Eunice blogs on her new project in Kisenyi

A new blog to follow from the Butterfly youth.  This time it is Eunice Namugerwa.  She started this blog just after we launched our Caterpillar project in 2010.  Three years later she is working with similar age children in her own youth music project.

Check it out here.

Eunice working in the Kisenyi slum, where she lives

DRAMA PROJECT IN 2013 by Obuk Charles

BLOG ON CORRUPTION WHICH WAS CHOSEN AS THE MAIN TOPIC FOR THIS YEAR 2013

Hi, my name is Charles Obuk, the manager of Drama for change project at the chrysalis centre … Butterfly project. I am 15 years old.

A new year has began with a very serious topic i.e. Corruption which is ruining our future worldwide because I know corruption is everywhere and it was just last month that we had such kind of act being done on over Ushs37 billion that was given for Peace Recovery Development Project which was corrupted yet the money was to help the people who were affected by the LRA war in Northern Uganda and I was shocked to hear that happened. This is not the first time of corruption to happen in Uganda, it was in 2011 when we heard of oil bribery, you can see how corruption is limiting this country from developing. There was one boy called Nyeko Zisite a member of butterfly project also, I talked to him and went to parliament and requested them to let us have speeches there but they told us that if we want to take videos, we should take it from outside, and we came and made some videos on corruption. You see a change maker don’t need to sit and keep quiet when there is an enemy ruining people that is why I never gave up with Drama project because I believe it create changes in this country and all over the world or maybe I shall be remembered in history on certain occasion so I am working towards that. It hurts me so much when I see some NGOs have stopped to offer their aid to this country because of the rampant growing of a big headed corruption in this country Uganda and maybe in some other countries also. So you find that the people deep in the villages are the one to suffer and they really suffer a lot and this hurt me so much when I think of it. Remember you have done it for yourself and for your family and when trouble arise after, when the NGOs have stopped aiding the country, it is other people to suffer while for you very okay but you shall face the consequences at the end!!. Here is the questions for you, will you just sit and see, wait for corruption to be fired and burnt by some people? Then what about you? Don’t you think that your contribution is much needed? Look at this one here

In this photo, a young boy putting jacket acted as a change maker, when he saw one patient being chased away, he stood up and quarreled on doctor because that is the government hospital and the doctor was scaring him but he never kept quiet until the doctor gave back the patients’ money and they were treated for free, it means change is any one and every one. If we can link with the security officers who have the heart of living in a developed country, we would fight corruption better.

On the left is a corrupt doctor according to what we play and on the right is a poor patient being chased away because he had little money.

 

I like this saying, “Together we shall stand but divided We shall fall”. It sounds very nice and it is an encouraging word to me. I want you to know that the change belongs to you and it is you. The reason why I came up with this topic of corruption is because if we play and take the videos and maybe put it on internet or face book, it will reminds the people and they will pick some information from this play and take it so that they are never deceived. And also writing blog on every topics that we play will help so much and soon I am planning to start moving from place to place like to theatre and play and to some nearby communities and also record the film of the play and may be take it to the TV station and let them show it to the people if we are financially helped because as I talk now, we don’t have any single coin to do that and also requirements like camera we are still lacking and uniform for the members so I am still looking for any willing change maker to support. Just as I said your contribution is needed to fight this corruption out of our land. I have witnessed this situation for several times whereby you can go to government hospital and again you are asked to pay money which means the poor people will suffer.

and also in laws, when a rich committed an offence and they are now in court, the rich are normally declared the winner because of bribery and so the poor must be imprisoned which is so painful and at times when you reported some cases to the police maybe you are hurted by someone, the first thing they will ask from you is money cash in order for them to start following up. So with this Project of Drama, we shall teach to be watchful and to take care in case of any such kind of things so that we fight corruption out. When I was interviewing my members on this topic, I asked some questions concerning corruption and they were able to raise me some important answers. Here are the questions,

1.What does corruption means?

Corruption is the act of using public offices, resources or properties for personal use, said Ochaka Samuel one of the member.

2.Is corruption good?

YES

NO

 

If yes, or No, give a reason?

They all voted No and I was very happy after realizing that they have some knowledge on corruption. One of the member called Opio Stephen came up with a reason and said that it prevent the country from developing, one called Owino Joel said it limit human resources.

3.How can you fight corruption?  Or do you want to know how to fight corruption?

One member called Alfred Ochaka said we fight it by reporting any witnessed case to the law, Ola Simon Peter said we can fight it by changing ourselves and removing the bad heart that we have and become change makers ourselves. 

4.What have you achieved from this Drama project?

At first I was a coward boy but now I can stand before the public and express myself fully “said Opio Stephen. Oswaldo Ochira said that it has made him strong hearted and he believe he can now make some changes in his community from what he learnt from young manager of this project aged 13 when he started this project and now I made 15(Obuk Charles).

5.Do you think that it will help fight corruption? They all said they believe.

6.What do you think needs to be done to make this project grow bigger and achieve its goal?.

They claim to be given something after sessions and after playing, they mentioned soaps, refreshment. They went ahead and cried for Camera, uniforms; financial supports to enable us travels and play but that we play and we just end with it from the centre.

Those are the questions that I interviewed them with and this goes to you the reader that you should also try answer the same question as they did but on your views.

SUMMERISED EFFECTS OF CORRUPTION

To me, corruption has got only negative impacts towards the life of people and as well as the development of the country due to the following views of points;

1. Corruption spoils the name or the background of a particular country and displays bad image of the country. Corrupt countries like Uganda have lost their aiders (NGOs) because of corruption, so if we want to have a better life, please I am requesting you to change so that we displays good model to the young ones coming up.

2. Corruption is a risk to some people’s life in so many ways. I always hear people says that the days of the thieves are 40days, it would be very risky for the corrupt people because at times you may be imprisoned for the rest of your life if the law says so and also I was listening to Radio and they said that parliament in Uganda have declared that if anyone caught in corruption, His properties must be sold all and his bank account should be blocked until he returns the money back and 100% I agree because I know it will create some fears in the heart of the people and hence reducing corruption. This means that our government is also working very hard to drive this corruption out of the country.

3. Just as one member says that corruption limit the resources of the country, we can see at times if a budgeted money for development of the country is corrupted and the person is not got, automatically will call for a new signing of the money hence limiting government expenditure.

4. Corruption ruins the future of the young children growing up and they will be corrupt also. A corrupt country will never produce any good citizens in future, the children will also be corrupt because they grow in the country or land of corruption and they may think that is the only way of life hence leads to limitation in development of that country. My mum used to tell me that if you live with a thief together, it is most likely that you will also become a thief.

The above are some of the impacts negatively towards the life of the people and it was to mention but a few.

SOLUTIONS TO FIGHT CORRUPTION

1. 1.  We can fight corruption by setting up law regarding corruption and we must follow up so that we can see those big headed corrupt officials.

2. We must be watchful and very critical of what we are asked for from the government sectors like schools, hospitals and if they tell you to pay money and you know very well that it is a free service, please do not keep quiet but go ahead and report the case.

3. We can fight corruption only when we unite, we should link with Police, offices that look after the welfare of the citizens and I believe we shall make change if we come together. So I want to come with a motto here “Togetherness, we can change the world”

4. Let us change our attitudes towards life so that we show good examples to the children because they are the future so maybe if this generation is corrupt, their generation should not be corrupt.

There are a lot that we can do to fight corruption.

I want to end by saying that corruption is Unclean and we should make it come to an end if we could cooperate.

I AND YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

CHANGE IS ME            IT’S YOU                    IT’S US

OBUK CHARLES

Your help is needed for this Drama for Change. Even if you provides Camera only, I will really appreciate you for that and God will bless you. AMEN

.

How to Make Turkey without Using an Oven

On Christmas Day Butterfly members at the Chrysalis Centre cooked a turkey dinner for children who were unlikely to receive anything special for their Christmas lunch, living in the Acholi Quarter.  We ran into problems, having a huge bird and no oven to cook it in….

By Byamugisha Gilbert, aged 17

You see turkey is one huge chicken and its meat is very hard and so it will take some time to boil and get ready.

Here at the centre we keep learning and experiencing new things and this time it was to have a Christmas dinner. To prepare this we needed roasted or baked turkey and yet we have not oven at the centre, we also didn’t find any at the nearby restaurants to borrow or rent and yet we already bought the turkey and now it was time to find a solution as a young chef, and Margret herself and so we decided to prepare it in the following ways and it was crispy and also juicy believe me it was.

1. You need to cut the turkey in the pieces according to the number of people  that are attending the dinner and maybe an extra or two for anyone shows up an expectedly.
2. Then put the pieces in a sauce pan that can take all of the pieces in it, and add water and then chop some onions garlic, basil and then add in some salt and pepper too.
3. Put it on fire and leave it to cook for three good hours, and then put it off fire to cool.
4. As it cools get a big bowl, pour half a kilogram of wheat flour in and have 8 eggs beaten in the wheat and then a small cup of milk and water stir till solution is not thick, if not then add in another cup of milk or water and then add in some curry powder in the wheat, maybe some vegetable curry.
5. After that prepare a frying pan with some oil in it for a deep fry.
6. Then dip the pieces in the already prepared wheat and then deep fry them and make sure there is enough fire and that the oil is ready the time you start the deep frying.

And here is how it will look like when it’s ready

Already fried turkey

We also cooked a series of other things – bread balls, which were like a mixture of stuffing and bread sauce, and a range of green vegetables.

The whole turkey table

It is very important to serve the bread balls with turkey on the dinner, and to make these bread balls you mix beaten eggs, sage or maybe any other herb you may wish to use in your meal, milk and then some bay leaf, in bread crumbs then stir and make sure it thick enough to make balls and once these are made they are dipped in beaten eggs and then deep fry and also have some veggies to go with it like some fresh beans on the topmost right, then some cabbage and fried eggs and some pancakes and chapatti, the bottom left, and some food – we have some fried rice the food at the right side of our side. Having all these makes it a whole dinner.