Glimpse of Gulu

Some of you have asked about Gulu – the geography and other such details. Aside from the fact that Gulu is in the midst of a rainy season, the climate is very hot and dry (which is mzungu for where is the pool?). I am told the rainy season will end come November, when the dry heat is supposed to be accompanied by heavy winds. Tonight was the first clear night I have seen and the stars are simply spectacular. The storms are equally impressive - the vibration of the thunder and the pounding of the rain on the tin roof have awoken me a number of nights. And with the rain comes constant power outages. Actually, I think that there are frequent outages regardless of the weather. And as I experienced this morning, there can be water outages as well. One quickly learns to adapt.

How to describe the landscape? It is flat with trees, many palm. The streets are dusty, the fields green. Now that is an elementary description, eh? But there really is no way to describe without the smells, the sounds, and the feel. The main streets are paved, but packed with boda bodas or motorcycle taxis, occasional herds of cattle, random chickens or goats, bicycle taxis, women with baskets on their heads, children with jerry cans of water, cars, and serious SUV and transport trucks. As far as the town center is concerned, it is just a small grid of straight streets, the size reminiscent of a petite Colorado mountain town with a market stocked with produce and everything else imaginable in the center. The surrounding areas of the town are clusters of African-style round huts and other ad hoc homes – all on near impossible roads. I am still struck by the geography when traveling around my little town: Sudan not too far to the north, Congo to the west, Kenya to the east, and Lake Victoria and Kampala to the south. I need to take more pictures, however the last time I attempted a man who was no where near the view of my camera started screaming at me to not take his picture.

I am accustomed to the near constant attention when walking down the street – Rwanda was good practice. Some people just stare with mouths gaping, some walk by normally and then stop short to do a double take, others (typically children) are eager to ask how I am doing, a few will walk by me without a word and then once I have passed will shout “HOW ARE YOU?” at my backside. I decided that if people are always staring at the mzungu woman walking around town (that would be me), what difference would it make if I were jogging instead of walking? So despite the knee pain, I did manage a short jog. Along the way, a man with a bicycle taxi asks, “Madame, can I please give you a lift,” to which I reply, “No thank you, I am exercising.” He ponders this for a moment and then nods, “Ah, exercise.” And I carry on my way.

I am in the midst of a work identity crisis, as apparently a few organizations had the expectation that I would be working with them. Before my arrival I had networked with a number of individuals, but only formally established an official affiliation with the University of Gulu. When I arrived, Lina instantly got me set up at ACORD, so I reasoned that I would work between the university (which involves teaching and possible curriculum development) and ACORD (the two are already linked). Now I will also attempt to also assist the Gulu Women’s Empowerment Network (GWENET) - this organization is led by two women, Catherine and Francissy, who seem eager to work with me (more to come about them later) - in capacity building and trainings. While it is great that so many people are interested in my skills (or is it my free labor?), I am struggling to establish a way to divide my time between the different interests without stepping on toes (and mind you that organizations are quite competitive over resources). So now I foresee doing my side projects with the University and GWNET in addition to a comprehensive research project with ACORD that would benefit all (local women’s groups, other non-governmental organizations, the government and the international community at large) and serve as a roadmap for future projects aiming to integrate women into peacebuilding (justice, reconciliation, economic reconstruction, HIV/AIDS, governance, etc.). Needless to say, I must get over my guilt and expectation that I can help everybody, and perhaps most of all, I must learn to incorporate the word NO into my everyday vocabulary. Excuse the digression, as this may seem a bunch of gibberish.

I enjoyed a relaxing weekend but I suppose there is no other type of weekend to be had in Gulu. I continue to be disappointed with housing leads, so I am keeping a low profile on that front (though I just saw an apartment that looks promising). With my trip to Kampala tomorrow it may be a few days until I post again – that is unless I can get a poolside internet connection. AND, I hope you are all as excited as I am that there is finally a visual up on my blog! While I wish I could take the praise for this endeavor, the credit all goes to one techmaster in Denver (DBB).