Nov. 24 ~ Kampala

I packed one suitcase tonight (one to go) and although I am so excited about returning to our beautiful home and seeing my family and friends, I am also sad to be nearing the end of this amazing journey.  Since I wrote to you last, I had the absolute pleasure of attending a football (soccer) game and practice of the young men I have spoken about in previous letters.  Not only was the play AMAZING, but their spirit and maturity really defined for me the positive future of this beautiful country.  These young men (age 17 to 24) are living a life of purpose and fellowship, and building and sharing their values with each other and their peers.  They are all at school, living a Christian life, and looking forward to a positive future for themselves and their future families.  The soccer field on which they played would have passed for a vacant lot (and a very rough and bumpy one) back home but the grace and skill, on and off the field, be-lied these conditions.  I left there knowing, beyond a doubt, that it is young men and women like this who will build a safer, healthier, and economically viable Africa.  This is a very beautiful place filled with intelligent and powerful people and I will continue to cheer from the sidelines for the positive future so many are longing for.

On Monday and Tuesday I was again in the HIV/AIDS clinic.  It still startles me to see 150 patients (per day) attend this clinic (one of many in Kampala and the outlying regions) to receive treatment for their disease.  Most of the patients coming to clinic are still young and vibrant and living with the effects and the worry of this chronic and eventually deadly disease.  They come to clinic dressed in beautiful clothing, often traditional, sometime very modern, and the staff are compassionate and caring beyond measure.  On Tuesday, I went on the Home Visit program and met some new patients as well as two from last week.  Once again, I was so impressed by the skill and compassion of the doctor and nurse, and this week we had the chaplain along as well. His comfort and support was clearly appreciated by all the patients, Christian or Muslim.  I was so happy to bring a smile and some comfort to these patients and the nurse explained that, to someone who is so isolated and often shunned, the presence of a visitor can have an amazing and positive impact!  Mom has provided some funds for one of the patients to purchase some much needed food and he was so very thankful.  He has taken our email info and plans to let us know about his improvement in the coming weeks! 

Today I presented on FASD at Mengo Hospital (CME) for about 100 people and then at the Aga Khan University School of Nursing for another 60 or so.  I feel really satisfied with the opportunity I have had to raise some awareness about FASD in this country and look forward to hearing about the positive strides in this direction by local authorities, in the next few years.  The opportunity to speak also brings with it a treasured experience of “the other culture” which certainly makes me smile.  For instance, when I am finished, each group has had its own “signature” clapping sequence which they give to thank me.  It brings a smile to my face each time.  Also, education here is still very formal and so I am treated with a great deal of respect as a “guest lecturer”, and I find this both awkward and delightful.

Well, tomorrow is the ALL DAY Christmas Party at school and I am “on” for the day!  In the evening we will have our last Ugandan meal, prepared by Persis, and we have already begun saying good-byes to many friends.  Leaving our housemates will also be very sad; we have really bonded and connected in the past month and shared many laughs and some amazing meals, as well as our African experiences, with each other.  We look forward to connecting once again at home! Friday I will go with the youngster from the orphanage to get his new CP chair and then finish some final packing before heading to the airport in the later evening for our 1:45 am flight!  I pinched myself when I arrived here and haven’t stopped; now I can’t believe we are preparing to leave!  I do hope I can return someday, if only to share this experience and the delightful friendships I have made, with my family!  There is much work to be done here but I truly believe is must be done by Ugandans.  Our funds are so useful in helping with the severe economic and health conditions but our taking on the problems-to-solve is not needed.  What we can do is offer encouragement and friendship and I am all over that!

I will try and send one more letter before leaving.  We have been collecting an assortment of the amazing and challenging experiences of being Canadians in Uganda and I will try to get this down on “paper” for you!  I will just wet your appetite by saying that being a “musungu” in this foreign land is such a bizarre experience which is both funny and heartbreaking.  Everywhere we go someone is calling “musungu, musungu” and if the person is under 15 they often wave or come over to shake hands.  If they are over 20 and male you might get a marriage proposal!  The hardest part for me is when the little ones ask, in Luganda, for treats, which I have chosen on principle not to provide.  What message does getting candy from a white lady send anyway?  I choose instead to offer a hand to shake, a broad smile and to say “Hello; how are you!?”  So far that has always been equally well accepted by these little folks who offer their enchanting smiles right back.

Welebe and love to all,

MC

Thursday Nov 18

Well, it has been a few days since I have written.  Not sure why but it seems there is so much to tell that I don’t quite know where to start!  I guess that’s to be expected when one is half way (really) around the world in Africa!  Since Sunday, I have worked in the HIV Clinic, joined the Home Care team on a day trip to visit patients who are too ill to attend clinic, spent a few hours at the western style mall and grocery store, and spent the afternoon at the OWEYNO Market – definitely NOT western style!  All of these experiences are jumbled into the tapestry that I now call Uganda!  We have also met some amazing people, including a Canadian woman, here working on her Royal Roads Degree in Peace Building, and her young friend Boscoe, one of the best musicians and most thoughtful, gentle, forward-thinking, and optimistic young man I have ever met!  And his homeland, northern Uganda, continues to be ravaged by war and genocide.

That’s the thing about this place.  It is a maze of contradictions – the homes we see are often falling down slums and the people we meet are dressed for tea and immaculate!  There is 70% unemployment yet every day I see SO MANY people struggling to eeek out a living on the street by selling all the things we throw away or something cheap from China.  Seven percent of the population has HIV infection, yet we rarely see the sickest and every time I meet someone, I can’t help but wonder what part HIV plays in their life story – definitely some part!  The traffic jams (no Canadian jam will EVER compare because at least we have lines on the (pothole free) road and some traffic lights here and there!) make it next to impossible to get around yet the streets are always full of people doing just that!  We hear often about the corruption in virtually every institution (one American I met has finished her Master’s Degree at Makerere University but until she pays someone off she cannot get her documentation – she is tired of paying people off and so far hasn’t coughed up!) and yet the folks we meet are always so careful and honest with the money they receive.   My favourite thing, from yesterday, is how when you ride the matatu (like a small bus/van – a very old, run down and crowded van) you don’t pay until you arrive at your destination – the honour system at its best!

I did want to tell you about the day with the HIV Home Care Team.  Visiting very sick AIDS patients in their Ugandan homes is not something I had imagined doing in my life; I am very glad I have been so blessed.  Just to observe the compassion and care of the young doctor and nurse was so inspiring.  Each visit brought a gentle touch for the patient and a sense of camaraderie – they are in this together.  Each visit also included a few moments of laughter and joy which is not easy but certainly welcome under the circumstances.  The patients mostly were dealing with multiple opportunistic infections and often had come lately to get tested so their disease progression was significant.  With ARVs, preventive medications and nutritional supplement, they may have some recovery and be able to live for longer with this chronic disease, or not.  All of the patients were being cared for by family – a sacrifice that I am humbled by.  We also saw a variety of living conditions, from small, primitive, two room huts to a larger family compound.  It is a place of contradictions with the common ground that HIV can infect anyone regardless of position, age or gender.

We have barely more than one week left and still many plans to fill our days!  I am sorely homesick and missing my family too much but being here with Mom helps comfort me.  We may take a daytrip to see the source of the Nile next week – I didn’t come here to sight-see but it seems crazy not to!  I’ll write again soon, once I have again unraveled the jumble in my soul.

Welebe (good-bye) and Webele (thankyou),

love to all, MC

Sunday, Nov 14

We have been here for more than two weeks now and we are certainly settling in!  I understand the money (even coins, mostlyJ) and I can usually sleep until almost 7:00 am!  One of my favourtite Ugandanisms is at the bank machine where the screen message while waiting for many bills to be dispensed reads “please wait for a while”!  I still have to watch how much Ugandan food I consume (it is delicious but very filling and rich, not always as well accepted by my tummy as my heart!)  Yesterday, at Abby’s Senge Home (for street boys from 6 to 14 yrs) we were served a delicious lunch of beef stew (I skipped it but Mom said it was very tender and delicious), posho (maize porridge), white rice, matoke (like plantain), beans and cooked cabbage.  While we had small amount of each delicacy on our plate the others had piled their dishes high!  Mom had brought some fresh fruit for treats and the sweet Ugandan pineapple was a lovely finish to our meal.  The warm greeting we received from each boy, and their delight at the clothes and soccer boots from home (thanks Heather and Tommy!) was so heartwarming.  I laid awake last night wondering how I could spend more time there, just to provide a caring presence for these youngsters, who curl into a hug so readily.

Our day at Senge was very heartwarming.  Abby, whom I have mentioned before as the young social worker who has a very positive program to help youth from the slums get away from that life of danger, drugs, poverty, loneliness and starvation, has a home in the city for older boys and at Senge, in the country-side, for younger boys.  He does not call this place “an orphanage” as he realizes that the stigma attached to that concept is damaging to the sense of self for those who live there.  Rather, he has created a home and family for these children (and this is very evident as one observes the interactions amongst the staff and children).  The boys are brothers to each other and the aunties and uncles who care for them offer love, guidance, safety and skills.  Abby is also wise in restricting the numbers at this place (he could easily fill it to the rafters) as the small group is much more successful in creating the kind of secure and homelike setting that is most beneficial.  As the surrogate father for over 40 boys (between the two homes) he has his plate full and is wise to keep it from overflowing, even though the need is so great!  Abby showed us photos of the boys before they left the street and then the “after” shot full of smiles and chubbier cheeks.  What is not seen in the photo is the sense of hope and belief in their future shared by each boy and his number one cheerleader, Abby.  As we talk, I notice how well Abby’s practices are rooted in solid theoretical underpinnings from his professional training as a social worker.  Equally strong is his faith in the work being done; he quotes Martin Luther King often and said that his dream is for the “promised land”, where each boy will grow up safe, healthy, and with a capacity to work and care for themselves and their future children.  He sees a Uganda that is thriving and where children will have hope for a healthy, educated, and safe future.  Sadly, he also said that he will not likely live to see this dream fulfilled for some of the boys (at almost thirty he is more than halfway to the average life expectancy of a Ugandan man of 48 years) but, like Martin Luther King, he knows the dream will be realized none-the-less.

One more thing about our day; we visited the building site for the school that Abby is creating for the village of Senge.  This is another one of his dreams, realized now thanks to the generosity of the McNabb family from Vancouver.  The large three classroom school, and clinic, will be a close to home school for the Senge boys and also a community school for all of the village children.  Those who can afford fees will pay and those who cannot will be welcomed.  The land surrounding the school, two lush country acres, will help to grow food for the school and the Senge Home.  We talked about the need for school supplies and books and this is something I hope to help with once I am home again.  Between this school and the one Natalie and Peter are helping to create in Bwerra, the opportunity to support education, in this developing nation, is great!

We are off this morning to the baptism of 19 babies from Sanyu Home (an orphanage close-by).  We will help dress the wee ones and then hold them for the service.  I’m sure it will be a heart-warming morning.  It was great to talk to my “babies” a few minutes ago!  I will be home soon, leaving a piece of my heart here for sure.

Webele and love to all, MC

Hello!

I have been wishing that I could capture the nature sounds, sights and even some of the smells of this beautiful country.  (The reason I say some of the smells is that open sewers, burning charcoal and serious unfettered vehicle exhaust are some of the smells I would not send home!)  Uganda is equatorial and is certainly lush and tropical especially during the rainy season, which is now.  Think of some tropical birds and flowers and you will have a sense of what I am seeing and hearing.  Brightly coloured and exotic, the plants make such a beautiful backdrop to this at times very dirty and jumbled-up setting.  Equally exotic, the birds and their songs provide a pleasurable tune as we make way through our day.  Just now we are having an incredible late afternoon thunderstorm which offers a staccato rhythm that also brings a welcome cooling to this blistering and humid afternoon.

It is November 11^th today and although Remembrance Day is not celebrated here, I am remembering those who have sacrificed for our safety and security.  Being in an African country where soldiers with guns and daily threats of more marketplace bombings are part of our experience, I am more thankful than ever for our peaceful life in Canada.

Yesterday, I was invited to present at the University of Makerere, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder to physicians, midwives, nurses and medical students.  I really enjoyed this opportunity to spread the word about this important topic; it was mostly news to the audience and they were VERY interested, with many questions.  About half the population of Uganda reports not drinking alcohol and the remaining half of the population manages to drink so much alcohol (mostly homebrew) that, according to the World Health Organization, Ugandans drink more alcohol per capita than ANY OTHER COUNTRY!  (Canada is in the top 50)  For this reason, it is suspected that FASD is a significant problem for Uganda (not to mention a number of other alcohol related concerns.)  I will present to a few other medical groups on this topic before I come home.  It would be very interesting to connect with those at the University who are working in this area so I’ll see what I can manage!

I am enjoying the children at the school but I must admit that the practices of some of the staff at the school are not as positive as I would hope for.  I don’t think this is indicative of every situation in Uganda and I know that many children with Special needs do not even attend school here, so at least the children I have met are receiving some support.  It is heartbreaking to see children, whom I know would be advancing in their academic and life skills in Canada, basically spending much of the day just passing time.  (For example, children with Autitsm and Down Syndrome do not have any visual supports to help them with their understanding or communication and much of the curriculum is focused on writing, numeracy and topics that are much beyond the students cognitive level.)  Having said that, I know that these children are really loved and enjoyed by their teachers here and that is a very important thing!

Tonight we had a 21^st Birthday Party for Mom’s friend Arthur.  It was so fun and we had many visitors to help us enjoy the festivities!  There is no shortage of folks to fill our table each night and the cooperative cooking that takes place is definitely delicious!  Mom found a baker to make Arthur a REAL cake and he seemed really happy!

So, it’s off to bed, listening to the lullaby of African crickets.  Sweet dreams everyone!  MC

Greetings from Uganda!

Well, the theme this weekend was children and dancing!  We were busy both Saturday and Sunday with lots of fun and interesting activities.   I have already told you about Saturday with the children’s HIV play group.  On Sunday our day began early with the English church service at the Anglican Cathedral.   Well, I can say that you must really want to get to church to tackle the very steep, hilly and rocky path each Sunday morning and of course Hilda was ahead of the pack!  Church was very interesting and full of energy and grace!  The cathedral, which is very beautiful, was PACKED and this was only one of three services.  It opened with 30 minutes of praise songs led by a very energetic and capable choir.  At one point the Choirmaster encouraged the congregation to set aside their worries of the week, such as the news from the doctor that their disease is not curable, and enjoy the grace of God to heal all concerns.  While the service was English and Anglican, there were many bodies swaying to the African beat and the lilt of the Luganda accent throughout the service was very pleasurable. 

After church, Mom and I took a special hire (taxi) with her usual fellow Rogers, to Green Valley Primary School, which is a school she has supported recently.  I’m sure she will tell you more about this in her email as she was the guest of honour!  It was so delightful, and I spent the afternoon smiling at precious little faces as they performed for us and their parents.  At one point, a little four year old girl took a liking to me and spent most of the afternoon on my lap.  She also brought me her 2 month old baby brother to hold now and then!  We really enjoyed our afternoon at the school and it showed us another side of the story of Uganda.  Waiting for Rogers  for our ride home on a “street corner”, beside a local bar, gave us yet another view of this world!

Sunday evening we attended a fantastic presentation at the Ngere Cultural Centre and learned a great deal about the music, dance, and cultural history of this amazing country.  We really enjoyed our evening and we learned a great deal from the talented performers.  We all marveled at their stamina and the way they could move their bodies in, to us, such unusual ways!  The musical instruments were also very unique and carried remarkable sounds through the night air.  Earlier in the day, Mom and I had seen three year olds who were learning some of these dances and I enjoyed watching them equally as much the professionals!  Culture and tradition are very strong here and Ugandans are proud of their languages and local heritage.  A polite conversation will always include asking “How is home?” (How is Canada? to us) and this is really a time honoured request for news from your village!

Today was my first day in the HIV clinic and I am very thankful to have this opportunity for service.  I spent my morning with the nursing staff doing the initial step of triage (preparing patients for their visit with the doctor and counselor).  My job was to prepare the patient’s file for the day and to weigh and measure each person.  We saw over 150 patients today.  Three of the young women I worked with were given the news that they were positive for HIV today (the testing process takes 30 min and the entire clinic visit approximately two hours and involves excellent counselling from beginning to end.)  As I processed their files, I noted how young, healthy and beautiful these women are and wondered what directions their journey from here-on would take.  Two of the women were married with young children and one was single. The patients we saw today ranged in the severity of their disease; some are newly diagnosed and other are well into their life with HIV and now receiving retroviral medication to slow the disease.  From young adult to elderly, across socio-economic condition, it is clear that HIV is a disease that knows no bounds.

In the afternoon I counted pills in the pharmacy which is another much needed task.  Mom and I worked together and as always, and we had the good company of the nurses in the pharmacy who are so kind and helpful to us.  I watched as some of the patients I had seen in the morning were picking up their many medications for the month.  They had been at the clinic for most of the day and I imagine it is a very long day indeed!

Well, time for me to hit the hay and get ready for another day!  Good night all.  MC  xo

Hello!

I am really enjoying this place.  It is hard work to get along in some ways of daily living (I have some laundry to do BY HAND tomorrow ;) and we walk everywhere, each day, to get fresh food for cooking and SOMETIMES buy water!  (We have been getting behind on our boiling!)  On the other hand, I like the pace of things and find myself really living in the moment. Our house is full and quite busy and sometimes it seems a bit much but we do have fun and try to work together.  Of course the power can go off for hours so you had best keep your phone and computer charged just in case.  We have an inverter so our overhead lights do stay on (mostly).  It is just the fridge and outlets that we lose when the power is off. 

Today was another great day.  Even though it is Saturday, we had lots to do!!  In the morning, we had the Saturday Club for children with HIV or whose parents have HIV.  There were 80 children and 70 of them have HIV infection.  I had to not think about their lives and their future and just focus on the fun we were having in the moment.  We did a great hand painting activity and some drawing with these beautiful children.  Some lovely artists were in the group!  I had sports stickers to give out (these were VERY popular and brought many smiles!)  It was just an amazing morning and I felt very fortunate - just having the chance to give a child whose life is hard (very hard for some of them) a moment to smile is an experience I will always treasure.  I took some beautiful photos which I know you will enjoy.  I am still having some trouble getting the kind of internet access needed to upload photos but hope to do so in the next day or so. 

Later in the afternoon, Mom and I went to meet an amazing group of youth (from about 18 to 22 yrs) who have started a youth group for 12 to 22 year old, based around soccer, but which also promotes healthy living, citizenship, and leadership.  They are amazing and really inspiring!  To think they have done this work with little adult support (one fellow from the cathedral has been guiding them somewhat) and they have had a great deal of success so far.  I decided to spend the remainder of the funds I was given (along with some of my own) to help them to buy some much needed soccer equipment.  We also had a really good discussion and Mom and I gave them a number of good ideas for fundraising and finding needed supports.  Again, it is very heartwarming to meet such motivated, thoughtful and dedicated young people who have a heartfelt vision of building a better life for themselves and their fellows.  We will be invited to a soccer game for their team next week and will cheer loudly for them!

Every discussion with our Ugandan friends here is sprinkled with the concern of HIV.  For the past few years there has been a push (from religious and political leaders as well as related to international aid from the US) for abstinence rather than condom use.  You can just imagine how successful this has been (think about how most people feel about condom use!) and consequently the prevalence of HIV is remaining high and perhaps increasing (about 6 or 7% now).  One very scary thing is for young people who are coming into adulthood.  They want to be safe but they also want to find a marriage partner so this can be very difficult with the concerns for HIV.  Another thing we learned tonight from the physician who runs the HIV clinic, is that Ugandans believe that if a woman remains a virgin past 18 or 19 yrs her hymen will become hardened and she will require surgery to repair this!  Can you imagine!!!  This forces many to have sex to avoid this mythical concern and once they are sexually active things generally remain that way. 

Something that I am trying to understand is the consequence of globalization on the economy here.  As I have said, you can buy ANYTHING at the shops.  Most items, if they are not local produce, are imported and most are from China! Locally grown produce and local services, such as a bus ride or phone call are relatively inexpensive.  But the thing is, any imported goods are very high priced and in fact almost equivalent to what we would pay at home.   For example, a bag of pasta (not a local item) is $ 4500 Ugandan Shillings (about $2.25 Canadian) and a fan is about C$30.  The problem is, Ugandan wages (for those employed) are very low.  Annual salary for a registered nurse is approximately $3000. per year and other professionals are not much better off.  While it is polite to think that Ugandans can live on local supply, the reality is that this is a very low standard of living, even by current Ugandan standards.    Even schooling, which while free for public education, is often unattainable because the cost of school uniforms and other expenses are beyond the reach of many.   I am told that for many people food security is a significant daily concern and medical help is often unaffordable.  When we walk around the hospital grounds (where many of the staff live) we see the absolute poverty that is present here.  Folks (and ones with jobs at that) living in VERY primitive housing and working so hard to do all the labour required each day to get buy.  I can see now that it will be very difficult to enjoy our standard of living, when I return home, as I will always know how hard my Ugandan friends are working to live.

Well, I had best sign off and send this. (I am typing off line and do not have a spell check so apologize for the mis-spelling!).  I hope you have all had a good Saturday; the moon I saw set tonight will soon be over your part of this small world and I wish you sweet dreams when your head lays down.

Dear Family and Friends,

Today is the end of our first week at Mengo.  Our spirits are although we may both be a bit tired (but after a restful evening and a great sleep we are feeling much better! ed.) 

Mary Catherine is enjoying her work at the special needs school where there are many children with autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome and other delays.  They call her Auntie Mary and when they heard her mother was here they also wanted to meet Jaja.  So I went up this morning to see them all.  They invited me to stay for lunch and we had a delicious meal of pocho (like mashed potatoes but out of corn flour), beans and greens.  It was very rich and we were full after only a few bites!  This afternoon I attended a very interesting staff meeting at the HIV clinic.

Mary Catherine has written to you earlier today of our wonderful experience last night at Abby’s home for the former street boys in Kampala.  Abby has told me that our meeting with the Minister of Social Development last year was indeed a worthwhile venture and has had some positive results, one being that Abby now has the use of s community centre which enables them to have programs and activities.

My days in the HIV clinic are busy and very interesting.  We see close to 200 patients a day.  They all look so sad. Although the antiviral drugs and other supports are prolonging their life, they still have a terminal illness associated with much negative perception.   All of the staff at the clinic are so wonderful and I feel privileged to work with them.  Sometimes I am in the pharmacy and sometimes as a triage nurse.  I have found some condoms on the top shelf of the pharmacy so I have been giving them out to patients who cannot afford them.

In Uganda, registered nurses earn about $250 Canadian dollars per month.  They graduate after 2 ½ years of training and as a grad nurse earn about $150.  After working for 2 years they return to school for one more year to complete their registration.  Arthur will return to school next Sept. and then he plans to return to university to become an obstetrician.  I am sure he will do so!

Tomorrow (this morning) is Saturday Club.  This is a wonderful morning held once a month with the HIV pos children.  They have games, dancing, food and fun, as well as receiving a small gift and some good food.  Then at 4:15 Jonathan is coming to take us to his soccer meeting.  His soccer club is a youth outreach initiative connected to the Cathedral.  Jonathan is a fine young man who is just completing high school and will attend University in the fall.  Some of the funds you have provided will help this be so.  He is Ruth’s brother and last year he was sent home from school as his fees were not paid.  Dr Jim and I were able to see that he could complete his high school and he is very delighted to be almost there!

Jonathan’s sister Ruth came to see me yesterday.  She had just written her final nursing exam!  She is a beautiful young woman and I know she will be a good nurse!  Ruth and Jonathan’s mother is a cleaner at the clinic and makes about $80/mo.  She works SO hard!!

I have said to many of you that my motto has been “the world’s children belong to all of us” and my fervent hope and prayer for Africa is that children can grow up, be safe, healthy and educated, and they will know there is another way to live.   Of Ugandans in the working age group, 2/5 have no employment and of the 1/3 who work, 2/3 of them work for less than $1.00/day!!

I have just re-read this letter and it does sound a bit down, I am not at all although perhaps a bit tired.  There are seven of us in the house and I find it strange after living alone for so long! 

Tomorrow will be a great day and then on Sunday we will attend church at the Cathedral.  Mary Catherine has been invited to teach Sunday School and then at noon we will go to the green valley School.  Last year Simon introduced me to Omega who has a school for pre-schoolers up to grade three.  I was so impressed with it and the teachers.  I asked Omega how I could help them and he expressed a desire to have glass and screens in the windows in order to keep out the rains and mosquitoes!  I thought of how when I open our windows at home there is always a screen …

Well, that’s all for now.  Thank you for all of your love, support, and prayers.

Love to all, Hilda

P.S. We have just opened the door to a young student nurse, Sarah, an orphan whose aunt has been looking after her and is now unable to help.  She is behind in her fees and the principal already spoke to me about her and another student.  I told Sarah that I would go to see the bursar and the principal on Monday and see about helping her to complete her nurses training.  And this is Africa.

Well, it seems as if my internal clock is finally on track!  Today I slept until 6:00 am!!  Jenny, if you were here I would go for a walk!  In fact I am really feeling settled now and I have even figured out the money!! One Canadian dollar equals about 2000 Ugandan Shillings.  We have bills like 1000, 5000, 10,000, and 20,000 in our wallets.  I just think of them as a 1, 5, 10 or 20 dollar bill and then cut the value in half!  Makes sense right??  It gets harder for more expensive things, like a cow (too many zeros!)  I have decided to spend some of the money my good friends have sent with me on a COW!  I have mentioned Abby before (he runs the orphanage for street boys and Mom knows him well.)  It seems that a cow would be a very useful and profitable addition to the Senge Boys home (in the countryside from here) as not only can the boys drink the milk but they can sell the excess for a good rate!  So a COW will cost UG800,000 which is about $400 US!   I will make arrangements for this in the next few days. 

Last night Mom and I went to see Abby and his boys (called African Hearts) so that mom could give them the gifts she brought!  When Mom met Abby and the boys three years ago they lived in a small and very cramped two rooms and there was not enough room for many boys.  Now there are over 50 boys involved in the city project (and another 20 in the Senge project mentioned above.)  In the city, some of the boys attend boarding school and the rest live at the home we visited last night or with a caregiver.  The home we visited last night is amazing.  It is one about 1 acre in a nice part of town and there are two floors and room for about 22 boys I think.  A very generous supporter of Abby’s project pays the rent.  Abby also has his office there (he is a Social Worker who has created and runs this project) and two adults to help the boys (although as former street kids they don’t need TOO much help!!)  Aside from going to school, having a clean (very clean really!) and comfortable home to live in, getting good meals and having safety, the boys also have a Band and tumbling troupe which helps them raise money (by performing).  The boys have all learned to play by ear and they gave us a very short performance last night (we will go next week for a longer performance).  The Band is AMAZING!  They play concert band and marching music (all with an African twist!) and it I hard to believe they have no formal music training. Of course the best part is the smiles and enjoyment evident on their faces as they play.  I will admit to having tears trickle down my cheeks and a lump in my throat as I thought of where they would each be if not for this amazing man and his project!

I didn’t mention how happy and excited they were to see their Jaja Hilda!!  Many of the boys have been with Abby’s program since Mom’s first trip here three years ago and they are old friends with Jaja now.  When our car pulled in the boys were outside practicing and they all politely “swarmed” us to say hello, shake our hands and introduce themselves.  The energy and excitement was so wonderful!  The boys range from about 7 to 18 and they are orphaned or displaced and have come from the slums.  Jaja got many hugs and when she presented the gifts there was great applause.  Abby presented and explained each gift in English and Lugano. The most welcomed gifts were the cymbals and drumsticks and toothpaste and tooth brushes!  I think the latter items are needed for good hygiene which is of course important if one is wooing a girl!!

Another exciting part of my day yesterday was to go into the countryside to visit the boarding school attached to the Special Needs School where I am volunteering each day.  I travelled with the director of the school (Patti), the man driving who was visiting the school to make arrangements for the students to build him some furniture (he is married to the music therapist who volunteers at the day school), and a British Airways pilot who regularly donates clothing to the school.  We were all musungo (white) and from all over the world.  The conversation alone was very interesting!  So you already know about the driving situation here and the daylight did not bring much relief (the serious traffic jams are after dark when many people are not at work or school.)  So as we drove through the city (including some really sketchy back alleys!) I saw so many amazing and unusual sights.  I will send along some pictures to help you see too.  As we moved into the countryside, the poverty was even more pronounced and the last few km was made up of small villages and rural homes where the subsistence farmers live.  There are no jobs for these folks and they just live with what they can grow or gather.  I saw people carry water and wood on their heads and of course there is no electricity this far from the city!  It was really something for this Canadian from BC to see!

When we arrived at the school we were warmly greeted by the staff and students.  It is really a lovely place and obviously extremely well run.  The two head teachers (both have teaching degrees and post grad diplomas in special ed) showed us around and we visited with the children.  I could see that it is a very positive place to live.  Just as we were leaving the rains started (really, it can sure rain here!!) and so our drive on the dirt (mud) path back to the main highway was like being on a roller coaster!  Hannah and Georgia you would have loved it!  I’m just glad it was downhill as we surely would have been stuck going uphill.  The potholes on these roads made those in the city look like nothing!!

Well, that is lots of news for now.  It is late afternoon and I am taking it easy in a quiet home after finishing my day at the school (usually we are a full house but folks are off touring at the moment and Mom is still at the clinic).  We have a busy weekend so it is best that I catch my breath.  Both Mom and I seem to have a small intestinal bug so I hope we can shake it quickly!!

Until next time, Webele!

Love to all, MC xoxox

Dear Family and Friends,

Mary Catherine has been emailing you and sharing my news.  This will just be a short email from me.  Our suitcases finally arrived Tuesday and you can imagine Mary Catherine’s delight in getting out of her travelling clothes after four days!  (YES!!! ed.)  My clothes were all in my carry-on luggage but some essential items like deodorant, shampoo, and mosquito spray were en-route!

First of all I want to say that having Mary Catherine here with me thrills me more than I could imagine! We share a room which is small but comfortable and were even given a fan to help keep us cool (when the electricity is on!) The power was off all yesterday and last night so the showers were cold this morning!  We have been six people in the house, one left this morning and two arrive tomorrow so it could be busy and crowded here.  With just 5 dining rooms chairs we sit where we can.  The welcome we have received is SO WARM and loving and it is truly wonderful to be back with these incredible people.  It is much the same staff as last year at our home and in the clinic.

Arthur, the young nurse whom many of you have heard about and helped to support during his last 18 months of training, has been to see us every day.  He works at Catherine Ward, near our house.  On the weekend of Nov. 20-21, I will travel with him to his village which is about 120 km away.  We will stay overnight there with his sister Julie!  She is the one who came here last year to give me a live chicken in thanks for helping Arthur.  We will go by bus (about 2.5 hours each way).  I am a bit nervous but I’m sure it will be fine and an incredible experience!

Abby, the young man who works with street children, and his fiancé Sandra also came last night to visit.  He was so thrilled with the cymbals and drum sticks which you donated Sal.  He decided that rather than taking them right away, I should present them to the boys at Kampala House.  Abby will come Thursday night to take us there.  The boys will perform for us and I will be very happy to see them!  Sal, when we described you as Canada’s leading percussionist, Abby asked if you could come to Uganda and hear his boys’ band!

I must say, that as I packed and repacked my suitcases to bring all the soap and washcloths knit by so many of you, I wondered how I would ever distribute them all.  I need not have worried as in three days many have been gifted to patients, nurses, and friends.  They dance with receiving the cloths and hold the soap up to smell it with much appreciation.  (Soap is a luxury here!)

Erin, your Birkenstocks are once again getting used on the many uneven roads and paths here.  Bryn, when I took the pens you gave me to the clinic they were received like sticks of gold.  And Heather, once again your stethoscopes are so very much appreciated!  I have divided them among various areas of the hospital.

Today was difficult for me … Wednesday is Children’s Day at the HIV Clinic and seeing those beautiful little ones with this dreadful disease saddens me so much.  The grim stats that every year 30,000 babies are born in Uganda already infected with HIV is staggering.  I took lots of stickers and the children had great joy in getting one on their hand after blood was drawn.  One little girl pulled me over to her mother and baby sibling so I could give her sister one too.  The children are so beautiful and those brown eyes so captivating.

Again, my upmost thanks for your support in so many ways.

Love to all, Welaba,

Hilda

It is again time for our 3:00 am tea party!  I might have slept through but Mom was up so we have just had a nice chat.  We share a small but comfortable room and it is nice to catch up on our day’s activities as we are not often together during the day.  I will let her dose off again and spend a few minutes writing to you! I also have Mom’s first letter which I will type by candle light for you. 

Wednesday was a very enjoyable day for us.  I started my morning at the Occupational Department (Special Needs Day School) and enjoyed being in Auntie Pauline’s class of 8 to 12 year olds.  This is the Junior class and the other classes have teens.  There is also a new program which is like an early intervention pre-school (not integrated) where younger children attend on certain days for extra stimulation.  It is run by an Occupational Therapist and his assistant.  In Auntie Pauline’s class there are 5 children with mild to moderate developmental delays.  The classroom is very small and old but clean and bright (when the power comes on!)  The walls are covered with a variety of attractive displays which are very similar to what we would see at home.  Pauline makes do with limited resources but she is very resourceful and hard working.  Cathy, I brought many of the supplies you provided to the school and they are very thankful!  Bryn, the pens and pencils are also very welcomed gifts! Pauline is a lovely, kind, respectful and very capable teacher and I was very happy to be in her class.  I will spend the rest of the week with her and then move to an older group.

I will also be spending two days a week in the HIV Clinic.  Dr Edith, the Clinic Director, has asked me to help with triage as this is a place where delays and back-ups often occur.  I will be interviewing the patients (who come for HIV testing, follow-up, preventive care regarding opportunistic infection and disease, and medication) and getting them prepared for their visit with the clinicians.  I am really happy to have this opportunity.  Dr Edith is also arranging for me to do some FASD presentations here with the medical staff, at the nursing school, and with the medical students at the University.  I have been busy getting my PowerPoint presentation just right for this!

This evening we decided to go out for dinner and took taxis into the downtown for a delicious Indian meal!  So, driving the streets of Kampala is not something I can explain!  I will just use some descriptors for you … CROWDED, NOISY, CRAZY, DANGEROUS, POTHOLES, More POTHOLES, ONE BIG TRAFFIC JAM, TWO TRAFFIC LIGHTS (in a city of 2 million people) and very INTERESTING!!!  The city is so busy and alive at night and there are shops and little businesses in every direction.  In the downtown there are many banks!  Our dinner was delicious and we made it home safely!!

I will say good bye and get to work on Mom’s email now,

love to all, MC