Amigo's International: Kira Farm Training Centre Opening....

On Saturday a group of us got the privilege to see a former EMI project's grand opening. Amigo's International Kira Farm Training Centre is near Gayaza. The Kira Farm Training Centre has a training facility to give the children a skill before they are sent out into the community and the site also incorporates agriculture to be able to feed the children' who are housed there. The ceremony was pretty much all afternoon with multiple speakers and performances throughout the afternoon.

Ugandan women in their traditional gomaz.

An insane performance of dancers! I could not move like that for that long!

Also Joss Stone somehow got involved with Amigos and officially opened the Kira Farm Training Centre. She also sang two verses for the people.

Great photo...

This is Esther who wanted a photo taken with us! We said we were just as much a celebrity as Joss Stone was. : )

Eritrean (Ethiopian-like) Coffee Ceremony

One of my roommates, Laura, has a friend, Mabrite, who is Eritrean. She invited us over for a Ertriean Coffee Ceremony. Eritrea is located near the horn of Africa on the Red Sea. Eritrea is between Ethiopia and the Red Sea, and some of the traditions are similar including the coffee ceremony for any who have undergone an Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony.

haha, I included this because i just look so bad! haha on the way to Mabrite's.

Mabrite roasting the coffee beans.

Basically she grinds the beans and pours the beans and hot water into the coffee kettle above and places it on the fire as well. Then it continues to boil and once it overflows you know it is ready. It is like an espresso and they put a lot of sugar in it, but it was very good.

Here is all of us (minus Laura taking the picture) with Mabrite and her housemates.

Roommate picture of Jen & I. Next to Christine's shop with the awesome canopy tree!

Friday Craft Market

So some posts on regular Kampala living...

Friday Craft Market is a market at Mukwano Roundabout here near city centre Kampala. We girls here favor this market because it is cheaper and you can bargain with them better then at the tourist craft market in the city. Lots of great gifts (definitely where all of my Christmas gifts are coming from)!

Boda!

City Centre- Kampala

Hello all!

So I've been trying to catch up with all my posts and I think I am pretty much there! : )

But I wanted to post some photos of city centre Kampala to let you all know what it is kinda like here. These are photos of typical sites around the city. Above is a panoramic of taxi park.

Boda-boda drivers ready to take you anywhere

close-up of market stalls

Orphanage Time in Jinja!

Half of our East Africa team is located in Jinja, which is the root of the Nile. We had Oct 9. off for Uganda's Independence Day so we decided to head to Jinja for the weekend. The boys are staying at an amazing house with a great porch and grounds. Across the street is an HIV orphanage that they have gotten involved with. They are building them a tree fort and we had the privilege of coming over and helping for an afternoon.

Here are photos from the day!

A lot of these the kids took and I just love that.

my favorite photo of the day

Safari Part 2- Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda

We were able to go on another safari trip at the end of September, this time one that last three days with the rest of the interns and then some. Our group totalled around 18 people and it definitely felt like we took over the base camp.

We took a four hour drive from Kampala up to our base camp in Murchison Falls National Park and arrived to climb near the top of the falls...

Mini intern reunion! All of the East Africa interns plus Amy & Brice from Colorado.

We got to go on a four hour game drive....

we finally saw lions!!!

and an elephant!

definitely made my day!

...and fighting animals...

....these two giraffes were actually swinging their necks together, but I couldn't quite capture it.

...multi-coloured gecko...

I had to take the picture of everyone else taking the picture of the baboon.

A three hour boat ride to the bottom of the falls....

...we saw elephants and hippos...

...some monkeys...

...it was a beautiful day...

...right down to the falls...

...enjoying with some friends...

...and then downpour all the way back! oh africa...

We spent the next morning with some rhinos...ya know...no big deal....

...yep that's right we walked up near the rhinos! It was pretty sweet till two of the male rhinos started chasing each other....right towards us! There is a pretty sweet video of this outcome of us running, ha but it's too big to post. Maybe I'll be able to show it sometime! Definitely an experience.

Our base camp...

My tent! (with Nick the pet warthog to the right)

The dining/hanging out area...

lovely views...

What a glorious time in Africa...