Organize or Starve

Found this image (to the left) by googling: In the 1930s demonstrators marched through the streets of London carrying a banner reading “Organize or Starve”. This message is as true today – change must come from within.

Uganda is one of the countries in the world that is characterized by rampart corruption, and at the same time: one of the biggest aid receivers. Despite this, there seems to exist a taboo in discussing corruption – especially in humanitarian assistance.

Personally I found it difficult to trust people in Uganda (also got the ‘pleasure’ of beeing robbed as well as having my bank account hacked & ripped off), but have learned that it is necessary to find a balance between trust & control, trust & my own anxiety. You’ll meet a lot of sad situations when moving around in Uganda, but I got a feeling that some of them was also created by my own prejudices and values as a visitor.

The most important thing I learned was the necessity of including the locals in projects. There’s a big need for a more effective communication, and to include locals in whatever supportive work you do. Fighting poverty starts at home and in the community.

Style Your Poverty

Art project in progress

The photographic series “Style Your Poverty” is a part of an exhibition project titled The Dependency Syndrome. The project questions the role of foreign aid as a development tool, and is a political and ironic comment on the culture of aid – “Poverty as a trap” vs. “poverty as fuel”. The dependence syndrome in Africa has come to mean the surrender of valuable national assets in return for cheap trinkets and poorly designed and manufactured transient goods and equipment. Not the least: aid is correlated with corruption, has fostered dependency and implanted bureaucracy.

I use an analogue Leica for this series, and will publish the work later, but sharing a couple of snapshots.

A mattress for Rashid

Rashid is home from hosptal until the 17th, when the next surgery will take place. I visited him with and brought a mattress, given by Tonje Dahle from Norway. Until now he has shared one with his brother. To prevent the risks of infections and other conditions, it will be good for him to be able to sleep alone. Thank you!

Leaving Uganda – for three months

I´m leaving Uganda today! Going to Kampala in minutes. I’m leaving with a double feeling of ‘wanting’ and ‘not wanting’. It will be good with distance for some months, but It’s a bunch of people I’ll really miss over here! Hope to come back with some renewed energy, and some good perspectives on further work. I’ll miss the site & people in Malindi. Doing barbeque by the river Nile – picking corn and sugar canes.

When returning to Uganda with my partner in March ’12, I hope we are ready to start building Soft Power – even short time to raise the money. I’m leaving Uganda, and beginning Norway. Beginning the work to ensure that Soft Power is raised. That will be an interesting challenge!

This has been two intesive months, but the next period here will perhaps be even more intensive – if the knitting business is in progress, and we can start training the women. Planning to stay at least three months upon arrival then. Will start preparing asap! I’m leaving Uganda, but Uganda is not leaving me.

‘House of Two Sarahs’ is getting ready…

The temporary House of Two Sarahs is getting ready! It’s very simple, and in the same standard as the rooms of the rest of the kids & youth at Hadjets’, but the girls loves it! Bought them new mattrasses, bed nets, some curtains, a mirror etc., and then also some new clothings and books. Sharing a few pics (my digital camera was lost in the robbery, so these ones is by Jessie).

Robbed!

It’s said that 60 % of street kids and youth in Jinja live of theft, as a means of survival. I just met a couple of them – on my last evening in Uganda, and my bag containing money, camera, some documents and my passport, is forever lost! Had to postpone my travel, as I needed time to arrange with a new passport. Anyway, I wanted to stay an extra week, and so I was given… New retour is December 8.

There has been some experiences during this trip, both positive and negative, and I would say 99% of the negative ones have had to do with money (in one way or another). Some people seems to think that europeans can use money like it’s falling from a tree. There is a lot of stories told, one more sad after the other – but truth and lies mesh and blend. People are desperat and lie very easily. The most tragic lie I’ve experienced was a story about the death of a son, to have money for the funeral. I have paid school fees for kids, to experience that the next moment the kid is beeing used to get more. I’ve been provided with the most interesting budgeting!

Said this, there is good people around! The situation here is just making some people frantic. Even indulging in self-pity now, I would recommend coming here! Just have to be a little bit careful!