Thanks to everybody who has commented and showed compassion for the children in the prison! It really was a good thing to see and experience but every time I think of it, my heart breaks a little. Since Saturday, I feel like a lot has been done, although it really has been only three days. I have been at the hospital working on the Infectious Disease Ward on Monday and today, but I will write more about that tomorrow or the next day. For now, I think it is important to talk a little about Rose, and think about the world through her eyes for a bit.
Saturday night was seemingly a pretty expected night, given that this was Rose's first time in a bed. She and Zefanya were sharing the bed and unfortunately for him, Rose is very sick. She had diarrhea - foul smelling, large amounts of diarrhea - that filled her diaper, the bed, and trailed her all the way to the bathroom. By the time Renske heard her crying, the mess was all over and Rose was just sitting in a pile of crap.
The first time I saw her for the day, Rose was standing with no clothes on in the hallway outside of the bathroom. She looked and me, then looked away, and proceeded to use the floor as her personal toilet. Renske calmly cleaned up the mess and we both assumed she was done. Just as she finished using soap to disinfect the floor, Rose squatted down for another go. If you ready about diarrhea in a medical textbook they will tell you that it is technically 250 grams or more per day of stool. I don't ever measure amounts nor do I ask patients, but when I saw what was coming out, I knew that this girl was well above the necessary number for diagnosis. She continued to make messes all day and we got to the point where we just sat her on the toilet every hour or two to hopefully prevent more overflowing diapers. Maybe all of you moms out there can relate to having a sick kid, but for me, this is a lot of new messes. In addition to feeling not so good, this girl is malnourished and not accustomed to functioning in a house. If she were back at the prison, she would probably not be wearing any clothes below the waist and if she had an episode of losing stool in an odd place, one of the older kids would likely beat her up for it. At least here, she can be sick and we are trying to lovingly correct her.
When it comes to emotions, Rose shows next to none. When food shows up, she perks up quite a bit and positions herself as close as she can to it. Even though she is not feeling well, she wants to eat. When I got home from my run in the evening, she was making little happy cooing noises, which I quickly learned were because she saw Angella cutting a mango and was trying to ask for some.
On Monday morning, after another long night of diarrhea, crying, and adding to it a bit of vomit, Renske was prepared to take her to the clinic that they usually take kids to. On our drive in to drop Zefanya and for me to get to a good place to walk to the hospital from, we heard noises from the back seat and turned to see Rose regurgitate all the mango and whatever liquids she had gotten last night. Renske later informed me that she threw up for the entire hour long ride to Entebbe and made a huge mess in the car. That night, I was happy to learn that Rose has Malaria and probably some sort of intestinal infection, which is nice to know because they can be treated!! She was started on IV antibiotics (which they allow you to administer at home if you are able) and antimaliarial treatment. We have been giving Oral Rehydration liquid as well, and last night there was no vomiting or diarrhea - just crying because of hunger!
Although physically there is a lot of improvement, I am still quite sad about the way that Rose has developed so far in life. She has probably lived on the street (nobody can tell us because there is nobody that brought her in, she was just collected with a bunch of other kids), she might have been abused in some way, she probably went long periods without eating, and she probably never had anybody to just hold her and show her she is loved. She is like a little rag doll that you can shape any way you want. If you sit her down, she stays sitting until you pick her up. If you stand her up, she won't sit down. The only time she moves is if you tell her to come and show her food or maybe a ball to play with. Today, she looks much better, but she still doesn't smile. She reminds me a little bit of our dog, Rocky, who is inspired by any food we are preparing. I was making juice and she didn't leave my side, but just stared up at me with these beautiful dark eyes. We we sit down for dinner, she gets up to the table and wants to be as close as she can to the food. I am just praying that over time, Rose will grow to experience love in a way that doesn't involve a reward system with food. It is likely that she will go back to the orphanage that takes kids from Kampiringisa later this week not that she is not acutely sick.
With Rose, I feel like I have to realize what happens when I child is really sick and malnourished. Having her at home reminds me of all the hard work there is to rehabilitate a child after so long without living in a home environment. As a physician/medical student, we often just see a very small glimpse of what recovering from illness can be as we examine and tell people how to treat. With Rose being here, I have seen some of the daily struggles of helping a little girl like her. I know there are thousands of other children like her, without a supportive family or feeling loved by anybody. It makes me so grateful to have grown up where I did with the family and friends I have around me. I really can't relate at all to what it would be like to grow up without that support. I am trying to show compassion and love to her and hope that she will slow start to feel something.
One final thought was something that Natalie told me on Saturday that really stuck and maybe will leave you with something to think about. "Kids like her don't feel hopeless. They can't feel hopeless because they have never understood what it means to have hope."
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Prison Party! - Parting Gift = 2 year old
Today was an awesome day……an extremely long and dirty day, but amazing still the same. We left the house at 6:30 am and got home after 7:30 pm. Renske has been working with a group called Foodstep for the past year or so. The organization was founded by a Belgian couple about 6 years ago. They are pretty amazing and the work they do is not easy. They started out on a completely different project in Northern Uganda but when they found out about a "rehabilitation project" sponsored by the government that is essentially a children's prison, they invested all of their efforts to this project.
The prison is called Kampiringisa and is a place where children from the streets end up if they are caught by the police. There are frequently "round-ups" of street children where up to 300 at a time are put into huge trucks and driven an hour and a half (or a 3 day walk) outside of the city to a place where they can't run away back to the city. Although, hundreds escape every year and find their way back to the streets - begging, stealing, or doing whatever they need to survive. The conditions in the prison are not great, and when Nathalie and Werner started out, they were apparently much worse. There is so much I could do to explain the living conditions today, but I am going to stick to the big points and if you want more details you can ask me the specifics. The NGO also has a website http://www.kampiringisa.org
First of all, the only real adults in the prison are the guards, who don't do much except for count to make sure the children are where they are supposed to be and punish them by beating if they are disobeying or if they try to run. There is a social worker employed by Foodsteps that helps with minor things, but not the day to day tasks. This means that the children learn to fend for themselves. They do the cooking, the washing, the cleaning and caring for younger children. There are children as young as 1 year old in Kampiringisa - how a child could end up there is sad. Sometimes a parent simply abandons them to the prison, sometimes they are caught by the police on the streets, and sometimes the parents are in prison so the children are sent to Kampiringisa. The worst is that the government is supposed to be providing the funding to support the rehabilitation of the children, yet little has been done beyond a very minimal amount for food and guards to be paid. NGO's such as Foodsteps have built new buildings, starting a woodworking and leather work shop to make furniture and shoes, built gardens, and provides medical care weekly to the children. They visit every Thursday and every 2nd Saturday have a party with good food including meat and vegetables instead of rice, beans and porridge. The kids trust the Foodsteps volunteers because they are a consistent presence in their lives, which most of these kids have never had.
In addition to the work in the prison, Foodsteps attempts to locate families and permanent homes for children through social workers. If no family can be found, they offer to take the child to the Foodstep home where they have a real bed, clothes to call their own, consistent meals, school support, and basically a loving family environment. The have helped so many children, but the numbers of children never seem to get lower. They have been working so hard and continue to have a positive attitude about their work and their mission. They are truly an inspiration and I hope I get to see more of what they do.
As for our day, we were helping with a group of dentists who came to provide care for all of the children. They yanked quite a few rotten teeth today an did some basic cleaning and preventive care for the kiddos. In the meantime, the rest of us spent time with the kids, helped them eat lunch and dinner, and played games with them. In addition, Renske has been providing basic medical care and supplies to the kids so we help a little with cleaning some wounds and applying some ointments to faces. These are the days that I love in Uganda. I come home and all I want to do is shower because I am full of food, feces, sweat, dirt, and probably lots of other things. Showering is amazing because you wash off a film of red dirt and usually reveal a bit of sunburn and some new scratches and bruises. It's totally worth it to be helping to make an impact in these kids' lives, knowing that the project is very well managed and has been a consistent presence for the kids.
I have a hard time putting into words all the thoughts that were running through my head today. The biggest thing is that I can't imagine these kids are just completely abandoned. They have no family, no community, not even an orphanage that has taken them in. There aren't foster homes waiting for them, there are not other alternatives. It is literally a dumping ground to get them off the streets. If they try to leave, they are tracked down and brought back. Some of the young ones are bullied by the older ones rather than being taken care of by them.
Today Renske was able to get permission to take a 2 year old girl, Rose out of the prison to be eventually placed into Foodsteps. Since they have never had a child as young as 2 and she is basically about as developed as my 8 month old nephew, Renske took her in for at least the weekend to get her cleaned up, checked out by a doctor and hopefully ready to live in a stable, but busy environment. Can you imagine what is going through her head? She doesn't speak any language we understand because she comes from a tribe that doesn't speak Luganda or English. She has only known the streets and Kampiringisa. Now she rode in a private car, had dinner sitting at the table, took a bath (and cried the whole time), and is going to sleep in a bed for the first time ever……ever! That's over 2 years sleeping on the ground or a floor.
I like working on projects like this, and seeing what people really go through in Uganda, but it is so hard to see. Even visiting the country, it is easy to separate yourself from what is really going on if you aren't paying attention to the realities. There are still children abandoned, there are still witchdoctors casting spells, there is female circumcision, there are child sacrifices, and there are kids suffering without anybody in the world to stand up for them. Although I now know many Ugandans who have a pretty good chance in life, with parents, an education, and opportunities, I sometimes forget what happens those that are the worst off. The most promising thing is that Nathalie and Werner along with Renske are showing these kids that people love and believe in them through persistent involvement in their lives and teaching them about Jesus. A favorite part of almost any day trip is the singing. The kids got together with drums, dancing and singing to praise God through music. They get truly excited and are given an opportunity through Foodsteps for a better chance in life.
Okay, that is a long rant, and there is so much more I could say about the day and about the project, but I can only say so much and you probably are having a hard enough time reading through this long length of writing. I didn't take pictures today because it is frowned upon by the guards and I don't like to overstep any boundaries. It's basically a bunch of big buildings without any real private space for anybody. Oh yeah, and there are locks on all of the sleeping rooms so that the kids can't get out in the middle of the night. I think I still need to fully process the entire concept of this place and all of the things that went through my head as I heard stories and saw the children living at Kampiringisa.
The prison is called Kampiringisa and is a place where children from the streets end up if they are caught by the police. There are frequently "round-ups" of street children where up to 300 at a time are put into huge trucks and driven an hour and a half (or a 3 day walk) outside of the city to a place where they can't run away back to the city. Although, hundreds escape every year and find their way back to the streets - begging, stealing, or doing whatever they need to survive. The conditions in the prison are not great, and when Nathalie and Werner started out, they were apparently much worse. There is so much I could do to explain the living conditions today, but I am going to stick to the big points and if you want more details you can ask me the specifics. The NGO also has a website http://www.kampiringisa.org
First of all, the only real adults in the prison are the guards, who don't do much except for count to make sure the children are where they are supposed to be and punish them by beating if they are disobeying or if they try to run. There is a social worker employed by Foodsteps that helps with minor things, but not the day to day tasks. This means that the children learn to fend for themselves. They do the cooking, the washing, the cleaning and caring for younger children. There are children as young as 1 year old in Kampiringisa - how a child could end up there is sad. Sometimes a parent simply abandons them to the prison, sometimes they are caught by the police on the streets, and sometimes the parents are in prison so the children are sent to Kampiringisa. The worst is that the government is supposed to be providing the funding to support the rehabilitation of the children, yet little has been done beyond a very minimal amount for food and guards to be paid. NGO's such as Foodsteps have built new buildings, starting a woodworking and leather work shop to make furniture and shoes, built gardens, and provides medical care weekly to the children. They visit every Thursday and every 2nd Saturday have a party with good food including meat and vegetables instead of rice, beans and porridge. The kids trust the Foodsteps volunteers because they are a consistent presence in their lives, which most of these kids have never had.
In addition to the work in the prison, Foodsteps attempts to locate families and permanent homes for children through social workers. If no family can be found, they offer to take the child to the Foodstep home where they have a real bed, clothes to call their own, consistent meals, school support, and basically a loving family environment. The have helped so many children, but the numbers of children never seem to get lower. They have been working so hard and continue to have a positive attitude about their work and their mission. They are truly an inspiration and I hope I get to see more of what they do.
As for our day, we were helping with a group of dentists who came to provide care for all of the children. They yanked quite a few rotten teeth today an did some basic cleaning and preventive care for the kiddos. In the meantime, the rest of us spent time with the kids, helped them eat lunch and dinner, and played games with them. In addition, Renske has been providing basic medical care and supplies to the kids so we help a little with cleaning some wounds and applying some ointments to faces. These are the days that I love in Uganda. I come home and all I want to do is shower because I am full of food, feces, sweat, dirt, and probably lots of other things. Showering is amazing because you wash off a film of red dirt and usually reveal a bit of sunburn and some new scratches and bruises. It's totally worth it to be helping to make an impact in these kids' lives, knowing that the project is very well managed and has been a consistent presence for the kids.
I have a hard time putting into words all the thoughts that were running through my head today. The biggest thing is that I can't imagine these kids are just completely abandoned. They have no family, no community, not even an orphanage that has taken them in. There aren't foster homes waiting for them, there are not other alternatives. It is literally a dumping ground to get them off the streets. If they try to leave, they are tracked down and brought back. Some of the young ones are bullied by the older ones rather than being taken care of by them.
Today Renske was able to get permission to take a 2 year old girl, Rose out of the prison to be eventually placed into Foodsteps. Since they have never had a child as young as 2 and she is basically about as developed as my 8 month old nephew, Renske took her in for at least the weekend to get her cleaned up, checked out by a doctor and hopefully ready to live in a stable, but busy environment. Can you imagine what is going through her head? She doesn't speak any language we understand because she comes from a tribe that doesn't speak Luganda or English. She has only known the streets and Kampiringisa. Now she rode in a private car, had dinner sitting at the table, took a bath (and cried the whole time), and is going to sleep in a bed for the first time ever……ever! That's over 2 years sleeping on the ground or a floor.
I like working on projects like this, and seeing what people really go through in Uganda, but it is so hard to see. Even visiting the country, it is easy to separate yourself from what is really going on if you aren't paying attention to the realities. There are still children abandoned, there are still witchdoctors casting spells, there is female circumcision, there are child sacrifices, and there are kids suffering without anybody in the world to stand up for them. Although I now know many Ugandans who have a pretty good chance in life, with parents, an education, and opportunities, I sometimes forget what happens those that are the worst off. The most promising thing is that Nathalie and Werner along with Renske are showing these kids that people love and believe in them through persistent involvement in their lives and teaching them about Jesus. A favorite part of almost any day trip is the singing. The kids got together with drums, dancing and singing to praise God through music. They get truly excited and are given an opportunity through Foodsteps for a better chance in life.
Okay, that is a long rant, and there is so much more I could say about the day and about the project, but I can only say so much and you probably are having a hard enough time reading through this long length of writing. I didn't take pictures today because it is frowned upon by the guards and I don't like to overstep any boundaries. It's basically a bunch of big buildings without any real private space for anybody. Oh yeah, and there are locks on all of the sleeping rooms so that the kids can't get out in the middle of the night. I think I still need to fully process the entire concept of this place and all of the things that went through my head as I heard stories and saw the children living at Kampiringisa.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Every Day Life
The past few days have been full of a whole lot of random things that I would probably be doing if I were at home, such as cooking dinner, running errands, playing games, knitting, running, and reading books. The only difference is everything takes just a little more effort. I have to keep reminding myself I have only been here a few days because it already feels like I am just doing normal tasks. I hope that once I start in the hospital next week things still feel relatively "normal". I guess I can comment a little on a few of the things I have been doing….
Cooking & Eating
There are three foods that I look forward to more than anything when I get here - Pineapple, mangoes, and avacodos. I have so far eaten two pineapples and 3 mangoes, and am just waiting for my avacados to ripen. I can't wait much longer! Also, I do appreciate passion juice and Angella suggested that I make my own, so last night I cut up a bunch of those little golf ball sized fruits, blended them together and added a little sugar and oranges (which are more like limes) to make my own juice! It was so satisfying to know we made it ourselves and it was delicious! Renske and I also made lasagna from scratch yesterday with a bunch of fresh vegetables from the market. I am not used to having people to cook for and since in the house it is Angella, Renske, and her 6 year old son, Zefanya, we can cook complete meals and eat together each night. It kinda feels like a family and I love it!
Cooking & Eating
There are three foods that I look forward to more than anything when I get here - Pineapple, mangoes, and avacodos. I have so far eaten two pineapples and 3 mangoes, and am just waiting for my avacados to ripen. I can't wait much longer! Also, I do appreciate passion juice and Angella suggested that I make my own, so last night I cut up a bunch of those little golf ball sized fruits, blended them together and added a little sugar and oranges (which are more like limes) to make my own juice! It was so satisfying to know we made it ourselves and it was delicious! Renske and I also made lasagna from scratch yesterday with a bunch of fresh vegetables from the market. I am not used to having people to cook for and since in the house it is Angella, Renske, and her 6 year old son, Zefanya, we can cook complete meals and eat together each night. It kinda feels like a family and I love it!
Errands:
Running to the store to get a few items is nothing like taking a Target run to University Ave. back home. You have to know what you are looking for and even then you don't usually know where you can find the things you want. The downtown area of Kampala is the "real Kampala" with hundreds of little shops selling anything and everything you can think of, except for the one thing you are looking for when you need it. We had a list including ink cartridges, pillow cases, and a door bell. Easy at target, right? It is about a 2 hour endeavor in Kampala! The only advantage is that if you go to a store and ask about a doorbell, they might not have it, but usually a guy called a "broker" overhears you asking and tells you they know where to go. You can then weave through the streets and follow them to some obscure shop tucked in a corner. If it's not there, you can usually just take a seat and they will run around looking for what you need. The only downfall is that they usually add to the price as a "finder's fee". Plus, as a mzungu, we know we are already getting a horrible price for the things and we have to haggle hard to get things down. So our doorbell was found after visiting 3 different shops, following a broker, then waiting for 20 minutes for him to run back and forth to find one. In the end we got the price down from 95,000 shillings to 55,000 ($22). We also stopped by the fresh food market, which has just about anything you can grow or catch. From eggs to live chickens, to fresh fruits and herbs, and grilled whole fish (or just a head), it is all there. We settled on a few things for dinner and snacks including my three favorites. One guy wanted 2,500 for one mango but instead we walked 20 feet and got 4 for 5,000. Probably still over what we should pay, but still made me feel like a got a deal!
Running
I have been a lot more diligent lately about running, especially since I got a Nike+ watch with GPS to map where I go and how fast I get there. Uganda is full of hills and dead ends. I started out going at a decent pace and soon realized it wouldn't last with a hill every quarter mile no matter which way you go. I think I passed the same cow 4 times as I tried to find my way home on my first run a couple mornings ago. I was always able to see the apartment building no matter where I was but I could never find a road that actually connected me to it. It was more than a little frustrating. Tonight, I took Zefanya out on his bike as I jogged. (note to anybody that hangs out with six year olds - they will ride in front and not wait for you but as soon as they need to stop or slow down they will yell for you to "STOP, WAIT FOR ME"). Only in Uganda have I used the phrases, "stop for the car", "stay to the right for the boda", "keep your eyes on the potholes", "stop chasing the chickens" and "look out for the cow" on a run. Even though I waited until the latest possible time tonight so it was cooled off, I still came back drenched in sweat and extremely hot. This swing in temperature is almost 100 degrees and I think will still take some time to get used to. My favorite part of the run is a road with really fine dust that reminds me of footprints in the snow. My shoes from running and my chacos (and my feet) are never going to be the same color again!) I am sorry about the foot of snow you all got back in MN…..can't say I miss it!
This is the view of our apartment building from down the hill. It's still under construction, but it is very nice inside. I will have to post some pictures later. Out of all the places we have stayed so far this is probably one of the best, and most home-like of them all.
Tomorrow I am going with Renske to a children's prison - yes that's the correct term. I have been hearing a lot about it from her all week and I think it may be a little intense, but important that I learn about what happens to a lot of children who end up on the streets for various reasons. I may have something more interesting to say than stories about eating, shopping, and running tomorrow!
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Home Again
I really can't believe that I am back in Uganda again!! I mean, I have been planning this since I left in August 2012, but it feels like it came up really quick. I knew that with the cost of a trip and the amount of time in my school schedule, I wouldn't be able to be back in 2013. It was the first calendar year in 5 years that I didn't go to Uganda, which was really, really sad. Instead I planned my schedule so that I finished the majority of my credits in the U.S. by February and then come here for the last 12 weeks of medical school to finish my electives, enjoy time with my Ugandan friends, and experience a longer time in this country that I love and hope to continue to work in. Prior to this, the longest I have been is 6 weeks. 3 months seems like an overwhelmingly long time, but I know it will be over before I know it!
I don't have a whole lot to say yet, as I have only been in the country for about 12 hours. The trip was uneventful and kind of tiresome. Although it is sometimes nice to travel alone, it can be lonely to not talk to anybody for 26 hours worth of flying and walking around airports. I had a few conversations with seat mates but I think I was so exhausted from the last four weeks of staying up late with friends and planning and packing that I just wanted to sleep. Let's be honest, airplanes do not make for good sleeping so I was anything but rested by the time I got here.
It wasn't until we landed in Entebbe that reality set in and excitement welled up. I felt like I had superhuman strength as I lifted my carry on (which is probably 50 lbs) form the overhead bin. It was the first time it felt easy to lift since the trip started over a day ago. Thanks to wanting to bring medical textbooks to give away along with the heavy electronics and some equipment, I had to overload my tiny bag to a weight nearly equal to my checked luggage. I always try to be inconspicuous about how heavy it actually is, but it is hard to hide a grimace and the struggle of lifting that thing above my head and getting it tucked away. Also, my struggling reminded me how nice it is to have a travel partner to help with all the lifting, but I will have those later on during this journey.
The next week I get to just relax and enjoy being here. Hopefully will be able to catch up with some old friends, maybe visit at least one of the orphanages, and meet some new people. There are many students and faculty from the University of Minnesota working at Mulago and I hope to spend some time learning from them as well. My official rotation will start Monday in Infectious Disease for 2 weeks. I don't know where I will end up after that. It's a bit of a mystery, but I know I will end up getting lots of good experience.
For now, I am just praying for guidance on where to go and what to do. It is nice, in a way, to have no real plans, but at the same time I like to have some things to do. I need to adjust to the heat a bit. I think the swing is about 100 degrees if you consider we had multiple days below zero and now the high's are 85 or greater. This Minnesotan will need to take some time to feel like the heat isn't going to make me pass out!
I will be staying with Angella, her friend and her son for at least the next 3 weeks and then possibly going to a more rural site in Kayunga. I will find out more of the details later. For now, the view is great. We are a little further outside the city so it is much calmer and quieter than where I have stayed before, but it is nice to leave the snow and wake up 30 hours later to this!
I don't have a whole lot to say yet, as I have only been in the country for about 12 hours. The trip was uneventful and kind of tiresome. Although it is sometimes nice to travel alone, it can be lonely to not talk to anybody for 26 hours worth of flying and walking around airports. I had a few conversations with seat mates but I think I was so exhausted from the last four weeks of staying up late with friends and planning and packing that I just wanted to sleep. Let's be honest, airplanes do not make for good sleeping so I was anything but rested by the time I got here.
It wasn't until we landed in Entebbe that reality set in and excitement welled up. I felt like I had superhuman strength as I lifted my carry on (which is probably 50 lbs) form the overhead bin. It was the first time it felt easy to lift since the trip started over a day ago. Thanks to wanting to bring medical textbooks to give away along with the heavy electronics and some equipment, I had to overload my tiny bag to a weight nearly equal to my checked luggage. I always try to be inconspicuous about how heavy it actually is, but it is hard to hide a grimace and the struggle of lifting that thing above my head and getting it tucked away. Also, my struggling reminded me how nice it is to have a travel partner to help with all the lifting, but I will have those later on during this journey.
The next week I get to just relax and enjoy being here. Hopefully will be able to catch up with some old friends, maybe visit at least one of the orphanages, and meet some new people. There are many students and faculty from the University of Minnesota working at Mulago and I hope to spend some time learning from them as well. My official rotation will start Monday in Infectious Disease for 2 weeks. I don't know where I will end up after that. It's a bit of a mystery, but I know I will end up getting lots of good experience.
For now, I am just praying for guidance on where to go and what to do. It is nice, in a way, to have no real plans, but at the same time I like to have some things to do. I need to adjust to the heat a bit. I think the swing is about 100 degrees if you consider we had multiple days below zero and now the high's are 85 or greater. This Minnesotan will need to take some time to feel like the heat isn't going to make me pass out!
I will be staying with Angella, her friend and her son for at least the next 3 weeks and then possibly going to a more rural site in Kayunga. I will find out more of the details later. For now, the view is great. We are a little further outside the city so it is much calmer and quieter than where I have stayed before, but it is nice to leave the snow and wake up 30 hours later to this!
I will make updates as things happen. I can't promise it's always going to be exciting, but there is usually at least one or two things you might find interesting! I can't say I am going to miss the snow, but I will miss all the people back home for the next three months! Hope you all are enjoying the latest big snowfall!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Last Full Day
Yesterday was Saturday which means it was my last full day here in Uganda. It makes me more than just a little sad that I will be leaving here shortly. Every other trip I have been hopeful that I will be returning in a year but this time I am fairly certain I won't be returning until April 2014.....that feels like forever and I don't like the thought of it, but at least there is a chance that I will return so I shouldn't be devastated. Still, I think about leaving my second home with my "other" family and my sister that I love dearly and it breaks my heart just a little. Thank God for the internet, Skype, and even the ability to text across the ocean. I don't know what I would do if I had to go a year in between real conversations and seeing Angella's face! We have worked hard to keep in touch with each other over the years and it has paid off - I have one of the most wonderful friends a girl could ask for and we truly to act like sisters - down to picking on each other and getting scolded by our mom!
The day itself went fairly smoothly. We started a little earlier - around 8 to go to Catherine's house to pick up paper necklaces and some beach dresses. She is the woman who runs Agape, if you didn't remember - or I forgot to say. Her house is actually extremely close to Angella's so it was an easy stop. She really is a sweet lady and it was great to see her outside of Agape. She does everything she can to keep the place running and care for the boys there and the girls that they keep in Gulu. I was also able to talk with her more about some of the boys and the way that they have come to the home. It was great to have time to sit down and talk to her about their stories. We also got to meet two of her three children. It's always nice to see people's homes and meet their families. You get a much better picture of who they are and what they are really like - not just how the act when they are working! We were supposed to make it a quick stop and then go home for breakfast. Instead, Catherine insisted on giving us tea - which then turned into breakfast! Two hours later, we were full of fried cassava (the best I have had in this place), eggs, and toast.
Next we had to stop at Mulago. It turns out that we accidentally had left a spreadsheet with all of the measurements of the kids from Mubende at the house where the boys were staying. We were supposed to get it from somebody but they were unable to find it. I just couldn't stand the thought that it was possibly lost for good and we would have to either be missing all that data or we would have to give Angella the horrible task of returning on the long journey and doing it all herself! I was not hopeful, but I thought I would give it a try. I had to talk to the house manager who was super nice and let me in to the house. I didn't find any papers where I expected them to be so I started frantically searching the entire bookshelf that had a ton of loose papers. After about 10 minutes I had a glorious moment of success when I spotted an excel printout! I am so thankful that we were able to find it!
Next, we decided to go shopping for chests to bring to Watoto. We had promised to help them out with them since they didn't have any shelves at the house and organizing things was always difficult. We ended up shopping at a craft store - hopefully our last time because I am sure Angella couldn't handle any more! Then we walked up to where they make a bunch of the chests. We split up from Angella to see if we could get a good price. We were hoping for 35,000 per case. The initial price that every seller offered was 75,000. Both Angella and I were able to get separate sellers down to 35,000 and since neither had enough cases, they both got to sell us some. It's amazing how quickly you get pounced on when they know you are buying. At one point we had at least 5 different people running up to us trying to get us to buy their cases. People work really hard to make a living and they know that have to be persistent to make a sale!
Getting the cases to Watoto was our next challenge. We thought for sure we would have to rent a truck or something. We walked back to get the car - and picked up some delicious fresh mangoes along the way. The car we were driving is a CR-V and it fit exactly 10 cases! We were so glad we didn't have to rent a car or deal with following a delivery guy all the way to the Watoto village!
Visiting the kids was great as usual, but a lot of the kids were at a camp so the older ones really weren't around much. We got to spend some quality time with the moms and the kids that weren't at camp. We were only there for a couple of hours but it was nice to at least get to see them one last time. We eventually got to see all the kids for just a little bit as they came back while they were on a break. I was sad to leave them, but I am excited that I will be able to write to Arthur, the one that I sponsor, and keep in touch with all of them!
The rest of the day was pretty low-key. We stopped by a DJ's place to get some local and African cd's made. For 24,000 ($12) I got three MP3 cd's with over 100 songs each. I don't understand the words in most of them, but they are fun to listen to! I hope they are good. I haven't had time to listen to them all yet.
My mom made dinner for us. It started out as tacos, but ended up with taco-seasoned meat over rice with some cheese. We didn't find tortillas, the lettuce that she bought didn't look great, and we totally gave up on trying to describe sour cream at the grocery store! It was still a great meal, though! Patt, Flavia, and Patricia joined us and we got worked up talking about Little Angels, but other than that the mood was light and relaxed! I am going to miss all these people so much! They are just wonderful! This morning I am going on one last run and its going to be with Patt! It will be fun to just go for a relaxing jog. We are almost packed because we wanted to have mostly everything done before we go to church so we aren't stressed about making it home to pack before leaving for the airport. I am still a little bit in denial that we are leaving. There were so many times yesterday that I started thinking about leaving while we were driving or just sitting around. Every time I think about it, I start to tear up so instead Angella and I start making jokes and pretend it's not happening! Tonight we will face reality and be sad but for now, we are enjoying our last hours!!
Mix of Emotions
Yesterday was such a full day that it felt like it was a week! In addition, I am pretty sure I experienced every emotion possible - and some of them more than once!! Our goal was to make it back to all four of the orphanages within Kampala - Little Angels, Agape, Nantale's and JaJa's. We also had to make stops along the way to get the things we were bringing which adds to the challenge. At home, it would be easy because you get in your car and everything is relatively close and there are straight lines to follow to get to the places you need to go. Here it is all a challenge and there were many times we got stuck in jam. Thankfully, Joseph was our driver today since Hope's care wasn't available. Although we had to pay more to use his driving service, I think it was totally worth it in so many ways. Joseph knows a ton more shortcuts than JB, he was friends with the people at the food market so our prices were better, and I think Joseph genuinely has fun when he is with us! I kept finding him following us in to places and playing with all the kids!!
So I think it's easiest to break the day down into the things that we did:
KAMOCHA MARKET:
So for some reason the shoes that we bought for Little Angels didn't quite work out as far as the sizes go. We had 5 pair that didn't really work so we had to go back to the market and hope that the woman would be fine with exchanging them. I have never tried to exchange anything at a store here, let alone a flea market, but I was under the impression that it was more or less an "all sales are final" sort of deal. Joseph picked us up around 9:30 and we headed over to the market. Unfortunately, things were still just barely getting started and only about half of the vendors were set up. Our lady with the shoes was one that hadn't yet arrived! The guy that sold us the backpacks was already there and he recognized us and pulled out his phone to call the shoe lady, which was super convenient for us! In the meantime, we wanted to buy more pencils, some schoolbooks, and silverware. Those venders were also there. I had sent a text to our friend Godfrey about meeting later in the day and he decided he was free and join us as well. I was happy to have an extra hand for today - and one that speaks Luganda! Yay! The best part about Godfrey's arrival was that I saw him before he saw us! That's right, in a sea of black Ugandans, I picked him out from clear on the other side and he didn't see the two pasty white Mzungus standing out in the crowd. It was a proud moment for my Where's Waldo skills! The guy that we bought math sets from also remembered us and asked how the orphanages were. It was great that he was genuinely interested in what we were doing and wanted to help out. We ended up buying a bunch of the stuff from him and then headed out. The shoe lady still hadn't arrived and we didn't want to waste what could be hours waiting for her to arrive.
Joseph informed us that his wife, Eva was staying right behind the market because her step-mother had passed away and she needed to go for the burial. We decided to stop over and visit her. I also found the batteries that I brought to replenish the ones in the headlamps that we brought for Joseph and Eva last year. They had been hiding in my bag for at least a week! Joseph was SO EXCITED! He said these batteries are so much stronger than the ones they got here. I always wonder about batteries. The packages always look really similar, but there is something just off about them. I keep meaning to compare them side by side, but I am never around a place where I an see them both. I'm just glad that Joseph was so excited about it!
AGAPE
I was extremely nervous and tense to go to Agape. It has been the most emotionally draining and time consuming orphanage of the entire trip and it is the one that fits our medicine study the least and has the worst follow through on data collection. In addition, one of the older boys has been asking for money to help him get home to his sick mom. I don't remember how it started, but once it did, there were constantly messages and calls about it. I was just exhausted answering all of the calls and questions and I was getting annoyed with all the pressure. I totally understand that kids are in need and are looking for anything they can get, but he is the only one out of 6 different orphanages that the kids and caregivers are asking for things for themselves. It's completely inappropriate and the head of the orphanage had told us that he often does this with visitors. Although I didn't truly believe the whole story, I still couldn't shake from my mind that if his mom really was sick and I didn't want to give him 30,000 (I mean, seriously - it's only $13) and I don't give him the money, I'm going to feel really horrible. Maybe it's because I had a similar situation in the past where we didn't give a kid something and didn't trust him and then found out that bad things happened to him. I just hate repeating the past. I reluctantly gave the money and did it in front of one of the adult caregivers, telling him he needs to go with and buy the ticket. I don't trust the boy I gave the money to. It is against everything I stand for, and I am not happy about the whole situation. I think I just got to the point where I needed to be done with the entire situation and the easiest way was to give some money, not all, and say my peace. I later got a phone call thanking me and saying he was on his way home. Only God knows if he was telling the truth. If I am right and he was playing me, at least I didn't give him much. If I am wrong, then at least I don't have it on my conscious that I could have done something and I didn't do it.
As frustrating as it was, I was glad we went back. The toilet is still looking great and is getting a lot of use. The kitchen was nearly finished, but they were short a couple of bags of cement and some mixing sand. I had no problem giving the extra 60,000 to finish the project because I wanted to follow it through to completion. Catherine told us to come to her house today to pick up some clothes and jewelry that people in the north have made because she wanted to gift us something so we will see her again and get the gifts that she wants to share
CRAFT MARKET
Our next stop was near Agape. It's crazy - we always see this sign for a craft market on the road leading up to Agape but it looks totally deserted. All the shops are closed except for one or two, but there is a signpost on the main road and on the smaller road to mark it. When we drove by this time, it was full of colorful crafts and a ton of tents! It turns out it is only on Fridays. Honestly, we have looked for this craft market every year we have come because we heard it is cheaper than all the others and there it was, right in front of us the whole time - we just never came on a Friday! Catherine said it was God's way of giving us a little bonus reward for doing good work. Whatever the reason, I was happy because my mom got the few last minute things she was looking for and I found myself a really great wool hat knitted by a woman named Margaret who came from Kenya. It was super hot, but I wore it back to the car because I liked it so much! Finally something I bought in Uganda that I can wear for winter!!
DOWNTOWN
Godfrey had a stop that he needed to make in town and since he decided to stay with us the whole day, it was not a problem to just swing by. Also, my mom realized we hadn't gotten my dad any stamps yet! (but not to worry because the day I was "lost on purpose" with the boys downtown, I picked up a bunch) It worked out perfectly except for the jam! It is ridiculous how the traffic can change your mood! I always remind myself when I am stuck and home to be thankful that at least vehicles are moving and there is some sort of order to the way things work! Godfrey was amazing and ran to where he needed to go and was back before we finished getting stamps! We didn't lose any time AND we got stamps!
JAJA
We promised we would bring food to JaJa at her house, even though they have a source of funding for all of their food at this point. JaJa is still in the mentality that you need to ask for things because that is how she survived for so long. We knew she would appreciate matoke, so we picked up a couple of bunches along with some rice and beans. Joseph was friends with the guys selling everything we needed so we got great prices and it was a really quick stop. Then my mom had a brilliant idea that we should make tacos so Godfrey and I went walking around to get random vegetables. With a mere 10,000 we got all the vegetables and a couple of pineapples to feed at least 10 people. I am going to miss fresh foods at really cheap prices. (and having somebody to help negotiate the best price!) JaJa was really happy when we brought all of the food. The kids remembered us and were excited to see all the food. I wish we could have stayed longer, but we just had too many stops to make. I took pictures of the files that had the history of each kid. It was nice to finally have their stories laid out in front of us because the history of JaJa's place has always been kind of a mystery. Later on, I was reading them in the car. It was so sad to read about how parents had dropped their kids off and promised to pick them up and didn't return - many of them for more than a decade. I can't imagine how hard life must be to have the only option to give up your child to somebody else's care. I am not a mom - although some day I hope I am blessed to be - but even I can't imagine the bond that is broken when you give up your own flesh and blood! I am thankful that both of my parents loved me, they kept me, and they were able to provide everything I needed and more.
LITTLE ANGELS
Now here is where my anger escalated to a boiling point. I started yelling a little bit in the car after we left the orphanage, which I try not to do, but I was legitimately ticked off. We stopped by the market to switch out the shoes. Luckily, the lady was there and after talking to Godfrey she was perfectly fine switching the sizes for us. Unfortunately, we lost a shoe somewhere.....I have no idea. Even now, we checked at home and it is gone. Maybe it got left at Little Angels or something, but somewhere that size 33 girls shoe is missing its mate and we have it! We had to buy a new pair (she tried to charge 18,000 even though we paid 15,000 for all the others!) but it was totally worth it!
The kids at Little Angels were excited to see us as usual. I have grown to really love all these children a lot. I know their personalities and am able to talk with a lot of them. The older boys love playing Jetpack Joyride on my iPad which is unfortunate because I would have rather played soccer or something with them, but at least they were excited and they are really great at sharing and taking turns. We wrote down what we bought for the orphanage and my mom talked with Judith while Godfrey, Joseph, and I hung out with the kids. Saying goodbye was one of many times I had to hold back tears and I'm sure before tomorrow at 11:00 there will be more! I know that some day I will be back but I know that it will be longer than a year since I won't have the money and likely won't have the time to be back next year. I had the idea that my heart lives in two countries that are so far away. I feel like I have two families and two lives that don't often cross over. I am always torn between regret leaving one and excitement of returning to the other.
The worst part of the day was when I got in the car. I had been so sad that when I got bad news I was extremely angry. My mom had talked to Judith about Max. He apparently had come to the house later in the night after we left. He took some of the sugar for himself. Then he locked up the rest of the food that we brought and will hopefully distribute it all in time. Then he tried to TAKE shoes from one of the younger girls to bring to his daughter at home!!!!! Can you imagine? Who does that? The poor things wouldn't stop crying when he tried to take them so eventually he gave up on the idea. Then he tried to take the two blankets that were specifically for Judith's two sons. He said she didn't deserve them and he should take them to his kids. Luckily, his wife put her foot down and yelled at him. She said he is not allowed to take them from the boys. Thank God somebody rational lives with Max! I am fuming even now as I think about it. Oh yeah, he also took three of the rolls of toilet paper and give them newspaper to use instead. I don't remember if I said this before but since Max doesn't want to pay for sewage and running water in the house, the kids use the bathtub as their toilet. I have no idea how that works or is allowed! He said that they didn't need real toilet paper since they didn't have real toilets! AHHH!!! I just want to scream! I need to move on to the rest of the day or I am going to put myself in a bad mood again.
We got home to find a house full of Hope's family! Normally I would have been ecstatic to have new people to talk to but I think the emotions of the day just got to me and I needed a quite night. Luckily, our friend Susan offered to cook for us! It was bonus because we missed dinner with her last week and wanted to see her and her daughter Jasmine. It ended up being kind of a late night, but we we excited that we had gotten it all done! Thanks Godfrey and Joseph for being awesome at helping these two crazy Muzugu's to get it all done!
So I think it's easiest to break the day down into the things that we did:
KAMOCHA MARKET:
So for some reason the shoes that we bought for Little Angels didn't quite work out as far as the sizes go. We had 5 pair that didn't really work so we had to go back to the market and hope that the woman would be fine with exchanging them. I have never tried to exchange anything at a store here, let alone a flea market, but I was under the impression that it was more or less an "all sales are final" sort of deal. Joseph picked us up around 9:30 and we headed over to the market. Unfortunately, things were still just barely getting started and only about half of the vendors were set up. Our lady with the shoes was one that hadn't yet arrived! The guy that sold us the backpacks was already there and he recognized us and pulled out his phone to call the shoe lady, which was super convenient for us! In the meantime, we wanted to buy more pencils, some schoolbooks, and silverware. Those venders were also there. I had sent a text to our friend Godfrey about meeting later in the day and he decided he was free and join us as well. I was happy to have an extra hand for today - and one that speaks Luganda! Yay! The best part about Godfrey's arrival was that I saw him before he saw us! That's right, in a sea of black Ugandans, I picked him out from clear on the other side and he didn't see the two pasty white Mzungus standing out in the crowd. It was a proud moment for my Where's Waldo skills! The guy that we bought math sets from also remembered us and asked how the orphanages were. It was great that he was genuinely interested in what we were doing and wanted to help out. We ended up buying a bunch of the stuff from him and then headed out. The shoe lady still hadn't arrived and we didn't want to waste what could be hours waiting for her to arrive.
Joseph informed us that his wife, Eva was staying right behind the market because her step-mother had passed away and she needed to go for the burial. We decided to stop over and visit her. I also found the batteries that I brought to replenish the ones in the headlamps that we brought for Joseph and Eva last year. They had been hiding in my bag for at least a week! Joseph was SO EXCITED! He said these batteries are so much stronger than the ones they got here. I always wonder about batteries. The packages always look really similar, but there is something just off about them. I keep meaning to compare them side by side, but I am never around a place where I an see them both. I'm just glad that Joseph was so excited about it!
AGAPE
I was extremely nervous and tense to go to Agape. It has been the most emotionally draining and time consuming orphanage of the entire trip and it is the one that fits our medicine study the least and has the worst follow through on data collection. In addition, one of the older boys has been asking for money to help him get home to his sick mom. I don't remember how it started, but once it did, there were constantly messages and calls about it. I was just exhausted answering all of the calls and questions and I was getting annoyed with all the pressure. I totally understand that kids are in need and are looking for anything they can get, but he is the only one out of 6 different orphanages that the kids and caregivers are asking for things for themselves. It's completely inappropriate and the head of the orphanage had told us that he often does this with visitors. Although I didn't truly believe the whole story, I still couldn't shake from my mind that if his mom really was sick and I didn't want to give him 30,000 (I mean, seriously - it's only $13) and I don't give him the money, I'm going to feel really horrible. Maybe it's because I had a similar situation in the past where we didn't give a kid something and didn't trust him and then found out that bad things happened to him. I just hate repeating the past. I reluctantly gave the money and did it in front of one of the adult caregivers, telling him he needs to go with and buy the ticket. I don't trust the boy I gave the money to. It is against everything I stand for, and I am not happy about the whole situation. I think I just got to the point where I needed to be done with the entire situation and the easiest way was to give some money, not all, and say my peace. I later got a phone call thanking me and saying he was on his way home. Only God knows if he was telling the truth. If I am right and he was playing me, at least I didn't give him much. If I am wrong, then at least I don't have it on my conscious that I could have done something and I didn't do it.
CRAFT MARKET
Our next stop was near Agape. It's crazy - we always see this sign for a craft market on the road leading up to Agape but it looks totally deserted. All the shops are closed except for one or two, but there is a signpost on the main road and on the smaller road to mark it. When we drove by this time, it was full of colorful crafts and a ton of tents! It turns out it is only on Fridays. Honestly, we have looked for this craft market every year we have come because we heard it is cheaper than all the others and there it was, right in front of us the whole time - we just never came on a Friday! Catherine said it was God's way of giving us a little bonus reward for doing good work. Whatever the reason, I was happy because my mom got the few last minute things she was looking for and I found myself a really great wool hat knitted by a woman named Margaret who came from Kenya. It was super hot, but I wore it back to the car because I liked it so much! Finally something I bought in Uganda that I can wear for winter!!
DOWNTOWN
Godfrey had a stop that he needed to make in town and since he decided to stay with us the whole day, it was not a problem to just swing by. Also, my mom realized we hadn't gotten my dad any stamps yet! (but not to worry because the day I was "lost on purpose" with the boys downtown, I picked up a bunch) It worked out perfectly except for the jam! It is ridiculous how the traffic can change your mood! I always remind myself when I am stuck and home to be thankful that at least vehicles are moving and there is some sort of order to the way things work! Godfrey was amazing and ran to where he needed to go and was back before we finished getting stamps! We didn't lose any time AND we got stamps!
JAJA
We promised we would bring food to JaJa at her house, even though they have a source of funding for all of their food at this point. JaJa is still in the mentality that you need to ask for things because that is how she survived for so long. We knew she would appreciate matoke, so we picked up a couple of bunches along with some rice and beans. Joseph was friends with the guys selling everything we needed so we got great prices and it was a really quick stop. Then my mom had a brilliant idea that we should make tacos so Godfrey and I went walking around to get random vegetables. With a mere 10,000 we got all the vegetables and a couple of pineapples to feed at least 10 people. I am going to miss fresh foods at really cheap prices. (and having somebody to help negotiate the best price!) JaJa was really happy when we brought all of the food. The kids remembered us and were excited to see all the food. I wish we could have stayed longer, but we just had too many stops to make. I took pictures of the files that had the history of each kid. It was nice to finally have their stories laid out in front of us because the history of JaJa's place has always been kind of a mystery. Later on, I was reading them in the car. It was so sad to read about how parents had dropped their kids off and promised to pick them up and didn't return - many of them for more than a decade. I can't imagine how hard life must be to have the only option to give up your child to somebody else's care. I am not a mom - although some day I hope I am blessed to be - but even I can't imagine the bond that is broken when you give up your own flesh and blood! I am thankful that both of my parents loved me, they kept me, and they were able to provide everything I needed and more.
LITTLE ANGELS
Now here is where my anger escalated to a boiling point. I started yelling a little bit in the car after we left the orphanage, which I try not to do, but I was legitimately ticked off. We stopped by the market to switch out the shoes. Luckily, the lady was there and after talking to Godfrey she was perfectly fine switching the sizes for us. Unfortunately, we lost a shoe somewhere.....I have no idea. Even now, we checked at home and it is gone. Maybe it got left at Little Angels or something, but somewhere that size 33 girls shoe is missing its mate and we have it! We had to buy a new pair (she tried to charge 18,000 even though we paid 15,000 for all the others!) but it was totally worth it!
The kids at Little Angels were excited to see us as usual. I have grown to really love all these children a lot. I know their personalities and am able to talk with a lot of them. The older boys love playing Jetpack Joyride on my iPad which is unfortunate because I would have rather played soccer or something with them, but at least they were excited and they are really great at sharing and taking turns. We wrote down what we bought for the orphanage and my mom talked with Judith while Godfrey, Joseph, and I hung out with the kids. Saying goodbye was one of many times I had to hold back tears and I'm sure before tomorrow at 11:00 there will be more! I know that some day I will be back but I know that it will be longer than a year since I won't have the money and likely won't have the time to be back next year. I had the idea that my heart lives in two countries that are so far away. I feel like I have two families and two lives that don't often cross over. I am always torn between regret leaving one and excitement of returning to the other.
The worst part of the day was when I got in the car. I had been so sad that when I got bad news I was extremely angry. My mom had talked to Judith about Max. He apparently had come to the house later in the night after we left. He took some of the sugar for himself. Then he locked up the rest of the food that we brought and will hopefully distribute it all in time. Then he tried to TAKE shoes from one of the younger girls to bring to his daughter at home!!!!! Can you imagine? Who does that? The poor things wouldn't stop crying when he tried to take them so eventually he gave up on the idea. Then he tried to take the two blankets that were specifically for Judith's two sons. He said she didn't deserve them and he should take them to his kids. Luckily, his wife put her foot down and yelled at him. She said he is not allowed to take them from the boys. Thank God somebody rational lives with Max! I am fuming even now as I think about it. Oh yeah, he also took three of the rolls of toilet paper and give them newspaper to use instead. I don't remember if I said this before but since Max doesn't want to pay for sewage and running water in the house, the kids use the bathtub as their toilet. I have no idea how that works or is allowed! He said that they didn't need real toilet paper since they didn't have real toilets! AHHH!!! I just want to scream! I need to move on to the rest of the day or I am going to put myself in a bad mood again.
NANTALE'S
Our last stop of the night was at Nantale's orphanage. We had bought shoes for the cook that works there because we didn't realize she needed them on our first trip. We also only bought school books for primary school students so we had to get some for the girls in secondary school. It was fitting that Godfrey got to come with us because this was the original reason that we met him a few years ago.
The day went surprisingly well, but I realized towards the end that all I ate all day was a piece of bread with nutella and jam. I was probably getting a little cranky because of it. I guess that I got a little taste of being hungry. I still can't stop thinking about the boy, Ivan, at Kayunga, being surprised that we had never gone two days without food. I was mad about not eating for something like 10 hours - clearly I am spoiled!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Answering prayers
Today was just a beautiful day all around. As we are getting ready to finish up all of our projects and arrange for all of our final plans, we are trying to make the most of every situation. What we did to today was perfect. It's always hard to be here representing Medicine for Sick Children and being responsible for deciding how to spend the money that people have given us in the right way. I am always praying about where the money should be used and how the best way to be good stewards of what we have is. It's complicated to figure out where to buy food to get the best price or if we should be new shoes for a few kids or used shoes for a lot of kids. I think we have done a great job so far about spending it in the right place and today was a confirmation of truly doing the right thing at the right time!
House of Peace is an orphanage in a very poor village that's over 2 hours away from Kampala - without jam. We went there one time earlier in the trip, but we weren't planning on going back because the trip is really long and it's pretty much committing to an entire day of activity. The place really is peaceful. It's well organized because the orphanage has so much land. Paster Kawooya, who runs the orphanage, is a beautiful man who is planning to do good things for not only the orphans, but the whole village. He has been truly grateful to every little thing that we bring him and he never asks for more that what we bring. He trusts that God will provide for everything that they need, no matter how small it is.
As we left the first time, I told them that we might try to come back with my mom because something told me that this would be a good place for her to go. In addition, there were many of the kids and some of the caregivers who were not around the first time and I was really hoping we could get all of the data we needed for the study to be better. I left Patrick, one of the older boys in charge of that task. I did the same thing at Agape and it usually doesn't work out so well, so my expectations were actually quite low.
When I told my mom the plans for the day and talked about going there, she wasn't so excited because she knew it would be a long day and she wanted to get back to meet this guy, Felix, who she had met while on her detour through Kigali. I was honestly more worried about going to Kayunga and didn't care if I met Felix or not, but it was important to her so I wanted to make sure it happened.
We were trying to decide what to buy for House of Peace the day before and my mom suggested that we just ask Pastor Kawooya what he needed. I was expecting clothes or matresses or lights or something we wouldn't have the budget for. Instead he came back with - Rice, Beans, Posho, Sugar, and Soap! That's such an easy order! Since there are at least 50 people, we tried to buy as much as possible. We ended up with:
50 kg of rice for 165,000 ($80)
57 kg of beans for 150,000 ($70)
75 kg of posho - it's a porridge made of corn used as a staple in many meals for 150,000 ($70)
25 kg of sugar for 70,000 ($30)
20 kg of soap plus 10 huge bar soaps for 150,000 ($70)
We filled the car with all of this stuff and headed out. Since JB was driving there for the first time, we weren't sure if we were going the right way. I kept thinking it was coming soon or would be the next town, but it was always a little further. Luckily, Pastor K called and assured me we were close! When we met him at the petrol station in town, he and Patrick greeted us with huge smiles. They joined us in our full car and we drove to the village. In order to get there, you have to take a pretty good dirt road for 10 minutes or so and then turn off onto the village road for another 15. The last 15 is always a challenge. We have to go through some cornfields and random swampy areas that are barely passable. I am always amazed that we don't get stuck!
When we arrived, the kids were so excited to see that we brought them food. They kept thanking us for bringing it. The greatest thing was the boys who came up and thanked me just for coming back. They said, you told us you would try to come back with your mom and you did. You kept your word and that shows that you LOVE US! AH!!! Since when does my showing up show such a great love? I was just floored by the thought of how important it was for us to follow through. How many times in life do we forget about returning a phone call or a text or skip out on an engagement with people? It means a lot to follow through on plans and when we do, people feel like we care about them. So even when it feels like a burden to keep plans because we are too busy, too tired, or we need to study (that's often my excuse!!), the burden is worth it when it does something for somebody to show you care. I am so glad that we made it back to see them again even though it added to our long list of things to do.
Patrick and the boys followed through on their deal too! They got the heights and weights of all of the kids. Patrick even went to the kids' schools to get the ones that were missing! I was SO IMPRESSED! These boys really keep their word and they work hard to be faithful with the things they are blessed with, no matter how small they are! A few of them also got together to tell me about a boy they treated who had a huge wound that was infected with maggots! Yuck! The boy couldn't even walk and nobody was treating his wound. One of the boys cleared out the maggots, used hydrogen peroxide and some other medicines to treat the wound and keep it clean and wrapped! Now the boy is working on walking again and he is doing really well! These are boys that now want to be doctors (I call them my future doctors). Unfortunately, it is really difficult for them to get to medical school, let alone university. They would have to have really high marks on their secondary exams - which is difficult if you had to miss a lot of school and don't have time or money to buy and read all of the materials. If they don't get high marks, they have to pay for university fees themselves, which is not an option for any of the kids that stay here.....it really depresses me to think that they won't really have a chance, but maybe by the time they are ready I will be able to help them out.
The best thing is that the food we brought was exactly what they needed! When we asked Pastor K yesterday, he had just gotten a call from Patrick saying all the food was gone and the maize they had was not yet dry enough to make into Posho. When they showed me the storeroom it was totally true - there was literally NO FOOD. The only thing in the room were two sacks of the scrap from the last time they ground maize into posho and it is not edible by people - it is used to feed the goats! We truly brought them what they needed at the right time. They had been praying that God would provide and he totally did through our willingness to step out and do something! I am so glad that I have a big God who connects people emotionally, spiritually, and physically in our times of need!
Pastor K also showed us the location that they want to build a school. The land they have is huge because it belonged to Pastor K's family. His parents and about a dozen siblings have all died from HIV/AIDS. He now decided to take in all the orphans of the village and use his family's land to do it. There are even some buildings that are half started because his brother passed away before they were finished. The school would be a huge addition for them because now the kids walk 1-2 hours one way to get to school in town. If there was a school in the village area, the orphanage kids and the other village kids would have a much easier time learning and it would improve their chances for a better future. Pastor K's plans are well thought, he just needs some money and support to get it off the ground. He is patient and is praying for plans to come together. In the meantime he is being obedient in planning and doing his part. They have cleared the land by hand. The boys are starting to make bricks. Patrick told me that they are building the bricks because if they build the bricks and get things ready, when God comes through, they will be ready. It reminds me of David, who was told he would be a great king some day but he didn't know when. He went out and wrote Psalms and prayed and prepared himself for what was to come. I know God has a plan for this village and these kids and they are ready to follow. They do everything in prayer and know that their God loves them and wants to do good things. I am so excited that I have met them and I will continue to pray for them and help out in any way that I am able!! (So if anybody knows somebody with some extra money that wants a school named after them, I clearly have the perfect place. They would even welcome visitors with their own place to stay. You just have to be okay with no electricity and drop toilets for a little while - or you could stay in town, but the village is more fun!)
Pastor K and my mom
The site for the new school. We even prayed over their plans!
The team of boys who are taking care of the medicine
With a bunch of the kids after we arrived
Maize that is drying.....it is picked, cleaned, and worked on BY HAND!
Patrick with the food that we brought
The leftover food that is for the goats only!
It was such a wonderful experience even though it was only a few hours. At night, we met Felix and I have to say even though I was skeptical and not really excited about meeting him, I am so glad I did! He is an awesome guy who loves his family, loves his country, and is working hard for the UN on AIDS projects all over the world. He had a lot of great insight on our project and is super helpful. He was just as nice as my mom said and he really enjoys laughing with my mom, too! It was a perfect way to spend the night! Today is going to be really busy and I am just praying we can get everything we need to do finished in a fairly short amount of time so we can enjoy Watoto one last time tomorrow and have some time to relax on Sunday as we are packing to leave!
House of Peace is an orphanage in a very poor village that's over 2 hours away from Kampala - without jam. We went there one time earlier in the trip, but we weren't planning on going back because the trip is really long and it's pretty much committing to an entire day of activity. The place really is peaceful. It's well organized because the orphanage has so much land. Paster Kawooya, who runs the orphanage, is a beautiful man who is planning to do good things for not only the orphans, but the whole village. He has been truly grateful to every little thing that we bring him and he never asks for more that what we bring. He trusts that God will provide for everything that they need, no matter how small it is.
As we left the first time, I told them that we might try to come back with my mom because something told me that this would be a good place for her to go. In addition, there were many of the kids and some of the caregivers who were not around the first time and I was really hoping we could get all of the data we needed for the study to be better. I left Patrick, one of the older boys in charge of that task. I did the same thing at Agape and it usually doesn't work out so well, so my expectations were actually quite low.
When I told my mom the plans for the day and talked about going there, she wasn't so excited because she knew it would be a long day and she wanted to get back to meet this guy, Felix, who she had met while on her detour through Kigali. I was honestly more worried about going to Kayunga and didn't care if I met Felix or not, but it was important to her so I wanted to make sure it happened.
We were trying to decide what to buy for House of Peace the day before and my mom suggested that we just ask Pastor Kawooya what he needed. I was expecting clothes or matresses or lights or something we wouldn't have the budget for. Instead he came back with - Rice, Beans, Posho, Sugar, and Soap! That's such an easy order! Since there are at least 50 people, we tried to buy as much as possible. We ended up with:
50 kg of rice for 165,000 ($80)
57 kg of beans for 150,000 ($70)
75 kg of posho - it's a porridge made of corn used as a staple in many meals for 150,000 ($70)
25 kg of sugar for 70,000 ($30)
20 kg of soap plus 10 huge bar soaps for 150,000 ($70)
We filled the car with all of this stuff and headed out. Since JB was driving there for the first time, we weren't sure if we were going the right way. I kept thinking it was coming soon or would be the next town, but it was always a little further. Luckily, Pastor K called and assured me we were close! When we met him at the petrol station in town, he and Patrick greeted us with huge smiles. They joined us in our full car and we drove to the village. In order to get there, you have to take a pretty good dirt road for 10 minutes or so and then turn off onto the village road for another 15. The last 15 is always a challenge. We have to go through some cornfields and random swampy areas that are barely passable. I am always amazed that we don't get stuck!
When we arrived, the kids were so excited to see that we brought them food. They kept thanking us for bringing it. The greatest thing was the boys who came up and thanked me just for coming back. They said, you told us you would try to come back with your mom and you did. You kept your word and that shows that you LOVE US! AH!!! Since when does my showing up show such a great love? I was just floored by the thought of how important it was for us to follow through. How many times in life do we forget about returning a phone call or a text or skip out on an engagement with people? It means a lot to follow through on plans and when we do, people feel like we care about them. So even when it feels like a burden to keep plans because we are too busy, too tired, or we need to study (that's often my excuse!!), the burden is worth it when it does something for somebody to show you care. I am so glad that we made it back to see them again even though it added to our long list of things to do.
Patrick and the boys followed through on their deal too! They got the heights and weights of all of the kids. Patrick even went to the kids' schools to get the ones that were missing! I was SO IMPRESSED! These boys really keep their word and they work hard to be faithful with the things they are blessed with, no matter how small they are! A few of them also got together to tell me about a boy they treated who had a huge wound that was infected with maggots! Yuck! The boy couldn't even walk and nobody was treating his wound. One of the boys cleared out the maggots, used hydrogen peroxide and some other medicines to treat the wound and keep it clean and wrapped! Now the boy is working on walking again and he is doing really well! These are boys that now want to be doctors (I call them my future doctors). Unfortunately, it is really difficult for them to get to medical school, let alone university. They would have to have really high marks on their secondary exams - which is difficult if you had to miss a lot of school and don't have time or money to buy and read all of the materials. If they don't get high marks, they have to pay for university fees themselves, which is not an option for any of the kids that stay here.....it really depresses me to think that they won't really have a chance, but maybe by the time they are ready I will be able to help them out.
The best thing is that the food we brought was exactly what they needed! When we asked Pastor K yesterday, he had just gotten a call from Patrick saying all the food was gone and the maize they had was not yet dry enough to make into Posho. When they showed me the storeroom it was totally true - there was literally NO FOOD. The only thing in the room were two sacks of the scrap from the last time they ground maize into posho and it is not edible by people - it is used to feed the goats! We truly brought them what they needed at the right time. They had been praying that God would provide and he totally did through our willingness to step out and do something! I am so glad that I have a big God who connects people emotionally, spiritually, and physically in our times of need!
Pastor K also showed us the location that they want to build a school. The land they have is huge because it belonged to Pastor K's family. His parents and about a dozen siblings have all died from HIV/AIDS. He now decided to take in all the orphans of the village and use his family's land to do it. There are even some buildings that are half started because his brother passed away before they were finished. The school would be a huge addition for them because now the kids walk 1-2 hours one way to get to school in town. If there was a school in the village area, the orphanage kids and the other village kids would have a much easier time learning and it would improve their chances for a better future. Pastor K's plans are well thought, he just needs some money and support to get it off the ground. He is patient and is praying for plans to come together. In the meantime he is being obedient in planning and doing his part. They have cleared the land by hand. The boys are starting to make bricks. Patrick told me that they are building the bricks because if they build the bricks and get things ready, when God comes through, they will be ready. It reminds me of David, who was told he would be a great king some day but he didn't know when. He went out and wrote Psalms and prayed and prepared himself for what was to come. I know God has a plan for this village and these kids and they are ready to follow. They do everything in prayer and know that their God loves them and wants to do good things. I am so excited that I have met them and I will continue to pray for them and help out in any way that I am able!! (So if anybody knows somebody with some extra money that wants a school named after them, I clearly have the perfect place. They would even welcome visitors with their own place to stay. You just have to be okay with no electricity and drop toilets for a little while - or you could stay in town, but the village is more fun!)
Pastor K and my mom
With a bunch of the kids after we arrived
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