Keeping Perspective in a Foreign Land

It is a photographer’s charge to recognize the uncommon in the every day. When you first arrive in a place like Uganda, one is overwhelmed by sights, sounds and smells which alert these senses. The extraordinary presents itself at every turn, ready for the snap of a shutter. But it is also human nature to adapt to one’s surroundings and carry on. Having spent a mere 16 days here, I am amazed at how quickly my perceptions are adjusting to what is “customary” and what is no longer surprising.

I was sitting outside the internet café today, waiting for David, staring at a boy in tattered clothing with a switch in his hand as he ushered a herd of cattle down main street Kitgum, past a flaming garbage heap. Yesterday, I watched three ostriches mingling amongst women hanging laundry in the yard across from our hotel. Over the past several days, I have seen a family of 5 crammed atop a 125cc motorcycle in their Sunday’s best on their way to church; a pen of live pigs in the parking lot of a restaurant specializing in roasted pork, unawares of their pending fate; and a company of chickens in a public restroom outside the local administrative office. I had to remind my eyes that a flock of 70-odd falcons gathered in a large tree at sunset were an incredible feat of nature. This all now seems almost commonplace.

And then there are the women carrying water. It is easy to forget that the groups of women ferrying water from boreholes are performing a daily routine which involves tremendous reserves of strength and dexterity. One has to remember how fortunate those in developed countries are to turn a tap for potable water. That the majority of Western family homes are a secure, comfortable place; free from threats like malaria, cholera, insurgency, replete with electricity and a soft bed, a luxury of space, flush toilets, a roof which keeps out the elements, and walls which keep out poisonous snakes, varmints and provide an environment of peace for a family to nurture their young.




















In Northern Uganda, my eyes are becoming used to seeing the lack of these essentials. I realize I cannot expect the people here to have what I had growing up, but I want them to at least have a fighting chance to have what they need.

We have a long road to travel before this dream becomes reality. The supporters of the Clearwater Initiative, like the many foreign and local NGO’s operating in Northern Uganda, big and small, can play a part in this legacy. Those willing to recognize that a hand up is different from a hand out. That sharing a fraction of one’s prosperity is a step towards realizing universal human rights of food, water and education for those who can not afford them on two dollars a day. It is the sobering perspective that a small effort can make a big difference.

Pictures by Jake--words, too.

Fitting within the plan

One of our main concerns while working out here is to coordinate with local authorities. Some NGOs, derisively called briefcase NGOs, go out to the field and bypass district governments. They implement programs only with the villages. We feel that working within the regional government plan, as they seek to increase the percentage of citizens who have access to clean water, is important. It increases liklihood of success. After all, the project is owned by the village and should be supported by the local government.

Coordinating with the government also helps us ensure we do not construct projects in areas where the government or other NGOs are planning to build. The Ugandan government's goal is to ensure that each citizen is no more than one kilometer away from a fresh water source and has to share that point with no more than 300 others. And we are still a long way away from attaining it.

We still conduct our own research: identifing needs and picking villages and regions that are in need and can support our projects. But a collaborative effort provides the greatest chance for sustainable projects.