omulimu

My first blog post! I have never blogged before, so it will be interesting to see how this turns out. I'm doing this to keep people updated, process my thoughts, and record my experiences this summer in Uganda.

I called this first post "omulimu" because that means "farmer" in Luganda, a language the people of Uganda speak, and also a language I have been learning for the past few months because of my passion for languages. It is a very cool, yet complicated language. In French and Spanish, nouns can be masculine or feminine. In German, add neuter and there's 3 possibilities. In Luganda? 10! There's no definite rule to define what class a noun is in. Plus, it changes the adjectives, pronouns, verbs, and other elements in the sentence... intense. I'm hoping to further my Luganda skills while there. Most people in Uganda speak English, but I thought it would be a cool way to connect with them.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand, "Tesia" in Polish means farmer. I joke about this sometimes; Jankowski means Johnson, so do a simple translation and I'm Farmer Johnson. However, lately I've been looking at my future work in Uganda much like that of a farmer. I want to plant seeds there that will leave lasting effects on Good Shepherd Child Care Centre where I will be spending most of my time, the communities of Lukaya and Masaka, and my host family. I may not see all of the effects of what I plant while I am there, but I am hoping that my work will have a sustainable future so the crops continue to grow as I return to Gettysburg. I also hope to cultivate and enrich what has already been started, much like a farmer takes care of growing crops so that they will continue to prosper and grow. It takes small steps- just like a farmer can't grow a whole cornfield in one day, I have to realize that there is only so much I can do in the short 2 months I will be there. However, if I take time to make sure my actions are sustainable, that will make more of a difference and the crops will grow healthily. In turn, I will get to see some of the outcome of this and receive some of it too- learning and growth. I hope to bring these back to the communities I am a part of for the rest of my life, and continue to harvest seeds from these crops. Metaphor much?

I'm going to Uganda through the Center for Public Service (CPS) at Gettysburg College with 2 other students. We have graciously received fully-funded internships for which I feel very blessed to have been chosen. The Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) is the larger program we're going with, along with a handful of other interns from other colleges in the US. I'm excited to meet the other interns and learn from them. In addition, there are 13 other Gettysburg Students in Nicaragua, San Carlos (AZ), and Gettysburg with whom I will be in contact throughout the summer. We will all be involved with community development in such different places, and I am excited to learn from and share with them. I am fearful for the challenges and hard days this summer is bound to bring, yet excited and eager for the growth and learning that will inevitably meet me along the way.

I leave this Friday, May 29! After 3 flights totaling over 18 hours I will be driven to Lukaya, Uganda where my host family will greet me. Here are some of the phrases I have written and starred in my Luganda work pages to make sure I have down:

Tunaalya ki ku kyenkya?
What will we eat for breakfast?

Nzina nnyo.
I dance a lot.

Mbadde njagala emmere.
I've been wanting some food.

Najja kuno kusitula embeera z'abantu.
I came here to work on community development.

Mu Luganda ogamba otya nti...?
How do you say... in Luganda?

Najjira mu nnyonyi.
I came by plane.

Baganda bammwe bangi.
Your siblings are plentiful.
(I figured this would be a good one seeing as my host family has 7 kids!)

and, of course...

Sinywa mata.
I don't drink milk.
(I'm lactose intolerant.)

Because this is my first blog, I can't promise I will be great with maintaining it, and on top of that I will have limited internet access. I will try my best to post pictures, thoughts and updates throughout my time in Uganda. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I embark on this journey, and make sure to ask about my experiences when I return!