Kope Cafe #3

We have officially one week before Kope Cafe is scheduled to open. For the last two and a half months, I have been joking around that Kope Cafe will be ready for CHOGM. CHOGM, standing for Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting is a week-long meeting of all Country leaders belonging to the British Commonwealth. Kampala was given the honor of hosting this annual event, in which the Royal British family will be attending, justifying spending millions of dollars renovating the city, installing stop lights, and trying to decieve the World into thinking they (Ugandan gov't) have their act together. Unbeknownst to the 500 heads of State that will be staying in brand new hotels, driving in the 400 BMWs bought for shuttling them around for a week, in pleasant traffic, because most major streets will be blocked off to the public, the Country's people are silently suffering for it. This is most represented in the North, where people have been hearing stories of the millions of dollars spent on preparing for CHOGM- obvious in a trip to Kampala where nearly every billboard states: "For one week, the world's eyes will be on us...Will you be ready for CHOGM?" We thought it would be great to blow up a photo of thousands of starving people in the IDP camps in the North, holding up a sign saying, "We're ready for CHOGM". Definitely would magnify the complete ignorance and neglect of the government in helping the North- bet you can guess where the President/Dictator is from? In any case, telling people in Gulu that Kope Cafe will be ready for CHOGM gets huge laughs around town. Besides it being irrelevant, I really never thought we would be ready for CHOGM, which kicks off this next week. But, thanks to the carpenters and recently two fantastic artists, we will be READY FOR CHOGM! Let the Queen have her tea time in the tree house! I'll get the ladder in order, unless she requires an elevator. We may need to make a few certain adjustments, at the expense of the HEALS program to facilitate her stay, but rest assured, if she needs a helicopter landing pad, I am willing to raze the neighbors apartments behind me. Whatever it takes.

Now, back to reality...A friend of mine who works at the t-shirt design and screenprinting shop stopped by Kope last week. As he walked in, he just looked around, silently, with this huge grin on his face. He finally said that it was the place he had been waiting for in Gulu. A place for artists to come together. I was stunned that he felt that way- that was my complete intention with the place, and already he could tell, without the walls covered in local artwork. On the spot, he offered to contribute 10 hours of free work. His commitment shown through this week, as his friend, both art grads from the best University in the country, have spent over 20 hours painting this incredible mural across the rooms. Sticking with the theme of trees, their work has been incredible, and has continued to excite me for the promise of this place.

We are opening with a Photography Exhibition which will feature photos taken by the young students at HEALS. The photos will follow the theme from Ecclesiastes, and will be entitled, "A Time for Peace". Tiffany, a fellow co-worker at Invisible Children, is helping host it. She conducts the weekly photography program, called "Listen To My Pictures: Gulu". The photos will be matted, each taking a different phrase of the passage. The child who took the photo corresponding to the phrase also wrote about what the phrase means in relation to the photo. The pictures taken are compelling, and tell really personal stories in the perspective of these kids' lives. Photos that no visitor could take here. I am excited about this grand opening, which will be complete with a performance by the HEALS Cultural All-Star Dancers! Now all we have to do, short list- is construct a sign, buy plants, finish painting the mural, buy fans, procure the coffee from our suppliers, get an oven and hire for all positions. What a week ahead! But at this point, I am riding on the momentum supplied by the Acholi artists and carpenters around me, who are enthusiastic for the big day. CHOGM 2007!