Saturday - October 24, 2009

I'm in Mukono to blog - really miss having the internet in Nkokonjeru!!! I was going to take the 6:30 matatu, but didn't sleep well, and it was still raining (rained a LOT last nite) and didn't get down to town till 7:00 - had to wait till 8:20 till the next one filled and we left.....next time I'll stick w. the first one!!

Last Saturday I was here blogging before our little "pool party" at the Coline Hotel here in Mukono - lots of good company (other PCVs). We didn't swim - started out cool and cloudy and then a school group came in - lots of conversation tho' - most is about what we're all planning to do when we're done!!! Focus has shifted! We are now officially the oldest group in Uganda!!!

Sunday, Didas (shoemaking teacher), Alex (student) and I went up to Stella Maris (an expensive boarding school in town) for visiting day to try to sell shoes. We only sold one pair, but many people admired them and we'll go back - this term is over the end of November and the new one doesn't start till February, so think many were thinking they'd wait! I asked Didas how long he'd been at PH and how they used to market - he said 5 years, and they never had materials to actually make or sell shoes before - just practiced w. paper and maybe a little leather. So - one huge improvement thanks to generous donors - now to keep it self sustaining!!!

Got great phone calls from the family for my BD but sad to hear the Gophers lost @ Penn State. I'm enjoying reading newspaper articles Corky sends - I'm about a 3 weeks behind in the news but the Twins (in my world) are now set to play Detroit in the tie breaker - it's still fun to read!!

Monday, we had some disturbances at lunch re: food portions - it's rationed some to make it last. Many don't pay any contribution so not sure they should complain! There is no "free lunch" - no government help. And kids expect a LOT of food - you'd be amazed at how much Ugandans eat at a sitting - 'course it's mainly carbs and goes fast, plus there is not snacking! I've been standing outside the hall making sure people aren't taking an extra plate, saying it's for someone else and stashing it in the dormitories (a favorite trick).

Holly and I had a great walk and then dinner at Shari's - tuna hotdish and cherry pie - WOW!!

Tuesday Moses said he was sick and his wife and Fiona also - and his cow!!! Moses and Nelson (the OT) are teaming up to raise some pigs...they bought 3 of our little pigs - Nelson provides the capitol and Moses will keep them at his farm -hope it works! The little pigs are really healthy but I'd like to sell them all! Nelson, Moses and I went to the piggery to choose and catch their three and it was funny watching Moses in the stall trying to grab them - Vincent (the animal manager) heard the piglets squealing and came running - good for him. Moses wanted a female that was still w. her mom and Vincent got that done - very stealthily!

Wednesday I decided to go to the PC office to do my quarterly report - it has to be done electronically and I hate doing it (used to be able to do it in writing and send it in - easier for me). After I got it done (in some fashion) I went to the Indian Pharmacy by Mulago Hospital and got the TB drugs needed for the little boy w. the sores - I really should not be buying meds for people but Moses convinced me they were really poor - and the little boy (5) is SO miserable. Went to New York Kitchen (restaurant) and got some bagels and a cinnamon roll to take home - such a treat!!! Got to Mukono and had lots of mail - YEA - it's been very spotty the past two months! All in all a very productive day - and at the Mukono taxi park I was #14 on the matatu so we took right off - no waiting! Bonus!!!!

I'd gotten a newspaper (they are really supermarket tabloids) and my horiscope was (for the first time I can remember) accurate!!! Libra - "Brisk. You're very down in the mouth today. Although many things in your life are going swimmingly at this time the occasional doubts are creeping in. It will be difficult to know whether your fears are justified or whether you're conjuring up problems out of nowhere. Make sure you get some rest because that could be half your trouble." I have been struggling w. being here and I DO conjure up problems all the time!! Good one.

Few glitches in my perfect day after I got back. Moses stopped by and had gotten a call from a mom of one of the epilepsy patients - mom said the girl (24) had a "fit" and climbed a tree and fell out and broke her leg. Sister Juliet told Moses the mom had to at least find transport for her to the Nkokonjeru Hospital - mom said she couldn't! And he called the mom of the little boy w. TB and she said she couldn't afford to come to Nkokonjeru to get the meds!! First time I've seen Moses cut someone off - switched off the phone he was so mad!!! We also decided w should know the boy's HIV status - often TB is a sign of AIDS - weakened immune system - sad but true! So, we need him here for a test at the hospital.

Thursday Sr. Juliet asked if I'd take Liliane (our primary donor) money around to some schools to pay debts. It was a harder job than I'd anticipated (and I anticipated hard)....had to wait for the matatu, ride along in the dust, walk to the schools, pay, walk back to the main road, wait for the matatu, eat dust...you get the picture. Afternoons have been really HOT - felt like I was cooking!!! But I got it done!!! Always a sense of accomplishment!

Friday math went very well - after doing linear measures (metre, cm, km) we tried liquid measures - litre, etc. Had a variety of bottles, gerry cans, etc. and we poured water to see what the sizes were. The kids actually seem to be getting it - papers were very good!!! Also, the prisioners came (20) to start digging the holes for the banana trees - YEA. However, they can't come back till Nov. 3 (booked) and I'm not sure how much longer the rainy season will last. We get the prisoners for 2500/prisoner ($1.25), and extra for the wardens. They work really hard and it was HOT! Some seemed very young!

Had a visitor in the afternoon - a young man in a UN truck. He's met a girl who worked in PH in 1996 and he was in Uganda (he works in Sudan fixing trucks that defuse land mines!!) and told her he'd check out how it was doing. He's from the UK and has been in Africa for 10 years and loves it - said you have to look for the beauty all around (good lesson for me).....but he's a bit of a "soldier of fortune" I think - enjoys the life of the ex-pat. We talked about aid and aid agencies and he said he firmly believes the agency people keep asking for money so they can keep employed (included himself in that group) and that little of large aid is used well - in fact, much goes back to the home country people in terms of consulting fees, materials, etc.! He'd read Dead Aid and agreed - large grants have been wasted and may have even done harm by propping up bad governments, encouraging corruption and taking away the initiative of people to do something for themselves!!!

Interesting week - time goes fast but I really miss home. Today I'm missing Henry and Ellie's Birthday party - darn! I think often of the fall leaves (love fall) - maybe it will be easier to miss Minnesota when the snow flies!!! Am interested to see how the Referendum at Montgomery/Lonsdale goes - opportunity to use some federal stimulus dollars - seems like a good deal!!! Think Cook has a bond issue too!

Take care - Thanks again for your unfailing support and prayers - couldn't do it w/o you all!!!