First Day of Surveying

Blog entry for the 27th

Although this blog is a bit overdue, Monday was probably the most exciting and rewarding day we’ve had so far on the trip! Monday was our first day of surveying locals about our bicycle project. Although we had planned to leave early in the morning, last minute copying and errands put us a bit behind schedule. By 11 we were on our way. After 10 minutes or so of driving we noticed that the van was awfully quiet. Princess Odeke had been left behind! Oops! So after backtracking a bit, we finally on our way to Corner Nwoya. This is one of the two villages in Amuru district where we will be distributing bicycles. The ride to Nwoya was really interesting because it was our first trip outside of Gulu town. Gulu town is the center of the district, filled with people and businesses, while the outskirts of Gulu town are small huts in the middle of the bush. I personally had a rush of emotions while starring out the window. The land was so beautiful and the people appeared so independent and proud. But I couldn’t help but feel like I was living through a docu-drama. During the war, north of Gulu town was rebel territory and no one would have ventured to where we were driving. Driving through the bush, I couldn’t help but think of all the terror and heartache those around me had endured. Solomon, one of our faithful translators, was sitting next to me explaining how his family was forced to abandon their home in Amuru for sanctuary in Gulu town.
When we finally arrived in Nwoya, we were greeted by a few villagers seated under the “big tree”, the community gathering spot. I think we were all surprised by the village because Nwoya is located in one of the IDP camps. Although refugee and IDP camps are different, it never occurred to me that Nwoya would look like a concentrated village of huts rather than campsite of displaced persons. Most people have moved out of the IDP camps, so the village was not packed with huts, but a couple years ago it was probably overflowing. Within minutes, swarms of villagers arrived to investigate what all the commotion was about. Mzungus, (that’s what locals refer to us as) do not come on a regular occasion. Once the LC arrived, he introduced our group and thanked us for coming. Following the greetings Muyambi stood up and gave the villagers a brief description of who we are and what we hoped to accomplish. The villagers were very receptive to the project and asked many intelligent questions. One woman asked what will happen to the bike if a recipient dies before the 18 months are up. (18 months is the standard term for repayment if people pay 4,000 shillings a month). Unfortunately unexpected death is a reality that people here must plan for, something we never even considered. While Muyambi was speaking we also committed our first cultural offense. Since the launch of our project was so momentous, we had been filming and photographing the event. However the villagers became annoyed that they were being taped without their consent and before they even knew why we had come. The whole trip is a learning process, so although we felt ashamed in the moment, I’m glad the villagers spoke up shared their thoughts. At least we won’t make the same mistake twice. Once Muyambi was done speaking we divided the villagers into groups behind each translator. Every translator was paired up with two students, so we all got to participate in the surveying and application process. I think that surveying the villagers was definitely the most exciting and rewarding experience I have had so far. Although we have discussed and debated what is most helpful to locals, how a bicycle will affect their lives, it was not until we used a bottom-up strategy of surveying did we discover how impactful a bicycle will be. Many of the people we interviewed walked up to 6 miles every day to retrieve water. One lady I spoke with had diabetes and as a result had to travel to Gulu Hospital 2x a month for 30,000 shillings each trip—astronomically expensive for the average person. Although the surveys compiled a detailed analysis of each person, connecting with the people also gave us much insight into their lives. Learning their individual stories was not only interesting but also inspiring. The day was definitely a success but we did discover a few kinks in our surveys that we would have to work out. Some of the questions the translators did not understand and other questions were simply unnecessary. Monday was a pilot session to learn from so Tuesday would definitely run more smoothly.
When we arrived back at our hotel we found out perhaps the most exciting news of the day… we had officially become a CBO!!!! Molly and Abhay had stayed back to meet with Joe, a high government official in charge of CBOs and NGOs. After asking a few questions he approved our status, giving us his full support. Joe also gave some helpful suggestions to BAP. He explained that we must be careful to filter out the artificial need BAP might create. Although someone may not have a need for a bike, when bikes become available, everyone thinks he or she need one. He also told us to emphasize the multiplier effect that bikes will have on the community. Maintaining a close relationship between BAP and our partner villages will also be critical to the success of the project—working hand-in-hand with the LCs is a must. Lastly, he urged us to formulate some type of conflict management for problems that might arise in the future with beneficiaries and repayment.

All in all today was a major success, just one of many more to come ….

Nicole