Beware - it's sort of long. I'm in Mukono early in the a.m. to blog (Saturday).....got on the taxi at 6:30 and it filled up fast and we were here by 7:00 - internet cafe opens at 7:30! There is no limit to the lengths I'll go to to keep the blog going!!!! Only 6 1/2 months left.
Lots of Anniversary/Birthday activity in our family the next few weeks. And next Sunday Gail does the Twin Cities Marathon - it's always so beautiful w. the fall colors (of course, that's my perspective - I'm not running 26.2 miles!!!).
Back to the week in retrospect - they are going fast again. I hit a low point after my visit home, but am getting back into the swing. Classes are going better tho' I still wonder how much they are getting and retaining (I'm sure all teachers do). We had some visitors from Holland Monday and Sr. Juliet was gone so I did "the tour"....I still can't do it walking backwards yet (like college tours), but it's close!
The BIG momma pig had 11 babies - 2 died, but the remaining 9 are looking good! We were really low on feed so Sister sold 3 of the bigger pigs (6-7 months old - four left) and 2 of the month old piglets (6 left) - Vincent (the animal manager) was genuinely sad! I'm just happy to have them start to be self-supporting. Poor Vincent got into an argument w. one of the older male residents, Mafalanga, who's a little "off", about where to tether the goats (Vincent didn't want them near the cow because of ticks) and Mafalanga BIT him in the thumb really badly and he can't milk or cut elephant grass for awhile (he then hit Mafalanga and knocked out two teeth) so we have a gardener working w. him - never a dull moment!!!
I realized Monday nite that I had only one unread book at my apt. and had a panic attack! Went over to Holly's and got 3 and Shari contributed 4 so I'm O.K. again. Am now finishing The White Man's Burden by William Easterly - another criticism of big foreign aid programs and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
On Tuesday at English I asked the kids to complete simple information forms for our records - name, age, parents names (if alive), village and any contact information - it was awful!!! Almost none could give their parents names or village.....I was floored. Nelson said later that maybe they don't know how to write them in English - obviously something they never had to do in school before!!! I felt bad for them! Total disaster but they are so patient!
In the pictures I sent last time I think there was a picture of an old woman in a red velvet pillbox hat - she comes to PH (and other homes) for meal every now and then. Actually, she could live here but prefers to stay at her home in town. Maria and I had given Sr. Goretti some money to get her a few things and Tuesday evening we went down to her home - a one room mud hut (half of a "duplex") to give her a blanket and some food items. She was SO excited - she kept hugging us and prayed that God would bless us (he has), that we would get more money and that we would get gray hair (actually, I don't want gray hair, but think she meant to get old enough to have gray hair). Fun to be generous w. so little input!
I saw Bob on the way to her home - he's the older man from Portland who came to Nkokonjeru last year as a short time volunteer and is now building a house here and intends to spend part of his time here and part back in the U.S. He's trying to buy some land (and it's a struggle) to "loan" to poor people to grow things to sell.....it's an uphill battle even to do good deeds - lots of paperwork, bribes, misinformation etc. He has a local committee but I'm not so sure of all of them either!
After stopping a visiting w. Bob I got home pretty late - made a quick supper of eggs and as I was reaching into my curtained "cupboard" I felt something on my arm - a cockroach!! UGH!!! I shook him off and "Doomed" him to death - serves him right! I hate cockroaches....think all the rain is forcing them inside.
Wednesday was the Katelemwa orthopedic clinic at Ngogwe (about 10 miles down the road)....it started late (no surpirse), but was really successful. There were 3 people from Katelemwa Rehab Center , Nelson and Jasimine and a PT from Holland who volunteered at PH in August. We started out under a tree on a bench - then Sister noticed an ant hill under our bench - we moved quickly but not fast enough - got bites between my toes and later, as they crawled up, in my underwear (that may be too much information). Had to move inside later because of rain, but the clinic itself went very well - had 23 people - some were reviews, but some were new (Moses and Kinene did a good job getting the word out). Two we want to send to Dr. Antonio (orthopedic surgeon in Entebbe). They were a little 2 1/2 month old boy w. Agonesia(?) - poor formation of lower leg bones....his feet are curled upwards but he's so young he may be a good case for reconstructive surgery. He'd had his legs casted poorly at a local hospital and had a huge sore on one ankle. The other was a 5 year old who was treated somewhere (they are really bad a remembering details) at age one for osteomyletis (bone infection) and now was covered w. sores - he was just miserable and hadn't been to a doctor. OT examining him thought it might be osteomyletis returned. All in all, a very interesting, productive day. My job is to make sure everyone has completed intake forms and that we've written down a follow up plan - good work for an obsessive person but it takes some pushing!!
Lots of rain and spells of no power - but grateful for the rain when we hear about Kenya and other places. No more political unrest here tho' the Kabeka (King) and President continue to verbally spar - mainly through Ministers!
Thursday I spent the morning making sure teachers and students were in their classes (a daily task), and that all the animals' feeds were ordered or delivered and everyone was eating, (it's a difficult job since nothing is available in one place and transport is such an issue - I must drive Fred crazy!). Then, I went to nearby Kisoga to take an Application for a PCV to the Italian Sisters there - they'd had a volunteer but he went home in April (done) and they'd neglected to re-apply. They are such a great group - had me meet a young man (19) w. TB of the spine (?) they want to come to PH - Sr. Judith (60s) drives an old Jeep "ambulance" - very exciting ride!!!! The Sisters are in their 60s and 70s and have been in Africa most of their lives - amazing women!
Friday went well - Math is getting better - I now do 2 different papers for the slower group - seems to work. Poor Sr. Juliet - the new computer got damaged in a power in and out on Wednesday - they have a surge protector, but the guy who came to fix it said computers just can't survive in Africa (why doesn't someone design one that could?)...it's fixable but am sure it will be expensive, the truck is locked up till she can afford to get it serviced and she found out that whoever did the electrical work years ago connecting the bakery power to the boys' dorm used shoddy wire (a frequent trick here - weak cement, low quality products, etc.) and it needs to be re-strung! Also, Nusula's plastic surgery (to cover the hole where her eye used to be) is not going well - lots of puss still and she needs to go back Monday. Nusulu is devastated - the spots where they took skin grafts are still very painful!!! Lots on Sister's plate besides keeping us fed! She gets down for a bit, but bounces right back - there really must be something to the power of prayer!
Spent the evening updating my grant accounting - it actually (eventually) balanced out and I have receipts for everything - YEA!!! Now to finish - it's all in the works except for the garden portion....need to make a plan for that, but it's not planting time so it's hard. Our garden is up and so are the weeds! Germination is still slow and spotty, but w. the rain it's doing better than I'd expected.
So, that's life this week in Uganda - I stick pretty close to Nkokonjeru - seems to be enough here to keep me busy! Hope you all are well and enjoying the fall colors! Thanks again and again for the support and for thinking of me and praying for me - it really helps!!!!
Happy Anniversary Greg and Jessica, Gail and Jesse, Happy Birthday Jamie, Naomi and Ellie! Will catch the rest next time!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment