I am thinking of something...

New Blog!

2009-03-05T03:43:50Z

Visit my new blog at:
http://wildbloom.wordpress.com/

Blitzen Trapper: A Few Shining Moments.

2009-02-20T02:57:27Z

An electronic rock sound, with 70's big ballad vocals. Blitzen Trapper had more than a few shining moments...they shined during "Saturday Night" where their talents were all showcased - electronic sound effects, including this rad little green flute that makes an absolutely huge sound. Vocal Harmonies that are almost electronic sounding themselves - shone brilliantly during this jam. They took the stage following opener, Alela Diane, to a nearly sold-out crowd at First Avenue. Interestingly, my ticket stub reads Cedar Cultural Center, as that is where the band was initially booked. Ticket sales exceeded expectations, moving the band to the larger main room at First Ave.

In a band...and in life, we should know when to quit - if the rhythm slips away, it is time to cut our losses and end the tune. If the tune doesn't feel right, we shouldn't play it - as in life, if one path doesn't feel right, we shouldn't walk on that one. At times the moment took them too far away from the crowd - the jam got carried on too long, allowing the band to stray into a melody whose internal struggles were felt by each of us. Some of the songs felt like filler; truthfully, I would have preferred a shorter set. One short sweet set that was packed with shining moments, rather than this extended set that included a few mediocre live performances. Blitzen Trapper really found their groove in the slower moments - as with many new rock bands...I felt their ability to stick together was compromised on the faster tunes.

The band played one brand new song, something about "round and round..." I thought it was great, one of the highlights, I can't wait to see what Blitzen Trapper will come up with next. I would enjoy this show another time - and I would consider seeing them a second time.

I humbly offer my comments as constructive criticism, only meant to enhance Blitzen Trappers live performance...and as I said there were more than a few shining moments.

A great day for America...for the world.

2009-01-20T23:27:07Z

Today is a great day...
As I set out this morning toward the gym, a man approaching (a stranger) looked at me, smiled and said good morning. A simple gesture; something I occasionally do to strangers, on the street. It is an attempt to create community on city streets where there is none. On this morning, leaving my apartment, to watch our new president be sworn in, this man made me remember why I voted for Obama.

I didn't vote for Obama because he said that "HE" was a change we could believe in...I voted for him because he inspires change in each of us. We are the change we can believe in, in this new administration. Yesterday on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 50 new volunteers showed up at the Give Us Wings offices in St. Paul. Inspired by Obama's call for a Day of Service, we had a 50 people who knew nothing about us show up on a Monday to volunteer their time and learn more. That is change I can believe in.

So whether you are black or white, blue or red, American or Kenyan - today is a great day...and change is on the horizon. I felt uplifted and hopeful as I jogged along through our new presidents speech. My hope is for each of us to remember that it takes each of us to build a community and make a difference...it is not up to this one man. He is the inspiration...but as he has reminded us, it will take some perspiration and hard work from each of us. American innovation can again lead the world through these trying times - I feel hopeful that this man will allow us that opportunity, by putting the red pen away and allowing positive change to occur.

On election night, back in November, I had the pleasure of seeing Bob Dylan play at the Northrup Auditorium. Although I had hoped for the icon to come out and make a political speech of some sort; the guy next to me said that he rarely speaks, and doesn't talk politics. He and the band left and when they returned for the encore, having seen the election results backstage, he made one statement...
He said: "I was born in 1941, the year Pearl Harbor was bombed...and it's been dark ever since...but I think that's all going to change now."

Today, I feel hopeful that there is light...that a light has been turned on in some of us - that we will see to it that the world is a brighter place tomorrow.

We can be the change we wish to see in the world...YES WE CAN!

Start speaking with your shopping...

2008-10-09T04:13:40Z

In my last blog I said "Let us make our voices heard; let us not speak in words, but in dollars."

Here is one company that I think we can speak positively with:

http://www.alaffia.com/

Alaffia sells skincare products that are homemade with fair trade shea butter. The shea butter is made by cooperatives in Togo, West Africa. Fair trade means paying a fair wage in the local context; it means offering people do not have another source of employment, a job. A job that will allow the people in this community to feed themselves and their families.

You can shop from the Alaffia website and also learn more about their sustainability projects. I found this product at the Wedge Co-Op, in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. Many of our local co-ops carry quality products like this - to find a co-op near you, click on the link below:

http://www.coopdirectory.org/directory.htm

Speak, not in words...

2008-09-27T08:14:04Z

I miss Africa...

I am picturing the exchange that happens when meeting someone in Africa. There is this moment where you feel so connected with this other human being. The standard greeting is rubbing each of your cheeks against theirs. Similar to the kiss on each cheek that an Italian would greet you with. There is no kiss, but there is the connection of cheek-to-cheek - it connects you, it is intimate.

I will never forget Mary Sue's words before we left on our trip...she said "my heart is sad," She was missing the people of Africa so much...I did not really understand that statement until I met the people of Africa. And, now I am also sad, my heart is missing the amazing people I met on my trip. I cannot wait to see them again and tell them that we are here and we are working for them. I cannot wait to bring a little more hope back to Africa.

In my mind Africa remains a model of hope...If people there can work together and rise up out of their uncertain times -then we can certainly make a positive change in this country too. We have the tools we need to plant the seeds of change: education, money, we have power. We have power in our education to make wise choices and support companies and ideas that support and sustain us. We can make a conscious decision to take our spending "power" else where. Let us make our voices heard; let us not speak in words, but in dollars. This is the language of the current administration, we should all learn to speak it.

Peaceful moments...

2008-09-19T04:36:29Z

A few months ago I sub-titled this blog, "A life less comfortable and convenient." At that time the point was true, I am making it more true every day...I am making choices that will make my life less comfortable and less convenient. At the same time I am making the difficult choices that I need to make, to be fulfilled - to feel that I have a sense of purpose here in this life.

Before I left on my trip to Africa I felt fulfilled and balanced in my life: I had a good paying job at ShopNBC, I had health insurance, a 401K match, and two weeks of paid vacation. All of these things made me feel comfortable and of course comfort makes us happy, in a way. I had the paycheck at my day job and I had my volunteer efforts with Give Us Wings to balance it all out.

Upon my return, I feel like the balance that once existed has disappeared. Making money with my 40-hour-a-week and having a little time left over for Give Us Wings does not feel like enough. I am unbalanced. Suddenly, I am not calculating my time and efforts in terms of dollars and cents - but in terms of the impact they are making on the world. Through this simple math - I realized that my impact on the world is not as great as it could be. It could be much greater, if I had a little more time.

Time is truly our most valuable resource; time is money as they say...I say time is ticking. I only have so much time to accomplish the goals that I am setting for myself and if the work I am doing is not helping me reach my goals then the amount of money I make is not going to balance the equation out. Some of us are not fulfilled by a paycheck alone - some of us need to feel like we are making a real difference - in order to be happy...

All of this thinking about my paycheck and my purpose drove me to make a radical life change this week. On Wednesday I quit my full-time, comfortable...good job. I didn't quit because I hate my job, or because I can't stand going into work each day (I actually like my job). I quit because I am in need of a sense of purpose, more than a paycheck.

I am very lucky, I know, to be sinlge and able to live on less money. I think of the millions among us who would love to quit their corporate job to do something more meaningful - but they can't because they have kids and they have a mortgage. I am doing this for all of you, as much as me.

I am taking a part-time job that will pay the bills (and not much else) - so that I can put more time and energy into my work with Give Us Wings. I have to admit that this decision came easier than you may think - it is a calling, I believe. However, I hope that anyone who reads this can take it to heart and think about their own path to fulfillment.

My brother and I have been debating the internal struggle that each of us faces each day - between our heart and our heads. There are moments in life when the choices we have to make become very difficult - when your head will not let you follow your heart - or when your heart will not listen to your head. Once in a while there is a moment when your head and your heart find peace...in these moments, you can be confident that you have found your way.

The Struggle.

2008-09-10T17:01:24Z

Today I am reflective...I am anxiously awaiting my father's return from surgery - once again sitting on the fifth floor of the Methodist Hospital, at the Mayo Clinic. Back in January my dad was diagnosed with a rectal carcinoma - more commonly referred to as: colon cancer. I am remembering the moment that we heard the news...I can remember the eternity that seemed to pass from that moment until the moment the doctors really told us what his treatment would entail.

All of this seems like a long while ago - walking through the marble atrium in the Mayo I feel like I can reflect...I feel like this is almost over. My dad is having what should be his final surgery and his treatment is over. It has taken 28 days of radiation, along with 6 weeks of chemo, followed by a 5 hour surgery to remove the tumor, followed by additional chemo treatments, and now....the last step is reconnection of his small intestine. This last step will allow his colon to again do what it is intended to do - I won't go into any further detail on that :)

When a loved one receives a cancer diagnosis, your immediate reaction is a cross between anger and disbelief. There is this phase where you feel punished and wonder why this would happen to your father (mother, brother, etc). Cancer is the bodies way of warning us that our systems are dangerously out of balance and in need of a little TLC. A friend of my dad's died of a heart attack this past year - with no warning. I can't help but be thankful for the warning - although it was a rather painful, unwanted warning; it was no less a second chance.

In Africa, I often asked how the people kept their chins so high when there was so much pain in their lives. Mary said something about them being used to the struggle, I can't remember her exact words. I took the words to mean that when you live daily with the hardship, you get used to dealing with the pain. And naturally, the joys that seem small to us are much larger and more meaningful, relatively speaking.

Sometimes it is convenient to go through life thinking that our problems are more difficult than those of others and that life is being unfair to us. When in reality – everyone has shit that they go through…just when you think you have a mound of crap to deal with, inevitably you find out that someone else has it worse.

"If we were put here to carry a great weight, the very things we hate are here to build those muscles." - from a Brother Ali song, called The Puzzle.

E (Effort) + e (energy) = R (Rebuilding, Restoring, Results)

2008-09-08T05:34:43Z

Almost exactly one year ago, I met Give Us Wings. Looking back at an old journal entry a couple of days ago, I recalled the moment that led up to our meeting. After taking a strengths assessment early last year, I started thinking about the purpose of my work. At the top of my list of strengths was one I had not expected, belief. Belief in an organization: the ability to work hard for something I believe in, is my number one strength. This surprised me at first, but when I started thinking, I realized that work is not about money for me; it is about belief. I found something I can believe in with Give us wings.

I remember checking a volunteer site for a meaningful opportunity with a non-profit and stumbling upon the listing for Give Us Wings - I was excited to receive a call from Tracy. A couple of days later I met Tracy and Mary - I was instantly impressed with the spirit of the organization. They asked me what I wanted to do - and I said I wanted to help coordinate trips - organize details and lead people. In my current role at ShopNBC; I most enjoy the moments where I am managing a handful of specifics, allowing people to execute each of the pieces, in order to make the production a success. Similar to coordinating volunteers in Africa - my role is ensuring the timely execution of events.

From that moment on I have taken my role as a trip coordinator very seriuosly. I enjoy this work a great deal - it gives me a sense of purpose. I feel as though I report to the people of Africa - I look to Mary and others nearer to me for immediate feedback, but ultimately report to those people who we all touch with our thoughts and donations. My efforts are not measured with a bonus and a new possession, to mark the moment. My efforts are marked with the knowledge that nine Americans entered villages in Kenya and Uganda and left those villages with hearts overflowing - as mine is too.

We left the villages feeling as though the work of Give Us WIngs for the last 10 years had made a tremendous difference. I personally left inspired to give more of my greatest resource...time. I will continue to give my time to the cause of rebuilding the villages of eastern Africa. I will do this knowing that in another 10 years, the impact may seem small from the outside. It may seem as though only a small dent has been made in comparison to the magnitude of the problem. But I will continue and do this, knowing that the small dent I have made is combined with the efforts of many like me, many who have made the journey and have felt their hearts filled. I will continue, knowing that the smallest effort I have made has created a magnitude of feeling and difference in Africa.

Do the math: one small effort, one hour of time, multiplied by all of us - equals enough energy and effort to build a million millenium villages. (http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/mv/index.htm)

You may say I'm a dreamer...I am not the only one.

It's not too late...for change.

2008-08-29T06:17:56Z

A great American moment...I was taken to another place tonight, listening to the Democratic Candidate for President of the United States, Barack Obama. I was taken to a place of hope, I felt something in this country that I have rarely felt...I felt a movement *(See note).

I took a bus down to the Walker Art Center on my day off, yesterday. I needed a day of fresh air and beautiful sights to help focus my thinking, the Walker was perfect. The sculptures in the outdoor garden are amazing! My favorite: I cannot remember the name...but it is a dome, there is a maze of vine, intertwined with objects - it reminds me of a child's mobile.

The most influential quotation, from a sculpture of "Prometheus Strangling the Vulture II":

"I wished to say to men, 'If you desire to continue freely with your creative work, it will be necessary for you to enter the struggle and conquer the forces of darkness that are about to invade the world.' " Jaques Lipchitz

On the 45th anniversary of Dr. Kings' "I Have A Dream" speech, Barack had me smiling for an entire hour. His speech was proof that he is the most genuine leader this country has seen in years. Barack said "-this election is not about me, it is about you!" And in the end, it is about us.

It is up to all of us to seek out the truth, to fix what is broken, and to chase our dreams all our lives. I truly felt tonight that we are the lucky ones - we get to go down in history as the ones who did the impossible...we need to be the ones that turn the world around right now - take an action - join a movement. When our grandchildren read their history books there is only one outcome in my mind that they will read about all of us...

*(Note): The minimum number of people required to "jump-start" a change in consciousness is the square root of 1% of the population. (My brother did the math. Looks like about 8,000 if you consider 6 billion people in the world. Imagine a smaller population, like a city...) - From: The Divine Matrix," by Gregg Braden.

Africa: On my way home!

2008-08-19T07:41:05Z

Just wanted to take a quick moment to let all know that I am on the way home - I am in Amsterdam. I hopped a train down into the city and I am walking the streets, admiring the architecture of this beautiful city. I can't help but feel amazing gratitude for the trip that I have had. To be able to experience several weeks on a continent that remains mysterious and wild to the majority of us. The pictures in my mind did not live up to the Africa that I saw. All of my expectations of sorrow and joy were far exceeded.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Africa: On my way!

2008-08-19T07:32:01Z

This entry was intially written on Sunday August 17, 2008 - evening, Nairobi time. I tried to post the blog after an hour of writing and it was suddenly - POOF...GONE! Miraculously it was there to post this morning:

My last evening in Nairobi...it is bittersweet. I am very excited to get home and see all of the people I love, but I am sad to leave the work behind. Our last two days of work, were tougher than the ones before safari. I think many of us slowed down and started to feel how tired we are, I am ready for bed now and I have no worries that the majority of my 16 hours in flight will be spent sleeping. Looking back on the journey that I have had - it seems like so long ago that I arrived, so much has happened and so little time has been spent relfecting on the events of each day. I imagine I will spend a bit of time alone at home, when I return, journaling - trying to really make sense of all that I have seen and done.

We spent last night with Grace and John, in the Rift Valley. Just over the mountains on the edge of Nairobi, you will find the Rift Valley. The mountains, reminded me of the West Maui mountains that I have fond memories of. The landscape is very dry, but tropical - I saw a few "painted tress." This area didn't really have a rainy season this year and their dry season is prooving to be dry as well. We saw dust devils swirling in the sky and the vans filled with dust as we drove - I am still in need of a shower to remove all of the dust. Grace and John are a wonderful couple. married for forty plus years. They are cute as can be - she is a social worker and he a pastor. They have chosen to lead a very simple life in the country and help raise orphans and children in need. They currently have 16 children that they are raising. The kids spend all of their non-school time with them, on the farm. They learn to farm and they are taught the value of education as well. Give Us Wings donors help to sponsor 7 of the kids with schoool fees.

We drove deep into the Rift Valley to visit the Masaai Group, they are an adult literacy group that Give Us Wings has built a small one-room school for. The Masaai live on this very dry land and raise livestock for a living. This year there were no crops that grew, generally they are able to raise a little maize and some beans - but it is too dry now. The Masaai group is just as impressive as the others we have met along the way. They are struggling: living in mud homes that let no light in, yet allow rain to flood in. Although they are stuggling, they are proud and they are grateful for the blessings in their lives.

Leaving the Masaai village we had a typical ride home...We picked up a young girl who was deaf and had broken her arm. She already had a cast and needed to go to the doctor in Nairobi, so she rode along with us. We also picked up a chicken along side the road - literally. John bought a chicken for 300 schillings off the side of the road - that is about $1.90 US. The chicken was alive - it rode quietly on the floor by John. We stopped and dropped several 20 liter cans of water off at an old woman's house. This woman is someone that Grace had a chance meeting with a few days before. She is a grandmother raising her two grandkids, whose mom died. The grandson is 19 and has serebal palsy. She takes excellent care of him - but you can imagine this is a full-time job: to clean, bathe and feed him. He was an incredible, happy smiling boy. His sister Carol has finsihed her secondary education and is looking to go to nursing school - she rode along with us as well. She is looking for a U.S. sponsor for her education and Grace suggested she ride along to take the night and write her story. Mary will share her story with others and try to find her a sponsor. Every trip we have taken in this country we have ended up with extra passengers - someone getting off here and someone getting on there.

Today we woke up on the farm, had tea and mandazi's (large donuts that are square and don't have a hole). We headed back into Nairobi to have a health camp in the Rongai slums. The health camp was set up in two rooms of the three room school. There was one doctor and one nurse from Kenya - one of our volunteers, Ruthie, is also a nurse. People were seen and given prescriptions like Ibprofen, antibiotics, and multivitamins. Give Us Wings takes donations of all of these things and rpovided some drugs for the health camp. Anyone interested in donating vitmains, pain relievers and other over the coutner drugs for our next trip can contact me for a list of suggestions.

We went on home visits in the Rongai slums, I went to two homes and asked the women questions about their lives. The homes in this slum are made from stones piled one on top of anohter, they are very small and dark. 10 of the 100 women that we met with had a small business selling nuts or charcoal. The other 90 rely on odd jobs like laundry or fetching water for people to earn a living. Many of the women have a few years of primary education, most have no education. This is a group that Give Us Wings has visited each year but has not really taken on. This group of women meets each Thursday to support one another. Both of the women I met with had husbands who had left them with their children. Both shared that they would like to be more happy and comfortable. I took comfortable to mean - they would like to have a better income to buy food. Both of these women fall asleep in these small shacks each night, hungry, alone - with the sounds of other women screming outside their windows.

We all sat down and tried to sum up the expereince tonight...We each pondered how we would respond to the question "How was you trip?" This is not an easy question to answer after a trip like this...There are so many things that you want to share with people that you want others to appreciate and understand. But it is almost unexplainable. Words and photos will not really do it justice. As another volunteer said, the photos will clean up the mess and they will never show the joy. So I am still trying to decide how I will answer this question...another volunteer suggested that an appropriate response may be: "Do you really want to know?"

I will be working on my response on the plane - so please feel free to ask me - don't be surprised if I get a tear in my eye, when I tell you about the strongest, most appreciative people I have ever met. They are grateful for the blessings in their lives, no matter how few they are.

I will be flying home tommorow evening, arriving in Minneapolis, late Tuesday afternoon. Can't wait to see each one of you and share a story - if you have a moment to listen. Thanks to all who have been reading this blog - I will continue to update as I reflect on the experience of returning to the U.S.

Africa: On the lighter side...

2008-08-15T03:50:46Z

We will be leaving Safari for Nairobi today, we will be taking one last Game Drive on the way out of the park. I am feeling lighter after a little time by the pool yesterday. We went on two game drives yesterday, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon/evening. Amazing wildlife. My favorite was the giraffe that walked about twenty feet in front of our safari van. Second favorite, was seeing the same pride of lions we had seen in the morning. This time they were napping in the sun and woke up when we arrived. Again, they were about twenty feet from us, rolling in the grass and cleaning one another, reminding us - they are just big cats. We also saw three cheetahs, which is a rare sighting, very cool. We saw many other animals like zebras, gazelles and jackals. I am still hoping to see a few more elephants today.

The group I am traveling with helped me celebrate my birthday yesterday. They all chipped in for my gift, which was a donation to the young woman I wrote about in my last blog. I was very touched by that - money can't really take her out of her bad situation, but it may make her a life a little easier for a while. The whole staff sang Happy Birhtday and Akuna Matata to me - along with a cake. It was a very nice day and night.

A couple of funny stories to share:

Earlier in the trip we were at a meeting in a village, there were about a hundred of us gathered together discussing the Village Bank idea. A midst all the chatter were heard a chicken screech. The whole group turned and looked, someone said "Dinner", as it turned out - was dinner.

Our last morning in the village in Nyoaga several of us were up, waiting to use the LAtrine. The latrine at Uncle's house is a rimitive toilet, a hole in the ground. As I entered the latrine I felt something graze my head, I looked up to see a bat swirling around my head. As I made my exit screeching out loud - the bat flew down into the hole. Making that Latrine un-usable for the rest of our trip.

Out of time - more to come soon.

Africa: Gratitude

2008-08-14T08:00:38Z

We have made it to the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya - we are on Safari! I went out early this morning and saw giraffes as the sun rose. Giraffes are the animal I most wanted to see - along with the lions. We also saw a pride of lions (three adults and 8 cubs), they walked right in front of the van I was in. AWESOME! We are going out again at 3:30 this afternoon to see the park, I still want to get close to an elepant and see some more of the hippos that we saw this morning.

Yesterday was my birthday, I celebrated with a 12 hour drive over dirt roads. There were moments where there was so much sand swirling in the air that you couldn't see the hood of the vehicle - although this didn't slow our driver down. Strange to celebrate a birthday in Africa, most people here don't even know what day they were born. Many women when asked how old they are have told me 27 one minute and then 32 the next.

We spent an entire week in Nyoaga Kenya - we stayed at Elijah's (Give Us Wings Africa Community Organizer) uncles house. One of the nicest houses I have been in, in Africa - it has cement floors and concrete walls. There is no running water and no electricty. Nyoaga, Kenya is literally off the grid - no power lines make it into the village. The Member of Parliment for Nyoaga came to the village on Saturday when we were there - he promised to bring electricty to the village. I thought this was fantastic until I found out that even when the power arrives, people would need to pay $6500 US dollars to get hooked up. No one in this village could afford that cost, so I am certain that power lines running to Nyoaga would not mean anything in the larger sense. The member of Praliment was in Nyoaga to see how several Give Us Wings Projects were going. The Water Project is nearly complete, this will bring clean water to about 15,000 people in this village. It will also bring the water closer to the people - who currently walk up to three hours one way to fetch water from a polluted lake. The lake water carries diseases like typhoid and makes the children's bellies fat with parasites. There is also a new clinic that opened two months ago, with Give Us Wings support. The clinic is already saving lives and providing helath care to people who could not otherwise get it.

So many things to tell about this wonderful village - but one story really sums up the whole expereince:
Sunday afternoon we spent a few hours tutoring the Nyoaga Young Women's group. I ended up tutoring the group that had difficulties with math - for those of you who know me, you know that I am NOT a math person. So I was doing my best to teach them something about percentages and fractions - I guess I did all right, because they later told Mary they had learned something. After the tutoring one of the young women approached me and said she needed to talk to me. I should say I had already formed a connection with several other young women and I think they trusted me. She apporached me and began to tear up. She said that she had been tested for HIV a few days before and she found out she was positive. She told her husband the news and he beat her. He said that she had brought it home, although he is the fisherman who goes out and sleeps with another woman. This 20 year old woman has just had her 6th child. The youngest is 10 months and she is now worried that this child may have HIV too. She wanted to know if we could help her and I suggested she talk to Sally and Mary, two people who have way more experience with this than I. I can't exactly explain all of the details right now, but I can tell you that she is one of many who has this problem. As I was telling Mary to talk to her, she was wrapping up a similar conversation with another young woman. The husbands in this village go away and bring the disease back to their wives and then they blame the wives. This young woman is afraid for her life, because he told her not to tell anyone. I really relate to the younger women in the village because I see my self a few years ago. I cannot imagine finding out at the age of 20 that you have HIV, while struggling to feed 6 babies, with a husband that beats you. She was a very bright girl in our tutoring session, one of the brightest.

It is so difficult to know where to begin to help these young women - the culture has to shift in a big way. Women have to be taught that it is o.k. to be more independent and to wait to have children. All of them are now going to have the opportunity to get birth control - each of them wants it. There is a 5 year implant that costs $20 U.S. Dollars - I am personally donating some money to ensure that the women who want it are able to get it. At least one aspect of their lives that they may be able to control.

As I walked away from this devastating situation, I was feeling a little blue...the sun was going down in the sky and I just wanted to retreat to my mosquito tent in silence. As I walked, Charles Amundi leaped onto the dirt path in front of me. Charles is the first resident of Nyoaga we met, when we arrived. I should back up and say that we had a very interesting adventure as we entered the village on our first night. It was almost sunset and we were only about 1km from our destination when we encountered a stuck truck in the middle of the road we needed to travel down. It was stuck very badly and even if we could have squeezed around it we would have been stuck in the same mud. So we all piled out of the bus - the crowd that was already gathering began to grow when we arrived. There were about 30 kids surrounding the scene and many adult men trying to help the truck that was packed with fish and ice move forward. Several of us had to pea in the worst way so we walked up the hill with Chalres Amundi to his grandmother's house. Charles is 7 years old (cute as can be) - his mother died while giving birth to him and he lives with his grandma now. Charles was our best little friend in Nyoaga - wherever we were, he was there. Eventually we realized it would be dark and we needed to get the truck un-stuck soon! We ended up grabbing some of the young men that were trying to push the fish truck free and paying them to carry our luggage the rest of the way to Uncle's house. It was quite a scene.

So back to the walk home, Chalres jumped onto the path and played dead in front of me. He is a very dramatic, charismatic young man. I couldn't help but smile and feel utter joy to have him there. He was so bright and happy to see me. He was with a friend and they had been out fishing, caught several fish. They talked quickly, some of which I could understand, some I could not. The children in Nyoaga village were amazing though. We never had a moment without many of them close by, smiling and happy to see us. Amidst all of the heartache of the young women and adults -these children keep smiling and they kept us smiling.

Well, this is about all I can stand to write at the moment - and most likely enough for anyone to read...so I will close with a little reflection on gratitude.

Having this time in Africa, witnessing the little that people have and the struggles they face...makes me so grateful to have had the opporutnites that I have. So many things that we take for granted...books, running water, toilet seats, clean water. So many things that I will be grateful for when I return - I was honestly giddy with excitement to have a toilet seat to sit on yesterday! On this birthday I am grateful for my health, education, family, friends and the amazing trip that isn't over yet.

Love and miss you all - remember to be grateful for the simple things!!

Africa: Wants vs. Needs

2008-08-05T11:01:53Z

Hello all!!
I have arrived in Kenya - we just crossed the border about an hour ago. We also crossed the equator and I am now in the southern hemisphere. A lot has happened since I last blogged, I am not sure where to begin...

On Saturday several of us had a "Day in the Life" experience with families in Kayoro Village. I had written in my first entry about meeting Suzan and Henry, well I went to Suzan's home on Saturday and spent the whole day and night with her and her children. I figured out that Henry was the translator, and did not actually live with Suzan. Suzan is a widow, her husband died from AIDS a few years ago. We started the day with sweeping their compund, we walked about 2km to fetch water. There was a little boy that was fetching two huge 5 gallon jugs of water and wrestling them onto his bike - I am not sure how he did it. Their water is safe to drink, after boiling - although they often drink it cold. I felt terrible all day, sipping my bottled water (I ended up being a little dehydrated the next day). I was told I could tell them that I didn't want to eat with them, but I couldn't do that - I ate a little of their prepared food.

It rained in the afternoon and we all crowded in the small two room home (their two rooms are smaller than my whole living room). The kids sang and danced through the rain. At first going into the experience I was worried about how we would pass all of the time, with none of the conveniences we are used to: TV, radio, games, etc. The kids made it fly by though. The whole family was having a hard time with my name - so early on, I told them they could call me Boom-Boom. They loved this...as we walked around the village, people would call out wondering who the mizungo (white person) was, and my family would call out, "It is our mizungo, Boom-Boom." They really took ownership of me, it was nice.

After the evening meal all of the children were still hungry, they were crying for more food, but there was none, I pulled out two Clif bars and distributed them. The hungry, desperate hands of 20 children reached out wanting more and I felt terrible when I had no more to offer either. After dark the kids sang and danced for hours again. Many of the songs were about HIV and I realized that the kids were learning through song. The words were things like "Use a condom" and talked about safe sex. It was fascinating, I ended up having a very frank discussion about sex and HIV with a room full of Africans ranging in age from 2-40. There were Suzan's kids and then an undetermined number of orphans (I never counted, but would guess 20).

The last two days I visted two local hospitals, The District Hospital in Tororo and the Regional Hospital in Mbale. The conditions were horrendous, worse than I could have imagined and I am sure the video I took will not do it justice. Their beds are old and rusting, the mattresses are only chewed up foam, no sheets are provided to patients, no meals. The families of patients litter the grounds with their cook stoves and laundry, thier chickens wander, as they do most of the care for their loved ones. We interviewed the hospital staff about what was needed to offer better healthcare. The first woman told us "equipment," after further probing it was realized that the equipment she was talking about was metal basin pans and syringes. Both hospitals were lacking in the most basic items, like IV kits, gauze, rubber gloves. Patients need to go out and buy their own supplies, or they get none. Ruthie, the nurse that is with our group, helped deliver a baby that was breach yesterday. Observers said that the baby would have died if not for her. She took control when the overworked nurses were yanking at the babies feet. The mother was up walking within 20 minutes of delivery, after they put a towel between her legs and told her mother to mop her birth fluid off the floor. They needed the table, because there were by my count about 6 women waiting for one. I delivered a microscope, and drugs that were donated by my mom and brother - both supplies were so welcomed by the receievers.

The thing that has struck me the most the last few days is the absence of the most basic necessities. When questioning mothers about what they need to have better lives, their answeres are so simple: food, clean water, education for their kids. When questioning the nurses at the hospital about their needs, it was the same things, so basic...gloves, syrings, gauze.

Wants versus Needs...something we should all look at in our everday lives.

Onto Nyoaga, Kenya - no electricity, no running water. We just found out we will be walking about 10 minutes with our bags - because the road to the house we will be going to, is too muddy from the rain this morning. The adventure continues...So many details and so little time. I guess I should save some stories for my return.

Africa: Hope in a hopeless place...

2008-08-02T06:02:30Z

Another amazing day yesterday in Tororo, Uganda. We spent the morning with a group of women in the Bison Slums. This group had more issues than the first group we visited. Many of the women, on top of their other problems, have a drinking problem. They drink to feel better, because most are sick with HIV. We visited the homes of three women, all of whom were HIV positive. They have medicine to take for the disease - but generally no food to eat with it, so it makes the very sick. These women were strong and impressive as well. Two out of the three I spent time with had their children in school in other places - because they could not afford school here. When asked what could be done to make their lives better, their answers were amazingly simple: better food, a better home, and having their children near by.

In the afternoon we visited the Ngyio Ber women's group. Ngiyo Ber translates to "we love each other." This group formed on their own about 10 years ago, they were already a group when Give Us Wings met them. These women recently moved into their new homes on the edge of Tororo. The women were previously living in the slums we visited in the morning. Give us Wings raised funds to build 32 families homes. Each home has three rooms, a seperate kitchen and bathing area, and a latrine. The women moved in, in March and no one knew for sure how it would go - if this area would end up being another slum - or if they would know how to take care of their homes. Tears in each of our eyes yesterday as we walked into their settlement, which they have named the "Nygio Ber Women's Estate." They have not only taken care of their homes, they have landscaped them. The women in the village have taken some money from their organic farming to use for shrubs and flowers to make these homes more beautiful. It was an amzing place, filled with hope and smiles. I can see the children here having a better life.

Amazing that through 10 years of work with the women in the slums, they were slowly lifted up out of the slums to have a place to call home. I realized that it does not take that much money - Mary estimates that it cost $200,000 to lift these women out of their dire situation over the last 10 years - including the housing project. Althought it does not take that much money, it does take time to help these women have the confidence to make it on their own. The Geno woemn that we met in the slums would not know how to take care of these homes - they would not be ready for the gift that the Nygio Ber women were given. But in the spirit of giving back - Mary has talked to the Ngyio Ber women about coaching the Geno women. The Ngyio Ber women are all willing to help the Geno women.

I have hope that over time the Geno women - at least some of them - could rise up in the way the Ngyio Ber group has. Miraculous!! This gives me hope that many small NGO's like Give Us Wings could use this model to effectively eliminate some of the poverty in this place.

Africa: How lucky we are...

2008-08-01T05:54:44Z

Day four of my trip today, we had an amazing day yesterday. Many of the sights and emotions are not describable...one of those "you had to be there" moments. We traveled about 15 minutes out of Tororo, Uganda to a Village called Kayoro. Give us Wings has been working with this village for 10 years now; working with the people to restore hope. The people of the village have been provided with training in organic farming, many recently received tin roofs for their simple homes, one member of each household has been given a healthcard to take to a clinic in town, to receive basic healthcare.

Stepping off of the bus in Kayoro Village yesterday was like stepping into a place I have never been...the sounds and emotions swirling around me moved me to tears. I was videotaping the scene and I fought back the tears of joy. The women of the village all ran to the bus to greet us. They began to dance and sing with joy. There were shrill cries of excitment...all were so happy to see us. I have been struck by the peoples appreciation of our presence. I feel like a celebrity in these small villages - because everyone wants a moment to talk to the American, to be recognized, to have their story heard.

There was a group meeting for the 104 adults that belong to our group in Kayoro. We introduced Community Healthcare work to the Village. One of the women on the trip is a nurse practioner and she will be training 10 people in the village to be healthcare workers. This training wil be very basic: making a salt and sugar water mixture fror dehydrtated babies, for example.

We administered a health survey to the people in the village - some simple questions to see how much they eat a day and where they get their water from. It was extremly hard to ask some of these questions and hard to know what to say when a woman says that she is HIV postivie and another says that one of the 20 kids in her household has HIV rashes over their body. Everyone in this village has taken on orphans, kids orphaned by a parent who was taken by HIV. Many only have access to water that makes them sick. ALthough they would like to boil the water before they drink it - they don't have stoves and often do not have enough wood to make a fire to boil the water.

I have already seen and learned so much - although I feel like I have much more to learn. After lunch in the village (which was prepared for us by the members of the village) we went on home visits with families. I had a nice couple named Henry and Suzanne that I went with. He was 20 and she was 30. She had four children of her own from a husband who has died of AIDS. I don't think they were married I am still trying to figure out exactly what their realtionship was (they spoke english, but not that well). Walking into their home was sad. It really put a lot of things into perspective. I cannot even tell you how hard it was coming from so much to see that they had nothing. I had a fort in the woods outside of my grandma's house that was just as nice. There were two rooms that were not larger than most of our bathrooms. Peanuts and corn that they have harvested from their garden are piled in the corners. The house smell reminded me of the corn crib at my grandmothers farm.

I got some video of the family showing me how to sweep and how to hoe in their garden. While their little ones giggled at me - rarely seeing a white person, it was funny to them to see me sweep. Yesterday was very emotional, but in a good way mostly. It was so sad to see that they had nothing - they had a level of nothing that I could not imagine. Not like no TV, not like no stove or rerfirgerator, they had nothing. One mattress for 9 people, no chairs, no lantern or flashlight. A three stone fire pit outisde to cook on was perhaps their most modern applicance.

We had a group discussion following this day, where almost everyone was moved to tears in talking about their day. This experience is something everyone needs to have. After coming here and seeing how the people live - and not just a few...millions - I cannot help but think about how lucky we are. Village after village are all the same, there is not a nice part of town and a bad neighborhood here - they are all the same. Having this expereince, it seems impossible that you could come back to a life of comfort in the U.S. and not try to redistribute some of your wealth to help these people. People who have not run up to me and begged for money, people who are very smart - though they cannot read or write.

Walking back from the small home to the rest of the group it began to rain. My hosts wanted to duck under a shelter - but I was insistent that we keep moving, so I didn't make the bus wait. I got back to the bus soaked, along with my companions. Henry told me as we walked that Africans are afraid of the rain. Afraid because tomorrow, they might be very sick. It is hard to dry off an get warm when you don't have a towel, or a spare shirt, or even a blanket (he has none of these things).

I could honestly go on and on - I have so much to reflect on. But being the trip leader has proved to be a challenging and rewarding position - and I have things to do! We are off to the Bison slums in Tororo today. The people in the slums don't live as well as the people that I met yesterday, this is unimaginable to me. Hope all of you are well, I am much more comfortable in this country than I tought I would be - love to all.

Africa: I'm in Africa!!!

2008-07-30T07:30:53Z

Just have a few minutes to send a quick note out to all...

We have arrvied in Entebbe, Uganda. 24 Hours of travel time passed by very smoothly. In-Flight, on-demand movies really helped :) We arrived after dark last night - so I am just now seeing my first few glimpses of Africa.

Thus far we have traveled from Entebbe, which is a suburb of Kampala, into Kampala. The sights thus far are as I imagined: Crowded streets mixed with bicycles, scooters, buses and autos - as well as many people on foot.

The bananas are fantastic!!

We are in route to Tororo Uganda today. We will visit the source of the Nile along the way. It will be at least a five hour drive to travel about 120 miles.

More to come after we arrive in Tororo.

Hypermiling...not hype!

2008-07-22T07:25:35Z

Amazing how the smallest efforts can make an impact...

Recently I heard about "Hypermilers" in Sierra Magazine. The Hyper-milers are drivers who manage to get incredible gas mileage out of normal cars, by making a few small changes in their driving habits.

After reading about this phenomenon I decided to give it a try. I would like to be clear that I have not been driving slower than the posted speed limit or trying that hard. Although my mother often tells me I drive like a "grandma" to begin with...

I have honestly done the following simple things:

Driving no more than 65 miles an hour and keeping to the posted speed limit when it is lower than 65.
Gently stepping on the brakes and coasting more slowly to a stop, rather than slamming on them - when approaching a light or stop sign.
Accelerating at a slightly slower rate, out of a stop light or sign.

By making these minor changes, I have increased my mpg from an average of 33 to 37 miles per gallon.

This may not seem like a LOT, but I have also not tried very hard. Realizing what a big difference a few little changes made, I am going to try a little harder and see what my car can really do. I can see where this could become a competitve sport. If anyone wants to raise a challenge - please let me know!

Check this site out for more information.

http://www.hypermiling.com/

A life less comfortable...

2008-07-16T08:09:51Z

"...We wake up one day and find that we have lost our dreams in order to protect our days. Don't let yourself become one of these people. The fear of the unknown and the lure of the comfortable will conspire to keep you from taking the chances the traveler has to take." -Kent Nerburn, in Letters to Mt. Son

How many among us can forgo modern convenience and comforts, in order to find inner peace? How often do we really unplug the barrage of media and messages around us to listen to the soft voice that is deep within?

Somehow, I am curious and strange in that I still like to do things the hard way - the "old fashioned" way. I am often saying "They just don't make them like they used to," in reference to bikes and cars - just about anything. I think that our culture of instant gratification and cheap goods is ruining more than our environment. Our inability to unplug and just "be present," is also quieting our souls...to the point that we will never hear. We will never really discover who we are, because there is no way to find that knowledge in a book or on a television program.

Living a less complicated life -without a TV, in a simple one bedroom apartment has opened my body and mind; I can hear the gentle whisper of an inner voice in the moments of silence. The voice that pushed me to find a volunteer opportunity, working with an organization I believe in. The voice that now guides me through the preparations for my trip to Africa. I am certain that this voice is my soul, it is leading me to my destiny...

Moments of silence and patience are all you need to find your way...

To Blog or not to Blog...

2008-03-03T04:00:03Z

As I try to enter the world of blogging...I find myself a little torn about my intent. Do I want the world to know my every thought as it leaves my mind, in the flow of unconciousness that I allow myself to journal in? I often picture others reading my words as I write them, but yet, it seems unnatural to me that someone would really know my deepest, deepest thoughts and desires.
I guess that the blog is our journal to the world, the parts of us that we can allow to be seen in life. I know that in death all of my words could be found and shared with the world - but then I won't have to face the looks of others who would judge some of me. No matter how honest we are with ourselves and with the world...we are only telling the truths as we and others can hear them. We censor our messages, even to ourselves.