Picture 1 – Judy Salosky, Mayi Jessica, Jim Pepper, Irumba Michael and me, at the farewell party for Jim and Judy at the end of April at the FDNC facility in Natondome Village.

Picture 2 – The Harambe party for Muhammad Khaendekhe, the Night Watchman at FDNC. Harambe parties are held throughout Uganda as a way to build community and help financially support the members of the Harambe group. I was invited to speak as the Guest of Honor.

Picture 3 – The Kwanjula Introduction Ceremony (traditional wedding) for my friend Nangonzi Rebecca. You can see the traditional Gomesi dresses worn by the women of some of the tribes in Uganda for important functions, and the traditional Kanzo that I am wearing underneath a sport jacket. This is worn by men at Kwanjulas and sometimes at Christian weddings as well.

Picture 4 – FDNC Mbale Brass Band, performing at the CHOGM festivities in Kampala.

Picture 5 – FDNC Hope Theater performing at CHOGM.

Mulembe (Greetings) to all of my friends and family back home!

It is a cool, but beautiful Monday morning, and I am sitting on my front porch, hearing what seems like hundreds of birds chirping, and listening to Bob Marley. (I watched I Am Legend recently and have had Bob Marley in my head for days) Today is Uganda’s Veterans Day (Heroes Day), and I am enjoying the time off. It has been raining steadily now as it is the rainy season here, and everything is green, the air is clean, and flowers are blooming. This morning I was walking through my garden, where I have planted spinach, lettuce, carrots, onions, collards, and a few other things which didn’t do so well. There is also an avocado tree in my yard that is just about to fruit, and the dogs and I always fight to see who can get to them first when they fall!

It has been quite a long time since I last wrote. Some of my best moments over these past 7 months: watching the FDNC Brass Band and Hope Theater performing at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kampala in front of hundreds of people and cheering them on; attending the Kwanjulas (traditional weddings) of several staff members and friends; dancing to the Kododi, the traditional Bugisu circumcision music, at the local hangout on Friday nights; travelling home to the U.S. in Jan/Feb for three weeks to see my ailing grandmother (who recovered) and seeing good friends in New York, DC and San Francisco as well as at my colleagues at my former school Alta Loma; and hosting two American FDNC volunteers from the U.S. in my home – Judy Salosky and Jim Pepper. Jim and Judy, married and in their 50s, lived in my home for four months, and became lifelong friends. They provided me with limitless personal and professional advice, and moral support in difficult times, and I am deeply grateful to them.

I have news to tell everyone – I have decided not to seek a new contract with FDNC. (Although it seems strange to call it a contract when I have fundraised for my entire salary) My contract ends at the end of June, so I plan to work up until the 30^th. In the end, I decided it was the best decision for me personally, and I also felt that it was time for a new face with new energy to come in to serve as the E.D. and work with the Board of Directors to continue making the changes necessary for the organization to thrive well into the future. I can say in all honesty, that I did the absolute best job that I could given all of the circumstances and resources I had to work with. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity I had to serve FDNC first as a consultant, and then as the Executive Director. It has been a life-changing experience in ever y way, and more than I ever could have imagined when I left San Francisco in July of 2006. I am so grateful to each of you for the unique role you played in making this experience a reality for me.

So what’s next? I have been thinking about home a lot these past few months. It has been particularly exciting watching the race for the Democratic nomination, and the prospect of Barack Obama as the next president makes the idea of living in the U.S. again much more appealing! But I don’t think my time here in Africa is quite finished yet. I still feel there is more for me to give, do, learn, and experience.

I will be busy finishing my work with FDNC, updating my resume and looking for opportunities in East Africa, exercising and recharging my mental/physical/spiritual batteries, and trying to raise the remainder of my salary fundraising goal. To date, I still need to raise $5,893. I am deeply grateful for any support that you can give. Please see www.hugsuganda.org/edsalaryfundraiser.html for info on how to easily make a contribution. These financial resources are critical for me as I try to secure a job here in Africa. I also appreciate any leads that you may have for management positions in international development in Africa.

I hope to be able to find something in the next month or two. If not, I will have to step back and reevaluate my options. Whatever life brings, however, I will embrace it with appreciation.

There are many of you I haven’t heard from in a quite some time. I hope all of you are happy and healthy, and I would love to know how you are doing.

Thank you again to everyone for walking with me in this experience in Uganda.

Signing off for now,

Papa Justin Mwambu