"The AIESEC Experience"

Hey guys!

I am at my job at CMC (Capital MicroCredit), so I will have time to keep you updated about what is going on and fill you in on the last week. So much has happened - we meet with the Minister of Microfinance, held a launch for the Microfinance program, visited a Ugandan HIV/AIDs orphanage, toured an ostrich farm and went dancing to Ugandan music. I didn’t bring the correct cord to upload pictures from my camera (☹ I know), but I think someone else has the cord I need, so Im going to try and get you pictures soon. In the mean time, let me start by filling you in about the people I have met.

I was able to go on this trip through an international group called AIESEC, which was founded after World War II to create cross cultural understanding and develop leaders internationally. (essentially it was based on the belief that friends are less likely to go to war with one another). It is currently the largest student organization and has chapters in over 108 countries. As a result, I have met an incredibly diverse group of people. There are about 10 Ugandan students who are involved in the AIESEC Uganda microfinance program and have guided us around the city. One in particular, Morris, has stayed with us during our first week here before our hostel was ready to move into. He has spent hours with us helping us around town and, even though everyone else in the city runs on “Ugandan time” (ie late) Morris ensure we arrive early (very early) to every event. Unic, Mirsheria, Abraham, Donovan, and Frank are also members of AIESEC Uganda. All of the AIESEC Uganda people have been so helpful as we adjust – we have had great conversations about everything from international development to the death penalty to religion to hip hop music. (I have some new favorite Rwanda hip hop music and French “Zut” songs)

In addition to the great Ugandan students we have meet, there are international AIESEC interns that we spend time with every weekend and Thursday night. For example, Shegi is a moped-riding Japanese student working at a local Uganda museum; Joanna is from the UK and is teaching students about HIV/AIDs in local schools in Kampala; Natalie and Sam are both from French-speaking Canada and are working with a different microfinance program; Eliane is from Brazil and is working at an Orphanage 5 hours outside Kampala; Yves is from Rwanda and is coming to visit Dallas in August to see his aunt!

Saturday night dinner was such a quintessential AIESEC experience – people were hanging out, laughing, and speaking/teaching French, Japanese, Luganda (local language of Uganda), Swahili Spanish, and of course English. We all sat around the table eating Chipati (kind of like Ugandan pancakes) and talked about our experience at the orphanage that we had just visited.

So yeah, Im totally hooked on international experiences now – probably some study abroad/summer adventures in my future. I m going to continue to post about more topics later. Look forward to hearing about the microfinance jobs I have, the trip to the orphanage, the cultural differences in Uganda etc!