble, washing his 6 new puppies, and having lunch with the brothers. <br /> <br />The people here truly care about me and trust me. I’ve been taking that for granted. I’ve been taking my life for granted and for a while I lost sight of why I’m here. I got caught up in the negativity and the bitterness I’ve been harboring. A really good friend of mine recently told me to figure out what’s important and what you’re willing to give up to keep it. My relationships in this country are what are important. They’re what matters and what keep me in Uganda. If being harassed by people who don’t know me the same way Brother Lawrence and the sisters do is something that I have to deal with then so be it. I’m willing to give up my pride to keep what really matters: the friendships I have with Ugandans that continue to change my life every day I’m here. I’m in love with my life and I plan to continue riding this high every minute I’m here.Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-120924654425319742011-05-02T03:27:00.000-07:002011-05-02T03:35:37.372-07:00What a year in Uganda has taught meA year ago I swore in as a PCV. I moved away from my family of other volunteers into my village and began to understand what a “primary school teacher trainer” really did. I’ve overcome more struggles this past year than I have my whole life, and have had even more successes. <br /><br />A year in Uganda has made me learn to appreciate the small things in life and the importance of patience. The littlest thing like being addressed by name can make all the difference in how much satisfaction I get out of my day. <br /><br />A year in Uganda has shown me how much of a self motivator I really am. It’s taught me to not care about what people think or how they perceive me because, here, they’re going to talk about me and stare at me no matter what I do. <br /><br />A year in Uganda has taught me the value of being a woman, something I definitely took for granted in America. I’ve been sexually harassed on a near daily basis here, from being asked for sex in a somewhat joking matter to be flat out propositioned for sex as a fee for getting my mail. <br /><br />A year in Uganda has made me realize how strong I am and how much I can endure. I’ve pushed myself to the limits and, if possible, have set higher standards for myself than I ever did in America. More importantly, I’ve learned how to pick myself back up and try a new approach when I don’t quite meet the goals I’ve set for myself or when I’ve utterly failed. <br /><br />A year in Uganda has made me realize the value of relationships. I first had the know-it-all approach of wanting to “fix” everything that was wrong with my village, or what I thought was wrong at least. I’ve learned without the trust and respect of my community, nothing can get done. My relationships in this country are the backbone of my success and along the way I’ve met some truly inspiring and amazing people. They have changed my life more than they know and I hope I have done a sliver of the same for them. <br /><br />A year in Uganda has taught me that while having initiative is one of the keys to success, you won’t get anywhere without follow through. Watching foreign aid come in and build schools without training teachers devastates this country and instills in it the notion that white people are the save all because they throw money around to fix problems. I’ve truly learned to respect and appreciate the value of Peace Corps as an organization. They have it right when they put volunteers in high need communities with the expectation of training locals and providing them with the skills they need in order to live a successful life. Like the old saying goes, if you give a man a fish he eats for a day but if you teach a man a fish he eats for a lifetime. <br /><br />A year in Uganda has shown me that change doesn’t necessarily mean the end. Change is definitely a scary concept that I am still getting comfortable with, but more than that change brings about opportunity and growth. Without change things would remain stagnant and boring. Change means excitement and the chance to learn even more about yourself.<br /><br />A year in Uganda has made me appreciate family and friendship. Without the constant and never judging support I get from you guys back home, there's no way I'd still be where I am today. Your love and encouragement keeps me going on the days when I find it hard to muster up the motivation to leave me house. Thanks for all you do!<br /><br />AshAshley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-59939207570736862272011-04-10T02:17:00.000-07:002011-04-10T02:43:43.410-07:00Just another day in Uganda...A lot of people have been asking me what a typical day in Uganda is like. Ask any PCV and they'll tell you there's really no such thing as "typical" in Uganda. Today, however, was an exceptionally amazing day so I'll use it as an example that will hopefully give you a better idea of what life can be like here.<br /><br />Sunday usually means laundry day. I gathered all my dirty clothes from the past two weeks and proceeded to wash them...by hand. By now, I have a pretty good system for laundry where I set up outside on my back porch: clothes basket with dirty clothes, wash basin with soapy water, wash basin with clean rinse water. The whole process takes about an hour. I wash each piece by hand, whites first then darks and finally towels. I hang everything (minus "unmentionables," which are hung on an indoor clothesline) on a clothesline behind my house. On a good day, with lots of sunshine and no clouds or rain, my cloths are usually dry a little after lunch. <br /><br />After I finished washing, I worked out. P90X is my new favorite thing in Uganda, especially the cardio workout...that thing kicks my butt! And, thanks to some gracious PCV who donated an old pair of tennies to the PC grab box, I finally have a pair of running shoes! I didn't realize how much I'd been missing them until I got them and, trust me, I am using them every day. I finished up my workout and made breakfast, oatmeal with wheat bran and peanut butter.<br /><br />I recently got a package from Grandma that had some coloring books and crayons in it. I took a book and a box of crayons next door to color with Jackie and Joy. They had a blast! They watched me color and then somehow copied me by staying inside the lines of the pictures instead of scribbling all over the page. Martha, the girls' mom, heard us laughing and came out to see what was going on. She ended up coloring, too. We were all sitting on Martha's front porch when Sister Immaculate, one of the supervisors at the health center, came over to see what we were doing. She got so excited about the pictures that she asked me if I would do the same thing at the children's ward with the patients about to be discharged. <br /><br />I couldn't have been happier. By this point in my service, I've kind of backed off proposing project ideas because I've found that things work much better when people approach me with an idea. When they take ownership over a project proposal they become invested and don't want to see it fail whereas if I suggest something and it falls through, they aren't the ones failing...I am. The fact that Sr. Immaculate not only pitched an idea to me but was excited about it has a lot of potential for success. New project: arts and crafts at the health center in the children's ward!<br /><br />Side note: Sr. Immaculate walked me back to my house and started asking questions about Afripads. She wants to start selling them in the canteen at the health center to raise money for the children's ward. Again, even thought this is a project I am 100% behind and have even suggested in the past, the idea came from Sr Immaculate which means that it has the potential to be sustainable. <br /><br />Namusisi, one of my best friends and fellow tutors at the college, came by to visit me. We sat on the porch and made plans to walk to town tomorrow and go to the market. She went home and I read for a while in my hammock outside.<br /><br />So that was my day. Granted, it was a Sunday and I didn't have any classes to teach. It may seem boring or slow or whatever you want to call it, but it was a good day for me. I take my victories where I can get them and seeing community members comfortable enough to approach me with project ideas is a huge victory. How did you spend your Sunday?Ashley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-40148960341980655162011-04-07T10:12:00.000-07:002011-04-07T10:20:16.786-07:00Tugenda kusiiga bifaananyi!I am writing this post with a very happy and excited heart. It's official...my grant was approved today and we'll be painting 7 murals in Biikira! I had a meeting with the tutors at the college and I think they were more excited about planning the project than I was (shocker, you all know how I feel about planning!!). Here's a rundown of the project:<br /><br />We'll be working with students at the college to illustrate messages that educate the community on the spread of HIV/AIDS and how to avoid putting yourself at risk. The students will be working together in groups to come up with 7 different pictures to be painted throughout the village. I'm hoping to have an HIV lesson in the upcoming weeks and have the pictures finished before the students leave for holiday, around Easter. When the return for 2nd term at the end of May we'll prep the sites with plaster and background paint then paint outlines of the pictures on the walls so that on June 11th, when all of my wonderful Peace Corps friends and staff will be making the trek down here, we will work together to basically do a paint by number to complete the project. <br /><br />I am ecstatic! Not only for the knowledge we will be spreading to the community but mainly for the fact that my tutors are completely and 100% on board with this project! They are taking complete ownership and making plans to involve the entire community. They even want to turn the weekend into a whole HIV education event, including teaching life skills to the youth and having the health center host an HIV testing fair. I couldn't be more proud of them. <br /><br />More to come and expect TONS of pictures! <br /><br />Happy Birthday, Dad!<br /><br />Love y'all so much,<br /><br />AshAshley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-88272170666982749802011-03-28T10:56:00.000-07:002011-03-28T11:34:03.614-07:00Things I never thought I would miss in Uganda...I promise it's not ALL food!<br /><br /><br />water fountains<br />sidewalk<br />lettuce<br />sturdy nails that don't bend in half when you hammer them<br />ice cream<br />chicken fajitas from Taco Cabana<br />margaritas<br />SxSW<br />concerts in general<br />traffic laws that people obey<br />real bakeries<br />using a debit card<br />fences<br />privacy<br />sunbathing<br />milk and cereal<br />feeling carpet on my bare-feet<br />sandwiches<br />unlimited text messages and free nights and weekends<br />being outside after 7pm<br />high heels<br />genuinely feeling beautiful <br />frozen grapes<br />granulated sugar<br />having my own seat in a car<br />ice cubes <br />baking in a real oven<br />being invisible<br />fabric softener<br />wearing shorts in publicAshley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-67443490860513642422011-03-15T09:57:00.000-07:002011-03-15T10:18:09.422-07:00AfripadsI just got back to site from a week and a half worth of traveling and putting on reproductive/menstrual health presentations to girls all over Western Uganda. I put on 5 presentations total: one to the new peace corps trainees, one on international women's day to 170 secondary girls, one to a class of p7 girls, one to over 400 secondary girls, and one to over 130 girls at another PTC. It's good to be home and I'm beat, but I freakin loved every minute of it! This is something I am so passionate about, and not to sound cocky, but something I am really good at. I teach girls and women (primary, secondary, girls at the college, womens' groups, health center workers)basic reproductive health, the gyst of their menstrual cycles, Afripads, and conclude with a Q&A where I am brutally honest with responses to their questions...I'm talking the idea of "safe days" to masturbation to myths about avoiding pregnancy. You'd be surprised at the break down of information and some of the misconceptions that exist over here. <br /><br />A typical presentation lasts anywhere from one to three hours, depending on how much time the girls want to spend on the Q&A. I start by showing diagrams of both the male and female reproductive systems. I have the girls name and define each part. Then we move on to the menstrual cycle and talk about ways they cope with their periods here in Uganda. You find that many girls use pads during their periods (which cost about 3,000UGX per pack) but they also use things like towels, old clothes, chunks of mattress foam, toilet paper, and I kid you not feathers...that's hygienic. Then we do the breakdown of how much they are spending on pads a year, 36,000UGX if they use one pack of pads a month. I present an alternative to disposable pads, the Afripad.<br /><br />Afripads are reusable menstrual pads made here in Uganda by Ugandan women. Each pack comes with the pad, 2 straight liners, 3 winged liners, a plastic carrying case for soiled liners, and instructions in Luganda and English. The total cost is 3,500UGX. Not only do Afripads save girls money, but they are also more reliable than their alternatives, ie, feathers, and they are environmentally friendly. Each pack can last a girl through 12 cycles, or one year, if she takes care of it and washes it properly. That means that for slightly more than the cost of one pack of pads, girls have an alternative that will last them through the whole year. It's common in Uganda for girls to miss school when they are on their periods. Especially in primary school, when girls have to sit for their exit exams, missing a week of school every month is hugely detrimental. Afripads aims at giving girls a cheaper option to help keep them in school. If you want more information check out http://www.afripads.com/<br /><br />In other news I am one of the co-coordinators for camp GLOW this year, which I am super pumped about! You guys know how much I loved being a counselor last year and I can't even begin to express my excitement about being behind the scenes and planning the camp for this year. More to come soon, including ways you guys can help out!<br /><br />Other than that things are pretty much the same around here. Observing my second years out in the field doing their school practice, starting to teach my first years, playing volleyball with them, getting my girls' club up and running. Not much more going on.<br /><br /><br />Hope all is well stateside. Happy birthday, Momma!<br /><br />Much love,<br />AshAshley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-86042993986563841662011-02-19T09:53:00.000-08:002011-03-01T06:59:51.867-08:00Happy 50th Anniversary, Peace Corps!March 1, 1961 was the day that Peace Corps was established by Executive Order. 50 years later, more than 200,000 volunteers have served in Peace Corps. This is a big year for us and I'm proud to be a part of it. <br /><br />Some exciting news...not only did all of my students pass my course last term but they scored higher in my course than they did ANY OTHER COURSE AT THE COLLEGE! THe highest score was 98! And if that's not enough, their scores for my course have drastically improved from the last year. Guess I'm not too shabby of a teacher afterall!<br /><br />I've mentioned my mural painting project to some of you (I'm working with my students and other community members to come up with illustrations about the spread of HIV/AIDS and how to avoid it. These illustrations will be turned into murals to be painted around my village) and I'm extremely happy and excited to let you know that my country director not only loved the idea but wanted to get involved. He's put it on the PC calendar of 50th anniversary events in Uganda and even encouraged me to submit a grant proposal to get funding for the project. I turned in all my documents for the proposal and should find out later this month if we were approved. <br /><br />If things go well, the funding should be in by April and I'll have my students submit their illustrations and prep the painting sites before the end of term (April 29). When my students come back May 23 we'll begin painting the base coats and doing the picture outlines so they will be ready for Peace Corps staff and volunteers to do a "paint-by-number" June 10-13. <br /><br />Fingers crossed everything runs smoothly and according to schedule. As excited as I am about this project, my community is ecstatic. When I told them about my initial idea, they loved and and insisted we find a way to make it happen. They've even worked together to come up with a 30% contribution of the total budget. My grant requires a 25% community contribution and I was a little worried at first we wouldn't be able to do it, my village is dirt poor. Most of their contribution is in-kind, transport to purchase and deliver supplies, providing lunch for all volunteers on the PC painting day, etc., but important none the less. At least they are committed to taking ownership of this project, which to me is the most important thing. <br /><br />A small update on other projects I'm working on:<br />-making a model classroom/resource room/my office/library (I FINALLY got my books from Darien Book Aid, I requested them last April...)<br />-instituting a monthly game night with the tutors at the college<br />-working with the girls' demonstration school to start a nursery school (the DP was so excited when he found out about my ECE background and he insisted I be involved in getting the nursery school up and running)<br />-PC/Afripads liaison (I give presentations on reusable menstrual pads at other volunteers' sites and keep the PC office stocked. For more info www.afripads.com )<br />-my girls' club<br />-camp GLOW <br />-teaching PES/ECE at the college<br />-starting a read aloud club at the vocational school<br />-????<br /><br />I'm excited about the prospects of this term. Year 2 is looking even better than year 1! Hope y'all have an amazing spring break, someone better hit up SxSW and tell me how amazing it is this year, I haven't been to a concert since Radio and Weasel last August...so not the same as Austin concerts. Thanks so much for the package, Grandma! Happy early birthday Mom, Kenz, and Preston!<br /><br />Missing you guys,<br />AshAshley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-690002471732479281.post-45507412876216351412011-02-12T03:18:00.000-08:002011-02-12T03:35:29.360-08:00h2oUganda is very much a culture of "What's mine is yours," or maybe more accurately, "What's yours that I don't have is also mine." This can be ideal in some cases, if you grow a surplus of maize and I grow a surplus of beans, then we can both have maize and beans. When it doesn't work out so well is when you take what I have and then there isn't enough of it for either of us. <br /><br />I ramble. My village is currently out of water, as is much of Uganda. I've had issues with water since the day I moved in. To me, a surplus of water is a luxury. After spending the better part of the last year conserving water to the point of having to choose between drinking water and bathing, I was ecstatic to return from holiday and find my rain tank FULL. You really have no idea how happy I was! I hassled people to no end in order to get my gutters fixed so the empty rain tank could collect water. The gutters were finally fixed and the rain tank was filling, but I was sharing its contents with my neighbor, another PCV. She recently moved back to America and the tank is now all mine, which means I'll have more than enough water to last me through to the next rainy season...which means I can bathe AND drink AND do laundry! I'm the happiest PCV around!<br /><br />Until this morning...<br /><br />Martha, by favorite neighbor in the world, delivered my milk (which I pay for) this morning, like she does every morning. This time, however, as she was pouring the milk into my bowl, she stops and says, "Ashley, you give me water from your tank." I'm immediately torn. I love Martha to death, as much as I love her 5 daughters. But that's the thing, Martha has 5 daughters...and is not nearly as conscious about conserving water as I am. If this is a one time thing, sure, no problem, fill your jerry cans. What's mine is yours, right? So I drudgingly unlocked my rain tank and watched as she filled her 20L jerry can not once, not twice, but THREE times...in addition to the buckets Jackie and Joy kept filling. I make a 20L jerry can last about a week, not counting drinking water, and I was almost in tears when she took 3 jerry cans worth of water from my precious supply. <br /><br />I feel selfish beyond belief, but come on...I haven't had water for a year! Fingers crossed this was a one time, emergency type thing. But something gives me the feeling it's going to continue to happen, in which case I'll be forced to have the awkward "PC forbids such and such" conversation, my go to to avoid tricky situations with people in the village. For example, Ugandan: "Let me borrow your computer." Me: "I'd love to, but PC says it's only for work purposes. I'm so sorry."<br /><br />Moral of the story kids, CONSERVE YOUR WATER! At the very least, appreciate it because you have no idea how much it sucks to know the amount of CLEAN DRINKING water that is wasted every day in America when people flush the toilet while the rest of us in Uganda have to choose between washing our clothes or taking a bath.<br /><br />AshAshley Dunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784048909703261262noreply@blogger.com0