Rakai

This is my second week working with the Rakai Community-Based AIDS Project in a rural area southwest of Kampala (about three hours by road from the capital). Marie connected me to the people here a couple months ago, and David, the director, responded to my email query with a “Yes, you can come.” Both Christian and Marie worked with this project last summer, so the folks already sort of regarded me as family. What I didn’t know was how completely they would welcome me. The staff is accustomed to hosting interns, so they know how to deal with folks who show up with an interest…and it’s not hard to find ways to get involved.

In my first week, several staff members took me around to surrounding villages to meet some of the people the project has assisted – an eye-opening experience and a great introduction to life in Rakai district. Here at the project base, I’ve spent time on the farm and the tree nursery, a beautiful and peaceful place where students and local farmers learn about gardening. And I’m teaching tailoring (and other assorted things) to students in the vocational school. So much to write about but at the moment I could use a little rest!

I’m staying in a little guesthouse called the Sunshine Hotel on the edge of Lyantonde town, from where I walk every morning to the project headquarters just a kilometer or two outside of town. And I need to get walking before it gets totally dark (my daughters gave me strict instructions to not walk alone at night!!).

In case anyone pulls out a map of Uganda: Lyantonde is about midway between Kampala and the southwesternmost corner of the country, where people go to see the gorillas (down near the Rwanda and Tanzania borders).

I’ll describe the project in my next post – soon, I hope, because every day is an experience.