It's now August and by-golly time has flown by. Paul and I have been busy preparing the EDGE project for a new year and new people. We are currently in the process of re registering as a student organization, while keeping our Global Giving account up-to-date for donor purposes. There is a new report out, summarizing our trip. If you have read my blog, you will know most of it (and much more) but it's a nice way to see what we did if you don't want to read pages and pages of rants on my blog.
It has been very nice being back home in Madison. Although the pace has quickened with administrative shenanigans, my mind is at rest after being off of Lingira for some time. We have been in contact with some of the lovely people on the island. Teacher Fred called one afternoon to send his greetings to myself, Paul and the EDGE ladies, while informing me of the progress of the school garden. The whole plot is tilled (!) and ready for planting in the growing season! Our garden master, Robert Bagatya, has been showing up and doing good work, although his weekend trips are shorter than we would have liked. Paul talked to Andy from SHIM the other day. Andy is very reliable when it comes to honesty and true details. He said that the garden is doing quite well, although, as does any project in Uganda, there are a couple setbacks. Some farmers on the island have been letting their livestock into the fence. This is to be expected, unfortunately, but it has only been sheep and goats, which don't have as much of an impact on the crops as cattle. The garden has been half planted with mostly potatoes and some other greens. The school term just ended, so doing the whole plot would be unrealistic. It was nice to hear mostly good news, considering how laborious the fence project truly was.
I talked to Emma yesterday morning. Emma is a boy in the primary school but older than the common age since his family couldn't afford his payments. He typically hung out with Paul and I at SHIM and helped us with random stuff, most importantly with where people lived and showing us what everyday life is like on Lingira. It was good to talk to him, remind him to go to school (since is much smarter than the typical primary school student, he loses motivation), ask how his family is and to send greetings to SHIM and the island.
For me, I'm enjoying the administrative side of EDGE. I'm feeling much more confident about this coming semester than I did before traveling. Other than EDGE, which seems like a full-time job in itself, I am working two other jobs. The cartography lab fills my mornings while the food & beverage department fills my evenings with the football team starting their August training camp. I'm busy. I like being busy, though. In this respect, I have hit the edge of the care-free days of summer (other than Tip Top vacation). I'm finding joy in keeping this blog going, however random and pointless it may be during lapses in travel. My few readers may have noticed a revamp in the look. Also, Paul and I recomposed the EDGE Project blog. All of these changes in EDGE are a slow transition in administration, becoming more and more personalized towards the way Paul and I want EDGE to appear. We are searching for a theme, a brand, a "look" for EDGE. Something to keep all of our ideas consistent across all platforms; from t-shirts to our blog, from the university to Global Giving, we are becoming a thorough and established organization.
Another (and final) year of academics approaches. I'm incredibly happy with my decision to stay one more year in Madison. I wouldn't have left feeling satisfied. It continues to bring me happiness and challenges. I am taking a couple classes, working on a new internship (dealing with pastoral societies in Ethiopia), running EDGE with Paul, working both jobs, and somewhere in the mix of this organized chaos, finding time to be with the people I love.
Stomp your feet.
Burn the barn.
Be a hootinany.
Start a humdinger.
Have a good one.
