These photos were all taken in the Rubingo area, but are pretty representative of most of the country. It's quite lush and green in most areas, a result of two rainy seasons (March and September), and lots of sunshine. Bananas of various varieties grow everywhere, and there is also sorghum, millet, casava, mangos, pineapple and papayas, to name just a few. The problem is that there is not enough land for the population, and many cannot afford what little land there is available. Much of the land is tired and overused, and the soil on the hills has been eroded as trees are cut down for building and firewood. There is
an ever-increasing awareness of environmental issues, however, and in Kikagati, one of the proposals the widows and grandmothers made was to support them in planting grevarria, a type of tree that grows quite quickly. The number one reason they want the trees, is to be able to build themselves latrines, as they understand this as a way to improve their health. In fact we often saw health promotion posters in the homes of the women we visited, addressing such issues as the importance of hand-washing, the proper use of latrines, and specific and very open HIV/AIDS information. Uganda sits right on the equator, so is warm year-round, though thankfully it cools off
most nights. The middle of the day can be pretty hot, but this is Africa, after all. OK, so that's the last of the posts for today. I hope those of you following this blog feel a little more in touch with where we are and how we are and what we are up to.
These photos were all taken in the Rubingo area, but are pretty representative of most of the country. It's quite lush and green in most areas, a result of two rainy seasons (March and September), and lots of sunshine. Bananas of various varieties grow everywhere, and there is also sorghum, millet, casava, mangos, pineapple and papayas, to name just a few. The problem is that there is not enough land for the population, and many cannot afford what little land there is available. Much of the land is tired and overused, and the soil on the hills has been eroded as trees are cut down for building and firewood. There is
an ever-increasing awareness of environmental issues, however, and in Kikagati, one of the proposals the widows and grandmothers made was to support them in planting grevarria, a type of tree that grows quite quickly. The number one reason they want the trees, is to be able to build themselves latrines, as they understand this as a way to improve their health. In fact we often saw health promotion posters in the homes of the women we visited, addressing such issues as the importance of hand-washing, the proper use of latrines, and specific and very open HIV/AIDS information. Uganda sits right on the equator, so is warm year-round, though thankfully it cools off
most nights. The middle of the day can be pretty hot, but this is Africa, after all. OK, so that's the last of the posts for today. I hope those of you following this blog feel a little more in touch with where we are and how we are and what we are up to.
Thank you Pippa! I am really enjoying following along and learning more about the projects, the Ugandan women, their struggles and their success. Good luck with the upcoming classes with new sewing students! - Krista
ReplyDelete