Reflections and Transitions

Greetings from my last morning in Uganda. Tomorrow morning at 7:00, I'll depart Entebbe Airport for Johannesburg and, ultimately, Cape Town, South Africa. I finished my research here yesterday afternoon, and will take a taxi the 20 km or so to a guest house in Entebbe today (so that the 4:30 AM special hire taxi in the morning will cost less…though it will still be expensive).

On Tuesday, I mentioned that I enjoyed a conversation with a gentleman named "Uncle Ben," who is a true scholar of the church of Uganda as well as the country. I wanted to speak a little more about this conversation: we had a lot of talk about my research, but also the country. The most important topic we covered was the youth of the country. Due to several wars and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Uganda is essentially missing a generation (the people who would have grown up in the 70s and 80s). As Ben pointed out, the taxi drivers, leaders in the church, politics, and business, and even MPs are all young (under 35). Per UNESCO (he gave these stats, so I haven't independently verified), Uganda is the youngest country in Africa. 86% of the population is under 18. As he spoke, I realized that I've encountered this all over the country; most of the people with whom I spoke are very, very young (compared to relative positions in the US), and the majority of the church attendance and involvement is "youth," or 13-18 year olds. More importantly, most of these "youth" are considered to be full members of society, and do such important tasks as drive those crazy minibus taxis (but also hold seats in Parliament, etc).

When thinking about these staggering numbers, I can't help but be filled with optimism. Right now, this is a stable country in an unstable part of the world, a country with a mostly positive economic, human rights, and political situation. There are certainly issues (I saw many of them Wednesday in Naguru II), but the resilience and current situation of this country (which is so young) can really make one hope for very positive things in the future.

Back to a description of my time here. On Wednesday, I woke early to meet a Parish Priest in the slum of Kiwuliriza at 7:30 AM. (Note: Slum in my context refers to the "informal" communities in Kampala that do not receive utilities or any support from the city because they are not actual, defined parts of the city. It doesn't necessarily refer to a distressed or poverty-stricken area, though there is generally a strong correlation). We spoke at length about his community and his work. He wasn't able to show me around (I had another appointment), but the largest population in the area is Acholi (from Northern Uganda). These people have suffered a lot, but the stories he told of their current situations (transitioning in the last few years from unemployed to a majority employed) hold a lot of hope.

My next appointment was in the Naguru slums. This meeting got off to a rather odd start when the priest I was meeting, who I had been introduced to through another priest, asked for a copy of my passport, student ID, and a letter of introduction. Since I didn't have an extra copy to give him handy, he sent me to the photocopier to make the copy. When I returned, he pored over the documents (much harder than the immigration officer at Entebbe, for sure). The auspicious start did not damper the meeting, however. His parish is composed of a plethora of people from all of the tribes in the nation. Much of it is in the slum of Naguru II. After our conversation, the Rev. Sam showed me around a bit. His main point, one that he emphasized all of the time, was that "we're not poor, but we use our resources ineffectively." He, and this was echoed by so many of the people I spoke with there, is determined for his community to break out of extreme poverty by accepting family planning, communal responsibility, and literacy education (especially for adults). Moreover, he challenged me again and again to "do this research to help communities, not just for your academic interest" and asked me to tell stories. Really, how could I not?

Yesterday, I traveled 25 km to Mukuno, the home of Uganda Christian University. This University, which is an official arm of the Church of Uganda (the Archbishop is Chancellor, for example), is about 15 years old. It's clear that there is a lot of money sent in by foreign donors (plaques, etc. make that clear), but it was also a vibrant campus. It has a beautiful quad, and seems alive! I was there for several reasons; first, it's the largest and most important theological center in this country, and makes no bones about it's mission to educate theologians to challenge the dominance of the west. Second, I've had a lot of experience in the field here, but I hadn't spoken with anyone involved in the education of those who will lead worship in the future. My conversation with the Dean was quite interesting; it was great for my research, but also interesting because he firmly believes (and teaches all of the M.Div students) that the "whole world is our parish" and that "we, the Global South, must have a role to play." Finally, he said "we live in a world of competition. We will compete with Pentecostals and Anglicans elsewhere."

Needless to say, it was important for me to visit UCU. I disagree with some of the motives, intentions, and beliefs personally, but they are vitally important to understanding the ground in which Anglicans are currently fighting. Moreover, it is vitally important for the west to realize that Anglicans here are not fundamentalist in a negative sense; rather, they are compassionate and caring, but take their interpretation of the Bible seriously.

In the end, I couldn't be happier with my time in Uganda. I really think I learned as much about this country as is possible in 17 days. That's not a whole lot, in the grand scheme of things, but I saw real cultures, real lives, and spoke with real people. I saw their challenges. I was inspired by their solutions and their optimism. And, most importantly, it's hard to describe my time here. That difficulty is a good thing; I can't just say "Africa was good" about my time in Uganda, as Paul Theroux laments is the observation of most visitors. (Thanks, Danny, for the book!) My experience was not good or bad, but a melting pot of sights, sounds, feelings, emotions, and people.

Now, I sit reflecting on a large amount of research and even more experiences after a small amount of time in this place. As is always the case, I feel the pang of regret that my time is not longer. But, alas, it's off to a different challenge and a dramatically different locale, Cape Town, to continue this research.

Will

1st Addendum: In other news, I'm currently playing the game of trying to manage the money I have left so that I'm able to pay for everything through departure without having a inordinate amount of money left over. I'm sure you all know it. I want to leave with a few bills and coins as keepsakes, but not $25 worth!

2nd Addendum: I know I told you I wouldn't talk about my research. And I just did. I sincerely apologize. In a way, though, the views I am getting of society, culture, and real lives are coming through that research.