Advertisement
Published: January 20th 2008
Conserve Africa's Environment Painting
This is a digital photo of the original watercolor by Arnold Birungi, and my favorite of the set. Text and other graphics put together and added later for the final version (also in this blog entry) at JGI Uganda for inclusion in the P6/P7 Teacher's Guide for Environmental Education.Home again, home again, jiggidy jig.
Just like that.
Hi everyone ... I'm back! I'm writing from my dad's place in Indianapolis, where I've been staying for the last month. My time in Uganda was cut short by a few weeks, which allowed me to come home and spend time with family during the holiday season. Now that I've made the rounds with friends and family for a few weeks, I'm finally sitting down to post
my last blog entry(or at least the last one until the next overseas adventure).
My Final Month in Uganda
A lot has transpired since my last blog entry in mid-October, but much of it was work related so I wasn't posting it in real time. However, I've come home to a lot of friends asking ...
so, um, what were you doing over there again? which makes me think that there may actually be an audience for this blog even though I'm back in the frozen tundra known as the United States. So, what have I been doing these last few months?
Most of my work in Uganda was centered on editing and revising an environmental education teacher's guide/curriculum book for
Conserve Africa's Environment Poster
Original watercolor by Arnold Birungi. Text and other graphics put together at JGI Uganda for inclusion in the P6/P7 Teacher's Guide for Environmental Education. Primary 6 and 7 classrooms. A large number of people had worked on the guide before my arrival, all of them staff members or previous volunteers at the Jane Goodall Institute. In late September, Tracy (one of the staff) and I distributed our version the curriculum guide for teachers to spend a month pilot testing it in their classrooms. Once the teachers finished, I spent my last weeks in Uganda incorporating the teachers' feedback into a final draft which we sent off to the printer just before I departed.
Now I don't know about you, but I just don't think a blog about curriculum writing is all that fun and exciting to read about. Nor does it offer much visually, hence the lack of posts in recent months. But this time I've got a little more fun for all of us ... super cool posters! And just as important, a high speed internet connection to aid in posting images and photos in my blog!
While working on curriculum, we had a wonderful Ugandan artist -
Arnold Birungi - working on visual aids to accompany the teacher's guide in the classroom. The curriculum was split into five main sections:
Importance of Plants Poster
Original watercolor by Arnold Birungi. Text and other graphics put together at JGI Uganda for inclusion in the P6/P7 Teacher's Guide for Environmental Education. Africa, East Africa and the Environment (that's just one section), The World of Plants, The World of Animals, Natural Resources, and last but not least, Health and Sanitation. Each of the units includes aspects of the environment that fit in with the mandated Ugandan Primary School Curriculum, and in turn, each poster is an aid which is meant to support the teachers in the classroom activities. Keep in mind, we're talking about under-resourced public schools in Uganda. These kids don't have their own textbooks, and in all likelihood there may be only one for the whole class to share. And usually the only other tools at the teachers' disposal are blackboard and chalk.
JGI had worked with Arnold in 2006 to design posters accompanying a P5 curriculum, so he was very familiar with the concepts we were trying to portray. Arnold painted each poster in watercolor, and then we scanned the images into a digital form to add text for the final version. I've included the final versions of all the posters in this blog, as well as a digital photo of my favorite of the paintings.
JGI Uganda Web Page
While we were busy working on curriculum,
Environmental Degradation Poster
Original watercolor by Arnold Birungi. Text and other graphics put together at JGI Uganda for inclusion in the P6/P7 Teacher's Guide for Environmental Education. our Executive Director was busy putting up a new
JGI Uganda Web Page which has lots of information about our staff team, including all the pets who share our office, as well. Meanwhile, they included a
volunteer web page where you can find more information about yours truly, at least until the next volunteer takes over in my position.
Uganda Roots & Shoots Youth Camp
Once the administrative work was finished and the final curriculum draft was sent to the printer, my schedule was free to help plan and co-lead the inaugural Roots & Shoots Youth Camp, which we held from December 10-14, 2007. I've recently finished writing up a short article about the camp for inclusion in the next JGI Uganda volunteer newsletter. You can get a sneak peak here in my blog at the full article:
Before closing out our work for 2007, JGI Uganda introduced a new program for Roots & Shoots members and teachers: the inaugural Roots & Shoots Youth Camp. We brought together a group of pupils, teachers and head teachers from eight active clubs around Uganda to share ideas and teach one another about different project ideas to implement back in local schools and communities. The
Health and Sanitation Poster
Original watercolor by Arnold Birungi. Text and other graphics put together at JGI Uganda for inclusion in the P6/P7 Teacher's Guide for Environmental Education. Youth Camp was a great success, and everyone from JGI and the individual Roots & Shoots clubs is looking forward to seeing the results of the camp during the first school term in 2008.
As a volunteer, I was able to help with preparations before the camp and then to help co-lead the camp itself. But make no mistake, this was Jacque’s project from start to finish. Fortunately, I was in Entebbe with an open window of time to help facilitate the camp, as Tracy and I had just recently completed work on the final draft of JGI’s P6/P7 curriculum guide (you know, the one many of you previous volunteers also helped with during your time in Uganda). While Tracy and I were busy during the previous months with curriculum projects, Jacque and Steph had been laying the groundwork for the camp, setting objectives, designing a work plan, inviting participants, making arrangements for UWEC to host the camp and even bringing on a new volunteer, Kizito Julius, to help with preparations for the event. Then on the afternoon of December 10th, the participants started arriving and the fun began.
We held the camp at
UWEC from the 10th-
Creating a Vegetable Nursery
A couple students from Kyeikamba Primary School demonstrated how to build a vegetable nursery at the Uganda Roots & Shoots Youth Camp. 14th of December, with 27 participants (15 pupils and 12 teacher/head teachers) to coincide with the long holiday break from school. One of my primary responsibilities during the camp was to facilitate group leadership challenges and games, mainly for the student participants. I’ve worked for a number of years in environmental education back home, and these activity sessions gave me the chance to pull some old tricks out of my bag while participating in lots of fun learning activities with the kids. We also drew lots of parallels between the challenges in the games and similar real-life challenges that our students face as leaders in their Roots & Shoots clubs.
I really enjoyed having the opportunity to build relationships with the pupils over the course of the four-day camp, seeing them build confidence in their abilities and among their peers in such a short time. We challenged each other with blindfolded trust walks, untying human knots, building newspaper towers and silly name games. And it was really a “best of both worlds” situation for me, as I was able to get out of the office and experience fieldwork similar to what I had done upcountry, all the while remaining
Building a Bird Nest Box
A couple students from Kabalega Primary School showed how to make a Bird Nest Box at the Uganda Roots & Shoots Youth Camp close enough to the Chimp House to go to sleep every night in my own bed (and more importantly, to return for Ruth’s home-cooked beans and chapatti).
While much of my energy was dedicated to facilitating leadership activities, there were times where I was able to take a background role and watch the pupils step into the lead. Prior to the camp, Jacque had asked each club to come prepared with a student-led presentation about a project they had successfully implemented in their community. This allowed the pupils to showcase their knowledge and skills in front of an audience while adding a more formal component to the overall camp experience. All the young participants took their turns in the spotlight, but they were also good listeners and audience members who took advantage of the opportunity to take in new ideas and to learn new skills for starting additional projects in the community. The following is a list of the workshops that Roots & Shoots members shared with one another:
• Pupils of Kyeikamba Primary school from Bushenyi showed how to build a nursery and grow vegetables. They were helped by their teacher and the horticulturalist at UWEC, and
Fun & Games
This was one of our fun games at the camp - see if the participants could arrange themselves in order from tallest to shortest with their eyes closed. One group nominated a leader, the other just sorted themselves out. In any case, it's a fun game and a fun photo. JGI sent all participants home with free seeds to start their own vegetable gardens.
• Kabalega Primary School showed how to make a bird nest box and demonstrated how to use the different materials and tools they used to achieve this back at their school compound.
• Pupils of St Joseph’s Busingiro Primary school demonstrated how to make a tip tap. Then we provided jerry cans and ropes for all the participants to experiment with various ways to make different types of tip taps. This was followed by a discussion on sanitation.
• Pupils from St Peter’s Nsambya demonstrated how to start a fruit tree nursery. They focused on how to sort and prepare the seeds for planting and they also showed how to prepare soil for planting the seeds.
• Pupils from Lake Victoria school showed how to recycle paper into bulletin boards. The different pupils also tried out different shapes of papier-mâché after the session.
• Our new volunteer Kizito Julius demonstrated how to dry fruits during the final workshop of the camp. Tracy and I had dried bananas and pineapples in a small, simple dryer prior to the event, but Julius is a Ugandan teacher and farmer
Tip Tap
These are kids from St. Joseph's Busingiro Primary Schools demonstrating how to make a Tip Tap, which is a homemade "tap" using a jerry can full of water that pours out of a spout after stepping on a makeshift foot pedal. It really helps improve sanitation in village areas with no running water by providing a hands-free faucet of sorts. who had lots of experience with many different fruit drying methods.
The pupils and teachers were very intent listeners, asking great questions of all workshop presenters during the camp. Most pupils were busy taking notes in order to bring their new ideas home with them, but as facilitators, Julius, Jacque and I had prepared age-appropriate workshop kits for all participants, containing informational handouts and activities so our members could return to their schools with all the necessary information for starting their own projects.
The Youth Camp was more than just leadership games and workshop presentations, however, and we made sure to fill the schedule with lots of fun and educational activities. Everyone went on a tour of the zoo led by Peace and the UWEC staff; participants spent an entire day at the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary learning all about the animals in the sanctuary, as well as the wild chimps living in forests throughout Central Africa; Jacque held discussions with teachers focused on strengthening Roots & Shoots back in their schools; we showed the PACE DVD series to the participants and facilitated discussions after each topic; and we showed optional nature DVD’s during the evening hours. I
One more tip tap
Here's an improvised tip tap using a tree branch, but you can see someone washing her hands for a little more context. was free from facilitating much of these activities, so I took on the role of honorary cameraman/videographer to capture images from the camp.
On the whole, the Youth Camp was a great success and all participating pupils and teachers left with a new set of skills to help them lead the Roots & Shoots clubs in their schools. They learned directly from their peers of successful projects that are being implemented by other clubs in Uganda, and gained the necessary information to implement similar projects when they return home. But for me, the Youth Camp took on added significance, because it was the final project I worked on as an international volunteer with JGI.
Like many of you reading this newsletter, I had a phenomenal experience working with JGI. I began my experience in January 2007 at Dr. Jane’s house in Dar es Salaam, Tanaznia, living and working there for six months prior to coming to Uganda. I helped the Dar Roots & Shoots members to organize tree plantings, beach cleanups and community events, to engage in fundraising efforts and to start a member newsletter. I also visited individual secondary school classrooms for environmental education activities. After four
Name Game
Folks from IslandWood will recognize this one ... it's a group name game toss. We had nature names and everything, but had to use bandannas instead of stuffed animals. months I took a break from Dar and visited Gombe Stream National Park and Kigoma with Jane, herself, before moving to Uganda on the first of July
For the rest of 2007 I thoroughly enjoyed working as a member of the JGI Uganda education team on numerous projects throughout the country. Whether I was based at the Chimp House, the Kalinzu Forest Education Centre or a random, roadside hotel somewhere upcountry, I was always meeting students and teachers who enjoyed learning new things about the world around them. Fortunately for me, those I met were also excited to share their world with me, this unknown mzungu who happened to understand just enough Kiswahili phrases to distinguish myself from the typical Western tourist. (I guess I fooled them!) And while I would’ve loved to stay in Uganda for many more months, perhaps the most memorable project I was involved with was the Youth Camp. It was the perfect blend of teamwork among all the education staff, coordination with a number of schools, and it gave me a final opportunity to work directly with students and teachers. At the conclusion of the week, everyone involved - pupils, teachers, JGI staff and
Blindfolded Trust Walk
Another fun game from the youth camp working on leadership dynamics in between the environmental education workshops. volunteers - shook hands and said our goodbyes, very grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the camp, while also looking forward to extended time with our families during the holidays. One by one, the Roots & Shoots clubs arranged transport back to their villages and departed, and once they were gone, I walked along the shore of Lake Victoria and back to the Chimp House. A few hours later I would board a plane to fly home, completely content in my work and my journey of 2007 as an international volunteer with the Jane Goodall Institute.
Back Home Again, in Indiana - OR - Who's Jim Goodall?
Now we're up to December 14th, 2007, the last day of the Youth Camp. After heading home, I finished packing and watching the Band of Brothers DVD series which I had gotten hooked on, and then went for a final goodbye dinner at the pizza place in Entebbe with my colleagues from JGI. From dinner, I went straight to the airport and 25 hours later I was standing in a US Customs line at the Detroit International Airport. My first conversation(s) back at home were priceless, and I've captured
Ngama Island Chimp Sanctuary
One of the day's at the Youth Camp was spent at the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Lake Victoria. Unfortunately, I had to miss this outing, but I had visited in September. them here for posterity:
Customs lady: How long have you been traveling outside the US?
DC: Actually, just over a year
CL: What were you doing all this time?
DC: I was living overseas and volunteering, mostly.
CL: What kind of work?
DC: I was working as a teacher with the Jane Goodall Institute?
CL: What's Jim Goodall do?
Okay, that's interaction number one, but interaction two is even better. After passing through this first desk, I had to pick up my luggage before answering a second set of questions as a guy reviews my immigration card, which lists that I've visited Thailand, India, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda (keep this list in mind, it's important for what follows).
Customs guy: How long have you been traveling outside the US?
DC: A little more than a year
CG: And what were you doing in all these countries?
DC: Mostly I was living and working in Africa, but I went on a short holiday in Asia first.
CG: AFRICA? It doesn't say Africa on here!?
God bless america, folks .... my home sweet home.
So there you have it, end of the overseas story, and
The pupils
Here are all the kids who came to the Roots & Shoots Youth Camp beginning of a new story back home. If you're doing the math, you'll see that I've been back in the states for just over a month now, mostly spending lots and lots of time with my family and friends who are here in town. So that meant lots of meals, a Hanukkah gathering, basketball games and two colts outings - one against the Houston Texans and one in the playoffs, our final depressing upset loss to the San Diego Chargers last week, which was also the last game ever in the (Hoosier) RCA Dome. Sad days, but I've been taking lots of pictures during the month, so here they are!
Now I'm spending parts of my days assisting my dad with his DJ business, helping with some marketing materials and also working as his roadie, setting up his sound system and sparing him back trouble. Soon I'll be headed off to Florida for a visit with my friend Jackie, who came up for a few days in early January. After that, I'll finally get home to Seattle for a long extended visit, before I eventually get back to work in environmental education next summer. I'm waiting on news to
Just a fun photo
from the boat trip back to Entebbe find out if I'll be working as a NOLS Instructor, leading month-long backpacking trips in the Western USA, most likely starting in the Wyoming Wilderness in May. Beyond the summer, everything is up in the air as I await news on a pending Fulbright proposal to go and teach in Malaysia in 2009.
So in the mean time, I'm adjusting to the temperature - currently mid afternoon temp is 14 degrees F, or-10 degrees C - and I've been doing lots of exercise to build strength for carrying a very heavy backpack up and down in the Rocky Mountains next summer. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to some down time for more writing. Speaking of, I recently heard more news about a couple of my India blogs which are set to appear in a travel book about North India from
Things Asian Press. See the attached photo of the book cover ... very exciting!
On that note, I think it's time for a parting shot. But instead of attempting to recount an entire 14 months of living outside the US, what I'd like to do is just dedicate the whole shebang, the entire experience - in following my dreams for
Group Photo
All the participants, staff and volunteers of the Uganda Roots & Shoots Youth Camp from December 14, 2008. Later that night I hopped on a plane and headed back to a winter wonderland. It's a month later, and I'm still freezing cold, even inside! the year, and especially working the whole time as a volunteer - to one of the biggest role models in my life, my late grandmother Amy Cook Lurvey who passed away on December 12, 2007 at the age of 90-years-young. Besides being my Grandma Amy, she was an amazing person who lived the fullest life of anyone I've ever known, in all of her various professional, personal and family contexts. She was also one of the most avid readers of my blog, and it always warmed my heart to know that wherever I went in my travels, Grandma Amy was along for the ride.
- 30 -
Advertisement
Tot: 0.199s; Tpl: 0.015s; cc: 18; qc: 78; dbt: 0.1122s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
JUSTICE PAUL AYAMBA
non-member comment
Environmental degradation
Some Ghanaians environment are very bad, for that reason, we must lean to keep our environments clean and stop politics.