About
As an extension of my post “An Introduction” it might be helpful to have a little more information about me (in all honesty I just can not figure out how to remove this page so have opted to fill it up instead).
As I already mentioned in my introduction, I grew up in Beallsville, Ohio. Beallsville is located in southeast Ohio, across the Ohio River from Wheeling, West Virginia (somewhat). Such a small community had its advantages (you knew everybody, everything was far away) and its drawbacks (you knew everybody, everything was far away). Beallsville has one 4-way stop, no traffic lights, one gas station, TWO restaurants, about 450 residents, no fast-food, and plenty of tractors.
Downtown Beallsville on the main street.
My parents both grew up in Beallsville and graduated from Beallsville High School, my alma mater as well. They moved into a house about 100 yards from my father’s childhood home where they still live today.
The view from my home in Beallsville.
My home.
I am the youngest of 3 children: I have an older brother and an older sister. Growing up, I idolized my brother even though he was the cause of many scars (I was all-time goalie when his friends came over to play roller hockey) and my sister was my best friend (even though we are polar opposites… she always tells me I’m the mailman’s daughter). Both of my siblings are married and my brother just recently had a little girl, so now I am Aunt Bethany (“Did I break wind again??”… I hope you’ve seen Christmas Vacation).
My family at my graduation from the College of Wooster.
Sadly (and embarrassingly) I may be the most sad to have to say goodbye to my long-eared, red-eyed, smelly, stubborn, lazy Basset Hound, Molly (only because I won’t be able to talk with her while I’m gone… honestly). Although she sleeps 23 hours a day, can’t walk over a quarter mile, and licks rabbits instead of hunting them, she’s the perfect pet- even if my sister strongly disagrees.
Molly
you are bethy janelle, my beloved beefy and I am sad to lose you as my living arrangement partner (roommate). I miss you lots, puddin’ pop!
You are my wonderful daughter whom I will miss very much!!! I am looking forward to this web site to keep me posted with all you are doing while you are away. And unlike the commercial on TV where the mom fills her daughter’s facebook wall with “I love you!” I won’t do that. Nor will I tell you all the “mom” stuff here. You will hear it before you leave tho.
Beallsville Elementary says “hi.” The 4th, 5th, and 6th grades hope to keep track of you while you are in Uganda. Take care!!!
wait, there isnt a picture of your best mexican friend….
Thinking of you, as usual.
All our love….
Hi Bethy, somehow I ‘googled’ for crested crane pics – need ‘em to design a logo for a mag – and I came across your blog and perused it I did. I just want to say thank you for the very very objective reporting of my home country.
More often than not this is the opposite of the kind material I come across when I read blogs of many people – particularly from the abroad – who have visited Uganda. Thank you ever so much, not just for visiting but for your contribution in so many other ways to our country.
I am currently in the process of designing a news and analysis on-line newspaper/magazine, primarily about Ugandan issues, and I am testing it on the three web platforms – politiko247.com, bornequal.org, and politico.co.ug.
The magazine will aim to promote, enhance and protect our ‘people’s right to know’. The mag project is purely a voluntary one and although the silent aspect of it will be Ugandan issues, we will welcome articles on issues from far and beyond especially about development and democratic lessons learnt by our friends across the global. We hope that examples can be drawn from such articles to help comparatively engender our Ugandan approach and experience.
On that note, I would kindly request that if you do happen to squeeze some free time out of your expectedly busy schedule, you are welcome to be a contributor to this magazine – in in some way, shape or form – once it is up and running.
We have also registered a community-based charity, BornEqual with offices in Nsumba – a Small Village (also my ancestral home village) in Mukono district, East of Kampala en route to Jjinja – source of the River Nile you mentioned in your holiday news package.
The prime aim of BornEqual is to improve lives through imparting skills on community that vehemently need them to live. It is our belief that skills/good knowledge can help the community to live unlike Aid which – in our view based on our research – helps people to only survive in the face of unacceptable dependency and self-pity.
We also think/and know that Aid is more often than not mismanaged, at least here in Uganda, leading to rampant government corruption and ill leadership that, we think and now know, is at the heart of the causes of suffering here in Uganda.
Briefly, we aim to locally contribute to educations and health, spread the word on issues affecting our community here – in Mukono South Constituency – whilst highlighting how government action or inaction can be the difference between life and death especially here where many lives largely depend on ‘political patronage’ deeply now interwoven into society by government (currently led by HE. Mr Y. K. Museveni).
We are therefore more keen on contribution/support in terms of skills and knowledge transfer to build a community that is self-reliant and self-sustaining …We would, for example, be much happier with receiving a group of volunteers (students/pupils, Teachers, Medics/Doctors, Builders, Rotarians, IT pros, etc) than a ‘wheel burrow’ of ‘dosh’ – although we do not decline any sort of support as we need it all.
I will be very grateful on behalf of the community, colleagues and on my own behalf if you consider – and the friends you can reach – contributing to this burgeoning good cause.
About me: Ugandan, Ron Mbowa, is an IT Professional, Academic, Journalist and Community Organiser. Graduated with an MSc Computing and IT (2007), and a BA Business Administration (2005) from the University of Bedfordshire, UK (spent a year on an Exchange Program too at Ecole supérieure de commerce (ESC) de Saint-Etienne, France). Early education was attained in Uganda and Switzerland.
I can be contacted via email: mbowasport@yahoo.co.uk.