The Peace Corps Mission:
To promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals.
1.
To help the people of interested countries in
meeting their need for trained men and women
2.
To help promote a better understanding of Americans
on the part of the peoples served
3.
To help promote a better understanding of other
peoples on the part of Americans
These are the big ideas. These
are what guide me as I work
as a PCV in Uganda. As I work at the grassroots level toward sustainable change
that lives on long after my service.
Hmmm...as
of right now, I’m hoping more than knowing I will make a substantial,
sustainable contribution, and I’m at peace with that. Mpora, mpora. Slowly, slowly.
Because what I do
know right now, what I’ve learned these past seven months in country, is
everyday I have the opportunity for a friendly conversation, a teachable
moment, a cultural exchange, an observation or even a spontaneous dance
lesson. They happen anywhere and
everywhere. And it is in these shared experiences,
these serendipitous moments I realize I am working towards fulfilling the goals
of the Peace Corps...by promoting a better understanding between two cultures.
And having fun too!
Such as...
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Hiking the hills of my village with a surprise meeting of my
favorite P4 student and her family
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Preparing and sharing a multicultural meal with everything
from matooke to pizza.
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Teaching our taxi driver about geocaching then scoring an
FTF (first to find).
(Tom gets all the credit)
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My boyfriend, visiting from the US, playing volleyball with
the college tutors and students.
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Learning how to peel matooke from my “sister”
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P7 students writing letters to pen pals in America.
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My teachers at Kibingo giving me a pumpkin so I’d make them more
pumpkin bread.
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Celebrating Alvin’s 15th birthday.
And finally, dancing with the Batwa pygmies in Bwindi
Impenetrable National Forest. An
explosive expression of humanity. My dance moves need work!
“A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of
its people.”
Mahatma
Gandhi
Leka tuzine! Let’s
dance!
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