work? yes indeed...

I have gotten a few comments from people reading my blog that they think all I am doing is having fun here and wonder what I actually do for work! I just smile and laugh and say that basically my job is making sure that all the volunteers are healthy, happy and safe. In order to do that, mainly what my job entails are these kind of things...

picking up new volunteers from the Entebbe Airport (approx. 5 hour drive from Jinja), bringing them to Kampala to the Adrift office (the rafting company that GIVE is linked with) so they can meet Dennis, our main emergency contact in Uganda, pick up their mobile phones and continue driving to Jinja.

Once in Jinja my first responsibilities entail orientating them around town (show where to eat, where the internet cafes are, where you buy phone credit, exchange money, where to take out money), settling them into their houses/hotels/guesthouses (I am in charge of making and confirming bookings), giving them boda and mutatu transport education (always get on and off the boda on the left hand side as to not burn your leg from the exhaust pipe on the right hand side- how to argue with boda men for prices and not getting ripped off)

The first few days I get a car and driver to take me and the new volunteers around to our different placements. The volunteers visit each of the placements according to the interest they have requested (Ie. babies homes, schools, health clinics). Usually we can visit about 3 placements per day, as it takes time to go to them, meet the people in charge, make the contact and confirm the relationship, and make plans for volunteering which days they would like.

In the first few evenings especially I take them round to a few of the places we 'usually' go for dinners and drinks out, according to their prefernce of western vs indian vs african cuisine and entertainment. I am in charge of getting them to and from places safely for at least the first few days WITH me, and usually for the first week I am with them most evenings.

After the first week, most people are quite settled into a routine, know their way around and have met some people to hang out with and go to their houses, out for meals etc. From then on my position is to check in on them usually in the mornings and fix any issues/problems they are having with accomodation, travelling, transport, phones, money, etc (those are the usuals!) and generally be available when they want someone to hang out with, go shopping with, need advice about something or need to sort out and arrange a safari, rafting, or other touristy things. I have all the contacts with tourist companies,safaris and rafting (ADRIFT), so I get to make the phone calls and arrange everything- unless they want to do it themselves (some have a preference).

And it's been a pretty fast turnover for most of the summer so far- so usually I've had new people coming all the time so once I have some people settled, more arrive and the process begins again. right now I have a bit of a lull- I have 6 girls, one leaving tomorrow and one leaving thursday, and then more people coming August 5, 6 and 14th for the rest of the summer. the girls right now are quite settled into routine and I can see them off in the mornings, meet up with them at some point during the day or evening to debrief on how things are going, what they are thinking, or just to sit at the Adrift bar and have a drink at 3pm overlooking the nile (which is what I did yesterdy with Shelly- hey, if I'm with a volunteer doing what they want, it's work!)

Basically, I need to be able to be comfortable making friends with all types of people and personalities and be sensitive to what people want to do, think about Africa, etc and help them have the best experience possible. What I want to accomplish is for people to see the Uganda that I personally know and love...So they can spread the word of the wonderful place it is and raise some awareness back in Canada of things that are happening/need to happen over here.

So yes, I do have lots of fun. Sometimes too much fun. But I also work hard. :)
"Work hard, play hard"
which I believe is just as important to experience the local culture here, making memories by living the local life, and ways of having fun here in Uganda. Believe it or not- fun happens whereever you are in the world! imagine that. :) and to me, the fun HERE is quite often more fun than fun at home in Canada...hahahaha.

Love you all, hope that gave a decent briefing on the work I am doing here!

xxx vicks