oli otya! its been a very good week here in lugazi, uganda. let me tell you about it! by the way this keyboard doesn't have a button to capitalize letters... ? haha

so i spent all day tuesday and thursday out with ally, suzanne, and wilson of the outreach mission. we went to probably thirteen schools and promoted the writing contest. oh my it is so much work! i had no idea. just all the little details take so much time and meetings to figure it out. it's crazy! and i always think how much easier it would be to start something like this in america where there are emails and communication is so fast. but then again, it always surprises me how easy it is to just walk into a school and explain the contest, and the headmasters always accept and give us time to speak in an assembly. is it because the contest is such a good idea? or is it because we are giving out prizes? or is it simply because we are white and people always listen to what the mzungus have to say? unfortunately it is probably a combination including the latter. but, we just have to remember to put our white skin to good use, as unfair as it is that we have credibility from it. i'm never going to get used to that or like it while i'm here. on the one hand, its fun to have the little kids yell to us and run up and give us "bongas", which is like pounding fists. but on the other hand, sometimes i wonder what certain peoples intentions are for working with us. do they even like us, or are they just playing nice because they know we have money? its a very conflicting situation, one that i still don't feel comfortable with. but i'm learning a lot by living it, that is for sure. we have a lot to do with the contest. there are over 100 schools in the buikwe district competing.... which is going to be absolutely i n s a n e to try and judge entries! i'm already stressed out. oh man! and in the mukono district, we have a much more doable number of 15 schools because we limited the number. we are going to have a winning boy and girl from each school. and the two grand prize winners are going to get to read their piece at the annual aids extravaganza festival at norah's complex on july 10th. it is an aids awareness festival where students and people in the community entertain through music dance and drama. it was a great success last year and i'm excited to be a part of it again.

on wednesday i spent the day giving an aids lesson at a school. we taught with the youth outreach mission guys. they are all our age, going to a university, and volunteering a lot of time helping their community. we taught about sexuality, hiv prevention, and just general information on hiv contraction and symptoms. there is such a lack of knowledge about it here!! it frightens me. we were teaching a secondary school so the kids were ages 13 and up. at the end of the lesson we had them write questions on papers and give them back and we'd answer them. oh my goodness. the questions we got! you wouldn't believe it. they ranged from weird, to completely obvious. the misconceptions are still there. many still think you can get hiv from kissing. many think if you have sex and then abstain for a few years, that you can become a virgin again. it was very interesting and unlike annnyyyy health lesson you would hear in america! the kids learned a lot though. very productive day!

so next! i am soooo excited about this! i am going to help katelynn and ally start a choir for disabled children here in lugazi! yaa! i am so pumped. the writing contest has been very draining and i'm excited to have this to focus on as well. we went with sandra today, who is awesome! i love her! she is my age, going to the university and studying child development. she is so smart and so motivated! we went to several different churches to spread news about it. many expressed interest, we just have to work out a lot of the logistics to get it organized. we are also planning on starting one in provo when we move back in the fall! we're calling it the kids ability choir. and we're going to name the one in provo the same thing! can't wait.

well thats the update for now... i tripped on a rock today walking up the street in my flip flops and cut my big toe open. ouch! thats what i get for not wearing my chaco shoes that are invincible! my right foot is just having issues in general haha. have i mentioned that ever since the plane ride from kenya to uganda, my right pinky toe has been completely numb??? i have no idea why, and it is the joke of the team because its the weirdest thing ever! my clumsiness never ceases to amaze.

okay thats it folks! its friday and i have no idea what were doing tomorrow! maybe going into jinja, visiting bujagali falls, splurging and getting a cold milkshake... who knows! later friends!
-ashley/nampijja