13. septembril pidas Uganda Pioneers
Association oma 25ndat sünnipäeva. UPA on minu vastuvõttev
organisatsioon Ugandas ning tegeleb üldiselt vabatahtlike
koordineerimisega erinevatesse projektidesse. Lisaks siinsele nö
peastaabile on UPA-l kokku kaheksa osakonda erinevates Uganda osades
ja vabatahtliku töö projektidesse kaasatakse nii kohalikke kui
välismaa vabatahtlikke.
Teadsin üritusest nii palju, et
alustatakse kell 8 rongkäiguga peopaika, kus erinevad
organisatsioonid end tutvustada saavad, pakutakse tasuta
HIV-testimist ja nõustamist, vähiuuringuid ja lisaks peetakse palju
kõnesid. Pea kõik UPA vabatahtlikud olid hommikul külalistemaja
ette end kella kaheksaks valmis sättinud, mis ilmselgelt näitas, et
me pole veel täielikult siinse eluga kohanenud, sest esimesi
liikumise märke hakkas tekkima poole üheksa paiku. Maja ette sõitis
minibuss, kust ronis välja terve puhkpilliorkester koos pillidega
ning keegi ei saanud aru, kuidas nad sinna kõik ära mahtusid.
Vaikselt hakkas punastes UPA logoga särkides rongkäik liikuma ja
järgmised tund aega veetsime kõrvetava päikese käes edasi
sammudes. Kõige toredam oli seejuures tekkinud võimalus ümbrust
vabalt pildistada, sest rongkäigu keskel ei märka keegi üht
fotoaparaati, kuid tänaval üksi liikudes on endal ka imelik tunne
kui järsku seisma jääd ja kellegi majast pilti teed.
Peamise osa juubeliürituse programmist
võtsid enda alla kõned erinevate projektiparnerite, vabatahtlike ja
UPA liikmete poolt. Lisaks esitati tradistioonilisi tantse ja
muusikat, söödi sünnipäevatorti ja näidati UPA tegemistest
valminud dokumentaalfilmi.
Minu
klõpse saab vaadata siin
Rongkäigust õnnestus isegi paar lühikest klippi
teha
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On the 13th of September we
celebrated the silver jubilee of Uganda Pioneers Association. UPA is
my hosting organisation in Uganda and it generally coordinates
volunteers into different projects and NGOs within the local
communities. Besides the central administration and guesthouse, UPA
has eight branches in different districts in Uganda and they involve
both local and international volunteers in their projects and
workcamps.
I had the information that the event
will start at 8 am from the guesthouse with marching (with a brass
band!) to the event location where different partner organisations
have the chance to introduce themselves, free HIV-testing and
counceling and cancer screenings will be offered and of course a
significant number of speeches will be held. Almost all of the UPA
volunteers had gathered in front of the guesthouse by 8 am and this
was certainly a clear sign that we are not very well adapted to the
life around here because there were first signs of movement only at
about half past eight. A minibus arrived and suddenly the yard was
filled with members of a brass band and their instruments – nobody
really understood how they all managed to fit into the small bus but
let's call it a small everyday miracle. Slowly the group of people
all dressed in red UPA t-shirts started moving and the next hour was
spent walking towards the event location under bright and burning
sunshine. The best hing about he procession was the option to freely
take a lot of pictures of the surroundings because in the middle of
all the music and marching, nobody notices one extra camera. When
walking alone on the streets, it still feels weird to take pictures
of random houses and people while they are going on with their daily
business.
The largest part of the jubilee program
was taken up by speeches from different project partners, volunteers
and UPA members. There was also some traditional dancing and music, a
big birthday cake for everyone and the presentation of a documentary
about the work of UPA.
Here are
the pictures I took
And I even managed to record a bit of the procession:
Video 2
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