UgandAshis 75 Uganda’s Boozing Bill
To say Ugandans like their alcohol is to put it mildly. In 2004 the World Health Organization ranked Uganda as the leading consumer of alcohol in the world. In a recent school survey by Victory Rehabilitation Centre 71% of urban secondary school students drink alcohol. When you leave my house and walk along Ggaba road you will see a string of bars miles long and most are full at any given time in the week and weekend.
The government has shocked with the potential Bill to limit drinking of alcohol in public from 5.00 pm to 10.00 pm. Afterwards all bars need to be closed. I understand the government’s concern for alcohol related problems; crime, violence, broken families, rapes and destroyed livers. Yet it does not have a good track record of keeping its own harsh benchmarks: seat belts, helmets for boda bodas and so forth. It seems the Born Again section in parliament has not only highjacked the Gay Bill but the Alcohol Bill as well.
What I hear on the street is simple: politicians are amongst the heaviest drinkers, let them mind their own business - Ugandans will drink late. My boda boda had a good one; It will never happen in this country even if they pass the law. And I hear prostitutes are going to stage a strike as this seriously affects their livelihood. In the 1930’s the USA went dry and as a consequence: mafia and more drunks. History let’s learn.
Namaskar
Ashis Brahma
Showing posts with label stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stories. Show all posts
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Friday, 5 March 2010
UgandAshis 74 Budada landslides
UgandAshis 74 Budada landslide
While the world mourns for Chili and Haiti nature struck in Uganda as well. Near the Kenyan border on the slopes of Mount Elgon three hamlets were swept away. This is day three of the search, rescue and evacuate mission. So far there are 81 deaths, 340 residents unaccounted for and 6000 still at risk for further landslides and outbreaks of cholera. I many cases there is nobody remaining form the family to participate in the funerals.
To cater to the at risk population temporary refugee camps are set up and the government is forcing residents to leave the area as smaller landslides are still taking place.
The causes of the slide are manifold: deforestation, over grazing, building on steep slopes, climate change. There is an emergency response set up in Uganda and Red Cross, Army and civilians are working close together. It is estimated seventeen million dollar is needed to address the regions needs. So far an emergency $100.000 has been released by the government.
There is a huge benefit of living on vulcanic ground, steep slopes world wide. To a certain extent one can understand why people live a high risk lifestyle. Yet at the same time farming methodology (slash and burn, deforesting the entire slope) puts lives at risk. These are sad days for Uganda and the inhabitants in Budada. Sadly the lessons will likely not be heeded and similar situations will take place very soon.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
250 words Uganda
While the world mourns for Chili and Haiti nature struck in Uganda as well. Near the Kenyan border on the slopes of Mount Elgon three hamlets were swept away. This is day three of the search, rescue and evacuate mission. So far there are 81 deaths, 340 residents unaccounted for and 6000 still at risk for further landslides and outbreaks of cholera. I many cases there is nobody remaining form the family to participate in the funerals.
To cater to the at risk population temporary refugee camps are set up and the government is forcing residents to leave the area as smaller landslides are still taking place.
The causes of the slide are manifold: deforestation, over grazing, building on steep slopes, climate change. There is an emergency response set up in Uganda and Red Cross, Army and civilians are working close together. It is estimated seventeen million dollar is needed to address the regions needs. So far an emergency $100.000 has been released by the government.
There is a huge benefit of living on vulcanic ground, steep slopes world wide. To a certain extent one can understand why people live a high risk lifestyle. Yet at the same time farming methodology (slash and burn, deforesting the entire slope) puts lives at risk. These are sad days for Uganda and the inhabitants in Budada. Sadly the lessons will likely not be heeded and similar situations will take place very soon.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
250 words Uganda
UgandAshis 73 Infidelity
UgandAshis 73 Infidelity
Kampala, December 23, 2009
Where in the world can you find a bill board with a gentleman of about 45-50 stating the following: “I am a good husband. I do my HIV tests every few months” or another one “Trans generational sex; sugar daddies and mommies should stop; pick your own age!” Birth rates 6.9 children per mom. Over one million people living with HIV/AIDS. Sex tourism is one of the foundations of tourism it seems.
Yesterday a Toyota Pajero four wheel drive got stuck in front of my house.Stuck in the gutter. A young chick with a gentleman of middle age. They had just spent a relaxing evening in Hotel Olympia my across the street neighbors - a lot of people tend to use that vicinity as such. My saved neighbor had come out to preach the lesson that Jesus must have sent to this sinning gentleman.
Sam my boda boda man had just come to pick me up for an evening sheesha and card game in the flaming chicken. So we did our best to aid our fallen knight. As we pushed and pulled it became clear a break-down was required. We hopped on the bike and left to search for a tow vehicle. On the way out he could hear the gentleman woo and croon to his wife that his work meeting was still on and that he would be home as soon as possible.
Plunging in to a discussion between a rastafarian and rastafarini in the restaurant about the death penalty for gay people in Uganda. For a peaceful religion it became clear that ‘anti-natural’ behavior as homosexuality should be punished by death. At least according to him. She seemed much more accepting of different life styles. What always amazes me in this debate is that I hear so many times that homosexuality does not exist in Africa. Well if that is the case why is there a need for this ridiculous new anti-gay legislation?
As I have written about before polygamy is more or less accepted here. If you have the money you are allowed to marry as many girls as you wish. At any age. There is very little influence the churches have on those century old practices. Easy to say that my western-eastern mind frame can judge that. Then again so is my acceptance of homosexuality. It is so easy to presume your judgement is worth more than some one else’s. So where to draw the line. What can you accept? A life being taken because of sexual orientation. Under age marriage of an 80-year old with a 14 year old? That same dinosaur marrying 8 or 10 times not knowing the names of children. Or nowadays the average man having children with multitudes of women not knowing exactly how many?
Clearly I do not know and it seems women, children and gays are losing out so that men can prosper.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Kampala, December 23, 2009
Where in the world can you find a bill board with a gentleman of about 45-50 stating the following: “I am a good husband. I do my HIV tests every few months” or another one “Trans generational sex; sugar daddies and mommies should stop; pick your own age!” Birth rates 6.9 children per mom. Over one million people living with HIV/AIDS. Sex tourism is one of the foundations of tourism it seems.
Yesterday a Toyota Pajero four wheel drive got stuck in front of my house.Stuck in the gutter. A young chick with a gentleman of middle age. They had just spent a relaxing evening in Hotel Olympia my across the street neighbors - a lot of people tend to use that vicinity as such. My saved neighbor had come out to preach the lesson that Jesus must have sent to this sinning gentleman.
Sam my boda boda man had just come to pick me up for an evening sheesha and card game in the flaming chicken. So we did our best to aid our fallen knight. As we pushed and pulled it became clear a break-down was required. We hopped on the bike and left to search for a tow vehicle. On the way out he could hear the gentleman woo and croon to his wife that his work meeting was still on and that he would be home as soon as possible.
Plunging in to a discussion between a rastafarian and rastafarini in the restaurant about the death penalty for gay people in Uganda. For a peaceful religion it became clear that ‘anti-natural’ behavior as homosexuality should be punished by death. At least according to him. She seemed much more accepting of different life styles. What always amazes me in this debate is that I hear so many times that homosexuality does not exist in Africa. Well if that is the case why is there a need for this ridiculous new anti-gay legislation?
As I have written about before polygamy is more or less accepted here. If you have the money you are allowed to marry as many girls as you wish. At any age. There is very little influence the churches have on those century old practices. Easy to say that my western-eastern mind frame can judge that. Then again so is my acceptance of homosexuality. It is so easy to presume your judgement is worth more than some one else’s. So where to draw the line. What can you accept? A life being taken because of sexual orientation. Under age marriage of an 80-year old with a 14 year old? That same dinosaur marrying 8 or 10 times not knowing the names of children. Or nowadays the average man having children with multitudes of women not knowing exactly how many?
Clearly I do not know and it seems women, children and gays are losing out so that men can prosper.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Monday, 21 December 2009
UgandAshis 72 Quiet X-mas
UgandAshis 72 Quiet X-mas
Kampala, December 21, 2009
It was half way the year when President Museveni declared that the global economical crisis would have and had no effect on Uganda. We are several months further down the path and it seems mzee was wrong. Droughts have lead to famine. This in a country that is so fertile where ever you drop a seed with out any support a plant will grow. Boutiques are not finding customers and have less than half the sales of last year. Advertisements for X-mas are just starting to be rolled out. Business in Flaming chicken a bench mark as a restaurant in a usually thriving Kabalagala is slow. And the worst sign of all nightlife in a ever busy Kampala in the student holiday season seems to be much less than in prior years.
One wonders what bubble the leaders of this nation live in. ‘Droughts are caused due to the lazy nature of certain tribes’ (Minister of Emergency). ‘Business as usual, no deficit in the budget.’ (President Museveni) It is time to make homosexuality a capital crime (certain member of parliament).
While classes of people are graduating from University their chances for jobs seem to diminish each and every year. All around me I am hearing people are struggling to pay school fees (supposedly primary school is free), rent, water and electricity bills. And then there are the ever expanding scandals, government money lost, bribes, big fish absconding, a judiciary that cannot keep up with the case load.
Museveni and his National Resistance Movement came to power on a 10 point program. One of his famous statements was that he should not remain in power for too long. That was in 1986. He is slated to run again in 2011 and likely in 2016. The opposition have managed to form a coalition. Now to find one candidate to represent all those parties. It is said the results of the election in 2011 are already fixed. The Supreme Court ruled that the prior Election Committee had made grave unconstitutional errors yet was reinstalled with one new member (a school teacher and wife to a NRM politician)
In the land of the blind however one eye is king. When I look at the rhetoric of the opposition leaders I see those that wish to come to power so they can fill their pockets. A peasant once told me that he knew the bag of sugar he got every 5 years and the promise to a road to his village was but a small appreciation for a vote. The road has never been built and he knows no other politicians so he might as well vote on the known one of the candidates.
Uganda has such a bright potential - people are really nice and at the same time you wonder how it is that so many people do not manage to finish secondary school (up to 72% estimates). Choice or chance?
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Kampala, December 21, 2009
It was half way the year when President Museveni declared that the global economical crisis would have and had no effect on Uganda. We are several months further down the path and it seems mzee was wrong. Droughts have lead to famine. This in a country that is so fertile where ever you drop a seed with out any support a plant will grow. Boutiques are not finding customers and have less than half the sales of last year. Advertisements for X-mas are just starting to be rolled out. Business in Flaming chicken a bench mark as a restaurant in a usually thriving Kabalagala is slow. And the worst sign of all nightlife in a ever busy Kampala in the student holiday season seems to be much less than in prior years.
One wonders what bubble the leaders of this nation live in. ‘Droughts are caused due to the lazy nature of certain tribes’ (Minister of Emergency). ‘Business as usual, no deficit in the budget.’ (President Museveni) It is time to make homosexuality a capital crime (certain member of parliament).
While classes of people are graduating from University their chances for jobs seem to diminish each and every year. All around me I am hearing people are struggling to pay school fees (supposedly primary school is free), rent, water and electricity bills. And then there are the ever expanding scandals, government money lost, bribes, big fish absconding, a judiciary that cannot keep up with the case load.
Museveni and his National Resistance Movement came to power on a 10 point program. One of his famous statements was that he should not remain in power for too long. That was in 1986. He is slated to run again in 2011 and likely in 2016. The opposition have managed to form a coalition. Now to find one candidate to represent all those parties. It is said the results of the election in 2011 are already fixed. The Supreme Court ruled that the prior Election Committee had made grave unconstitutional errors yet was reinstalled with one new member (a school teacher and wife to a NRM politician)
In the land of the blind however one eye is king. When I look at the rhetoric of the opposition leaders I see those that wish to come to power so they can fill their pockets. A peasant once told me that he knew the bag of sugar he got every 5 years and the promise to a road to his village was but a small appreciation for a vote. The road has never been built and he knows no other politicians so he might as well vote on the known one of the candidates.
Uganda has such a bright potential - people are really nice and at the same time you wonder how it is that so many people do not manage to finish secondary school (up to 72% estimates). Choice or chance?
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Friday, 18 December 2009
UgandAshis 71 The way
UgandAshis 71 The way
Kampala, December 18, 2009
Turaco mischieveiensis aptly named
Take and break papaya’s fruit
Mischievous turaco
Nectarinia venusta a godly delight
Industriously in your blissful flight
Variable sunbird
Canis lupus familiaris of you two
Bhima brings might and passion
Yogi transcend and detach
Milvus migrans shine a light
Bring guidance to the astral path
Black kite
To stumble and bumble
To seemingly lose
Makes you humble
A condition to choose
When all is not well
Friends put you under a wicked spell
With diligent labor
The solution will favor
Unconditional love for One
The world is maya
The way is clearly shining
The way is clear
The way
Ashis Brahma
Kampala, December 18, 2009
Turaco mischieveiensis aptly named
Take and break papaya’s fruit
Mischievous turaco
Nectarinia venusta a godly delight
Industriously in your blissful flight
Variable sunbird
Canis lupus familiaris of you two
Bhima brings might and passion
Yogi transcend and detach
Milvus migrans shine a light
Bring guidance to the astral path
Black kite
To stumble and bumble
To seemingly lose
Makes you humble
A condition to choose
When all is not well
Friends put you under a wicked spell
With diligent labor
The solution will favor
Unconditional love for One
The world is maya
The way is clearly shining
The way is clear
The way
Ashis Brahma
UgandAshis 70 Kids on the street
UgandAshis 70 Kids on the streets.
Kampala, December 18, 2009.
A world wide phenomena and therefore it also exists in Uganda. Street urchins knocking at your windows or pulling your sleeve when on a boda boda in city center for money. A sad manifestation of global inequalities in fact the children we see here are from the North Eastern part of the country. A region called Karimoja with the Karimojong. The people are nomadic pastoralist and notorious cattle rustlers. Living on the fringes of modern society in an age old way of living - some call them thieves another way to look at it is a way of life that is centuries old.
With the climate change some parts of Karimojong region have become so dry that there is no more option to graze cattle. People have packed up and some of the children have travelled to Kampala to eek out an existence by begging. Far away from custom and tradition. Tradition as the use of ostrich shell as money - a female ostrich will defend her eggs so very hard to get a hold of. The rites to get a wife - rustle cattle from a another tribe or even your own. The clothes and hairdo which somehow remind me of the Masai in Kenya. Now exposed to abuse, violence, police raids, drugs, alcohol, sex predators and the sun and rain.
Today I recall the conversation I had with a new found fellow traveller. She told me how she and a group of Ugandans had organized a rally and food collection so it could be trucked to the area that is acutely suffering from malnutrition. Local companies and individuals gathered over 70 tons of food items.
Their next problem was to get the food to the region. Well Uganda is a straight forward place. You go to the Minister of Karimoja region which happens to be Janet Museveni, the Presidents wife and put forward your case. Even if that Ministry may not be able help across the hallway there is the Ministry of Emergencies and Disasters and lo and behold with in 4 hours trucks are made available.
Things can move and shake in Uganda if you know how and whose doors to open. The only ting of sadness about the productive day of my friend was the remark of one of the big fish of the Ministry. He claimed it was an embarassment to the Uganda people that the elders of the Karimojong had sent sent their children to the streets of Kampala to beg. What would all the foreigners think of the rag tag army of youngsters hustling for money. They should be sent back home.
The bubble of ignorance exists everywhere. Home to a draught. Coming from a man who is comfortably cruising in a Toyota Landcruiser with driver. How easy to condemn a man/woman when he/she is down or even a child. Yet this gentleman was seemingly oblivious to his countrymen’s plight.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma.
http://www.bumbasafaris.com/images/008-UgandaMystic.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karamojong
Kampala, December 18, 2009.
A world wide phenomena and therefore it also exists in Uganda. Street urchins knocking at your windows or pulling your sleeve when on a boda boda in city center for money. A sad manifestation of global inequalities in fact the children we see here are from the North Eastern part of the country. A region called Karimoja with the Karimojong. The people are nomadic pastoralist and notorious cattle rustlers. Living on the fringes of modern society in an age old way of living - some call them thieves another way to look at it is a way of life that is centuries old.
With the climate change some parts of Karimojong region have become so dry that there is no more option to graze cattle. People have packed up and some of the children have travelled to Kampala to eek out an existence by begging. Far away from custom and tradition. Tradition as the use of ostrich shell as money - a female ostrich will defend her eggs so very hard to get a hold of. The rites to get a wife - rustle cattle from a another tribe or even your own. The clothes and hairdo which somehow remind me of the Masai in Kenya. Now exposed to abuse, violence, police raids, drugs, alcohol, sex predators and the sun and rain.
Today I recall the conversation I had with a new found fellow traveller. She told me how she and a group of Ugandans had organized a rally and food collection so it could be trucked to the area that is acutely suffering from malnutrition. Local companies and individuals gathered over 70 tons of food items.
Their next problem was to get the food to the region. Well Uganda is a straight forward place. You go to the Minister of Karimoja region which happens to be Janet Museveni, the Presidents wife and put forward your case. Even if that Ministry may not be able help across the hallway there is the Ministry of Emergencies and Disasters and lo and behold with in 4 hours trucks are made available.
Things can move and shake in Uganda if you know how and whose doors to open. The only ting of sadness about the productive day of my friend was the remark of one of the big fish of the Ministry. He claimed it was an embarassment to the Uganda people that the elders of the Karimojong had sent sent their children to the streets of Kampala to beg. What would all the foreigners think of the rag tag army of youngsters hustling for money. They should be sent back home.
The bubble of ignorance exists everywhere. Home to a draught. Coming from a man who is comfortably cruising in a Toyota Landcruiser with driver. How easy to condemn a man/woman when he/she is down or even a child. Yet this gentleman was seemingly oblivious to his countrymen’s plight.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma.
http://www.bumbasafaris.com/images/008-UgandaMystic.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karamojong
Sunday, 6 December 2009
UgandAshis 69 Culinary delight: nsenene.
UgandAshis 69 Culinary delight: nsenene.
Kampala, Uganda, December 6th, 2009.
In different part of the world there are various delicacies in the cuisine. The French love frogs, in certain parts of Congo bushmeat (in other words monkey meat) is eaten, in China duck eggs are put in the ground for weeks and once I had the pleasure of eating goat rectum in India - quite rubbery I can tell you. Here in Uganda everybody goes crazy in the months of April and November. These months are the rainy season and bring with it scores of Ruspolia baileyi, nsenene or more commonly known as the grasshopper.
Age independent people collect them off walls, electricity cables attracting with lights, their weakness, as it blinds them they slide down on poles in eagerly awaiting pots making a nice side living and a juicy snack. Originally it were the women who collected them for their husband in exchange for a new gomasi (traditional dress). HIstorically they were not allowed to eat the delicacy as it was believed babies would be born with deformed heads. Another reason was that it could point out to possible infidelity of the woman.
One sign of emancipation in Uganda is the fact that nowadays both men and women are eating nsenene. Some even say it is a huge boost to the economy in the Buganda kingdom. Everywhere where you go in Kampala you find young men walking with a bucket on their head making 200 Schilling per portion and Sch 5000 (2,5 dollars a day)
Recipe for Ugandan chicken-grasshopper-sate.
Purchase
Grasshopper 250 grams
Chicken filet 500 grams
Ground nuts 250 grams
Soy sauce sweet 10 ml
Red chili pepper 4
Maize oil
Rice
Milk 250 ml
Pluck legs and antennas off grasshoppers and ground in a morsel. Then ground the groundnuts and put in a bit of boiling maize oil, add all milk. In a separate pot fry the chicken in oil and soy sauce, red chile freshly chopped. In pot three cook rice for 2. Add the finished chicken to the sauce (on a low fire and let it set for some minutes).
Voila, chicken-grasshopper-sate.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Check out a photo of these lovely and tasty insects
http://twitpic.com/senjk
Kampala, Uganda, December 6th, 2009.
In different part of the world there are various delicacies in the cuisine. The French love frogs, in certain parts of Congo bushmeat (in other words monkey meat) is eaten, in China duck eggs are put in the ground for weeks and once I had the pleasure of eating goat rectum in India - quite rubbery I can tell you. Here in Uganda everybody goes crazy in the months of April and November. These months are the rainy season and bring with it scores of Ruspolia baileyi, nsenene or more commonly known as the grasshopper.
Age independent people collect them off walls, electricity cables attracting with lights, their weakness, as it blinds them they slide down on poles in eagerly awaiting pots making a nice side living and a juicy snack. Originally it were the women who collected them for their husband in exchange for a new gomasi (traditional dress). HIstorically they were not allowed to eat the delicacy as it was believed babies would be born with deformed heads. Another reason was that it could point out to possible infidelity of the woman.
One sign of emancipation in Uganda is the fact that nowadays both men and women are eating nsenene. Some even say it is a huge boost to the economy in the Buganda kingdom. Everywhere where you go in Kampala you find young men walking with a bucket on their head making 200 Schilling per portion and Sch 5000 (2,5 dollars a day)
Recipe for Ugandan chicken-grasshopper-sate.
Purchase
Grasshopper 250 grams
Chicken filet 500 grams
Ground nuts 250 grams
Soy sauce sweet 10 ml
Red chili pepper 4
Maize oil
Rice
Milk 250 ml
Pluck legs and antennas off grasshoppers and ground in a morsel. Then ground the groundnuts and put in a bit of boiling maize oil, add all milk. In a separate pot fry the chicken in oil and soy sauce, red chile freshly chopped. In pot three cook rice for 2. Add the finished chicken to the sauce (on a low fire and let it set for some minutes).
Voila, chicken-grasshopper-sate.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Check out a photo of these lovely and tasty insects
http://twitpic.com/senjk
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Ugandashis 68 world HIV day
UgandAshis 68 World HIV day
Fort Portal, December 1, 2009.
There is a lot to think about once we reach the topic of HIV/AIDS and people living with the infection. Today is the day to remember those that have passed away, those that have been infected and those that will be infected in the future. For them some thoughts lined up in the form of a list
1. To navigate the Scylla of prevention and the Charibdis of treatment is not an easy course.
As the Argonauts had to navigate between a storm (I believe) and a terrible sea monster to reach safety so the International Medical Movement is trying to find a course between prevention and treatment. As it is right now there is in my mind more emphasis on treating those with infections than there is on preventing the pool of people that require treatment to become less. Let me be clear both are required and keeping the numbers of patients down is of the utmost importance
2. Religious and moral approaches to life are important and should be engaged in debate to prevent more infections.
How in 2009 a pope and imams can still declare the condom use to be a sin even in discordant couples (one partner HIV positive the other HIV negative) is just unbelievable.
3. The attitudes of many relating to condom use is mind boggling
‘Live sex is better’ and ‘the risk to me is not so big’ Statements of Dutch, American and Ugandan students.
4. HIV/AIDS does not kill any more it is a chronic disease I will take the tablets.
Yup and the side effects of the tablets is a long list some life threatening some just extremely un nice.
5. Vaccine and cure are in the pipeline
Yes and they have been for over 25 years, still no definite answers and in general we can wonder if there has been that much improvement in anti retroviral cure
6. The good news is that more and more of the people requiring Anti Retro Virals in Uganda are receiving.
The sheer number is huge and in a country that has so many people living with HI/AIDS of the 300.000 requiring ARV’s over 50% are getting them and that number is growing every year.
7. The bad news is that the number of people with infections is still increasing
Absolutely seen there are more than a million cases (UNAIDS 2008 report) in Uganda (in a population of 33 million estimated) and the number of cases is rising.
Tomorrow I will take my camera and ask some Ugandan doctors, nurses and perhaps patients how they feel about what is happening with HIV/AIDS in their part of the world. Bare in mind there is an amazing under investment in health in Uganda. Given that the outcome of the different Joint Clinical Research Centers is extra remarkable.
I would love to hear your thoughts on HIV/AIDS make a comment or write a post.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_the_truth_about_hiv.html
Fort Portal, December 1, 2009.
There is a lot to think about once we reach the topic of HIV/AIDS and people living with the infection. Today is the day to remember those that have passed away, those that have been infected and those that will be infected in the future. For them some thoughts lined up in the form of a list
1. To navigate the Scylla of prevention and the Charibdis of treatment is not an easy course.
As the Argonauts had to navigate between a storm (I believe) and a terrible sea monster to reach safety so the International Medical Movement is trying to find a course between prevention and treatment. As it is right now there is in my mind more emphasis on treating those with infections than there is on preventing the pool of people that require treatment to become less. Let me be clear both are required and keeping the numbers of patients down is of the utmost importance
2. Religious and moral approaches to life are important and should be engaged in debate to prevent more infections.
How in 2009 a pope and imams can still declare the condom use to be a sin even in discordant couples (one partner HIV positive the other HIV negative) is just unbelievable.
3. The attitudes of many relating to condom use is mind boggling
‘Live sex is better’ and ‘the risk to me is not so big’ Statements of Dutch, American and Ugandan students.
4. HIV/AIDS does not kill any more it is a chronic disease I will take the tablets.
Yup and the side effects of the tablets is a long list some life threatening some just extremely un nice.
5. Vaccine and cure are in the pipeline
Yes and they have been for over 25 years, still no definite answers and in general we can wonder if there has been that much improvement in anti retroviral cure
6. The good news is that more and more of the people requiring Anti Retro Virals in Uganda are receiving.
The sheer number is huge and in a country that has so many people living with HI/AIDS of the 300.000 requiring ARV’s over 50% are getting them and that number is growing every year.
7. The bad news is that the number of people with infections is still increasing
Absolutely seen there are more than a million cases (UNAIDS 2008 report) in Uganda (in a population of 33 million estimated) and the number of cases is rising.
Tomorrow I will take my camera and ask some Ugandan doctors, nurses and perhaps patients how they feel about what is happening with HIV/AIDS in their part of the world. Bare in mind there is an amazing under investment in health in Uganda. Given that the outcome of the different Joint Clinical Research Centers is extra remarkable.
I would love to hear your thoughts on HIV/AIDS make a comment or write a post.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_the_truth_about_hiv.html
Ugandashis 67 On monkeys
UgandAshis 67 On monkeys.
Fort Portal, Uganda, December 1, 2009.
A friend told me long ago that in case you see a single magpie you need to blink otherwise you have bad luck for ever. Magpies come in pairs and so do the Colobus monkeys. Today as I travelled by chicken route from Kampala-Fort Portal – LINK tends to stop in every hamlet to pick up a chicken or load off one passenger I had a firm wish to see Colobus monkeys. Three quarter of the journey I spent peeping out of the window and just 3 minutes after I let it go two popped up. I nearly blinked in utter joy.
Another friend – to be labeled Mr. S. actually had a pet monkey. As he was working and living in Kabalagala the monkey entertained himself, the next door neighbors and the entire neighborhood. In fact the neighbor used to complain that because is two young children spent so much time chasing the monkey they fell behind in school. This is a joyful existence for the children yet less scholarly. At the local fruit market the monkey to be labeled M. as not give away his truthful abundant nature would take his share of bananas and apples. Whenever Mr. S. would return home he would find anxious vendors demanding cash for the rescued fruits. Yes rescued who after all can deny that bananas belong to monkeys as matooke to the Ugandans?
When Mr. S. would fall asleep with the television still on, M would switch off the apparatus, shake Mr. S. until he woke up, guide him to his bed cover him in his bed sheets and assure that the bed room door handle was closed. Mr. S. confidentially told me that he rarely watched television any more as observing the fracas one little monkey created was much more fun.
Even the flat mate that Mr. S. had eventually came around from sharing the flat with a vile cretin to an absolute and total crush on the mischievous M. The whole neighborhood professed their love to the free roaming M. Then one day the unbelievable happened. Free spirited M. always home at 18.00 sharp to receive his evening food did not appear. Two children at the market had seen a burly man barrel of with M. in is knapsack. Heartbroken Mr. S. remains till today in a saddened state of mind. Of late however he is picking himself together.
Some say a dog is a man’s best friend, Mr. S. begs to differ. He has eyed a new prospect. Once he moves into a new house he shall be finding a new friend to fill the huge gap that M. has left behind. N. will do his magic tricks soon. O and I write about this because Mr. S. asked me to give shelter to his new to be monkey until he finds a new house. I wonder however how Yogi and Bhima, the German/Belgian shepherds would deal with it.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Fort Portal, Uganda, December 1, 2009.
A friend told me long ago that in case you see a single magpie you need to blink otherwise you have bad luck for ever. Magpies come in pairs and so do the Colobus monkeys. Today as I travelled by chicken route from Kampala-Fort Portal – LINK tends to stop in every hamlet to pick up a chicken or load off one passenger I had a firm wish to see Colobus monkeys. Three quarter of the journey I spent peeping out of the window and just 3 minutes after I let it go two popped up. I nearly blinked in utter joy.
Another friend – to be labeled Mr. S. actually had a pet monkey. As he was working and living in Kabalagala the monkey entertained himself, the next door neighbors and the entire neighborhood. In fact the neighbor used to complain that because is two young children spent so much time chasing the monkey they fell behind in school. This is a joyful existence for the children yet less scholarly. At the local fruit market the monkey to be labeled M. as not give away his truthful abundant nature would take his share of bananas and apples. Whenever Mr. S. would return home he would find anxious vendors demanding cash for the rescued fruits. Yes rescued who after all can deny that bananas belong to monkeys as matooke to the Ugandans?
When Mr. S. would fall asleep with the television still on, M would switch off the apparatus, shake Mr. S. until he woke up, guide him to his bed cover him in his bed sheets and assure that the bed room door handle was closed. Mr. S. confidentially told me that he rarely watched television any more as observing the fracas one little monkey created was much more fun.
Even the flat mate that Mr. S. had eventually came around from sharing the flat with a vile cretin to an absolute and total crush on the mischievous M. The whole neighborhood professed their love to the free roaming M. Then one day the unbelievable happened. Free spirited M. always home at 18.00 sharp to receive his evening food did not appear. Two children at the market had seen a burly man barrel of with M. in is knapsack. Heartbroken Mr. S. remains till today in a saddened state of mind. Of late however he is picking himself together.
Some say a dog is a man’s best friend, Mr. S. begs to differ. He has eyed a new prospect. Once he moves into a new house he shall be finding a new friend to fill the huge gap that M. has left behind. N. will do his magic tricks soon. O and I write about this because Mr. S. asked me to give shelter to his new to be monkey until he finds a new house. I wonder however how Yogi and Bhima, the German/Belgian shepherds would deal with it.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Saturday, 28 November 2009
UgandAshis 65 Access to knowledge in Uganda
UgandAshis 65 Access to knowledge in Uganda
Kampala, November 28, 2009
Picture yourself in the role as a lecturer of Public Health at Mountains of the Moon University in Fort Portal, Western Uganda. As a young and dynamic teacher you wish to present your students with cutting edge material (the latest online scientific publications), use of modern tools as Internet application (as for existence Global Position System for infectious disease outbreak control and study) and a fundament of knowledge (through open source, free access power point presentations, slide shows, photos and video material)
As you are new to the job and you are Ugandan you do not own a computer. To make matters even easier nor does the public health faculty (the one computer that was available crashed two months ago and was 8 years old at death). Then in the location where the main complex of buildings of the university are there is no Internet. Luckily you teach down town where there is connection however it is irregular and dial up width at best.
Added to your list of teaching requirements is a long distance learning course. Perhaps you can use pigeons to send materials. Given that Mountains of the Moon was founded as a community based college there is strong support from the local community. Perhaps in the near future more computers may be added as for now you are stuck however as your lectures are supposed to be power point based.
You sneak into the student computer science lab and prepare your lectures there. Your preparatory notes come from one of the 100 books that the faculty earns and even if the book is from 1970 books from that age are still valuable is it not. This weekend you decide to visit some relatives in Kampala.
One of them is an Internet techie who organizes an event called TEDxKLA. It is organized by the Ugandan Linux User Group and it is a catchy new way to do work shops on themes relating to the role of Internet in civil society (civil journalism, NGO’s) There you meet a senior educationalist who answers to your response that you are seeking lecturing materials for your students that he has a 500 GB hard disk full of public health lectures from prime institutions as John Hopkins, Tufts, Supercourse and Harvard.
His organization can even furbish you with a used laptop as that is what they do in their mission as a NGO. So you go to the bank take all your money, buy a 500 GB hard disk to plunge into a career that will be very promising. You see where there is a will there is a a way; Let’s roll.
You are enthralled by Supercourse; hundreds of powerpoint presentations on all possible topics in Public Health. For many of you in the USA or Europe this scenario may seem impossible yet often it works this way. Who would know of other methods to get open source freely available knowledge?
Namaskar,
Ashis
Kampala, November 28, 2009
Picture yourself in the role as a lecturer of Public Health at Mountains of the Moon University in Fort Portal, Western Uganda. As a young and dynamic teacher you wish to present your students with cutting edge material (the latest online scientific publications), use of modern tools as Internet application (as for existence Global Position System for infectious disease outbreak control and study) and a fundament of knowledge (through open source, free access power point presentations, slide shows, photos and video material)
As you are new to the job and you are Ugandan you do not own a computer. To make matters even easier nor does the public health faculty (the one computer that was available crashed two months ago and was 8 years old at death). Then in the location where the main complex of buildings of the university are there is no Internet. Luckily you teach down town where there is connection however it is irregular and dial up width at best.
Added to your list of teaching requirements is a long distance learning course. Perhaps you can use pigeons to send materials. Given that Mountains of the Moon was founded as a community based college there is strong support from the local community. Perhaps in the near future more computers may be added as for now you are stuck however as your lectures are supposed to be power point based.
You sneak into the student computer science lab and prepare your lectures there. Your preparatory notes come from one of the 100 books that the faculty earns and even if the book is from 1970 books from that age are still valuable is it not. This weekend you decide to visit some relatives in Kampala.
One of them is an Internet techie who organizes an event called TEDxKLA. It is organized by the Ugandan Linux User Group and it is a catchy new way to do work shops on themes relating to the role of Internet in civil society (civil journalism, NGO’s) There you meet a senior educationalist who answers to your response that you are seeking lecturing materials for your students that he has a 500 GB hard disk full of public health lectures from prime institutions as John Hopkins, Tufts, Supercourse and Harvard.
His organization can even furbish you with a used laptop as that is what they do in their mission as a NGO. So you go to the bank take all your money, buy a 500 GB hard disk to plunge into a career that will be very promising. You see where there is a will there is a a way; Let’s roll.
You are enthralled by Supercourse; hundreds of powerpoint presentations on all possible topics in Public Health. For many of you in the USA or Europe this scenario may seem impossible yet often it works this way. Who would know of other methods to get open source freely available knowledge?
Namaskar,
Ashis
Sunday, 22 November 2009
UgandAshis 64 Crowd control
UgandAshis 64 Crowd control
Kampala, November 21, 2009.
Our special guest were welcomed with a proper barbecue and a night out on the town.
Four students from the USA crashed over this weekend and in an attempt to show them a bit of Uganda’s notorious nightlife we took them to Harvester a beautifully located bar where a friend of mine organizes a form of talent festivals for the up and coming bands in Kampala. Yesterday we arrived and found ourselves to be one of the few spectators. It became pretty clear rapidly where the other party people were.
Next to the party was a huge wedding reception. Five tents and plenty of free food, drinks and a live band. Most of the revelers had snuck into the wedding reception. After all who can resist a mountain of meat, bladders of booze and a boisterous band. We on the other hand were entertained by a group of acrobats and fire spitters followed by dancers and the top of the line Uganda hippie-di-hop.
To regroup and make up our mind where to go we stopped over at my favorite hang out in Kampala; the Flaming Chicken. Smoking a sheesha and nibbling away at ice creams we decided to go dancing in the fashionable club Silk. A multi layered, 3 dj’d, 2 bars and 2 dance levels for the who is who of Kampala. A bush taxi was high jacked and off we went with Amir.
Amir and I love to dance like there is no tomorrow. As we bumped and grinded the dance floor it was clear where the fun could be found. An hour or what later and Nick joined us for a bit and then he took us down to where there are the massage chairs, aquarium, fancy bar and ultra chic people. Rubbing shoulders with local artistes comes easy. After exhausting the dance floor we decided to call it a night. A taxi was duly found and we aimed for home to be intercepted by a police control. There it became clear that our driver had no driver license. We walked for a bit an then found 5 boda bodas to drop us home.
And so today can be described as a day with a massive success. Well not really sure; we now have satellite television and Internet connection. Yes both in one day a minor miracle or rather two in one day. A long dreamt of proper connection to the world may finally be found in the house. No more crying over the mediocrity of the Internet connection. Posted videos and down loaded lectures galore. The Mac is humming in my lap. Ready to take on the world. Perhaps we will need some crowd control for both television and Internet.
Both are really tempting yet nothing beats reading and writing (at least for me). With those thoughts I shall leave you. Please write whatever questions you may have. I will try and answer.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Kampala, November 21, 2009.
Our special guest were welcomed with a proper barbecue and a night out on the town.
Four students from the USA crashed over this weekend and in an attempt to show them a bit of Uganda’s notorious nightlife we took them to Harvester a beautifully located bar where a friend of mine organizes a form of talent festivals for the up and coming bands in Kampala. Yesterday we arrived and found ourselves to be one of the few spectators. It became pretty clear rapidly where the other party people were.
Next to the party was a huge wedding reception. Five tents and plenty of free food, drinks and a live band. Most of the revelers had snuck into the wedding reception. After all who can resist a mountain of meat, bladders of booze and a boisterous band. We on the other hand were entertained by a group of acrobats and fire spitters followed by dancers and the top of the line Uganda hippie-di-hop.
To regroup and make up our mind where to go we stopped over at my favorite hang out in Kampala; the Flaming Chicken. Smoking a sheesha and nibbling away at ice creams we decided to go dancing in the fashionable club Silk. A multi layered, 3 dj’d, 2 bars and 2 dance levels for the who is who of Kampala. A bush taxi was high jacked and off we went with Amir.
Amir and I love to dance like there is no tomorrow. As we bumped and grinded the dance floor it was clear where the fun could be found. An hour or what later and Nick joined us for a bit and then he took us down to where there are the massage chairs, aquarium, fancy bar and ultra chic people. Rubbing shoulders with local artistes comes easy. After exhausting the dance floor we decided to call it a night. A taxi was duly found and we aimed for home to be intercepted by a police control. There it became clear that our driver had no driver license. We walked for a bit an then found 5 boda bodas to drop us home.
And so today can be described as a day with a massive success. Well not really sure; we now have satellite television and Internet connection. Yes both in one day a minor miracle or rather two in one day. A long dreamt of proper connection to the world may finally be found in the house. No more crying over the mediocrity of the Internet connection. Posted videos and down loaded lectures galore. The Mac is humming in my lap. Ready to take on the world. Perhaps we will need some crowd control for both television and Internet.
Both are really tempting yet nothing beats reading and writing (at least for me). With those thoughts I shall leave you. Please write whatever questions you may have. I will try and answer.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
UgandAshis 63 Internet glory
UgandAshis 63 Internet glory
Kampala, November 19, 2009.
Yesterday I whirled my way downtown on a boda boda in search for the Holy Grail. In this end of the world that may be something as attainable in the West as a proper Internet connection. One that allows you to upload videos and talk to friends around the world through Skype, Yahoo messengers or other VOIP settings. Finally after five months of UTL disaster, hours spent on a toll free number with the help desk discussing the possible reasons why 1 kb/s was the best I could get, cajoling, pleading, threatening, losing temper, sweet talking something broke.
UTL and I are officially no longer a hot item - history done deal - over - done - bla bla. So Mahdad and I ended up dodging rain on this quest for glory. And yesterday yes yesterday somebody ended up buying the last modem in Kampala in front of my eyes. All for the better because a small splurge on my side later I was informed that a broad band was within target and will lead to an increased way of speaking with friends all over the world. Destiny or not I am happily awaiting the arrival tomorrow of this super fresh and fast connection.
Mahdad followed the flow of the moment and did the wild thing: he bought a beaming Toshiba lap top. And I well I already have the pleasure of tapping away on a Mac. So why all this materialistic babble today. Mmm, just excited to be using this cyber opportunities to start posting podcast, vodcast to the wider world. Finally I hope to launch a proper website talking and telling about this majestic country called Uganda. There is so much to tell and show.
The first idea I have is to shoot a mini video on one of the major issues in Uganda. The lack of access to the health care system for the average person here. However despite meagre funds what amazes me most is something much more positive. Let me give an example. Three hundred thousand people in this country require anti retro viral drugs and over hundred and fifty thousand are receiving it. One can say the cup is half empty one can see the class half full. If you take in to consideration the limited resources it is a great feat. The average person here has to deal with the reality of having one doctor per 15.000 people and most of them are stationed in Kampala.
Time to pick up my HD flip cam go out there and interview people around the country. Patients, nurses, midwives and doctors. To see what their perspective is on what is going on in Uganda.
Yes we can share and see that perspective. One of the things that Africa can overcome is the digital divide. The different under water cables will make the difference. No truck crunching the optic fibre cables can stop that. Hope to hear from you.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Kampala, November 19, 2009.
Yesterday I whirled my way downtown on a boda boda in search for the Holy Grail. In this end of the world that may be something as attainable in the West as a proper Internet connection. One that allows you to upload videos and talk to friends around the world through Skype, Yahoo messengers or other VOIP settings. Finally after five months of UTL disaster, hours spent on a toll free number with the help desk discussing the possible reasons why 1 kb/s was the best I could get, cajoling, pleading, threatening, losing temper, sweet talking something broke.
UTL and I are officially no longer a hot item - history done deal - over - done - bla bla. So Mahdad and I ended up dodging rain on this quest for glory. And yesterday yes yesterday somebody ended up buying the last modem in Kampala in front of my eyes. All for the better because a small splurge on my side later I was informed that a broad band was within target and will lead to an increased way of speaking with friends all over the world. Destiny or not I am happily awaiting the arrival tomorrow of this super fresh and fast connection.
Mahdad followed the flow of the moment and did the wild thing: he bought a beaming Toshiba lap top. And I well I already have the pleasure of tapping away on a Mac. So why all this materialistic babble today. Mmm, just excited to be using this cyber opportunities to start posting podcast, vodcast to the wider world. Finally I hope to launch a proper website talking and telling about this majestic country called Uganda. There is so much to tell and show.
The first idea I have is to shoot a mini video on one of the major issues in Uganda. The lack of access to the health care system for the average person here. However despite meagre funds what amazes me most is something much more positive. Let me give an example. Three hundred thousand people in this country require anti retro viral drugs and over hundred and fifty thousand are receiving it. One can say the cup is half empty one can see the class half full. If you take in to consideration the limited resources it is a great feat. The average person here has to deal with the reality of having one doctor per 15.000 people and most of them are stationed in Kampala.
Time to pick up my HD flip cam go out there and interview people around the country. Patients, nurses, midwives and doctors. To see what their perspective is on what is going on in Uganda.
Yes we can share and see that perspective. One of the things that Africa can overcome is the digital divide. The different under water cables will make the difference. No truck crunching the optic fibre cables can stop that. Hope to hear from you.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Sunday, 15 November 2009
UgandAshis 62 A wedding reception
UgandAshis 62 A wedding reception
Kampala, October 16, 2009
Yesterday I spent a greater part of the afternoon in a state of confusion. It does not help if you are invited to a wedding reception and you are the only person present who does not understand the spoken languages; Muyankole and Muganda. Yet in way weddings are the same all over the world. Two families that are beaming with pride over their relative his/her joy. Colleagues that happily gather to watch the feast, food and dance unfold.
As many of the Ugandans this couple is Christian and the groom’s side is saved (by Jesus). Hundreds of people gathered in a hotel called Mulvin in Matete (the neighborhood close to Buganda heartland and near the place the police station was burned only 2 months ago).
Being invited by the bride’s family we were placed near to the very extended family of the bride. Again it is remarkable to see how the rituals and symbolisms of Western marriage blend in with Ugandan tradition. We had the proud relatives who speech until most people in the audience have fallen asleep, the aunt that leads the crowd on to the dance floor, the introduction of the families to one and other; takes a while considering Ugandan families have 6.9 children on average and the older generations up to 14 or even more children.
The Buganda people dance while gyrating their bums in a fast rhythm lead by xylophone and drums in abundance as their backs are covered in feathers of chicken to accentuate the shaking. The previous ceremony had been in Mbarara where they tend to dance with their arms in the air and with nimble steps.
The most touching speech in my mind came from a Muyankole man who in his early 60’s had never visited Kampala. To him it equaled a visit to London or New York. The world of people can indeed be in a radius of 50 or 100 kilometer.
Food at a Buganda wedding consists of brown and white rice, yam, sweet potato, Irish potato, pumpkin, chicken, fish, g nut sauce, vegetables, spinach, watermelon, pineapple and more.
What I noticed about the ceremony is that the format was very formal and that the master of ceremony had a hard time keeping time. Then again what is time in this setting? It is much more important to have the linked families have opportunities to get to know each other.
In the tradition of the Buganda a woman greets her husband on her knees on the floor and given that the bride is from another people (Muyankole) it was a first for her. Feeding her husband cake and letting him drink from a cup in her hands.
The groom was sent to the bride’s side to serve the cake and it ended being the treat of the reception as I managed to get hold of the icing of the cake and savored it then left missing out on likely the biggest dance party.
Namaskar,
Ashis
Kampala, October 16, 2009
Yesterday I spent a greater part of the afternoon in a state of confusion. It does not help if you are invited to a wedding reception and you are the only person present who does not understand the spoken languages; Muyankole and Muganda. Yet in way weddings are the same all over the world. Two families that are beaming with pride over their relative his/her joy. Colleagues that happily gather to watch the feast, food and dance unfold.
As many of the Ugandans this couple is Christian and the groom’s side is saved (by Jesus). Hundreds of people gathered in a hotel called Mulvin in Matete (the neighborhood close to Buganda heartland and near the place the police station was burned only 2 months ago).
Being invited by the bride’s family we were placed near to the very extended family of the bride. Again it is remarkable to see how the rituals and symbolisms of Western marriage blend in with Ugandan tradition. We had the proud relatives who speech until most people in the audience have fallen asleep, the aunt that leads the crowd on to the dance floor, the introduction of the families to one and other; takes a while considering Ugandan families have 6.9 children on average and the older generations up to 14 or even more children.
The Buganda people dance while gyrating their bums in a fast rhythm lead by xylophone and drums in abundance as their backs are covered in feathers of chicken to accentuate the shaking. The previous ceremony had been in Mbarara where they tend to dance with their arms in the air and with nimble steps.
The most touching speech in my mind came from a Muyankole man who in his early 60’s had never visited Kampala. To him it equaled a visit to London or New York. The world of people can indeed be in a radius of 50 or 100 kilometer.
Food at a Buganda wedding consists of brown and white rice, yam, sweet potato, Irish potato, pumpkin, chicken, fish, g nut sauce, vegetables, spinach, watermelon, pineapple and more.
What I noticed about the ceremony is that the format was very formal and that the master of ceremony had a hard time keeping time. Then again what is time in this setting? It is much more important to have the linked families have opportunities to get to know each other.
In the tradition of the Buganda a woman greets her husband on her knees on the floor and given that the bride is from another people (Muyankole) it was a first for her. Feeding her husband cake and letting him drink from a cup in her hands.
The groom was sent to the bride’s side to serve the cake and it ended being the treat of the reception as I managed to get hold of the icing of the cake and savored it then left missing out on likely the biggest dance party.
Namaskar,
Ashis
Saturday, 14 November 2009
UgandAshis 61 on Uganda
UgandAshis 61 On Uganda
Kampala, November 2009
On Uganda.
The greater part of this tour of the USA was focused on Darfur and yet increasingly there is time, space and a place to talk about the current issues of Uganda. The trip led to the following states: Michigan, Minnesota, Idaho, Kentucky, Texas, California and New York State. Over the last 3 years and 5 visits to the USA slowly there has been an expansion of themes on which I speak. Shifting from Darfur and the plight of the Darfuri’s; their resilience, humor and dignity to that AND medical presentations, Phoenix Global Humanitarian Foundation, the book Utmost, volunteering in Uganda and Oneness.
Let me give you some examples of people of all ages who wish to visit and support the vision of PGHF. In San Antonio two groups are interested in coming to visit. One group of medical students is interested in doing a month rotation in either the first or the fourth year. One student is even contemplating to stay for several months and she shares the same passion I have for developing of platforms for online teaching and knowledge exchange. The other group is from the Incarnate Word University and I am curious to hear what they would like to do; I know that they have projects in Gulu.
In Boise, Idaho two registered nurses, one with a flying license are eager to come over and help out in a clinic. In Minneapolis a friend is coming back to Uganda to start her research for a doctorate in Public Health Nursing and another friend wants to visit Africa for the first time.
Everywhere I go I invite people to come to Uganda. It is very easy to judge a country or a whole continent from afar and I realize from people that have come that their perspective of medicine and/or of Africa has changed radically. A Dutch surgeon in training called me yesterday. He stayed with me for 6 weeks and his girlfriend came as well for a 2 week holiday. As we often discussed; all is possible in Africa, things that you expect to be easy are near impossible while the impossible can be a piece of cake. Coming feeling, smelling, touching and being in Africa will make an impact on all.
There are those who end up not liking Africa: flies, poverty, corruption, cheating, dirt, war, violence and passivity are their mind images of the continent. All of the above are present here yet there is also: spiritual wealth, honesty, friendship, nature, peace, brotherhood and a dynamic society. The question is always is the cup half full or half empty; both indeed! You see what you want to see.
Friends young and wise will come and visit over the next months; let them form an opinion of a nook of Africa, being Uganda. In my mind they are the bridge builders that will make the world a true global village. Strangers become acquaintances leading to friendship and then a global family.
Namaskar,
Ashis
Kampala, November 2009
On Uganda.
The greater part of this tour of the USA was focused on Darfur and yet increasingly there is time, space and a place to talk about the current issues of Uganda. The trip led to the following states: Michigan, Minnesota, Idaho, Kentucky, Texas, California and New York State. Over the last 3 years and 5 visits to the USA slowly there has been an expansion of themes on which I speak. Shifting from Darfur and the plight of the Darfuri’s; their resilience, humor and dignity to that AND medical presentations, Phoenix Global Humanitarian Foundation, the book Utmost, volunteering in Uganda and Oneness.
Let me give you some examples of people of all ages who wish to visit and support the vision of PGHF. In San Antonio two groups are interested in coming to visit. One group of medical students is interested in doing a month rotation in either the first or the fourth year. One student is even contemplating to stay for several months and she shares the same passion I have for developing of platforms for online teaching and knowledge exchange. The other group is from the Incarnate Word University and I am curious to hear what they would like to do; I know that they have projects in Gulu.
In Boise, Idaho two registered nurses, one with a flying license are eager to come over and help out in a clinic. In Minneapolis a friend is coming back to Uganda to start her research for a doctorate in Public Health Nursing and another friend wants to visit Africa for the first time.
Everywhere I go I invite people to come to Uganda. It is very easy to judge a country or a whole continent from afar and I realize from people that have come that their perspective of medicine and/or of Africa has changed radically. A Dutch surgeon in training called me yesterday. He stayed with me for 6 weeks and his girlfriend came as well for a 2 week holiday. As we often discussed; all is possible in Africa, things that you expect to be easy are near impossible while the impossible can be a piece of cake. Coming feeling, smelling, touching and being in Africa will make an impact on all.
There are those who end up not liking Africa: flies, poverty, corruption, cheating, dirt, war, violence and passivity are their mind images of the continent. All of the above are present here yet there is also: spiritual wealth, honesty, friendship, nature, peace, brotherhood and a dynamic society. The question is always is the cup half full or half empty; both indeed! You see what you want to see.
Friends young and wise will come and visit over the next months; let them form an opinion of a nook of Africa, being Uganda. In my mind they are the bridge builders that will make the world a true global village. Strangers become acquaintances leading to friendship and then a global family.
Namaskar,
Ashis
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
UgandAshis 60: Home again
UgandAshis 60: Home again.
Bruno and Yogi my German/Belgian shepherds are roaming through the garden and digging holes. What happened in my absence in the house well Bruno got wounded by a slashing machete and 3 weeks later still has a gaping bone deep wound on his leg. Snakes seem to love it here to. Two cobra's showed up and are no longer with us. Black kite did not take care of it this time but our guard Kenneth did.
Uganda seems to have cooled a bit after the riots in Kampala over a month ago. Yet it is clear that the Buganda are very unhappy with the treatment of their king (kabaka) by the president of the republic. And nothing has changed; from the moment of entry I tourist visum was issued despite my papers for a working visa. Now we have to foolow the line (big fish) to correct that status quo.
It may have been nice of me to have bought a SNow Leopard run Macbook Pro. The problem is the software of the telephone company does not support my sweet Mac. Frustrating and at the same time it may lead in to applying for a proper broad band connection. At the end of the day it is impossible to use Skype here for talking online.
There is some other hardware that will be instrumental: a HD Flipcamera and perhaps, if I find an affordable one a projector. All these goodies may seem slightly expensive and the whole isea is to run several programs from the beginning for 2010:
1. TEDx conference
2. Mini documentary on You tube on HIV/AIDS
3. A mobile health clinic in Bundibuyo
Let us pray for money. Number 1 and 2 are affordable and it seems proposal 3 may get axed. My friends have been around and to qoute Romeo Dallaire: 'Where there is a will there is a way. Let us roll.
And about the past tour of the USA you can read the next post.
Namaskar,
Ashis
Bruno and Yogi my German/Belgian shepherds are roaming through the garden and digging holes. What happened in my absence in the house well Bruno got wounded by a slashing machete and 3 weeks later still has a gaping bone deep wound on his leg. Snakes seem to love it here to. Two cobra's showed up and are no longer with us. Black kite did not take care of it this time but our guard Kenneth did.
Uganda seems to have cooled a bit after the riots in Kampala over a month ago. Yet it is clear that the Buganda are very unhappy with the treatment of their king (kabaka) by the president of the republic. And nothing has changed; from the moment of entry I tourist visum was issued despite my papers for a working visa. Now we have to foolow the line (big fish) to correct that status quo.
It may have been nice of me to have bought a SNow Leopard run Macbook Pro. The problem is the software of the telephone company does not support my sweet Mac. Frustrating and at the same time it may lead in to applying for a proper broad band connection. At the end of the day it is impossible to use Skype here for talking online.
There is some other hardware that will be instrumental: a HD Flipcamera and perhaps, if I find an affordable one a projector. All these goodies may seem slightly expensive and the whole isea is to run several programs from the beginning for 2010:
1. TEDx conference
2. Mini documentary on You tube on HIV/AIDS
3. A mobile health clinic in Bundibuyo
Let us pray for money. Number 1 and 2 are affordable and it seems proposal 3 may get axed. My friends have been around and to qoute Romeo Dallaire: 'Where there is a will there is a way. Let us roll.
And about the past tour of the USA you can read the next post.
Namaskar,
Ashis
Saturday, 19 September 2009
UgandAshis 59 Musings
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UgandAshis 59 Musings
September 19, 2009
Dragonfly
Dragonfly
Why?
Do you dip your wings?
In puddles of water
Are they flaming things
Tell me later
Yogi meets a dragonfly
Snap
One less dragonfly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly
And they are predators that eat mosquitoes.
One should love them
Less is more!
Pondering peace
Wondering who is
Going to take the first step.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_Ata_Declaration
Health for all by 2000 declared in 1978
OK
Now
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
The assessment, launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Geneva, warns that, despite many successes, overall progress has been too slow for most of the targets to be met by 2015.
Same, same but different?
Namaskar,
Ashis
UgandAshis 58 Congolese dancing stick
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UgandAshis 58 Congolese dancing stick
September 19, 2009
The local mosque has a muezzin calling for the evening prayer. It is almost Eid and many of the people around Kansanga are Muslim. Because of Ramadan and the riots last week night life in Kansanga and Kabalagala has been very quiet lately. The one thing that interrupts the silence are Premiership Soccer matches, then pubs are full and people are cheering.
As I dangle in the yellow hammock I can see three lizards working their way through a cloud of mosquitoes in a stalking yet distinguished style. If only there were more lizards and fewer mosquitoes. Our green yellow black eyed friends are working hard but the odds seem insurmountable.
The black kites were circling the house in pairs today. Wondering what they are messaging? And I recall the title of this story; ‘Congolese dancing stick’. It is a wooden carving from Beni, eastern Congo about 80 years old. I am to trace the history of the artifact but holding it in my hand gives a feeling that it is a powerful symbolic tool. The face is Cubist (but from a pre Cubist era), the hairs are made of beads from Germany, the end of which have Cowry shells (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowry). The body of the lady is made out of blue and white beads and her legs are covered in a leather dress.
One can imagine this magnificent carving being the middle of elaborate dance ceremonies. Congolese love to dance. Perhaps it has a role in fertility rites? If only this lady could sing her song. What she has given me is an appetite to study her history and more general the history of wooden carvings in African. In fact she is the ‘core’ and for now ‘only’ piece of my collection. Given the fact that the Congolese market is around the corner I am bound to start buying more of these lovely pieces. A great thank you goes to my compadre Ecke who is a German bead expert with a collection of several 100.000 beads. As I always joke he can tell you were a bead comes from by smell only.
Given my passion for birds I am going to shop around until I find the right bird mask for the right price. Another thing that I am looking in to is much more practical: seats for my house. There are beautiful carvings waiting to be part of my house. Then as a last area of interest I am looking at artifacts related to medicine. For example I saw a beautiful wooden sculpture of a man representing the small pox. It are questions I would love to ask my students in the course culture and health at Mountains of the Moon.
Enjoy the photo and let me know what you think. Artifacts are still available but are getting harder to come by. It is a good time to start collecting therefore. Always great to learn and embrace art.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Monday, 14 September 2009
UgandAshis 57 Riots in Kampala II
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UgandAshis 57 Riots in Kampala II
September 13, 2009
Friends around the world have commented about the fact that so little about what has happened over the last couple of days has made it to main stream media. True there were stories on CNN and BBC. So information did trickle down.
When you Google ‘Kampala riots 2009’ of the first 30 entries only ten are from traditional media (Daily Monitor 3, New Vision 1, Independent 2, BBC 1, RFI 1, France 24 1, Guardian 1. It seems that finding up to date information your best bet is to follow links through Google or on Twitter (#Kampala, #uganda) or bloggers and blog sites.
Google ‘Kampala riots 2009’ news and you get 246 results, ‘Serena Williams US Open 2009’ news 7356. Yes tennis popular and yes having a tennis player shout at a lines woman brings back memories of John McEnroe but really is it that more important?
http://www.techmasai.com/2009/09/11/what-the-african-cyberspace-is-doing-to-monitor-the-riots-in-kampala-uganda/ gives all kinds of information about what has happened in Uganda over the last few days. It seems internet is the place to be to get citizens reports, pundit opinions, gossip, facts, back ground history, academic information, factoids and all other forms of information.
Then again relatively few people in Uganda have access to Internet therefore blocking a radio channel (the prime form of information transfer in Uganda) or filtering Ugandan television channels is extremely effective in giving a ‘rosy’ picture of the events of the last days.
One journalist had been arrested immediately after he blasted the government in a live talk show on a big television station. Arguably one has to consider the incitement that a radio/television station can create (remembering that the conflict will be solved rapidly and that loss of life and goods will stop. It takes only a few bad men to spoil all people in one area. Cohesion intra and inter tribes need to be addressed and media should be given a free AND fair platform remembering the role of the flaming hatred that Radio Mille Collines incited in Rwanda during the Genocide in 1994.
Through my Facebook, Twitter and g-mail account get tens of requests if all is ok and that people are praying for Uganda, my family and myself. That I am fortunate with that is crystal clear.
Images speak more than a thousand words. I can write for you that we saw the police station in Ntete burnt down to the ground. Up to a certain level of violence can be manifested through descriptive idioma. Yet when one realizes that the Batwa (pygmies) are set to suffer from in-equality nothing is doen . There still will be a up-hill battle awaiting those people that have a migratory (hunter gathers versus agriculturalist versus pastoralists)
Awaiting the results of free and fair elections is the story. As for today I think that the violence has reduced significantly and that more or less due to the heavy military presence in town the riots may well sizzle out.
Let us hope
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
Thursday, 10 September 2009
UgandAshis 56 Riots in Kampala
UgandAshis 56 Riots in Kampala
September 10, 2009
Fairly recently I decided to leave war and conflict ridden countries behind and I settled for Uganda. True it had a patchy recent history in the Northern part of Uganda where the Lord Resistance Army had been terrorizing by a child soldier army and a sex slave army. However compared to my last posting near Darfur in Chad it is night and day. So much that as I type this piece my parents are with me in the car. They have been able for the first time in 5 years to visit me in a project where I am working.
Uganda is an amazing place, kind people and in many ways it reminds me of India. Today a darker side has come to the fore front. As I may have written about in the past: Uganda consists out of about 56 tribes so of which historically have a king or a chief. None of the tribes has more than 10% of the total population and the largest tribe is the Buganda. It is in their heart land that Kampala was built next to their capitol called Mengo.
Today the kabaka (king) of the Buganda was set to visit a neighboring district. There had been some minor riots so the trip was disallowed. That sparked violence and riots between supporters of the kabaka and the police. So far 5 people have been killed. Tear gas has been used in several neighborhoods and cheap elements have taken advantage of the situation to go rioting.
Here we stand stranded 5 kilometer outside of Kampala waiting for the police or military to clean up road blocks to proceed to go home. Underlying the riots of today has been a steady increase of irritation between the government of Uganda and the cabinet of Buganda. One of the core issues is the fact that Kampala has been built on Buganda land and the Buganda feel politically marginalized so that they demand an own city state for their kingdom’s capitol.
If we go back in history all kingdoms were abolished under a previous Prime Minister Milton Obete. Under a lot of discussion kingdoms were reintroduced by the current powers that be. It seems that creating strife between tribes is the common way to keep the current regime in power. Here a group called the Bunyala was supported in their opposition of the Buganda.
It is sad to see the endless manipulation of good people. Some here feel that this situation will fizzle out and others have expressed that this may be the final nail in the coffin of the Buganda kabaka ship. On the radio however all club nights are announced it will be business as usual. The riots have been displaced to the poorer suburbs out of city center. And it quite well understood that the military will step up if the rioters do not stop with their road blocks. Awaiting the cat and mouse game.
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
UgandAshis 55 Marabou hits electrical wire
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UgandAshis 55
August 28, 2009
Marabou hits electrical wire
Just as I wonder about a title for this piece I see a Marabou stork fly in to an electrical wire. As he dangles up and down for a moment or two his weight is finally too much and he manages to release himself from the wire. Slightly ruffled yet ever elegant he flies on.
This piece will be about what has been in the news the last week:
Slightly ruffled yet ever elegant he flies on.
This piece will be about what has been in the news the last week:
Universities raise their tuition fees by 40% after not having done so for over 15 years. Students promise to go on strike
A former Under Secretary of the United Nations Mr. Otunno is back in Uganda after 20 plus years to see if he can run against the incumbent president Mr.Museveni.
Droughts in the North and East lead to many cases of adult and child malnutrition. The minister for emergency and disaster does not make a good impression while munching away at a banana and meat claiming those people in Arua and Iteso are lazy.
We reached home and I left the piece as it was
Namaskar,
Ashis Brahma
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