It's KOLACKY DAYS - July 25, 2009

WOW - hope you in Montgomery are having a good time.....can't say I miss Kolacky Days a lot - I do enjoy working at the softball games and the bike ride and watching the run but all the crowds aren't my thing! But, I do hope it's VERY successful and the weather is good!

Am in Kampala for the day to get some things done, get some bagels and see Harry Potter! (yes, even in Uganda - there's a nice Theater at the Mall). Joining some PC people - Maria was going to come but had to cancel - darn!!!

I leave in just over a week!!! I'm SO excited to be home and see everyone - we spend a week at Lake Vermillion first - all the grandkids will be there! Not sure about Jean and Kody - they leave San Francisco Aug. 8 but maybe - will see them later if not then. Gail said that my obsession w. food is a newand surprising thing. I never thought I'd be this concerned about what I'mgoing to eat. Olive Garden here I come! Also, going to a Twins game and Gopher football scrimmage! When our group arrived in Uganda in 2008 we talked to a group leaving and all they talked about was the U.S. and what you could get and do there. Like it was the Promised Land . We thought "have you forgotten there are problems there,too?" - well, the answer is, " Yes you do!". In our fantasies it all is wonderful!

On to the week's story - Friday I sat in at Holly's First Aid Class - there were 14 people - really good group of village health volunteers who were SO appreciative of the information (and two days out w. lunch!!!). It was all in Lugandan, but we stayed for moral support - the people had lots of questions for the medical people who presented. Alex (a student) taught my math classes - he does a good job (for $.50/class!). I have the lesson and papers ready but he's a good teacher! Nice to have someone to fill in.

Nice dinner w. the Duke kids - they are slowly leaving - the last on Monday. Gloria (Korean) and Dan made some great food for the dinner - spicy stuff! Gloria's mother is visiting and brought some Korean ingredients!!!

Saturday's class went well, too. Lunch was catered by a women's group by Moses' home - lots of food at $1.00/plate!!! Exactly the same both days, but the people loved it. Matoke, rice, beef (one chunk of boiled beef), cooked cabbage and sweet potatoes.....it was good - but the same!

Saturday afternoon, Gloria (Duke) came down to videotape the kids singing - she's putting together a website to send to friends - what a job! The Sisters were all gone to a meeting and Mubiru, the headboy, struggled valiently. I finally gave them a lecture about Gloria wanting to raise some money for PH and they needed to cooperate - Holly said it was funny - Quote: "Are you tired of not having enough food? - THEN SING!!" It worked!

Sunday Didas and I were supposed to sell shoes at the Stella Maris (school) Visiting Day, but he texted me at 5:30a.m. and said that his son in Kbale area (way west) was very sick and his wife was bringing him to Kamapla for more testing so he was meeting them in Kampala. I was too scared to go on my own (and measure for new shoes - or even sell), so had a pretty quiet day.

Monday was one of those "goofy" days - English went well, then the kids were supposed to go to a NAADS meeting (National Agricultural Advisory group) to talk about possible projects - had to organize the pushers to get everyone to the meeting site!!! The sewing machine repair guy came and finished - good work. Now Didas has two shoe machines!!! I teased him about being satisfied - don't press for 3 machines! (we have some other old ones but they are expensive to rehab - the one we did - which was part of the SPA grant cost 261,000 sh ($130) - but now it's done and usable). Didas was back Monday - his little boy was being treated in their village for malaria but had pneumonia and tested positive for sickle cell (bummer)...we talked a bit about Sickle Cell and how care is getting better and w. good diet and medical management he'll be O.K. It's hard tho'.

It's been very hot and dry (same in Minnesota?)...and the water tanks were officailly empty by Tuesday - there are 6 big tanks - but the kids waste water when it's available. Now they have to travel to "the dam" to get water - Sula took me to see where - it's a concrete resevoir a ways away and down a very steep path - not safe at all. Then they have to reach into the resevoir and hold a gerry can under a spigot - tough job for all the able bodied.

Tuesday Sister, Kinene and I went to the Katelemwa Rehab Center for a meeting about the formation of several parent groups in the surrounding areas. We've been trying to get something going w. their help - they originally promised money for the groups to start Income Generating Projects, but that hasn't panned out so for now they are Parent Learning Committees that are focused on education about disabilities, the rights of the disabled and what they can do as parents to help their children and advocate for better services. It really sounds good and we hope to get two groups going before the end of the year. They also will do another assessment clinic at Nkokonjeru, but not at PH - we are going to ask the city officials to do it at the Town Offices or the Town Health Center. The aimis to try to get people to NOT look at PH as the place to get help,but to expect it from their government! It will be a long process, but it's a good start if it works. The Town Council people get money to service the disabled - last year it was all used on roads! The politicos expect PH to handle it all w/o them parting w. any money! We want the parents to get together and demand that the designated funds go to the disabled! High Hopes!!! I'll miss the clinic (if it happens as scheduled in early Aug.), but this is a LONG term project.

Lots of things will wait till September - esp. the grant purchases. Just not enough time during the school term and things take a long time to get done!

Rading Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri - Jean sent it - interesting book. I get to go to bookclub when I'm back - YEA!.

Wednesday I went to RASD to get some typing done - exams and reports - bakery printer isn't working. We have two new visitors from Holland - Jan and Maggie - both are PE teachers and doing lots of sports/games - nice people!!!

Mubiru, an 18 year old resident, is making lots of cards for me to bring home - I started him off w. material and sold them at the PC conference and have made my investment back plus some for him, so will try again! They have banana tree fiber pictures on the front. Gave him some money and he's going on a class trip next week - a "geography tour"to Mt.Elgon in eastern Uganda. First time ever on a class trip - it's 30,000 sh ($15) and none of the PH kids ever get to go. Felt like if it's the only thing I do here it will have been worth it - he's SO excited and grateful. Great kid!

Thursday, I braved using the new computer at the bakery office (donated by Liliane for PH)...you all know howI hate using new things!! Sister had to help and we worked a long time to figure out how to print, etc. but it worked!!! I'm doing some lists and reports for her. The head boy (Mubiru) and head girl (Brenda) have each made up a "Duty Roster" about who's supposed to clean where in the compound - it has a chance of working since there's accountability.

FYI: Dan, the older Duke student - graduate student - has an interesting blog called "keystothegame.blogspot.com"....and he posted a neat entry about PH - it's about being Happy! He's from Boston and an avid Red Sox fan hense the blog name.

Rained a bunch Friday a.m - YEA - tanks now have some water and I'm using some donated money to buy locks for the tanks - we will ration it from now on (at least till the next rainy season or until they learn not to waste so much). It will be an adjustment but much needed. They use the tank water to bathe, wash dishes, wash clothes, drink - everything! I'd already had one locked up for Vincent to use for the animals - too much to haul from the dam.

Friday, Jan and Maggie helped me w. the slower math class - great having the extra help! In the afternoon they organized some games - one game of soccer had able bodied and disabled,but the able bodied had to crawl or do the crab walk - fun game! We all went to a funeral after lunch - the man whose home we went to for the goat roast a couple of weeks ago - he'd had a stroke sometime ago and just went downhill. Just a HUGE crowd!

That's about it - Sunday I'm going w. the Sisters to a new priest's first Mass; Monday they go to get the 100 layer chicks (I'm not going - giving my English final but they are taking some of the disabled children who will be "running" the project - fun trip for them). Rest of the week will be finishing up things with school term. Thursday nite another PCV is bringing out her family for the day - her mom is a PT and wants to see PH and will work w. the kids on Friday - she'll have her hands full! Saturday is the 5K and we'll have lots of company. Sunday I pack and Monday I leave - WOW! May or may not blog next week - we'll see how it goes.

Thanks to everyone for their support for the 5K.....Hollys says THANK YOU!!!! It's going to be interesting. Her girls' group is still practicing and lots of PH kids are going - walking the short route or being pushed!

I should be home Tuesday afternoon (4th).....it's getting close - I can remember when I started counting it was 46 days to go - now only 10!!! Hope to see lots of you and thank you personally for all your support (prayers, letters, whatever) - you may never know how much it means to have that support when you're 8000 miles from home but it really does(I'm sure the military people know). God bless you all.