After retrieving Nana, breakfast, and our luggage, we crossed back over the Nile for the last time (After Chris skillfully maneuvered around a bus full of mission-trip Americans-who had cut us in line- in order to get us a spot on the ferry). We headed south to the Budongo forest and an EcoLodge near the park gate. Finding ourselves there early and with little to do for the rest of the day, Jess managed to arrange a visit to the local women’s cooperative in the community just outside the gate. We spent the rest of the afternoon learning from Edna, head of the co-op, how to weave baskets and plates out of banana leaves and papyrus fibers. Denise demonstrated her weaving expertise while Chris and Andrew tired not to look bored and ignored the men-bashing conversation.
The next morning we returned to the community for a short walk organized by the women’s co-op. There were a few cows and crops and children along the way. We also stopped to hear stories by local men about courtship (something about asking the “kitchen” for a “chicken” and marriage as well as the birthing process (how they became experts I’m not sure, but birthing apparently involves grabbing the centerpole of the house). Jess translated the African English into audible American English for Nana, Andrew fended off hoards of small children, Denise took pictures of everyone, and Nana chatted up the German girls that had joined us. We were all impressed by the enterprising spirit of Edna and it was a nice pair of counterpart activities to all of our safari-ing which didn’t have any interaction with local people.
This Fall, Jess (Abwooli) and Andrew (Araali) are living and working in Kibale National Park, in western Uganda. The hilly landscape is overlaid with a patchwork of communities, wild and wonderful, human and otherwise. To help understand how the park affects local livelihoods, we are working in four communities bordering the park to measure how land-use by farmers and crop-raiding by wildlife has changed over the past 20 years since Jess's advisor did her PhD here. This blog is meant as a way to help us document our thoughts and experiences, and hopefully will allow our friends, relatives, and colleagues to share our glimpses of this part of the world. Thanks for reading and let us know your thoughts!