HELP Lugazi 2012: May 2012

WELL! We've been here for almost two weeks now and adjusting to life in Uganda has been quite the adventure. Our house is great, (apparently a lot bigger than the house last year) our guards and cooks are fantastic, and all the volunteers are AMAZING. Everyone is so unique and brings something different to the team, and we have already bonded so much! We are living in Nakazedde Village, which is about a 5 minute walk to the main street here in Lugazi and our neighbor kids continue to greet us with "MZUNGO!!!" everytime we walk outside. Mzungo=white person. Yup, we are all mzungos in this house! The first couple days power was a rare privilege so we all got pretty used to wearing out headlamps and flashlights. We have one bathroom in the house, and the toilet sometimes struggles with flushing, so the two pit latrines outside get used OFTEN! Showering has pretty much been taking place outside. Most people just fill up buckets and shower with those. I know I have been getting used to it! OHH I forgot, the nights we had no power we also had rain rain rain! Rain here in Uganda at night honestly feels like a waterfall on the roof of our house! One night everyone woke up and just looked at eachother like "WHAT IS THAT??" but it is good because we take that opportunity to fill up buckets for water!

Projects are starting and picking up speed and we are SO EXCITED! The people here in Lugazi and amazing and so willing to be a part of the things we are working on. They have been very welcoming and us volunteers are slowly learning how to act in situations and how to NOT get over charged on "mzungo prices". One lady told us that once we have been here one week we are officially welcomed as Ugandans! Until next time...