Hoping for the best

The growing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is a vivid and recent example of the dangers that come with the production of oil. With that fresh in mind, I am happy to help promote awareness and advocacy on oil and gas development; however it is difficult to be optimistic. The literature frequently refers to the curse that accompanies the production of oil, with few exceptions, all over the world. With that said, Uganda is ahead of the curve with the legislation and policy that have been written well in advance of the production phase of development.

The oil is located along the Lake Albert region in the western part of Uganda that borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an area that is prone to conflict. It is one of the most ecologically diverse regions of the African continent, estimated to contain roughly 40% of all mammal species and 50% of all bird species. Much of the region consists of national parks and wildlife preserves, not to mention the many people who reside there. An interactive map of Uganda from National Geographic is available by clicking on this link: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/uganda-map/.

The first oil was discovered in the 1920’s. For political and logistical reasons, removing oil from this region was not considered economically viable until the late 1980’s when more extensive surveys revealed the full extent of the oil fields. Since this oil is located well inland where little or no infrastructure exists, it will be necessary to not only develop oil production capacity, but construct a way to move the oil for export and/or refining. It wasn’t until 2008, when the Ugandan government released its National Oil and Gas Policy, that it became clear that efforts were underway to create a viable oil and gas industry in Uganda.

Two weeks ago, I attended a conference sponsored by the US Embassy and CSCO, a coalition of civil society organizations dedicated to upholding the principles stated in the 2008 policy. This policy set out an admirable goal: to use the national oil and gas resources to contribute to the early achievement eradication of poverty and the creation of lasting value to society. As the keynote speaker of the event noted, the upside is that Uganda writes great laws and the 2008 policy contains the components to achieve its lofty goal. Another draft bill is in the works and should be released soon to the public.

The road from oil discovery to production in any nation, especially developing ones, is fraught with pitfalls; damage to the environment is but one aspect. Ethnic conflicts often emerge over land and distribution of newfound jobs and wealth. Introducing oil profits into the economy causes inflation, which must be managed properly. Countries like Uganda, which are dominated by agriculture, are particularly susceptible to this inflation as the money coming in from oil soon makes the farming sector unprofitable.

At this time, the government seems determined to forge ahead in development—the potential upsides for a country where 30% of the population below the official poverty line—are high. For now, the best course of action is for stakeholders to start advocating for their rights, and holding their representatives accountable to the best of their ability. This is where a project like LINKAGES can have a major impact by helping individuals organize and find their voice.

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Posted by: Kate, Kampala, Uganda

Now for the Intern part...

As is expected when starting any new position--intern or otherwise--it takes a while to get used to the new environment and culture. My fellowship with LINKAGES is my second international internship experience, the first being a self-arrangement with a non-profit in South Africa. Settling into an international internship (at least in my experience) involves a much steeper learning curve. In addition to adjusting to the workplace culture, it is essential to cultivate an understanding of the larger cultural context and expected norms. An additional degree of difficulty is added when considering how little time there is to not only adjust but to make a valuable contribution to the organization.

The LINKAGES project supports advocacy and capacity-building on multiple different levels--for civil society organizations, for local governments throughout the country and at the Parliament level. This has the staff running in many directions and working on a wide variety of initiatives. I arrived without a clear mandate but a general idea of the work I would be doing--assisting in research on Uganda's developing oil and gas sector.

My "office" aka the conference room

In general, I was aware that there is a call for information from LINKAGES constituents on the role that they can play in development of good regulations and governance in the developing oil and gas sector. This has been formulated into my current assignment: to gather information to help inform Ugandans on their role as stakeholders in creation of an industry that has the potential to transform the country--for better, worse, or some mixture of both.

I'll use the next post to give you some background on oil in Uganda.

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Posted by: Kate, Kololo, Kampala, Uganda

Kate at her workplace in Kampala.

Kate at her workplace in Kampala.

Getting the hang of it

So begins my third week in Kampala. I haven’t been able to post as much as I would like, due to infrequency of internet access and an increasing amount of things to do at work(which is a good thing, time flies!). I am now comfortable on the taxis to and from work, it feels great to be able to move around—even just from home to work. Rather than be late to a meeting on Thursday, I chose to jump on the boda boda (motorcycle) to get from the taxi stop to the office.

The first few days of the week, I joined the march of children heading to a primary and a secondary school on the route to work. I figured if kids as young as six can walk it (and much longer distances as well), I should be able to make the 20 minute journey too. Unfortunately, the last piece is a steep hill that left me a sweaty mess, which is not the ideal state for beginning the work day. After overcoming my fear of the boda boda, I have not looked back! While the bike rides contribute significantly to the cost of getting to work (daily fare costs the equivalent of $1.36 as opposed to $.45), I think it is well worth the investment.

I will leave you with a few overdue pictures--from home to work (in reverse order, the connection is too slow for many images).

Traffic Jam on way to work (note taxi on left and boda boda on right)

The family compound with the fierce guard dogs

"Home"

Kampala view from home

--Posted by Kate, Lule Compound, Ntinda, Kampala, Uganda

A Billion to One

I can’t believe I have been here in Kampala for a full week already. I have been trying to come up with a description of my surroundings that sum up the atmosphere but I’m having a hard time putting my finger on it. Words that come to mind are: vibrant and bustling. I recently came across this quote from Neil Armstrong after landing on the moon: “it’s different, but it’s very pretty out here.” I think that is fitting for the way I feel.

The streets are crowded (especially during commuting hours), narrow and filled with a mixture of people walking, motorbikes (called boda bodas), minibus taxis, cars and trucks. It is every (wo)man, car and motorcycle for themselves, riding is an occasionally harrowing experience. Roadside stands sell everything from cooked food to mobile phone airtime to furniture.

Everyone is extremely friendly here, even to a muzungu (white person) like me. I have yet to be approached by someone asking for money (unlike walking around Albany!) and feel safe walking around, at least during the day. This week the goal is to master the taxi/minibus route to work. I had rides to and from work last week, so this morning was my first attempt at a taxi ride. I missed my stop and ended up downtown--the office is in a suburb--and had to call for a rescue. Apparently this was not so bad for my first try.

Some of the downsides so far are the lack of coffee (other than instant), fairly bland local food (more on that later), hot water in the shower only and slow, spotty internet access. It is a good reminder to be fortunate for all that I have been given by virtue of birthright.

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Posted by: Kate Gargiulo, Kololo, Kampala, Uganda

Settling In

Today marks my fourth full day in Kampala. I have secured a place to live that is an apartment attached to a family home. The family is very lovely and welcoming though the accommodations are best described as rustic. I have not done much working yet, Monday was spent looking at various places to live—all decidedly more rustic than my current living quarters. Because I am only here for two months and require a furnished rental, the majority of apartments are well beyond an intern’s budget. It was a stroke of luck to find the Lule family apartment available, where last year’s Rockefeller/LINKAGES intern stayed. It is comforting to be near a family—a father, a daughter and aunt (both of college age). Adding to the family atmosphere are two friendly watchdogs. On Tuesday, I moved in.

Kampala View from the Hotel

Yesterday was Martyrs Day, a public holiday honoring the brutal slaying of Christian missionaries for refusing to give up their faith in the late 19^th century. According to a local newspaper, The Observer, the holiday has become more about drinking and discounted shopping than religious worship, a phenomenon apparently not unique to the US. As a travel junkie (United Arab Emirates and Uganda mark my 21^st and 22^nd countries, respectively), I am struck by the similarities across cultures almost as much as the differences.

Tomorrow I hope to share more observations about Kampala and the Ugandans I have met. I’m still processing the novelty of it all!

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Posted by: Kate Gargiulo, Kololo, Kampala, Uganda

The Adventure has begun!

I have completed the first (and longest) flight of my journey, arriving at the Dubai International Airport just a short time ago. I'm now sitting and relaxing in some lounge chairs writing home and waiting for one of the Battery Charging Stations to free up--what a great idea! Aside from a lot of signs and announcements in Arabic and the Muslim call to prayer I just heard, I could be at almost any airport. I've passed Starbucks and Burger King and plenty of Duty Free. I'd highly recommend flying Emirates if you ever get the chance, they feed you well and each seat has an 'entertainment console' complete with an outlet and a USB port. I watched Avatar for the second time and caught some other movies I hadn’t seen yet.

I'm so excited to board the next leg of my trip and finally make it to Uganda. Just 11 short hours to kill before take off!

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Posted by: Kate Gargiulo, Dubai International Airport, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Destination: Uganda

Hello from Albany! Though this is a blog about traveling and interning abroad, this post will begin at the beginning—the preparation and packing stage. My final destination will be Kampala, Uganda, where I will spend two months on SUNY’s Center for International Development LINKAGES project. You can read more about the project here: http://www.cid.suny.edu/our_work_projects_Uganda.cfm.

Airport layovers aside, packing is my least favorite part of foreign travel. Way too many details involved! This trip will be my third to sub-Saharan Africa and one of many abroad, but the process never seems to get any easier. With only a few short days before I depart, all of the most important items are crossed off the list—my passport and vaccinations are up to date and I have prophylactic malaria medication and a course of antibiotics, just in case. I will be able to obtain an entry visa at the airport when I arrive. The rest is minor!

In order to keep my flight affordable, I chose a somewhat arduous itinerary. I depart from JFK in New York City and connect in Dubai, where I have a 12 hour layover. This is a little like flying through Chicago to get to Atlanta, but I think the Dubai layover will be an experience unto itself. My next post should come from there with an interesting picture or two.

I look forward to sharing my upcoming (and hopefully much more exciting) adventures with you!

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Posted by: Kate Gargiulo, Albany, NY, USA