my first Toilet!

ecosan opening Busia, originally uploaded by inainchina.

I confess, i am writing relatively little about my actual job. except one late statement that i am working to much. But i really do like my job.
so now, i am coordinator for the water, sanitation and energy sector of the German development service (DED). these areas are focal working areas of DED and the german government in general in Uganda, and i have to coordinate our contribution in human resources and strategy development. Before that, i was "just" technical advisor for ecological sanitation and Water & Hygiene eductation, and sort of i am still managing this, cause i havent found a 'strategy; for my successor yet. anyway, that job really made a lot fun. i did trainings and now finished construction of my first ecosan toilet (dont call it a latrine!). It was officially opend on Monday, and more toilets will follow. Build by local youth NGO called YES, i am very proud of the skills, understanding and enthusiasm they have gained in the last months.

shaked' china

i am depressed about the teribble news from earthshaken china, sichuan to be precise. guess all of you have seen the pictures.
i also have seen how it looked like before, since 2003 i went to sichuan regularly and in 2005 i have even been working in Mianyang the next biggest city close to the epicenter. it "was" a typical chinese 1 Mio-inhabitants booming town, with new high rise buildings, banks and offices, but also astonishingly very clean. lacking good construction qualities indeed, an earthquake in that force had a terrible effect.

its even more sad when you can relate a tragedy with actual places and people you met...

another issue is, that the olympic year was supposed to be THE most happy year for china, but its turning out to be a real challenging one: the snowblizzard in January, the tibetan unrest and now the earthquake. according to old chinese saying: whenever a special nature event happens, there will be a big (polictial) change coming. mmhh....

daft punk is playin at my House... my house

ye, from several sides I heard the request to post some pictures of my "new" house. so here there are. i mean its a little bit old compared to other places in K'la, and i live there already officially since january. i like the house, its like an old person: they are cracks in every bones/bricks, but still charming. since friday i have a new housemate: alice, also working for DED as junior professional.

growing commodity prices

internationally, and especially in africa, food and commodity prices are rising, even resulting in peoples violent unrest in Somalia and Haiti for example. Also here in Uganda we notice the prices going steadily up (inflation up to 9%). i mean, as an expat, with a relatively good salary i can still afford good food (and chocolate ;) ) but for the average consumer the pocket pressure is noticable.
what are the reasons in Uganda? it is by far not biofuels, cause there arent any!

• seasonal factors
• increasing trade between the neigbhours, which delivers now a share especially into Sudan and Congo, and the goods are not available for local market.
  For over two years now, Ugandan eggs, chicken and goats have been sold exorbitantly by middlemen to the Sudan. While a tray of eggs cost sh3,000 on most poultry farms in Uganda, the same is sold at sh15,000 in the Sudan. A goat that costs sh50,000 in Uganda goes for sh300,000 in the Sudan. (quoted from; 'new vision')
  
• increasing fuel prices: right now diesel is up to 1,2 Euro, and limited availabilty in some petrol stations (pe. i had to try 3 stations today to get my diesel)
• kenya after election crisis
• high exploitation and depletion of fish. Lake victoria is on the edge of beeing 'overfished" from telapia and perch, and additionally the good fish is exported to europe, america etc..
• imported inflation from other countries
• the weakness of agricultural production (very far behind technology, even call it primitive). growth rate only 0.4% and this in a country where 80% of population lives in rural areas and depend on agriculture!
  

and what is still not mentioned is the growth of population with more mouths to be feeded!
and given all factors of high demand, and steady growing fuel prices (even up to 200$ predictable) the prices are foreseen to remain high and even rise more. on a global and ugandan scale. Farmers itself will not benefit from the rising prices, cause it is all channeld via the middlemen , who collect and resell the good to the markets.
a social unrest is not foreseen, but how can the already poor cope with this situation, is the big question...

labour days

"Happy labour day to me, happy labour day to me, happy happy, busy busy, happy labour day to me!"
jajaja, it was the international free 1st May day, and i was ------- WORKING!
what a suprise, eh? but since i am back in Uganda this April in my new job with more responsabilities, i am working a lot: 10-11 hours daily and also on weekends. it is still fun and i like the new challenges, but hopefully it will be a little less from next week on...
and as it is olympic year, i will probably be granted the DED-"gold medal of labour"
or..... the " iron medal for the stupidest coordinator working her ass of for little money"