Ahhh.... Ugandan Air!

      Well, this morning, I, Ian Wrangham, arrived in Uganda. Every time I
return to this beautiful country I am reminded why my time here was
the most cherished from my childhood. As we organize the computers to
be shipped down to Kasiisi Primary School from Kampala, Uganda's
capital, the clock ticks down to the time when we will be leaving
Kigali, Rwanda for a 10 day training session in the mountainous
terrain, inhabited by Western Lowland Gorillas. Oh I am excited to see
a new country, especially one as beautiful and historical as Rwanda,
but how bittersweet that upon my arrival, I will be leaving before
seeing my forest home. However, the two weeks will go by quickly, and
soon I will be in the heart of the jungle, surrounded by the plants
and animals that I have adored whilst growing up; the antelope and the
monkeys; the chimpanzees and baboons; the elephants, the crocodiles,
the lions, and the hippos; and lest we not forget, the birds! OH THE
BEAUTIFUL BIRDS!!! And soon, I will be surrounded by Ugandans that are
so dear to my heart that I call them family. From those at Kasiisi, to
those at the Field Site where my father works, I will find love among
these people.

          As a child living in Uganda, I was less than 10 Km from Kasiisi
Primary School, and traveling back and forth between Uganda and the
United States was more than enough to embolden the stark contrasts
that lie within these schools. While Ugandans may be among the
happiest people in the world, education, one of the greatest of all
gifts, is an underdeveloped, and underfunded commodity especially when
compared to the likes of a wealthy Boston suburb. So do I feel a sense
of responsibility to the children, and the schools? Responsibility is
perhaps the wrong word. I would like to help in whatever way I can.
Perhaps it is foolhardy and arrogant to imagine that such a project
will change lives, or enhance educational experiences, but if it helps
that is great, and otherwise, I love spending time at the schools with
the teachers and the students, and I think they enjoy my company as
well.