Sara and I have been home for about two days now and I’m still working through the fog of jetlag and lack of sleep. My return feels different after my third trip to Engeye. My first two trips were in the heart of winter so I returned home to freezing temperatures and snow and I think it made the return home more brutal both emotionally and physically as the warm sun and beauty of Africa seemed very far away. This weekend I returned home to New York on a hot and sunny day so the transition was not as difficult……at least not yet.
It’s always hard to explain your trip to Engeye, although most friends and family are polite and ask sincerely about our experience. While it’s hard for me to put our two weeks into a few simple sentences for the casual friend, I wonder how the Minerva Fellows are able to process it all after 9 months of living in rural Uganda. David, Joe & Kathy? Forgettaboutit. Our trip was wonderful, inspiring, hard, fun, and heartbreaking at times. Yes, there are many things I won’t miss about Uganda. The two days of exhausting travel to get there and back, trying to sleep in a bunkhouse, bats and hornets in the shower area, headlamps, early morning wake-up calls from the rooster, chickens running wild on the grounds, showers from a cup with very cold water and oh – the latrines by day (flies) and night (everything else). But all of these minor inconveniences pale in comparison to the things I’ve grown to love about my trips to Engeye.
It begins upon arrival at the airport and the sights and smells remind you why you worked so hard to return. I love the feeling as we leave the main road that stretches across Uganda and approach the small dusty roadway which leads to Engeye Health Clinic. Seeing the familiar road, green shrubs and the sight of the clinic roof as our van makes the turn always puts a lump in my throat upon arrival. The sense of true community as the Ugandan staff at Engeye rush to the road to welcome us with bright smiles and big, sincere hugs will never grow old. John’s huge smile never disappoints and his Ugandan bear hug lets you know you are very welcome. As I dragged my duffel bag into the bunkhouse, memories all come crashing back from previous trips. This trip was no different than my past two in that I had the comfort of good friends from the US and Uganda to welcome me and guide me.
Elaine, Greg, Sara and I were able to accomplish so much during this trip thanks to the wonderful support of David Robinson who did a lot of pre-trip planning on our behalf. We were able to visit with the Scholars and more importantly, meet with school administrators and teachers. I am always moved by the dedication and passion these teachers have despite working in what Americans would label as unacceptable or horrible conditions. Watching Sara and Greg teach their classes and develop real relationships with the students and children in the village was worth every hour on the plane, every dollar spent, every pre-trip shot and almost every trip to the latrine after dark. Greg introducing jazz music to the students and teachers at Sydney Paul was one of my favorite memories of our trip and reminded me that sometimes the simplest gifts are the most precious. I was blessed with new friendships, side splitting laughter, good food, good beer, beautiful sunsets, breathtaking sunrises and a two day African safari with my daughter. Not a bad to spend your two weeks of vacation.
We did a lot of good work while we were there and even more importantly, saw important/good work being done by so many on the ground day in and day out, whether visitors are there to snap pictures or not. It was moving to see the smiles of our Engeye Scholars, feel their hugs, meet their parents and review their school work on our school tours. We were invited to be a part of a student debate and two PTA meetings and as a past PTA president, I was struck by the similarities to PTA meetings in the US. Parents worrying about their kid’s safety, nutrition and test scores is clearly universal.
Another highlight was participating in family day at St. Gertrude’s and seeing the sincere gratitude of the school’s teachers and parents for the work done by ETC. Sara and Greg were able to tour the school, see the new solar power their fundraising brought to the school. I love the picture of the two of them standing in the student dormitory next to the newly built bunk beds. No longer will female students sleep on the floor at this school. Baby steps maybe but also important steps forward. When I look at our pictures from our trip on facebook I am reminded that I have never seen my daughter happier. Ever. It reassures me that she has chosen a career path that will allow her to continue to travel and experience, learn from and work with other cultures. Oh to be 18 again and have those options!
As I reflect on my personal experience I feel the difference of this last trip. Unlike my other visits to Uganda, I was not part of a medical mission trip so I did not spend time working or helping in the medical clinic. I was not eating my meals with a group of physicians, hearing their stories of heartbreak and success from their long day in the clinic. I was not reaassuring, comforting or problem solving for a team of medical students. As part of a medical team, their work can sometimes be the difference between life and death for a patient in crisis. As a small team with a focus on education, our impact was not life or death but those of us involved feel access to healthcare and education go hand in hand. While Scholars may not be saving lives, I do feel we are improving lives with access to education for those in need. Elaine had the idea to bring wrist-bands for all of the students as a small way to encourage them to continue to work hard in school. The bands had “Empowerment Through Education” imprinted on them. We had a chance to talk to each class in both schools about what Empowerment means and how they can be empowered through their own education. The students and teachers seemed to take it very seriously and it was rewarding to visit the schools a week later and still see each child (and teacher) proudly wearing their wrist-band.
In the end, the results are the same for this trip as for my past trips. I received much more than I gave. We go to “teach” and always end up being the ones who learn the most. I’m so grateful for the wonderful people on-site who are doing the real work day in and day out. I’m grateful for the cool, fun, hardworking Ugandans and bzungus who are living, learning, and working at Engeye for days, weeks, and months at a time. They don’t do this work for high pay (or sometimes any pay) or recognition but because they are called to make a difference. Their commitment and passion is much more valuable than any two week visit I could make. I'm thankful for the Board of Directors who continue to work stateside trying to keep this small clinic open and improving. I’m grateful for my husband, coworkers, friends, family members, Journey church members and especially Elaine my co-director, for their continued interest and efforts on behalf of Engeye Scholars. None of this would be possible without their time, energy, wisdom, guidance and oh yeah, donations. I feel blessed to have had this opportunity a third time and hope to remain worthy of being part of such a unique and amazing program. I’m excited to watch Sara embrace and tackle many of the more difficult issues as she begins her first year studying International and Global Development. I still have so much to learn and who knows, maybe she will be the one to teach me.
For now I am grateful to return to the comforts of home and family. Silly that I have only been away two weeks but feel such an appreciation for the luxuries of American life. Maybe I’m just getting too old for this type of “adventure” but I am reminded that I love my bed, my fast internet, my refrigerator, my shower, my DVR, the ability to drive myself anywhere I need to go, brushing my teeth with tap water, and for the love of God – I. love. my. flushing. toilet. Yes, I’m not ashamed to say, I love my flushing toilets. I have unpacked our many duffel bags and will finish my deworming pills tonight and my malaria meds at the end of the week and the physical reminders of my trip will be behind me. But...I already know the real value of this trip will continue to unfold over the next few weeks, months, maybe even years. I hope I'm wise enough to embrace it all as it unfolds before me and dedicated enough to tackle the hard work that lies ahead.
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