Here is Danielle, above, stacking bricks, made from the earth, and using a mixture of earth, sand, hay and water as mortar......I'm stomping and mixing it above with friend Terri!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The new building for pre-labor! Baby births in waiting, also for trainings, meetings, and more! The photos with Natalie (purple dress and founder of Shanti Uganda, the one with this whole vision) are of the new birthing center, the building that will be set aside more privately for women in labor and ready to give birth.SHANTI UGANDA & EARTH RISING
The New Birthing Center
2/10/2010
Today we embarked to the construction site of Shanti Uganda’s new birthing center, but as a caravan of bodas, or motorcycles. What a joyride, riding on a motorcycle was thrilling, feeling the wind, seeing all around you, waving to locals all along the ride. It was awesome. And we were being filmed the whole time by two people from Australia/New Zealand. These are making a film called/about Women in Yoga, and Seane is being highlighted especially regarding her Off the Mat Into the World work. So the filmmakers are filming these three days we spend with Shanti Uganda. And one of them is in a jeep, standing, torso out of the roof, filming us the whole time.
So, once we arrived, we met the men workers and women volunteers on the construction site, and we saw everything our fundraising is paying for. One birthing center, one examination/general purpose building for women in waiting, office, education/training, and yoga, and one gazebo type structure to have a thatch roof for outdoor gatherings and meetings. The birth center will have a birthing tub as well as a small plastic bowl embedded in the earth for squatting, so midwives can grab the baby and pull out avoid floor contamination and especially to prevent any HIV+ spread from mother to baby. The building will run on solar power and have a drainage system which will collect water for use at the center.
So today we became part of the process, Natalie, founder of Shanti Uganda, toured us around the soon to be facilities. Adam, founder of Earth Rising, is the building contractor for the job. Both happen to be Canadians, young and very nice, fun people, passionate about what they do. We were split in groups to help out in different ways. We then had a tour of the surrounding village by an African named Sam, which was his family land. We visited his family and saw his livestock, fruit trees, home, children, and even family cemetery along the way.
We had a lot of fun stomping on a mixture of mud clay, sand, water, and hay to mix it into a thick paste, which was used as mortar for the walls of bricks, which were made out of the same material. However different brings of just dirt and cement were used for the external walls of the buildings, and even earth bricks, which included manure as an ingredient, were used for walls on the interior. So I stomped away and had so much fun mixing up the mud and working with the other Ugandans. I also helped sculpt a little with some mud, creating trees on the interior walls of some buildings, to create a natural setting indoors. I really felt a connection to the earth, to mother earth with my hands and feet in the red, fertile soil. I felt connected to my ancestors from long ago, from our place of origin in Africa.
It was really incredible to realize that all the work we took part in, all the people helping, all the buildings in construction, and the entire birthing center in itself, all happened because of the funds we raised. Otherwise it would not have been there, only the land as it was before. Now mothers will be able to have the maternal care they need to give birth to healthy babies, to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, to provide real, healthy medical care to women, who, even though they could get it free at the hospital, the hospital has scary and unsafe practices, so people fear going there. Women will not be able to go free to the birthing center, but they will at a much smaller cost than other birthing centers in the area. It was thrilling to be a part of this work, to have my hands and feet in the mud, to work with the locals, to meet with the men and women that believed in this work, and to really feel a part of the entire process, to see all the hard work, all the funds, all the determination manifest into something beautiful and wonderful that will help local women, the community, and ultimately it represents more positive change in the world that would not have happened without all our work as sevas, all our fundraising, our supports, and in the end our passion to serve and make the world a better place. One American dollar goes a very long way in Uganda.
And so the men did yoga! And they were so flexible and incredibly strong, int./adv poses were definitely doable, especially as first timers! I suppose, unlike us in our American lifestyle, they are always moving their bodies, esp. in their laborious work, building, carrying, reaching….. their forward bends were all the way, baby…. They could do crow and jump back to chaturanga…. It was incredible and they really had a good time. It made me realize how much we neglect our bodies in the United States, how separated we are from our bodies and how unfit our bodies our. The disconnect is incredible, and how many loathe their own bodies in America is very sad, too. There is definitely a lot we can learn from Africans. I realized today that we as Americans are the ones that are clueless. In Africa they live so simply. Even building today, the materials were all from the Earth, and the structures were really nice! So simple, so connected to the planet, to nature….. And we in America have become so disconnected, it’s no wonder we can shift to a more environmentally friendly way of life, because we have forgotten how to do it! We have a lot to learn, or should I say relearn.
Tonight we went back for delicious food and a bonfire of music and dancing…today as a whole I will totally in my element, totally primal, dancing to drums on the motherland of Africa. Digging in the Earth with my bare hands, and stomping feet (with the cuts to prove it from the rocks). The HIV+ women from the other Shanti site was present and we had a dancing frenzy. Suzanne of OTM played the drums, and the kids helped her, as we danced. Everyone was having a great time together celebrating life. We sang “See with my eyes, sing with my voice, open my heart to see the beauty of the world” which Suzanne created just the night before.
The children had such glowing spirits and were very excited to play with us, hold hands, and goof around, acting silly to the cameras and then seeing their pictures on the camera screens. But they were so poor, wearing shirts full of holes, rips and tears. We felt guilty eating dinner since it was only for us as guests and no one else. I ended up at least sharing a plate with a friend to save some for those who would really need it. I learned later, and would have done so or at least would have gone back for “seconds” or “thirds” for this reason, but my roommate and another friend gave their food to two of the children, and they devoured it, eating quickly with their hands. We could have each gotten several plates for them to feed from. Some had swollen bellies from malnutrition, these beautiful children with bright spirits, full of laughter and fun, not knowing any better than their current life…… we could make such a difference.
Bishop Asili - babies
The are pictures of the Bishop Asili Birth Center, and we will be building one with our raised funds tomorrow. This baby was born only two days ago, mommy and mommy's sister watching over her.
Shanti Uganda women pics
The women at Shanti Uganda, all HIV+, greeted us with open arms, necklaces around us, and songs, and this really special "Thank You Off the Mat" sign. See the related story in the post below.
Shanti Uganda - Bishop Asili Birth Center
SHANTI UGANDA 2/9/2010
Today we traveled to visit Shanti Uganda, where Natalie, founder and only age 27, has started birthing centers for women and camaraderie groups of HIV+ women. They are located in the Luwero district of Uganda, over an hour north of Kampala.
Upon driving up in the bus, the countryside is quite beautiful. The country is very green and lush in this region, unlike the deserts in Northern Africa. We passed banana trees and other tropical plants as well as street side markets of people selling various fruits and vegetables. Motorcycles are all over the place as well, people selling, fixing, and driving them. All the roads are dirt roads, but smooth, with mud/brick huts of homes and small household farms along the entire route.
The Luwero district is much more concentrated than the road, full of markets and mud/brick huts. Upon turning down a side road, a woman selling bananas sees the likes of us in the bus and rushes over to try and sell her stock. We move on, but there is a clear association of the wealth of the white people that visit, and they visit on very a rare occasion.
As we walk down to the birthing center, there is an enormous greeting of 28 women, HIV+, dressed in their best clothing, clapping, screaming, excited for our arrival. We come down the road they come and hug us while draping us in necklaces and we all dance. Then we see a beautiful sign these women created out of fabric and beads reading “Thank You Off the Mat Into the World”. It was such a wonderful welcome.
We then went under a gazebo type hut, to meet the women. They went through a brief training on breastfeeding safely with HIV. Then they sang a song and danced for us, we joined in on the dancing, and then we sang a song to them. It was a wonderful greeting. These women, despite being HIV+, had the kindest, brightest spirits. These were all beautiful women, who danced and laughed and nourished each other. There were babies and super sweet kids around doing yoga with us and simply having a good time. The children were all such angels, especially one who was actually deaf and seemed to have some kind of mental delay or condition. He just smiled and waved, and we slapped hands few times as a game in different combinations, and to hear his laugh was such a joy. It was not a normal laugh, due to his deafness, but it was the cutest giggling and moan sounds, not really “moan” but single tone sounds. He was so sweet and his grandmother truly loved him, he was a child very easy to love.
Then we ate a delicious meal the women cooked. After that we taught them yoga, learned how to make beads, and toured the birthing center. These women made beautiful beads out of paper, in long triangular shapes, using a needle they rolled them tightly from the wide base to the point, sealed with glue. They then varnish them and string them into necklaces and bracelets.
The birthing center was extraordinary. Traditionally, women give birth in very unsanitary conditions, and it is likely the mother and/or child can die in the process of childbirth, and many from a simple infection. Shanti Uganda is extremely good at keeping their facilities very sanitary. There are so many complications with childbirth, that women will walk for days from their homes to this birthing center to give birth. Actually, Africans practiced a very natural for of childbirth that is slowly coming back, squatting, walking to encourage the baby’s release with the help of gravity. However though Westerners that through the area told them their practice was not right, and taught childbirth on a table with the stirrups, as still done today in the West. Now, doulas or trained midwives are helping to bring the traditional, safer and more effective ways back. Many women either birth at home, which is not good when complications arise, or in a hospital, which in itself is a very scary place for women and based on Western practices, so the birthing center is something in between. They do have a C-section ward, but only do C-sections when the natural way is truly not an option due to a complication….not like the West now, where birthing is done by appointment through C-sections. The women go all natural, with no painkillers, no epidurals, etc. And most of them just need the caring support and encouragement of another individual. The men are rarely ever with the woman at childbirth (married or not), so usually a sister or other family member helps in the process.
We ate a delicious lunch and dinner, both consisting of local clean food, sometime that tasted like potatoes, some beans that looked like green lentils, cooked greens (like kale of the sort), a delicious nut sauce (like a peanut flavor), rice, and some kind of tree pulp I think, matoka, which is probably the wrong term, but it was something like that. Soooo delicious is authentic Ugandan food.
People are quite interested in us, too. Although many have seen 1 or 2 white people, it is much more rare to see a group of them, especially at night, which 5 of us were doing relaxing after dinner with our guide…. But they are all very nice and friendly people, curious about us just as much as we are curious about them.
Tomorrow we will get dirty, and help build the next birthing center with nonprofit Earth Rising, which our funds helped support.
Today we traveled to visit Shanti Uganda, where Natalie, founder and only age 27, has started birthing centers for women and camaraderie groups of HIV+ women. They are located in the Luwero district of Uganda, over an hour north of Kampala.
Upon driving up in the bus, the countryside is quite beautiful. The country is very green and lush in this region, unlike the deserts in Northern Africa. We passed banana trees and other tropical plants as well as street side markets of people selling various fruits and vegetables. Motorcycles are all over the place as well, people selling, fixing, and driving them. All the roads are dirt roads, but smooth, with mud/brick huts of homes and small household farms along the entire route.
The Luwero district is much more concentrated than the road, full of markets and mud/brick huts. Upon turning down a side road, a woman selling bananas sees the likes of us in the bus and rushes over to try and sell her stock. We move on, but there is a clear association of the wealth of the white people that visit, and they visit on very a rare occasion.
As we walk down to the birthing center, there is an enormous greeting of 28 women, HIV+, dressed in their best clothing, clapping, screaming, excited for our arrival. We come down the road they come and hug us while draping us in necklaces and we all dance. Then we see a beautiful sign these women created out of fabric and beads reading “Thank You Off the Mat Into the World”. It was such a wonderful welcome.
We then went under a gazebo type hut, to meet the women. They went through a brief training on breastfeeding safely with HIV. Then they sang a song and danced for us, we joined in on the dancing, and then we sang a song to them. It was a wonderful greeting. These women, despite being HIV+, had the kindest, brightest spirits. These were all beautiful women, who danced and laughed and nourished each other. There were babies and super sweet kids around doing yoga with us and simply having a good time. The children were all such angels, especially one who was actually deaf and seemed to have some kind of mental delay or condition. He just smiled and waved, and we slapped hands few times as a game in different combinations, and to hear his laugh was such a joy. It was not a normal laugh, due to his deafness, but it was the cutest giggling and moan sounds, not really “moan” but single tone sounds. He was so sweet and his grandmother truly loved him, he was a child very easy to love.
Then we ate a delicious meal the women cooked. After that we taught them yoga, learned how to make beads, and toured the birthing center. These women made beautiful beads out of paper, in long triangular shapes, using a needle they rolled them tightly from the wide base to the point, sealed with glue. They then varnish them and string them into necklaces and bracelets.
The birthing center was extraordinary. Traditionally, women give birth in very unsanitary conditions, and it is likely the mother and/or child can die in the process of childbirth, and many from a simple infection. Shanti Uganda is extremely good at keeping their facilities very sanitary. There are so many complications with childbirth, that women will walk for days from their homes to this birthing center to give birth. Actually, Africans practiced a very natural for of childbirth that is slowly coming back, squatting, walking to encourage the baby’s release with the help of gravity. However though Westerners that through the area told them their practice was not right, and taught childbirth on a table with the stirrups, as still done today in the West. Now, doulas or trained midwives are helping to bring the traditional, safer and more effective ways back. Many women either birth at home, which is not good when complications arise, or in a hospital, which in itself is a very scary place for women and based on Western practices, so the birthing center is something in between. They do have a C-section ward, but only do C-sections when the natural way is truly not an option due to a complication….not like the West now, where birthing is done by appointment through C-sections. The women go all natural, with no painkillers, no epidurals, etc. And most of them just need the caring support and encouragement of another individual. The men are rarely ever with the woman at childbirth (married or not), so usually a sister or other family member helps in the process.
We ate a delicious lunch and dinner, both consisting of local clean food, sometime that tasted like potatoes, some beans that looked like green lentils, cooked greens (like kale of the sort), a delicious nut sauce (like a peanut flavor), rice, and some kind of tree pulp I think, matoka, which is probably the wrong term, but it was something like that. Soooo delicious is authentic Ugandan food.
People are quite interested in us, too. Although many have seen 1 or 2 white people, it is much more rare to see a group of them, especially at night, which 5 of us were doing relaxing after dinner with our guide…. But they are all very nice and friendly people, curious about us just as much as we are curious about them.
Tomorrow we will get dirty, and help build the next birthing center with nonprofit Earth Rising, which our funds helped support.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Acholi Quarters - a closer look
Here are some more pictures from the Acholi Quarters, a group of people devastated by war, forced to accept poverty for safety. I've been having some problem uploading photos due to the slow internet, but I will do my best.
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