Alum Post: Kelly Cohen-Mazurowski

               When I applied for USP way back in the spring of 2007, I remember asking Mark Bartels what alumns did after their semester abroad.  I really wanted to know that there was something big and important about being in Uganda that changed students’ lives, that caused them to choose new career paths or to move to Africa for good. What proved true for me is that what mattered most about being in Uganda  was something very small, the simple act of welcoming.

In Uganda I was continually welcomed. I couldn’t go anywhere without someone saying, “Karibu! You are most welcome.” Whether I was out running on the dusty road around campus, riding on a matatu to Kampala, drinking tea with my host mom, or wringing out my dirty laundry in the little field across from Sabiti, I was made to feel at home.  I remember there was one student who would invite me every Sunday after church to eat biscuits and sing hymns and carols with her. Even though she was herself being sponsored by a parish priest and had little to share, she always went out of her way to welcome me.

When I returned to the US, I promised myself that I would do my best to extend the generous welcome I received in Uganda. Even though it felt strange and uncomfortable  at times, I sought out opportunities to be with people who might be experiencing that bewildering feeling of being a stranger in a strange land. I took a young man from Entebbe, Uganda who had just moved to the area to explore the mountains of Nevada. I invited an undergraduate student from Bulgaria to have tea in my apartment. I helped a group of Bhutanese refugees apply for Social Security cards and Food Stamps. Over and over again I tried to share a piece of the welcome I had been given as a foreign student.

Being with these newcomers in the years since Uganda has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I have found that the more energy I give to helping others  feel at home here in the United States, the more I am enriched.  They share with me their cultures, their faiths, their languages, and their dreams for life in a new land. Whenever I enter a newcomer’s apartment, I think about that quote from The Primal Vision, “Our first task in approaching another people, another culture, another religion, is to take off our shoes for the place we are approaching is holy.” As I enter the lives and homes of refugees and immigrants from all over the world to offer a hand of welcome, I’ve found that something truly beautiful, truly holy is always waiting for me.

The experience of working with newcomers has caused me to re-evaluate who I want to be and what I want to do with my life. After graduating from Duke Divinity a few years back,  I was lucky to get a job working as the Community Resource Coordinator for Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program here in Durham. Every day I greet families who’ve just arrived in the United States, assist them with learning about American culture, and work with volunteers to create events which engage refugees and community members. I have even started a running club for refugees as a way to teach healthy habits and bring in volunteers who wouldn’t otherwise meet these newest neighbors. More on that here.  In my day-to-day work I am lucky to be able  to share the kind of hospitality I received in Uganda and to have the opportunity to teach the work of  welcoming to hundreds of others in my community.  It’s my hope that in all of this, I am giving back just a little of what I received as an American in Uganda. 

Kelly Cohen-Mazurowski, far left, with a group of Iraqi refugees at a recent cultural event

A Weekend of Events

Last weekend was packed with events for students.  Honor's College welcomed back on-campus students with a party on Friday night. We also welcomed Jean as a Program Assistant and said farewell to Innocent.  Here are a few pictures from the party.

On Saturday, Honor's College hosted a Sports Day for all of USP and Honor's College.  We began the day off with a run around campus and then more students joined for various games in the afternoon. We played soccer, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, tug-of-war, had egg races, and even attempted a human pyramid! The day was complete with more fruit than we could eat. Let's just say we were all sore the next day.

Sunday evening the USP students traveled to Kampala to watch Ndere Dance Troupe.  This group shows different attire, music, and dances from various districts in Uganda as well as bordering countries.  It is always interesting to experience how diverse Uganda is!

Ever wonder what being a Program Assistant with USP is like?

Our two current American Program Assistants, Hannah and Ashton, give their insights:

                                                         

                         

We love being Program Assistants for the Uganda Studies Program…legit.

            The job of a USP program assistant is primarily to help meet the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of the USP students.  We do this through planning events, engaging in intentional conversation and participating in the spiritual lives of students. Another part of our job is to work alongside staff in the office, handling many administrative tasks needed for the program.

Some things we like about our job: 

-       Working with the USP staff – a group of professionals and friends who are passionate about college students.  We have grown a lot this year through their mentorship and wisdom.

-       Working with USP students – some of the sweetest college kids from all over the U.S. and Canada

-       Working with and living alongside Ugandans – We feel so blessed for the relationships that have continued since our time as students or begun for the first time.  Some of our dearest friends are here. 

-      Living in Uganda – we enjoy year-round warm weather and a slower pace of life.

-      Traveling with USP – we are thankful for opportunities to see and learn about many parts of Uganda and Rwanda.

-      Worshiping with a local body of Ugandan believers that blends both African and Western styles of worship

Of course, some of the greatest joys of our position can also be some of the most stretching challenges and we want to be real about that. 

           

More things we like:                                     Things that stretch us:

- late nights with students                          - late nights with students

- dorm life                                                     - dorm life

- living simply on a small budget              - living simply on a small budget

-fresh, local food                                          - limited food options                                  

As with any job, there are tasks and responsibilities that some days we would rather not do.  Program Assistants WORK and we work HARD. Through it all we are learning:

- how to work as a team, utilizing strengths and demonstrating grace and

   humility in weaknesses

- to develop professional skills

- to listen and to share

- when to bust out a Ugandan accent

- to put the needs of others before our own

- to not be in such a hurry all the time…to take time for people

- to chill out and be flexible…all day, everyday

We truly love this job and are continually thankful for the opportunity to live and work in Uganda.

Some other photos of PAs hard at work:

A Ugandan birthday tradition--soak 'em!

Taking tea with a student and their rural host family.

Supper time!

Just hanging out

...or not so hard at work

Organizing packages for students...

Jam session on the bus!

Apply now for the position of Program Assistant for the 2014-2015 academic year! You can find more information on our website.

Alumni Blog Series

We are welcoming some guest bloggers this semester in celebration of 10 years of USP at Uganda Christian University!

And those guest bloggers are you! Many USP alumni have kindly volunteered to share some of their stories and we’re looking forward to collective narrative of how Uganda has shaped and formed us.  We hope that social media can be a bit of our USP Ubuntu (“I am because we are”).

To kick it off, I’ll have to go back to one of our favorite defining lines of the Bartels in Uganda, "Africans believe that presence is the debt they owe one another." (John Taylor, The Primal Vision, pg 135) Visit the blog regularly over the next few months and hear the stories of those who have walked in your shoes one semester in Uganda! 

And like you, they are sorting out how this semester and the lessons learned continue to inform their journey onwards and upwards! J

By the end of this series, I hope to give a slightly more thorough response to the impact of USP on me personally. As a teaser, I’m including a video of Daniel in Soroti learning to dance with Margaret Opol and her oldest daughter Janice.

post by: Abby Bartels, pictured below with Mark and their three kids, Daniel, Mary and Rachel 

We're off and running!

The Spring 2014 semester is officially rolling!  Our group of 18 students, from 6 different countries, have been here for a little over a week and have already jumped into a variety of experiences.  Before coming, students choose their primary context for engagement -- the semester-long homestay, on-campus or social work.  Although students are involved in a variety of overlapping activities and in relationship with a variety of people, our program sees these three categories as the main area for students to engage.  Homestay students have moved in with their families and are learning about family life in Uganda.  On-campus students are living in the dorms and are learning about University life at Uganda Christian University.  Social work students (also living on campus) have begun their practicums and are learning about social work in the Ugandan context.  

We're thankful for their safe arrival and excited about a new semester!  Stay tuned.