the last trek

after an unintentional 17 hours of driving (suppose to be only 8) we arrived in bwindi national park safely. exhausted after only 3 hours sleep and worn out from a seemingly endless car ride, lacey and i trekked to a family of gorillas. thankfully the gorillas had moved right to the edge of the forest so the trek was only 1 hour to reach the apes. we spent 1 hour observing the gorillas: 1 silverback, 4 babies/youth, and 12 adults. i was struck by their mannerisms because they seem very similar to humans. we got within 5 feet of an adult that just sat their watching us, calm as can be. it is amazing how comfortable they were with our presence. much of the 1 hour we had with them we spent sitting alongside them as they ate, relaxed, and played. i wish i would have taken a picture of the similar way the people on our trek were sitting and how the ape positioned themselves because it was almost identical.

the following day we took a village walk. we visited a banana brewery where we tasted the three stages of production: juice, wine, and gin. i wasn't too impressed with the juice or wine but the gin was quality. i ended up buying a water bottle size amount from the brewer's wife which cost me 5,000 shillings (approximately $3). next we visited a traditional healer who shared herbal treatment techniques with us. finally we visited the pigmy (sp?) tribe and they performed traditional dances for us. i felt uncomfortable during their performance because they became the "attraction" and i the "tourist". i would have rather sat down and spoke with them as individuals about the social challenges associated with moving from life in the forest to an entirely new lifestyle. despite my discomfort toward the end, the village walk was fun and educational overall.

on the last leg our a final travels in uganda we drove through ishasha (sp?), the southern part of queen elizabeth park. we drove this way hoping to see the tree climbing lions (1 of the 2 populations in all of africa) but were not successful :(

my time traveling uganda has officially come to end. i remain in masaka town to finish last minute work responsibilities for now, and soon i will be heading home. it's been 9.5 weeks and i can hardly believe it. i have gotten quite comfortable here in africa. coming home will be yet another experience to add to learning i've gained on this trip.

The last few days

My time in Uganda is coming to an end. I have mix feelings about leaving. Part of me is excited to begin a new life in Vancouver with this enriching experience under my belt and another part of me feels that I have only just begun. It has taken me at least a month to get use to being here and to begin to understand how things work in Uganda. In order to work in a country that is foreign to mine, I needed time to take in the experience and observe what was happening. I did remain at TASO but I started to go part time. After a month of being there I was still struggling with being engaged in the activites and did not really feel I was much help to anyone. I did learn a lot about TASO and the amazing work they are doing dealing with HIV/AIDS issues and challenges here in Uganda. The other practicum I started was at a school working with youth. That was an amazing opportunity for me. I was very involved with the students and very blown away at how amazing the kids of Uganda are. When I got there the students had started a social work club. They wanted to learn about social work and wanted me to help with projects. I was so happy to be in a placement where I felt wanted and needed. I did my best to teach the students everything I new about what it is to be a social worker. The five girls and I went to give workshops in some of the classrooms to recruit new members for the social work club. Five girls started the club then five boys joined and now there are 65 members. When I got there the club was going to a disability group that meets at a community center. A women named Mary started this group in her community to help families with disabled members feel supported in the community. Many children in Uganda with disabilities do not get to go to school and do not have the same access to supports as other children do. The social work club members go to the disability group once a week to teach them some school subjects, share music and games. It is a wonderful project and I hope it continues and expands. Since being at the school I have been asked by so many children for help with school fees. School fees are such a big obstacle for so many children here. The children want to be in school so badly because education gives them hope for a life with less poverty. My experience with working with these girls has been one of love and respect. I admire their strength and endurance to work hard and succeed. I have decided to help one girl with school fees. I only wish I could help more.

I have also had the opportunity to do some amazing travels while I have been here. I have seen many amazing animals, met amazing people and enjoyed Uganda's music, smiles and culture. I have even gotten use to the food. Uganda's food is not my favorite cuisine but I am at the point now where I can enjoy matoke (a popular Uganda dish of steamed plantains). I will miss Uganda and feel blessed to have gotten to spend some time here. I only hope that someday Africa will be relieved of the oppressive poverty that make so many peoples lives hard.

dream come true

our final destination was murchison falls where i fulfilled my life-long dream of seeing giraffes in their natural habitat. i could go on about our experience there but realize i've already written up a storm. so i will keep this entry short. this trips highlights included:

- blue-balled baboons (seriously they were bright turquoise!)
- herds of elephants & nearly being charged by the alpha male(largest elephant i've ever seen!)
- getting withing 10ft and the huge gentle giants (giraffes) & a beautiful sunset among over thirty giraffes
- eating all our meals with our hands on the floor african style
- seeing the mighty nile push through the narrow passage at murchison falls (most powerful river flow in all of africa!)
- and having a hippo the size of our van grazing outside my screen door our first night there!

we didn't see any lions this time round but the trip was unbelievable regardless. & once again words cannot describe what we saw or did, nor can my pictures capture the beauty that was before me. the wildlife is something every person must see for themselves.

murchison = dream come true!

well, thanks for listening to me re-live my experience through the blog. till next time,

- rachel -

getting a name

our second trip last week began with a stop in jinja. along the way our driver had us over for a yummy lunch at his home in kampala where he proudly showed us photos of his family, his son's report cards, and other family treasures. once in jinja we stayed in a quite resort-like hotel located right across from the nile river. outside the hotel, groups of children of all ages howled with laughter as they played barefoot soccer (or football as they call it here) and welcomed us with smiles and hollers of "muzungu"!!! "muzungu" is a term used to identify foreigners or more commonly, caucasian people.

jinja marks the source of the nile river and is home to 10 mighty white water rapids. we spent the entire next day rafting the nile; taking on 5 grade 5, 3 grade 4, and 2 grade 3 ridiculously powerful rapids. thankfully the day was divided into two sections of rapid riding because between paddling and the smoking hot sun we needed a break. the rapids are spread out along 32kms of river with long stretches of calm (but still with strong current) river to enjoy swimming in. as you approach the rapids you first hear them roaring, then you see splashing, and as you paddle up you see the insane volume of water squeezing through narrow gorges and dropping in elevation, creating natures thrilling rollercoaster ride! the 6ft high waves, 2 meter elevation drop, 6m wide gorge, and 3 meter waterfall drop were among the grade 5 rapids we conquered that day. the rapids are named things like "big brother" and "the bad place"... but even these names cannot describe the thrill and adventure we had that day. at the end of the trip we paddled 1/2 mile upstream (as if we hadn't gotten enough exercise already) to our final landing place. we were greeted with complimentary sodas, 'nile special' beer and a skewer & chapati bbq.

one of the staff at the final landing point was wearing a "canada eh?" shirt which i complimented as we walked up from the river. as he handed me refreshing bottle of water he asked me my ugandan name. i told him i did not yet have one (which i had started to feel sad about since i'd been in uganda for almost 8 weeks already), and within minutes he'd chosen one for me :)! i'm officially part of the "caterpillar clan" and go by the name "nabweteme". i think this clan is very appropriate for me considering i frequently draw cartoon caterpillars, love their slow and fuzzy nature, and recently took care of a caterpillar-attacked child (the one's hear have spikes and shoot them at you when frightened).

final thought, jinja = an adventure to remember!

- rachel -

sad but beautiful

we spent some time travelling around east africa last week. we visited rwanda and some very beautiful places in uganda which included jinja and murchison falls. in rwanda we stopped in kigali to visit the genocide memorial and then accidentally drove 1.5 hours beyond the turnoff to our next destination which was lake kivu in kibuye. the genocide memorial was an educational but emotional experience. i was particularly struck by the stories of children who were murdered during the genocide. there was an entire section of the memorial site dedicated to sharing their names, ages, photographs and causes of death. this was by far the most emotionally challenging area for me to read through. photographs of families and individuals whose lives were taken during the genocide were also on display. as well as some tools and weapons used to take lives during the years of the genocide. it is hard to believe the number of lives lost and the hatred that brought people to commit such inhuman crimes. kigali is such a beautiful city and rwanda such a beautiful country... it makes me feel sick to my stomach when i imagine the horror that spread throughout this nation during the years of the genocide.

when we woke up at lake kivu the following day, i was struck by rwanda's natural beauty. i'm so glad we took one day to really enjoy rwanda since the memorial site the day before had left sadness in my heart. lake kivu is located amid rolling hills and green, lush mountains. the lake borders rwanda in the east and the democratic republic of congo in the west and stretches so far across that you almost can't see the other side. we took a boat trip to an island where we enjoyed the 3 s's: sunbathing, swimming and sodas. it was a relaxing day that ended with a magnificent sunset at our hotel located on the river's edge.

overall, rwanda = worth the extra driving

- rachel-

the impossible blog

this blog was written on monday june 1st, a day and a half after the adventure took place. i attempted to upload this entry 3 times that week but due to shotty internet access i had no luck. finally it has worked today and i get to share this story with you. i hope you enjoy it! :)

original blog entry title = "fun" on the coaster

i think it is about time i share something a little more light-hearted..

lacey and i decided to take ourselves on a short adventure. we chose to take a day trip to kampala this past saturday to do some light shopping. we left the house at approximately 6:30am and headed into town to catch the coaster which was expected to leave at 7:30am. the coaster is a 29 passenger "bus" that drives direct between various cities in uganda. we reached the taxi park (one square block where all the boda-bodas (motorbikes), taxis, mutatus, and coasters congregate) at around 6:55am and were the first passengers aboard the coaster. we had choice seats near the front, right behind the driver and started to get very excited to be embarking on this adventure together. by the time 7:30am came along there were maybe 5 other passengers on board. unlike in canada, buses in uganda wait until they've reached their maximum capacity before taking off. the coaster wasn't full until 8:20am so we finally left for kampala at 8:30am.

once the coaster was full, lacey and i developed a greater appreciation for our seats because we had actual seats! the isle became seats as the coaster fills up. there are these little fold down seats with no cushions and 1/2 a back rest which accommodate the late arrival passengers. i was so thankful we had gotten on early even if we did have to wait for 1.5 hours before leaving because my seat had a cushion and it was a bumpy ride.

lacey had the wonderful opportunity to sit next to a chicken which was seated on top of a women's lap. thankfully it was a quiet little chicken and fell asleep for the first hour of the ride. like the chicken next to lacey, i also fell asleep. it was a relaxing nap until i was woken up by a loud squawk! the chicken, who by this point had woken up was aroused by lacey's snack; she had brought out crackers and this chicken clearly wanted in on the goods. though i didn't see so myself, the chicken settled down but continued to lightly peck lacey's arm for the remainder of the 2.5 hour drive to kampala. perhaps it hoped her shirt tasted like cracker dust?

upon our arrival at the kampala taxi park, we were stuck in a mutatu traffic jam. honestly there were nearly 100 vans bumper to bumper for 2 blocks before the entrance to the park. we tried to stick it out and wait until we were in the park but gave up after 20 minutes of waiting. so we got directions to our next destination and headed on out!

we spent the afternoon in kampala and were back at the coaster by 4:45pm to head back home to masaka. the taxi park was, once again, backed up down the block. our taxi driver couldn't get us to the coaster by car so he hired a young man to walk us there for 1000 shillings (approximately 75 cents). the taxi park in kampala makes the one in masaka look like a vast wasteland. there were mutatus and coasters absolutely everywhere! honestly, there were hundreds of them parked tightly together and were surrounded by just as many people walking on foot. he lead us through the chaos right to the coaster destined for masaka.

we stepped on board and there were only four seats left.. all of which were down the middle of the isle except one right up front with half the leg room as normal seats. unfortunately they all had no cushions and half sized back rests. lacey snagged the front one and I waited for the crummy isle seat right next to the door… an attempt to save myself from being stuck in the middle with no way out!

the ride was better than expected other then the 40 minutes spent driving in the dark. driving in the dark is a scary experience. people keep their high beams on to notify other drivers where they are, but this just temporary blinds others on the road making it even more likely to crash. i thought we were going to crash about 5 times. after the first two close calls I had to look away, it was simply too frightening to look at the oncoming traffic. Fortunately we did not crash, and I live to tell this coaster story. phew!

Dealing with Death

The lovely woman (I will refer to her as "J") who I have been visiting in Ward 2 died this morning. When I arrived early to visit her today, the sweet nursing student who has been interpreting for me got tears in her eyes and broke the news to me. I was not entirely surprised because J has been very ill but it does not make the loss of her life any easier to deal with. I guess there was a part of me that was not expecting it though. Last week I had met with the hospital social worker and we worked together to get J on an IV drip and back on ARV treatment. I guess I thought she was going to get better and be a bit stronger the next time I saw her.

This morning as I stood over her tiny little body that was covered by the colourful sarong she always wore, I couldnt help but feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. I told her I was going to visit her yesterday, and I didnt make it there. I worked until 7pm at Ward 14 and was exhausted.... so I went home and ate dinner, relaxed and went to bed. Instead of visiting her for 15 minutes...

I never thought that through the time that I knew J that I could save her life. I wanted to show her respect and compassion and help her to pass in a comfortable and dignified way. But by not visiting her last night, and by not being able to say goodbye to her, I worry that she thought I forgot about her. I only hope that in her final moments she knew that she was in my heart and that I truly cared for her. I hope that she is now in a peaceful place with people to love her and keep her company. I pray that her spirit is sensing the pain that I feel for her but also the joy, appreciation and honour that I feel for having briefly been involved in her life. She was a strong, brave and beautiful woman. -K

Saying goodbye to CRO & KCSS is hard to do

Wow my last week! I can not believe it! I am so sad about leaving yet I am also happy to be coming home! This experience has truly changed me in ways I had not expected. I have met so many wonderful people here & seen so many challenging things yet one thing that remains consistent is the incredible resisliency & heart of the people. For sure I will come back someday hopefully sooner then later but I will definately carry the memories & moments with me always. Saying goodbye is never easy so wish me luck this week as it will be a hard part of the journey. Thanks to all my supporters back home & I will see you soon...

gorilla tracking

Nalukwago

Nalukwago

Nalukwago (pronounced Na-loo-kwa-go) is the Luganda name that has been given to me by my good friends at the Uganda Schizophrenia Fellowship. I feel so proud to have a name and the way they pronounce it sounds very pretty. Many people have a hard time saying my actual name. It usually comes out as "Kawa" or "Kalla." But Nalukwago is a common name and most people that I work with prefer to use it.
I went on another village rally last weekend and had a great day. The "sensitization" rallies that the Fellowship puts on each month are great for educating communities, raising awareness and give patients and their famillies the power and opportunity to help others who are dealing with mental illness. Now that I have been here for 6 weeks, when I visit the villages and people's homes I am no longer a stranger to everyone. People recognize me, know my name, ask how I am and make me feel so welcome. I have become friends with many of the members and really enjoy spending time with them.
The Library at Tekera is open to the community and people are loving it. There are comfortable couches for reading and lounging, current newspapers every morning, many culturally relevent children's books, a quiet study area, adult English classes that are taught twice a week and there is even a puppet theatre that we had made by a local carpenter. The community has received it well and word is spreading that it has opened.
The girls and I have taken a few drumming and dancing classes. We have become friends with a couple of the the performers from a local dance group (see the photo posted below) and they enjoy coming to our house to teach us. The dancing is a great workout and banging on drums can be very therapeutic after a full-on day at the mental health ward.
Three of us spent the weekend gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenitrable Forrest in the southeast of Uganda. It took us ten hours to get there by car (it is only under 400kms away) on terrible dusty dirt track full of large stones and deep pot holes. Our tracking permits allowed us to visit the Habinyanja group which is made up of about 20 gorillas including one silverback, many blackbacks and moms and their babies. We hiked for over 5 hours in thick, muddy jungle to get to the family and when we finally reached them it was absolute magic. We were able to stay for one hour to observe them. There were times when we were as close as one metre away from them. The silverback was gorgeous. He sat across from us, ate his leaves and sticks, stared at us curiously, and pounded on his chest every once in a while. They are strong, healthy and gorgeous animals and what amazed me the most was how peaceful they were.
I am starting to understand how serious malaria is. When I was planning on coming to Uganda I considered not taking malaria medication. I thought that if I got sick it would be a bad flu for a week or so and I would be able to deal with it and recover. But I have learned that malaria is an incredibly serious illness. The children's ward is full of terribly sick kids and a majority of them have malaria. I have met a very large number of patients at the mental health ward that are experiencing pshychosis related to cerebral malaria or a bad case of malaria has acted as a trigger/stress that has made them mentally ill. One of the girls worked at a school for children with disabilities and many of the children were born healthy but got malaria in childhood that left them severely physically and mentally challenged. Many of the children were deaf and blind. Sleeping under a mosquito net is of course a way to prevent malaria but a net costs about 10,000UGX (around $6.00) and for many families that is far too much money to spend on something that is not considered a neccessity.
While the last week has been full of friendships, connections, learning, hard work, dancing, and travelling, it has also been very overwhelming and emotionally challenging. I am thankful that the experiences I am currently having are happening after six weeks of being here because if they happened in the first week I dont think I would have lasted. I have had a few days at the mental health ward that have made me feel deeply sad, angry and confused. I visited a man in the male medical ward who had tried to commit suicide and with the help of my Ugandan colleagues was able to hear his story. I have never heard someone be so deeply discusted with life. I couldnt understand most of what he was saying but I didnt need the words to sense the emotions that he was feeling.
All patients must have a caretaker when they come to the hospital whether they are in the mental health unit or the surgery ward. The caretaker helps their patient to eat, bath, feel comfortable and feel love. If the patient does not have a caretaker, then they have no one to assist them. I have connected with a female patient who is in the late stages of AIDS and each morning I go to visit her I fear that she will not be there. This woman does not have a caretaker, which mean she does not eat, and has no one to encourage her. I feel so disturbed that she is so close to death and has no one by her bedside. I have never met someone that is this sick and close to death. I know that these are realities I will face in my career in social services but because I am new to this field I am still learning how to cope and deal with the range of emotions I am experiencing.

Dance Performance@ CRO

Today @ CRO was definately the highlight of my time here in Uganda so far. I met a local dance troop called Hallelua Yesu Akwagala and asked them to perform @ CRO for the street children. I was expecting a few performers to come but the whole team showed up with costumes & instruments. It was the last day of the break so many of the street children were returning to school so it was a perfect way to send them off. Most of the performers were also orphans & previous street children so it was so amazing to connect them to CRO. Many of the children got up & danced & sang & were able to be children for a change. Many people from the community came to watch as did my colleages. Well pretty great to be apart of the culture here & even though I am only here for a short while our motto is to help support sustainable projects that continue after we leave & I hope the connection between this dance troop & CRO is one that will continue not only to instill hope but also to make for a better future for these street children. Honouring their culuture with music & dance is not only healing but also empowering. Well pretty hard to beat this week but I will definately strive to.To be continued...Michelle

KCSS Social Work Field Trip

Well it was another great day of social work @ KCSS. Today we took the youth on a big social work field trip into town from the village. They started out at the internet café which they were very excited about to conduct some research & set up email accounts. Then we went to TASO(The Aids Society Organization) which was such a great learning experience for them as well as a great resource for them to access. From there we went to the Mental Health ward in the hospital which was quite an eye opening experience for them. Many people in Uganda believe that mental health issues are caused by Witchcraft, so it is difficult for people to get proper medical treatment. Next but most importantly we visited the woman with the broken back that we had taken to the hospital earlier in the week. She looked much better as she had been seen by the doctor & was receving treatment.After the hospital tour we proceeded to CRO in an EXTREME rainstorm. Oh well always an adventure in the field of social work. We arrived at CRO & the street children were very excited. This was definately the highlight of my day seeing the KCSS students teach to the CRO children. They taught in Launga with such authority & conviction on topics such as HIV/AIDS, child aduse, food/nutrition, child rights,health & social work. As this project was such a great endeavor the goal will be for the students to return in the future & provide more support & modeling for the street children. The KCSS students definately enjoyed the day & my colleage & I thought it was one of our best days here as well.Stay tuned..Michelle

back to school

i have officially been away from home for five weeks which totals exactly one half of my time in uganda. i have mixed feelings about what today symbolizes in regards to my africa experience. from one perspective i feel i've had five great educational weeks that have gone by slowly enough for me to grasp the experience fully. but on the other hand i sometimes feel like time is going by so quickly that i don't have enough time to really root myself in this experience and absorb everything there is to learn. it makes living life quite confusing when i cannot comprehend everything that is happening to me and around me. i think i must be patient and wait to see what i'm taking from this experience once i get home and have time to make sense of it all.

my work at the daycare today was very brief; there were only two young children at the center since the new school semester begins today. this means many families are busy arranging for their children to get to, and settle in at school. as a result many of the younger children who i would typically see at the daycare are out with their families accompanying their older siblings to school. not only that, the older children who i am accustomed to working with at the daycare will no longer be attending the service because they start school today. they had only been attending the center during semester break.

i have mixed feelings about this as well. on one hand i am happy to hear that most of the children i've been working with have the opportunity to go to school, but on the other hand i am sad they will no longer be coming around the center. i've built some very strong relationships with these children over the past four weeks and feel i must mourn the loss of some of those bonds today.

it is a strange and saddening feeling i must deal with because now, during school time, the primary function of the daycare is to support children who come to uganda cares for hiv/aids testing and treatment. i hope to see the children i've come to know so well again, but will find myself constantly reminded of the many challenges they face living with hiv since their visits will fall on clinic days (tuesday and friday) alone. don't get me wrong, their visits to the uganda cares clinic for hiv/aids treatment are extremely positive and i am very thankful the clinic serves children. but from my emotionally-connected perspective it is very difficult to look forward to their visits now, as i will be constantly reminded of the challenges they face living with hiv. i witness and attempt to understand/believe that these children live with such a debilitating disease every day but continue to find it very challenging to comprehend. until today i had almost completely forgotten that these wonderful, innocent little children were hiv +.

who knew something as simple as a new school semester would elicit such emotions and ignite a profound learning experience.

till next time,

-rachel-

my second practicum placement

originally i planned to work on masaka regional referral hospital's many wards as a social work student completing tasks such as arranging transport for individuals who have been discharged, locating attendants for individuals left at the hospital without anyone to care for them, and getting birth certificates for orphaned children. however due to a change in interest i have decided to narrow my focus at the hospital to one ward in specific. due to my increased interest in hiv work and my drastic increase in comfort around individuals who have hiv, i've set out to complete my second praciticum practicum at the m.c.h. ward. i will work here wednesdays and thursdays for the remaining duration of my practicum in uganda.

m.c.h. which stands for the 'maternal and child health' clinic offers many services including hiv/aids and health education, antenatal care, child immunizations, routine testing and counselling (r.t.c.) for pregnant women and their husbands, postnatal care, and gynecological services. this ward is funded through an initiative working to reduce parent to child transmission of hiv.

working at m.c.h. i have the opportunity to experience a variety of situations. for example i spend time with women awaiting hiv testing, offer a listening ear and a hand to hold while women/children are being tested, and partake in post-test counselling as individuals receive their tests results. last week i managed to spend an entire morning in the laboratory as individuals were test for hiv. this was a huge accomplishment for me since i am known to have a fear of needles and ill stomach at the sight of blood. i was very nervous entering the laboratory but managed to stay strong and confident for the individuals being tested; i did not want my fear of needles or blood to project onto the clients and increase their already heightened anxiety. i told myself 'rachel, if these individuals can have the courage to test their hiv status then you can handle the sight of needles and blood'. miraculously after about three clients i was able to comfortably watch the entire testing process.

being present for hiv test result delivery was my next fear to overcome. since i am present for testing i know an individual's status before they do. i feel an uncomfortable sense of power over the clients in this situation, but am working to understand that service providers are automatically placed in this power position over clients. i am trying to gain a better understanding of how to competently work within this power imbalance without coming across as agreeable to it.

nurses have the responsibility of delivering the test results where my role is to assist in post-test counselling with individuals who understand and are comfortable with speaking english. post-test counselling consists of emotionally supporting the client, making sure they understand what is the next step in their situation (positive = hiv treatment, negative = how to protect themselves from this point forward). i speak with the client about their fears or concerns prior to result delivery, what they know about keeping themselves healthy, and help to empower them to take control of their situation once they know their status. i am very nervous in post-test counselling sessions but have wonderful support from my supervisor. i am confident that my comfort level with this will eventually increase as i become more familiar with the process and gain more experience.

well, that's it for now. thanks for reading :)

-rachel-

Social work @ Kittengessa Secondery School

My practicum at Kittengesa Secondary School has been really amazing and rewarding. We are working with a group of 12 youth to do social work projects in the community. They are working with a disability group in the village to teach english, business, games & educating them on several relevant social issues that the people of uganda face. They have been working with families in need in the villages with various projects such as farming.Today was quite an eventful social work day we did some home visits and some outreach work. WE embarked on some sustainable farming projects in two homes where both caregivers could not afford to feed their families, so we supplied them with seeds & supplies.As well we took a very sick relative to the hospital. She had a broken back and in the advanced stages of HIV. She was in so much pain and could not afford medical treatment for three months. We avocated for her with her docotor and arranged for transport with her to the hospital. The hospital was a whole nother experience so many people in tough situations and not enough doctors & nurses. The social worker & I launched into more work while at the hospital such as carrying patients into the emergency room doors and fixing iv drips. After the events I experienced today as much as I was exhausted & overwlemed I had this sense of amazement & hope watching these social work students give back to their community & the gratitude of the people recieving the support was so deep. Our next project will be this thursday the big trip to town for the youth to connect with the services & gain more support. Also they will be teaching valuable lessons on drug abuse, hiv/aids, health/nutrtion, & education. Stay tuned.Michelle

feel the energy and the movement!

happiness

Last Sunday, the Introduction was another interesting cultural experience. There were over 200 people there for the celebration, many of which walked miles in their shiny outfits (the gomez) to be a part of it. It was my first Ugandan-Muslim Introduction so I do not have anything to compare it to, but from what the locals were saying, it was quite extravagant. There were live performances, a drama put on by the bride and groom's families, and a procession of gifts that was over one hundred people long--complete with a truck full of cows, goats and chickens that were a gift from the grooms family to the bride. Wearing a gomez was fun... but terribly uncomfortable. It is all about the hips and butt in Uganda** so underneath the gomez I had to wear a skirt, a thin blanket folded over twice and then the dress on top of it--in order to create the illusion that I was curvy. I thought I was going to feel ridiculous but I am so glad that I wore it otherwise I would have been the only woman out of hundreds that was not dressed appropriately for the occasion. There was a lot of laughing and finger pointing when I entered the wedding accompanied by two other Muzungus in traditional garb, but many people told me that I "looked smart" and they thanked us Muzungus for putting in the effort.
**For those women out there who are unhappy with their curvy figures, come to Uganda--your beautiful body will be loved and appreciated!

My week began with an exciting celebration on Nurse's Day up at the new hotel in Masaka. The Schizophrenia Fellowship choir/performance group had been practicing all week to be the opening performers in front of nurses and health workers from all across Uganda. They had organized costumes, choreographed dancing and rented drums. As I have mentioned before, the choir is made up of people that are dealing with mental illness, caretakers, family members and friends of those with an illness. The amount of support is incredible. The performance began and it blew everyone away from start to finish. The energy coming from the group was like nothing I have ever seen before. They really put their all into the performance. They had the audience up and dancing and people were throwing money at them! When they finished every member was grinning from ear to ear and hugging each other--their sense of pride was infectious.

Over the past weekend we took a trip to Lake Bunyoni and Queen Elizabeth Park. It was a great wellness weekend complete with a sunset canoe ride and a day lying around a pool, sunbathing and swimming. We went on two safaris where we got to see a lioness and her three sweet little cubs! When we arrived home from our first safari on Friday night we drove up to our hostel and were face to face with a male lion!!!! He was just sauntering around the hostel checking things out.... Once he was gone and we got settled in bed we could hear him roaring and making loud snorting noises all night. It sure had our adrenaline pumping!

It is hard to believe that we have been here for a month already. I feel settled and happy with my life here. I also feel very comfortable at the Schizophrenia Fellowship so walking up to the hospital each morning to start my day of work isn’t so anxiety provoking anymore. I have developed relationships with many of the patients so it is nice to be greeted and welcomed by familiar faces each morning. I have also been practicing my Luganda--a Muzungu speaking Luganda is quite funny to the locals and it works as a great ice breaker when greeting patients. There is nothing easy about living here, but life in Uganda is not easy for many people so I do not expect it to be any different for me. -K

gotta love ugandan children

the children of uganda are inspiring. they are independant, strong, agile little people who care for themselves and others like no other children i have ever met before. it's as if there is an upspoken social code that teaches these children to care for anyone smaller than themselves. for these reasons, working at the daycare has become one of the highlights of each week. i look forward to the days i get to spend playing with, teaching, and learning from the children at the center.

i'm currently spending mondays, tuesdays and fridays at the daycare center. we have structured activities in the morning (i.e. crafts, storytime, writing and mathematics), offer a limited but adequate lunch (i.e. african tea, buns and fruit), and have general play each afternoon. the facility consists of a tent (approximately 20x15ft.) with 2 benches and a large grassy area equipped with 4 swings, a merry-go-round, a teater-totter, and 2 slides. materials and supplies are also limited but adequate since 95% of the time the children graciously share everything amongst themselves.

since i began my work at the center i have had some opportunities to chat with parents, guardians and older siblings of children who use the service. everyone expresses their great appreciation for the daycare and their gratitude for my contribution to the service. at times i do not feel as though i have a wealth of knowledge or experience to bring to the daycare since i am not trained in early childhood education or other related services. however i do have love and compassion that i bring with me each day, and i am beginning to understand that this is enough.

each day as i walk onto the hospital grounds i here the children calling my name from the center which is located at the top of a hill. they wave with excitement as i make my way up to them and run for me once i reach their location. they love to hold my hands, stand near me, feel my skin as different from theirs, and investigate everything about me. i do anything from pushing them on the swings, teaching them games, to comforting them when they are upset. it truly amazing to witness the lives of these children. they have so many challenges to face in life yet they are so happy and thankful for the lives they have been given. i only hope to grow to love life as much as they do, and to always remember their beautiful smiling faces.

thanks for listening. till next time...

-rachel-

week 2

Well week two @ CRO was incredible. I went on their camp to Kalangala island with 105 street children which was definitely one of the most challenging & rewarding things I have ever done. The opportunity to connect with these children on the camp was so great. I believe by going on the camp I have connections that I would not have otherwise. The journey was quite remarkable as all the children were loaded in a local transport truck to endure quite the long haul. At first I was concerned about their safety & then it occurred to me the reality the face every day is much more dangerous. They were so excited to be going on the camp & they had the chance to be children again. We arrived to the camp i.e. Ssese farm school to face some adversity as it was quite late & there was no water on site. The team was incredible & the older children pitched in to help feed the masses. The first night was a difficult one & there was a savage fight between two boys. The nurse operated on the one boy who took a club to the head for many hours & she was able to stop the bleeding. Again I was amazed at the resourcefulness & skill of the workers. On the camp the children were able to sing, dance, play football & not have to worry about food, shelter or the harsh conditions of the street. Even the group of children that take drugs had a few days clean. I really made an effort to connect with these children as they are difficult to reach & as it is my speciality in Canada I thought I would give it a try. The language barrier is great as most of these children cannot speak any English as they have not been in school, so good thing I can connect in creative ways. I found the boys playing poker in the jungle so I pulled out a deck of cards & started to play cards with them a bit risky yet successful. While we were there one of the boys spotted a monkey which was a great chance for a photo shot so I showed a few of them how to use the camera. The oldest really enjoyed it & asked to use it on other occasions. I knew I could trust him, yet it was still a risk as if we were back in Masaka he could fetch a fair price for my camera. (I did have a moment of clarity & was glad the boy had not used drugs that day or he might have acted differently.) We went to the beach one day which was so amazing to see the children filled with excitement & happiness. They played on the playground, in the sand, swam & went for a canoe ride. Beach day was definitely the highlight of the trip. The next day there was a football game between the CRO team and the local village team (which was hardly fair as they were men & CRO were boys) Despite the challenges i.e. no shoes & facing the giants, they played quite well. Each group performed a presentation on the finally night which was so incredible. They sang, acted, and performed so well. Some children wrote songs & poems & despite not understanding the language as it was all in Luganda I really appreciated the chance to be there & felt honoured & inspired by their lives. I contributed with my group & did some very bad dance moves which everyone loved & laughed needless to say I heard a lot of dance Mazongoo dance after that. The last day was a relief for some children & a sad time for others to be going back to the streets. One boy ran away after getting of the ferry. I ran after him & thought to myself what I can do I don’t speak Luganda & he does not speak English. However after calling his name several times & luring back with candy & a hug he got back on the bus. We arrived home safe & exhausted, yet the camp was totally worth every minute & hopefully lives were changed & the children have hope for their future & if not then even a small break from their painful harsh lives was worth the effort. Yet I can’t help feeling overwhelmed & sadden by the harshness of the lives these children have had to face. They have definitely taught me even in the toughest of places there is still hope. I am looking forward to building the connections I have made on this camp & hope that I can make some difference even it is only a drop in the bucket as with every drop there is a ripple effect. Stay tuned...

Michelle

week 1

Today was such an amazing yet challenging day at Child Restoration Outreach. There were children as young as five who are living on the streets. The social worker took me into the slums to look for some of the missing children from the center which was an eye opening experience. The level of poverty and desperation is like none I have ever seen and yet the people have this incredible resiliency and heart that most of us could learn from. Regardless of the language barriers there is still the unspoken language of the heart which was how I got through most of the day. It is so easy to connect with most of these children because they are craving attention so desperately. One boy told me I had a face like a mother which spoke volumes to me that what they are looking for is someone to care for them. The journey thus far has had some challenges, i.e. lost luggage, jet leg, lack of sleep ... yet being at CRO today made up for all of that and then some. I am excited for the opportunities to come and will keep you updated as much as I can.

Michelle

experiencing uganda

hmm where to start... i guess i should let you know that my health has stabilized. ugandan food is no longer upsetting me as it once was and actually i'm beginning to grow quite fond of it. who knew fried flat bread (chapatti) and bioled beans would become a staple part of my diet, and that i would actually like it?

anyways... since i first blogged i have experienced many exciting, challenging, and simply interesting things. for example:

1) i had to visit a local clinic which was quite a cultural learning experience. coming from canada it is hard to adjust to ugandan life and my clinic encounter definitly challenged my ability to do so. there are no formal line ups so patients are expected to maintain order amongst themselves as they wait to see the doctor. as well, there are numerous different waiting areas which patients are directed to for various clinical services. i personally felt lost within the entire system but ugandan people seem to understand how to navigate these situations quite well. what seemed chaotic to me appeared to make perfect sense to individuals who live here. i'm sure i will become more comfortable with this system as time goes on.

2) i've developed a great appreciation for automatic washers and dryers. it is a daunting task washing clothes by hand but it is and important aspect of my cultural experience while here in uganda. i've only taken on the washing challenge twice since i arrived, as it can be quite painful since my knuckles get small cuts from scrubbing the red dirt out of my clothes. i have learned very quickly that wearing outfits 2-3 times before washing them is very reasonable considering the cleaning process that follows deeming an article "dirty". canadian and ugandan standards for cleanliness are quite different. i wish i could find the words to explain my thoughts better but i'm afraid i cannot. all i can say it that by ugandan standards my dirty shoes or shirt is acceptable or even above average compared to what is considering normal here in uganda.

3) lacey and i were followed home by young child yesterday. we took a moment to wait and let them catch up to us after approximately 15 minutes of being stalked. they had a well prepared message about needing money to continue their studies as they have no family and live on the streets. it was difficult to listen to this young child (12yrs old?) explain their situation but i did not feel compelled to start dishing out cash. lacey was carrying a gift of corn so she shared one cob with the child and explained that this is what she had to offer. i agree with her choice to give in this way because i know how the corn will be used. i do not believe that handing money to children on the street is an answer to their problem though it may help them in the short term (i.e. buy them something to eat). i feel as if giving money will only perpetuate a cycle of dependance and teach this young child that hands out are the answer to all of life's problems which i don't believe to be true. the child continued to follow us but i feel as ease with the way the situation ended.

so much for shortening the length this time. i guess i had a lot to say. thanks for tuning in.

-rachel-

shaking your hips can be therapeutic

This week I was lucky to experience the benefits of music and art therapy. The Fellowship choir was practising a drumming and singing routine that they will perform on Nurses Day on May 12th. They attracted a crowd of in-patients who joined them and were thoroughly entertained. One young woman who is often sitting alone or walking around in a lethargic daze heard the music and whispered to me that she loves to "traditional dance." We walked over together and before I knew it she was shaking her hips, smiling and clapping. It was an unbeleivable transformation.
That same day I had brought some art supplies (that was donated by someone wonderful at home) and sat down with a few of the in-patients and we painted and drew pictures together. The stimulation instantly changed the mood, and we had a great time chatting, laughing and singing. One of the woman said to me "this is so good, when I do this it helps me to not focus so much on my problems." It was so neat to hear her say that. It really has troubled me that there are not many activities for the in-patients to do during the day. Many of them sit on their beds for hours and hours unstimulated. The painting and colouring was such a hit that I will definitely bring them along with me again.
Everything at the library at Tekera (TRC) is going very well. The local librarian and I have been working hard to get the books catalogued, decorations up, and plans in order for the library to open to the community on May 25th. There will be a quiet study area, comfortable loungey area, storytime every Friday followed by creative writing and Adult English classes three times per week.
We have brought a lot of donations with us and have found ourselves faced with the challenge of what to do with them now that we are here. How do we be charitable to people in an empowering way that helps to maintain their dignity? One of the foundations of our project is to empower people and their communities and we are concious of the fact that handouts can be disempowering but at the same time we see a need for them. There is an expectation that as a white westerner I have brought donations for people. I am constantly asked for things whether it is for money or the shirt on my back. It seems that some people have become accustomed to handouts and it is almost expected. So the struggle is that we have come with the intention to give to people but do not want to continue the pattern of dependence. Or maybe we should just stop being so social worky about everything and just give the stuff away.

I will be going to an "introduction" this Sunday. An introduction is when a woman takes the man she wants to marry to meet her family and the dowry is discussed. Apparently it is a large and serious celebration with lots of food and dancing. I get to wear traditional garb! Google "Uganda Gomez." They are awesome. --K

Ugandan Days

Two weeks into my praciticum at TASO has been challenging. I am very impressed with TASO and the work they are doing. They are helping to improve hundreds of lives by providing HIV testing, couselling and treatment, however, I still need to find my place within this organaztions. I have seen HIV testing in remote villages and HIV counselling at the centre in Maska. On tuseday TASO loads their buses full of medication and a number of counsellors , nurses and doctors to go to a village and set up for a day to do HIVcounselling, check ups and drug distribution to people who would otherwise have trouble reaching theses services at the centre in maska. TASO helps so many people in need, to improve and extend their lives! I feel fortunate to be witnessing it all. My last two weeks have been mostly observing. I get furstrated with not understanding the language. The counselling sessions are in Lugandan. Even with a brief translation I still feel like I am missing a lot of interesting information. The TASO empoyees are all so nice and they joke around and laugh a lot but mosly in Lugandan so as a foreigner I am definitely challenged in fitting into a place where I look different, speak differently and think differently. Ugandan people are very happy and kind from what I have observed. I am also however challenged by the strict religous views that many Ugandan's have. Yesterday I was upset when a conversation with my TASO colleagues went sour. We were all coming home in the TASO van from an outreach mission in a remote village doing HIV testing, when the led conversation led to the topic of homosexuality. I was shocked by their strong feelings against homosexuals, but I was not yet sure if I wasn't going to say anything when someone else said, "in her country homosexuality it is ok," pointing to me. I was happy to respond by saying yes it is ok in Canada to marry the same sex and that homosexuals are born that way, it is natural. Everyone looked disgusted with me and for the rest of the van ride a man was trying to convince me that it is wrong and it is just as bad as rape or incest. I was happy to go home after that day to debrief with my roomies as I was and still am quiet frustrated and disturbed that Ugandan's have such a strong dislike to homosexuals. Many days at TASO I have come home discouraged because of the language barrier but this was something different. I am so thankful for having such great roommates to greet me at home with warm smiles and concerned looks so I can then normalize my feelings.
The other day I spent a day at a daycare as I am considering other practicum placements. The children in Uganda are so fun to work with. They love waving at you yelling hello muzungu !! At the daycare I was able to overcome the language barrier by playing with the children. It was refreshing to be able in engage with the children instead of observing. I may go to the daycare two days a week now. Right now I am waiting to speak with my supervisor at TASO to discuss having more of a role at TASO and to maybe go part time or maybe go to another practicum altogether. Wherever I am, there is always learning taking place by just being here. Uganda is a beauitful country and I am taking it all in !!
Blessings Chandra

Crazy 8s is International

We have all been very busy trying to get settled into our practicums. Each day I am feeling more and more comfortable in my new environment. Last week at the Fellowship we had a big monthly general meeting. There were around 60 members that arrived. There was more wonderful singing and dancing as well as some important business that was attended to.
I have spent a lot of time socializing and chatting with the members of USF as well as the in-patients and their family members. I have been surprised at how many people are able to speak English with me. I have met so many different types of people-soldiers, students, mothers, farmers, teachers, and so many more. It has been great to hear people's stories, but also talk about subjects unrelated to their illness. I find myself feeling frustrated though. The hospital does not have access to new medication so many patients are experiencing debilitating side effects from older medication. I know that the mental health workers are doing the best with the resources they have, but it is difficult to witness the level of care that they receive when I am aware of the level of care that is available in Canada. There is a thirty bed psychiatric ward that is being built at the hospital. In the mean time, the patients and their caretakers are crammed into a tiny room with very few beds and many people are forced to sleep on the floor.
On a lighter note, I discovered today that the card game ‘Crazy 8s’ is played in Uganda. I have been able to interact with many more people now that I carry around a deck of cards! Tomorrow is National Epilepsy Day so there will be a big meeting and celebration at the Fellowship. Epilepsy is treated as a mental illness as the Masaka Hospital. Some days a majority of the people I interact with are there because they are seeking treatment for their epilepsy. National Epilepsy Day helps to raise awareness about Epilepsy and break down certain stigmatizing attitudes—such as the belief that Epilepsy is contagious.

We had a nice weekend in Kampala visiting a former Douglas College student who now resides there with her husband and many many children that they take care of. The children that I have met in Uganda, and there have been very many, have been so sweet, well behaved, grateful, respectful and…. hardworking!! I woke up on Saturday morning to a nine year old changing her baby brother’s diaper, and a six year old sweeping the backyard. The children were very shy around us but on Saturday night we brought out our drums and began drumming and dancing with them. Music and dance is in their blood. The children were teaching us djembe beats and how to dance traditionally. They came out of their shells in no time. It was very funny.
It was nice to be in the city—although I think we all have come home to Masaka very grateful that we have settled here and not the capital.--K

Rally day

I woke up early on Saturday morning and walked up to the hospital grounds to meet Thomas and the USF members. They were busy practising their performances for the rally. We soon piled into a matatu.... all twenty of us! We stopped at four different villages and each time would meet with the LC1 (local chairman) and congregate into the house of a person living with mental illness. The mental health professionals would take this time to explain the importance of medicine and hospital support. Often, when a person with mental illness displays symptoms, they are taken to a local traditional healer. Often the healer charges a lot of money or goods for a person to seek treatment that can sometimes be damaging and insensitive. While the hospital recognizes the value of the healers in certain areas, they believe that it is critical that a person with mental illness is taken to the hospital as soon as possible.

We continued on through many villages stopping to pick up and greet people along the way. We arrived at the last village to be welcomed by over 100 people! They were all there to watch the rally. The members started by introducing themselves and sharing their experiences with mental illness. Some of them were dealing with illness themselves while others were family members. I found it so interesting to hear the similarities between people's experiences in Uganda and those that I have heard in Canada. Despite all the cultural, historical and economic differences--our struggles are all very similar.

One woman, a member of USF, shared her poem with us. It was very powerful. She challenged the community to imagine how they would feel if they or someone they love was diagnosed with a mental illness. It seems that anywhere in the world the main causes of stigma, social isolation and discrimination are misunderstanding and lack of empathy.

The members then put on a drama performance and the rally was brought to an end. It must be so empowering for the USF members to stand in front of such a big audience, share their struggle, show their strength and advocate for others. They are also spreading the message that treatment at the Masaka Referral Hospital is effective and free!

We had a long drive back into the city but I think I was the only one that was tired—the members were singing and drumming the whole way back.

It was a long day, but one that I will never forget. -K

life in uganda

well, it's been one week since we left home. i'm starting to feel settled into life here in masaka. although i've been set back a few days due to some tummy problems; feeling quite ill this past saturday/sunday. i slept for over 12 hours : and still feel kind of tired and generally worn down. hopefully it is just my body adjusting to the food and environment here in uganda.

it's monday the 27th today and i've got the majority of the day off to regain strength and prepare for my first week in practicum. i have a meeting scheduled for today at 2pm at the hospital with john, my instructor the hospital social worker. we are going to tour the hospital and i will be introduced to the head sisters (head nurses) of each ward. hopefully this tour will help me get a good sense of the hospital grounds and on which wards i will feel most comfortable. as a student social worker at masaka referral hospital i hope to gain a basic understanding of how uganda's social support system works, and develop a greater understanding of how to be an advocate in the social service field. i'm not exactly sure what i will specifically learn through my practicum at the hospital, so i'm trying to keep my learning goals broad for now.

this past friday i spent the day at my other practicum placement, the hospital's daycare center. i was introduced to the full time daycare worker in the morning, and jumped into interacting with the children almost immediately after that. at first i didn't know what to expect at the daycare in terms of valuable work experience, and i was unsure how working there will help me become a better social service practitioner back in canada. but as the day went on i realized i do not need to be in a placement specifically designed for 'social service work' to benefit from this experience. as long as i am interacting with children and families that have social needs, i'm confident that i will have the opportunity to nurture the skills i've developed in the classroom. i will be spending two days per week assisting at the hospital day care. this day care is beside uganda cares which is an hiv/aids testing and treatment clinic. the majority, if not all, of the children using this service are hiv +. they come to uganda cares for testing, counselling and medical treatment for hiv/aids; spending time at the daycare while waiting for test results or to see their doctor/counsellor. i haven't yet set specific goals for my time at the daycare, but hope to do so as i begin working there more regularly.

we spent yesterday at mburro national park. it was a good break from a busy week and a nice introduction to african wildlife. we took a mutatu (sp?) to the park with a funny ugandan driver named robert. the ride in was quite bumpy; even the main highway was full of potholes with some stretches made of only gravel. once into the park, robert made many stops for us so we could photograph the zebras, cobs, warthogs, and monkeys. i was surprised how many zebras we saw and how unnatural they seemed amid the ugandan landscape; their coloring quite cartoon-like next to the greens and browns of the wild. when we got to lake mburro we were welcomed by two large warthogs chowing down on grass. we took a 1.5 hour boat ride which introduced us to a number of hippos, one crocodile, many fish eagles, a water buffalo (way bigger than i had expected), baboons, more monkeys and other beautiful bird species. about half of the group were introduced to our first pit toilet at mburro and speaking for myself, i feel very fortunate to have a porcelain potty at home! overall it was a fun day.

well, thanks for tuning in. i'll try to sum things up quicker next time. many thanks for all your support.

-rachel-

waking up in Uganda!

So far I have experienced two FULL days in Uganda. Yesterday I got up early and ventured out to Tekera Resource Centre (TRC) which was about a 40 minute drive from Masaka. I was with three other western women, two from Canada and one from Ireland. We passed through several small villages as we drove along the potholed dirt road. All along the way kids were running out to the road yelling "Hello Muzungu!" at us. Muzungu means "white person" and I feel like it is my new name. Every time it is yelled out I turn around and wave and smile.

I met many wonderful people and tons of friendly beautiful children. I was able to join up with a women's craft group where one woman was patient enough to teach me how to weave a pair of earrings. The other women thought it was quite hilarious. The craft group is a place where women can get away from their daily stresses, support each other, chat, relate, laugh and make crafts that they are able to sell to create a little bit of income. The baskets and bowls that several people bought at our fundraising events were made by this group. I spent the rest of the day with an Irish woman who has been volunteering at TRC for the last four months. She was such a great help and together we brainstormed ideas for what I will be doing there for the next ten weeks. She has tried to develop a library but has not had the time to get it really happening. I met with the head mistress of the TRC Primary School and she was happy to arrange a day where each class would come to the library for 1 hour and participate in a story time and craft time. So over the next few weeks I will get that going! I will be working with a Ugandan teacher who is retiring from full time teaching but would still like to be active with the students. Together we will hopefully create the library into a safe, clean, fun, and comfortable learning environment!

I spent most of the day in the country side and it was very lush, fertile and beautiful. I really felt like I was in Africa. I walked up to a lookout point with some of the workers and volunteers. We could see gorgeous lush jungle and the massive Lake Victoria. There were little homes and villages scattered throughout and intricate roads connecting them all.

This morning I met with Thomas from the Uganda Schizophrenia Fellowship. The Fellowship is located on the Masaka Referral Hospital grounds. They have recently been granted the funding to expand their 4 bed psychiatric ward to 30 beds! The building is currently being constructed and the staff is very excited. It will be opening in June, hopefully before I leave.

I am lucky that I met with Thomas when I did. Tomorrow they are holding an anti-stigma rally and a large group of mental health professionals as well as members of the Fellowship will be traveling out to surrounding villages to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illness. I am so excited that I get to participate in a Ugandan rally!

I did feel a bit discouraged because I have so many questions for the members of the Fellowship, but I feel very limited by the language barrier. I am curious to see how my Lugandan will develop.

Waking up each morning to the sunshine and birds and fresh air has been amazing. I am so surprised with how comfortable I feel here. The people have been so welcoming and have a great sense of humor.

Despite a few hiccups such as lost luggage (containing toiletries) and absolutely not a drop of shampoo in Masaka, everyone seems to be healthy and in good spirits. K

reflection

Today we had our final meeting before we leave for Uganda on Monday. It was strange to be hugging our instructor goodbye (he will be heading to Uganda tomorrow and will meet us at the Entebbe airport on Wednesday) and saying "see you at the airport!" to the girls. A year of planning and fundraising is behind us and we are finally about to embark on our adventure.
We took some time in today's meeting to reflect a bit on the past year. We all feel blessed for the amazing support we have recieved during our fundraising efforts. The level of generosity has been surprising and very appreciated. Without our friends, family, community members and the college, this trip would not have been possible.
We also talked about our reasons for going, expectations, fears and goals. The two main principles of our trip are to do no harm, and start projects that "have legs when we leave." We are not going to Uganda to try to save lives or change the world. We are there primarily to learn from the Ugandan people. If the opportunity comes up to create change, then we will take it, but the main benefit will be the experience we have that we can bring to our practice here in Canada.
Leaving on our adventure has been and will be emotional. Saying goodbye is never easy and adjusting to a new culture can also be very challenging. But we are five strong and capable women--lookout Uganda!

the countdown--welcome to our blog

Hello everyone,
Welcome to the Douglas College Uganda Project's blog of 2009. We will be contributing to this blog often--during our countdown until we leave on April 20th, and during our time in Uganda as well. We will use this blog as a place to share some of the experiences we have in Uganda and some of the challenges we face at our practicums.
Thank you for your support!
K