|
This Email was written in July 2000. It is made up primarily of notes I wrote 3 weeks earlier, in June 2000. (Unfortunately, the difficulties of my working in Uganda so much of the time did eventually lead to my marriage breakup. This email was written at the beginning of these difficulties and refers to my ex-wife as "my wife" which she was then.) Hi, I though I might share with you some notes which I wrote a few weeks ago mainly for myself - and also with the idea that some time later I may put out a book designed to inspire fellow trainers in Corporate and Personal Development to set up their own organisations in developing countries - to bring the teachings that are starting to transform the West to those countries most in need of them but where they are not yet available or taught by anyone.
IS THE EXPERIENCE OF EXPRESSING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE - but loving-in-action isn't always a bed of roses. (Or should I say that like a bed of roses, there are also some thorns) If you're a service-minded person, then working in Uganda can be a wonderful experience because there is such an opportunity to make a positive difference, and you do meet many wonderful people who are very committed to helping those in their country who are less fortunate. And so most of my communications relate to the impact that even one individual can make, and how inspiring it is to work here. My wife sometimes tells me off because in my endeavours to look at any situation from the most positive view, I do sometimes omit describing the negatives, and I certainly wouldn't want to mislead anyone who may be thinking of starting a similar venture. So I thought I might share with you what the last few days have been like. SECURITY A week ago I was attacked by 3 men who hit me and knocked me to the ground and stole my watch. (And who would have stolen my wallet and mobile had I not loudly yelled for help about 5 times in a couple of seconds). Now I was unfortunate in that I accidentally ended up in the one area that is notorious for crime, and I was alone and it was very late. So had I taken greater pains to be careful I could have avoided it. Nevertheless it is unfortunate to have to think about security and to limit your movements in order to be totally safe. And I noticed that temporarily I shifted from seeing new people as potential friends, as wonderful fellow human beings, and from seeing Christ / Buddha Nature / Perfect Nature in everyone - and instead started seeing people as potential threats. (And to be honest, this meant seeing the few white people in Uganda as safe, while seeing black-skinned people as potentially dangerous. - As may happen in reverse to a black person who gets attacked by a white person.) Fortunately, as the week has gone by, I am having fewer remembrances of the moments of being attacked. And I have since met some extraordinarily beautiful (black) people who's love, compassion, and desire to serve is strongly manifest. So I am starting to gain the benefits of my lesson in security without the psychological pitfalls it can otherwise bring. THERE'S LOTS TO DO There is a great deal to do. I am trying to set up an office and a library, to arrange training for hundreds of people in 6 seminars in 5 weeks. Today I arranged to hire a security guard (for just $170/mth for 7 days x 12 hours), I talked with someone who has offered to help as a volunteer, I recently hired a live-in office assistant (for $135/mth), and am looking for a General Manager. Yesterday and today I rang up and looked at about 9 potential venues, contacted a variety of people interested in my doing training for them, looked at furniture and various electronic equipment (e.g. inverters, batteries and computer UPS units to cope with blackouts; cordless microphones, amplifiers and speakers; videos and TV's; telephones etc). A bit over a week ago I trained the 20 Heads of Department of the City's Polytechnic (a cross between TAFE and an Institute of Technology). And tomorrow I am meeting them with a new found friend who will provide them with 30 free computers and internet connection and maintenance, and for just $15/term will train students on how to get the most from them. Around the world there are less Apple Macintosh computers then Windows based computers. However in Uganda there are virtually no Macs, so I have chosen to swap over to a Windows based computer so I can share all my resources with the participants of our courses, and members of the Institute's library. So part of my time has been spent learning to use the new system and trying to configure the computer to do everything I want it to do, and to read all my old documents. I'm also setting up a database of those who have attended and those who have expressed interest in attending our courses. And I'm setting up an accounting system, designing brochures, submitting quotations, designing courses and making manuals etc. We've applied for 3 phone lines at the Institute, but these take a while to be installed. So after running around during the day, I tend to spend a couple of hours in the local internet café - until they kick me out. And then I go home to work. The Institute already has 3 mobile numbers on a pay-as-you-go basis, and before leaving Australia I arranged for a computer-modem to mobile-phone connector, but have since found that I'd have to fork out about $600 to get a different mobile service in order to use this, so I'm not bothering with this for the moment, even though it would be very handy. LIVING AWAY FROM MY WIFE: [Note written in July 2003 - 3 weeks after most of these notes were written.] Since writing this, my wife Chris has been incredibly supportive given the strain that being apart brings on both of us. The day I wrote this she was letting off steam about how she feels - which is quite understandable - as it hurts both of us to be apart. And I was trying to deal with her attacks on me for not being at home with her. Overall though, I am very grateful to be married to someone who is as understanding and supportive as she is, despite the hurt of being separated. What has been particularly hard today is that my wife spent a hour on the phone complaining that I should be home with her and telling me that I obviously don't care for her if I choose to spend so much of my time overseas helping other people. It is very hard for her, and no-one likes to be in a situation where their partner is away for long periods. I am trying to be as supportive as possible, to talk to her frequently, to give her a chance to vent her feelings. And although I talked about how much work was required of me, I let her decide how best to apportion my time in Uganda and home in Sydney, so it would work best for her. (She chose for me to alternate so that I'm away for 2 months, then home for 2 months, then away again, etc.) And of course I am greatly missing being with Chris, and would love to be with her. But I feel it would be selfish of me to put the preferences of myself and my wife above the lives of thousands of people and the welfare of a whole country. I am currently reading Nelson Mandela's autobiography, "Long walk to Freedom". And when I read of the trials and tribulations endured by those involved in the struggle for equality in South Africa (and the impact on their partners), I feel that the sacrifices Chris and I are making are really very minor. Of course, it is hard for Chris as she is definitely effected by my being in Uganda for 6 months a year, even though it wasn't her choice for us to live apart. At least I am glad that before marrying, I told her that I foresaw me doing charitable works overseas in a place like India and warned that I may not be the best marriage partner. So although this doesn't necessarily make her feel any better, it does mean that in choosing to marry me she did make a choice which included the possibility of my being overseas. Which is certainly a better situation than marrying someone assuming they'll always be around and then having them tell you this isn't the case. One of the thoughts contained in my book, "Pearls of Wisdom", (which I wrote in 1992, just prior to dating Chris) reads: "My family is the world. I aim to serve it in a way that will contribute greatly to people's development (and my happiness). This may be through working in places like India, or through speaking around the world on creating success and happiness for ourselves and others. At present, my thinking is that I don't wish to neglect my global family through attachment to a more limited family. Children must rely on their parents. So a father who tends to the needs of hundreds or thousands of others while neglecting his own children, is negligent. But a person who designs his life to enable him to embrace the world as his family, will ensure he has the freedom to live wherever he wants or is needed, and the ability to spend time in whatever way he feels will contribute to humanity the most (even if it means serving full-time in a voluntary capacity). In some ways this may seem a sacrifice. I see it as a wonderful opportunity to live life to the fullest - enjoying the love of a few very special people; as well as the expansive, universal, unconditional love of serving and contributing to the world." So it hurts me when she complains, and demands that I be with her. I do believe that this is my life's work, my destiny, and the reason for my being on earth. So although in many ways I'd much prefer to take the easier option of simply staying home with Christine (and having all the comforts and lifestyle available to me in Australia), I feel that there is a higher purpose to be served through spending a balance of time in developing nations such as Uganda - as well as spending time in Australia. MONETARY CONSTRAINTS: As I write this I am on the edge of tears, feeling a little overburdened with the various things on my plate. I think the hardest thing at the moment is knowing just how much difference the Institute can make here, yet feeling burdened and limited by the financial capacity I as an individual can support. To date, I have been kindly supported to the tune of A$35,000 by one of my clients, and another has promised A$20,000 which I am hoping will be forthcoming soon. I haven't paid myself anything since late last year, have used all my savings, and re-mortgaged my house to the maximum possible, in order to fund the work. Considering the massive impact the Institute will have in Uganda, the expenditure required is incredibly low. (On average it is about $50 per participant - and most participants will in turn impact the lives of many hundreds of people, due to the leadership roles they are playing. And it seems that the impact is sizable given how often we hear from participants that the course changed the way they run their organization, their effectiveness, their ability to achieve their vision, or that it simply reconnected them with their vision which they will now pursue. Nevertheless, rent needs to be paid, furniture needs to be bought, as does various office equipment, computers, phones, training equipment etc. Last night I got to bed quite early - at 11pm. Two nights before I was working till 4.30am, and the previous night I was up till 3am working out, not so much how much money I had, as how much I could borrow on credit cards in order to set everything up in a way that would best support the work. The good news is that the income stream will be quite high as the training is very much in demand. Similarly, I am sure that as the Institute does more work and becomes more established, that people will be very happy to donate sizable amounts to it, in order to increase the work that it can do. But the timing is such that the income comes after the expenditure, and is less reliable. In some ways I feel a little like Mr. Schindler from the movie Schindler's list, who at the end was saying "Now if I had just sold this gold pen I could have saved another life!" For I know that every dollar spent will have an enormous impact - and so I am incredibly keen to use what little I have in the best way, to conserve my resources, and yet at the same time trying not to forgo too many opportunities that will inevitably save many lives. GENERAL LIFE IN A THIRD-WORLD COUNTRY After a while you get used to potholed roads even in the centre of town, to regular blackouts, to technology that's pretty ancient, and the unavailability of certain things you take for granted back home. (e.g. For some reason they don't have electrical extension chords, so today I bought all the components and described to an electrician how to make one up. On the other hand I discovered that they do have some things we don't: e.g. for between $35 and $70 you can buy a video transmitter that allows other television sets in your village to pick up the signal from a single video player.) And although things tend to happen slower than back home, in other ways they can happen a lot faster. e.g. Printing 100 copies of one of my books took about 8 visits to the printer and staying back till midnight on a couple of occasions. However, when I wished to provide some training in the 2 days that one of my sponsors would be in the country, I was able to do so with just a weeks notice, and to have a large number of very senior people attend - even though the training was on a major public holiday. And much as there are a lot of difficulties, in some other ways life can be easier. e.g. The person who's place I'm renting has a live-in cleaner/house assistant she hires for just $35/mth, and many people hire a driver for just $50/mth. (Though this also gives an idea of how poor the majority of Ugandans are.) And although some things are more difficult, the reality is that if you wish to experience a different country, then you must expect things to be different. And overall I do feel incredibly blessed to be here and to be able to contribute in the way I am. Thank you for listening. Love, P.S. On the plus side, by the end of next week {this P.S. was written 3 weeks after the above notes} we'll have trained about 800 people in 6 seminars, averaging over 2 days each. Many of these are senior executives with NGO's (Charities), Government Departments and Corporations. And we get frequent feedback saying the training has helped them to substantially improve the effectiveness of their organisation and reoriented their lives towards achieving and reconnecting with a vision they have for their country. (Even a corrupt warmongering dictator probably started off at least partly fighting against what he perceived as a tyrant - with good intentions to help the country. But along the way the vision got lost and the ego found its way.) And we've trained over 30 trainers to present our program under the auspices of their own organisation - so we're getting quite good leverage in spreading the teachings. Its also nice that everyone is so openly spiritual (primarily Christian) so I'm really able to challenge people as to whether they are fulfilling Christ's one commandment (to love one another as he loved us), and to talk about some spiritual elements (relating to loving and serving others) which I may be a bit more cautious about mentioning back home. One of the things I discovered when I first came to Uganda back in November last year, was that many leaders didn't even have access to a single book on leadership, let alone the benefits of an interactive, experiential training program designed to actually change participants to become the sort of managers/leaders who bring out the best in their workforce. So we've now set up a library with a good assortment of books, articles, tapes and videos. And we have 3 computers set up to teach managers how to use computers and the internet, and containing 1000's of articles and electronic books designed to help them develop themselves and to become become better managers. So anytime you go into our offices you'll find a number of people using these resources. And the support we've received has also been phenomenal. I have 5 full-time volunteers working for the Institute, and a very switched on Board. e.g. 2 nights ago at a board meeting we decided we should approach the Federal Minister who's in charge of looking after the 44 districts of Uganda through its very decentralised Local Government Program which is where most of the power lies. Having decided to approach the Minister, one of the board members (a Professor at the local University) said that he'd look after it, and then shared with us that he had actually held the Minister's job a few years ago. So although things have been incredibly difficult, there are also a lot of great signs for the future. 
NEXT LETTER
Go To Top of
Page
BACK TO "Transforming
Leadership Throughout The World"
|
