"Vlog"

In exactly one week I will be boarding a plane that will take me to Uganda and I couldn't be more excited.
The lovely people at The Cord have been incredibly supportive and are trusting me with a video recorder to document parts of my trip. I figured I should test it out so here is my first awkward video blog (Consider this a warning):



As I said in the video, here is a list of the projects we'll be doing:
Sport for Peace Program
This will be run almost like a day camp that you would see here. We'll likely have a different sport each week and then a huge tournament at the end of the week. The goal is to bring together different groups of kids and encourage them to leave their battles on the field.
Performance for Peace Program
We're hoping to focus this project on empowering women within the community. The goal is to observe the culture, learn about certain issues that women deal with and then create effective performances that tackle the tough stuff that Ugandan people live with everyday.
Poultry Farm
Yep, chickens. We'll be building this with our very own hands. We're hoping to create opportunities for economic development in Arua. I'll probably stay away from this one for the most part because I'm not a fan of hard labour... or chickens. But, we'll see. Maybe I'll love it.
Internet Cafe
I can see myself spending a lot of time here. What we're doing isn't as obvious as the title though. We're also hoping to create a library and possibly an education centre within. This would be a good opportunity to start up a writing workshop too.

Our group is viewing these projects with open minds. We're going to Arua with these particular projects in mind but what we really want to do is learn what the community wants and needs. My main goal for all of these projects is to share knowledge between us and the locals so that after we leave, the community-building programs and economic development projects are sustained.

As for writing, I have many ideas and every day I think of new things to write about. Here is a quick list of some ideas I have:
Life after the Rwandan genocide
You can expect this article in the International section of The Cord, sometime in the fall.
Human interest pieces
Depending on the people I meet, I'm sure I'll find some interesting stories and I hope I'll be able to share them with everyone through the In-Depth section of The Cord. They could be published anytime throughout the year so keep an eye out for them.
Happynism
This project is just beginning so I'll keep you in suspense for now but it'll be a collaborative, worldwide effort. Watch for a teaser video in the fall and then a more in-depth article with cool photos around Christmas.



Hopefully I'll get at least one more post up before I head out to Uganda and then the next time you hear from me will be when we've finally reached our destination. It's going to be a long trip with layovers in London and Dubai. We'll probably stay in Kampala for a bit before heading to Arua on an eight-hour bus ride. I'll probably do another video blog when I get there so that you can see how grungy I am.