What I Have Been Up To

In the words of the great Celine Dion, “I’m Alive”!!!!I know some of you don’t believe it, but you soon will, at least before the end of this entry. I guess it has been almost five months now. Hmmm, I really need to shape up (I know Mrs. Blanchard is not too pleased). I have missed you emails updating of your lives and, of course, your comments. I do hope all that will pickup again after this.

We ended at Christmas. Well, I guess it would not hurt to begin there again. I went yo Western Uganda with Rose’s family. We stayed near the foothills of Mt. Rwenzori. The view and the freshness were so amazing. The man who invited us is a lawyer and one of the people investigating the Global Fund Scandal. He and his family were some of the best cooks I have met, my mama (Alexis) being among the best. We visited Semiliki Forest, a forest shared by Uganda and Congo. We are talked it some of the rarest bird spicies. People come from all over the word to bird watch there. In the same forest, we find the Pygmies. They have such interesting features. I was taller than the king; got to dance with them; and the king took a liking to me, but I was not ready to be queen. It was a little sad though because they were such a small population and there seemed to be lots of intermarriages.

At the end of February, I ended my four month internship with the International Law Institute, and took up a full-time position with Empower African Children, a new organization started by Alexis, my guardian. I am currently managing the programs here in Uganda. It was been such an exciting and educative experience. I am learning so much – my duties range from working with brokers to look for land, managing accounts, evaluating school performances, counseling, and dealing with the day-to-day duties that come with caring for children. Oh, I have also learned a few things about starting and registering an organization here. What I am doing and learning I could trade to anything else at the moment. I feel empowered as an African young woman!

The water research has not happened yet. I am still very interested in the field and I have met some people who know people since I have been here. I have also met professors from the US who know water issue experts there. Anyway, you will hear about my progress in the future.

I know some of you have been asking about my Boston boyfriend. We ended it because of "irreconcilable differences". And you thought only stars used the phrase! Those who are worried about me being single I have good news for you, I met someone at the end of last year. I met him in my living room. He is a wonderful person and such an inspiration to me and “my” children. That is all you get to hear for now.

After 18 years, I returned to my father’s home in Tanzania. It is amazing how our memories work – I could remember all the faces I had not seen since I were 7. People were so happy to see me. They said I looked exactly like my father – I guess it’s up to you to judge whether my father was a handsome man J We had so man stories about my father, some of which made me cry. He was such a rivered figure in his village. One side of the boarder (Uganda) celebrates his contributions to their church and choir of Nov. 1st – it is the Mwalim Bakumpe Day! By the way, our last name is not really Kasule; it is Bakumbe, but that is a story for another day. Well, the other side of the boarder (Tanzania) celebrates his teaching and musical contributions. He was teaching from the age of 15. My sister, Josephine, who lives there and takes care of our father’s land, was great. Her four little ones were as vibrant as their uncles and aunties. The view from the hills on which everything in the village is situated was breathtaking. And…I got to bury by father. There will be more on this trip later.

I am sorry I cannot proof read this; hopefully it will make sense.

I hope you are all doing well. I cannot wait to hear from you.

Much love,
Agie