For Profit Social Work

My organization canceled their last Tuesday of the month meeting for the second month in a row this morning. The cancellation came an hour after the meeting was scheduled to begin, because a member of the team who was scheduled to be gone for two weeks was not here, just as we knew she would not be.

Whenever I am in the office one of our social workers is present. He wears a nice suit usually, nicer than anything I own in this country. Like most Ugandans he is polite and happy to see me, and whenever a guest arrives he goes out of his way to introduce me and compliment me, telling them how nice I am. If you've started to scratch your head then you picked up on the giveaway. I am not a nice person. I push people; I'm straight forward; I have very little tolerance for small talk. I put up with cultural norms to a degree but won't bother myself to humor the locals. So why is the social worker telling everyone how nice I am?

It is the same reason they wanted a Peace Corps volunteer, the same reason we have now not had a monthly meeting since April, the same reason my counterpart probably quit. We are a for profit non profit. We don't have investors and we don't distribute our revenue to them, but we exist to pay the salaries of our organization not to conduct the programs we conduct. We know all the buzz words and we use them skillfully. Being a friend of the US Peace Corps is a good business decision.

The situation reminds me of a priest we used to have at our church in Blythewood. We were a small church and couldn't support a diocesan priest at the time so we were assigned a foreign priest on loan from India. He discussed how he got into the priesthood one Sunday. His reasons had nothing to do with spiritual interest or events in his life. The Church had money and he could get a good education and good job through the Church. He was a good man, and a good priest; I liked him. But there was something bothersome about the situation and there is something much more bothersome here.

When being a social worker is a good job, a better job than the competitive marketplace can produce, then you will get for profit social workers and for profit non profit organizations. Not only has it left me without any job responsibilities, but it is also making me hesitant to implement projects, like my biogas digester, which will benefit my organization. If you give a mouse a cookie he will ask for milk, if you give a Ugandan child candy he will come back for more, and if you give an organization a $10,000 grant to build a biogas digester they will be back for a new dormitory when the next Peace Corps volunteer comes around.

I'm going to go finish my Tom Clancy book.

New Personal Record!!!

14 People In a Toyota Corolla!!!!!!!

The 10 full sized adults, 2 approximately 10 year old children, and 2 babies.

8 persons in the back seat, 6 in the front.

The experience wasn't fun, but it did allow for a very proud moment. One of the Ugandans in the car protested when the driver pulled over for more passengers and got out of the car. The experience made me consider how the 'less than free' market is going to solve this problem. So as I usually do, I turned to math.

When I get onto a car that is overloaded to that degree I do so at a lesser price than I would otherwise. If I use myself as a model for two different scenarios then the math shakes out like this:

Overloaded (typical):

9 People @ 3000 shillings each.

Assume 30 MPG or 12.75 km/L

@ 3600 UGX/L and 35 km fuel cost = 9822 approx = 10,000 UGX

Bribes / Bypass Costs = 2000 UGX - 10,000 UGX

With No Maintenance Profit = 7,000 - 15,000 UGX - about 3 to 6 USD

Driver / Owner Must Both Be Paid

Not Overloaded

5 Paying Customers @ 4000 shillings each

Same Assumptions

No Bribes / Bypass Required

With No Maintenance Profit = 10,000 UGX

The incredible thing is how close the figures are to one another. A little less police corruption (or at least a demand of a slightly higher bribe) would skew market conditions in favor of a maximum of 6 persons in a compact car.

Two problems exist. With few exceptions Ugandans don't assign a higher value for a comfortable / safe ride than they do a ridiculous ride. The second problem is the drivers don't understand the math. They don't think about revenue and cost, they think about location. We once negotiated for a 3 hour drive to only sit 3 per seat for 2000 shillings extra, paying 10,000 instead of 8,000. The driver was delighted. But the math shows he got ripped off. At 4 persons on the seat he would have collected 32,000 for the bench, instead he collected 30,000. That might have been partially compensated by difference in fuel economy but in a vehicle with potentially 20 passengers the marginal cost of fuel is relatively low.

Weekend Update: June 25, 2011

Highs:

I fixed another volunteers toilet this week, perhaps making my biggest impact yet since arriving in Africa.

Made curry and onion rolex at my place during the week, got through the last week before payday by spending less than $1 a day for 4 days in a row, got to see some friends this weekend, and am actually working on my "projects" to a certain degree. I'm in the in-between phase when an idea still seems feasible and hasn't imploded on itself yet. So until then I'm in the good area where it feels like I'm actually accomplishing 10+ hours of real work a week.

Also completed my 8.5 mile run for the first time in about 3 months, with a decent time.

Lows:

Mosquitoes are preventing me from sleeping right now. Overall just not liking myself very much this week.

My org has a STV - Short Term Volunteer, which means people who don't know anything, about anything, convincing themselves they are solving problems when they are only creating new ones.

What I Did:

Researched Biogas till I came up to a virtual dead end. I don't really see a feasible option for my org. I'm convinced there is not a partner organization operating in this country capable of making the vision of a Biogas digester at my site a success.

Did some final budget work for the Boys Leadership camp grant, and it looks as though that will be submitted this week. Never been so happy in my life to push paper around.

What Is On The Agenda:

Attend the LC council meeting on Thursday!!! Really excited about the potential of working with a water user committee to try to improve village water sources.

Also working with my org on development initiatives / internal reporting.

What I'm Reading:

Continuing Without Remorse, enjoying it more even though it is a bit dark for my tastes. The Hero of other Tom Clancy novels is a murdering vigilante in this one, which I can't get behind.

Also finished the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, one of CS Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia.

Sanity Meter:

Sane. Level. Just annoyed by a lot of stuff, including myself.

Funny Story:

Was traveling the other day when we came upon a routine police stop. The mutatu was pulled over, the cops seemed to solicit their usual bribes, there were some words back and forth, and then the driver took off running into the woods.

We just kind of sat there and scratched our head as the police officer came back, and announced that we would have to find other transportation. It worked out ok for me as we ended up in a really comfortable car the rest of the way and didn't have to pay for the first leg of the trip. Not sure what the end game of the driver was, can't imagine his boss is going to be too happy with him abandoning a car.

Running to Clear My Head

I've started running again after a 2 month hiatus and Wednesday completed my 8 mile run for the first time in about 3 months. I'm no longer running with my iPod because it started to take a toll on the device (its internal speaker no longer works and it pauses itself sporadically now).

It's less pleasant running without the iPod because I can't really tune out the Ugandans.

I'm more tolerant of the calm, respectful children now, and if they give an appropriate volume "see you" or "bye," I will respond. Unfortunately this only makes up a small percentage of the children I pass along the way.

I've changed the time of day that I run so they won't run along beside me and screw up my pace, as a result I ran a good time, better than the one that screwed up my knee in February.

My major annoyance right now is children who are in the back of their home, 20 - 30 yards off the road, who see me running by and sprint to the front screaming at the top of their lungs, often in a disrespectful tone (or at least what we would consider a disrespectful tone) trying to get my attention. I've started yelling at them not in a voice of anger, but violent rage, and that has been quieting them up a bit.

As I passed through one village on the 7th mile of my run a boy said "Mu-zung-u" in a high pitched voice as they often do. I held out my hands to the side and said "what" in an annoyed voice, since I knew that he had no purpose besides calling to me than his own amusement. He repeated "Mu-zung-u" and I repeated, "what!" Mistaking what I was doing for an English greeting a woman standing beside him then held out her hands to the side and said, "What!," as I looked down the street adults and children all started greeting me as I ran by with, "What!"

By far the thing I hate the most about this place is the attention. There are white people everywhere, it is no less common for a Ugandan to see a white person than for an American to come across someone with a strong accent. That doesn't change the fact that I remain a celebrity, and there does not appear to be any type of acclamation to my fame. No amount of repetition of encountering me has any effect. No amount of explanation can convey to them that the way they treat me makes me want to leave. They teach their children to harass white people as if it was game, like spotting Volkswagens. Back home running was the thing I looked forward to at the end of a day to clear my mind, here, I have the same longing, but the results are so much less. Like the Peace Corps as a whole there are highs and lows on the run, and even though I may have 5 uninterrupted minutes I often encounter some dirty, loud, and overly self absorbed children that essentially destroy any of the therapeutic value of the run.

On a final note. I believe there is or was a short term volunteer in my area named Danny who has/had a shaved head. Why. Because the kids are all shouting Danny at me as I run.

Weekend Update: June 19, 2011

Highs & Lows:

It was a weird week. That is all.

What I'm Up To:

Spent about 45 minutes with the local council chairman and my Luganda book trying to discuss when the next meeting would be occurring. Also worked on ideas for some Wat San initiatives in my village and would like to explore the possibility of a Water Guard promotion project.

I read up on my Biogas stuff but am becoming worried. The scale of our operation does not seem to support a low tech digester. All 4-7 cow digesters are pretty much the same, but when you start getting into 25+ cattle plus pigs and goats you are dealing with a much bigger beast. I'm worried about the quality of construction if handled by our own builder and students. Also really worried about their ability to maintain and troubleshoot once I'm gone. Uganda does not have any real experts in place for an institutional sized digester.

What's On The Agenda:

A fair amount of small projects are keeping me busy. Also working to launch the Bridge Group, a correspondence group with invitees in America.

Somebody said something about stove building...

Sanity Meter:

Prayer, reflection, and humility have set me level again, but it was a wild ride.

Before leaving South Carolina for Texas I was told by the leader of the youth group I had been assisting in for two years to remember Proverbs 3:5. It is both disturbing and comforting that my own weakness is so easily apparent.

Thanks to Annie for reminding me, "you're stubborn."

Ugandan Annoyance of the Week:

Getting onto a taxi.

When a Ugandan gets onto a taxi they wait for the taxi to drive up to them. They stand on the side of the street. They don't usually wave, or move, or blink. They just stand there, sometimes with luggage. (thats usually a good hint) The most annoying part of this is if we stop... lets say... 20 feet before them to pick up someone else.

THEY DON'T BUDGE!!!! THEY WAIT FOR THAT PERSON TO GET IN AND THE TAXI TO DRIVE 20 FEET

What happens... lets say... if we are stopped for 10 minutes loading Matoke onto the roof of the taxi, surely then they would walk over and take a seat inside... NOPE

What I'm Reading:

Am slowly making my way through Without Remorse. After reading some truly great books it is rough dropping back into 90's thrillers. I can't believe how much I used to like Tom Clancy in high school. Looking forward to having the new Kindle which I expect to be on the move by the end of the week.

Also simultaneously reading CS Lewis's The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I may knock out several of the Chronicles of Narnia while I read Without Remorse

Also, I am glad to report I've fixed the Reading List.

Problem Identification

The longer I am here the less I believe that Uganda has a poverty problem. Uganda has a population problem. Poverty is a symptom.

The population of Uganda is about 33 million people.

The population growth rate in Uganda is 3.24%, doesn't seem like much but it is actually the 8th fastest in the world. The US by comparison grows at a rate of 0.97% annually. At 3.24% growth a country will double in population every 22 years.

If Uganda was in the United States it would have the 2nd largest population, just behind California.

If Uganda were in the United States it would have the 8th highest population density, in-between New York and Florida.

86% of the population depends on sustenance farming, meaning they survive in part off of food they grow themselves.

So in summary, 86% of the population lives off the land. The land is growing increasingly more crowded at an alarming rate. Which means less food per person. This country is literally going to reproduce itself to death. Which should be an oxymoron.

Weekend Update: June 12, 2011

Highs:

Got my malaria medication refilled, got to see Uncle Gary at a Peace Corps 50th anniversary event, and got a 1,700 page book on biogas digesters that I think is usable for my sites purposes, and I finished the Harry Potter series after about 5 months of it dominating my reading life. (hopefully the most work I will ever put into a single movie date)

Can't forget. I ran for the first time in over a month today and my knee feels good. I've been having knee trouble since early March. Also ran an acceptable time.

Lows:

RIP Kindle. Destroyed by my own clumsy stupidity. I will have others throughout my life, but this first one will surely be missed. I've already said it before on this blog, but thank you Nichole for introducing me to e-readers.

I hit a pretty low low-point this weekend. Peace Corps is often described as a series of highs and lows, a description I have long believed to be extremely accurate. I'm not great with new people, and I'm not great in big crowds. Friday night I was caught in a huge crowd, of people I did not know, who all knew each other, hadn't seen each other in a while, were excited to be together, all in a small room. They were great people, perfectly nice, and at times when I got one on one with one of them I had a nice enjoyable conversation, but most of the night was miserable.

What I'm Up To:

Presented my monthly status report to my org and it looks like we will adopt, but everyone is off in every direction right now and after 3 weeks of failing to have our monthly meeting we have given up on May. Maybe it will happen in June.

Downloaded a 1,700 page book on biogas digesters while I was in the office and am looking forward to attacking it. From a few glances I made at it last week it looks like it has the info I need to design a model large enough for our compound. It's a long shot to make this work but if it does it will make my experience more than worth it.

What's On The Agenda:

Reading the 1,700 page biogas book, which will be difficult with the power being extremely sporadic lately.

Sanity Meter:

A Ugandan is looking over my shoulder watching me type right now, which isn't helping my sanity. She had been sitting a short distance from me and without a word decided to get up and see what was on my screen.

Sanity has been pretty crappy lately regardless of nosey Ugandans. Things are moving too fast in my head, my life, however, is at a standstill.

Uganglish Annoyance of the Week:

Even Me. Even This. Even That.

The word 'even,' in Uganglish is the equivalent of the English 'also.' If you say you are tired, and a Ugandan is also tired they respond, 'Even me.' If you are painting something and a Ugandan wants another part of the wall painted they say, 'Even here.'

This could be used the same way in English, but only when it is associated with some element of surprise, or expectation that the case should be different.

What I'm Reading:

Finished the Harry Potter Series!!!!

"I sometimes think we sort too soon"

With the Kindle dead I'm falling back on Without Remorse, a Tom Clancy novel. I'm also hoping to knock out some of the Bible. I'd hoped to read the Bible cover to cover for the second time in my life while here, but 10 months in I am still in Genesis.

PCV Quote of the Week:

"We're handing out certificates, we need to make this thing legit"

-Gary Goodman, commenting on the Boys Leadership Camp we are planing. Funny because Ugandans hand out certificates for everything and cherish them like they are degrees from Oxford.

The Thief

The other day I got about as angry as I have ever been.

I had put my bag in the back of a taxi and gotten in with my Kindle reading. At one point someone started loading a bunch of rice bags into the back and I watched him closely from the back seat. He seemed to be taking a while. When he closed the door he appeared to have something small and black in his hand, then turned, leaned against the car for a minute and walked across the street. The object was gone, but there was a bulge in his shirt I believed was my sunglasses case. My sunglasses were on my face, the microfiber cloth for cleaning them was in my pocket. He walked back towards the car and I got out, demanding the driver to open the trunk. All of a sudden everyone was of the opinion that I should get back in the car. I patted down his shirt, and he slapped my arm away and took off. When he looked back to see I wasn't pursuing he had a stupid grin on his face that I wanted to wipe off with my boot.

The driver opened the trunk to reveal my open bag, still inside was:

My Laptop, my passport, my computer power source, my computer mouse, and 20,000 UGX in groceries.

He had, in fact, taken off with the free sunglasses case, for which I actually have a backup. There is no loss for me, the microfiber cloth is worth more to me. I probably wouldn't have taken it home next year anyway, but I was so pissed off by the experience. It was my fault for ignoring the rules and putting my bag in the back of the car. Still, it represents a low point in my Uganda experience. He might get 50 cents for that, if he can figure out what it is, based on what he left behind I doubt it.

Weekend Update: June 4, 2011

Highs:

Introduced my rolex guy to curry rolex and the Bridge Committee which I have been trying to get started since my first VAC meeting got the go ahead from PCU Leadership.

Lows:

Tuesday meeting was canceled for the second week in a row. Turns out Grace had a week long workshop in Kampala this week that nobody bothered to tell me about till Sunday.

What I Did:

Finished my Volunteer Reporting File and submitted it to my program manager, it includes all my many (sarcastic) accomplishments over the previous few months.

Also did a fair amount of work on the Bridge Committee proposal and corresponding about it with our interim country director.

What Is On The Agenda:

Tuesday meeting, Take 3. Also going to put some work in this week to budget and cost control for the male equivalent of the Girls Leading Our World Camp, or as we like to refer to it (although it is not the actual name) camp BLOW.

Luganda Phrase of the Week:

Toli wange mukwano

(You are not my friend)

What I'm Reading:

Finished Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, moving on to the final installment, the Deathly Hallows. Looking forward to seeing the final movie in the theaters in July.

Sanity Meter:

My weekends have been busy since I returned, keeping sanity high.

Uganglish Annoyance of the Week:

"It is finished." or "They are over."

This essentially means the same thing as "we are out." If you order a tuna sandwich and they are out of tuna this would be a likely response. The "tuna is finished" or "tuna is over."

This one doesn't really bother me that much but I've had minimal annoyance this week.