The countdown begins...

Well, well...if it isn't the day before I ship out (literally) and get on my way to Uganda. After a week of intense orientation, I can say that I have an elevator speech ready about what I will be doing in Uganda. In a nutshell, I'm going to be working with locals in the Rubingo village-area to develop cash crops (neem, vanilla, moringa etc.) and freshwater fish farming (tilapia), and to promote sustainable gardening practices and fuel efficient stoves. [Should you be reading this - ahem, Kirill - and know of people who are doing this type of work in Uganda, please tell me! Much appreciated!]

The past few days have been quite intense as we (the ACTS team) have been planning and setting objectives for our various projects. At the Rubingo site, we (CIDA interns = me, Stu, Kimberly, and Mike) are working on what is called the Clearwater Communities Project. The engineering focus for the area - putting in a gravity-flow system to bring water via pipes to villages - is wrapping up in the near future and the focus is shifting to educating people on healthy practices related to water sanitation, HIV/AIDS, sustainable agriculture etc.

What will be interesting to see is how much of our preparation will be put into practice. Having never set foot in Africa, there's only so much I can anticipate to occur. So I'm adopting a "hakuna matata" attitude and looking forward to hooking up with our local ACTS counterparts. You'll be hearing about Jovanice quite a bit, I'm sure - she is my Rubingo counterpart.

So, sit back, relax and stay tuned to my stories. As I wrote earlier, we are "shipping out" via BC Ferries from Vancouver Island back to the mainland, and then busing it to the airport. I'll be losing two whole days to travel, but shout-outs to Mo and Craig for keeping me company at YVR and Heathrow.

Thanks for the comments and keep'em coming!

Before I sign out, a couple of shout-outs (Flo - I think of you when I write "shout out") to people and places that I've enjoyed while in Courtenay...

1. David Moore (director of ACTS): a.k.a. "Daddy" to our team...if you're considering doing development work in Africa, considering connecting with this man. Thanks, David, for a superb orientation and for creating such a positive place to leap off from and begin our adventures!

2. Sue at Shantz Haus Hostel: v. cozy place to crash if you're hanging around Courtenay and v. close to amenities. Thanks, Sue, for making our stay in BC so enjoyable! Gizmo and Jake are also the cutest feline people I've met (no offense, Maggie ;P).

Local stores to check out if you're around town:
3. Valhalla Pure Outfitters: a BC original, I've learned. Good selection of stuff, including the Breast-Pocket shirt from Royal Robbins ($$ but has security features) I purchased there. Ben, you were right...a BP shirt is essential for travelling (you gotta read the "Ode to the Breast Pocket"!).

4. Thrifty Foods store: another BC thing...I love that they name their gift card the"smile" card. And they have a great selection of organic foods (yum, organic bananas). And Island Fresh dairy products are great too. Mmmm...food...

5. Last, but not least, thanks to Viv for the great job on my postcards!

So farewell for now...thanks for all your prayers and good thoughts. I'll connect with y'all again when I'm in Uganda!

Ruth