Friday, May 15

This should be short - since I blogged on Monday, but I want to get back to my weekend schedule. I'm up at RASD (Shari's site) and the internet is working great....I haven't been here in awhile - going well!!

I have been wondering if anyone could recommend (send?) a book about the effects of poverty on people's thought processes...esp. in undeveloped countries. I struggle to understand the lack of initiative and the difficulties getting things done when they seem like something so obvious, or the problem planning ahead! I read Nickeled and Dimed which was GOOD - and it talked about the brain chemistry a bit, but I wondered if there was something about Africa or Central America and poverty (send ideas to kathywesterman@hotmail.com or mail to Kathy Westerman P.O. Box 788, Mukono Uganda). THANKS.

On to the blog....lots of trips to Kampala this week which means I don't get much done here and sort of lose momentum! Tuesday it rained a lot in the a.m. CBR was very quiet - Moses and I had hoped to go see the babies back from the hospital but decided the roads would be too bad because of the heavy rain.

Sister Veronica had invited me to dinner at the convent - she was bringing four former PCVs who had been evacuated from Madagascar recently and were in Uganda staying w. a priest she knows. They were delightful! Three girls and one guy - and he's from Lakeville and a graduate of the U of M (and to Holly's surprise, also a registered dietician). Because of political unrest they were gathered and then had to go home suddenly - they were almost done but their stuff is still there and they didn't get to say goodbye's - really a bummer!!! Not a good way to go. We seldom hear much about Madagascar - they said Uganda is much more developed and LOTS more muzungus and Aid agencies.

Weds. Moses and I took three epilepsy clients to Butabika Hospital (the psychiatric hospital in Uganda) to get the baby pigs! Started late, (surprise?) but it was fun - pigs are small (2 mos), but look healthy! The hospital is BIG (1,000+ patients) but looked very nice and the people looked clean and healthy....the pigs are part of a project they are starting to help people w. mental illness get some income generated, but they are having a problem w. knowing how to follow up on distribution to see if they are cared for, so they are experimenting w. us!

Thursday the Madagascar Group was leaving and Sr. Vero sent me along as a "guide".....they wanted to go to the Bead for Life Village by Mukono and we got directions for Sula! I've wanted to go there and had the number on a scrap of paper! They have built 132 homes for women who have qualified and made enough beads and for long enough to be able to pay for them. Very nice brick homes with land for a garden by them! They also provide training in business practices and help them get started w. something else. It was odd having a village of just houses - very artifical...sort of like a suburb! We also went to the office in Kampala to learn more about their program...they have women make the beads, bring them in for approval and sale and then ship them to Boulder, CO for distribution (you can check them out at Beads for Life).

Dropped them off at the Annex Hotel and Shari was there!!! Small world. Then Sula and I went on to pick up signs for the truck and pick up Sr. Juliet. I got a call that one of the patients at CoRSU Hospital was ready to go home so we went out there and stopped in Mukono to get some more blocks for the driveway project - got back at 9 p.m.!

There are BIG problems w. the driveway the Holland girls are donating. The contractor (who seemed competent) told them the price using 3500 blocks, but it should have been 3500 sq. meters!!! The "correction" doubled the price - they were SO angry. Katrina argued w. him for an hour and he finally admitted his mistake and will pay himself to get the road to the gate but not do the connecting parts. He said his mother was sick and he was distracted!!! They really did well sticking to their guns - and Sister was right in there!

Shoe making is not progressing - Didas went home for a funeral (grandfather) and found lots of problems w. his home - it collapsed in the heavy rains in April - so he's still gone. Said he'll be back next week (I hope). Things just never seem to run smoothly - but at least we are moving sort of forward! Hope to get the pigs next week - but Fred has to convince our builder to come back and fix the gutters first (for no cost)....the water doesn't go into them - it just pours into the stalls!! Builder's mistake - we'll see if we are successful (Fred is local and not as forceful as Katrina)! No pigs till it's fixed! The cow shopping is waiting for Sr. Juliet to sell the old cow and she's been busy.....O.K. it has been over a month but I'm trying to be patient!

We have had a LOT of rain this week - mainly at night. Really bringing the "critters" into my house. Last nite I had a small snake (Shari insisted it was a big worm), and a giant slug, plus I heard cockroaches under the bed again.

This a.m. it was raining and I sat and read (re-reading Shell Seekers and really enjoying it - the main character is 64) - did some wash and cleaned - but was late for a meeting w. the Holland girls (actually I forgot - scary). They went over their project report. They did a GREAT job....they developed a form for screening the disabled kids' abilities and then created an afternoon program for them with the younger non-disabled children - movement group, creative group and games group - very nicely done! They made up a workbook for the OT to continue w. one of the boys who has been helping them. They are hard workers and really nice girls! They go home on Wednesday and we will all miss them a lot! Tomorrow they are taking everyone to the zoo in Entebbe!!! They rented a bus for 40 (and we'll take 60 plus wheelchairs). Really an event for the kids - they never see "African" animals and can't even identify them! Anyone seen the Disney movie "Earth"...sounds like it has some good animal stories?

Hope you all are well and enjoying Spring - can't believe it's mid-May. Was thinking about happy events to occupy my mind on the was home last nite - dark and quiet - and was remembering the 1999 State Baseball Tournament - so I can still remember some things - just not what I'm supposed to do today!