MTN

I received my latest ‘new’ visa.  Each time I get a new, or an extended visa I must visit the phone company’s service center and show them the new document.  They need to create a new registration form for my phone number, except they write the word ‘reconnect’ at the top.  This is because Uganda requires them to disconnect service for anyone whose national identity document (visa) has expired.  Ideally, I would be able to present my ‘new’ visa before the old one expires.  However, to stay in the mission field, I send my passport in for processing instead of taking multiple days to go across the country (currently a 2-day trip due to road closures/re-routing), visit immigration, and then return.  As a result, I cannot show that I have been granted a new visa until the passport returns, which is usually just after the old visa expires.  (As long as the new one is issued on or before the old one expires, I am okay, except for phone service.)  Such is life away from the national capital.

Census

Uganda is taking a census.  According to radio reports, this will be the sixth census since Uganda’s independence.

Information has been coming out for a couple of weeks now.  As I understand it, the centers within each sub-county will be directing the enumerators, not receiving the public as we were first led to believe.  There have been other national campaigns (mosquito net distribution, spraying insecticide to kill mosquitos in areas where [or in years when] mosquito nets were not enough).  Now it sounds like the census will use the same model, the enumerators will go from house to house collecting the information.  Information is to be as-of midnight 9 May (going into 10 May), regardless of when the enumerator finally reaches your house.  Also, it is not just for citizens, it is a count of everyone in Uganda, refugee, expat, visitor, and citizen alike.

Greetings

I think I have written about greetings before; have I talked about the youngest generation?

I walk to the home of the leader for Truth is Light ministries for morning devotions.  Along the way I pass many youths that are too young even for nursery school.  At first they were nervous, even scared when I walked by their homes.  Currently I am the only white person in Koboko’s West Division.  After a month, most of them would wave to me as we greeted each other.  One day, a little one came running.  Down the dirt path that led to his house, out to the road where I was walking; he held his arms up as he ran to me.

He father tells me his name is George but they call him Ukey.  Now Ukey looks forward to giving me a hug as I go to morning devotions (which he calls work), and again when I return.  Handshakes are common, Ukey is my only hugger.  He noticed that others shake my hand, so after the hug he shakes my hand too.

Burials

I received an invitation to attend a management meeting for the new nursery school at St. John.  The night before the meeting I received a new text message saying the meeting was moved to Friday because of a burial service.  Burial services are typically the day after a person dies, sometimes the same day.  The culture is to move any meetings and change any plans to attend a burial.  St. John Birijaku has had several people pass away this week, impacting several families but not those with close ties to me this time.

Unfortunately, the new date for the meeting has numerous conflicts.  I will be attending the graduation of the South Sudan Evangelical School of Theology in Mugujai, they asked me to speak.  The reverend will be attending a meeting for the formation of a new diocese for the Church of Uganda.  Others have conflicts too, so that meeting will probably be rescheduled again.  Hopefully, it will not be preempted by another burial.

Network

I schedule these blog entries in advance.  That is why some of them seem to be up to a week late.  The primary reason is because I do not always manage to get online.  Sometimes it is because I am traveling for the ministry (like days spent serving in Mugujai).  Other times it is because the solar power is low.  Lately it is because the local phone network is not providing internet service.  It is common for there to be network issues.  People just take it in stride, like we used to take static on the radio, and snow on the TV in the 1970’s.  Meanwhile, I will keep writing these blog entries in an offline mode and post them when service is restored.

Connectivity

My newsletter is late in going out to the online community.  I try to send it the same day the paper version is due to be mailed; however, that depends on Uganda’s telecoms providing internet service.  Yesterday it was up and down, mostly down, throughout the day.  Yesterday was also the once a month visit to Arua where the banks with the best ATM services (in my region) are located.  Again, no connectivity, or as the error code put it, unable to contact issuing network.  So many things that I (and many others) take for granted are far from being available all the time to everyone.

P.S. Today the internet service is better.

US Ambassador

The current US Ambassador to Uganda, Ambassador William Popp, is making the rounds of the country (Uganda).  I met him during his visit to Arua.  During the town hall he asked each of us to talk about the community projects we are involved in.  He told us about the US’ ongoing efforts in the battle against AIDS and how modern treatments are allowing people to live longer and to have children that are HIV negative.  He also talked about how the US effort in Uganda is focused on people development, not on infrastructure.

He mentioned that he plans to make these community visits a regular thing.  This is not one and done.  He wants to meet and to know the US citizens in Uganda.

MTN part3

What should have taken two hours, four if things were slow, ended up taking five days.

In Uganda you must show a national id to register a SIM card (get phone service).  The company is required to expire the service on the date the id (or visa) expires.  MTN realizes that most people renew their id, so they send SMS messages beginning three days before the expiration date to remind them to bring the updated id to their office so service can be re-registered with the new expiration date.

My old visa expired at midnight last Friday.  I visited MTN with my extended visa last Wednesday.  I went again on Thursday when I received another ‘need to renew’ message instead of the SIM re-registration successful message I expected.  That visit did not result in the success message either, so I went a third time on Saturday, after service was blocked.  Still nothing.

I kept checking periodically (morning / evening) Sunday and Monday.  Finally, Monday evening at 18:19 hours (6:19 p.m. East Africa Time) I received a successful re-registration message.  No hurry in Africa.

School Sports

We are over a month into the first term of the school year.  I have not seen a lot of schools preparing their football (soccer) teams yet.  However, I am hearing (on the radio) about schools being required to compete in the city sports competitions.  The school next door is training the older primary grades in several field events.  Mostly running races so far.

In previous years, the competition between schools has become spirited, in a not-so-good way.  So far there are no indications of rivalries or ill will towards any of the competition.  However, it is early, and training has just begun.

Ambassador

A new US Ambassador arrived in Uganda early in 2024.  Since his arrival, I have been receiving more email from the embassy.  Occasionally it is a security notice.  Most of the time it is the announcement that the ambassador is traveling to a certain city or municipality in Uganda and would like to hold a town hall with the US citizens in that area.  The most recent email is for a town hall coming up in Arua, a city an hour to the south.  Finally, something in my area.  I have submitted a copy of my passport for review.  The embassy should respond in a few days with the meeting location and time.

I do not know the agenda for the town hall; however, when I was in the US Peace Corp the ambassador to the Gambia wanted to know the volunteers in country and to answer any questions we had.