Budgeting Basics

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Today was a great day with the ladies. In the morning Hope wasn’t feeling well so she went to the doctor and I worked on lessons plans from home. Irene took me to the office around 11am so I could print material for the lessons. We grabbed a Rolex for lunch, but this time we added in a pork sausage link. It was a great addition. We joined the ladies in the afternoon for their first official lesson. Today’s focus was on the fundamentals of a budget. You will see in the picture of the chalk board that we needed to start very basic. Needs vs Wants, Goals, and Surprise Expenses. Once we got going the ladies started to understand the concepts. Ugandans learn Lugandan (the local language) at home and then when they go to school they learn English. Because these ladies never went to school, they did not learn English. So each time I spoke someone had to translate it for the women who don’t know/fully understand English. Speaking of languages the official language of Uganda is English the second language is Swahili. But, Swahili is not actually spoken here. It was brought in by the military during war times from surrounding countries. The Ugandan army and police use a few words of Swahili, but that is it. Otherwise you mostly hear Lugandan or dialects of it in the villages.



The second part of the class was a game that many of us played in school called the Bean Game. You are given 15/20 beans that represent your budget for the month. You then need to decide how to spend these beans within in your needs. I made a custom game that applied to their lives and expenses. Because the ladies did not go to school, they had a hard time understanding the metaphor. Some asked the value of each bean, others wrote in what they thought items costs. So while the exercise didn’t go quite as I expected, I was encouraged that they were asking appropriate questions. I took all of their paperwork back and I will meet with them one on one next week so I can assess who understands which concepts. My goal is that we will put together a custom budget for each lady. One for their current life, and one for their goal life once they graduate from training and start their business.



I had another lesson in pool before dinner. I hope to go home a pool shark with all the expert lessons I have been receiving. Irene prepared another awesome meal. This was beef stew with chips (fries). They cook the potatoes, then toss them in beef bouillon power and then deep fry them. Awesome flavor, I will be trying this at home! I also learned some very interesting information for a future blog: what it means to be a twin in Uganda. So much information it needs its own post!



Now I have to get packed up as my driver is picking me up at 6:30am to head for Murchison Falls National Park to do some game drives for the weekend.

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Comments

[Julie Lilly]

Budgeting Basics
I think you are such a natural teacher Sarah! It must be in your genes! Glad to see u got some ice cubes for your drink! A special treat to end your day!!