Pre Service Training

August 12, 2010

Pre-service training or PST lasts from the completion of our registration forms at Staging in Philadelphia, thru our first week of travel and survival training in Kampala, and then thru 10 weeks of home-stay training as volunteers are assigned host families to stay with in central Uganda.

First off, let me just say the people here are the best. I’ve never been a part of a group of so many people that I not only get along with, but would without hesitation hire if I was starting my own company. Can’t put into words how highly I think of these folks.

I was successful in staying awake until we got to the plane. Shortly after we boarded our 15+ hour flight to South Africa they informed us that two meals would be served, on South African time. This brought us from about Noon to 6 PM. I watched a movie, and ate my dinner, trying to stay awake until 9 PM Jo’burg time. It didn’t work out and I fell asleep trying to watch ‘Date Night.’ I slept about 2 hours and then was determined to watch another movie before trying to call it a night. Around midnight I went to bed and was able to sleep the next 6+ hours with only minor interruptions. Breakfast was served right before landing and I got off the plane feeling good. Several members of our group had not been able to sleep, had not slept Monday night, and were therefore pretty messed up. After about a 6 hour layover in Jo’burg we were on our last leg, a 4 hour flight to Entebbe. We were on the ground by about 7 PM and in our compound by about 9 PM Wednesday after starting our travels around 3 AM Tuesday in Philadelphia. Dinner was waiting for us as we arrived, including my long awaited first taste of Matoke.

After dinner we headed to bed. We were scheduled to begin training first thing in the morning. Thursday we met the country director, started language lessons, interviewed with in-country project coordinators to determine our placements, filled out paper work, got our first inoculations, started anti-malaria treatments, and had a face to face interview with a member of our medical staff.

Things are going very well. I am ahead of the game in learning the language. I believe I packed well. There are certain things that would be nice to have right now, but nothing I need. So far no real Africa related shockers. Two things that did shock me a little were revealed back in Philadelphia. Almost everyone in our group is between the ages of 22 and 24. There are, of course, the occasional volunteers over 40, but I’d say around 80% of volunteers are younger than me, and there aren’t a lot at all between me and our 40+ers. I appear to be the least experienced traveler in the group. I have yet to meet anyone who is leaving the country for the first time, as I am. Most of them have lived or studied abroad for extended periods of time. My roommate in Philly was shocked to hear I’d never left the country; I guess I still don’t know why. For many here travel is the reason for their existence, but for me, travel is not something I value; home, family, purpose, those are the things I value, the third is why I am here.

I was able to call home today but got a voice message. I let my Dad know that I was safe and things were going well.

When we got our Staging Schedules today I was officially listed in an engineering assignment. I don’t know what this will mean for my project but I was excited. My official invitation had not listed me as a Water Sanitation Engineer but Volunteer, it’s just a title and it is pretty petty but it is nice to finally have Engineer in my job description 4 years after finishing my Civil E degree and passing my registration exams.

Also can’t forget to mention… In the courtyard of the conference center today we saw monkeys! Here monkeys are about as common as squirrels in America. They run through the yard, scavenger for food, and play on our buildings and in the trees.

August 14, 2010

Today I found out that the language spoken in the region I am slotted for is Luganda. I’m pretty excited to hear that. Luganda is the language we have been preparing for in our home stays and is considered by many to be the major language of Uganda. The Peace Corps has taught 13 different Ugandan languages to volunteers. Our group of 45 has 8 different languages being studied. Estimates have the number of languages spoken in Uganda in the 50s with many local dialects.

The selection of Luganda as my language means that I will be living in the central region of the country. I will be close to the major cities but likely not in one. Currently because of the recent terrorist attacks volunteers are not allowed to travel to Kampala, the capital city, part of the Lugandan region, and largest city in the country, without permission from the country director. It will be nice to be able to easily get back to a city if supplies and travel are necessary. Other volunteers are going to be further isolated and out in the mountains, which would have been cool, but I feel good about where it looks like I’ll be going. I’m here to make a difference, and it looks to me I’m being put in a position where I will be able to. In the mountains, highly isolated, I’m not positive I would have been successful. I think I’d bring as good a chance of success as anyone in our group, but I’m not certain it would have ultimately translated to results.

After our sessions today we walked into the village played soccer with the children. Being here continues to be awesome. I’m really looking forward to moving in with my host family on Monday.