Travels Part II: Uganda

By Leah

Uganda


A couple of weeks after Ethiopia, I made the one-hour plane trip to Kampala, where I did a two-day training for microfinance practitioners on social performance management and client protection. On the first day after class, I was asked to speak and hand out awards at a ceremony that honored local microfinance institutions that were making progress in social performance management. It was neat to be a part of the event, which was held at a fancy hotel with cocktails served afterward. I hope it will become an annual event.

It was my second time in Uganda and I really enjoyed myself. I noticed many similarities between Kenya and Uganda, and a few differences. I've combined the two below.

- The people are super friendly like in Kenya. But the accent is more difficult for me to understand.

- The driving is just as crazy. No perceivable difference. My taxi driver from the airport was a speed demon who executed a double pass. We were driving down a narrow two-way street and the sedan directly in front of us pulled into the oncoming lane to pass a bus two cars ahead. My cab pulled out to pass at the same time, and estimating that the sedan was not moving fast enough, he passed the sedan by using the opposite shoulder of the road. In effect, he created three lanes where one existed, by passing a sedan that was passing a bus. I wanted to close my eyes as oncoming traffic got closer, but I was too fascinated by the maneuver.

- Christianity is the dominant religion. Also no perceivable difference, though I'm sure some would emerge if I'd stayed longer. In both countries I've seen lots of Christian bumper stickers and signs, have heard Christian music playing over grocery store loudspeakers and on colleagues' car radios, and have heard Bible verses quoted during daily conversation. It is more openly displayed than in the U.S.

- The dirt is red like in Kenya. The landscape seems greener, I think because there's less development- like fewer apartment buildings and shopping malls, etc. Also, the land around Lake Victoria is seriously fertile. Both times I've been in Uganda, I've seen a surprising number of "exotic" animals just hanging around in the city- including monkeys, peacocks, and birds that I refer to as pterodactyls.

- Coca cola sponsors private stores and even private homes. But in Uganda, sponsors include Bic pens, a local diaper brand, a paint company, and a handful of telecom companies. And I don't mean that they put a sign in the store window. Entire buildings, block after block, are painted the brand color, and have big murals depicting the product on the sides and fronts of the stores. For example, the Bic pen-sponsored buildings were mustard yellow from foundation to roof, with that amorphous black pen-man standing 8 feet high on at least one exterior wall. Since I forgot my camera at home, I'm borrowing images from other websites to show you what I mean. See images from  Lee B. Spitzer, ITC 4 Uganda, and Travelbud.

With Uganda so close by, I'm sure Steve and I will find ourselves there from time-to-time.

Far East to far West

By Leah

Last week, I took my first trip back to the U.S. since moving to Nairobi. The occasion was the wedding of one of my best girlfriends, Kelly. She and Pete were married on a gorgeous and refreshing Saturday afternoon in Carmel, California. I was honored to be a bridesmaid and stand up with Kel on her big day. Below, a few photos from the reception.

The stunning bride

 

 

Notre Dame Volleyball- Go Irish!

Reunited with dear friends

A little support for the easygoing groom

First dance before we all joined in

I also took the opportunity to spend a few days in Texas where I had a fantastic time hanging out with my family and playing with my sisters' boys, Isaac and Luke, who are growing up so fast and are as sweet as can be.

Only my 2nd timing hanging out with Isaac but we made up for lost time

Little Isaac on the left and big Luke on the right

Trying to get simultaneous smiles for the Xmas card photo

Visiting with beautiful Mimi

Another work blog

Check out another post I authored on the Center for Financial Inclusion website: http://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/speaking-your-clients’-sheng/

Travels Part I: Ethiopia

By Leah

In the past month, I've traveled to Ethiopia, Uganda, and Ghana for work. I'll write a post on each.

Ethiopia

In late September, Steve and I spent a week in Ethiopia, attending the same microfinance conference where I was speaking and he was making deals.

Ethiopia is really poor, much more than I expected. I haven't seen so many people sleeping in the streets (including the medians of busy roads) outside of India. And so many things reminded me of Haiti- women crouching, selling fruits and vegetables atop straw mats laid on mud and sewage; makeshift shelters placed randomly around the city (photo below); people selling unmarked medicines at stoplights; and beggars at every turn.

The country is home to more than 90 million people, and has the 6th highest birth rate in the world. Addis Ababa (where we were) is the country's only major city, and most people live in the countryside, which I hear is quite beautiful.

The culture in Ethiopia is still very traditional, and so fascinating. Coffee is part of the national ethos, and I had what I call the "hands-down-the-best-cup-of-coffee-in-my-life-by-far-no-contest." There's no other way to describe it and I have my husband to thank for taking me to a shabby little restaurant where the coffee cups didn't match the saucers and they didn't have any of the food that was listed on the menu, but where the coffee was sublime.

In heaven with my second cup.

After coffee, Ethiopian food and traditional dance dominated our cultural experience. The food was very rich, very spicy and absolutely fantastic. We ate most meals with our fingers, using the spongy injera flatbread to scoop up piles of stewed meat, lentils, and vegetables. As for the dancing, it's easily the strangest, most fascinating style I've seen, and it's best enjoyed with a meal eaten from a straw stool in a dimly lit den. (In the video below, notice the Nigerian man who is taking liberty to stand in front of the stage to get his photos. What you don't see in the video is his later decision to get up on stage, start dancing with the women and sticking paper money to their foreheads. I was completely appalled but a colleague assured me that this was common practice in Nigeria).

Out to dinner

Steve and I took an afternoon off work and did some sightseeing around town. We visited Lucy, the oldest human ancestor every unearthed. In Houston, in 2008, you would have paid $20 to get into the Lucy exhibit. Steve and I each paid $1.50 to get into Ethiopia's three-story, 3,000 square foot, house-turned-museum where we found Lucy sequestered to a dark corner in the basement. A piece of laminated computer paper explained how the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was her namesake.

Steve and Lucy

It was unsettling how crummy the little museum was, despite holding a major archeological treasure. I've found that even very poor countries will usually invest in their national museum and similar public buildings. I took the dilapidated museum as a sad indicator of the country's financial state.

Goat herding in the city

Steve and I did our part to contribute to the local economy. We shopped the silver jewelry stores (a local speciality) and bought some neat pieces. And we brought home six large bags of coffee...which will last us approximately two months.

Picking Out Paint

I had to laugh as I surveyed the scene yesterday afternoon- my husband in his starched shirt and Cole Haan's, picking out paint at a roadside "hardware store."

The last time we picked out paint together we were recently engaged and running giddy errands all over D.C. We picked out several beautiful wall colors with the help of an eager sales person at the posh Georgetown Restoration Hardware. We bought mini cans and tested them out at our leisure, to make sure they fit with our decorating "vision" (my word, not Steve's) before investing in the big cans.

Today, we stood puzzling over an ancient looking color card as the well-intentioned proprietor told us he only had three of the 47 colors in stock. It was a much more interesting experience than Restoration Hardware, if a bit more frustrating. Below, a short video of the scene.

Climbing Mount Longonot

Last weekend, Steve, Ian, and I climbed Mt. Longonaut. The small mountain was created by volcanic explosions and when you get to the top, you're looking down into a crater that used to be the mouth of the volcano. It's a really pretty climb and the weather was gorgeous. At the top, it's really quiet and all you hear is the wind blowing.

Karen Comes for a Visit

By Leah

A couple of weeks ago, we had our first visitor from the States- my good friend Karen Juckett. On a trip for her job at USAID, Karen was just in town for a few days. Unfortunately, I was out of town for most of that time, but we did manage to get together twice. It was great to have a friend in town, and I hope she's not the last.

Work Blog

I just had a blog post published in the Center for Financial Inclusion blog. It's about an event that both Steve and I attended. Check it out if you're interested!