snapshots: tuesday

kaley

"The kids here are no different than the kids at home. They all want to play games, to draw pictures, to share with you everything they can in such a short period of time. With a week left, it is becoming more real that our time here will soon be cut short. It has been easy to grow accustomed to having kids crawl all over you and hold your hands; it will be hard when it is time to let go.

It has been a bit more difficult coming over the language barrier. Today I began to pick up on some Lugandan with the help of a twelve-year old boy named Steven. I am slowly learning through these kids and each day I find out a little more.

In the past couple of days, I have been doing art projects with the kids, more specifically, making friendship bracelets. It is amazing how quickly some of the girls took to it and each time they see any string at all, their eyes light up.

Today was the welcoming ceremony for Change the Truth. The kids dressed up in traditional Ugandan outfits and proceeded to play music and sing songs about how grateful they are to be at SMK. It was so much fun to watch until we were grabbed on stage by the dancers to partake. Needless to say, I have some dancing skills I need to work on before I will feel comfortable holding my own on stage with the kids.

I think it is really amazing to look at some of the ten-year-old girls I have met on this trip and keep in mind that I have a ten-year-old cousin back home. They all love to sing and dance, the music is just a little different.

I can’t wait to see how the rest of this trip will play out and I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity that I had to come to Uganda."

snapshots: monday

antwain

"I’ve been here for a week. St. Mary Kevin is different from my life in America because they don’t have showers or trash cans. The cars in Uganda have steering wheels on the right and they drive on the left. I’m happy that I’ve made a lot of friends lately. At first I was shy. Then I met Francis. He is a nice friend to me and takes up for me when people talk about me. We play football and soccer for a couple of hours each day. I drink a lot of water here when I am sweaty. This weather is better than Kansas City weather, at least right now it is. The food I don’t like, so that is why I have back-up food. I take my own food to the orphanage because I don’t like the posho and beans. My other friends are Joseph and Roderick. They’re funny and they make me laugh. I love being part of Team 3 because I get more attention than I used to. We all work together and get stuff done quickly because we have so many people. Our most important project will be Christmas when we pass out the flip flops, pens and clothes.

When I think of Uganda, I’ll always think of Kansas City in the summer, drums, differences and the language. I might want to come back."

snapshots: sunday

christy

"The eyes have it....

Do you remember the last time someone truly looked at you? Watched you move through a crowd, looked for your approving face as they grabbed your hand to greet you or pulled you close for a genuine hug. Listened and waited intently for you to react to anything and everything around you or just simply spoke your name while staring straight into your eyes. It's funny how unique it feels when it happens to you. We can be seemingly so self-absorbed to get on with a conversation, juggling multiple tasks or rushing through a busy day that, somehow, our eyes never make honest contact with anyone in our life.

Here, all there is is contact. A deep desire for connection. I have had the privilege of being considered by everyone I've met since my arrival. From my first welcome after a 29 hour flight at the airport, to every single curious and focused face at Saint Mary Kevin's. Every moment is a moment. Every opportunity to smile is jointly shared. It feels both rare and beautiful to stop to see and be seen. Experience someone, anyone this holiday season. Share and appreciate their spirit. It's an easy fulfilling gift to give and so rewarding to receive."

bobbi

"An amazing day today. The pictures really tell the story, so I'm going to talk about yoga today. We got to the orphanage to an acrobatics show put on by some of the boys...some of the pics are attached. I was blown away...prior to coming on the trip I watched a video about an organization called the African Yoga Project...these kids were doing the same stuff. So we started talking and I told them I wanted to teach them YOGA....they were ready right then. So in the grass, 15 boys and I did a yoga class. They kept wanting more. They know NAMASTE, and we all honored each other. They were big and small...they learned the poses as if they were always doing them. The head of the orphanage, Mama Rosemary, did some as well. SO...the room you see them sweeping is going to be the yoga room. There's an outlet for music, and the boys just took it on. Tomorrow, it will be ready to go. 17 yoga mats, GENEROUSLY donated by my dear friend David Cronin, from Changing Times in WPB, will be laid out in a circle... Wasn't sure how this would all work...but they just get it! Tomorrow I'm going to film them doing the acrobatics. Filming Yoga will come later. They chose the name 'Power Men of Africa.' So that was today. More later.

Love from the 'Pearl of Africa' as Uganda is called."

second day at the orphanage

snapshots from our first day at the orphanage

Tony and friend

Samalie and Zaberra

Rosemary and Vincent

Gloria, Boy-Boy and Eddie

Antwain (Melissa's son)

eddie

Flight tracker just before arrival

"After nearly 30 hours and three flights, we arrived at the Entebbe airport. Exhausted but excited with the anticipation of my first visit to Uganda, I was ready to be met by Peter, our loyal and very trustworthy on-the-ground assistant. Our passports validated, our luggage collected and cleared through customs we made our way to the street to meet Peter and our driver, Charles. What happened next cannot really be described – it can only be experienced. As we were about to exit the secure arrival area of the airport, we were rushed by five beautiful and smiling children from St. Mary Kevin. 'Hello Papa Eddie, I am Rosette! Hello Papa Eddie, I am Nicky!' Then Margaret and Samalie and Rose! Rosemary, the director of the orphanage and her assistant, Joan, were also there to greet us. What struck me more than anything though, was the warmth and profound joy with which Mama Gloria was received by children and staff alike whose lives have been touched by her kindness of heart and her vision for a more hopeful future. It was a moment I will never forget.

From the airport we made our way to the orphanage. It was after 10:00 p.m. but there were most of the children, so happy to see Gloria again and to meet me. Both of my hands now held, arms around my waist, a VIP welcome was all mine to enjoy. The marching band, with instruments purchased last year with funds provided by Sarah and Max played for us under a clear starlit sky. I could have swayed and clapped to the music all night.

Sometime after midnight, sleep came easily to this worn out member of Team 3. Today has been a day of rest and relaxation. By Saturday, all of us will be assembled and the work will begin. We have much to do."

At lunch in Kampala

kampala here we come

Team 3 has begun its journey. Melissa, Antwain and Bobbi left today, and by the end of the week we will all be assembled in Uganda's capital city, Kampala. Stay tuned so you can follow our adventures!

getting ready

We members of Change the Truth Team 3 are starting to pack our bags. Those of us who've been to Uganda before are recalling faces, sounds, smells and the connections we've made in the past. Those who are making their first journey to the "Pearl of Africa" are a jumble of excitement and nerves. It's one thing to see pictures, to watch a movie, to hear stories...it's an entirely different matter when a five-year-old sidles up next to you on your first day there and slips her hand into yours FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. Or when, at the end of the day, as the sun dips low, you hear a group of teenaged girls singing together as they sit together on the ground peeling potatoes for dinner. Or when a new young friend presents you with a small sculpture he has fashioned from a piece of red earthen clay as a way of simply saying "thank you for being here."

It's a feast for the senses, being in Uganda. Yes, there are some highly questionable things going on in that country right now. It's easy to feel hatred and disgust toward those who have little regard for human rights (regardless of their motives.) Each time I find myself feeling uncertain about the social or political goings on there, my mind's eye and my heart drift back to the reason we go there in the first place: to offer friendship, help, healing and hope to the children at the orphanage.










Follow along with the ten of us here on the blog as we make our journey to Uganda.

did you have a swinger?

On the lighter side... enjoy this flash from the past!

"The Polaroid Model 20 'Swinger' was a popular Land Camera produced by the Polaroid Corporation between 1965 and 1970. At $19.95 USD it was the first truly inexpensive instant camera, a fact that helped fuel its enormous popularity and made it one of the top-selling cameras of all time. The Swinger was especially successful in the youth market due to its low price, stylish appearance, and catchy 'Meet the Swinger' jingle in a television advertisement featuring a young Ali MacGraw. The Swinger featured an extinction exposure meter tied to the aperture which displayed the word 'YES' in a window below the viewfinder when the exposure was set correctly. Earlier models also displayed the word 'NO' when not properly adjusted, while later units used only the YES indicator. The Swinger also included a built-in flashgun for AG-1 flashbulbs." - Wikipedia

death penalty for gays? uganda debates proposal

As promised, I am keeping you updated on the situation in Uganda regarding the anti-gay legislation that is pending in parliament. It's, obviously, very disturbing and frightening.

The following article appeared in our local paper yesterday. It was called to my attention by the director of the MIdwest Center for Holocaust Education, an organization that teaches the history of the Holocaust, applying its lessons to counter indifference, intolerance, and genocide (important lessons always, and particularly in this case.)

By KATHARINE HOURELD and GODFREY OLUKYA
Associated Press Writers

"Proposed legislation would impose the death penalty for some gay Ugandans, and their family and friends could face up to seven years in jail if they fail to report them to authorities. Even landlords could be imprisoned for renting to homosexuals.

Gay rights activists say the bill, which has prompted growing international opposition, promotes hatred and could set back efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. They believe the bill is part of a continentwide backlash because Africa's gay community is becoming more vocal.

'It's a question of visibility,' said David Cato, who became an activist after he was beaten up four times, arrested twice, fired from his teaching job and outed in the press because he is gay. 'When we come out and ask for our rights, they pass laws against us.'

The legislation has drawn global attention from activists across the spectrum of views on gay issues. The measure was proposed in Uganda following a visit by leaders of U.S. conservative Christian ministries that promote therapy for gays to become heterosexual. However, at least one of those leaders has denounced the bill, as have some other conservative and liberal Christians in the United States.

Gay rights activists say the legislation is likely to pass. But the bill is still being debated and could undergo changes before a vote, which has not yet been set.

The Ugandan legislation in its current form would mandate a death sentence for active homosexuals living with HIV or in cases of same-sex rape. 'Serial offenders' also could face capital punishment, but the legislation does not define the term. Anyone convicted of a homosexual act faces life imprisonment.

Anyone who 'aids, abets, counsels or procures another to engage of acts of homosexuality' faces seven years in prison if convicted. Landlords who rent rooms or homes to homosexuals also could get seven years and anyone with 'religious, political, economic or social authority' who fails to report anyone violating the act faces three years.

Gay rights activists abroad are focusing on the legislation. A protest against the bill is planned for Thursday in London; protests were held last month in New York and Washington.

David Bahati, the legislator sponsoring the bill, said he was encouraging 'constructive criticism' to improve the law, but insisted strict measures were necessary to stop homosexuals from "recruiting" schoolchildren.

'The youths in secondary schools copy everything from the Western world and America,' said high school teacher David Kisambira. 'A good number of students have been converted into gays. We hear there are groups of people given money by some gay organizations in developed countries to recruit youth into gay activities.'

Uganda's ethics minister, James Nsaba Buturo, said the death sentence clause would probably be reviewed but maintained the law was necessary to counter foreign influence. He said homosexuality 'is not natural in Uganda,' a view echoed by some Ugandans.

'I feel that the bill is good and necessary, but I don't think gays should be killed. They should be imprisoned for about a year and warned never to do it again. The family is in danger in Uganda because the rate at which vice is spreading is appalling,' said shopkeeper John Muwanguzi.

Uganda is not the only country considering anti-gay laws. Nigeria, where homosexuality is already punishable by imprisonment or death, is considering strengthening penalties for activities deemed to promote it. Burundi just banned same-sex relationships and Rwanda is considering it.

Homophobia is rife even in more tolerant African countries."

new/old work

I often tell young photographers to shoot every day, even if it's just a frame or two. There are muscles to be exercised. If I can't shoot, I look at photo books or revisit old contact sheets or digital files. Sometimes I find overlooked images that suddenly seem interesting or relevant to me.

These two were staring rather intensely at me this morning.

shop at ten thousand villages!

Please do your holiday shopping this Thursday December 10 from 4 - 8 p.m. at TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES in Overland Park, Kansas. A percentage of all sales made during that time will be donated to Change the Truth.

The mission of Ten Thousand Villages is to provide vital, fair income to developing people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. Ten Thousand Villages has been trading fairly for over 62 years. They enjoy being part of the local community as well the global community. Their Benefit Shopping Event has been a great way for them to help with our fundraising efforts.

We will also be selling Change the Truth t-shirts, totes, beaded jewelry and note cards.

Refreshments will be served. This has been a fun and successful event for two years running. Hope to see you there!

Ten Thousand Villages
7947 Santa Fe Drive
Overland Park, KS 66204
913-642-8368

uganda in the news

“When Uganda makes the world news, it tends to be big. Twenty years ago it was the first to register an AIDS epidemic, which decimated the population in some areas of the country. Related to and coming after this was the ABC campaign of the First Lady, Janet Museveni, with the emphasis clearly on the A (Abstinence). Now it is a Bill before Parliament, entitled the Anti-Homosexuality Act (2009), introduced by parliamentarian, David Bahati, a born-again Christian.”
-Martyn Drakard, Spero News

This proposed piece of legislation has been garnering worldwide attention of late. By now most of you have probably read or heard about it. I am in the process of getting as much information as I can, and I will surely learn more about it when I go to Uganda two weeks from now. Some of you have emailed me with questions about this. I, too, have concerns. As founder and president of Change the Truth, a non-profit organization that provides assistance and opportunities to Ugandan children, I know it is important that I stay informed on this issue. I will update you as things unfold.

Read a Reuter's article here and the rest of Drakard's article here.

world aids day

World AIDS Day is held on December 1st every year. It's an international day to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS around the world. The first World AIDS Day was celebrated in 1988. This year’s theme for the day is “human rights and access to treatment" and was chosen to address the critical need to protect human rights and make HIV prevention, treatment, care and support accessible to all. The theme acts as a call to countries to remove laws that discriminate against people living with HIV.

According to new data in the 2009 AIDS epidemic update, new HIV infections have been reduced by 17% over the past eight years. Since 2001, when the United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS was signed, the number of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa is approximately 15% lower, which is about 400,000 fewer infections in 2008.