From Kampala - 8-21-08

Came to Kampala today w. the Sisters in the truck - meeting Maria here for the weekend, but we also picked up the 300 mosquito nets Maria's work donated - it was a bit of a process (not surprising - this is Uganda). Went to the Red Cross where we were told to go, but they sent us to their warehouse (big warehouse district)...have them loaded tho' so the end result was good. Left the Sisters and came to the Mall to meet Maria and lunch!!! Tonight we're meeting the Jewish young man and lady we met at Bunyoni and going to a Shabat dinner with them! Tomorrow, Maria is going to Entebbe for a memorial for her daughter in law and I will go along. It's a lunch at the Entebbe Sailing Club. Sunday, Holly has organized a swim at the Imperial Hotel (10,000 sh - $6 - for lunch and swim!!). So, if anyone is feeling sorry for me I'm sure you're over it now!!! But, then Sunday nite we check in for the week of PC training - I am going to miss Providence Home - have lots of projects going and hate to be gone.

Last time I wrote I was in Mukono about to search for an orphanage - it turned out to be a rehabilitation center. It took awhile to find - no phone books or maps. Walked out to the Mukono District Office to get directions!! Sister and I hope to meet with their director - they have 20 beds and accept children after orthopedic surgery while they are in rehab. They have a physiotherapist and nurse on staff and it's much cheaper and more convenient for our parents than the hospital in Kampala ....much closer and less hectic.

Maria called while I was in Mukono and told me that her daughter in law (ex) was killed this week...they live in very rural Baltimore and she works for Johns Hopkins. She was sleeping at 4 a.m. and a stolen truck, running from the police crashed into the house and killed her. They have three girls (teens) who were home but not injured. Very freaky! That's why there's the memorial in Entebbe tomorrow...sorry I didn't explain that first.

Saturday I had a bad head cold - think all my lack of sleep was catching up with me. Our parent meeting was cancelled - most had already come or the ones going home had gone on their own. Washed clothes, cleaned, had an ABC class with the little kids and just relaxed....read all afternoon.

Sunday was another quiet day - did lots of reading and even watched a little Olympic coverage on the Sister's TV (yes, they do have a TV - very recent purchase by the Bakery). I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with how to start on my grant search so am doing nothing! Book I'm in now is "Eastward to Tartary" by Robert Kaplan - his journey from Hungary to Turkmenestan in 1998-9. An area of the world I know virtually nothing about. I was especially interested in his description of Georgia in light of the trouble there. He said the "Caspian region might be, in the 1st decade of the new century, an explosive region that draws in the Great Powers"...let's hope not, but we do seem intent on irritating Russia (e.g.,missles in Poland)...we get news courtesy of BBC Africa. Another good quote "only war is a faster locomotive than oil for change in the 3rd world". THey are starting to drill for oil in Uganda by Lake Albert - we'll see!

CBR on Tuesday went well....having Dr. Antonio's money at the hospital makes things a lot easier...it's not as much as he'd have liked, but it's a start. We had a good discussion (at least I thought so) about the best way to spend what limited resources we have. Going to see fewer people and maybe concnetrate on a smaller geographic area but do better with follow up. Try to get people to do exercises, use appliances, go to follow up visits. We need to assess potential for success before sending children for surgery - some get home and the kids regress! It's hard to decide who, tho'. I call it "playing God" , but our resources are short. Want Moses and Kinene to do the choosing since they do all the follow up visits, and they know people better. They saw the rationale - we can never help eveyrone, so let's really do a good job with those w. do.

Did make two referrals to Katelemwa....start of using the donation from Dr. Antonio. Little girl (4 mos) with club feet and and 11 yr. old boy wiht osteomyletis (bone infection). I'd never heard of that before but it is common here. Treatment is to surgically remove the infected piece of bone (usually leg) before it spreads. It often results in a shorter leg and crutches. If it doesn't get removed totally it spreads.

Had a nice dinner with the group that is here working with Shari's organization from UC - Davis. Graduate students and staff in engineering and soil science - very smart but really friendly and willing to work.

Trying to keep the little kids left at PH busy - having ABC class about every other day...they realy seem to like it and are trying! There's only two girls left from tailoring so we got the one who can sew some fabric for an outfit and Sr. Goretti is going to help her make it. She's been helping with ABC class and is really a sweetie. She's here as a caretaker for her 23 yrs. old uncle who is blind and totally unable to move (CP?). Been doing that since she was 12 (she's 15 now)...it's a tough life, but it gets her some schooling.

I really should be doing more, but am adapting to the slow pace all too well. Visited with some of the UC Davis group about our collapsing cooking stove. There are 3 ENORMOUS pots that sit on iron rings over a brick stove that uses firewood....but the front bricks have totally collapsed and it's hugely inefficient. It needs repair but not sure how to get it done ($ and technique). At least now the census is down so they put one pot on 3 larg rocks over a wood fire - like camping with volume!!! The Florida couple donated some money for renovation but the contractor keeps stalling - the Davis people could maybe do it but we need the funds for materials - another typical Ugandan confused activity!!

I'm trying to work on the PC piggery grant, but not sure how to start. You can't walk into the lumber yard and get a quote for a pig shed!!! And I have no idea who to ask! My last forays into carpentry (wardrobe) didn't fare so well!! Also, need some idea of price of piglets, feed, vet supplies, etc. One of Holly's Project Hope volunteers raises pigs and I checked his piggery out - looks nice and he's active in the government agricultural program. Now need to meet with him for ideas and costs (and I'm in Kampala for a week).

Yesterday (Thursday) the Sisters and I cleaned out this awful storeroom....had to prod them a bit to get them going, but we found some treasures - including yarn and knitting needles. THey burned a lot of rubbish (yea)!! Holly cut my hair again - she's really getting good. I did her a favor in the a.m. by going over and rescuing a gekko trapped in her shower enclosure - pushed it into a basin and took it outside!!! AT home that would have been a job for one of the boys!

That's about it....not a busy week, but things going on. Thanks for all the letters and Peg, for the package. Probably won't write much about training, but you never know. Hope you are all well and things are O.K. Almost back to school time.....Gail said Riley is going to pre-school and needs a backpack, but he can't see any reason to go to school because he's going to drive a bobcat when he grows up!!! I missed the week at the lake - they had good weather. Jean is settling in in Lombard, Il, south of Chicago. Life goes on - hope it's treating you all well.