Dennis Watson is volunteering with our projects in Uganda for a couple of months and he's keeping a diary of his experiences there for us: 

Entry #1

Hello from the Pader District of Northern Uganda.  This trip was planned with the help of my good friend Wayne Bleier.  Wayne has been doing NGO work in the field and has been primarily focused on child protection for 15 some years.  He's currently programs director for War Child UK.

The first photo is of country director Ebrima Saidy and his wife Fatou.  They are both Gambian, another brilliant product of British colonialism.  I'll attempt to curb my cynicism  throughout this process.  Anyway, they hosted me for two days (Feb. 23rd-25th) in Kampala, the capital and primary urban area of Uganda.  Ebrima and I hammered out the goal and a plan for my work.  He's decided to squeeze me dry.  That's probably a good thing, keeping busy and all.  I've heard Kampala is pretty nice compared to many large African cities.  It has a lovely hilly with tropical fauna thing that's nice, but the manner in which the humans transport themselves is bringing the place to its knees.  Maybe cash for clunkers.  Guess what, they love Obama here.  I refer to him as a truly great African man.  Happy to leave Kampala.

450 Km to Pader, four of us in a pickup and I'm thinking eight hours of torture.  Wrong,  Alice, Jeffery, and Moses (all with whom I'll be working throughout) enjoyed each others company, so much laughter.  The time flew, I saw monkeys and baboons, the source of the Nile--- class four and five rapids like I've never seen.  I think we stopped six times, fruit, bbq goat, and cassava (a potato like tuber they cook over charcoal).  Our last stop just outside the town of Lira was a coffee shop that had cinnamon rolls and ice cream-- a bit out of place.  Turned out to be an orphanage run by a couple (our age) from Bend.  230 youth they are launching into adulthood, very impressive.  If anyone was interested in sponsoring a college education for a deserving kid, this would be a good choice.

So now I'm stationed in the town of Pader in the District of Pader.  I have a room in a small hotel, quite comfortable, where I can get a 16oz. beer for 2000 schillings ($1).  I'll say the food is not good, and I see no prospects for improvement.  They should have wonderful fruit and produce and they will, but the upheaval of the last twenty years has severely impacted their sustainability.  Another place that needs Nash.

The bottom two photos are from my first day "on the job".  I was to join Jonathan, the head of a local NGO called friends of orphans (FRO),  as he delivered uniforms, made at their vocational center, to schools in the surrounding area.  This turned into six plus hours of bone jarring adventure, mixed with some very interesting experiences at the schools.  200-500 eyes following my every movement.  While the teachers were busy with the uniforms it fell on me to be entertaining.  I had no "bag of tricks".  First I used the camera and then the disappearing coin bit, all got unbelievable responses.  A lot of this experience is going to be really fun.