Sunday, August 6, 2023

Greetings!

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine starting a blog.  Yet so many of you have asked for updates as I spend the next 27 months in Uganda.  Thank you!!  It's so helpful to have moral support from friends and family back home.

As a side note, I'm blogging from my phone so it's going to be basic black and white with a few pictures.  If there's such a thing as an "old school blog," this is it.

I flew to Washington, D.C., Thursday, July 27, to meet my cohort and for some basic training.

I managed to make it well under the Peace Corps limit of 100 pounds of checked luggage.  I weighed in at 67 pounds for 2 years, including enough gear for a basic kitchen setup.

The Peace Corps was established in 1961 by John F. Kennedy and its purpose is clear.

To promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals: To help the countries interested in meeting their need for trained people. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

Easy to understand; hard to do.

Saturday, July 29, we flew direct from DC to Ethiopia and then on to Uganda.  We touched down at Entebbe International Airport a little tired but no worse for the wear.

I've been impressed by the Peace Corps staff.  Many of them have decades of experience making volunteers successful and it shows.  The training is practical and engaging.  In just a week we have been introduced to a broad range of topics including health and safety, diversity, basic living skills, Ugandan culture and our specialty -- mine is Agriculture and Economic Development.

I could write pages on each topic but will save going deep on those for future posts.

In the hope that brevity will keep you coming back, I'll just leave you with a few final thoughts:

- The weather here is like paradise.  Highs in the high 70's/low 80's and lows in the 60's 365 days/year.  No need for heat or air conditioning.  Sir Winston Churchill once called Uganda "The Pearl of Africa."

- Ugandans are as proud and friendly as anyone I've met.  Always a smile and always happy to get to know you.

- I can't imagine a better cohort.  Most are in their 20's and yet they possess maturity, intellect and curiosity well beyond their years.  I feel lucky to be part of this group.

I'm healthy and happy and miss you all.  More next week!

John

P.S.  Feel free to post questions!