"Happy Days"

Greetings from Kampala!
We have had a very busy last couple of weeks in Kampala. Just like Nairobi we hit the ground running here, scheduling meetings, getting acquainted with the city and taking in some tourist attractions. Last week we met with Friends of Orphans, the community-based NGO that we are working with in Pader in Northern Uganda. The organization was started by two formely abducted children who are two of the most inspiring individuals we have met.
Last Thursday Kaitlyn and I had the distinct pleasure of spending six hours getting to know the Nile River inside and out when our two friends that we met on the bus from Nairobi to Kampala, Arthur and Sarah, convinced us to go white water rafting with them. I think we can safely say that it was the most exhilarating day of both of our lives. From Christina swallowing half the Nile River to Kaitlyn getting pounded by the "Bad Place" to saving a water-logged pooter scooter of a monkey it was something we will always remember with fondness because we have lived to tell about it. Our rafting and kayaking guides were intent on stressing "happy days" as we roughed the giant rapids - not so happy at the time, but in "retrospect" (the name of one of three class five rapids) it was "too easy"!
Unbeknownst to us, the eco-tourism here is booming (even though the Ugandan government has struck a multimillion dollar deal with CNN to boost tourism) and later on in our stay here in Uganda we plan to visit Mt. Elgon, Chimpanzee Island and Murchinson Falls - just a few of the main attractions. If we had an extra few houndred dollars we could acquire a permit to see the gorillas on the Congo border, but that will have to wait for our next visit.
Since we have been in Kampala we have had the pleasure of meeting with Save the Children, AVSI, International Rescue Committee, Transcultural Psychosocial Organization, World Vision, UNICEF, UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and we attended an all-day Parliamentary conference where we got to meet several MP's. We got an in-depth briefing from Friends of Orphans on Acholi culture and a needs assessment of the Pader community and we also received a briefing yesterday from a spokesman from MONUC (UN's peacekeeping mission in Congo). These meetings, as opposed to many of the NGOs we met with in Nairobi offered us quite a different perspective of the peacebuilding field from a larger, international NGO perspective. Their work in the psychosocial support of formely abducted children seems to be well-practiced and we are eager to see the implementation of their programs in the North.
Aside from doing our work, we have been very lucky to have met some fabulous travellers here at the Blue Mango - from England, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden (shout out to Jo-Fine!) and the States. We have gotten the opportunity to go out with them and enjoyed swapping travelling tales over Thai and Indian food, as well as at a local Irish pub. The city has so much to offer from international film festivals to cultural music jam sessions to taking advantage of just about any outdoor adventure you can think of. The weather here is around 90 degrees - and getting hotter. There is no humidity, which is a welcomed changed for us and allows for all of the restaurants and shops to be outdoors. All of this coupled with the numerous palm tress, tropical flowers, rolling green hills and fabulously friendly Ugandans has us completely and utterly smitten with this country!
Now for the exciting news ... We embark on the bulk of our research project this Monday morning as we begin our drive to Pader. We will stop briefly in Lira (one night) and continue to Pader on Tuesday. Pader is in the North eastern district of the country and the most affected by the war which has also left it the poorest and least visited district by aid agencies. This is where Friends of Orphans is headquarted. We will be staying at a very small and austere "hotel" and making trips around the internally displaced camps, surrounding schools and community-based organizations. We are very anxious to begin our work with the children and carry out our research questions. We feel more than adequately briefed on all aspects of the conflict and of the interventions being carried out in the region.
Unfortunately - or fortunately - we won't have access to internet (which also includes electricity and water) for the time that we are in the North. We will carry our phone with us and be able to charge it at night by a generator. We are not sure how well this will work as we will also have to charge our video camera but we are posting our new number for those that want to get in touch with us. Our Kampala number is 011 256 71 652 323 (I think it was posted wrong before) and our Northern Uganda number is 011 256 78 761 516.
We will be spending the weekends in Kitgum and Gulu (two other war-affected districts) and might get the chance to email while in Gulu, so keep in touch as we will definitely want to hear from all of you if and when we do get internet connection.
We will be back in November and ready to work with Victoria's organization - Sunrise Children's Village in Entebbe.
Love to all of you. Thanks for the continued support!!!